Protodimension Magazine

This is issue #24 of Protodimension Magazine.

It's a horror / conspiracy fanzine and Tad Kelson reviewed The Outer Presence, my own 1970's investigative horror and exploitation RPG and scenario, inspired by H.P. Lovecraft.


VS

Character Class Options in D&D 5e

Here's the full list of classes.  Wow, that's a lot to work with.  Not only because players have a whopping 12 character classes, but now each class has a variety of kits or sub-classes, emphasizing a specific aspect of that class.  Let's take a closer look at each package...


Barbarian: A barbarian picks a primal path that reflects the nature of the character's rage. The two options in the Player's Handbook are the Path of the Berserker and the Path of the Totem Warrior. The berserker fights with an implacable fury, while the totem warrior channels the magic of beasts to augment his or her rage.

That's cool.  I kind of wish there had been three sub-classes instead of just two, but hey... two is better than one.  How about something reflecting Thundarr or Conan - if I come up with something awesome, I'll do a separate write-up.

Bard: Each bard is inspired by a college—a loose affiliation of like-minded bards who share lore, stories, and performances. The Player's Handbook presents the College of Lore, which focuses on knowledge and performance, and the College of Valor, which focuses on inspiring bravery on the battlefield.

Is it me, or does the Bard seem to be less a watered down Fighter/Wizard and more its own thing now?  I think that's a good thing.  For too long the Bard was just a cool sounding name with wasted potential.  The whole College thing adds roleplaying and setting/campaign possibilities.

Cleric: Cleric domains reflect the nature of the gods and shape the magic a character wields. The domains in the Player's Handbook are Knowledge, Life, Light, Nature, Tempest, Trickery, and War.

My first thought - why is Tempest italicized?  My second, are Life, Light, Nature, and Trickery really the best lowest common denominator domains for Clerics?  War is a no-brainer but Life and Light just seem like two generic sides of the same coin, and Nature makes me think he'll encroach onto the Druid's territory (perhaps literally).

Druid: A druid joins a circle—one of a number of loose alliances of like-minded druids who share similar outlooks on nature, balance, and the way of druidic magic. The Circle of the Land allows a druid to select a type of terrain from which he or she draws magic. The Circle of the Moon augments a druid's ability to transform into various beasts.

I love the "type of terrain".  Having desert druids and swamp druids and mountain druids makes sense and enriches the setting / campaign world.  Kudos for the outside-the-box Circle of the Moon... a were-druid?  Awesome!

Fighter: All fighters select a martial archetype that reflects a specific approach to combat. The Champion is a mighty warrior who scores deadly critical hits in combat. The Battle Master is a flexible, cunning tactician. The Eldritch Knight masters magic that allows him or her to protect allies and devastate foes.

Sweet!  Low maintenance old school types can have their closer-to-1st-edition Fighter in the Champion.  WotC D&D fans can have their special move heavy Battle Master along with Figher/Wizard hybrid that I'm sure will have its own exotic flavor. 

Monk: A monk commits to a monastic tradition, defined by a specific form of martial arts that helps channel and shape the use of ki energy. The Way of the Open Hand augments a monk's unarmed strikes and allows mastery of the deadly quivering palm technique. The Way of Shadow turns a monk into a stealthy warrior who manipulates darkness to confuse and confound enemies. The Way of the Four Elements allows a monk to channel ki into spells and blasts of elemental energy.

Sometimes, fantasy RPGs give the Monk everything but the kitchen sink.  Other times, he gets just the essentials or is simply left out altogether.  Its hard to know what Monks deserve since one extreme or the other is usually too far in either direction.  After all, what is he?  Martial artist?  Wanderer?  Mystic?  Unarmed Cleric?  The sub-classes of Open Hand, Shadow, and Four Elements sharpens the focus, getting the grab back proportional.  I think 5e is doing great things with the Monk and Bard.

Paladin: All paladins take an oath—a pledge to a code of conduct that guides their lives and shapes their abilities. The Oath of Devotion binds a paladin to the ideal of justice, virtue, and order. The Oath of the Ancients pledges a paladin to protect the natural world and preserve hope across the land. The Oath of Vengeance turns a paladin into a deadly avenger who seeks out and punishes wrongdoers.

Again, I like marrying the sub-classes to background elements like ideals, bonds, flaws, etc.  And this explains why Paladins don't have to be lawful good.  Regardless of alignment, it saves players from constantly having to define and reiterate that their character isn't the standard paladin but a paladin that seeks out the immoral or a paladin who's part of something like King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, etc.

Ranger: A ranger selects an archetype that reflects his or her ideals and relationship to nature. The Hunter stands guard in the wilderness, stopping threats before they can menace civilization. The Beast Master cultivates a powerful bond to creatures, fighting alongside them to bring down enemies.

Makes sense.  I like the class tying in with ideals.  And I'm really glad that if they aren't going to use "he" or "his" that they include both genders.  I never understood why so many RPG books starting using "she" and "her" exclusively.  Is there overlap between the Barbarian's Totem Warrior and the Ranger's Beast Master?  Probably, but I'm sure the execution will differentiate them enough - hopefully not just in a "power A vs. power B" way.  I want to see story/character/setting reasons for why things are the way they are.

Rogue: A rogue selects a roguish archetype that reflects his or her approach to crime and chicanery. The Thief is an evasive, sneaky trickster. The Assassin is a focused and quiet killer. The Arcane Trickster uses enchantment and illusion magic to enact his or her schemes.

That's awesome!  Now the old school has its Thief back... and their Assassin!  Also, 3rd edition fans can have a Rogue/Wizard type without the hassle of multiclassing.  Makes sense because there are so many different kinds of Rogues out there.  I could see WotC or a 3rd party creating a Scoundrel type sub-class.  Who doesn't want to see Han Solo in the local tavern wearing leather armor and holding a hand crossbow below the table?  Of course, you could do that with either the Thief or Assassin.  It'll be interesting to see how diverse these sub-classes get.  Will there eventually be dozens for each class, all with tiny details to differentiate themselves?

Sorcerer: A sorcerer's magic arises from a sorcerous origin—the event, ancestry, or quirk of fate that gifted the character with power. The Draconic Bloodline reflects a sorcerer's distant dragon ancestry, and grants powers that reflect a dragon's nature. Wild Magic imbues a sorcerer with the energy of raw chaos, producing unpredictable results from his or her magic.

I like it.  'Nuff said.

Warlock: A warlock's patron shapes this class's power. The Archfey grants beguiling magic useful for trickery and quick escapes. The Fiend imparts the power of destructive fire and diabolic resistance. The mysterious Great Old One grants telepathic abilities and chilling glimpses into the nature of the multiverse.

Ok, before getting into my favorite part (and filling my pants with a Lovecraftian load), I love the Fiend sub-class.  As divorced as 2e D&D tried to be from demons, the occult, and Satanism, this goes back to the sword & sorcery literature of Robert E. Howard.  Nice!  

The Great Old Ones!!!  From the days of yore... Deities & Demigods to 5th edition.  Every RPG from here to Albuquerque has dipped their big toe into the fetid subterranean lake that is H.P. Lovecraft.  Finally, the Cthulhu Mythos has come home!  Please let their be a large and monstrous illustration of the Dreaded One on that page.  Ia Ia Cthulhu Fhtagn! The only possible downside?  How can I be expected to play anything but a Warlock now?  Unless, the cleric can tap into the Great Old Ones as well...  Ok, I feel another write-up approaching.

Wizard: A wizard selects an arcane tradition—the specific approach to the study of magic that shapes his or her outlook and talents. Though many traditions exist, the Player's Handbook focuses on the established schools of D&D magic—Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation.

The third and final dedicated spellcaster class looks pretty standard.  This must be a world filled with magic!  Not only do you have Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard but Arcane Trickster and Eldritch Knight along with the Cleric, Druid, and possibly Bard.


So, there you have it.  Got something to say?  Leave a comment.

VS

"Lovecraftian elements and a taste for gore..."

This is the latest Liberation of the Demon Slayer review.  It's a comprehensive analysis, in my opinion.

Much appreciated, Jonathan!


VS

p.s.  If you want to learn a bit more about Kalthalax the legendary Demon slaying sword, then look no further...

LotDS on DriveThru & Amazon

A gonzo, Lovecraftian, science fantasy quest through the devil-haunted Nether Realms!  Or you could just go back to farming your stinking land...

This has been a long time coming.  My old school fantasy RPG adventure and campaign guide is up on DriveThruRPG as a PDF for a special introductory price of $7:

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/119240/Liberation-of-the-Demon-Slayer

The print version should be available in a week.  At that time, the PDF alone will go back up to its regular price of $9... but will be $7 for the PDF + print version of $19.

The print (and I believe a PDF) version will also be available on Amazon in about a week as well.

I'll make another announcement when those go live.


VS

Nudity in gaming books - what's too risque?

This is intended to be a dark module.  Indeed, there are going to be some mature themes sprinkled throughout Liberation of the Demon Slayer.

As an artist, I can judge for myself what the module should include or try and stay away from.  I'm a believer in artistic expression, freedom, and all that jazz. However, the artist should keep his audience in mind.

I'm not just creating this fantasy RPG adventure for my benefit.  I expect it to be used and enjoyed by those who like old school, Lovecraftian, science fantasy, gonzo mega-dungeons.  That's why I wanted to open up the floor, to get opinions on what's tastefully adult-oriented... and what's beyond the pale.

LotDS won't include anything hardcore or triple x; you won't see people actually having sex, erect (or even flacid) penises, spread-open vaginas, etc.  Nothing like that.  However, there will be boobs and butts!  As for pubic hair... that's up to you guys.

The image here on the right is, in my humble view, kind of on the border.  Personally, I like it.  The artist goes by iguana on Deviant Art.  He drew it.  I can go back and ask him to put tiny black thongs on those slave girls.  Should I?

I encourage you to voice your opinion.  What do you think - is this too risque?  Am I in danger of offending lots of OSR individuals?  Or does this herald a new retro-age of sword & sorcery exploitation pulp?  Thanks for your feedback!

VS

Liberation of the Demon Slayer - update #2

Not much has happened since I just got back from vacation last night, but there has been progress.  The editing continues... should have a completed manuscript around June 1st, then layout, adding interior artwork (which is starting to filter in - some of it is really great!), a bit more tweaking, and hopefully it will be finished sometime in August.

Faustie has been working on the front cover.  This is his latest version on the right.  I've given him a few notes for changes, but the finished product will look similar to this.  He's going to take a couple days off and then get working on the back cover.

Incidentally, Shane Ward came up with his own layout for Liberation of the Demon Slayer - two different versions.  Email me if you want to check that out, I'll send you the PDF.  Keep in mind that it's not the latest edit of the manuscript, nor will it necessarily resemble the format of the final product.  Enough of the update.  Now, I'm going to write a little about my trip from an old school gamer's perspective.

Disney World is just as fun, fantastical, and occasionally frustrating as it was 30 years ago.  If there was an RPG based on Disney, then there would be three main classes:  princess, pirate, and wizard.  And together these characters would explore the jungles of Africa, the Devil-monkey worshiping mountains of Asia, futuristic mountains of nebula-warping, Carribean coves, and the storybook lands of fairy tales.

Seeing all that stuff again decades later was amazing.  I got to go on most of the rides I remembered from my childhood.  Sure, a few things changed.  Johnny Depp is prominently featured in Pirates of the Carribean.  Mr. Toad's wild ride is simply gone.  And there's a bright and flashy new Little Mermaid ride.  And, of course, many things stayed exactly the same, like it's a small world after all.

This isn't unlike the old school passion, nostalgia, and gaming principles of Dungeons & Dragons and similar roleplaying games.  There are pieces of rules or rulings we fondly remember from years and years ago.  Things we wish wouldn't change.  Maybe it's saving throws or d6 weapon damage despite what is being wielded.  Improvements have been made, fancy expensive improvements.  Some of which actually make the game better... other "improvements" seem to detract from it - based on our own subjective views.  Additionally, there are the elements we remember as cool decades ago, but have since lost their luster.

Anyways, going back to Disney World was a blast from the past.  I got to go on Space Mountain - something I always wanted to do when my parents and I went to the Magic Kingdom, but never did.  On the one hand, it probably didn't have the same effect on me as an adult that it would have had on me as a kid.  On the other, I was totally in touch with the aeons-old vibe.  Like seeing an Erol Otus illustration I've never seen before but still have an old school nostalgic love for because his aesthetic came from a certain place and time.  Indeed, I had a similar timeless enthusiasm for all the neato scifi imagery of the mid 1970's.

Space Mountain is actually the oldest rollercoaster in Florida (I just looked it up).  It was refurbished (including complete replacement of the ride trains in 1989 and 2009). So, even when something looks like age hasn't touched it or retains a retro style, it might still have modernized parts or a contemporary philosophy or paradigm attached to it.  And vice-versa.  Some visions are incredibly old, yet done in a totally contemporary way.

Besides that, I got a lot of ideas brewing inside my head for current adventures and future campaigns, everything from meteor storms that make dinosaurs frenzy to primitive wood-carved leopard stools to king-making swords lodged in stone.


VS

Liberation of the Demon Slayer - update #1

Hey guys, what's up?  I'm writing this the night before my vacation, so it's going to be short and sweet.

For those who don't know, I wrote an old school fantasy adventure.  It's weird, gonzo, Lovecraftian, and kind of a Mega-Dungeon.  Since embarking on this journey about 5 months ago, I've learned a lot about gaming, DMing, writing, the OSR scene, and myself.

Whether it's heralded as something cool or complete bullshit, I need to put Liberation of the Demon Slayer out there.  Hopefully people like it.  Thought about doing the kickstarter thing to fund it, but luckily a lot of experienced people gave me enough advice for me to make up my own mind.  I opted out of that.  Instead, I'm funding it myself.  I'm sure that, too, will have its share of trials.

The image above and to the right is a rough work-in-progress of the front cover by faustie.  Besides that, I'm going through the thing, trying to improve the layout, adding little touches, taking out the unnecessary stuff, and editing along the way.

I won't be blogging or doing much in the way of gaming while on vacation, so check back in a week or so for update #2.

VS

Kickstart My Heart

Or, rather, kickstart my old school fantasy heartbreaker adventure and campaign guide.  That would have been an awfully long title.

Anyways, this blog post is here to serve multiple purposes...

Gathering intelligence - I want to know what you guys know about the whole Kickstarter thing.  Is there a standard baseline for funding?  What do you guys love and hate about these kinds of projects?

Notification - By the way, I'm seriously thinking about doing this.  Surprise!  You can't accomplish anything this big without support, so thanks to all those who support me and my vision.

Discussion - Starting a creative dialog with everyone out there who might be interested in running, playing, backing, or helping make this adventure and campaign guide presentable.

For those wondering, here's the gist.  It's an OSR dungeon crawl compatible with the original fantasy game and all those variations which came after.  Not sure if it qualifies as a Mega-Dungeon (there are currently 6 "levels").  There's a fair amount of rule options, DM suggestions, and setting material that goes along with the adventure.  Oh yeah, it's for kicking off a new campaign, an introductory adventure for 0 - 1st level characters... how far they progress by the end probably depends on the Dungeon Master and system used as much as trials faced within.

I want it to be as weird and interesting as possible while still retaining a passing resemblance to the fantasy worlds we all know and love.  Lovecraftian, science fantasy, and a bit gonzo!  It's called Liberation of the Demon Slayer.  The thing is about 95% written.  I'm adding the finishing touches now.  Already hired the front and back full color artwork.  Everything else will depend on how much funding can be raised using kickstarter.

Anything I'm forgetting?  Probably.  That's why I'm doing this blog post before I actually jump into this.  I appreciate all comments, suggestions, advice, support, etc.  Thank you!


VS

p.s.  I appreciate all the feedback I've received so far.  Thank you!  Will gather more information, advice, and who knows... perhaps kickstarter is not the way to go, after all?  Expect a Liberation of the Demon Slayer update in a few days.

Painted into a corner

First, a huge "Thank you!" to everyone who watched and commented on my recent youtube video.  The video, for those who have seen it (I've included it below for reference), left an important nugget of information out, such as this is D&D Carcosa... not Call of Cthulhu.  Yeah, that makes a wee bit of difference.  Oops.

Even though I knew there were plenty of options, I wanted to do something special, something new - to challenge myself as a Dungeon Master.

So many choices out there!  I could have had the party fight and get killed or run away, used the Primoridal One to control them via some kind of possession or threat of annihilation, made the godling temporarily weak and susceptible to their desires, or a dozen other options.

I chose to have the adventurers see, up close and personal, the nature of this thing.  First, it let out an ear-piercing shrieking roar which made everyone cover their ears in order to prevent hearing damage.  Then, the shambling Primordial One possessed the NPC shaman who summoned it, and forced him to cut his own throat as he had just done to the Ulfire woman a few minutes before.  Following that, it swung its monstrous tentacles and took out part of a mountain range (it was about 20 - 25 stories tall), showing it to be hollow and containing some kind of advanced technology.  Lastly, the thing reached its tentacles out to one of Carcosa's moons, as if willing the satellite on a collision coarse with the planet itself.

At this time, 5 dimensional gateways appeared nearby.  A single gate would bring the PCs home - where the Primordial One would follow them, of course.  The rest, doorways to various temporal states.  Traveling through time, in other words.  The cleric prayed for guidance.  He wanted to know where the gateway home was.  They did that, the godling peeled back a layer of reality.  The party split up.  One group stayed in their native world to raise an army.  The second group went back to Carcosa, attempting to stop the Lovecraftian horror.

The second gateway brought them to 15 minutes before the party reached the stone godling.  Naturally, they tried to stop themselves from completing the ritual.  There was a group of Ulfire Men who were trying to awaken the Old One before the PCs originally arrived.  As you can imagine, the notion of disrupting the chronology of events and their repercussions came up.  Every PC who was there took their own unique tactic - from engaging their previous selves to capturing the Ulfire female sacrifice.  I handled things as best I could.

After an initial exploration of the hollow mountain and the weaponized craft it contained, Group #1 was able to raise an army, and those PCs had fun doing that.  Group #2 managed to prevent the Primordial One from being made flesh in the first place via their trip to the recent past.  Finally, I waved my DM hand and made everyone reappear in Carcosa at the present time.

The confidence and drive to get started on a game plan eluded me.  Waiting until the last possible moment (two hours before the game's start) isn't usually how I conduct my DM business.  And yet, I knew that if I prematurely decided on a course of action, it would not have been as epic nor as awesome as last Saturday's adventure.  Drawing it out somehow led to an outside-the-box idea where I was able to safely get out of the way to paint the corner where I had just been standing.

Next session might be the end of Carcosa.  It's a great setting, but I also feel the need to get back to traditional D&D environs (more or less).  Yes, I miss the dungeon.


VS

Lucky 13

I posted something about this a week ago on an RPG google community to see what people's initial reaction would be.  Some people thought it interesting, others assumed it too much trouble to be worth implementing.  I was curious to see if my idea would work, and was fortunate enough to try it out this past Saturday night in my D&D game.

So, what's the concept?  Here is is:  anyone rolling a natural "13" on a d20 or d100 would score above and beyond an "ordinary" critical success, in essence a 13 would result in a hyper-critical.  Not only that, but the roller would be able to narrate or describe the outcome (within reason).

Originally, I thought the narration alone would be interesting.  So, even if a "13" would miss on a d20, it could still be narrated.  Well, that seemed half-cool, half-lame.  Crits (and hyper-crits) allow for heroic deeds, warranting the attention of those Dark Gods who watch over audacious adventurers.

Why thirteen?  Well, it's kind of a cool number on its own.  Thirteen has a mystique about it... a danger.  This last Saturday was also the 13th of the month, and was our thirteen session.  Plus, I wanted to do something special because one of my best friends was in town for the weekend and agreed to play D&D with us.  I needed something even more kick-ass gonzo awesome to ratchet things up a notch.  Lucky 13 to the rescue!

Before the session really got underway, I allowed for a small daily chance of psionics for each character, as this was Carcosa.  Not only did everyone have a 6 - 10 % chance of acquiring mind-blast or telekinesis (I boosted the probability) but rolling a 13% was another possibility.  In fact, I told the players that their character would get two psionic abilities if they rolled a 13!  If it had been possible to gain a Dark Side point for influencing the dice, I think a few of them would have succumbed.  They really wanted to see a 13 bad!  Hahaha.  Alas, no 13.  But one character rolled well enough to gave ESP for the day.

To be honest, it didn't affect the game that much.  Only three 13's were rolled all night.  I rolled the first for initiative, allowing seven zombies to overwhelm a single PC which was pretty cinematic.  Harold rolled the second, also for initiative, giving him the drop on the giant Lovecraftian toad thing just outside the spaceship.  He described how he was going to attack it, trying to take out one of its many eyes, if memory serves.  Later in the evening, Harold rolled a 13 again, this time on a percentile roll for a magical dagger stolen from a wizard.  The roll was to determine the "bane" or what the magical weapon was good at vanquishing - Elves, Trolls, Dragons, etc.  Well, since he rolled a hyper-critical success, I just let him pick whatever he wanted.  He ended up with a +1 dagger, +3 versus the Old Ones and their spawn.  Nice!

It was fun.  Little things like that add extra flavor or spice to the game.  For those curious, the idea was partially birthed from Dungeon Master Johnny.  I watched a video of his where he described picking a random number and during that session something nifty would happen when it was rolled.  Just one of the weird little things he did as DM.  After hearing that little pearl, I knew one day I'd do something similar in my own D&D game.

I can't think of a reason to cease our Lucky 13 rule.  That means it's going to remain a permanent fixture in our game.  I'm sure awesome things will keep coming.  When I collect enough juicy stories, I'll blog about it again.


VS

*  "Sword & Sorcery" artwork by Santiago Iborra

Old School Spelljammer

[Today started nightmarishly - a water hose burst on the 10th floor of an apartment building my family owns. So, forgive this post if it's not as polished as others.]

I'll admit this right up front.  I don't know much about Spelljammer.  Neither did anyone else at the table.  But we knew that it was basically D&D in space.  Towards the end of this post, you'll see why Spelljammer came to mind.

After two weeks of not gaming due to poor attendance, last Saturday night the game continued.  It was the second part of Within the Radiant Dome by Gavin Norman and published by Geoffrey McKinney.  Fitting, as I decided to have the end of WtRD lead straight to McKinney's Carcosa.

It was a great game, though I say it myself.  Within the Radiant Dome had some nice touches which I usually tweaked here and there to my own tastes.  I won't reveal many spoilers in this post.  The following list contains the top moments...

*  West's cleric being turned into crystal by a Beholder after failing his saving throw.  The day after, I realized West could have burned some of his cleric's fortune (luck) in order to succeed.  Oh well, he knew about the rule.  His characters keep getting killed so I think he's just getting used to the idea of deadly old school fantasy roleplaying.  That's why I encourage players to have at least two characters - even if one of them is a glorified torch bearer.

*  Something so simple being so effective.  A mirrored hall where the adventurers can walk through the mirrors, encountering some robed humanoids and a book on a pedestal.  I decided to add a little spice to that scene.  On the other side of the hall, one of Harold's characters was able to hear furry patter and tittering of the Giant Albino Devil-Spiders encountered in the last session.  Just the suggestion that those creatures might be on their way sent Harold and therefore his characters, as well as the PCs he was traveling with, into a panic.  It made the entire scene more terrifying and tense.

*  Harold's Elf using the crystal cleric as a makeshift spell component to fuel his magic missiles.  The crystal got all used up but those robed mirror people were obliterated.

*  The spectacular success rolled by Harold's Elf when asking Tsathogguoa's favor upon meeting a hybrid Octopus Bear creature.  He rolled 00 or 100%.  So, he got what he asked for.  The Octobear shrunk down to the size of a large cat and became his familiar.

*  West's Drow decided to try on a magical gauntlet he found.  The results were hilarious... but not for West or his character.

*  West's newly rolled cleric made an equally spectacular divine healing check - he was able to heal everyone up to their full hit points, and even regenerated 2 fingers from Harold's character's hand.

*  West's cleric rolled spectacularly bad causing the spaceship bridge full of corpses to reanimate in search of brains.

*  Harold's Dwarf taking the wheel and steering the lifeless spaceship into a shiny, swirling purple hole in space, and then turning the crash landing into a less deadly crash landing.  The party was just about to make a break for it back to the smaller vessel from which they came to the spaceship, using it like an escape pod.  Before he left the the bridge, I told him his character looked back and could see that the spaceship was about to crash into a planet and that there was a chance he could steer the ship to prevent a disaster.  The fact that his character had a choice, as well as, an active role in the determination of the story gave the entire session a +2 bonus for awesome.

*  Setting foot on Carcosa.  During one of our non-gaming nights, Harold and I had briefly discussed the Carcosa book and setting.  He was excited by the prospect of gaming in such a weird world.  I agreed, and the scifi ending to Within the Radiant Dome became a perfect vehicle, if you will, for bringing the adventurers to that Lovecraftian realm.
___

For those who don't know, my game is a blend of original D&D, AD&D, and Dungeon Crawl Classics.  Clerics can keep healing, blessing, and protecting themselves from evil as much as they want.  However, if I roll 1% - 10%, then their God is noticeably displeased.

For wizards and Elves, I use a casting check of 10 + spell level versus d20 + intelligence modifier + bonuses due to sacrifice, ritual copulation, etc.  Natural 1 means something catastrophic has occurred, natural 18 - 20 means the spell packed a bigger punch than expected.

I asked myself the following questions at least once...

*  How can I ratchet up the tension and/or raise the stakes in this scene / encounter?

*  What's the worst / best thing that could happen in this moment?

*  What aspect from a previous session can I seamlessly incorporate into the game?

*  What would be a really cool twist or unexpected detail I could add right about now?

*  How can I place the player characters in the driver's seat, allowing them to drive the action?

Basically, Dungeon Masters have to know when it's time to set the game notes aside and just go with the creative flow.  That's just as important as compromise and the old 33% chance of "x" happening, when "x" is something that pops into your (or a player's) head.  If you roll 33 or under on the percentile dice, then it has been decided by the oracular power of the dice!

So yeah, the characters were on a spaceship, worrying about Kurgan warships, being rounded up as slaves, going through a wormhole, crash landing unto an alien world, and what's to become of their lives on Carcosa.  Should be a lot of fun next session!

The word "Spelljammer" came up multiple times, and not in a negative way, thank our Dread Lord.  Yes, some of us were actively gaming when Spelljammer first came out, but none of us ever played it.  In fact, I remember it being ridiculed by various gamers back then.  But now, it's part of the rich gonzo scifi history of our beloved hobby.


VS

Call of Cthulhu scenario inspired by DIO's Holy Diver

This was for a contest:  make a video describing an RPG scenario relating to or inspired by a particular song.  I chose DIO's Holy Diver.  After making the vid, I decided to write the scenario out on my gaming blog.  Ok, here goes...


Holy Diver

This is an underwater scenario involving the sunken corpse-city R'lyeh.

R'lyeh is where Dread Cthulhu waits, not dead but dreaming.  Just as Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones will not awaken nor break through into our reality until the stars are right, so obscured is passage to R'lyeh.  The emerald corpse-city has been displaced from our time-space continuum.  No human can reach it... except for one spot.

Off the coast of the Philippines is a body of water known by some occultists as the Midnight Sea.  For some reason, an extra-dimensional gate or wormhole exists at the bottom of it, leading directly to R'lyeh.

Owner and pilot of a deep sea diving vessel called The Tiger (because of its black stripes), Captain Meeno has been down in the Midnight Sea several times looking for diamonds.  On his last voyage, Captain Meeno accidentally found his way to R'lyeh.  He took a few photos before returning home.  Announcing to the world a lost city at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, Meeno began selecting individuals to accompany him in a bit of exploration and treasure-seeking.  Unfortunately, virtually everyone in the scientific world believes this to be a hoax.  There's nothing to be found in the spot where Captain Meeno claims he saw the city.  And yet, there are still a handful of believers... perhaps by the will of Dread Cthulhu?!?

So far, the expedition is made up of...

Bishop Alphonso DiSalva who believes his rightful promotion to Archbishop was blocked because of his association with Ujieffski.  DiSalva is more than a little bitter about being passed over for promotion, so he sees this as his chance to cement his name in history, as well as, prove to the Church that his friendship with Ujieffski is not a liability.  He hopes to find some kind of holy city beneath the waves.

Ujieffski is a mystic with shaved head and overgrown bushy mustache who was also a member of the Catholic Church before the College of Cardinals deemed his visions to be an instrument of the Devil, whereupon he was excommunicated.  Ujieffski and Alphonso DiSalva became lifelong friends when DiSalva was stationed in the Ukraine decades ago.  Ujieffski has been having a singular yet reoccurring vision since Meeno's announcement - an antediluvian city of secrets, dreams, and untold power!

Wilkinson Smythe III... the third member of Captain Meeno's expedition should probably be hand-picked by the Keeper of Arcane Lore himself as that's the most likely entrance for the investigators.

Once aboard, the expedition will undoubtedly have one or two encounters, such as a competing deep sea vessel full of cultists, an unnatural squid / sea monster attack, or some entity swimming up against The Tiger as it moves through the gateway / wormhole.

As for the emerald corpse-city of R'lyeh, well, that should also be up to the Keeper of Arcane Lore.  One thing is for certain - there should be plenty of conflict between members of this expedition.  Bishop DiSalva will want to claim the lost city for his Catholic Church while Ujieffski will receive very strong impressions that the slumbering God within is the only truth of this fragile universe.  Meanwhile, Captain Meeno will be more interested in looting the place.

If this scenario is a one-shot, then why not allow the investigators or Ujieffski to disturb Cthulhu's sleep?  Or maybe this scenario is part of an ongoing campaign - in that case, the ultra-telluric architecture (complete with horrific bas-reliefs) of R'lyeh will undoubtedly reveal clues as to what the Mythos is really about.  It will take a lot of time, energy, and ritual knowledge to awaken Cthulhu.  And don't forget about those cultists who followed The Tiger through the gate.  Not only do they crave whatever valuables are lying around, such as those cyplopean Art Deco seals made of platinum... but for their Lord to rise!

For those interested, here's the Holy Diver video and the song's lyrics below...

Holy Diver
You've been down too long in the midnight sea
Oh what's becoming of me?

Ride the tiger
You can see his stripes but you know he's clean
Oh don't you see what I mean?

Gotta get away
Holy Diver

Got!
Shiny diamonds
Like the eyes of a cat in the black and blue
Something is coming for you

Look out!
Race for the morning
You can hide in the sun 'till you see the light
Oh we will pray it's all right

Gotta get away-get away
Get away,
Gotta get away,
Get away

Between the velvet lies
There's a truth that's hard as steel
The vision never dies
Life's a never ending wheel

Holy Diver
You're the star of the masquerade
No need to look so afraid

Jump, jump!  Jump on the tiger
You can feel his heart but you know he's mean
Some light can never be seen

Holy Diver
You've been down too long in the midnight sea
Oh what's becoming of me

Ride the tiger
You can see his stripes but you know he's clean
Oh don't you see what I mean

Gotta get away
Get away
Gotta get away
Get away yeah

Holy Diver
sole survivor
your armor’s clean

Holy Diver

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p.s.  Just found out that my entry won third place in the contest.  Sweet!

Crawling Emissary of Yogsoggoth

The most forbidding dungeons and terrifying reaches of the Nether-Realms harbor creatures which the average adventurer has never seen.  One such abomination is the Crawling Emissary of Yogsoggoth, a thing chiefly composed of eyes and tentacles.  However, one human survivor claimed it had a face... though he admits it's entirely possible the Emissary was merely feasting upon the head of a fresh victim when his party of adventurers unknowingly stumbled upon it.

The wisest of sages know that Crawling Emissaries of Yogsoggoth were created as a servitor race aeons ago by the pallid masked Devil-God and key to boundless, unspeakable chaos known as Yogsoggoth - a warped reflection of the renowned Yog-sothoth.  Emissaries were often used to guard powerful magic items from unwanted hands.  Most have been slain in the centuries following their creation, yet a few linger on... protecting the black artifacts and elder relics of the Old Ones.

A Crawling Emissary of Yogsoggoth is not easy to behold.  It has the taint of primordial darkness, as does all things Yogsoggothian.  A Crawling Emissary moves slowly upon its mass of writhing, pustule ridden tentacles, leaving a trail of translucent watery-green goo in its wake.  As it crawls, one can hear it whispering dark susurrations as a hundred red veined, milky white orbs glare in all directions at once.

Unsuspecting adventurers may believe the Emissary is trying to communicate.  Alas no, its hushed tones are merely a distraction until the thing is able to reach humanoids with all of its tentacles.
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Crawling Emissary of Yogsoggoth

Hit Dice:  13
Hit Points:  78
AC:  18
Attack Bonus:  +8
# of Attacks: Variable; roll 2d4 each round (tentacles)
Damage:  2d8

Special Attack:  If the Dungeon Master rolls a natural "20", the Emissary successfully performs a neck-snap; a tentacle is wrapped around the PC's head before a wild jerking motion is applied.  33% chance of paralysis from the neck down, 67% chance the PC dies.

Special Defense:  Can only be harmed by magical weapons.  Those in melee combat with an Emissary who roll a "1" slip on its slime trail, falling to the ground.  Due to its unnatural aura of fear, PCs have a -4 to any combat maneuver attempted other than an ordinary attack.

Treasure:  The DM should work this out ahead of time.  As stated, a Crawling Emissary of Yogsoggoth frequently guards a very powerful magic item.
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My thanks goes out to Josha Petronis-Akins for his initial idea: the Crawling Emissary of Vecna.

I hope everyone enjoys this Lovecraftian home-brewed monster.  If you use it in your game, please let me know.  Also, feel free to comment below with your thoughts on this and what you'd like to see in future posts!


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