30 May, 2009
Today’s Tabbloid
PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
ROGUE FEED
Culling the herd
MAY 29, 2009 10:58P.M.
I had a problem. I subscribed to too many podcasts.
Now, I will admit this is not, at first blush, that big of a deal. However,
one of the downside of a digital lifestyle, the digital debris tends to stack
up. I listen to podcasts because my day job does not allow streaming.
Thus, podcasts have become my daily radio, and the set up is rather nice.
However, podcasts are easy to subscribe too, especially if you use iTunes
to manage all your music needs (I like iTunes and iPods, and it is not
because I am a Mac Cult member).
As the weeks past I found myself downloading a ton of podcasts, and
really not listening to them. Finally, last weekend when I saw the number
of podcasts I subscribed to, and the number of episodes I had waiting to
be listen to, I realized that I had to take control of the situation. Hence, I
culled the herd.
Prior to last night I had 45 different podcasts I subscribed to, and on
average had 6 episodes waiting to be listened to. Looking closely, I
noticed that some of these podcasts either had the most recent episode
waiting to be listened to, or had no new ones because I had already
listened to them. Seeing the obvious I went to work.
Now currently I listen/subscribe to only 8 podcasts. I do not see this
getting above 10, for the foreseeable future.
Now I think I will turn my attention to the numerous RSS Feeds I have in
Google Reader.
Posted in Life, Technology, thoughts Tagged: Mac, Technology, thoughts
1
ROGUE FEED
Harryhausen’s War of the
Worlds
MAY 29, 2009 04:45P.M.
I’m still too fuzzy-headed to do any serious posting — perhaps after the
weekend — but, to tide you over till then, I thought I’d post a video clip
I’d never seen before. It’s a test animation Ray Harryhausen did in 1949
for a War of the Worlds film that was ultimately never made. Fascinating
stuff.
ROGUE FEED
[Lost Works]New Styles of
Magic
MAY 29, 2009 11:59A.M.
One of my first big breaks was when I had two articles and two reviews
published in the now long defunct Shadis magazine. I think I hold the
honor of having the first article dealing with Warhammer FRP appear,
as well as one of the few pure AD&D 2E pieces appear as well.
New Styles of Magic originally appeared in Shadis #42 vol. VI, number
V, and is one of the things I am most proud of. Why? I really had a neat
little idea here, and I really enjoyed the slight tweak I made to viewing
2E magic from a different perspective.
New Style of Magic
Magic in Advanced Dungeon and Dragons is always the same. Yes you
can have specialist Mages, but the approach to spell casting is still the
same. Eventually a player will become bored with spellcasters, and start
to take them less than serious. A DM, short of beefing up NPC Mages,
would be hard press to instill a sense of confusion and wonder to
spellcasters. That is where this article comes in.
The Tattoo Mage and the Spellweaver are two magic-users who approach
their spell casting differently. Each is unique and will offer new
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
challenges to the players. The two are Mages in all sense of the word, but
have different philosophy to how they cast their spells. We will start with
the Tattoo Mage.
Tattoo Mages
When Magic-Users cast spells, usually they use some form of material
component; be it a glass rod and lambs wool, or a dried spider. Some
wizards grow tired of always carrying the components of their favorite
spells with them, and to overcome this some tattoo a representation of
the spell onto their body. Using tattoos to cast spells is very similar to
how a normal wizard cast his spells. They first most verbalize it, maybe
do some form of gesture, and then use the component. In the case of the
Tattoo Mage, the component is the tattoo. The Mage must be able to
physically touch the tattoo to cast his spell. If he can not, the spell fails
and is wiped from memory.
Tattoos must also be touched even if the spell does not require a physical
component. Burning Hands only requires Verbal and Somatic
components, but if the Mage has the spell tattooed, he must touch it.
Tattoos act as the physical component no matter how many times the
wizard cast the spell. For example Greycloak, a 2nd Level Mage, has
Magic Missile tattooed on his hand. Each time Greycloak wishes to cast
the spell he must touch the tattoo. Greycloak can only cast a spell if he
has it memorized, regardless if he has it tattooed.
Tattoos take up space on the Mage’s body, and the skin surface only has
so much room. For simplicity sake, a Mage can have up to 20 levels of
spells tattooed on him. The amount of space the tattoo takes depends on
the spell level. For example, a 1st level spell would take up 1 space while a
9th level spell would take up 9 spaces. A Mage can have a mixture of
spell levels, but he can never go above the 20 maximum. In addition to
the space that spells take up, a Mage is limited to the spells that can be
tattooed. A Mage can only have spell levels he can cast tattooed. Thus, a
2nd level Mage is allowed to have 1st level spells placed on his body. The
Mage must also know the spell and have a copy of it in his spellbook. All
Tattoo Mages begin their careers with one 1st level tattoo, and this does
not count against the twenty level limit. As the Mage advances in his
levels he can add more tattoos to his body.
Saying a Mage wants a tattoo, and actually getting it done are two
separate things. The Mage must first find an artist who is capable of
doing the work. For game purposes this usually takes 1d8 weeks, but the
DM should create some form of adventure and have the player role-play
the process. Once the artist is found, the Mage must decide on the tattoo
and the spell level he will have done. The tattoo can be anything the
player desires. Keep in mind the more powerful the spell the more
intricate the design is. A 9th level spell would cover the Mage’s chest,
back and shoulders and would be a intricate multi-colored design
depicting many things. A 1st level spell would be a small simple tattoo
maybe two colors, but usually in one. The tattoo will cost the Mage 1000
GP per level of the spell, thus a 6th level spell would cost 6000 GP.
Most in the wizard community frown upon Tattoo Mages. They feel that
they are savages and lesser wizards. This idea comes from the fact that
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30 May, 2009
most primitive cultures practice this art of magic. These wizards are
usually weak and have a hard time casting anything more powerful than
a magic missile. Yet, a true Tattoo Mage is formidable. He will limit his
memorized spells to what is tattooed on him. In battle the Tattoo Mage is
relentless, and usually goes heavy on combat spells. This does not mean
that a Tattoo Mage is one dimensional. They still use spells that are not
tattooed on them, but these tend to be ones that the Mage rarely uses.
Why waste precious body space on a knock spell when you can have
shield permanently tattooed.
Humans and half-elves can be Tattoo Mages. Elves can not study this
form of magic. The reason is simple-they view this practice as barbaric.
Men and women can both become Tattoo Mages, but men typically
gravitate to this style. All Tattoo Mage’s use the same HD’s, Experience
Level’s and Spells Allowed Per Day, THAC0 and Saving Throws as a
Magic-user. The Mage must still memorize his spells and use spellbooks.
Tattoo Mage’s are considered to be Specialist Wizards and must begin
their career using this form. Because of this, they can never become
multi-class or dual class. They do not have any other penalties and for all
purposes are treated like all other Magic-users.
The Tattoo Mage is one new approach to spell casting. A second
approach is with the Spellweaver; they see the force of magic as various
threads of power.
Spellweavers
Spellweavers are magic-users who view magic different from others.
Weaver’s as they are known, view magic as threads of power. To cast a
spell, Weavers use different threads to get the effect they desire. There
are seven threads of power: Earth, Fire, Wind, Air, Time, Body, Soul and
Water. These threads make up all life and by using them, a Weaver can
get any effect that she desires.
In order to weave the threads of magic, a Weaver must learn the
weaving proficiency. This skill is learned at no cost when the Weaver is
created. When the Weaver wants to cast a spell, she must first make a
weaving proficiency check. If the check is failed the spell is wiped from
the Weaver’s memory. A Weaver can increase their weaving proficiency
through the normal ways as described in the Player’s Handbook. With
each raise to the proficiency the weaver gains a +1 bonus to all spells
cast. A Weaver can never go above a +5.
Weavers view magic in a different way than most magic-users. Wizards
are taught that the magic comes from within, and that by memorizing
spells, they the caster, serve as the trigger to release the magic. A Weaver
is taught to view the world as threads of magic. All life has the threads in
them in varying degrees. True magical power comes from knowing how
to use these threads and control them.
Weavers learn how to cast spells by the weaving process. They do not
know how to use Verbal, Somatic or Material components. They simply
weave unseen threads to create their magic. A Weaver spellbook
resembles others, except for the fact that it contains instruction on how
to weave the threads to create a spell. Because of this, non-Weavers are
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 30 May, 2009

unable to learn Weaver spells. The same holds true for a Weaver who but it is recommended to introduce them as NPC’s first. With these two
discovers a normal spellbook. new spellcasters, magic now has the sense of wonder that it should have.

Weavers begin their career with a small book of twelve spells. This book Posted in Games, thoughts Tagged: AD&D 2E, game design, Lost Works,
is a gift from the teacher, and is a stepping stone on their path of
weaving. All books contain eight 1st level spells, three 2nd level spells writing
and one 3rd level spell. Any new spells must be discovered by the Weaver
during their career. There are not many Weavers and the chances of
finding a new spell is slim. So how does a weaver learn a new spell? They
teach themselves. ROGUE FEED

Starting at 2nd level, a Weaver has a 15% chance each level, up to a Yet another place to buy our
maximum of 90% to learn a new spell. This spell represents the Weaver’s
intuitive investigations of magic. By their constant weaving, a Weaver eBooks
learns how the threads effect each other. As they advance in levels, so MAY 29, 2009 12:01A.M.
does their knowledge . The spell that is learned is random, and is left up
to the DM to choose. The only guideline is that the spell must be from a
level she can cast; a 2nd level Weaver can learn a 1st level spell, but not a
9th level one. Over the past couple of days I have slowly uploaded all current PDFs and
made them available on our Scribd site. Now you can not only buy
The threads that are used in the casting a spell are up to the player. eBooks, but you can see the full previews as well.
Creativity is the key. Fireball, would use threads of Fire and Air. Slow,
would require Wind, Air and Time. To choose the threads the player You read that right. Full previews.
should use common sense and creativity. The threads that are used never
change, and should be remembered. Wondering what the $1 Colonial Gothic PDFs are like? Visit the site
and find out.
Most in the magical community view Weavers as charlatans. Many
wizards have a hard time understanding the weavers view of magic. They To access The Rogue’s eBook Store (I know a really clever title),
feel that the Threads of Power are just a myth and that the Weavers simply visit our Scribd site, or click here.
simply fake what they are doing. Responding to this charge the dwarf
Gregory Stonefist once said: “I don’t know about those pansy Wizard’s, Look for a few more announcements in regards to PDFs and eBooks over
but a Weaver once zinged me with a magick missile. Singed me damn the next few days.
beard it did!”

Weaver magic harkens back to primitive days and is the root of magic
itself. Before wizards started to organize schools and bring order to
magic, all Wizards used weaving. As time progressed, magic became
structured and the process of weaving was forgotten. Weavers hearken
back to these ancient days, and that scares most Wizards. ROGUE FEED

Humans, elves and half-elves can become Weavers, and can be from
either sex. Yet more women are weavers than men. One explanation is
that women are more open to this form of magic. Another reason can be
that most men show no interest and look for more practical ways to work
magic. Weavers are also very skilled tailors and basket weavers. Their
work is very intricate and is sought after by many. It is rumored that the
best loom workers are also the most skilled Spellweavers.
All Spellweavers use the same HD’s, Experience Level’s and Spells
Allowed Per Day, THAC0 and Saving Throws as typical Wizards.
Spellweavers still must memorize their spells and use spellbooks. They
are considered to be Specialist Wizards, and they can never become
multi-classed or dual class.
I Live (Sorta)
MAY 28, 2009 04:22P.M.
I am in the midst of recovering a rather severe sinus infection that kept
me laid up in bed for the past three days and is only now, thanks to heavy
doses of antibiotics, starting to subside. I’m no longer in much
discomfort, but I am fuzzy-headed and physically drained. Once I am
fully healed, I’ll return to my usual breakneck posting pace. Until then,
expect the blog to uncharacteristically quiet.

Both Tattoo Mages and Spellweavers can be used as player characters,

3
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
ROGUE FEED
13 Chapters in 13 Weeks —
Chapter 3
MAY 27, 2009 10:41A.M.
This week we explore the wonders and mysteries of Chapter 3.
Ok, maybe that is a bit over the top, but can you fault a designer for
being a bit melodramatic?
No? Ok. Well, let me cut the chatter, and get right to the point then.
Chapter 3 of Colonial Gothic Revised is titled Skills & Fate Cards.
Of all the chapters, this is the first to show the influences from the work
done on Thousand Suns, and the concepts have been brought over to
Colonial Gothic. What concepts? Glad you asked. Here they are:
Degrees of Success Specializations Change of Terminology
Integration between Faith Cards and Fate Points
So what does this all mean? Let me take this from the top.
Degrees of Success
One of the big knocks against the original game is that confusion
abounds when Tests which tie. In addition there is no way to know how
much your Hero failed or succeed by. I wanted a little more heft to the
results, and reward players for rolling well, and punishing them for
rolling bad. By that, I do not mean that Skill Tests are about punishment.
Instead, I wanted a easy way for a GM to see how well a Hero succeeded
or failed.
Let me quote the section from the book so you can see what mean.
More often than not, skill rolls will beat a Target Number by
two or more. For example, your Hero is making a Deflect Test
to deflect a thrown knife. Your Hero’s Nimble is 7 and his
Deflect is also 7. This gives him a TN of 14, modified by –3
because the GM rules it is a Challenging Test. His final TN is
11. You get lucky and roll 6 on 2D12, meaning you beat the
TN by 5 points!
Strictly speaking, beating a TN by 1 is no different than
beating it by 10. Except in combat, where the Degree of
Success determines the damage done, the Degree of Success
has no specific mechanical benefit. Nevertheless, the GM
should often reward beating a TN by more significant
amounts as an acknowledgement that the Hero has
performed exceptionally well. Colonial Gothic is a roleplaying
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30 May, 2009
game, after all, and most players take pride in their Heroes’
accomplishments and like to see some benefit to particularly
good rolls of the dice.
In the end, it is up the Game Master to decide what an
appropriate benefit should be. As a general rule, Degrees of
Success greater than 2 should be rewarded with, at minimum,
some small in-game effect. In the example above, perhaps the
skill with which the Hero executed the maneuver was
observed by a group of settlers, who spread tales of this feat
to the point where there is a song written proclaiming the
Hero’s skill. This is but one possibility; the GM can no doubt
come up with many more. The higher the Degree of Success,
the greater the reward should be, but, by and large, such
rewards should enhance roleplaying and add to the overall
story rather than grant significant game mechanical benefits.
So as you can see, a little more aid in helping the GM interpret the dice.
For those who are fans of Thousand Suns, all of this should be familiar,
and the reason is that how we handle and use the Degrees of Success
in that game, really works, and really works well. Here is yet one more
example of putting the lessons learned in that game, to use in this game.
Specializations
This is a new addition from the game, and is what it implies. Now you
are able to have your Heroes or Villains specialize in a specific facet of a
skill. For example, if you want your Hero to be deadly with the musket,
you can have them Specialize in the Musket. Specializations allows your
Hero to have a Higher Rank in one skill, but only for the specialization.
From the book:
You may choose a specialization for any skill above Rank 2.
By doing so, your chosen specialization’s starting Rank is
equal to one greater than the Rank of the skill of which it is a
specialization, while the original skill is lowered by one Rank.
For example, if your Hero has Shoot 4 and you decide you
want him to specialize in Flintlock Pistols, his new skill write-
up would be Shoot (Flintlock Pistols) 3/5.
Any time you gain additional Ranks in a skill, you may choose
to apply them either to a specialization or its parent skill.
Using the example above, if your Hero gained an additional 2
Ranks in Shoot, you could apply them either to Shoot or to
Flintlock Pistols provided that the parent skill is always at
least one Rank lower than the lowest Rank of specialization.
Thus, if your Hero has Shoot (Flintlock Pistol) 3/5 and gains
2 Ranks in Shoot, you can apply them to gain either Shoot
(Flintlock Pistol) 4/6 or Shoot (Flintlock Pistol) 3/7, but not
Shoot 5/5.
You may also acquire additional specializations at any time,
but every time you add another one, the parent skill drops by
one Rank and the new specialization begins at one Rank
higher than the previous Rank of the parent. For example, if
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
your Hero has Divination (Alectryomancy) 2/4, you can
choose another specialization (say, Augury) and this
specialization would begin at Rank 3, while Divination itself
drops to Rank 1. Your Hero can gain no additional
specializations until the parent skill increases to at least Rank
2 (and thus the lowest specialization is at least Rank 3).
Specializations then allow you to really create the hero you want, and
allows for all type of possibilities. Of all the changes, this little one has
had one of the best reactions among the playtesters. Again, like Degrees
of Success, this is another example of using Thousand Suns as the
spring board for the game.
Change of Terminology
This is a easy one. Critical Success is now known as Dramatic
Success. Critical Failure is now known as Dramatic Failure. This
was done to bring the rules into sync with the developments we’ve done
with 12° and I really wanted to make the change.
Integration between Faith Cards and Fate Points
One of the big things you will notice is that Faith and Fate are linked
together, and that players and GMs have far more options when it comes
to using the two in play. They allow for the drama, and I really worked to
make the two feel right for the game. From the book:
Fate Cards and Faith Points are meta-game elements, which
is to say, they represent a rare example where the player (or
the GM) rather than the Hero influences the game world of
Colonial Gothic. Generally speaking, the outcome of events in
the game is the result of the interaction between your Hero’s
Abilities and Skills and the GM’s adventure plots, with the
additional random element that dice rolls bring. In a sense,
certain things happen in the game independent of both the
player and the GM’s desires and part of the fun of a
roleplaying game is being surprised at how things unfold.
Everyone playing is as much a watcher of the game as a
participant in it.
Fate Cards and Faith Points, though, give everyone a chance
to push the game this way or that, and to influence dice rolls
so that certain Tests turn out well at the moment when the
player or GM wishes them to do so. Colonial Gothic may be a
game that includes plenty of random elements, but there is
more to roleplaying than letting the dice fall where they may
and reacting accordingly. Very few people enjoy feeling as if
they are impotent flotsam on the waves of fate, particularly in
a form of entertainment like roleplaying. That is why Fate
Cards and Faith Points exist: as a vehicle for letting players
and GMs alike tailor the story of their campaigns to their
wishes. So long as these meta-game elements are viewed in
this light, they will be used properly and add to the fun and
excitement of your campaigns.
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30 May, 2009
It is this which drives the action and drama of the game, and in Revised
I really worked to give you more options for their use.
So there you go, Chapter 3. So far you have seen that the game really
has not changed that much, what has changed is the approach. Rules
have been tweaked, and polished, but the game that you have played
since the start is still here. This is important, becasue I did not want to
make anything that has come before wrong.
So what is new?
Wait till I tell you about the chapters filled with background and advice.
Also, did I mention that there be monsters in the book, as well as rules to
create your own?
I didn’t? Maybe I should.
I should also mention there is original fiction in the book written by
Colonial Gothic: Elizabethtown’s Jennifer Brozek.
I really need to do a better job explaining all of this.
ROGUE FEED
[Lost Works]The Age of Swing:
The Pack
MAY 26, 2009 10:46P.M.
Ok, I will admit, I have no fucking idea where this one came from.
Usually I can tell you when, where and why a certian idea hits me. For
this one, your guess is mine. What I can tell you is that inspiration hit me
while I was working the Hogshead booth at GenCon 2001. It is an
idea that came full form to my head, and I had to leave the booth just to
write it down. This appeared in Alarums and Excursions and has not
appeared since. I remember when it did appeared the contributers were
just as puzzeled with it as I was.
I have always wanted to do something with this idea, and I think I know
what I want to do. I just need to find some time.
Anyway, I give you the strangest thing I have ever written:
The Pack
In the beginning there was nothing. No sound, no music, no life. The
world was a wasteland and the survivors struggled living among the
ruins. This was a time after the beams of killing light fell from the sky
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
and the Men of One Eye descended from the heavens to usher in the
Time of Fire. There were pockets of life hidden deep in the valleys, where
the inhabitants migrated and started to rebuild. Then the message
arrived, telling them that the gods had not abandoned the people.
The first to arrive was the Father of All. He brought music to the land
and taught the people how to be in control. His name was Blue Eyes, and
his voice could make your swoon in pleasure or cower in fear. Blue Eyes
was the boss, the chairman, the ruler of all. It was Blue Eyes that brought
order to the world, and it was his teachings that saved civilization. He
sent out the call for his two brothers and as always they answered.
Dino, the god of water and beauty, arrived first. Dino was a tall god
whose looks would make your heart stop. His beauty was so great that at
times it hurt just to look at him. Dino loved to drink and always had a
glass in his hand. The glass was never empty and flowing from it was the
life giving water that restored life to the land. His eyes, like a pie, looked
down from the sky and love rained down on all. The other who answered
the call was Sammy, god of war, the One Eyed One. Sammy was small in
stature, but was very powerful. He taught the people the fighting style of
Tap. Once mastered, an enemy would be grounded into the earth by
students of Tap. Sammy and Dino were as close as brothers to Blue Eyes,
and they were loyal to him. No matter how tough the early times were,
the three stayed true to their code.
The three were the first and for awhile they were alone. Blue Eyes used
the power of Swing to build the Reprise Throne in the Hall of Sand. Here
in the land known as The Dunes, Blue Eyes summoned the lesser gods.
These were the men and women who had great powers, but in
comparison to Blue Eyes, Dino and Sammy, were weak. Together these
gods fought the Men of One Eye, vanquished the Dragon, and brought
color to the world of Black and White. They had powers beyond the
scope of mortal man. Blue Eyes named this group The Pack, and The
Pack grooved baby.
The first to arrive was Bishop, god of wisdom, teller of tales, and leader
of the Show. Bishop was the joking god, and he was the only one who
could truly make Blue Eyes laugh. As the god of wisdom Bishop knew
much, and by using the powers of Interview could learn many things
about The Pack’s enemies. Bishop was favored by The Pack, and for
many, it was his will that kept all the various personalities together.
Next came Ang, goddess of law, who was known as Ice Woman. She and
Blue Eyes were once lovers, but now were only friends. The two of them
fought side by side many times, and had a mutual admiration for one
another. Though smaller than Sammy, Ang was very strong and could
kill a person with just a look. Like Sammy she was a deadly warrior, but
unlike him she was a tactician in the arts of war.
Next came Law, the tall one, the heart racer, the lady killer, the god of
romance, and the outlaw from the Realm of Vineyard. He was the tall
god, the smoking god, the one whose voice was able to calm the storms,
and drive away the enemies. Law, though weaker then the others in The
Pack, did much and helped form the Order of Swing. He brought culture
to the world, and inspired many works of art.
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30 May, 2009
Also answering Blue Eyes’ call came Diz, the god of wind. He blew in like
the summer wind, and in his wake green things grew. His powers of
Swing and Jazz touched the souls and hearts of all and Diz, much like
Law, brought a needed peace to The Pack. Diz was like the laughing god
and when he blew he could make everyone feel better. Diz was very much
like the wind, and like the wind his mood could change at a moments
notice. When the enemies of The Pack came, Diz howled his strength.
When times were good, Diz blew with gentleness and caressed all with
pleasant thoughts.
The last god to answer the call was the timeless one, he was named Clark,
the god of Time. Clark was the master of Time and used it as his tool.
With it he could freeze Time, travel it like a river backwards and
forwards, and with a wave of his hand make a person turn to dust. Along
with Dino and Diz, Clark returned life to the land and made it green
again. Of all the gods who answered Blue Eyes’ call, Clark was the
strongest. Some would even say, well out of ear shot of the Blue Eyes,
Clark was stronger.
For eons Blues Eyes and The Pack ruled from the Hall of Sand nurturing
and healing the wounded world. Life flowed and the powers of Swing,
Jazz, Interview and Time was taught to the children. Peace ruled and it
was a time known as the Happy Hour. This all changed when Lewis was
released from his prison.
Lewis, the two faced god and the trickster, was an enemy to all living
things. One face looked the fool while the other had cold malice. Lewis
and Dino were brothers, but the two had a falling out. Where Dino
wanted to help the people and guide them, Lewis wanted to enslave
them. Lewis was never a member of The Pack, and he tried many times
to kill his brother. It was Blue Eyes who came to Dino’s aid and saved
him. Foolish Lewis thought he was the stronger and challenged Blue
Eyes’ authority. Without breaking a sweat, the Chairman chained Lewis
to the Swizzle of Death which was located deep in the Pit of Boone.
Though beaten, Lewis was not powerless and soon contacted allies who
would aid him. The plan they concocted was one that would bring down
the Hall of Sand, and put Lewis on the Reprise Throne.
Shir, was a goddess who answered Blue Eyes’ call, but was never a true
member of The Pack. She hid behind false promises and orchestrated the
kidnapping of Mia. It was Shir who worked the deception in Mia’s heart
and twisted her will to run away with Woodie. Woodie, was another
lesser god, and his powers were of panic and fear. He lusted after Mia
and with Shir’s help kidnapped her. When Mia awoke from the spell Shir
had worked she tried to escape but was killed by Shir. Woodie took the
body, and hid in his own little kingdom. Here he began to work a ritual
that would aid Lewis when he escaped.
Meanwhile Phlep, who was Bishop’s assistant grew tired of life in the
Hall of Sand. He wanted more, and no longer wanted to be the sidekick.
Unknown to all, Phelp discovered Lewis’ prison, and traveling there
swore allegiance to a new master. Under Lewis’ instructions Phelp
learned many dark arts and the power of Discordance. It was Phelp, who
by using the Power of Interview, learned how to free Lewis from his
chains. It was also Phelp who became the mouthpiece of Lewis, and
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
organized what would be known as the Forces of Elethon.
Blue Eyes, discovering Mia was missing, began searching for her. He put
Xion in charge of the search, who unknown to Blue Eyes, was in league
with Lewis. Xion was a smooth talker and told Blue Eyes only what the
Chairman wanted to hear. When the time was right, the plan that Lewis
had concocted was unleashed. Shir delivered the body of Mia to the Hall
of Sand, Woodie unleashed psychological torments upon The Pack, and
Phelp freed Lewis from his prison. Xion who had formed an alliance with
the Warriors of Checker and the Men of One Eye, brought this host to the
Hall of Sand. Hell was unleashed and The Pack was surprised by the
betrayal. Freed from his chains Lewis raced to battle his enemy.
There on the Never Sleep Fields the forces of The Pack and Elethon
joined. The battle was bloody and many died in the confrontation. Blue
Eyes and Lewis fought and their blood flowed to form the rivers, lakes
and oceans. Where the two fell mountains rose, and where their weapons
struck, the ground split forming islands. Neither had an advantage and
the two fought for many days, neither refusing to yield. Finally the quiet
god Clark intervened and ended the conflict.
He used the power of Time and worked the forces of Jazz, Swing,
Interview, and a new power called Pop. Using what is now known as the
five elements, Clark trapped Lewis and the Forces of Elethon in a bubble,
banishing them to a distant realm. With a wave of his hands the Warriors
of Checker withered away. With a snap of his fingers, the Men of One Eye
devolved into a protoplasmic ooze. With a touch of his Rod of Rate a
Record the wounds of The Pack and their followers were healed.
With the danger over Blue Eyes mourned the death of his one true love.
The Pack returned to the Hall of Sand where they rested. Before leaving
they taught their followers all they knew and helped to set them on their
present course. Clark created his own realm known as The Stand, and
here he watched over all ensuring that neither the Forces of Good or Evil
would gain an advantage.
It has been many years since the Time of Swing, Happy Hour, and the
Age of Troubles. Now in the age the scholars have dubbed The Age of
Peace, The Pack still influences the world. Little do they know that Lewis
and the Forces of Elethon, are about to reenter the world and once again
join in battle with their enemies. Unknown to both of these groups is a
new force massing in the Sunset Lands. This force is led by the fierce
warrior known only as Duke. With him ride the Horse Soldiers of the
Yellow Ribbon, and even Clark is at a loss as to what their intentions
might be.
Posted in Games, thoughts Tagged: Lost Works, thoughts, writing, wtf
7
30 May, 2009
ROGUE FEED
Dwimmermount, Session 12
MAY 25, 2009 05:58P.M.
After a two-week hiatus because scheduling conflicts, we resumed the
Dwimmermount campaign yesterday. At the conclusion of the previous
session, the characters had to flee Adamas for fear of being charged with
the death of an alchemist in their employ. This meant they had no choice
but to rush headlong back into Dwimmermount, since, oddly, it was a
safer place for them than the city-state, at least in the short term. Once
inside, they continued their exploration of the sub-level they’d been
mapping the last time they were inside the mountain fortress. In doing
so, they discovered a ventillation shaft designed to allow fresh air from
the surface to enter the dungeon (and the giant bats that were nesting in
said shaft). They also encountered creatures that they called “big
kobolds,”slightly tougher little guys than the ones they’d seen on Level 1.
These creatures were engaged in the creation of strange whorls of paint
on the walls of one room in the dungeon. After they were defeated, the
PCs examined the paint to discover that it appeared to be mixed with
small amounts of azoth, which caused the paint to dry quickly and leave
behind peculiar vein-like patterns on the walls.
Pressing on, the characters first found a room containing a statue they
assumed was related to the mythology of Turms Termax. In a rare
display of impetuousness, the elf Dordagdonar entered the room alone
and began looking for secret doors, failing to notice the green slime on
the ceiling, which promptly dropped on his head. Fortunately, the
application of fire by Brother Candor and Vladimir destroyed the slime
but not without leaving a scar on the elf’s face, which he declared forever
marred his beauty and would deprive him of the company of other elves,
who would judge him “hideous.”
Slimes, molds, and fungi seemed to be a theme for the dungeon as they
pressed onward into the dungeon, where they encountered a room whose
surfaces were almost entirely covered with weird growths. Fearing what
would happen if they ventured in too far, Vladimir decided to take his
torch with him and clear a path from one archway to another. He figured
he could burn away some of the growths, bit by bit, and avoid their
potential danger. What he didn’t count on was the fact that, in setting
fire to them, he’d cause them to release noxious spores into the air,
which he inhaled. A failed saving throw later and the intrepid dwarf was
dead.
Through the clever use of a grappling hook, the party recovered
Vladimir’s body. Brother Candor decided that they could pool their
limited funds to have the dwarf raised from the dead at the Temple of
Tyche in Adamas. Unfortunately, that meant return to the city-state
where they were wanted men. After some thought, they found a farm on
the way between Muntburg and Adamas, where they paid the farmer for
the temporary use of his cart. They then cleaned his stalls of manure,
piling it into the cart and on top of Vladimir’s corpse. They also applied a
healthy dose of the excrement to themselves so that they could enter
Adamas “disguised” as manure collectors. The plan worked well enough
and Vladimir was restored to life. However, the priests of Tyche
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
cautioned Candor about ever again returning to the temple, since he
could bring the law down upon them. Meanwhile, Dordagdonar had an
iron mask fashioned for himself to hide his “disfigurement.”
With Vladimir once more among their company, the party returned to
Dwimmermount. There they encountered some animated skeletons,
which served as guards to a large chamber that looked like a desecrated
temple to Turms Termax. Overseeing the temple was a strange lich-like
being, dressed in the rotting robes of a priest of the god of magic. He was
preaching to an invisible congregation, denouncing the church of Turms
as a sham and immortality as a false hope that leads only to a living
death. He took no notice of the PCs, who did not interact with him out of
fear of what would happen.
Moving onward, the characters found a room where the floor stones had
been overturned to reveal bare earth. Upon entering, giant ants
burrowed up from below the earth and attacked them. The ants’ poison
claimed two hirelings, Wulfhere and Brandis, and, while Dordagdonar’s
use of a web spell helped defeat the giant insects, the party was now low
on muscle. Brother Candor reluctantly decided to return to Adamas and
face the music, hoping that he could use the head of Jasper — which was
kept preserved in formaldehyde — could set the record straight. The
priests of Tyche agreed to accompany him to talk with the constabulary
and to cast speak with dead on the poreserved head, which did in fact
exonerate him of murder. However, Candor was still fined for
desecrating a corpse and he was told that the constabulary would be
keeping an eye on him, since he was a “known troublemaker.” With that,
the PCs decided they needed to find new hirelings and to seek out more
information about Saidon the Archivist, the priest of Typhon whom
Jasper the alchemist had spoken to shortly before his death.
As usual, a superb session, filled with lots of action, mysteries, and
roleplaying. I am very pleased with how the campaign is unfolding.
ROGUE FEED
Elf Lair Games Has a Blog
MAY 25, 2009 05:20P.M.
I realize I’m a few days behind with this news, but Elf Lair Games now
has a blog. In case you’re not aware of it, the company publishes the
awesome Spellcraft & Swordplay, an old school fantasy game that
cleaves more closely to OD&D’s Chainmail roots than do most retro-
clones. I wrote a review of the game last Fall and will probably write
another of the revised edition over the next week or so. I’m very
impressed with the approach that Jason Vey took with the game and look
forward to seeing how the game grows and develops.
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30 May, 2009
ROGUE FEED
Planet Stories Changes
MAY 25, 2009 10:42A.M.
This is a press release issued by Paizo about some changes to the format,
frequency, and subscription of its excellent Planet Stories line of pulp
reprints:
We’ve just implemented some changes to the Planet Stories
imprint and to Planet Stories subscriptions that we believe
will significantly increase the quality of the books in general
and enhance the value of your subscription.
Starting with June’s Robots Have No Tails, by Henry
Kuttner, Planet Stories subscribers will enjoy a 30% discount
on new Planet Stories volumes (up from 20%). Additionally,
subscribers will be able to order older Planet Stories books at
a substantial 15% discount off the cover price as an added
benefit of subscribing. We hope this new discount structure
makes it easier for collectors to pick up volumes they may
have missed from earlier in our series.
Also in June, Planet Stories will shift to a roughly bimonthly
publication schedule, with six volumes scheduled per year
into the future. We’re worried we may be producing Planet
Stories books faster than subscribers are able to read them,
so we want to slow things down a bit and give each book a
chance to make a strong impact on the marketplace and in
the minds of our faithful readers. We hope to increase the
frequency in the future, but doing so will require significantly
more subscribers than we have now and better penetration
into local and national bookstores. We believe these changes
will come with time, and reducing the frequency in the
meantime gives us an opportunity to ensure that Planet
Stories has the best possible foundation in the years to come
during a very challenging period for the book publishing
industry.
The biggest change to the line will become apparent when we
send out Robots Have No Tails in the upcoming weeks:
We’ve completely revised the Planet Stories format to pack in
more story for your buck and to include illustrations that
harken back to the pulp era from which many of our stories
are drawn. In the case of this summer’s The Ship of Ishtar, by
A. Merritt, we’ve even negotiated rights to publish
illustrations by noted pulp illustrator (and the best man at
the wedding of C. L. Moore and Henry Kuttner) VIRGIL
FINLAY!
Those of you familiar with Finlay’s marvelous work will no
doubt be jumping up and down with excitement. Those of you
who have not encountered his work are in for a real treat.
Other Planet Stories volumes will contain interior
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 30 May, 2009

illustrations (many original to the Planet Stories line) as well,

and we hope to set a new standard of design excellence with
the series. We’ve posted sample page layouts on the Robots
Have No Tails product page to give you a taste of what’s in
store in the very near future.

The very best way that you can help to ensure a bright future
for Planet Stories is to subscribe, and to evangelize the line to
your science fiction and fantasy-reading friends. We hope to
double the number of Planet Stories subscribers in the next
year, and we’re going to need all the help you can provide in
order to achieve that goal.

We’re more excited about the Planet Stories line than we’ve
ever been. In many ways, we’re finally publishing these
stories in a format that does them justice and best matches
our original plans for the line. We hope you love what’s in
store, and that you continue to support Planet Stories.

It means the (strange adventures on other) worlds to us.

Sincerely,

Erik Mona
Publisher
Paizo Publishing, LLC

Edgar Rice Burroughs is best known for his “Tarzan” and “Barsoom”
novels, but they’re far from the only successes he had as a writer. He also
wrote another series of novels, beginning with 1914’s At the Earth’s Core.
The novel tells the story of a man who discovers a subterranean realm
ROGUE FEED
known as Pellucidar, which exists at the interior of the world. There he
Pulp Fantasy Library: At the encounters prehistoric beasts, such as dinosaurs, as well as primitive
humans who have been enslaved by a race of intelligent flying reptiles
Earth’s Core known as Mahars.
MAY 25, 2009 05:01A.M.
Like John Carter, the arrival of the novel’s protagonist, David Innes,
signals the dawn of a new era. Moved by the plight of the humans — and
enraptured by the lovely Dian the Beautiful — Innes leads them in a
revolt against the Mahars and helps them to win their freedom. Along
the way, he also wins the love of Dian, who’d previously rebuffed him,
due to his misunderstanding the culture of the humans of Pellucidar.
Unfortunately, in their attempt to return to the surface, Innes loses Dian
and vows to return to find her once more, thus setting up for the novel’s
immediate sequel, as well as five more, one of which was published
posthumously.

Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World predates At the Earth’s Core by
two years, firmly establishing the literary genre that shares its name
(although several other books from the 19th century predate it and are
arguably the first in the genre). Pellucidar was clearly influenced by its
predecessor, but is written in a much more breezy and adventuresome
style, as one would expect from the creator of Tarzan. For me, it’s a much
better model for pulp fantasy games than is Doyle’s work, which has a

9
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 30 May, 2009

vaguely “serious” tone to it, which probably explains why Gygax includes Final Notes 16
Burroughs in Appendix N and not Doyle. CHAPTER 2: THE WAYS OF SCHEMING 18
Step One: Establishing the Scopes 18
As an aside, the young H.P. Lovecraft was very fond of Burroughs’ Dynamic or Static? 20
stories, including the Pellucidar series, though he distanced himself from Step Two: Choosing the Means 21
them in later life, calling Burroughs a hack. Nevertheless, some claim In Theory… 21
they hear echoes of Burroughs in the name “shoggoth,” which is In Practice… 21
remarkably like that of “sagoth,” the ape-like race that serves the Mahar. Step Three: Applying Skills 24
I’m not certain how much to make of such claims but it’s interesting Step Four: Interpreting the Results 25
nonetheless. Collateral Effects 25
Opposition 26
Support 26
Exposure 26
Recovery Time 27
CHAPTER 3: THE AURIGAN – NOMADS OF THE THOUSAND SUNS
ROGUE FEED 28
Physiology 28
Thousand Suns: Foundation Psychology 29
History 30
Transmissions — To Layout Society 30
MAY 24, 2009 05:57P.M. Traits 31
CHAPTER 4: PLANETS OF THE CORE 32
Acropolis 32
Apostolo 32
The next Thousand Suns book is done and is in layout. This book is due Crucible 33
out in August (in time for GenCon) and contains the work of two new Empyrean 34
writers who won the contest we held last year. In addition there is new Gladsheim 34
material by James and myself. Haveno 35
Jianggu 36
Want to know what is in the book? Meridian 36
Novo Tero 37
I thought so, here is the Table of Contents. Note, this is from the final Obsidian 38
file, and does not correspond to the final layout. It is just guide to show Odin 39
you what you can expect to see. Olympus Prime 39
Osiris 40
Thousand Suns: Foundation Transmissions Portal 41
Pinnacle 41
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Rook 42
CREDITS 6 Tribulation 43
INTRODUCTION 7 Unueco 43
CHAPTER 1: MOVING THROUGH THE RANKS 9 Zenith 44
Introduction 9 CHPATER 5: CUSTOM WEAPONS 46
Premise Behind Ranks 9 Types of Technologies 46
Example Crew 10 Impacting Mass 46
Military Ranks Mechanics 11 Puncturing Tip 46
Other Considerations 13 Cleaving or Slashing Edge 47
Benefit Points 14 Chemical Agent 47
Standard Equipment 14 Firearms 47
Hooks and Action Points 14 Explosive Charge 47
Other Services and Alternate Terms 14 Sonicarms 48
Army (Imperial Legions) 14 Gravity Projection 48
Marines (Imperial Naval Infantry) 15 Particle Projection 48
Navy (Earthforce) 15 Melee Weapon Handling 49
Navy/Combined (Starfleet) 15 Small (one-handed/two-handed) 49
Navy/Combined (Colonial Forces) 16 Medium (one-handed/two-handed) 49

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 30 May, 2009

Large or heavy (two-handed only) 49 Shield 69

Shaft Mounted (one-handed/two-handed) 49 Refinements 70
Flexible (one-handed/two-handed) 50 Cheap Imitation 70
Ranged Weapon Handling 50 Extra Heavy 70
Pistol 50 Status Symbol 70
Shotgun/Chemical Spreader/Siphon 50 Reflective 71
Bow 51 Camouflage 71
Crossbow 51 Smart Camouflage 71
Thrown Projectile 51 Photo Dispersive Field 72
Charge Throwers (grenade throwers, mortars) 51 Ablative 72
Submachine gun 52 Medical Systems 73
Assault Rifle 52 Motorized Assistance 73
Rifle 52 Sustenance System 73
Machine gun/Light Machine gun 53 Sonic Damper 74
Refinements 53 Radiation Shielding 74
Revolving Barrels 53 Weapon Sponson 74
Revolving Magazine 53 Jet Packs 75
Belt loading 53 Deflection Field 75
Vibroweapon 54 Adding It Up 76
Spread Shot 54 Police Anti-Riot Shield 76
Continuous 54 1st Dragoon Division “Warlord” Armor 76
Pulsated Blast 54 Imperial Judicator Armor 77
Monomolecular 55 CHAPTER 7: ROBOTS AND ANDROIDS 80
Barrel Extension 55 Robots and Tech Levels 80
Electrical Ignition 55 Robots as Characters 81
Field Adaptation 55 Androids 81
Non-lethal 56 Synthetics 82
Adding It Up 57 Non-player Robots 83
Vibro-Bayonet 57 Robot Resurrection 84
Flamethrower 58 Robot Frames 84
Gauss Sniper Rifle 59 ARMATURE (Class V) 85
CHAPTER 6: CUSTOM PROTECTION 61 Biomorph (Class V) 85
Armor Value 61 Android (Class VI) 85
Dissipation Value 61 Synthetic (Class VII) 86
Cover Value 62 Liquid-State (Class VIII) 87
Weight 62 Locomotion 88
Bulk 62 Manipulators 90
Cost 62 Armor 92
Coverage 62 Sensors 94
Materials 63 Skill Software 97
Leather or Bone 63 Ability Upgrades 98
Alloy, Basic 63 Robot Accessories 99
Alloy, Advanced 64 CHAPTER 8: A SPACEFARER’S INTRODUCTION TO LINGUA TERRA
Fibers, Natural 64 105
Fibers, Synthetic 65 Alphabet and Pronunciation 105
Polymers 65 Astronomical & Geographical Terms 106
Ceramics 65 Basics 108
Crystalline Lattice 66 Colors 109
Biomechanical Shell 66 Greetings 110
Constructs 66 Names (common for space vessels) 110
Fabric 67 Numbers 114
Plated 67 Places 115
Segmented 67 Political, Titles and Ranks 116
Partial Plate 68
Reactive Assembly 68

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 30 May, 2009

ROGUE FEED

I am a gamer
MAY 24, 2009 01:07P.M.
ROGUE FEED

Nifty
MAY 24, 2009 02:12P.M. I am a gamer.

Games have been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember.

I grew up playing such classics as Candy Land, Mousetrap, Monopoly,

and too many others to mention. I remember when I was in the third
grade I devised a game using my Star Wars figures. Gluing Lincoln Logs
on a large piece of cardboard, the goal was to rescue Princess Leia and
escape the Death Star. I played this game for hours with my friends,
laughing at the truly nasty death cards we made up.

It was not until I entered the 6th grade that I discovered Dungeons &
Dragons. I had no idea what this game was. There was no board. Instead
there were six funny shaped die. It was the summer of 1983 when my
best friend Clayton took the role of Dungeon Master and escorted our
little band into the terror known as Keep on the Borderlands.

The summer was spent either playing soccer of braving the horrors that
Clayton came up with. This was not art; this was a group of kids having a
grand time using their imagination. It was also a group of kids who used
this new game to propel them to study.

I was always a good student, but it was not until I started playing that I
was charged with the task to learn everything and anything related to the
middle ages. I wanted to know as much as I could, and my friends and I
competed to see who could learn more.

As I grew up my taste in games changed. I still played D&D, but

branched into Top Secret, Star Frontiers, and Boot Hill. It was not until
a friend bought a copy of the Middle Earth Role Play that I broke out of
the TSR ghetto I was stuck in. This one game opened more doors to me
Take a gander at this frankly awesome cover of an upcoming supplement
then I would ever know.
to White Wolf’s game of anime-inspired ass-kicking, Exalted. Yes, you
heard right: I think it’s awesome.
MERP, lead to Villains & Vigilantes, which lead to Bushido, which lead
to more games then you can possibly guess. My taste varied with age,
I have no interest in playing Exalted (though I did in the past and in fact
and I even remember the one summer when I played Rolemaster almost
contributed to two supplements for its first edition — shocking!), but I
religiously. I can safely say that the mind numbing charts would forever
can nevertheless appreciate this loving nod to the greatest RPG cover
sour me on overly complicated games. (Well that summer and the
ever made. It’s extremely well done and, in some ways, a terrific primer
Rolemaster game I played at Gen Con in 1989).
on the inadequacy of being able to “hum the tune” without also “knowing
the words.” To its credit, Exalted is unambiguous about its new school-
There were some games that I became hooked on and stuck with for
ness, which is why I still have a fondness for it, despite its being
longer then I care to admit. Marvel Superheroes, is one example of this,
mechanically and esthetically far removed from my own interests and
while Ars Magica is another. You can not get much further apart in style
preferences.
and content than these two games. Yet at the time they were what I was
looking for.

With MSH, I got fast paced super hero action, and was able to tell the

12
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
stories that I wanted to. I changed rules to fit my vision, and ignored a
lot of what was going on in the comic book world. With Ars Magica, my
love for story telling was filled, and I bought into the concept of a shared
gaming experience. I loved the setting, and for me this is how magic
should be. Sadly I grew tired of the game and found myself researching
more about the Middle Ages and less time writing adventures to
entertain my friends.
Regardless of what games were consuming my attention, two stayed with
me, and were played regularly.
One is D&D. Not AD&D, but D&D. Here is a game that was self
contained and allowed the DM to do what he wanted. From the old Basic
and Expert sets, to D&D Rules Cyclopedia, I ran a campaign that lasted
from 1985 to 1998. This game gave me the tools to make my own world,
and ignored the ever increasing volumes from AD&D.
The other game was Warhammer Fantasy Role Play. To this day I still
do not know what it is about WFRP that first attracted me to it. The
magic system was not finished and to this day the often-promised
Realms of Sorcery has yet seen the light of day. Games Workshop
released product of various quality, and then simply killed the game to
make room for the lead figure juggernaut. The game languished for five-
years until Hogshead took the licenses and slowly began to release new
product.
The one thing that stands out for me is the world Warhammer FRP is set
in. The world was deliciously dark and filled with hopelessness. Chaos
hides behind most things, and often times the only differences between
the “heroes” and villains is that the heroes are PCs. This is a world of
nightmares, a world without heroes. It is a world with a sick sense of
dark humor.
It was all of this which propelled me to write and design. Write and
design I did. However it was not until forming Rogue Games that I
found myself truly coming into a rewakening as to what I love about
games. Before I designed things becasue I felt like I had too, now I design
things becasue I want to.
I am a gamer. I am proud of what I am, and I am proud of what I do.
Posted in Games, Life, thoughts Tagged: Games, thoughts
13
30 May, 2009
ROGUE FEED
More Than a Feeling
MAY 24, 2009 05:01A.M.
In my experience, there are two common dismissals of the old school
movement. The first is semantic, claiming that the term “old school” is so
devoid of a commonly accepted understanding that it’s meaningless. The
intention behind this dismissal is to prevent discussion by undermining
the common meanings of terminology. Needless to say, I don’t think
much of this point of view, because, while I’ll concede that lots of people
do in fact use “old school” in a wide variety of ways, that doesn’t in itself
say anything about the meaningfulness of the term as it’s generally used
among players of these games. It’s a rhetorical trick, not an actual
argument.
The second dismissal claims that old school is “a feeling” and can be
divorced both from particular games and particular mechanical designs.
The intention behind this dismissal is to claim that one can play any
game in an old school fashion, regardless of its vintage or rules. It’s an
attempt to divorce the animating principles of the early hobby from its
mechanical foundations. This is a somewhat more sophisticated
dismissal, but, ultimately, it’s still a rhetorical trick rather an argument.
It’s an appeal to an ill-defined “spirit” of the old school as a means of
undermining attachment to any particular old school game.
That’s precisely why I’ve never bought into the notion that the old school
is just a feeling: it makes rational discussion impossible. If the old school
is just a feeling, then it’s purely subjective and beyond our capacity to
argue for. It’s a mere fancy rather than the product of serious thought.
Now, I don’t’ want to argue that the old school isn’t a feeling, because, on
some level, there definitely is an “emotional” component to it — but
that’s not all that it is and I don’t think it does the old school movement
any good to tacitly accept the idea that “old school-ness” is primarily felt
rather than apprehended.
There is in theology a term that seems apropos: indifferentism.
Indifferentism is the notion that all religions are equally good and valid
provided that one practices them with proper intentions. To my mind,
the idea that the old school is primarily a feeling is a kind of ludic
indifferentism. No doubt many proponents of old school-as-feeling do so
out of a genuine desire to avoid One True Wayism, which is certainly
laudable. The problem is that, by arguing for a primarily emotional
understanding of the old school, one quickly reduces all arguments to
arbitrary preferences. That I consider, say, Swords & Wizardry a game
truer to the old school than Exalted or 4e is nothing more than my
personal feeling on the matter, a feeling that’s impossible to articulate
rationally and that others can feel free to dismiss without having to
understand just what I mean when I say this. Likewise, when a player of
such games claims he’s doing so “in an old school style,” I have no
recourse but to accept him at his word and move on, because no
argument could possibly be offered to disprove his feeling that he’s
playing an old school game.
Let me stress again that I am most emphatically not arguing against the
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
notion that feelings and intuitions have a role in coming to an
understanding about what the old school is and is not. However, I feel
“I’ll know it when I see it” is inadequate and contributes to the absolute
subjectification of the term “old school.” Consequently, I think it’s vital,
particularly now that more and more people are looking at old school
games with new eyes, that this community shy away from speaking
primarily in terms of “feelings,” since that path leads to the chaos of
indifferentism.
If one actually believes, as I do, that games like OD&D, Tunnels & Trolls,
Empire of the Petal Throne, and so forth offer something unique that no
game published in the last 20 years can match, then we ought not to rest
our case too heavily on nebulous quasi-emotional impressions. I think
there are enough clear, rational, and unambiguous arguments in favor of
the old school that there’s very little need to invoke feelings at all. More
to the point, to resort to feelings is basically to concede the argument
before one has even begun, which only contributes further to the
mistaken notion that one’s liking for an old game system is nothing but
nostalgia for one’s lost youth. In some cases, that may be true, but it
needn’t be the case and the continued success of the old school
renaissance depends greatly on promoting the unique qualities of older
games in a clear and rational fashion.
Otherwise, we really are just a bunch of middle-aged guys clinging to the
past.
ROGUE FEED
[Lost Works]New Music
MAY 23, 2009 07:45P.M.
Well, here we are, at the last of the Demon City Shinjuko (Guardians of
Order) campaign I ran. This appeared in Alarums and Excursions and
has not appeared since. The campaign ran for two months. The details of
those are sketcy, due to the notebook that the notes I had is now lost due
to the moves Ariana and I have taken since then. Still the campaign was
fun, and offered us a chance to run and play a different type of game.
After all these year I am still intrigued by the Demon City Shinjuko
setting. Part of the reason is due to the neat idea of a city over run with
demons, the other is that the setting gives you a chance to play a
different type of post-apocalyptic game.
As for what’s next in the Lost Works. I do not know. I have a lot I can
post, but I do not know where to begin.
New Music
GMs Introduction
14
30 May, 2009
For six years the most popular singing group in Japan has been Go Girl!
This quartet of four very beautiful girls has won the hearts of boys, girls
and adult men. Their albums sell millions and stadiums sell out as soon
as tickets go on sale. Go Girl! are pop icons and have stared in two
movies, which led to their own weekly variety show on Japanese
television. Lately things have not been going well for Go Girl!, or for their
management company, Bando Management. Record sales have dropped
and the quartet has seen their popularity plummet, and the reason for
this is the Devil Shake.
Five years ago when the earthquake known as the Devil Shake hit
Shinjuko, the Bando Management offices were abandoned. What no one
knows is that the girls of Go Girl! do not sing their own songs, they lip
sync when doing their performances. The girls were chosen for their
looks and dance ability, not for their voices. Bando Management has
guarded this secret very well.
In the aftermath of the quake many unreleased recordings were lost.
These recordings were locked in a safe at the Bando Management offices.
The reason that the recordings are so important is that the real singers
died in the earthquake. Bando did try to find new singers, but no one
sounded like the previous group. Now Bando needs to get to the
recordings, so they have contacted Koizumi & Yuasa. With these
recording Bando will have enough material for two new albums of Go
Girl!, and the group could go on one last tour. This would give the
company enough time to start a new group to push them Go Girl! dies
out.
Koizumia & Yuasa is one of the best salvage operations in business today,
and is known for specializing in Demon City Salvage. Though their fees
are high, they have never failed in delivering on their promises. Kuniaki
Bando, president of Bando Management, has contracted the company to
enter Shinjuku and retrieve the lost recordings. Koizumi & Yuasa has
been paid a very large fee to keep this contract a secret, and have been
told to get the recordings using any means necessary.
The Bando Management offices are located near the Koma Gejiko, which
is located in Kabukico. The recordings are on ten digital tapes that are
locked in a safe located in Bando’s fourth floor office. What no one
knows is that the building is the home for Okibi, a biker gang that has
been terrorizing the area. Okibi has been causing trouble and have been
forcing the few residents in the area to pay protection money. All is not
going well for Okibi either.
For the past two months Okibi has been in a gang war with a rival group
known as Shigo Ichijn. Unlike most gangs, this one is a group of demons,
who are trying to make the best out of a bad situation. The group has
banded together under the leadership of Kaenhoushaki and have been
working to stake out their own territory within Shinjuku. Okibi has
claimed an area that Shigo Ichijn wants for themselves, and the two
groups have been fighting a battle of attrition. Kaenhoushaki is tired of
the never ending fighting and has decided to stage a all out assault and
finish Okibi off once and for all. The PCs enter into the middle of this and
must avoid the conflict in order to retrieve the tapes, and complete their
job.
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
Player Introduction
The characters are employees of Koizumi & Yuasa and have been called
into a meeting with their boss, Hideki Ajibana. They are told that they
are to enter Shinjuko and make their way to Kabukico, and locate the
Bando Management building. Once at the building they must find and
locate a safe on the fourth floor that contains the recordings. The
characters are told that the recordings are valuable and that the client is
paying the firm handsomely for their safe recovery. The PCs are not told
the significance of the recordings, or what they contain.
The PCs are given a handheld computer that has directions to the
building as well as the floor plans. Both the directions and the floor plans
predate the Devil Shake, so they do not take into account any of the
changes. In addition the PCs have access to the typical salvage
equipment: hardhat, flashlight, two-way radio, coil of rope and a weapon
for protection. PCs also have access to any minor equipment the GM
allows. Since the roads in Demon City are badly damaged and nearly
impossible for vehicles to navigate, the characters need to travel on foot.
New Music was written using the BESM 2nd Edition, and the demon
powers from the Demon City Shinjuku RPG book. Characters should be
built using 30 Character Points and all normal Attributes are available.
Also available is the Nempo and Demon Sub Attributes found in Demon
City Shinjuku RPG. When Attributes in BESM and Demon City are in
conflict, use the description found in Demon City.
Welcome to Hell
The characters are taken by helicopter to the Yotguya Gate. Everything
they need to know has been given to them and if they ask for any more
information their requests are denied. PCs who are going into Demon
City for the first time are told to keep their wits about them and to be
careful. Nothing can prepare them for the horrors they are about to face,
or the dangers that await them.
It is mid-morning when the PCs pass through the Yotsuya Gate, see that
the sky goes from a bright sunny day to a gray overcast cold day.
Checking the handheld computer the PCs quickly find the best route to
their destination. It is still early and if they push on and encounter no
troubles, they should make it back to the gate by night fall.
Demon City is a dangerous place, not only from the demons who inhabit
the area, but natural ones as well. As the PCs make their way on foot they
can encounter live power wires, venting blasts of steam, or pockets of
natural gas. In addition a majority of the buildings are damaged, and
occasional bricks or concrete fall to the ground. Traveling though
Shinjuku should be challenging, but not overly deadly. It will soon get
dangerous enough for the PCs.
Sometime after entering Shinjuko the PCs hear a woman screaming up
ahead. Approaching the area they see an old woman who is fending off a
demon with a stick. Sensing the PCs, the demon turns to face them and
lets out a deep and terrorizing howl. The demon resembles a cat,
standing hunched over with a long tail that swings rapidly from side to
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30 May, 2009
side. Sensing another meal the cat demon charges the PCs. The demon
does not back down during the fight and the more it is wounded the
more fierce it becomes. Once the demon is dealt with the PCs notice that
the old woman is gone. There is no sign of her; it is as if she has vanished
into thin air.
Cat Demon Stats
Body 8, Mind 3, Soul 3 Attributes
Combat Mastery – 2, Demonic Powers – 3, Height Senses – 2 Defects
Marked (2 BP), Physically Unappealing (2 BP) Demonic Sub-
Attributes
Demonic Attack – 2 (Shadow’s Bite, 20 points of damage, drain energy,
contact), Extra Limbs (prehensile tail) – 1, Illusion – 5, Natural Weapons
(claws, fangs) – 2, Special Movement (balance, cat-like, light-footed,
silent, untrackable) – 5, Unholy Strength – 2 Derived Values Attack
Combat Value 4, Defense Combat Value 2, Health Points 55, Energy
Points 30
Shakedown
Entering Kabukico and checking the handheld computer, the PCs can tell
that they are almost at their destination. Continuing on they come to a
small shanty town, which is a common site in Demon City. The towns
typically have about fifteen to twenty people living together who are
trying to eek out a living in the ruins of what was once their home.
Nearing the town the PCs see five bikers terrorizing the residents. They
are knocking people over and destroying what ever they can. Also, laying
face down on the ground, in a pool of blood, is a man and kneeling next
to him is a woman who is crying.
The PCs can move around this scene and avoid it. After all, they have a
job to do and they are not heroes. However, if they are feeling heroic,
they can come to the people’s defense. The bikers are not tough and any
show of force by the PCs will scare them off. The bikers, seeing that the
PCs are stronger, ride off and threaten that they will be back.
Once the bikers are gone the people thank the PCs for their help.
Questioning them the PCs learn it has been difficult lately because of the
bikers who are known as Okibi. The group has been here for about six
months and has been shaking them and others down for protection
money.
The PCs also learn that things have gotten dangerous lately, due to a
group of demons moving into the area. The demons are led by a strange
looking flame. Asking when they arrived reveals that the group arrived
about two months ago. Ever since their arrival the demons and Okibi
have been fighting. Why the two groups have been fighting is not known,
but it is speculated that it is over territory. Checking the man on the
ground the PCs see that he is dead. The man was the towns leader and
was trying to stand up to the bikers, who got angry and shot him. No one
knows anything else, and if the PCs have been injured the villagers offer
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
to help them for a price.
Okibi Members Stats
Body 5, Mind 4, Soul 4 Attributes
Combat Mastery – 1 Defects
Wanted (1 BP) Skills
Driving (motorcycle) – 1, Gun Combat (autofire) – 1 Derived Values
Attack Combat Value 4, Defense Combat Value 2, Health Points 45,
Energy Points 40
Missing Girl
As the PCs move closer to the Bando Building they hear a cry for help
coming from up ahead. Running towards the PCs is an attractive girl who
is being chased by two demons. The demons are covered with red bone
plates and are powerfully built. Two large horns curl from their heads
and two long tusks jut down from their mouths. Seeing the PCs the
demons bellow a deep viscous war cry and run faster.
The demons close in on the PCs and fight until one is slain. Once this
happens the remaining demon flee the area. PCs who decide to flee the
scene discover that the demons pursue them. The demons are simple
minded creatures and their tactics are equally simple. The girl clings to a
PC and stays close to him which causes the PC to suffer a +1 to all
actions.
Once the demons are dealt with the girl can be calmed down. Talking
with her reveals her name is Otsune Nakane, and that her brother Sanzo
is the leader of Okibi. Otsune tells the PCs that they are based in an
abandoned building near Koma Gejiko. The building belongs to Okibi
and it is their home. Otsune, if asked what she was doing, tells the PCs
that she is tired of living in Shinjuku and was leaving to return to family
on the outside. Otsune and Sanzo’s parents died in the quake and instead
of fleeing the city, her brother wanted to stay here and rule. The past five
years has been very tough and she is sick of living here. She wants to live
a normal life, and asks the PCs to get her out of Shinjuku. Refusing to
help her, Otsune starts to beg, pout, and cry.
Otsune is a spoiled teenager who is used to getting her own way. She asks
a lot of questions and generally makes a nuisance out of herself. If the
PCs decide to help her, and take her with them, she pouts and whines
about wanting to leave now. She enjoys being the center of attention and
if any of the male PCs are handsome she flirts constantly with them.
GM’s can have Otsune make the PCs lives as difficult as possible.
Bone Demons Stats
Body 8, Mind 3, Soul 5 Attributes
Extra Attacks – 1, Demonic Powers – 2, Fortified Body – 3, Heightened
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30 May, 2009
Senses – 1, Massive Damage – 2 Defects
Awkward Size (1 BP), Marked (2 BP), Physically Unappealing (2 BP),
Servitude (2 BP) Demonic Sub-Attributes
Acidic Fluids – 5, Demonic Attack – 3 (Acidic Fire, 30 points of damage,
burning, spreading, short range), Exoskeleton – 2, Natural Weapons
(fangs, horns) – 2 Skills
Unarmed Attack (striking) – 1, Unarmed Defense (striking) – 1
Derived Values
Attack Combat Value 5, Defense Combat Value 3, Health Points 65,
Energy Points 40
Caught in the Middle
Following the directions on the handheld, the PCs eventually reach the
Bando Building. If Otsune is with the PCs she tells then that this is
Okibi’s home. As they get closer to the building the PCs see a gun fight
taking place in front of the building. The members of Okibi are shooting
at a group of demons, who are tying to enter the building. The demons
resemble the two that were chasing Otsune, and they are led by another
one who looks to be a living flame. The fight seems to be going badly for
Okibi, and seeing this Otsune begins to cry and begs the PCs to do
something.
What the PCs do is up to them, however, they should realize that the
fight offers the perfect cover to sneak into the building and get the
recordings. PCs who are heroically inclined might be tempted to come to
the rescue of Okibi, yet a quick study of the situation reveals that the
demons seem close to finishing the gang off. In addition, if they come to
the gang’s rescue the PCs might not have a chance to recover the
recordings. Checking the handheld the PCs learn that there is a back
entrance into the building. Making their way to the entrance the PCs see
that no one is close by. This entrance offers the PCs the best chance of
sneaking into the building unnoticed. What the PCs do is up to them, but
they do have a job to do and they are not being paid to be heroes.
Entering the building is easy since everyone is distracted with the fight in
front. The back entrance is actually a loading dock and the PCs see that
twelve motorcycles are parked here. From the moment the PCs enter the
building they have fifteen minutes to make their way to the fourth floor,
break into the safe and get out.
It takes four minutes to get up the stairs, and once at the fourth floor
they notice a good portion of the roof has collapsed. By checking the
handheld computer and making a Mind Stat Check the PCs can figure
out where the office is, which takes an additional two minutes. It takes
three minutes for the PCs to get through the rubble and in the office.
This leaves a total of six minutes to get into the safe and get out of the
building.
Play up the tension of breaking into the safe. Any skill check that fails
adds an additional minute to their running time. PCs who do not get out
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 30 May, 2009

in six minutes notice that they can not hear any fighting going on. What
the PCs do not know is that the demons have killed Okibi and are now
entering the building. In five minutes the demons will reach the fourth
floor, unless the PCs do something fast.
The easiest thing to do is go out the way they came in. Upon reaching the
loading dock, they see that four demons have arrived at the same time.
Seeing the PCs, the demons yell out to the rest, and the PCs have to act
quickly before they arrive. The fastest way to get away is by stealing a
motorcycle, which has a full tank and fast. PCs who want to fight it out
can, but will quickly be out numbered. Escaping, the PCs still need to get
Otsune (if she is with the PCs) out of the area, or they can choose to leave
her behind.
A Quick Get Away
As they drive away let the PCs think they have escaped and left the
demons behind. This is quickly proved false as they see what looks like a
flame following them. The flame is actually the leader of the demons,
Kaenhoushaki, and once he closes in he tries to kill the PCs. He uses his
powers to his advantage and tries to pick the PCs off one at a time. To
avoid the attacks, the PCs need to make Body-Based Driving
(motorcycle) check with a Difficult (+2) modifier. PCs who are not skilled
in driving bikes need to make a Body Stat check with a Quite Difficult
(+3) modifier. If they fail the PCs get hit by the attack.
Animated Reflection – 2, Demonic Attack – 3 (Fire Whips, 30 points of
damage, burning, flexible, short range), Demonic Attack – 3 (Soul
Searing Flame, drain soul, penetrating), Demonic Attack – 3 (Flames
Presence, 30 points of damage, aura, short range), Flight – 2,
Rejuvenation – 2, Tunneling – 1 Derived Values
Attack Combat Value 5, Defense Combat Value 3, Health Points 50,
Energy Points 65
Aftermath
Getting the recordings out of Shinjuku safely earns the PCs 3 CP. PCs
who also rescued Ostune earn an additional CP. If the recordings were
destroyed, or not recovered, the PCs do not get any CPs. However, if
Ostune was rescued they still earn the one CP. PCs who took a
motorcycle can keep it since the first rule of salvage is: “If you brought it
out, you keep it.”
Since the PCs escaped the demons they might face them again the next
time they are in Shinjuko. If Ostune was rescued, the PCs can look into
what happened to here, but are unable to learn anything. Asking around
the Koizumi & Yuasa office the PCs learn that she was sent tot the north
where her family lives.
Posted in Games, Salvaging Chaos, thoughts Tagged: BESM, Games,

To make matters worse, the streets of Demon City are not clear of debris Lost Works
and other road hazards. Because of this, the PCs need to avoid various
hazards, such as chunks of concrete, large potholes and fleeing people.
The GM is encouraged to call for Body-Based Driving (motorcycle)
checks to add to the tension of the chase. Failed checks has the PCs ROGUE FEED
losing control, and there is a chance that they crash. Keep in mind that if
the PCs are hit, or if they crash, there is a good chance that any Songs of the Dying Earth
recordings they are carrying can be damaged. MAY 23, 2009 04:00P.M.

The chase through the streets take a hour, and Kaenhoushaki does not
back down until he is out of Energy Points, or the PCs make it through
the Yotsuya Gate. If Kaenhoushaki runs out of Energy Points he still
follows the PCs in hopes that they crash. Passing through the gate the
PCs see a Koizumi & Yuasa transport van waiting for them, and they also
see Kaenhoushaki hovering on the Shinjuku side of the gate. He is angry
and threatens the PCs that he will feast on their souls one day. If Ostune
is with the PCs she is escorted to the van and the PCs are told that she
will be dealt with.

Kaenhoushaki Stats

Body 4, Mind 7, Soul 6 Attributes

Demonic Powers – 4, Energy Bonus – 2, Heightened Awareness – 2,

Powerful Mind – 1, Strong Soul – 1 Defects

Bane – water (2 BP), Marked (2 BP), No hands (2 BP), Physically

Unappealing (2 BP) Demonic Sub-Attributes

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 30 May, 2009

This August will see the release of the much-awaited Songs of the Dying
Earth published by Subterranean Press. The book collects stories written
in honor of Jack Vance and includes work by a number of the leading
lights of contemporary SF and fantasy, such as Dan Simmons, Robert
Silverberg, Glenn Cook, Mike Resnick, Walter Jon Williams, and John C.
Wright.

I have to say I’m really looking forward to the release of this volume. My
fondness for The Dying Earth is very great, as it was for Gygax, and I
consider it, along with the Big Three, to be one of the strongest
influences over my personal interpretation of Dungeons & Dragons, as
anyone who’s encountered my eccentric NPCs can attest. It’ll be
especially interesting to see if any author other than Vance is capable of
capturing the fantastic far future Earth he created in 1950.

Thanks to Hill Cantons for reminding me about this.

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