Sketchbook Of Grotesqueries No Longer Available...

Happy Halloween! As an appropriately creepy treat for today, I have compiled 17 Cryptworld things that have appeared here at The Savage AfterWorld into a handy booklet for use at your gaming table! The Sketchbook of Grotesqueries contains these 17 unique monsters for your Cryptworld campaigns:

Bloody Bones

Bloody Mary

Carnivorous Swarm

Cut-Up

Flotsam

Gravedigger

Humansquito

Krampus

Puppeteer

Screaming Skull

Slender Man

Smiley Face

Snallygaster

Strix

The Tooth Fairy

Werestag

White Noise

However, this offer was available only for Oct. 31, 2015, and the Sketchbook has become nothing more than a ghostly fleeting memory of Halloween Past. Sorry!

[Cryptworld] The Month Of Things: Screaming Skull

A Caterwauling Cranium for Cryptworld

SCREAMING SKULL

STR: NA --- WPR: 8 (120)
DEX: NA --- PER: 3(45)
AGL: NA --- PCN: 6 (90)
STA: NA --- PWR: 130
ATT: 1/* --- WND: 0*
MV:  NA

Experience: 1,000

A screaming skull is a form of ghost (Cryptworld rule book, page 60) that remains tethered to the last remnant of its former self -- its severed skull. (The skull can be said to be "haunted" by the restless spirit.) The creature has a supernatural attraction for a specific location that held great meaning to it during its life, usually a beloved home or residence, although it could also be a favorite club, a friend's house, etc. In death, the spirit has a need to be anchored to that location for all eternity, and it will bring down great vengeance on those who dare to remove it from its favorite "haunt." Those who reside at the location usually have inherited the skull along with instructions to always keep the skull at hand lest it voice its hellish displeasure.

There are two kinds of screaming skulls that could be encountered: passive and active.

Passive screaming skulls are satisfied with their existence as long as they remain within the confines of their preferred haunt. These skulls prefer to be placed on public display, for example, resting in the center of a dining room table as a macabre centerpiece or sitting on a fireplace mantle for all to see. (To keep the peace, the skull's owner allows this grim relic to remain on display.) If the screaming skull is ever removed from the confines of its haunt, the skull will begin wailing and screaming at random intervals soon after being removed. This terrifying caterwauling usually terrorizes the thief into returning the object. However, if the skull is not returned to its former residence within the first 24 hours, it will lash out at the person who removed it with its Shriek of the Accursed power. It will continue to use this power once a day against its kidnapper until that person is dead or until it is returned. If the person who removed the screaming skull dies before they can return the grisly artifact, the screaming skull will suddenly "reappear" at its proper haunt within the hour.

Active screaming skulls are angry that they have not crossed over and horrified that they remain locked into their vessel. These screaming skulls truly do "haunt" their preferred locations by their constant wailing and moaning. The amount of noise the screaming skull will produce varies: some will constantly whimper and cry without stopping, whereas others will scream and shriek once every couple of weeks for a few ear-splitting moments before going silent again. These screaming skulls must also remain in their preferred haunt, although they are not as picky when it comes to their location. Their owners have been known to seal them behind brick walls, hide them in closets and desk drawers, or tuck them away in steamer trunks in the basement or attic. Although the constant caterwauling can be lessened with these methods, it can never be completely silenced. As with the passive skulls, an active skull will attack anyone who removes it -- usually the location's owner, now desperate for any respite from the shrieking. The screaming skull will curse the victim with its Shriek of the Accursed before it suddenly reappears at its proper haunt. (It will not wait for the victim's death, as it simply wants to return home.)

Screaming skulls cannot be attacked in the typical fashion. Any blows visited upon the skull will be ineffective as the skull can reform itself even from catastrophic damage. The only way to destroy the screaming skull is to give the residing spirit rest by rejoining its skull with the rest of its body. But even if the location of the body is known, the skull will not allow itself to be removed form the premises without attacking. Usually the best course of action in dealing with a screaming skull is to leave it alone.

Screaming Skull Powers

Shriek of the Accursed: When the screaming skull uses this power, it opens its jaw as wide as it can and releases a soul-shattering scream of anger, fear, and anguish. All within hearing range must make a fear check on column 6 and suffer the results of the terrifying wail. The person who removed the skull that the skull has specifically targeted will also hear the shriek, regardless of where they are in relation to the skull's location. (Even if they have thrown the skull into a well and driven off, they will hear the skull's shriek as if the skull were beside them.) The targeted victim will immediately take Medium Damage as per a successful Armed Combat Result (2d10 x 2 STA and three Wounds). Finally, upon hearing the shriek of the accursed for the first time, the target victim's LUCK score will drop to 0 permanently. This is usually enough to prompt the remover into returning the skull to its rightful location as quickly as possible.

[Cryptworld] The Month Of Things: Strix

An Avian Abattoir for Cryptworld

STRIX

STR: 5 (75) --- WPR: 3 (45)
DEX: 5 (75) --- PER: NA
AGL: 7 (105) --- PCN: 7 (105)
STA: 4 (60) --- PWR: NA
ATT: 3/90% --- WND: 14
MV:  L 75 F 225 (L 75† when human)

Experience: 1,000

A strix is a lycanthropic “were-raptor” that takes the form of a half-man/half-bird of prey. During the period of a new moon, the strix – which typically resembles a human -- will transform into the hybrid man-bird thing in 3d10 rounds. It will retain this form for the duration of the new moon’s phase. (The strix will usually make arrangements while human to explain away the 3-day absence – a sudden illness, away on vacation, on a business trip, etc.)

In its monstrous form, the strix’s bird-half typically resembles a hawk, vulture, or owl, although other forms of bird are possible. (A strix cannot fully transform into a bird of prey.) The strix sprouts large wings enabling it to fly with ease. Its hands and feet become razor-sharp talons, and its head transforms into that of its avian species. A strix is able to see equally well during the night as it does during the day, making it particularly dangerous during the new moon phase. The strix usually attacks from the air during a moonless night, letting loose with an ear-piecing shriek as it drops from the sky onto its prey. It will claw and tear at its victim with its talons and beak, rending the victim as it feeds. If a victim survives a strix attack, they must make a WIL save or they will inherit the curse, becoming a strix at the next new moon phase.

A strix in either of its forms regains Stamina as if one column higher. It heals 2 Wounds with each day of rest; 4 if receiving medical treatment. Just as with werewolves (Cryptworld rule book, page 72), silver bullets deal +5 Wound boxes of damage with any successful attack. In its human form, a strix will seek out and live at the highest point in the area – a mountain ridge, a big city high rise, a chain of hills, etc.

Con On The Cob Day 3: Robot Wars, Trick-Or-Treat, And Experiment TB-4

Howdy folks! Day Three of Con on the Cob is winding to a close (well, except for the parties that are exploding all over the place tonight). As the revelry continues into the night, I'm going to give you one last peek inside my experiences with this year's Con on the Cob. Tomorrow is the final day, so the final Day Four post will go live later after I return home. But onward to today's summary:

• After a bracing breakfast of "hotel eggs and sausage", I peeked into The Atrium to see what games were running. Even at the 8 a.m. hour, there were some stalwarts who had already gotten started. (Or perhaps they were still going strong from the previous evening. Hard to tell...)
• Today there was an all-day Robot Wars event. In one of the side rooms, a small plexiglass arena had been assembled, and robot gladiators were inside, zipiing around and slicing each other to ribbons. There were also two trapdoors that would drop any unfortunate 'bot down into the murky depths...and onto the carpet. The room smelled of oil and ozone. If I had more time, I could've stayed and watched and cheered all day. Cool stuff.
• Many of the folks in the Vendor's Hall were fairly sluggish after staying up late gaming and partying. But that's the toll CotC has on you -- it doesn't end until Sunday afternoon or until you walk away.
• Again today, lots of Cryptworld/Monsters Macabre interest and sales. Very pleased to see the reception the game gets. And it appears I have a full table for tonight's game of "Condition Critical!"
• The kids attending the convention are known as "The Children of the Cob." Each year, there are tons of events for the kiddies including a visit from Santa, a scavenger hunt, arts and crafts, and a masquerade parade. This afternoon, it was time for trick-or-treat as the kids got up in their costumes and went from vendor to vendor, asking for candy and treats. This year I was prepared as I had a whole bucket full of Smarties, gumballs, taffy, bubble gum, chocolates, and other goodies.
• Tonight, I had six reporters and investigators checking out what happened to the missing hospital staff in "Condition Critical." As they toured the abandoned clinic, they knew something was seriously wrong, except for Pat West, the resident cynic and skeptic. (When the thing attacked him, he came around.) After they found Dr. Eastman's video logs and discovered the nature of the paranormal threat, they went to the hospital's OR and cobbled together some makeshift weapons from the supplies there, including oxygen-tank-powered flamethrowers, Molotov cocktails made from bottles of alcohol, and a coat-rack that was surprisingly effective. When the thing attacked for the final showdown, they somehow managed to set the room and everything in it on fire. However, they succeeded in their fight against Experiment TB-4 and were taken away by the authorities. (Meanwhile, a black helicopter lands at the scene of the carnage and special agents are now investigating...)

Lots more pictures today than yesterday, so on to the visual stimuli!

Remember those eerie screaming baby faced creature figures I mentioned yesterday? Some of you asked for a visual as to what I meant. OK, here ya go.

 The Robot Wars room was filled with whirring saw blades, clashing mechanical combatants, and the smell of oil and burning wire. It was awesome.

Early this morning, there were folks starting to get their games underway in The Atrium. 

 And just turning slightly to the left, the rest of The Atrium saw kids playing on the mini golf course, the Gymboree, and a host of other playground equipment. I wanted to crawl through the tube-maze, but was afraid of getting stuck.

 The Artitorium artist's room was filled with amazing pieces and stunning works all for sale.

The Northeast Ohio Ghostbusters were on-site to keep any supernatural incursions minimal. Thanks guys! 

And today's purchases include two Star Ace modules I didn't have, a three-CD compilation of medieval folk music, a chocolate-encrusted super-pretzel, and the original artwork of the Boo Hag, which also appears in Monsters Macabre.