Post-Credits Scene

So, I've been re-watching a lot of great stuff during my forced time at home (lockdown), as well as staying the fuck away from major cities during the rioting, looting, arson, and murder-fest that's been going on.

One of those re-watches has been Community.  Another, incidentally, is Rick and Morty.  Just the other day, something hit me like a ton of Antifa lobbed bricks!  The Dan Harmon post-credit scene that either ties up a loose end or just some funny throw-away bit that caps off the episode.

That made me wonder... how many GMs go back to the well, mining that after-the-denouement gold seemingly just beyond reach?

To my recollection, I've never knowingly done that (planned it out before the session began).  However, I'm sure that either I or a player mentioned something after the session was pretty much over and it got discussed.  And through that discussion, a kind of roleplaying happened.

But in the near future, whenever I start gaming again (face-to-face is my preference), I'm going to consciously initiate a post-credits scene.  During the session, I'll casually look for characters and situations ripe for loose-end tying.

Anyways, just wanted your take.  Leave me a comment!

VS

p.s. In these sad and frustrating times, who wouldn't want to escape into an eldritch, gonzo, science-fantasy, post-apocalyptic world?  Yep, I have just under 150 hardcover Cha'alt books remaining.  Want one? Details over here!

p.p.s. Is our 2020 the darkest timeline?

p.p.p.s. I just realized this blog post is #666.  Shemhamforash!

Is This The End?

Well, is this the end?  Short answer - no, of course not.

But it sure does look like shit has gone crazy!  What the actual fuck is happening?  Is 2020 the worst year we've had this century, maybe in the last 50 years?  Quite possibly.

For those looking for my thoughts on the matter at hand, watch the video below.  I pretty much agree with everything Ben Shapiro said.

Now, more than ever, it's important to escape from the everyday gloom and doom.  That's what RPGs are for - pretending you're an elf wizard, half-orc barbarian, or human thief exploring the places no sane man has any right to be.  Without D&D (and similar RPGs), we'd have even less.

On that note, my stock of Cha'alt hardcovers is dwindling.  If you want yours before the follow-up, Cha'alt: Fuchsia Malaise, comes out, now's your chance!  Details over here.

Stay safe out there, hoss.  That comes direct from the Duke of the OSR!

I actually had some gaming content to put up on the old blog, but the state of the world (ok, mostly just America) is too fucked up for that right now.  You'll see it in a couple days.

VS

June: a Month of Cha'alt

Want a chance to win Cha'alt: Fuchsia Malaise before you can buy it?

This $20 PDF will be so spectacularly awesome it'll literally melt your reality... and quite possibly your face!?!  Keep reading!

Run the eldritch, gonzo, science-fantasy, post-apocalyptic campaign setting Cha'alt (on sale now) as many times as possible during the month of June (OSR, 5e, or bit of both).  Record the results in some fashion - play reports, videos, series of tweets, end of campaign journal entry, whatever.

If, after a month of Cha'alt, you and/or your gaming aren't forever changed (and especially if you are), I'll send you a free PDF of my upcoming extravaganza Cha'alt: Fuchsia Malaise!  It's in layout now, and should be available by July 1st.

So, that's it.  Run Cha'alt in June, write about it, and then let me know where I can send your FREE Cha'alt: Fuchsia Malaise PDF on July 1st.

Enjoy,

VS

p.s. I still have 150 luxurious hardcover Cha'alt books for sale.  Details here!

Tian Shang: Lone Wolf Fists

What's up, folks?  Hope ya'll are surviving this global bullshit...

While I've got you here, just wanted to mention an intriguing Kickstarter for Tian Shang: Lone Wolf Fists.  It's a high powered RPG of martial arts set in the post-Armageddon. 

I like kung-fu movies and such, but they really had me at "Mutants, demons, tanks, and t-rexes swarming through a world of horror and adventure!"

Should be cool, and I know the creator so it's a safer bet than most Kickstarters out there.  Try the playtest edition here!

Enjoy,

VS

Oblivium Review

You had me at Twelve Demon Satchel...

Inspired by such old school gems as Carcosa, Yoon-Suin, and my own Islands of Purple-Haunted Putrescence, Oblivium is a campaign setting on a weird island that's meant to fuck shit up while taking no prisoners.

The author, Thomas Alexander, has created a world of insanely specific detail.  The book is 135 pages and it feels dense.  There are plenty of black and white illustrations, but I think this could have been 200 pages if laid out differently.  Personally, I like a lot of paragraph breaks, but that's a minor criticism.

Oblivium is like a gonzo inter-dimensional Ravenloft, its mist transporting individuals to a strange world where the kitchen sink is your sandbox.  Oblivium absorbs anything and everything, that's why you get magic, technology, bizarre new races (the hollow being one of my favorites), exotic locations, creatures, random tables, and new magic items.

Basically, this is like Purple Islands if Prince of Nothing flamboyantly re-wrote it with Endzeitgeist's eye for mechanical coherence. In other words, something special, but not exactly what I, myself, would create.

Below, I'm going to give you an example of the writing...

For eons, purple rain has fallen on the petrified corpse of Lalene, Demon Prince of Lava. What was once a cone of volcanic rock has been eroded into a haunted city. Tortuous streets wind between edifices of cruel opulence. 

So, yeah... download this!  Use it with your other OSR, 5e, or whatever you already have, mine it for awesome ideas, combine it with similar campaign settings, or just all on its own.

VS

p.s. Speaking of gonzo science-fantasy, I'm down to about 150 luxurious hardcover Cha'alt books.  If you want to snag one or more before they're gone, check this out!

Stimulus Check Cha'alt

Testimonial...

Hi Venger,

Just wanted to let you know I got the print copy. You probably have heard this a lot, but just to add my own pebble to the mountain: I'm blown away. Cha'alt annihilates any major mainstream games company in terms of production values. It's up there with a lot of the art books in my library here at home. Even at a casual glance, it's amazing. It's worth every penny I spent on it, and I can't wait for the print of Fuschia Malaise and the third book in the trilogy.

Chris Cotgrove

Not sure what to spend your stimulus check on?  Well, let me help you with that...

You definitely want to get something that's going to appreciate in value.  And it's got to be fun to have right now, mid-pandemic.  As well as something that's going to make the communist China government super mad.

Yep, you guessed it... a luxurious Cha'alt hardcover of your very own!  Less than 35 remaining, signed and numbered.  Eldritch, gonzo, science-fantasy, post-apocalyptic campaign setting + megadungeon for old school and 5e D&D.

$60 for one book or $100 for two (inside the USA, shipping included).  Overseas, it's going to be $85 for one book and $120 for two books.  Paypal me at Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com

You'll get the PDF for free.  Already have the Cha'alt PDF?  Pick out a different one!

I'll even scribble something demonic and Lovecraftian on the inside cover.  Can't beat that.

VS

p.s.  Cha'alt: Fuchsia Malaise is out now!  Here's the PDF.

p.p.s. The 3rd installment of Vorpal Mace Cha'alt review has arrived!  TL:DR: Cha'alt is the Twin Peaks of gonzo science fantasy adventures.

Alpha Blue D20

I've just released a D20 version of Alpha Blue.  If you're familiar with Alpha Blue already, let me warn you... this is not what you're expecting.

Here's the DriveThruRPG link!

For better or worse, Alpha Blue D20 shifted in tone, along with the mechanics.  I honestly don't know if it was the right move, but this is the version that materialized.  Please, let me know what you think.  And if you playtest it (like I hope to over the next couple weeks), tell me about it!

As with the latest iteration of Crimson Dragon Slayer, this is meant for one-shots and short campaigns.

The PDF is free and really short (7 pages, including a cover, credits page, and full-page artwork).  Doesn't get any more bare bones than this.  If you're at all familiar with D&D (old school or 5e), grokking the system should be a no-brainer.

Also, hope everyone is surviving out there!

VS

Onward

I, like many of you, have watched the animated, children's fantasy movie Onward.

We got a deal on Disney+, and with the pandemic in full swing, it's been pretty awesome.

Overall, the movie is good.  Some cool nods to D&D (gelatinous cubes, cunning rogues, etc.) and fantasy tropes in general.  But the thing I want to point out in this blog post is the backstory/setup.

In the world of Onward, it starts out as a typical fantasy realm with demons, wizards, and centaurs that's introduced to science and technology.  Eventually, the high-tech erodes its sword and sorcery past.

That's actually the basic history of Cha'alt.  The only difference is that the Great Old Ones awake to punish the world for disregarding them, ushering in the apocalypse which sets the world of Cha'alt in motion.

In Onward, as in Cha'alt, the main characters meander back to the old ways.  That's what the audience wants because we live in a science and technology world.  Why wouldn't we want to escape into a realm of epic quests, phoenix gems, and dragons?

For those unfamiliar, here's my Cha'alt elevator pitch: eldritch, gonzo, science-fantasy, post-apocalyptic campaign setting and megadungeon compatible with old school and 5e D&D.

I've still got about 200 hardcover Cha'alt books remaining.  They're absolutely gorgeous, signed and numbered.  From now until Easter, I'm running a sale...

If you want yours, paypal me $50 if you live inside the USA.  Otherwise, it's $75.  Shipping included for both prices.  My paypal address is: Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com

Plus, I'll draw a little Lovecraftian doodle on the inside cover.

Enjoy,

VS

p.s. If you buy the hardcover, you get the PDF for free!  If you already have the Cha'alt PDF, you'll get an alternative PDF in its place.

Adam Koebel Sexual Assault Scandal

By now, you've probably heard something about this whole "sexual assault" scandal by male feminist SJW and co-author of Dungeon World, Adam Koebel.

Here's a picture of the guy over on the right.

I got the details from my Inappropriate Characters co-host RPG Pundit.  In true Pundit fashion, he calls Adam out for being a hypocrite.  Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house, bro.

Below is his video...

What's suggested sounds pretty bad, so I had to see it for myself.  Here's the video in question, cued to the right place...

So, the following are a few reasons why I don't see this as a big deal... like, at all...

1. The PC is a robot, not a flesh and blood human or humanoid.
2. The PC is male, if a robot can even have a gender.
3. The sexual "act" was some kind of technological device being placed in a port at the base of the robot's neck.  Not exactly the same thing as a penis or vagina.
4. He (the GM, Adam Koebel) is clearly telegraphing where this is going.  If it seemed like everything was moving in slow motion, it's not because it was a train wreck.  Everything was literally being described at a snail's pace, in case anyone wanted to interject, stop what was happening, ask for clarification, suggest an alternative, etc.
5. The only thing being transmitted was positive feelings approximating a human orgasm for a few moments. Calling this "sexual assault" or even "rape" seems like a huge disservice to actual victims of real-world sexual assault and rape.  It's not even remotely in the same ballpark.

There's probably more I could come up with, but that's enough for the purposes of this blog post.  This is not in-game sexual assault, rape, or anything of the sort.  

For the record, I'm not a fan of SJWs, radical leftists, or anyone who goes on about "toxic masculinity", "problematic behavior", and "safety protocols for RPGs".  To me, that's all bullshit.  My defending Adam Koebel is simply me seeing the "scandal" from a different perspective than everybody clutching their pearls.

Lastly, if you actually want to test the limits of good taste and space opera sexuality, get your ass over to my sleazy sci-fi Alpha Blue roleplaying game.  

The softcover is available on Amazon, and the PDF is right over here.  It's a Platinum best-seller at DriveThruRPG, so don't be afraid to get your hands dirty.

VS

p.s. This reddit post (read the comments) was brought to my attention.  I don't know how accurate it is, but sounds like he's a true d-bag.  Didn't Adam and Zak work on stuff together?