Z- Zebulon's, Zombieland, Zoologist, Zucchetto and a Thank you!

Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space was intended to be the first ins a series of game supplements for the Star Frontiers game. In addition to having additional equipment and setting information on different planets it also contained new rules. These rules changed the game system in a fairly major way taking it from more of a skill based system to a more standard, at the time, character generated system. For this reason there are still people who dislike this book. I like the game either way it is run and this book in particular is one of the books I enjoyed being able to add to my collection. The sad part is that though it was supposed to be an ongoing series this is the only one that was ever made. I suspect that it was a victim of the turmoil occurring in TSR at that time.  It is also fairly hard to find and a little on the pricey side when it does show up. If you like Star Frontiers you will want to add this to your collection.

Movie:

Zombieland would not normally be my cup of tea in the realm of Zombie movies. I am a fairly rapid zombie fan and have often said "I'm holding out for the Zombie  Apocalypse" and that I am rooting for the zombies when it happens. This movie would have normally added too much comedy and not enough realism for me. All that said I love this movie. I think it is just the fact that it is so well done as a comedy and that the cast is so strong that you can't help but like it. The 30 rules, everyone using locations as names I like everything about it and I don't even care that much for Twinkies. It may not have that much for fans of AFMBE or other post apocalyptic games but I think this is strongly a gamers movie and seeing it will make most gamers want to game. That and it made me want to visit Wichita for some reason!

Plot:

Zoologists arrive on the scene on a mission from the local regent. He has tasked them to compile a reference of all the fauna in the realm. This is not something that is well suited for the academia types that have been asked to do this. They will begin asking around town for adventurers that will be creative enough to not kill the prey they are looking for because the regent not only wants a catalog of the beasts he has his mind set on creating the greatest zoo in all the realm so he want them all alive and eventually wants mated pairs or what would be a normal grouping of the beasts. The Zoologists have been instructed to not only pay the adventurers who help a generous fee based on the beasts captured but also to allow them to keep any booty gained in the process. When done this will have to be a grand an glorious zoo though it has also been said that the regents brother is building a ship that will rival all others ever built so it is not sure what will be the better of the two.

Magic:

Zucchetto's of Hope will be attuned to a particular deity when they are found and can only be altered through use of extreme magic such as a Wish spell or a long ritual process by clerics of another deity. The Zucchetto is a small skullcap made of material appropriate for the deity it is attuned to and will be of colors and decoration that is appropriate as well. The Zucchetto will when worn by a cleric of the deity it is for grant all worshipers in a 100 yard radius a +2 to all saving throws they might need to make for them or their possessions. It will also double the number of  first level spells the cleric can cast per day. There is a 50% chance that a particular Zucchetto will also double the second level spells and a 25% that it will double the third level spells. The wearer will also be able to cast a Commune spell once per game week. There is also a version of this that is cursed. When found the Zucchetto will appear to be for the deity of a cleric in the party or lacking a cleric for the deity of someone in the party. In reality is will cause the cleric donning it to suffer a radical alignment shift and become a cleric for their former deities most bitter rival.  This can only be altered by the ritual that would be used to attune the item previously mentioned. This will require one week of game time per point of Wisdom of the victim.


Thanks:

I want to thank anyone who has happened upon my blog during this A2Z endeavor and a special thanks to any who commented and again for those that started following me. I also want to thank anyone who added me to their blog rolls. I have an idea on where I will go next. I will still be posting scans of items from my collection but I will also try and post some other form of new material each day. I dug through some of my old writings and found some stuff of note. Most will be from the era of 1e transitioning in 2e so it may not be OSR specific but hopefully it will find an audience among that group.