Dangerous Encounter: The Great Pumpking

In this encounter, the players have stumbled into a fight already in progress. In the distance, they'll hear sounds and shouts of a battle being joined. Whether through curiosity or the thrill of apparent combat, the PCs should be "prodded" into investigating. When they arrive, they'll see a small village being overrun by Pumpkin Men (MF rules, page 90). These evil plant-men seem to be slaughtering everyone they can reach violently and viciously. All are armed with daggers, clubs, and pitchforks (ML's choice), plus they're setting fire to the village huts with their optic emissions mutation. The villagers are putting up a fight, but they are woefully underpowered for such a vicious foe. It is hoped that the PCs will leap in to assist!

Pumpkin Men (6) (AL C, MV 120' (40'),  AC 6, HD 7, #AT 3 or 1 (2 claws, bite or weapon), 1d6/1d6/1d8 or weapon, SV L4, ML 9, mutations: natural vegetal weapons, optic emissions (gamma eyes))

After the Pumpkin Men are driven off, the villagers gather in the communal central area to both thank the PCs for saving them from the evil marauders, as well as to determine their next course of action. According to the villagers, the Pumpkin Men have been attacking and raiding the town around Harvest Time every year. Each year, the village is able to drive them off. A group of villagers is then selected to go over the hills and into the neighboring "Valley of the Gourds" where a huge pumpkin patch grows wild, filling the valley floor. It is from this patch that the Pumpkin Men are spawned. They have tried destroying all gourds they encounter; tearing up the soil and salting the earth; drenching the soil with poisons -- nothing seems to put a permanent end to the recurring terror.

However, this year the village has secured two 55-gallon drums of petroleum from a Bygone refueling station. They plan to raid the patch, douse the vines with gasoline, and set the whole valley on fire to stop this nightmare once and for all. They ask the PCs if they would help put an end to this menace. They offer to reward the PCs for their assistance. It is left to the PCs to plan the raid on the Pumpkin Men patch, as well as how to safely transport and apply 110 gallons of gasoline!

It takes about a half-hour to reach the crest of the hill that overlooks the Valley of the Gourds. From the crest, the PCs (and any villagers who tag along) can see a dozen Pumpkin Men standing in a circle. A weird otherworldly chant fills the air as they sway slowly back and forth. In the center of the circle, the PCs can see the vines, leaves, thorns, and twigs of the pumpkin patch twisting together and joining into a roughly humanoid shape. The Pumpkin Men are summoning a Pumpking which they hope will assist them in destroying the village once and for all! The summoning ritual is complete and the Pumpking will fully form in 5 more rounds. Once it has risen from the pumpkin patch, its soul purpose is to destroy the village and it will tromp off to complete the mission it was summoned for. Of course, the Pumpkin Men who called it into existence will follow to watch the carnage. -- unless it can be stopped in time!

Pumpkin Men (12) (AL C, MV 120' (40'),  AC 6, HD 7, #AT 3 or 1 (2 claws, bite or weapon), 1d6/1d6/1d8 or weapon, SV L4, ML 9, mutations: natural vegetal weapons, optic emissions (gamma eyes))

Pumpking (1) (AL C, MV 180' (60'),  AC 3, HD 13, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), 2d6/2d6/2d8, SV L7, ML 10, mutations: gigantism, natural vegetal weapons, optic emissions (gamma eyes))

The PCs (and any villager NPCs who came along) will have their hands full with both the enraged Pumpkin Men and their giant construct. If attacked, the Pumpkin Men will stand and fight, but the Pumpking will stomp away from the battle in its single-minded mission to destroy the village. If the Pumpking reaches the little town, everything and everyone there will be utterly destroyed. However, if the Pumpkin Men and Pumpking are defeated, the villagers use the gasoline to create a "cleansing fire" that ends of threat of the Valley of the Gourds permanently. As thanks to the PCs for their help, they will be shown the location of the Bygone refueling station where there's not only an abundance of surplus petrol, there's also a fully functioning Bygone vehicle that they can claim as their own. (Mutant Lord's discretion as to what kind of vehicle they may find there.)

Ancient Armory: Scorpion's Sting

Weapon: Scorpion's Sting
Variable Damage: 1d4
Special: +1 AC; poison
Weight: 3 lbs.
Cost: 150 gp

Scorpion's Sting is a forearm-mounted weapon/shield used as a thrusting/slicing weapon. The weapon wraps around the arm while the hand grips a handle underneath. The "claws" and "legs" of the scorpion-shaped device are sharp blades, which can slice for 1d4 hp of damage. The upturned "tail" is sharped into a lethal point which can also do 1d4 hp of damage if thrust forward like a dagger.

Scorpion's Sting has two other useful properties. The device can be used as a small shield, offering a +1 AC bonus when used in this manner. The user must determine when entering combat if Scorpion's Sting will be used as a weapon or defensively. If used as a weapon, the device does NOT give its user the +1 AC bonus. If used as a shield, it may not be used as a weapon. Also, the "tail" of Scorpion's Sting is traditionally coated with the venom from a Giant Scorpion (MF rules, page 93). If someone is successfully hit during a "thrust" attack, they must save versus poison of die. Success means they take 1d6 hit points of damage. The tail can only hold enough poison for one such attack.

Rant From A Dog Guy (EDITED: Dog Was Returned Home)

FOLLOW-UP INFO TO BELOW POST: I wanted to add this at the top for folks who wanted a follow-up. My mother-in-law just called, and the dog WAS microchipped. She got the owner's address, and our four-legged overnight guest was returned to her owner later this morning. Owner was an elderly man, and she just got away from him. He was worried sick all night, so all worked out.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Sorry gang, but I'm pissed and worked up and I gotta rant about personal stuff. Those of you who'd rather not stick around can tune in later today. I'll then pay my Joesky Tax with a new Mutant Future weapon for you to torment your players with.


Anyway, I'm a Dog Guy. Love dogs. Small dogs, big dogs, slobbery dogs, etc. When I see a dog in distress or in trouble, I become a big ol' softy. Then I get super-mega-ultra pissed, increasing in pissed-offed-ness until the dog is taken care of and the situation is resolved. Last night, around 8 p.m., I heard a dog baying outside of my house. Went outside and found a collar-less, tag-less beagle wandering loose around my yard. Couldn't have been more than a year old. It was clean, seemed well fed, but it was lost, scared, and panicky. And those who have been around beagles know how they get when worked up. AWOOOOOOO...

I brought the dog into our fenced-in yard, so it wouldn't get loose/lost again. Brought out some food and water and tried to get it to settle down. (AWOOOOOOO...) My wife and I tried to decide what to do with her. We couldn't keep her in our own house as our own dog was already going berzerk-nuts. So we thought the best thing to do would be to take her to the dog warden across town. That's where strays are taken and, if microchipped, the dog will be reunited with her owner. (It's the first place I'd go if my own dog got loose.) So we bundled the beagle up in my car (AWOOOOOOO...), did a few laps around the neighborhood to see if anyone was looking for her, then took her out to the dog shelter (AWOOOOOOO...)

Upon arriving (8:30 p.m.), we found the place locked up. There are several drop-off-doors where you load the pup in, then lock the door behind her so she's inside and safe until morning. And we found every door already locked. I knocked, and there were no dogs within these holding pens. The warden apparently neglected to UNlock them for any after-hours drop-offs. So we then drove to the Humane Society on the other side of town. (AWOOOOOOO...)

Got there, and they were both closed and had no after-hours drop-off. There was an emergency number on the door so we called it. And got a very nice recording letting us know they were currently closed. My wife then called our personal vet's home number -- someone we've known for 15 years who has handled all of our dog-related issues. We just wanted any answers or suggestions or advice she could give us on what to do with this stray dog at now-going-on 9 p.m. (AWOOOOOOO...) "Well, it's gonna freeze tonight," she said. "You'll need to keep her in the house or she'll freeze. You can bring her by in the morning and I'll check to see if she's microchipped." When we pointed out we wanted to deal with this NOW and not "in the morning," she helpfully told us she had no ideas, didn't know of any place else to take her, and we should deal with it in the morning. (AWOOOOOOO...)

We then drove to two kennels we know of. The residents live ON THE PREMISES, and we were willing to pay for the dog's overnight stay someplace safe and warm -- just not our house. At both places, we knocked and were ignored, even though we know there were people in both residents. But it was after-hours, they were closed, so screw us 20-different-ways. (AWOOOOOOO...) So my wife and I ended up back at home after a 2 hour trip around the city.

Upon getting home, I got the beagle on a leash and we walked the entire neighborhood. My hopes (at 10 p.m.) was that we'd hear SOMEONE calling for her. At that point, I would have sprinted there to get her home. Instead, the beagle and I walked through the darkness and the cold ... and the silence. A light snow began to fall -- the first of the season. She wasn't baying anymore, as she was exhausted -- we both were. When I got home, she wolfed down the food and water we had set out for her earlier. I got out a thick blanket, laid it in my own dog's crate, and placed the beagle in there. She went right to sleep. When I tried to leave the room, she'd pop up and whimper, so I had to sleep on the couch within eyesight just so she'd settle down.

So here it is, the next morning. Both me and the wife need to go to work, so my mother-in-law graciously agreed to swing by this morning, pick up the beagle, and drop her off at the dog warden's office. (My MIL is not only a dog person, but a beagle person too.) So my hope is that this all has a happy ending and the dog is reunited with her owners later today.

And now, the folks I'm pissed at:

• The neglectful owners who allowed this animal to get loose. And who didn't have a collar and tags on her. And who (I'll bet cash-money on this) didn't have her microchipped.
• The dog warden and humane society, both of who have no after-hours process in place to take care of situations that didn't occur on a 9-to-5 schedule.
• My vet, who had no advice or suggestions or "try calling this rescue organization" information. I expected a bit more direction than "It's your problem."
• The two kennel owners who hid behind closed doors rather than coming to the door to either help us out or send us on our way.

It seemed my wife and I (and my mother-in-law) were the only ones last night who gave a damn about this lost dog. And, as pissed and as inconvenienced as I am, why did I go through all this? Because I'd hope that, if my own dog got loose and lost, someone would do her a kindness and keep her safe and warm until such a time as she could be taken to the first place I'd look for her.

Thanks for hearing me out. I feel better having ranted. Back to the fun and  toys and games and mutants.

Wizards, Mutants, Lazer Pistols Issue 5 Now Out!

God help me, I love this gonzo lil' 'zine. After 8 months, Issue Number 5 of Wizards, Mutants, Lazer Pistols
is now out! Prepare for more OSR WTF goodness from Alex and his Merry Band of Miscreant Mutants as they bring you an encounter in a pumpkin patch (Halloween scariness!), random charts for random horrors (Eek!), a strange NPC (Zounds!), and a fully-fleshed out dungeon level for explorin'! (Jinkies!)

Wizards, Mutants, Lazer Pistols has just enough "gonzo-fantasy-by-way-of-the-final-cataclysm" to make it a must-buy for post-apocalyptic fans. And fantasy fans. And anyone who wants to spice up their games with some good old-fashioned "What the HELL?!?" shouted by their players.

Any issue from 1 to 5 is $3.75 shipped in the U.S., and $6.00 international. Sniderman says, "Go get some."

Con On The Cob Wrap-up: What I'll Do Next Year

This will be short. Got home this afternoon after a great time in Hudson at Con on the Cob. I already have plans to return next year, as the con far exceeded my expectations and was a truly great time. Some lessons learned for next time:

• Pack food - My room had a microwave and refrigerator that went unused. There were no restaurants nearby, and the only ways to get a meal were in the hotel restaurant and the local pizza joint that delivered. Although the con organizers and suite partiers graciously put on a spread nearly every night, it would have nice (and cheaper) if I had packed some eats of my own.
• I'm not as light a sleeper as I thought - The con suite with 24 hour gaming and late night parties was across the hall from my room. Didn't mind the noise until Saturday night. The hallway was packed with partiers hitting two side-by-side room parties. I didn't get to sleep until 1 a.m. when it quieted down a bit. Next time, I get relocated to another part of the hotel.
• Schedule ahead to play more - I ran four games (technically two due to no-shows), but I stupidly thought I'd just sign up for games when I got there. Turns out everything I wanted to play was filled already. Next time, I schedule ahead of time.
• Play more pick-up games - Met several folks from the blogs and forums, but didn't play anything "off the schedule". Next time, I'll make sure to arrange some after-hours games with the fine folks I meet there.

Overall, Con on the Cob was great fun, and I'll make sure to do just a bit more pre-planning next year when I attend. Thanks to the con organizers, and save me a room in 365!

Con on the Cob Day 3: Lords Of Light, Sweetest Day, And A Future Without Mutants

'Morning folks,

It's 6 a.m. and I'm heading down for breakfast already. It's Saturday morning, so you know what that means...Sniderman's running his popular Saturday morning "Thundarr the Barbarian" Mutant Future game at 8 a.m. Although the players are bleary-eyed and usually hungover from Friday night room parties, I never have a problem getting a full table of Saturday morning cartoon enthusiasts. Also, just discovered that Thundarr premiered this week back in 1980 -- 33 years ago! So, as I head down for a plate of bacon and sausage (fat gives you energy!), let's get this day's convention-logue started...

• Discovered that I've been shaving with a dull razor for the last two days. This morning, my face said "Nope" when I tried to drag the dull implement across it a third time. So I'm goin' with the grizzled look from here on out.
• When I sat down to get my Thundarr game set up, I was the only one in the game room. In fact, I think I may have been the only one at the con! Eerily quiet. I had four enthusiastic players show up to play in Across the Dimensional Divide. They tore through the scenario in nearly half the time, trouncing Yin-Yan the Wizard by lunchtime. Some of the highlights included: Ookla hanging onto a deployed firetruck ladder while the engine raced down the street; same Ookla getting tired of being dragged around, planting his feet, and STOPPING the firetruck dead in its tracks; another Ookla from another dimension grabbed a giant man-eating dimensional worm by its mouth and swung it around like a 75 foot long baseball bat (accidentally flattening the other Ookla who was still trying to recover after that whole firetruck ride); Thundarr jumped from the firetruck, landed on the hood of a car, and cut its engine block off with his SunSword; and the other Thundarr was unsure of his own identity, and began incorporating new catchphrases ("Gods of Luminescence! Demonic Cats!").
• My Mutant Future game was next and I had one person show up to play. He and I agreed that it just wasn't going to work with one player, so we decided to cancel. So that was two games that ended not happening due to no shows. Timemaster I can understand as it's a niche genre and not enough folks may know about it, but Mutant Future? I has a sad.
• Swung by the room to drop some stuff off, as I switch hats to gamer/partyer. Stopped by Registration to sign up for Menagerie of the Ice Lord run by Digital Orc's Dylan Hartwell. All full, dammit. OK, they have a game of Cartoon Action Hour based on He-Man. That could be a hoot! All full again? Double dammit. A board game called Thunder Alley? Cool, I love that post-apocalyptic racing game. No, wait, I'm thinking of Thunder Road. Thunder Alley is a NASCAR card game sim. Triple dammit. So I stop by the bar to drink a beer and get my head on straight. A look at my watch shows me it's only 2 p.m.
• I stopped by the dealer's hall to see if anything materialized since the other 12 times I stopped by. (Kind of like rechecking the fridge when you've already looked in it and found nothing you wanted.) Lo-and-behold, I found Dungeon Roll, a game I missed the Kickstarter on. I had no idea the commercial version was already out. Yoinked, and played a few games in the demo area with one or two passers-by. Fun game!
• Came back to my room after a bit of poking around in the Artitorium and saying hey to some new friends and acquaintances. Was so beat, that I decided to just sit in the comfy chair and kick my feet up for a few minutes. Woke two hours later when my own mouth-open snoring woke me up. I'm very sad to discover I'm not a young man anymore. I then decide to show my body who the boss is and left to go to the Con Suite Room Party in progress.
• "Yeah, my wife is watching the kids this weekend so I can come to the convention," I overhear someone say. "It's her Sweetest Day gift to me." "TODAY IS SWEETEST DAY?!" I shout, as I race back to my room to call my wife lest I be mistaken as a loutish husband. "TODAY IS SWEETEST DAY?!" she shouts when I call.
• Jogged back to the Chill and Grill Con Suite Gathering for beer and hot dogs. This will be my last entry as I'm gettin' my "brew on."

No photos today as I stupidly left the camera in the room. But with the fun and thrills of Thundarr that were had, I think this classic opening best summarizes today's Cob-Con:

Con On The Cob Day 2: Experiment TB-4 Is Defeated, But No-Shows Cause World War III

Howdy folks,

It's 7:42 a.m. when I began hammering together today's missive. Today is Pacesetter Day for me, with games of both Timemaster and the new Cryptworld scheduled. May take in a seminar on RPG design later tonight. Let's see how the day shaped up together, shall we?

• Met and spoke with Andy Hopp, the founder and chief wazoo of the con. He mentioned that, if the con has grown this year as much as he thinks, it may have officially outgrown the current location. While talking to him, I grabbed a couple of his Low Life RPG books. (It's gonzo post-apocalyptic, and High Weirdness personified!) He was gracious enough to not only sign them, he did a custom sketch of a Creamfillion for me. Thanks Andy!
• Got to my table for Timemaster and got everything set up. Today's adventure is one of my favorites: The Day the Sky Fell. Time travel, space travel, it's got it all. And, speaking of time, the start time came and went with no one signing up. Very disappointed, as it's the first Timemaster game I've run at several conventions without anyone signing up. So, thanks to the Time Corps no-shows, the Damoreans have caused World War III in 1975.
• So while I turned in my no-show paperwork to registration, I overheard someone nearby signing up for the Cryptworld game at 2 p.m.! He apparently follows the Goblinoid forum and he was explaining the Pacesetter system to the interested registration staff. So I shall have at least one enthused player in a few hours! (Hope he's still enthused after the nightmare I put him through...)
• Swung by the dealer's hall and picked up a few cool games I've had my eye on, including the big-budget-disaster-film RPG Our Last Best Hope and the post-apocalyptic-vehicle-mayhem card game Heap!
• My Cryptworld game went very well as I had four stalwart reporters who showed up for a press conference at a strangely empty research hospital. Someone...or someTHING...lurked in the shadows, consuming all it came into contact with. The game ended with one person hurling a "Drano Bomb" at The Thing, while another blasted holes into it with a found pistol, and another hurled syringes filled with powerful medicines into it. Earlier, the fourth player ninja'ed a door it was crawling through, severing one of its limbs. Yes, they pwned "Experiment TB-4" in "Condition Critical". We all had a lot of fun, and it was a great Cryptworld game!
• Swung by the bar to grab a beer, and ran into artist Jason Braun. Happened to have my Mutant Future rulebook with me, and he graciously autographed my favorite spidergoat illustration within. Later, Brian Thomas popped in and he sold me some of the original artwork he contributed for Cryptworld. (Also signing my rulebook too!)
• Gotta hit the bad earlier than I'd care to because tomorrow at 8 a.m. Saturday morning TV comes alive as Thundarr rides into battle! Ookla, Ariel! RIDE!

Wanna see some pictures now? Of course you do:

The hallway that leads to the Con Proper.

Coblin banners hang everywhere throughout the event area.

A game of Dementalism gets underway. Meanwhile Andy Hopp, con organizer and Low Life creator (seated lower right), signs and sketches a personalized autograph for a fan.

And that fan would be me. Creamfillian ahoy!

My empty Timemaster table. The Demoreans are now running rampant through the timeline now. The recent government shutdown was all their fault, in fact.

However, Cryptworld was great fun for players and CM alike!

And more autographs as Jason Braun signed his spidergoat illustration in my Mutant Future rulebook, and Brian Thomas not only autographed his troglodyte picture in my Cryptworld book, he also sold me the original artwork for both it and the mummy illustrations! Thanks Brian and Jason!

Con On The Cob Day 1: Anchovies, Aliens, And Steve The Jerk-Ass Troll

Hey gang,

As I like to do with Gen Con and Gary Con, I'll be posting a daily blog "con travelogue" live from Con on the Cob each day. Why do I do this? Well, I personally like to read about events I can't attend, so this is my way of giving folks a "You Are There" peek at a game convention they may never be able to get to -- or may have thought about attending, but would like to know what it's like. I also like to keep my blogging fingers limber, so these daily updates keep me racing back to the keyboard to tell you about whatever struck my fancy a few minutes ago.

Anyhoo...

Con on the Cob is a regional gaming convention here in northern Ohio. (Hudson to be exact.) It's one I've known about for years, but something always got in my way, so I've been unable to attend. This year, I'm here! And you'll be there to share my first impressions of "Four Days of GAMESARTFREAKSFUN"! As usual with these live con updates, I'll share what I've seen and what I've done during the day, rsacing back to my room to hammer out a new bulletpoint before firing the post later this evening. Let's get started!

• Got to the hotel/conference center stupidly early. I'm so used to driving to Indiana (Gen Con) and Wisconsin (Gary Con) that it never struck me that I didn't need to leave the house at "OH MY GOD" o'clock. So I pulled in at 10 a.m., as I'm only an hour away. Needless to say, my room wasn't ready yet, so I had a chance to wander the "still getting set up grounds."
• Grabbed my badge, program book, and t-shirt. Peeked into the dealer's room and asked around about attendance. I was stunned to find out Con on the Cob is twice as big as other regional cons I go to -- in gaming room space, vendors selling swag, and folks expected to attend. I'm very pleased to find out this will be crazy busy, so lots to do!
• Room not ready at 2 p.m., so I played in my first con game -- the board game classic, Dungeon! Sean, our host, had the most recent WOTC incarnation set-up (though we reminisced at length about the classic purple box version). We played for two hours, aiming for a "clear the dungeon" win scenario. We were all doing well, until I got to Level 3 and turned over a basic troll. Got trounced, dropped half my stuff, and was sent back to the entrance. Came back, fought the troll again (who I had named "Steve"), and got trounced AGAIN. At one point, Steve the Troll had every treasure I had accumulated. The other players were on Levels 5 and 6, but not me. Oh no, Steve and I had a score to settle. I even came up with a backstory for Steve. He's sitting in his dungeon room, watching CSI: Ravenloft, when there's a knock at the door. He sighs, gets up from the La-Z-Troll recliner, and opens the door. "Ugh, YOU again," he smirks. My cleric lets loose with a warcry and swings his mace. Steve reaches out, grabs the mace, shoves the cleric back into the hall, and slams the door again. He tosses the weapon onto the pile of loot in the corner, then sits back down. Steve was a dick.
• After my game of Dungeon, I got checked in and unpacked. One great groovy surprise: The Con Suite with free food and open gaming is across the hall from my room! I'm a heavy sleeper, so who cares about the noise? I GOT FREE FOOD AND 24-HOUR GAMES ACROSS THE HALL!
• Just finished playing a raucous game of Fiasco. I was Randy Rutherford, local plumbing supplies maven who was having trouble getting his elderly mother to kick his ne'er-do-well moocher cousin (who believed in aliens) out of the house. So he asked his porn-hording neighbor to keep an eye on things, while entrusting his best friend next door with his plan to get his mother committed so he'd inherit the house. Then he could kick the cousin to the curb. By the time the game ended, elderly mother turned out to be an alien (maybe...we lost her body), the house blew up, the cousin ended up being the sole heir according to mother's updated will, and me? I got shot in the junk. Hysterical fun.
• It's going on 9 p.m. and I'm starving (no lunch). Just ordered the "Con Special" from the local pizza joint (large 2-item for $10). And it's not often I get a pepperoni and anchovy 'za as the wife (and everyone else I know) hates it. But that's what I'm eating tonight. And I apologize to everyone else on the second floor for the odor that's about to occur. That's me.
• Tomorrow is a Pacesetter day as I'll be running Timemaster and Cryptworld. Really looking forward to Cryptworld as it's an adventure I've had in mind for years. Picture what would happen if Clive Barker wrote a 1950's B-level monster movie. Campy, yet gruesome.

And here are some photos from the convention thus far...

Watch out for Steve the Troll! He's a dick!

Gah! The Coblins are out in force!

Gaming in full swing in one of the three large gaming rooms.

Swag accumulated thus far...

Ancient Armory: Taser X-12 Shotgun

Weapon: Taser X-12 Shotgun

Damage: 3d8

Trigger Type: Normal
Range: 50 ft./100 ft.

Weight: 10 lbs.

The Taser X-12 Shotgun was originally developed as a non-lethal weapon for Bygone law enforcers. The Shotgun itself was a 12-gauge firearm specifically designed to fire a special Taser-based projectile. (It is incapable of firing any other 12-gauge ammunition without modification.) When fired, the self-contained projectile sprouts three stabilizer fins, keeping it straight in flight. When the four pointed electrode barbs on the end of the projectile piece the skin of the target, it discharges a powerful electrical shock that does 3d8 hit points of damage. Unless the target then makes a save versus stun attacks, the victim will be stunned for 1d6 rounds. The X-12 can only fire one Taser shell at a time and must be reloaded after each shot. The Taser shells are usually found 4 in a box along with the rifle itself.

Con On The Cob Starts In Five Days!

Calling all mutants from Ohio and surrounding states! Con on the Cob starts next Thursday, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Sniderman will be in attendance! This convention takes place in my own backyard, but I have been unable to get there for the past few years. This time, I reserved my room earlier in the year and made arrangements to be there the entire length of the con. As it's my first time at this specific convention, I'm unsure what to expect, but I'm expecting a great time. And, as always, I'll be live blogging from the event each day, so be sure to stay tuned for news and updates from Ohio's "Four Days of GamesArtFreaksFun"!

• The big news for me is that I shall be running the first public-run convention game of Goblinoid Games' / Pacesetter's newly released horror RPG Cryptworld! The adventure is one I've custom written specifically for Con on the Cob, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the players handle "Condition Critical." Let's just say **I** was creeped out when I was writing it. I can only imagine what it'll be like for the players on the other side of the table! Plus, I'll be running a game of Timemaster as well, so anyone who thinks they have what it takes to police the timestream should hop on their chronoscooter and stop by!
• Lest you think I'm ignoring all things Mutant Future, think again! Post-apocalyptic adventures await as I bring my ever-popular scenario "Dead in the Water" to Con on the Cob. And will there be Thundarr the Barbarian? Demon Dogs, YES, there will be Thundarr the Barbarian! (Run on Saturday morning, no less!)
• There are a whole host of folks from the blogs and interwebs that I plan on meeting for the first time and/or gaming with. You know who you are. Anyone want to get together for some unscheduled afterhours games should track me down. And, yes, I'll be happy to GM a "demand performance" for your group!
• Do I have swag for my players? Damn skippy I have swag for my players. Folks who play in my games always get some great goodies, and I've been stockpiling some awesome giveaways to folks who show up to play. Plus Dan Proctor was kind enough to send me some Pacesetter Action Table Cards for folks who play in Cryptworld or Timemaster! Grab a seat at my table, have some fun, and get keen stuff! (If you can't make it to the con, grab some cards for your own games. They're crazy useful and very cool!)
  
• And, as mentioned, I'll be posting each day I'm there. So be sure to stay tuned next week for news, updates, photos, coverage, and tales of adventure!

Ancient Armory: Ringshot

Weapon: Ringshot

Damage: 1d6

Range: S-40'; M-80'; L-120'

Weight: 1 lb.
Cost: 10 gp

The Ringshot is a finger-mounted slingshot-like weapon. A metallic L-shaped frame fits snugly in the crook of the forefinger and thumb. Two strong elastic bands are attached to the ends, and a small leather pouch is seated between them. A small projectile is placed in the pouch, the bands are stretched back, the shooter aims at his target, then releases the projectile. Although this seems to be a simple short-range device, the form-fitting frame offers extra stability and accuracy. When shooting at targets up to 40 feet away, the shooter gets a +1 to hit his target. There are no bonuses to hit targets between 41 and 80 feet away. The shooter has a -1 to hit targets 81 to 120 feet away - the maximum range of the weapon. The Ringshot does 1d6 hit points of damage. The Ringshot is also incredible portable for a ranged weapon, fitting neatly in a belt pouch or pocket along with ammo.

Savage Menagerie: Ssssentipede

No. Enc.: 1d8 (1d6)

Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 60' (20')
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 1
Attacks: 1 (claw)
Damage: 1d6
Save: L1
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None

An eerie-looking creature, the Ssssentipede looks like an animated snake's skeleton. In actuality, the Ssssentipede is a form of insect. The "body" of the insect is actually a segmented worm-like creature that runs the length of the Ssssentipede's "spine," and is protected in a bone-like sheath. The bony legs of the insect resembles the ribs of a snake's skeleton as well. At the "head" of the Ssssentipede is a skull-like limb, which is actually the creature's claw. It uses this manipulator to grab and rend prey into smaller pieces (much like a crab) in order to feed itself. This claw will snap shut on a victim for 1d6 hit points of damage.

When the Ssssentipede scurries about on its multiple legs, it appears that a snake's skeleton is propelling itself with its undulating ribcage. The Ssssentipede is fairly aggressive and will attack prey much larger than itself. When several of these come crawling out, snapping its "jaws," it may make even the most hardened of wasteland survivors to think twice.

Mutations: none

Draw Me Something, Get A Book. Draw Me Two Somethings, Get It In Print.

EDITED TO ADD: Thanks to so many offers, I now have more than enough art and artists to really make this book shine. Thank you to everyone who's shown an interest, but I'm going to have to turn down anyone else who wishes to participate. Thanks again!

Hey gang,

Today's post is aimed at any artists out there -- from professionals to wanna-bes. I'm wrapping up production on my newest Mutant Future supplement, One Year In The Savage AfterWorld. I've teased the cover recently, in fact.

Although the book's written and edited, it really needs some illustrations to "punch up" the interior. I'm OK at drawing (to a point), and some previous artists I've worked with in the past have graciously agreed to let me use some of their art for some spot illustrations. But I'm gonna need more. And that's where you come in.

When I created my Deviant Database, I made an offer over at the Goblinoid Games forums: Anyone who illustrated any creature for the book would get artistic credit up front as well as the final PDF of the book. Anyone who drew two or more creatures got credit, the PDF, and a Lulu print copy of the final book. I had several artists take me up on the offer, and I really like how the Deviant Database came together. I'd like to make a similar offer for One Year... Contribute any illustration and you'll get artist credit and the final PDF when done. Contribute two, and I'll send the final print version of the book when done. Keep in mind that you do NOT need to be a professional artist with buckets of talent and a huge portfolio. Any "good faith" effort that isn't a copy or tracing of another's artwork is acceptable as this supplement begs for the "OSR, old-school, garage-print" treatment. (However, I do reserve the right to say "No thanks.")

If you would like to contribute a drawing or sketch for this new supplement, send me an email at gameagain at gmail dot com. I'll send you a massive list of things I need art for. Creature ideas, scenes, bit pieces, etc. These are all small "filler" pieces and not sweeping landscapes. Pick what you'd like to draw up, and send it in when you're done. Now's the time to let your post-apocalyptic artistic side loose, and help me out in the process! Thanks for your consideration!