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!

My First Monster Manual Heading To PlaGMaDA

It's funny, but I really don't have a lot of homemade leftovers from the earlier formative RPG days. I have a lot of games and dice from the '80s, but nothing I created myself. Which is funny, as I made a LOT of stuff back in the day. My dad gave me one of his old briefcases and I kept all of my custom materials in there. I had a ton of Villains and Vigilantes badguys from a long-running campaign (Shatterer, The Pawn, Furnace, Dr. Dread, and my favorite, The Puzzler). I had some custom modules for V&V, AD&D, Ghostbusters, and Chill - all bound with nifty handdrawn covers. But over the years, all of those items were either lost or thrown out. However, several years ago, my mom called me to let me know she had stumbled across one handmade gaming item tucked in amongst my junior high award certificates and other flotsam: "Weird Works." The cover appears above..

You see, Weird Works was my version of a Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual. Over the years, anytime I had an idea for a monster, I'd stat it up, draw a picture of it, and place it in this flimsy red cardboard binder. Some were of a satirical bent ("Giant Smuf" and "Plaid Dragon" anyone? Oh, and the cover has an illustration of -- yes -- a "Killer Tomato".). But others were kinda cool in retrospect. In fact, a few of the creatures that have appeared on this blog (Fear Feeder and Salvo off the top of my head) were inspired by critters in Weird Works. When I hammered together my recent Deviant Database, I had this notebook beside me for inspiration. However, it's not a respource manual I plan to use at the gaming table; I've tapped out the more interesting items for other projects; and -- honestly -- it's a bit on the embarrassing side. (It's like that picture taken of you in 1976 when you were 10 and wearing that red, white, and blue sports coat that you pray your friends never see.) So the question of what to do with this (other than misplace it again one day) still loomed over my head.

And that when I discovered the PlaGMaDA -- the Play Generated Map and Document Archive.

Their Mission Statement: "PlaGMaDA's mission is to preserve, present, and interpret play generated cultural artifacts, namely manuscripts and drawings created to communicate a shared imaginative space.  The Archive will solicit, collect, describe, and publicly display these documents so as to demonstrate their relevance, presenting them as both a historical record of a revolutionary period of experimental play and as aesthetic objects in their own right.  By fostering discussion and educating the public, it is hoped that the folkways which generate these documents can be encouraged and preserved for future generations."

In other words, they collect, compile, and share homemade gaming materials from "back in the day." The archive they have is a fascinating snapshot of dreawings, character sheets, adventures, and other materials created in bedrooms, garages, basements, and study halls. Right now, they have a Kickstarter project to compile and print up a collection of this kid-generated adventures. I could think of no better place for this book to end up, so I dropped  them a line and they said they'd be glad to take it, scan it for the archive, and file the original away with all of the other homemade treasures they've accumulated. So tomorrow, this well-worn, well-read, and well-loved chunk of my childhood is heading to its final home.

But before it heads out, here are three creatures -- written up in 1982 -- I'd like to share:

 

And drop them a line to make your own donation if you have any home-created gaming materials from Ye Olden Dayes.

Signed Metamorphosis Alpha Winner (As Well As Other Prizes)

One week after I made the offer to hold a "raffle" of a Jim Ward-signed edition of Metamorphosis Alpha for everyone who donated to the Bail Out the Warden Fund, I have compiled a list of all donors. So here's the Prize up for grabs:

And the winner is BRIAN RUSSELL! Congrats Brian, and thank you for your donation!

Now then, as a surprise, I had also lined up two other raffle prizes as second and third prizes for two other donors. Here are the additional Prizes up for grabs:

However, because Brian was the sole donor during the week I had the offer posted, the winner of the Mutant Future rules is BRIAN RUSSELL! And the winner of the Apocalypse Tech Report is BRIAN RUSSELL! Congrats Brian, and thank you again for your donation! (I'll also send you one of the Savage AfterWorld dice too.)

Donate To The Warden For A Chance To Win A Signed Metamorphosis Alpha RPG (And Get An AfterWorld Die Too!)

OFFER UPDATED! SAVAGE AFTERWORLD DICE FOR ANY $10+ DONATION! SEE BELOW!

When I met Jim Ward -- the creator of Metamorphosis Alpha, Gamma World, and a host of other classic RPGs and supplements -- at Gary Con, I purchased a copy of Metamorphosis Alpha - 4th Edition from him. He was kind enough to sign it as well. He also signed my personal copy of Met. Alpha too. I've had plans to give this extra copy away to one of my readers since the day I brought it home. And it just dawned on me -- how about turning this into a fundraiser for the Bail Out the Warden Fund  as well? So here's how this will work:

As pictured below, I have a brand-new, purchased-from-Jim-Ward-himself, signed-as-well, hardback copy of Metamorphosis Alpha Universe (4th edition) that I'll be giving away to someone who has made a donation to the Bail Out The Warden Fund.

For every dollar you donate, you get one "entry" into the raffle. Donate $5, get five entries. Donate $10, get 10 entries. Etc. The more you donate, the higher the chance of winning, but even a donation of $1 will get your name into the hopper. At the end of the week (let's say next Monday, June 18), I'll take all of the entries and will randomly draw one to win the signed RPG. This offer is good WORLDWIDE as I have no problem mailing overseas to our Mutated Minions outside of the U.S.

To keep track of who donated and how much, after you've made your donation, please forward your donation confirmation email to me at gameagain (at) gmail (dot) com along with your mailing address. I'll keep a running list of entries, which will be posted just prior to the grand drawing next week. Regardless whether you win or not, your donations will help a great guy who started all of us along the path to post-apocalypic RPG mayhem.

Thanks everyone for your support in this cause. - Sniderman-

OFFER UPDATED: To sweeten the deal, any who donates $10 or more will get a free Savage AfterWorld die mailed to them. So even if you don't win The Big Prize, you still get something for your generosity! I normally only give these out at conventions or other special events, so now's a good time to grab one of these as well as put yourself in the running for an awesome signed prize! And I'll mail these anywhere in the world at my own cost, so there's no stopping you from making a donation. (Plus, you're donating to a worthy cause.)

Help Bail Out The Warden And Get Savage AfterWorld Dice

TOTAL RAISED THUS FAR: $90.00

ONLY 3 DICE LEFT

Meeting Jim Ward -- the creator of Metamorphosis Alpha, Gamma World, and a host of other classic RPGs and supplements -- and seeing the outpouring of support for him and the Bail Out the Warden Fund at the Gary Con raffle and auction has encouraged me to make my own donation this morning. And I'd like to drum up more support from my readers. So here's my offer:

I have several Savage AfterWorld dice left over after my trip to Gary Con. These are normally only available from me at conventions, either by playing in one of my games or running into me and asking for one. But for a time, I'm willing to send one of these to anyone for every $5 donated to the Bail Out The Warden Fund. Donate $10 and get two dice (up to 5 dice max for a $25 donation). This offer is good WORLDWIDE as I have no problem mailing overseas to our Mutated Minions outside of the U.S.

To keep track of who donated and how much, after you've made your donation, please forward your donation confirmation email to me at gameagain (at) gmail (dot) com along with your mailing address. Even a simple $5 donation will get you one of these obviously-soon-to-be-valuable collectable dice! Regardless, your donations will help a great guy who started all of us along the path to post-apocalypic RPG mayhem.

Thanks everyone for your support in this cause.

-Sniderman -

Donate To The "Bail Out The Warden" Fund

Jim Ward, game designer and father of the gonzo post-apocalypse RPG genre (author/co-author of Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World), has been fighting a serious illness for some time now. Although he is in good spirits and still active in the community, his medical expenses are continuously on the increase as he deals with his condition.

Game designing stalwart Tim Kask has set up the "Bail Out the Warden" Fund which accepts donations toward Jim's medical expenses. I'd like to encourage all of my readers as well as fans of the genre Jim created to please make a donation by clicking the header image above. I have also placed a permanent donation button over there in the right-hand column. This blog wouldn't exist without Jim's mutated vision and warped sense of humorous adventure, so please take a sec and toss a few plasteel coins in the fund. Thank you.