Category Archives: Games

New Mutants, Michael Moorcock

No, Mr. Moorcock hasn’t gone in for that particular crossover (thankfully). Instead I’m combing two posts into one.

First, as you’ve probably already read elsewhere, Mutant Future is getting a facelift in advance of its coming out party (i.e., going into actually gaming store distribution). Three cheers for Goblinoid Games on this one. Though, as my wife who deeply loves the game said of the new cover this morning, “Hey! Where are the spider goats?”

Second, Michael Moorcock, who may not be writing for Marvel but who has now written a Dr. Who novel, is doing a reading and signing at Austin Books this afternoon. You can bet yer boots I’ll be there to hear the man and shake his hand (again, he did a reading/signing there a while back in ’08 the first volume of the Elric reprint/compilations was released).

I’ll let y’all know how it went and maybe even share some pictures or something. Or, if you’re in Austin, go. Mike, as he insisted we call him last time, is a very funny and engaging person to chat with. Plus, it’s Michael Moorcock, people. I’m not insisting he’s god or anything, but damn. Michael Freaking Moorcock.

Experts On Sale

Experts by Skirmisher Publishing is on sale at RPG Now. Lots of other things by Skirmisher are on sale, too, but I point our Experts in particular because it was easily my favorite thing that came out for 3rd Edition D&D back in the day. I truly loved the concept of the NPC classes (Expert, Warrior, Shaman, etc.) in Third Edition and I always wanted to run a game using this supplement that would focus on a group of Experts as guildsmen on some kind of Chaucer-esque pilgrimage. It never happened, of course, but maybe I’ll make something like that happen someday. With a different system (*cough* BRP *cough*), though.

Anyway, I just thought I’d share. Because I can.

Oh, and for the record, I actually liked 3rd Edition D&D when it first came out, before it got bloated and absurd. Heck, it was part of what got me back into gaming on any consistent level after my late 90s GURPS burnout. Of course, as we all know, they went and ruined it by making it a never-ending stream of upgrades and splatbooks and such. But I always enjoyed the core game.

That said, I wouldn’t play it now if you paid me, unless everyone at the table agreed to using nothing but the core books and perhaps one well-chosen supplement. Like the aforementioned Experts. Even then, though, probably not. But Experts could still be a solid resource for another game.

BoL Bestiary: Quilitlconcuanacatl – Man-Eating Plants Of Tlactoztlan

Although they are largely immobile, Quilitlconcuanacatl pose a serious threat to jungle travelers. These carnivorous plants blend in almost perfectly with their surroundings and surprise all but the most alert eyes when they snap with their powerful jaws. Fortunately, Quilitlconcuanacatl require food only once every 6-12 days, and they will not attack if they are currently digesting a meal. The area immediately around a digesting Quilitlconcuanacatl is far more likely to be occupied by jaguars, crocodiles, and other predators as these awful plants emit a sickening aroma that attracts such creatures to the vicinity.

Quilitlconcuanacatl

When a character has been bitten by a Quilitlconcuanacatl, he or she must succeed at a Hard Agility-based task check or be swallowed whole by the massive plant. Creatures swallowed by a Quilitlconcuanacatl are immobilized and will suffer 1 LB damage each hour they remained trapped inside the creature, as they are being slowly digested. Only the complete destruction of a Quilitlconcuanacatl can save the “meal” from its fate. Once a Quilitlconcuanacatl has successfully swallowed a creature it will not attack or otherwise engage any other creatures in the vicinity. However, the aroma released by a digesting Quilitlconcuanacatl attracts other predators to the area, making it hard for “survivors” to focus on destroying the plant.

Attributes
Strength 5
Agility −1
Mind −3

Combat Abilities
Attack with Bite +3; 2d6
Defense: -1
Protection: d6 (tough, fibrous “skin”)
Lifeblood: 50

BRP WWII Notes: November Company

A while back I posted a couple of NPCs (here and here) I had put together in relation to a World War II scenario I intended to run over Thanksgiving using Basic Roleplaying, but other gaming got in the way (darn the luck!). Before I realized that was going to happen, though, I started work on some brief notes designed to help the players produce “new recruits” quickly, since we were likely to have 6 hours at most for gaming. Rather than toss these, or worse, risk losing them to my “special” filing system, I thought I’d post them here. They ain’t pretty and they ain’t detailed, but if you know BRP then they should make sense. Oh, and cheers to the mighty Charles Green for his work on Dragon Lines, where I more-or-less swiped the skill distribution concept from.

Given that the game was intended to be a one shot (or, at best, a once-a-year shot) I was purposefully limiting all of the players to making soldiers rather than letting a motley crew of spies, femme fatales, and archaeologists (or femme fatale archaeologist spies) take the stage. Still, I believe there’s enough room for customization below that the characters would all have been unique enough for the game. At least, I think they’d have been unique enough for a vintage WWII movie, which is the feel I was going for, after all.

But enough about me. Here’s the notes:

Attribute Determination: roll 2d6+6 seven times, place in desired order
Step Six is on
Professional Skills
- Put 25 points each (in addition to skill base) into each of the following:
  - Brawling
  - Dodge
  - Firearm: Rifle
  - First Aid
- Put 25 points each (in addition to skill base) into any six of the following:
  - Artillery: Howitzer, Mortar, etc.
  - Climb
  - Command
  - Drive: Jeep, etc.
  - Firearm: Machine Gun, Submachine Gun, Revolver
  - Grapple
  - Heavy Machine: Tank
  - Heavy Weapon: Tank Gun, Turret Machine Gun
  - Hide
  - Language: French, German, Italian, etc.
  - Listen
  - Jump
  - Medicine
  - Melee Weapon: Bayonet, etc.
  - Missile Weapon: Crossbow, Thrown Knives, etc.
  - Navigate
  - Repair: Mechanical
  - Ride: Horse, Camel
  - Spot
  - Status: Army (base 20)
  - Stealth
  - Technical: Radio Ops
  - Throw
Put INT value into 10 skills of your choice, either Professional Skills above or other era-appropriate skills (Perform: Jitterbug, anyone?)
Army Status skill indicates rank as follows:
- 01-29 Private
- 30-39 Corporal
- 40-49 Sergeant
- 50-59 Lieutenant
- 60-69 Captain
- 70-79 Major
- 80-89 Lt. Colonel
- 90-99 Colonel
- 100+ General

For the record, I am in no way, shape, or form a WWII buff. I built a few airplane models (P-51D Mustang, P-38 Lightning) and played with army men when I was a kid. I’ve watched a fair number of vintage WWII movies (and too much Rat Patrol), but not a lot of the modern ones. I’ve never played any of the WWII-based computer games. I have played Wings Of War WWII (and WWI, but that’s not important right now), but only a few times. In short, I am a complete and utter tourist in the genre. This means that I’m open to suggestions if anyone has any, but they must be delivered gently and with patience 🙂

I hadn’t gotten too far into thinking about the exact weaponry that was going to be involved, and I was likely to depend on what info I could track down at Wikipedia on the subject. I’d also considered picking up a few of the GURPS WWII books in PDF format, but once I realized we weren’t going to be playing this particular game, I decided to save my pennies for another day. Maybe next year when this particular group of old-timers gets together I’ll think about trotting this out again. And thanks to the blog, I’ll actually be able to find it!

Addendum: As the title of this post suggests, I was planning on referring to the game as November Company. It was a nice reference to the fact that we were going to be playing around Thanksgiving. I discovered a little later (thanks, Wikipedia) that “November” wasn’t used as the indicator for “N” in the phonetic alphabet until 1956, which is just a bit after the time period in question. If this ever does get run, I’ll likely stick with the anachronism though because, as I said, I’m a tourist. That and the fact that November Company sounds way cooler than Nan Company. Naan Company, on the other hand, sounds tasty.

BoL Bestiary: Hueyatocatl – Giant Spiders Of Tlactoztlan

With a tip of the hat to Jeff Mejia of Evil DM Productions for his work on the BoL version of Legends of Steel, I present the Giant Spider (Tlactoztol variant).

Eight-legged death awaits the foolhardy in the jungles and ruins of Tlactoztlan in the form of giant spiders the natives call Hueyatocatl. These malevolent creatures possess a deadly poisonous bite delivered with terrible mandibles. Look carefully before you step into that darkened room or seemingly innocent clearing, traveler.

Hueyatocatl

Hueyatocatl poison causes nerves to burn with a searing agony as it courses through the veins of the unlucky victim. Immediately after being bitten the victim must make a Hard Strength-based task check or take an additional d6 damage that bypasses any armor or other protection. Subsequent bites in the same encounter do only an additional d3 damage unless a Tricky Strength-based task check is made.

Attributes
Strength 3
Agility 0
Mind -1

Combat Abilities
Attack with Bite +1; d6 + poison
Defense: 0
Protection: 1 (chitinous hide)
Lifeblood: 10

BRP Character: Roger “Lucky Dog” Doggett

Wherein your humble scribe presents an NPC for use with Basic RolePlaying.

Lieutenant Roger “Lucky Dog” Doggett, the leader of November Company, is the kind of man an ordinary soldier can look up to. He’s a big fella who doesn’t shy away from a fight, but he’s also clever enough to know when and how to avoid trouble. More than anything, though, Lucky Dog is just plain likable. So likable, in fact, that if he makes it out of the war in one piece there’s already some talk of him running for office when he gets back home to Texas. You can bet your spare chocolate and stockings that there’s not a man in November Company who wouldn’t vote for Doggett.

STR 14 CON 16 SIZ 17 INT 13 POW 15 DEX 13 APP 16
Hit Points 17 Major Wound 9 Power Points 15

Damage Bonus: +1d4
Weapons: Rifle 50%, damage 2d6+2
Revolver 65%, 1d8
Fist 50%, 1d3+1d4
Grenade 50%, 4d6
Armor: none
Skills: Appraise 35%, Artillery: Machinegun Turret 15%, Bargain 25%, Brawling 50%, Command 60%, Dodge 61%, Drive: Jeep 55%, Etiquette 35%, Fast Talk 35%, First Aid 55%, Firearm: Revolver 65%, Firearm: Rifle 50%, Grapple 35%, Heavy Machine: Tank 11%, Heavy Weapon: Bazooka 11%, Insight 25%, Perform: Acting 25%, Persuade 35%, Language: German 20%, Language: Italian 10%, Language: English 85%, Listen 50%, Sense 30%, Spot 55%, Status: Army 55%, Throw 50%

BRP Character: Sergeant Frank “Nails” Braddock

Wherein your humble scribe presents an NPC for use with Basic RolePlaying.

Like his nickname, Sergeant Frank “Nails” Braddock is as tough as they come. But it’s not easy being a squad leader in November Company – not with the Desert Fox panting down your neck and the sand and heat dogging your every step. Still, just like his pop before him, the son of Colonel Nathaniel “Tombstone” Braddock knows that man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. And in 1943 that means that brave men must do their part and stand up to the Axis so that world can be made safe for truth and justice.

STR 14 CON 16 SIZ 11 INT 12 POW 10 DEX 10 APP 13
Hit Points 14 Major Wound 7 Power Points 10

Damage Bonus: +1d4
Weapons: Rifle 70%, damage 2d6+2
Revolver 70%, 1d8
Fist 70%, 1d3+1d4
Grenade 55%, 4d6
Armor: none
Skills: Brawling 70%, Climb 60%, Command 35%, Dodge 75%, First Aid 55%, Firearm: Rifle 75%, Firearm: Revolver 65%, Gaming 32%, Grapple 60%, Heavy Machine: Tank 40%, Heavy Weapon: Machinegun Turret 22%, Heavy Weapon: Tank Gun 22%, Insight 25%, Jump 45%, Knowledge: Military History 20%, Language: German 25%, Ride: Horse 30%, Sense 30%, Spot 40%, Status: Army 45%, Stealth 30%, Swim 45%, Throw 55%

Barbarians of Heavy Metal Design Diary 7

Hi folks, Nathaniel here again for my weekly BoHM update. The conceptual design is moving along quite swimmingly and I’d like to thank TVP again for letting me host this Diary on his blog. It has been very useful for gathering my thoughts and getting feedback on them. Now onto…

THE GM SECTION

Any GM section must do three things:

1. Instruct GMs in their duties and provide examples of running the game.

This is pretty standard stuff and doesn’t require a lot in the way of explanation. Tell them their role, show a few examples of play, etc. What a lot of modern games fail to do, however, is to emphasize the total freedom the GM really has to make stuff up on the fly and how to play fast and loose with the rules. I plan to approach this discussion from the old school ‘Rulings, Not Rules’ approach, and provide ample examples of that as well.

2. Provide tools for managing the game.

Those of you who are familiar with Barbarians of the Aftermath will know that I favor utility and love to automate the GM’s duties wherever and whenever possible so the contents of this section should be of little surprise to you.

The Force Generator: A series of charts to generate anything form small groups of bandits to full on military forces, PC and NPC alike.

The Mission Generator: An adventure generator for creating missions, their objectives and a random event table that will spice up any mission.

The Stellar Generator: For developing a Star System, it’s planets and their resources. For those who have seen my Planet and Alien generators in the DW:AiTaS Aliens & Creatures supplement, you’ll have some idea of what it will look like (only more Metal of course).

The Petty Kingdom Generator: For creating a feudal empire, including it’s political resources, for both PCs and NPCs. The Stellar Generator can then be used to flesh out the individual systems.

3. Provide ideas on adventure design and adventures to get them started.

Discussion of creating an adventure will be approached from the ‘less is more’ school of thought, with outlines and brief write-ups being the basic building block of BoHM adventure design. This will encourage GMs to approach the game from the ‘Rulings, not Rules’ perspective I mentioned earlier.

Along with that, I will be introducing the ‘Campaign Album’ approach to adventure design for BoHM. Basically, I’ll show how to take any record and turn it into a short campaign with the song titles being used as the basis for short adventures within the campaign. To illustrate, I plan on using the Warp Riders album by The Sword as an example, providing a general outline and adventure seeds for a campaign set on Acheron (assuming I can get The Sword’s blessing to do so). Of course, it’s easy to make a campaign out of a concept album like Warp Riders, but it also is the best example of a BoHM style campaign that I can think of.

To sum up: the GM section is about providing GMs not only with the right tools to run a game, but the right attitude as well: BoHM isn’t about endlessly poring over rules and details, its about grabbing the game by the balls and using it to rock & roll…

Up Next: Warp Ships (no, really, I mean it this time)…

BoL Bestiary: Hueyacoatl – Giant Snakes Of Tlactoztlan

With a tip of the hat to Jeff Mejia of Evil DM Productions for his outstanding work in the BoL version of Legends of Steel, I present the Giant Snake (Tlactoztol variants).

From the tall grasses of the plains, to the dark depth of the jungles, to the fetid swamps, and sometimes even in the sewers and catacombs beneath the cities – cold-blooded death awaits the unwary in the lost valley. Whether striking with poisonous fangs, constricting with powerful muscles, or killing freely with both approaches, Hueyacoatl – the giant snakes of Tlactoztlan – pose a serious threat to human and animal alike.

Hueyiztlacoatl (Giant Venomous Snake)

Hueyiztlacoatl venom is a neurotoxin that impedes muscle movement, including the functioning of heart and lungs. Victims of a Hueyiztlacoatl bite must make a Hard Strength-based task check or be paralyzed for one hour. At the end of the hour – if the victim has somehow not been consumed by the snake – a second task check, of Tricky difficulty, must be made. On a success the victim shakes off the effects of the poison and recovers. On a failure, however, the victim expires.

Attributes
Strength 4
Agility 3
Mind -2

Combat Abilities
Attack with Bite +2; d6+1 + poison
Defense: 2
Protection: none
Lifeblood: 25

Hueyaquilpicoatl (Giant Constrictor Snake)

A victim of a Hueyaquilpicoatl’s constriction attack may attempt to break free each round after the initial successful strike by making a Strength-based task check with the snake’s own Strength as a negative modifier. You might want to spend a Hero Point on that, son.

Attributes
Strength 6
Agility 1
Mind -2

Combat Abilities
Attack with constriction +1; 2d6
Defense: 0
Protection: d3-1 (tough hide)
Lifeblood: 35

Miquiztlicoatl (Giant Venomous Constrictor Snake)

Miquiztlicoatl show an almost human level of intelligence and appear to delight in tormenting their victims. See above for information on venom and constriction attacks.

Attributes
Strength 5
Agility 2
Mind -1

Combat Abilities
Attack with Bite +1; d6 + poison
Attack with constriction +0; 2d6-1
Defense: 1
Protection: d2-1 (tough hide)
Lifeblood: 30

BoL: The Great Cities Of Tlactoztlan

Much has been discussed about the inhabitants, both human and otherwise, of Tlactoztlan. But so far, little has been revealed of its nature. Below are some verbal sketches of the three major Tlactozotl cities as well as an indication of things that are frequently seen in those cities.

The current map of Tlactoztlan is reproduced here for reference. Click on it for a larger version.

Xotepeclan
The Capital city of Tlactoztlan, Xotepeclan is a teeming metropolis at the foot of Cuhtlipocapetl, a smoldering but dormant volcano. Temples and royal palaces dot the skyline of Xotepeclan, with multiple markets scattered throughout the city.

Common sights within Xotepeclan include:

A royal procession featuring King Cuhuitlazcaltiacapan
A royal procession featuring a lesser noble
Eagle Knights en route to an audience with the king
Texotli traveling intently from one temple to another
Merchants haggling in the market, or offering their wares to passersby
Coztli patrolling the city, on guard for criminals
Commoners bringing their produce to market
Izatacli relaxing by a fountain, discussing the nature of the universe
Jaguar Warriors recruiting Coztli to join their ranks
A group of performers from the house of song and dance
Servants of Nezatl Xomec, up to no good

Tecali
Called the City of Temples, Tecali is the spiritual capital of Tlactoztlan. Countless temples to the innumerable Tlactozotl gods rise along the shores of Lake Xiachitlatl, the tallest of which afford a view of Xotepeclan to the northwest. Nearly as large as the Capital itself, Tecali is a bustling center of trade, knowledge, and, occasionally, danger.

Common sights within Tecali include:

The Great Tlatoani, high priest of Huitzilopochtli, leading a sacrifice ceremony at the great temple
Priestesses of Xochiquetzal blessing young lovers with flower garlands
Priests of Chicomexochtli overseeing a group of painters working on a codex
Priests of Ixtlilton tending to the sick
Priests of Itzlacoliuhque receiving shipments of obsidian from traveling merchants
Priests of Tlaloc listening to the entreaties of famers in need of rain
A group of traveling merchants waiting to be blessed by priests of Yacatecuhtli
Coztli nervously standing guard outside the temple of Xipetotec
A street festival with costumed dancers and poetry recitals
A group of slaves being lead to a temple where they will be sacrificed to please the gods

Quanoac
Nestled within the hills that separate the northern and southern jungles of Tlactoztlan, Quanoac is renown as the center of Tlactozotl artistry and commerce. Here, with easy access to natural resources and precious metals, artisans from across the lost valley set up their workshops and storefronts, selling to traveling merchants, minor nobles, and free commoners alike.

Common sights within Quanoac include:

A group of merchants engaged in a bidding war over a particularly spectacular work
Miners delivering cartloads of ore and semi-precious stones to the largest artisan houses
Women dyeing fabrics in an alley behind a shop
Children playing “the bartering game” in a public square
Young couples strolling through the city, dressed in fine new clothes for their weddings
Toothless beggars and street urchins begging for alms
Coztli collecting taxes from a newly arrived traveling merchant
Izatacli in deep discussion with artisans regarding talismans they need created
Commoners being whipped for purchasing or wearing clothing adorned with feathers

Strange Stones

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