[Cryptworld] New Thing: Werestag

A Lycanthropic Hart for Cryptworld

WERESTAG
STR: 7 (105) --- WPR: 4 (60)
DEX: 4 (60) --- PER: NA
AGL: 5 (75) --- PCN: 6 (90)
STA: 5 (75) --- PWR: NA
ATT: 2/90% --- WND: 15
MV: L 250  (75† when human)

Experience: 1,000

Werestags are dangerous half-man/half-deer lycanthropes. Much like other were-beasts, Werestags are cursed to take the form of a human-stag hybrid during the full moon, violently changing into its grotesque shape over 10+1d10 rounds. However, the Werestag does not transform back into a human during the day; rather, it keeps its monstrous form during all 72 hours of the full moon's phase, transforming back into a human only when the final night ends. During this time, it stalks the countryside, hunting larger prey for sport. Horses, bears, and cattle will be found trampled and gored to death throughout the area. And any human beings who investigate these killings will very well find themselves as the Werestag's next prey.

In its Werestag form, the thing stands over 7 feet tall and is covered with short, matted brown hair. The creature's head resembles that of a stag, with a looming set of sharpened antlers. Although it stands upright and bipedal, its legs and feet are that of a deer, giving the monster a satyr-like look.The Werestag's preferred method of attack is to use its powerful legs to charge a victim, lower its head, then impale them on its antlers, goring them to death. The Werestag will also trample a victim under its cloven feet, using its great weight and bulk to crush its prey. Like a Werewolf (Cryptworld rulebook, page 72), a Werestag can recover Stamina as if it were two columns higher, and it recovers 3 wounds per day of rest. Although unaffected by silvered weapon like other lycanthropes, the Werestag takes +5 wounds of damage from any attack made by a deer's antler. An antler sharpened into a dagger or similar weapon will prove to be quite effective against the forest-dwelling behemoth.

The Werestag curse cannot be passed by bite or injury, as the curse is passed along the creature's bloodline. Only if you are born into the Werestag's bloodline will you be cursed with the transformation upon reaching puberty. Although only men of the bloodline will be affected by the curse, the women of the family will help to hide the true nature of their "beloved", going so far as to enticing prey onto their mate's "hunting grounds" for them to have sport with during the full moon.

Pacesetter/Mayfair Chill (And Cryptworld) Conversion Notes

"Does anyone have a table or conversion tool to convert Pacesetter Chill stats over to Mayfair Chill, and vice-versa?"

It's a request that seems to pop up every so often. The first edition of Chill (and Cryptworld, of course!) and the second edition of Chill are somewhat close in system compatibility, but there are some differences that make mechanical crossovers bothersome. So some basic conversion notes and guidelines would be of use.

A web search some time ago unearthed an old Chill fansite from 1999 via the Internet Wayback Machine. Known as "The Home of Doctor TOC," the site compiled a bunch of Chill-related materials at his webpage. One of those pages is a compiled list of the differences between the Pacesetter edition and the Mayfair edition of the classic horror RPG along with some helpful conversion notes. And, with a bit of reverse engineering, you can use Mayfair Chill supplements with Pacesetter Chill. (And Cryptworld, of course!)

I'm a bit surprised this site is still available, but I fear the information could disappear at any time. So I thought I'd grab the data presented there and post it here for future envoys. I've made some slight formatting updates, but am presenting the info here in the manner in which it was presented at the original site. And my thanks to "Doctor TOC" for posting it in the first place!

CHILL: FROM OLD TO NEW

Rules variations between 1st and 2nd Edition Chill

This doesn't cover all changes, but the most important follow. Most changes and additions from Things and Creature Feature are also included in the CHILL hardcover book: those changes and additions are not noted herein.
In the descriptions that follow, “Then” refers to how that rule was in old Pacesetter Chill, and “Now” refers to how the same rule works in the Mayfair CHILL hardcover book.

The Following Chart Summarizes Results of Specific Checks (T# = Target Number):

L = T# through (T# - tens digit) + 1
M = T# - tens digit through (T# + 2) +1
H = T# + 2 through tens digit +1
C = 1 through tens digit
Example: T# = 66: TD = 6
L = T# thru (T# - TD) +1
L = 66 thru (66 - 6) +1 = 66 thru 61
M = T# - TD thru (T# +2) +1
M = 66- 6 thru (66 + 2) + 1 = 60 thru 34
H = T# + 2 thru TD +1
H = 66 + 2 thru 6 + 1 = 33 thru 7
C = 1 thru TD
C = 1 thru 6

THE ACTION TABLE
The old Pacesetter Action Table is gone. The major thing replacing it is a sliding scale which works in the following way:
When rolling, the number you are trying to roll less than or equal to is called the Target Number, or #. Any roll higher than the T# is a failure.
There are four types of successful results: L, a low result; M, a medium result; H, a high result; and C, a colossal result. There is no longer an S result.
* If the number rolled lies within 10 of the T# or equals the T#, the result is an L.
* If the number rolled is between 1 and 10% of the T#, the result is a C.
* If the number rolled is not already a C or an L result, it is either an M result or an H result. To determine which, first divide the T# in half, rounding any fractions down. If the number rolled is greater than half the T#, the result is an M. If the number rolled is less than or equal to half the T#, the result is an H. (See the following screened example.)
You may have noticed that the M and H results on the Result Table on p. 248-9 of the CHILL book do not match the above summary and number line. This is because the Result Table neglects the "+1's" above, thereby making things as simple as possible. It is up to the CM to decide if he wants this "margin of error" or not. (See p. 88 of the CHILL hardcover book for a more thorough explanation of the new Chill system.)

The Action Table was used in many ways. The following list briefly describes the most important of these uses, and tells how each is now resolved:

CALLED SHOTS
Then: A called shot required a "C" result.
Now: Divide the T# in half (after modifiers are applied). Reduce it even more for a more difficult Called Shot: apply regular L, M, H, and C results if the roll is successful.

FEAR CHECKS
Then: Made a WPR check, with the column determined by how scary the thing was and how many of them there were compared to the size of your party. (Success or failure was unaffected by the thing; it was determined solely by your WPR.)
Now: Make a Specific WPR Check, modifying the T# by how scary the thing is. Also:
-10 More than the number of PCs (but not twice the number);
-20 At least twice the number of PCs;
-30 At least four times the number of PCs;
etc. etc.

MELEE ATTACK DAMAGE
Then: Weapon determined column used; defender could only affect whether or not a hit was scored by hiding or by spending Luck.
Now: Make a Specific Check, applying appropriate modifiers to T#; defender can modify the T#. The Strike Rank of the attacker's weapon helps determine the actual damage.

POISONS AND ILLNESSES
Then: Made a STA check; failure meant you were dying (quickly), regardless of the strength of the poison or illness; or the strength of the poison or illness determined which column to use, thus helping determine how bad off you were.
Now: Make a Specific Opposed Check (see below); your character's Current STA opposed by the poison or illness's strength.

SPECIFIC ABILITY CHECK
Then: Made a specific check on Column 2.
Now: Make a Specific Check.

SPECIFIC SKILL CHECK
Then: Made a specific check on Column 3.
Now: Make a Specific Check

UNSKILLED USE OF NON-COMBAT SKILLS
Then: Divided the base score for the skill by 10 to find the number to be rolled against; any success was an L result.
Now: Make a Specific Check against the character's Unskilled Melee Score in that skill. (This is identical to the new Unskilled Use of a Combat Skill.)

USING EVIL WAY DISCIPLINES
Then: These were divided into Distortion (DIS) and Subjection (SUB) disciplines. For the former, you made a specific check, either on Column 1 or 3; only a "C" was a success (i.e., you made a general check, subtracting 10 or 30 from the roll.) For the latter you made a specific check against a 99 (i.e., only a 100 failed); the column was determined by the victim's WPR.
Now: There is no longer a distinction between DIS and SUB disciplines. With most former DIS disciplines, make a Specific Check with at least an M or H result required for success; a 100 (00) is always a failure. Most former SUB disciplines are resolved as Opposed Checks: the creature's skill opposed by its victim's current WPR.

VEHICLE WRECK RESULT
Then: Rolled a percent, and subtracted it from 100. Choose a column based on the speed of the wreck: applied the result as though the wreck were an attack that automatically hit.
Now: The CM determines at what speed the accident occurred: this is the Accident Number (A#). The Strike Rank of the collision is typically the A# ÷ 10. At A#s of 100 or less, characters may escape a collision unscathed. (This approach also applies to such things as failing damage or damage from being "flung" by a creature.

ANIMALS
Very small and very large animals have a modifier for their Stamina, indicating how much Stamina Loss a blow actually causes. There is a Strike Rank and a number for Wound Boxes listed with each animal and creature. The animal's or creature's Fear Modifier is applied to a character's Fear Check, rather than indicating a column on the Action Table.

Also see Converting Old Stats into New Stats, following:

THE ART
Then: To use any Discipline of the Art, you needed a PCN of at least 60 and a WPR of at least 50.
Now: Your character must have a WPR of at least 50 to learn any Discipline of the Art. The divisions of these disciplines are now called schools, each of which has one other, minimal prerequisite:
COMMUNICATIVE (PER: 60),
INCORPOREAL (STA: 60),
PROTECTIVE (LCK: 60), and
RESTORATIVE (STR: 60).
The base chance to use a discipline is now just 2/3 of the average of your PCN Score and the other prerequisite attribute; however, you can now learn disciplines as Student, Teacher, and Master Levels, which can add up to 50 to your base chance of success.

BASIC ABILITIES
Then: Basic Ability scores ranged from 26 to 80; Luck as used to adjust the result of certain rolls.
No: Ability Scores range from 10 to 90; unspent CIPs may adjust the result of certain rolls. Also, (STR + STA) ÷ 4 determines the total number of wounds your character can no take, and STR determines how far your character can throw objects.

CONVERTING OLD STATS INTO NEW STATS

CHARACTERS
There's not much difference between old and new Chill characters. If you aren't going to worry about the current point value of existing characters (we recommend that you don't), simply do the following:
* Subtract 5 from any Master Level of ability. (Master level adds only 20 now, rather than 25.)
* For each discipline known, refigure its base score using the guidelines on p. 37-42 of the CHILL book. (With the new prerequisites, some existing characters already know disciplines they wouldn't currently be allowed to learn. Don't worry about this discrepancy unless both the player and the CM agree to switch the offending discipline for a skill or for another "legal" discipline; the CM might require that up to 1/2 of all new CIPs be spent to raise the appropriate basic ability or abilities until the discipline is legal.)
* Then roll 1 die:
On a 1-6, the discipline is at Student Level; add 15 to the base score.
On a 7-9, the discipline is at Teacher Level; add 30 to the base score.
On a 10, the discipline is at Master Level; add 50 to the base score.
* For each skill and discipline, make sure that the added 15, 30, or 50 (for Student, Teacher, or Master Level) is not more than the base score. If it is, reduce the added percentage so that the final score is no more than double the base score. For example, if the base score is 43, the final score, even at Master Level, can be no more than 86 (43 x 2).
* Calculate the figures for Movement ((AGL + 3) + 20). Sprinting (AGL + 50), Unskilled Melee ((AGL + STR) ÷ 4), and wounds ((STA + STR) ÷ 4).
* Divide any current store of CIPs by 500 (rounding to nearest whole number).

ANIMALS & CREATURES
* For each basic stat (AGL, DEX, PCN, PER, STA, STR, WPR, and EWS), take the old average value (the number in parentheses), and subtract 15 from it. This becomes the base value to which is added 2D10. The average value is retained. Thus, the Bat Lord's AGL, for example:
Old Chill 7 (105)
New Chill (90+2D100/105
* A few old statistics had an average value below 15. Those are changed to something like one of these:
(5+1D10)/15
(2D10)/15
(1D10/5
* So that players don't always know exactly what attack percentage a creature has against them, Attacks now have a random factor. The old attack percentage is rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 (for the Bat Lord, 98 rounds to 100), and 15 is subtracted:
Old Chill 98
New Chill (85+1D10)/100
In general, the number of attacks a creature had remains the same.
* Wound Boxes (WBs) and Strike Ranks (SRs) are determined by how difficult one is to bring down (e.g., for humans, 25 WBs is average, 5 is extremely low, and 50 is extremely high). Of course, if a creature can't be physically hurt, it has no WBs. Those creatures that don't have a physical attack have no SR, and those that use weapons have the SR of the weapon used.
* Fear is now a modifier to a Willpower roll. In general, the old Fear number is multiplied by -5 (e.g., the Bat Lord's 8 becomes -40).

CREATURES
Then: A creature's classes were Corporeal, Incorporeal, and Special, with Special meaning it could take more than one form.
Now: A creature's class(es) can be Corporeal (C), Incorporeal (I), and/or Gaseous (G). For example, if a creature can be both Corporeal and Incorporeal, its class is given as "C,I," and statistics are given for each possible form. Also see Converting Old Stats into New Stats, preceding.

THE EVIL WAY
As with SAVE's Disciplines of the Art, the Evil Way Disciplines have been divided into schools--Communicative (PER), Distortive (STA), Elemental (STR), Mental (WPR), Psychokinetic (AGL), and Sensory (PCN). Each school has a different base score--2/3 of the average of the creature's Evil Way Score and the other governing attribute. To that base score is added a level of ability (+15, +30, or +50), but, as with all skills and disciplines, the bonus can no more than double the base score.
The Chill Discipline is part of no school and is based solely on the creature's Evil Way Score.

GAME MECHANICS
Initiative (AGL ÷ 10) + 1D10) is now determined character by character, rather than for each side. Initiative stays the same throughout a single series of combat, but must be rerolled at the beginning of each round. Characters with higher initiative can act first, or postpone their turn until later in the round.
Since characters each take their turn in a round individually, the long-round sequence (including Missile Fire, Defensive Missile Fire, etc.) has been eliminated.
Fear Check results have been slightly modified.
You can now pull a punch, hitting someone with less than full force.
Damage is now determined both by how well you roll and by your weapon's Strike Rank. Each weapon has a Strike Rank (SR) assigned to it (the higher the better) that specifies how much Stamina Loss and how many wounds it can cause. An L result on your attack means that it does the specified damage. A better result (an M, H, or C result) means that it does the damage of a higher Strike Rank (e.g., an M does 1 SR higher, an H does 2 SRs higher, and a C does 4 SRs higher).
Collisions, falling, etc. are treated as "attacks" against a character, with very high T#s and SRs.

INSIGHT POINTS (IPs)
These are now called Character Insight Points (CIPs). Rather than earning several hundred CIPs in a game session, you now usually earn less than 10 CIPs. However, the things you can buy with them don't cost nearly as much as they used to.
CIPs don't have to be spent on developing your character. They can be saved for future scenarios, and spent to adjust the result of a crucial roll (that you are making, or that the CM is making for you) by a level or two (1 level per CIP spent) any time the rules or the CM allows.

SKILLS AND SPECIFIC CHECKS
Then: Use of a knowledge/research skill required that a specific number of available items be learned: 1 fact/place for an "L" result, 2 facts/places for an "M" result, etc.
Now: The CM classifies each item of information by how difficult it is to learn/locate (as L, M, H, or C result), thus being a Specific Skill Check.
Many Specific Checks are now Opposed Checks. If, originally, the Action Table column was determined by an opposing character (usually by the opposing character's Current Willpower or Perception), that check is probably an Opposed Check now. Skills which can now be opposed also list the results of opposed rolls.
Several skills have been modified. Some of these modifications follow:
* You don't have to have a blackjack to knock someone unconscious, but Blackjack is still the appropriate skill to use.
* Bow skills have all been combined into one skill, as have Thrown Missiles (no Thrown Weapons). The Entangler Skill has been added, and covers the Bola, Lasso, and Whip.
* There is no longer a distinction between Professional and Common skills; they are all Non-Combat Skills.
* Acting/Drama is now just Acting; Modeling is now Savoir-Faire; Outdoor Survival is now Survival, etc.
* Police Forensic Pathology is now just Forensics, and demands a prerequisite of Medicine or Investigation at Master Skill Level.
* Medicine is no longer a prerequisite for Psychiatry.

This article is provided as is without any express or implied warranties. While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this article, the author/maintainer/contributors; assume(s) no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

Phlegm Elementals And Killer Tomatoes Await In 32-Year-Old "Weird Works"

More than two years ago, I discussed the monster manual titled Weird Works I wrote back in 1982 when I was 16 years old. I donated this kid-written D&D monster tome to PlaGMaDA -- The Play Generated Map and Document Archive. But I stupidly neglected to make a copy of this hand-written book for myself before I mailed it off. Fortunately, Tim Hutchinson of PlaGMaDA was kind enough to send me a scan of the interior pages just the other day. And today, I'll share it with you. Click this link or the cover to the right to take a gander at my first gaming supplement. (One note: The cover is not a high-rez scan but rather a low-rez photo I resized for the PDF.)

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND: I wrote this when I was 16, so be kind to 32-years-ago me. I illustrated it to the best of my cartooning ability (Don Martin-esque, I think), and many of the entries are of a parody nature. ("Killer Tomatoes?""Phlegm Elementals?" "GIANT SMURFS?!?") But there are 17 creatures within that had some good idea kernels to them. In fact, some of these creatures ended up being the inspiration for future creatures that have appeared here on The Savage AfterWorld! (Click the links in the list below to see how these creatures evolved!)

Within, you'll find:

• Boogeyman
• Bookbat
• Cannon Creature
• Dragon, Plaid
• Golem, Paper
• Gravedigger
• Jitterbug
• Killer Tomato
• Oilque
• Quasi-elemental, Chicken Fat
• Quasi-elemental, Lint
• Quasi-elemental, Phlegm
• Quasi-elemental, Saliva
• Smurf, Giant
• Spinbuzz
• Venus Man Trap
• Zlophmore 

So there you have it -- the forerunner of both Deviant Databases. Hope you enjoy thumbing through a piece of my gaming history. And if you have gaming artifacts of your own to share, make arrangements with PlaGMaDa to give them a home!

[Labyrinth Lord] Savage Menagerie: Gravedigger

No. Enc.: 1

Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 7
Attacks: 1
Damage: 6d6 + Special
Save: MU5
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None

The Gravedigger is the spiritual embodiment of the dead and buried, though it is not an undead creature and cannot be turned. It is always initially encountered walking from far away toward the party. It appears to be a black-cowled figure with a shovel in one hand and a tombstone in the other. On the tombstone is written the name of the party member which the Gravedigger has come to bury.

The Gravedigger moves slowly, always attacking last in a round. It attacks by striking with its shovel for 6d6 hp of damage. In addition, if the "chosen one" is struck with the shovel, they will automatically be teleported 6 feet underground where they will begin to suffocate. The grave will be marked with the stone the Gravedigger held, and the creature will disappear. If not dug up, the buried person will suffocate for 1d12 hp per round. Spells such as Move Earth, Stone to Flesh, Polymorph Any Object, etc. will automatically excavate the buried victim. If time runs out, the victim suffocates, and the Gravedigger's "mission" was fulfilled.

The Gravedigger can detect things as if it had a permanent spell of True Seeing. The Gravedigger will only attack the one it is "attuned to", and will attack others only if they get in the way. If a Gravedigger does not succeed in burying its victim, the victim will never again encounter a Gravedigger. The Gravedigger will only stop its mission if it is destroyed.

NOTE: Today's monster originally appeared in my Weird Works monster book written back in 1982!

Join The Ranks Of The D-Listers In The Great Stuper Powers Giveaway!

Wanna copy of my favorite "incompetent superheroes" RPG? I have two brand new copies of Stuper Powers! (first edition) that I'm giving away to two visitors to the Savage AfterWorld! If you want one of these, just comment to this post. Sometime tomorrow, I'll draw two names at random from the commentators, and those two folks will get a copy! I don't mind shipping to other countries, so this is open to everyone worldwide. Good luck!

[Review] Stuper Powers!: The First-Class Game Of Third-Rate Heroes

I have a soft spot in my heart for superhero RPGs. My first real RPG was Villains and Vigilantes, and I'm no stranger to FASERIP. But my favorite superheroes are the ones who aren't exactly "super," per se. You see, I'm a huge fan of the "D list" superheroes -- those characters who have weak, useless, embarrassing powers, but who somehow manage to save the day in spite of their abilities. I'm sure everyone's seen the movie Mystery Men, which has a great cross-section of super-incompetents. And in the comics world, you have joke teams like the Legion of Substitute Heroes, Hitman's Section 8, and the classic Inferior Five.

Which brings me to one of my FAVORITE superhero RPGs: Stuper Powers!

Stuper Powers! tags itself as "The First-Class Game of Third-Rate Heroes." These are not the superheroes you call when there's trouble. These are the heroes you call when you have no one else you can summon -- and I mean NO ONE ELSE. You see, the heroes in Stuper Powers! have powers and abilities that are far less useful than The A-Listers. You might be able to "Give Wedgies Mentally," "Entangle With Armpit Hair," or the ever-popular "Turn Things Plaid." Face it, you're gonna have a tough time bringing down Doctor Dredd and his minions with your ability to "Glow In The Dark."

Stuper Powers! obviously doesn't take itself or the genre seriously, and that's half the fun! Although presented as a bit of a one-night-joke RPG, there is a lot of fun replayability in this game. Case-in-point: I ran a Stuper Powers! game at a convention for three players who randomly rolled their powers. We had Patty Cake with his ability to "Bake a Pound Cake in 30 Seconds"; Deja View who could "See 2 Seconds Into The Future"; and The Unit with his "Pogo Penis". (Yes, that's the power and, yes, it's exactly what it sounds like.) These three "heroes" formed S.U.C.K. Squadron (Superheroes United Crushing Krime) and they stumbled into a scenario where the town was going to be blown up unless they acted. And in spite of these lousy, useless, nearly-obscene abilities, the players defeated the Big Bad, won the game, and laughed their asses off in the process. And that's what Stuper Powers is all about, Charlie Brown.

Admittedly, Stuper Power's "gimmick" are the bizarre powers and the creative ways the players use them during the game. But what of the system? Well...there really isn't one. Players don't have ability scores or skill sets or anything like that. According to the rules, all contests and checks should be done in one of two ways: flip a coin for a 50-50 chance to succeed/fail, or defeat the "Big Mac Daddy" (the GM) in a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. That's it. Now, when I play Stuper Powers, I prefer a little more, so I've house-ruled to let my players use 1d4. All checks are on a scale of 1=sure thing, 2=average, 3=hard, 4=damn hard, 5=impossible. Roll the number or higher to succeed. And I offer situational bonuses of +1 or -1 depending on the event. (Hitting someone at point-blank range is a 1, but if the player is blinded by "Adhesive Snot", there's a -1 penalty. So a 1 is not always a Sure Thing, and I have seen players make "Impossible" checks.)

Something else I do when I play Stuper Powers is that the world around the players is no joke. Although the game offers similar bizarre villains and crimes to foil, I find the game is a LOT more fun when everything is deadly serious and straight -- except for the PCs. When the stakes are high and Doombringer The Unstoppable is about to destroy the town, nothing is funnier than having Kid Dorito appear on the scene with his ability to start a "Nacho Downpour." And seeing Xxyrkkk, Destroyer of Worlds, KO'ed by a pair of "Concussive Breasts" is a show-stopper.

Stuper Powers! is great beer-and-pretzels RPG for folks who'd like to try something a bit less "super" in their superhero games. Stuper Powers! is available in two editions: the original 32-page comic-book-like version from Unstoppable Productions, and an updated 112-page "deluxe" version by Wingnut Games. The original has 48 stuper powers, whereas the deluxe version has 100 stuper powers (three contributed by Yours Truly) as well as four adventures, a map of Knee Jerk City (the home-city of the players), LARP rules (seriously), an Instaventures Creator, and tables-tables-tables. Either version gives you plenty of bang for your buck. (But the deluxe version is admittedly much, much "bangier".)

I have had a TON of fun with this game over the years,and wanted to sing its praises. But it gets better...

Noble Knight apparently has a bunch of the original editions of Stuper Powers available for 1 cent. Yup, one penny will get you a near-mint copy of the original D-List superhero game. That's a crazy good deal! Grab them now while they still have 'em! Or, if you'd like a PDF of the deluxe version for your eReader or tablet, you can buy it directly from Wingnut Games via Gumroad for a minimum $2.00 PWYW. Again, crazy good deal. Still not sure? How about you download the Stuper Powers Quick Start Rules for free and check it out for yourself? Finally, if you want to truly support the game and its creators, Stuper Powers Deluxe is available in print for $16.95 from Wingnut Games.

All this talk about Stuper Powers! has me fired up to schedule a game or two at some conventions next year. In 2015, Bufferin-Man ("Induce Slight Headache"); Glass Jaw ("Bloody Nose Power"); and Scoutmaster Jim ("Summon Cub Scouts") will fight the forces of evil! (Cue Smash Mouth's "All Star")

Form-Fillable PC Sheets For All Current Pacesetter RPGs

The Cryptworld form-fillable player character sheets I cobbled together were such a big hit, I thought I'd go ahead and take care of the entire current Pacesetter line! Click the links and/or the sheets below and you can download a form-fillable character sheet PDF for your favorite current Pacesetter game!

Cryptworld form-fillable PC sheet

Majus form-fillable PC sheet

Rotworld form-fillable PC sheet

Timemaster form-fillable PC sheet

Cryptworld Form-Fillable Character Sheet Available For Download

Hey gang, just trying my hand at creating form-fillable PDFs. For my first project, I've created a form-fillable Cryptworld character sheet. Hope you can use it! (Click the page to go to a download page.)

Paranormal Investigations, Underwater Explorations, And Lost Colony Ship Adventures Await!

As we end November and enter the Christmas holiday season, I thought I'd take a moment and point out two nifty Mutant Future supplements that have been brought to my attention as well as an incredible Open D6 game that lets you play paranormal investigators and eliminators like you might find in a previous "frightfully cheerful roleplaying game".

Paranormal Investigators & Exterminators (PIE) -- Ghosts, demons, old gods, and other paranormal entities have been appearing across the world for nearly 30 years. One group staved of the tide for a long time, but as the threat of ghosts and goblins, spectres and spooks overwhelm the planet, they needed help...they needed to franchise! You and your crew are new franchisees of the Paranormal Investigators & Exterminators (PIE), and your job is to capture Paranormal Entities (PE) and make a tidy profit in doing so. A homage to a frighteningly scary roleplaying game, Paranormal Investigators & Exterminators was developed for the Mini-Six roleplaying game system and features new and alternate rules in its lean 12 pages. Also included: Alternate and New Rules and Equipment! Two mini-adventures set in the PIE universe! Three pre-generated Characters so you can jump right in! Five blank character cards if you want to make your own characters! And three paper-minis created and designed by Frank Turfler!

Wisdom From the Wastelands Issue 47: Underwater Rules -- Water covers over 70 percent of Earth’s surface, so it is likely that many adventures will take the occasional aquatic turn. This could happen in the wilds, on the open ocean, or down in inky subterranean depths. Mid-exploration, an evil game master might even open the water valves in an underground tunnel or inundate some ruins below a destroyed dam. A naive player could believe the worst thing about a water encounter is getting wet, or maybe that something large, toothy, and cold-blooded might try to take a friendly little nibble. But any watery environment is an extremely hostile place: the hazards are many and varied, and death can lurk within the most placid of pools. To enhance adventures on the water or below the surface, this issue introduces a plethora of new Mutant Future rules, ranging from water-damaged equipment, to deep-diving pressure, to the ever-present danger of drowning. Just be warned, your players may never go swimming again!

Cave of the Cybersteed -- In the quiet and unsuspecting village of Ek-Wyne, the residents go about their daily and mundane tasks, not realizing that a terror from above has come to call. One by one, the frightened mutant inhabitants disappear in a flash of light. Will those who remain pick up the pieces and carry on, or will they seek out and discover who or what is behind this sinister act? Enter the Cave of the Cybersteed! This is a Mutant Future "Lost Colony Ship" adventure for 4 to 6 players.

PIE and Wisdom are both around $1.00. Cybersteed will run you $6.00 as of this posting.

[Cryptworld] New Thing: Bloody Mary

An Urban Legend for Cryptworld

BLOODY MARY

STR: NA --- WPR: 7 (105)
DEX: NA --- PER: 6 (90)
AGL: NA --- PCN: 6 (90)
STA: NA --- PWR: 130
ATT: 1/* --- WND: 0*
MV: F 75  (incorporeal)

Experience: 1,000

The Bloody Mary is a form of ghost (Cryptworld rulebook, page 60) whose only purpose is to murder those who summon her. Unlike a typical ghost who is the residual aftereffect of a once-living human, a Bloody Mary is solely a demonic spirit that is the embodiment of rage and restlessness. The ritual to summon Bloody Mary is actually a childhood "dare game" usually played at birthday parties and sleepovers. Although the game is usually played just to unnerve or frighten the participant, the "game" will sometimes bring forth a spectral essence who will immediately attack those in the same room.

To summon a Bloody Mary, the victim must stare into a full-length wall mirror by candlelight, chanting "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary" three times. There is a 5% chance that the "game" will actually summon the vengeful ghost. The Bloody Mary will appear in the mirror's reflection as standing behind the viewer. She is dressed in long gauzy robes and her eyes are missing. Blood streams from the empty sockets. When the viewer turns around, the ghost will be standing in the room behind them, striking out in fury for having been disturbed. The door to the room will be locked (courtesy of Mary's Unsettling Powers), and the ghost will proceed to use its powers of excise living and supernatural touch to terrorize and injure the victim. (See Cryptworld rulebook, page 60 for information on these ghost powers.) Only when the victim is dead will Bloody Mary unlock the door, reentering the mirror and returning to her otherworldly domain. The victim will appear to have died of shock.

Frighteningly, once a mirror has been used to summon a Bloody Mary, the ghost will be "attuned" to that mirror for use as a portal into the mortal realm. If someone is alone in the same room as the mirror, there is a 10% chance of the ghost returning to kill a new victim, without need of the summoning ritual to bring her forth. Many generations of a family may feel that they are cursed or singled out by a demon for retribution throughout the years, when the deaths throughout their bloodline are actually caused by a child's game gone awry many years ago crossed with a family heirloom (the mirror) passed along from generation to generation.

To stop a Bloody Mary, the mirror used as its portal must be shattered while the ghost is within the mortal realm. (The mirror will simply reform overnight if it is broken while the ghost resides within it.) Calling forth the Bloody Mary in order to shatter the mirror is incredibly dangerous as the ghost will stop at nothing to both kill the person who summoned her as well as fighting to save the mirror from being damaged. Fending off her attacks while trying to also target the mirror will be quite a task for the players. If the mirror is shattered while the Bloody Mary is outside of it, the spirit will be shattered along with the mirror, permanently destroying her in the process.

U-Con's "What Is The OSR" Debate Airing On Save Or Die!

On the first day of U-Con, I was privileged to be part of a panel of gaming stalwarts as we discussed "What Is The OSR, Anyway?" Ryan Thompson hosted the roundtable discussion with guests Adam Muszkiewicz, Doug Kovacs,  Jim Wampler, and I as we debated what the OSR "is" and our respective opinions on what "old school" truly means. The conversation was fascinating as we all brought our personal histories and experiences with gaming into the discussion.

I had lamented the fact that no one had thought to record the session, but it turns out I was delightfully wrong! Jim's podcast Save or Die! had microphones running, and this one-hour session was recorded for everyone to enjoy. I learned a lot and got some great insights on the issue of the OSR, and I think you'll enjoy it as well. Set aside an hour (and your preconceptions), then click this link or the banner above to listen in.

U-Con Day 3: Ping-Pong Balls, Sunday Services, And "These Are Not Toys!"

Howdy folks, and welcome to my overview of Day 3 of U-Con, the final day of the event. The summary below was written throughout the day, but this intro is being written after returning home. Winter has finally arrived in Ohio. We have a winter weather advisory for the area, and I have a fire going in the fireplace and a mug of cocoa so let's review the final day of my final convention of 2014:

• Dammit, I made the classic game convention blunder. I brought my smallest suitcase to carry a minimal of clothes as well as my laptop bag and that's it. This morning, I got everything in my room packed away -- when I realized I now had all of this new swag, t-shirts, games, and souvenirs and no way to carry it all out to the car. I need to remember to always pack an extra bag or use my biggest suitcase. Instead, I made four trips. (Argh.)
• When I entered the convention center, I was a bit surprised by the church service in progress. Apparently, the auditorium is used each Sunday by a local church. It was interesting to watch gamers wearing Lamentations of the Flame Princess shirts filing by the Sunday morning church folks gussied up in their Sunday best.
• In the vendor's hall, the Float a Goat folks broke out a new game to entice folks with: Zombies - The Game on a Glass. Folks were trying it out by hurling ping pong balls across the room and into a pint glass. It was addicting, as EVERYONE was giving it a try. (I missed 10/10 attempts. Double argh.)
• Just got a text from my wife. My part of Ohio is getting 2-4 inches of snow tonight and 1-3 inches overnight, so heading out before nightfall is a must if I hope to avoid the start of winter while on the road. So the late afternoon games I was contemplating will have to wait until next year. (Triple argh.)
• Some kids have been making some noise in one vendor's booth. They're playing around with items he has for sale like dice and miniatures and card games and other fun stuffs. He marched over to them, and without a trace of irony said, "Hey, these are NOT toys!" 
• It's five minutes until the vendor's hall closes for the convention. Been eyeing a game at another vendor's booth all weekend. After closing, I was planning to pick it up. Annnnnnd...I just watched someone else pick it up and purchase it. (Quadruple mega-ultra-dammit-argh.)
• After the hall closed, I wandered over and mentioned I had missed out on that game I wanted to the vendor. And he proceeded to bring out SECOND copy he just happened to have. Plus, he gave me a 20% discount on it! And Sniderman ends his time at U-Con on a high note!

All in all, I had a great time at U-Con, and I'd like to thank the organizers, the players, the vendors, and Ryan Thompson who put together an awesome OSR track. And I'm already making plans for those conventions I'll be at next year. So, if you're in Iowa City; Hudson, Ohio; Milwaukee; or -- yes -- Ypsilanti, look me up and I'll reserve a spot at my gaming table for you.

And now, onto the final photos for U-Con:

 Just yesterday, this area was home to pick-up games of Gamma World, M:TG, and D&D 5e.

Who knew Jesus was a griefer? (IM IN YUR BASE CONVERTIN YUR FOLLOWERS. AHAHA NOOB)

Zombies: the Game on a Glass. Beer and flying ping-pong balls...a perfect combination!

A ping pong ball in flight during a try at Zombies.

And we wrap up with my purchases, trades, and swag. 

U-Con Day 2: Fumbles The Dwarf, Brother Fahthur, And My Old-School Dice Bag

 

And Day 2 of U-Con draws to a close at 1 a.m. Today's entry is gonna be a bit sparse content-wise, as I spent most of my time in the vendor's hall manning the Goblinoid Games / Pacesetter booth. But I still met several interesting folks, and have a report to share about my time at today's U-Con. And although I didn't get to run a game, I got to play a game. So here is today's report live from the convention (or at least, it was written "live" throughout the day...):

• Got to the booth this morning, and made the acquaintance of my new booth-next-door neighbors. Matt and Noah of Float a Goat Games are selling their card game "Something Different" that was successfully Kickstarted earlier this year. Matt and I got into a lengthy discussion of the awesomeness of the Ghostbusters RPG. I was more than happy to point him to the Nerdy Show's Ghostbusters RPG Franchise Kit as well as my own two Ghostbusters RPG adventures. Nice to meet you, guys!
• There have been a surprising amount of requests and inquiries for supplemental material for Starships & Spacemen. Sold a few copies of the rules, in fact. Looks like the space opera genre is popular and in need of support!
• Just had a flashback to my days as a convenience store clerk, as I played the "How Much Is This Game" a lot back then. A pre-teen walked up to the booth and picked up a game. "How much is this?" "That's $15.00." He sets it down and picks up the next item. "How much is this?" "$20.00." Down it goes and the next item is picked up and the price is requested. He ran the table, asking for prices on everything, then moved to the next booth and started the process again. After 45 minutes, he had the prices of everything in the vendor's hall before he walked out without buying anything.
• Just spent some time talking with fellow blogger Larry Hamilton of Follow Me and Die. We discussed our respective "entry points" into role-playing as well as attending cons throughout the country. (We also commiserated on the "overwhelming big-ness" of Gencon.) Good to meet you Larry!
• Brought some stuff for the auction. I then stopped by and saw what other folks brought for the auction. Huge lots of crazy rare and oddball stuff. I decided not to bother as my paltry offerings paled compared with some of the awesome games and such up for grabs later today.
• Stopped by Roy Snyder's booth to take advantage of his Buy 3, Get 1 Free sale. I was surprised, stunned, and very pleased to find the core TORG rulebook set for $10! Grabbed a few supplements for it while I was at it too. I've always loved the game and have been looking for an excuse to wade back into The Possibility Wars again!
• When I stopped back later, Roy presented me with a brand new dice bag. And this dice bag is now the most legit "old school" item I've ever owned. We laughed about the fact that this item was not designed or marketed to role-players, but it was sought after and coveted by role-players back in the day. See the pictures below for a photo of the old school item in question.
• If you were interested in picking up Deviant Database, Deviant Database 2.0, or One Year In The Savage AfterWorld, I'm sold out. Sorry.
• The auction is underway, and the vendor's hall has emptied out while it's going on. Amusingly enough, all of the vendors used the mutual "downtime" to shop at each other's booths.
• During the booth downtime, the other vendors and I discussed The Hidden Alignments of D&D (Lawful Stupid, Chaotic Dick, etc.) as well as misused 1st-level magic-user spells. We agreed that there should be a podcast looking at various spell effects from a real-world scientific perspective. Proposed title: "Wizards Breaking Physics".
• Ran off to my game room at 8 p.m. to run Cryptworld, only to find that no one had signed up. I was disappointed, until I saw Roy Snyder about to run his game of DCC's "The Tower Out of Time," and he let me join the team. Adam, Peter and I were tasked to find out everything we could about this odd tower that suddenly appeared in the middle of our forest claim. I played a cleric (Brother Fahthur) and a dwarf (Nameless Anon, later renamed to "Capt. Fumbles"). During the course of the game, I healed a hireling named "Skeeter" who eventually became "My Pet Skeeter"; my dwarf shot into combat and hit our thief, then fumbled his axe, then suffered a mental attack paralyzing him for a few rounds (which is when he became "Fumbles"); my cleric rolled a critical hit -- and max damage -- WITH a paralysis spell active on the weapon (poor ape-man had his legs shattered, but he couldn't scream because, you know, paralysis...). Our game ended when our warrior, enlarged to 25% of his normal size as well as blessed by the cleric, grabbed the Bad Guy and hurled him into a blazing beam of red fire AKA "Doing what Vader did to the Emperor." All but two of us managed to escape just before the tower teleported 29,000 years into the future. Great fun! (In spite of Fumbles' constant disappointment with the dice.)

And now, onto the pictures of today's events...

 The Goblinoid / Pacesetter booth is restocked and set up for Day Two.

The auction piles were getting bigger and bigger as folks turned in their valuables up for bids.

And the auction is well underway. However, during the auction, attendance ainthe vendor's hall dropped off to zero.

The Possibility Wars are about to relaunch! Core Earth is once again under siege!

Now THIS is an "old school" dice bag. Thanks Roy!

Our intrepid team of adventures just before things went downhill fast in The Tower Out of Time.

U-Con's "Gimme Shelter III: Down To Earth" For Mutant Future Available For Download

Last night I ran the newest chapter in the "Barter John" series of Mutant Future adventures at U-Con - "Gimme Shelter III: Down to Earth". And I'm making it available to you for download by clicking this link. Feel free to download it and run your PCs through it. (You might want to grab Gimme Shelter I and Gimme Shelter II first if you want them to experience the full "saga.")

Some notes: The adventure is very short as there was only 3.5-4 hours to run it. Wanted to make sure there was a beginning, middle, and end, so I kept the encounters minimal. Also, it's my personal hammered-out roughs -- warts and all -- just enough to guide the game. Don't expect a polished product, as that was never the intent. Finally, some of you may notice some similarities between the mutants infesting the downed station and some other space-faring zombies found in another classic post-apocalyptic RPG. This is a coincidence -- I swear. :)

Enjoy!

U-Con Day 1: Defining The OSR, Defusing A Nuclear Reactor, And Running Over the Elderly

 

Hi gang, and welcome to Day 1 and the official start of U-Con. My late-night Mutant Future game just ended, and it's around midnight as this post goes live. Today was fun and busy and busy. Ran some games, sold some games, talked about the OSR, and ran over little old ladies in my souped-up Deathmobile. Read on, and this will all make sense:

• Remember when I mention I had been upgraded to the concierge floor? Turns out they had a decent breakfast bar this morning. A plate of free bacon FTW!
• I zipped over to the convention center to get the Goblinoid booth set up, but I was a bit early. So I thumbed through the con book and saw a board game starting in minutes that I've always wanted to try out. Purchased my ticket and ran to the board game room to play...
• Road Kill Rally by Z-Man Games! I sat down with three other players for this demented "Death Race 2000"-themed game of vehicular mayhem. You score points for running others off the road or -- even better -- running over pedestrians littering the roadway. After finding out senior citizens were worth the most points, one of the other players uttered The Quote Of The Game: "It's really advantageous to kill the elderly." After fighting along the track and as the finish line neared, I took my car up to 140 MPH, somehow kept it on the road, passed the other players, and plowed through a crowd of citizens who were stupidly in a crosswalk. I sped over the finish line to win the game! Great game, and I can't wait to play it again at home. (I have an unopened copy I've been wanting to try with the home group.)
• My bloodlust sated, I got the Goblinoid Games/Pacesetter booth set up and business has been brisk. First sale of the con: Starships & Spacemen. And I just had someone pick up a "Mutant Future bundle" consisting of the rulebook, and my three MF supplements!
• Overheard in the dealer's hall, father speaking to his young son. "No, I'm not gonna buy you any more dice. You haven't eaten what you have now." (Yes, that's a verbatim quote.)
• John Buckley of The Knotty Works just stopped by. John's the author of the Going Postal series of Mutant Future supplements, amongst many, many, MANY other products and projects. John did some art for Deviant Database II, in fact, but he never got a print hardcopy. I was happy to present him with one I had on hand. He returned the gift by giving me an incredibly cool set of Mutant Future-based equipment cards. (All four sets!) He's playing in tonight's Mutant Future game as well. Nice to meet you John!
• Tonight I was a guest panelist during a roundtable discussion of "What Is The OSR?" Doug Kovacs, Jim Wampler, Adam Muszkiewicz, and I were asked to share our thoughts and experiences about what makes something "old school." There were some very interesting insights and some great discussion amongst the panelists and audience. But in the end, it was agreed that defining what makes something OSR would be like defining what makes something "art". You know what it is when you see it, but what it *is* will vary from person to person. I wish there had been a video made of the discussion as it was very interesting and a pleasure to be invited.
• After wolfing down a hamburger, I raced off to my late night game of Mutant Future -- "Gimme Shelter III: Down to Earth." The four intrepid scavengers were tasked with investigating a downed space station and to bring back everything that wasn't nailed down. Some highlights: Using an exploding cow to clear out a cave of mutants by driving the bovine into the cave, then hitting it with a slingshot pellet; "Sarge", a mutant human who was still fighting WWII, kept barking orders to "Johnson," a plastic army man he kept in his pocket; the two-headed, four-armed mutant who cobbled together a "laser-proof shield" by duct-taping together about two dozen AOL discs; the malfunctioning android who could only talk in one-syllable words, making him sound like Tarzan when he spoke; and the mutant housefly who charged into a nuclear reactor approaching meltdown who managed to shut it down as he took radiation damage each round, succeeding with only 3 HP left. Awesome job guys!

And now, onto the pictures of today's events...

Check it out. I'm a "special guest" AND a "VIP." I guess that makes me a "very special important guest person."

The registration booth was in full swing at 9 a.m. with the line stretching across the lobby and out the door!

As we take the hairpin curve in Road Kill Rally, I'm in the lead (yellow) and am about to plow through a "target-rich environment". The two red pedestrians are "advantageous elderly."

And my scorecard at the end shows the results. I took out two adults, two seniors, and a kid, as well as the checkered flag, crossing the finish line at 140 MPH!

The Goblinoid Games/Pacesetter booth is now open for business. Sadly, the GG banner on the wall kept falling down, so I had to put it on a stand behind me in the booth.

U-Con Day 0: A Little Snow And A Little Mouse

 

Hey gang,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Snider is on the convention circuit again this week. Today, I'm in frosty-cold Ypsilanti, Michigan, for my first time attending Michigan's U-Con Gaming Convention. I love going to first-time cons as I never know what to expect and am open to anything and everything that may surface during the event. At U-Con, I'll be manning the Goblinoid Games / Pacesetter LTD booth in the Vendor's Hall, as well as running games of Mutant Future and Cryptworld. (And, God willing, I'll find time to chuck some dice on the other side of the screen too!)

As always during these events, I'll be live-blogging from U-Con each day to give you a rundown of what's going on, what I've seen, and what you're missing out on. Today is "Day Zero," which means nothing is really happening tonight (that I know of). But I always like to arrive a day early in case I get lost, bad weather, or Cloverfield attack. (And I can sometimes find a pick-up game amongst other early-arrivers.) So here is today's preliminary post on what's up at U-Con!

• Was up until 3 this morning putting the finishing touches on my Cryptworld game to run Saturday night. Be sure to sign up, as it'll be a game to "remember." (SUBTLE GAME HINT) But I'm feeling that lack of sleep is starting to drag me under.
• Wonderful. I have to drive from northern Ohio into Michigan the day the area gets its first flakes of snow. Didn't hit anything more than a few flurries, but there were some frightening cloud packs on route.
• The best thing about the McDonald's dual drive-through order speakers? They can screw up your order in half the time!
• Got to the hotel, which is honestly one of the nicer hotels I've stayed at during a convention (yes, including Gen Con). When I checked in, I got a gratis upgrade to the top-floor concierge floor! So I have my own lounge with snacks and beverages and breakfast and hors d'vourves. If I wasn't so exhausted, I'd totally start carting trays of cookies back to my room.
• Ugh, I bought a mini-mouse for my laptop thinking that it might save space or something. This thing is so small, I'm getting frigging hand cramps trying to use it.
• Took a stroll over the convention center around 7 p.m. to see how the set-up was going. Wanted to grab some environmental shots of the banners and what-not. Well, access to the center from the hotel is sealed until tomorrow to keep folks -- like me -- from poking around. So I'll have lots of U-Con photos tomorrow, but tonight, you get shots like these:

MICHIGAN, I AM IN YOU

What the weather looked like as I crossed the Ohio/Michigan border at noon. I encountered one squall, but lucked out as I didn't hit the snow blast I was expecting.

That "mousepad" under my mini-mouse is my friggin' hotel room key.

[Cryptworld] New Thing: Chocolate Vampire

(I meant to post this on Halloween. Sorry, but I couldn't help myself...)

VAMPIRE, CHOCOLATE

STR: 4 (60) --- WPR: 6 (90)
DEX: 4 (60) --- PER: 7 (105)
AGL: 4 (60) --- PCN: 3 (45)
STA: 5 (75) --- NIACIN: 4.5 mg
ATT: 1/68% --- RIBOFLAVIN: 0.4 mg
MV: L 80†

Experience: 500 Proof of Purchase Points

Hiding in plain sight on your supermarket shelves, the Chocolate Vampire is one of the most diabolical things players may encounter in their investigations. Viewed by most as nothing more than a harmless, comical cereal company mascot, the Chocolate Vampire is actually something much more sinister.

The Chocolate Vampire does indeed “feed” on chocolate. The lair of a Chocolate Vampire is often filled to the rafters with horded candies, cocoas, powders, and other chocolate-flavored foodstuffs. It’s said that smell of the Chocolate Vampire’s lair can be detected a 1/2-mile away. To combat this, the Chocolate Vampire will set up his lair in a location where such a smell is undetectable – the basement of a chocolatier, the attic of a bakery, or in the heart of Hershey, Pennsylvania.

However, the Chocolate Vampire’s need for chocolate goes far beyond that of mere candies. The Chocolate Vampire must also feed on human blood as well, just as a normal vampire. But due to its craving for all things chocolate, the Chocolate Vampire has developed an unsettling ability to convert human bone marrow into spongy chocolate-flavored bits. These “marsh-marrows” are often sprinkled over its chocolate-laden foodstuffs – including breakfast cereals. Due to his seemingly innocuous, bumbling demeanor, he lulls his victims into a sense of false safety, luring them into his sweet-smelling lair where he begins his unholy marrow extraction-and-conversion process.

The Chocolate Vampire is often accompanied by two minions -- a strawberry-scented Conglomerate Man and a blueberry-scented Ghost. He used to be served by a cherry-scented Werewolf and a fruit-scented Mummy as well, until public opinion polls revealed these were kind of lame.

Michigan's U-Con Starts Next Week! Are You Game?

 

Hey gang,

Just a reminder that Michigan's U-Con Gaming Convention starts next week and runs November 14-16! I'm really looking forward to my first time at this just-across-the-Ohio-border convention and am looking forward to a rollickin' good time. Got lots on my plate for the convention, including:

• I'll be manning the Goblinoid Games / Pacesetter LTD booth in the Vendor's Hall, so stop by and see what we have for sale! Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, Cryptworld, Rotworld, and a dozen other titles and supplements will be available for purchase. (Ask nicely and I'll run you through a quick Pacesetter adventure of your choice!)
• Enjoy old-school games? This year's U-Con hosts an OSR track filled with classic games (and games that embrace such gameplay), such as Swords & Wizardry, Dungeon Crawl Classics, Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, AD&D 1e, Tekumel, OSRIC, Cryptworld, Stars Without Number, and Mutant Crawl Classics! Come getcher old school on!
• I'll be running two games during the event: Friday at 8 p.m., it'll be Mutant Future, "Gimme Shelter III: Down to Earth" -- NOW HIRING: Barter John needs six scavengers to investigate last month's meteorite impact crater. Rumors of extraterrestrial infestation are to be ignored. Any retrieved artifacts will be split 60-40. And Saturday at 8 p.m., it'll be Cryptworld, "Forget-Me-Not" -- Recent murders are identical to those committed by the "Paul Bunyon Butcher" 40 years ago. However, the original killer remains behind bars. Has a copycat surfaced, or is it something more sinister?
• Kinda unclear on what the OSR is, exactly? Stop by Friday at 6 p.m. for a roundtable discussion titled "What Is This OSR Thing Anyway?" as Doug Kovac, Jim Wampler, Bill Barsh, and I discuss what the OSR means to each of us.

The U-Con Program Guide is now available for download if you'd like to see what's going on...or what you're going to miss! And if you can't make it, stay tuned here at The Savage AfterWorld as I'll be live-blogging from the event each day with news, reviews, tales, and photos!