Chivalry & Sorcery - 3e

I presented the Creatures Bestiary yesterday so in the long tradition of putting the horse before the cart I now offer the core rulebook for the third edition.I bought this version of the game thinking I would run it at some point because as I said yesterday I had fond memories of the older incarnation of the game.

The game was released in 1996 and the book comes in at 202 pages in length. There were some new twists that were added in the third edition. It is also like the other versions a very complex game that is not for the light of heart. The level of complexity is amplified if you wish to play a mage in the game. Ars Magica might have a better/ more complex magic system but the one in C&S is not to be taken lightly.

From the back cover:

This book contains all the rules needed to play Chivalry & Sorcery(TM) 3rd Edition. Here are just a few samples of what Chivalry & Sorcery 3rd Edition has to offer:

    A character creation system for both point based and randomly generated characters, or a mixture of the two, in about half-an-hour. Optional rules allow for special abilities, flaws, determining your character's Astrological sign and much more.
    16 Character Vocations.
    Our new Skillscape(TM) system, which allows any character to develop just about any skill.
    250+ Skills.
    Our new Crit Die(TM) system, which allows for quick and realistic results. All that's needed are three 10-sided dice!
    Seven Mage vocations, a ton of spells, rules for creating magical devices, over 175 magical materials, and rules governing the creation of a Mage's focus.

Again these are just a few samples of what Chivalry & Sorcery 3rd Edition has to offer. The rules are simple to use, yet realistic, and can be learned in about an hour.

Creatures Bestiary - Chivalry & Sorcery 3e

This is the "Monster Manual" for the third edition of Chivalry and Sorcery. It was released in 1997 and was offered in a softcover and hardcover edition. I recall buying this and the core rulebook shortly after they were released. I did not buy them new though. I seem to recall that they were an eBay purchase.I had fond memories of the old C&S from back in the day. This is the softcover version of the book and I would at some point like to upgrade to the hardcover just for durability reasons. The book itself is a bit of a mixed bag. Overall it is good and worth owning but the book seems to have the feel of one written by many different authors and then packaged together with not attempt to make it uniform overall. The high points are really high but on the plus side the low points are not low at all just not up to the high points.

Condensed blurb from the back of the book:

This book contains all the Creatures and Monsters you'll ever need to play Chivalry & Sorcery 3rd edition!... An indispensable aid to any Game Master, as well as a great reference material for players. The Chivalry and Sorcery Creatures Bestiary is a tremendous supplement jam-packed with information. Oh, and a word of warning, "Beware the Trolls"!

Chipco Games - Fantasy Rules!

This came to me a huge miscellaneous lot purchased off eBay. Though not really a role playing game it could be sued with one. This is a set of miniature rules for use in a fantasy environment. It was originally published in 1996 and this is a copy of the first edition. The game is now into its third edition and seems to be moderately popular. It has been compared favorably to Warhammer and is said to be better in many ways.

About the game:

Battle rules for fantasy miniatures, designed for play in around an hour. Players use a point system to construct an army from one of 24 army lists. Armies are composed of units (infantry, cavalry, monsters, war machines, and "specials") and characters (generals, heroes, assassins, necromancers, clerics, shamen, and wizards). A morale clock determines both time of day and the state of the army. Certain characters can cast spells, based on their character type and their army's current pool of magic points. Rules also cover muskets, fanaticism, metamorphosing creatures, spirits, traps, the Undead, fear, flying, elite units, and challenges.

Resealable plastic envelope contains 12 full-size cardstock sheets (5 rule cards, 2 reference cards, 2 sheets of army lists, 1 sheet of tables, 1 sheet of construction tips/army list table, 1 sheet of counter tracks)

Chill - Village of Twilight (Pacesetter)

I have a soft spot for adventure/horror settings that involve remote locations. The depths of Africa, the Amazon jungle and their ilk just add to the level of immersion for me. Not only is the adventure dangerous but so seems the locale. This adventure is not quite in the Amazon but it is in the jungles and remote locations in Mexico.Written in 1984 this was not as dangerous as it is today. If you use today as a setting there is a whole other layer that could be added on. This is a fun little adventure (only coming in at 28 pages) that ends up being more than expected.

From the back of the adventure:

"Lurking deep within the rain forests of Yucatan, death awaits its next victim. It swallowed the great civilizations of southern Mexico centuries ago, and now it rears its decaying head once again. The ocelotl have returned. The Indians say the evil cat-things roam the jungle even now - the jungle that looms before you.

An unnatural stillness hangs in the air as you stand at the edge of this tangled green world. The jungle beckons, challenging your courage, mocking your doubts, and somewhere, hidden among the twisted trees and hanging vines, the ocelotl are waiting, prowling the outskirts of the Village of Twilight.

"Village of Twilight" is an adventure for use with the CHILL(tm) game system. Inside you'll find the character cards, maps, background information, and hours of thrilling role-playing fun. Be sure to look for other fine products from Pacesetter, Ltd."

Chill - Vengeance of Dracula (Pacesetter)

Who does not want to match wits with the grandfather of modern horror villain? This adventure allows you to do so though this is a problem if you are in a campaign. The setting is a mere seven years after the conclusion of the original story. Using this as written will require a flashback set of characters or some serious rewriting of the module. I am a fan of the 1920s as a horror setting which is mostly because the game of choice for horror was Call of Cthulhu for my group. If you Chill campaign is set in that period this would be easier to use though we always played Chill in the modern era or in the 1950 for some reason. The module is one worth having and played though I might use it with premade characters or ancestor characters as a prelude to yet another return in a modern campaign......but not with Dark Shadows (the movie) camp.

From the back of the module:

"In a Victorian London estate, Mina Harker prepares for slumber — a slumber she fears more than death itself. A wolf begins to growl beneath her window. Count Dracula. Lord of the Undead, has come to call.

In moments, the Count stands before her, immense and cloaked in black. His eyes burn red, like Hell's very fires, freezing her on the spot.

"For seven years I have waited. For seven years I have grown strong. Did you think that mere knives could destroy me? Fool! Again, you would play your wits against mine! Mine that are centuries old. Mine that shall never die!"

He draws open his shirt, and with his long pointed nail, he slices to a vein in his breast. An icy fluid spurts forth. "Flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood, companion and bride," he growls, drawing her to him. Mina's hair cascades from her face, revealing two crimson marks on her throat.

And so it began. Seven years after Mina and Jonathan Harker helped strike down the Count, he has risen to seek his revenge. One by one, the victims fall, one by one, until... only you... can stop the Vengeance of Dracula.

VENGEANCE OF DRACULA is a spine-tingling adventure that carries on Bram Stoker's original story, DRACULA. Inside, you'll find a chilling tale, character cards, maps, and hours of role-playing fun. Be sure to look for other fine products from Pacesetter."

Chill - Veil of Flesh (Mayfair)

Veil of Flesh is a scenario pack released for the Mayfair version of Chill in 1992 and it comes in at 64 pages. The adventure is based in Washington DC and deals with desiccated bodies. The adventure is more than what the players might initially think and should keep them entertained. 

From the back of this 64-page adventure:

"Strange goings-on are typical in Washington, D.C., but when dehydrated, ancient-looking corpses are found in an alley near Capitol Hill, not even the F.B.I. is willing to get involved. Enter your characters. Four to six of you must investigate these "murders" and venture from the Library of Congress through Washington Park, all the the way to The White House. This horrifying scenario features a new Creature of the Unknown, based on actual creatures of legend. Six pregenerated characters and maps of the D.C. area and of the White House are included."

Chill - Vampires (Pacesetter)

This is the Pacesetter incarnation of the Vampires supplement for Chill. It was released in 1985 and comes in at 96 pages. Inside the covers you will find ten fully fleshed out vampires that can be used in a Chill campaign. The cover for this book has always bothered me a little. Not because it was disturbing in any way but because the vampire on the cover looked a little too cheesy for me. In my mind he looked half porn star and half dandy.It wasn't until the release of The Beautician and the Beast that I realized that he looked way too much like Timothy Dalton (for the record the worst Bond ever). As much as I love zombie movies I have to rank vampires as my favorite horror monster. There is nothing like a cold and calculating undead to make one shudder in fear.

From the back of the 96-page sourcebook:

"VAMPIRES is a collection of stories, portraits, and accounts of ten bloodcurdling creatures who haunt the nights of our legends, the wastelands of our fears. Each of these vampires is not only the center of horrific reports and tales, but is also a fully drawn non-player character designed for use with the CHILL role-playing system."

Chill - Thutmose's Night

I am still going to go on the record as saying that CoC is my favorite horror game but the more I revisit these old Chill items I wonder if given equal play time if Chill might not have won the day. This is very much a Universal Horror type of adventure. Classic horror monsters are something that everyone can relate to as they are part of our shared psyche as it were. I won't begin to understand why these types of creatures are something we all understand and it is probably better I don't. In the end the adventure is one that might be too close to old movie plot lines but in the end that is what made the movies scary and I think it holds true for the adventure.

From the back of the book:

"It is the hour before dawn, the darkest hour, the hour when the dying most often slip away into that final flight from which there is, for most, no awakening, A soft breeze from the Nile River stirs the curtains, and Thutmose, Pharaoh of all Egypt, restless with pain, tosses fitfully on his bed.

"Merritet," he calls weakly, and at once the man, who has been standing all through this long night at his king's bedside, leans close so as not to miss a word, "You called, my lord? I am here as always."

Pharaoh's eyes seem distracted now, as though some part of him were watching for something only those close to that other world can see. The jackals of death, perhaps. And how many of the people burdened by this cruelest of Pharaohs might wish those jackals quickly fed? 

"Merritet? You will not leave me?" the dying man whispers, plucking fretfully at his servant's arm. "You know I will not, my lord," Merritet replies as he secretly touches the vial of poison hidden in his cloak, the vial that will allow him to accompany his king on the journey to the Underworld and one day, perhaps, help him walk again in the land of the living…"

Chill - Things (Mayfair)

I have as little knowledge of this one as I do the Pacesetter incarnation. The only thing I can say is that it must be good as there was only this and I think the Vampires supplement where the names were reused. The Isle of the Dead module may have been re purposed as well but there was not much overlap.

85 new creatures for use with Chill. Also includes 45 new Disciplines of the Art and the Evil Way, and 12 Items of Power.

Chill - Things (Pacesetter)

This is a book that I have very little experience with. I never GM'd Chill so I never had much call to read or look at this one. It is for the most part a bestiary of some new monsters combined with rules expanding the powers of those that oppose the agents of SAVE. It is 64 pages long and was released in 1984. This is one of the books that seems to exist in both versions of the game with the same title.

From the back of the book:

"Contained within this book are 64 pages of terrifying new Creatures and Evil Way Disciplines for use with the CHILL role-playing game."

Chill - The Beast Within

I am afraid that I really know nothing about this book and information on it is fairly scarce. It was released in 1993 and clocks in at 160 pages. I suspect that it may be the Mayfair version of Creature Feature but that is pure speculation. I am not even certain when I bought this book though I can tell where with the price tag. The date on it would suggest May of 2008 but who knows how long it sat on the shelf. If anyone has any experience with this book I would love to hear about it.

Mayfair Blurb: 

This rulebook/scenario lets players take the roles of creatures terrorizing humans and lesser creatures around the world. Includes new creature character types, maps of creature lairs, creature disciplines, edges, drawbacks and a scenario for 4–6 characters.

Chill - Isle of the Dead

This is the original Pacesetter version of the module that comes bundled with the Mayfair GM Screen or that is my assumption since they bear the same name.I have not had a chance to play either but it sounds like an adventure that could be used as it and work well or perhaps be adapted to fit into a campaign the GM might be using. Below is information I found on Amazon about the adventure:

On August 13th, 1955 Eugene Burgess (owner and operator of the Illinois 'Isle of Fun' amusement park) disappeared. Two days later, Vern Carlyle (owner of the parks 'Murderer's Row Wax Museam') vanished without a trace. Later that evening, the sideshows sword swallower AND fire eater had simultaneous fatal accidents. The old vaudevillian entertainer and magician Tony Andrucci was found dead in his trailer...covered with large bite marks. A gust of wind knocks a loaded roller coaster from it's tracks, killing 25 people. The crowds paniced, but it was an island...and there was no escape. When the ferry came to collect them, it found the customers and carnival workers clustered around the docks, panicked and frightened. Burgess would be found by the Police floating in the swamp, his skull caved in. Carlyle has never turned up...

It's been 30 years since anyone went out to the old 'Isle of Fun' (called the 'Isle of the Dead' by the locals) except for the odd teenager who accepts a dare and either returns insane...or never returns at all. Now, SAVE has sent some of its best agents to investigate the park, solve its mysteries and exorcise it of its ghosts...if they can.

From publisher blurb:

Moonlight lends an eerie glow to the tents and rides of the carnival. The midway is dark and deserted, as it has been for many years, and all around lie remains of vacant amusements that once were thronged. Silence is thick in the air. Now the laughter begins. It floats down the midway and through the tents, but no one is here. . .no one living.

Chill - Horrors of North America

First day back so I won't write too much. I did want to make a post though. This is great source material for creatures that players might not normally think about. I have never compared the list of monsters against ones that were used in the X-Files but I would be surprised if they did not use at least one of them. This was new under the Mayfair line of Chill products. I am not sure if there is a bad product under either offering and this is one that is definitely worth having.

From the back of the book:

"This 128-page sourcebook/scenario features 18 new Creatures of the Unknown and 15 alarming locations spread across the continent. Chill Masters can have their players' characters travel to Newfoundland, Vancouver, New York, New Mexico and other places and meet horrifying creatures such as the Sasquatch, the Drowned Ones, the Hodag and the Bogy. Localized maps, objects with magical powers and frighteningly real historical information are included.

The scenario, Once Bitten, is for 4 to 8 characters and takes place at a lumber mill in the forests of Oregon."

Chill - Highland Terror

Grey mist drifts upon the water.
The mirrored surface moves.
Awakened of this presence.
Dispelling legends proof.

A beastly head of onyx
with eyes set coals of fire.
It's leathered hide glides glistening
ascends the heathered briar.

 I have not had a chance to play this adventure. It is still in line with the classic horror theme of Chill. What intrepid SAVE agent would not want to take an all expense paid trip to the Scottish Highlands. The cover artwork would not have been my choice but that is a small matter. I always got more of an Inuit and Polar Worm feel from this image for some reason. In the end though all of the early Pacesetter Chill adventures are worth having.

From the back:


"Disaster erupts all around, leaving no time for reaction. Your small boat smashes into a million splinters, dashing equipment and crew alike into the cold, dark water. Choking for air, you claw back to the surface. Nearby, friends cry out in fear and pain, but the brackish water clings to your face like ink, making it impossible to see. In the distance the water churns and bubbles, boiling with the monster's unseen presence. Then, with supernatural quickness, all is quiet again. Something cold brushes past, a wisp of feeling, almost undetectable. You gasp, kicking hard into the unseen depths, but finding no sign of the dreaded thing. To think that only this morning you had all been safe. Research and caution had made many of the strange perils of this expedition almost easy to handle. The bizarre deaths, the mysterious assailants, the unearthly disappearances... all seem commonplace in the face of this new horror. A scream to the left shatters the silence. Panic-stricken, you thrash about helplessly in the murky darkness. In this last moment of lucidity you realize how foolish it was to match wits with the Highland Terror.

"Highland Terror" is a 32-page adventure for use with the CHILL game, system. Inside you'll find character cards, maps, background information and hours of thrilling role-playing fun. Be sure to look for other fine products from Pacesetter, Ltd."

Chill - Haunter of the Moor

Haunter of the Moor is a Pacesetter offering for Chill that contains three separate adventure. The problem is that unless you want to involve time travel or build a super long campaign involving at least two generations of characters you would not be able to play all three offerings with the same players and not have them create one off characters as the three portions span a century.

The adventures are all well written and fit the classic horror theme of chill well. I could even see this as a setting for a movie or done is a horror themed TV and it playing rather well. As adventures though they would have to be one ups for any ongoing campaign and then you have three time periods to choose from. In the end I would suggest creating ancestors for your players characters and have them play them for the other two portions.

From the back of the book:

"On the wild, desolate moors of Devon, an icy wind sweeps over the barren heath, chilling the mottled bramble, piercing the granite crags, stirring the deadly mire. At last, the wind dies. But the Evil that summoned it lives on.

Only brave souls dare linger on the moor after nightfall, defying this terror. But courage alone cannot prevail, for the Evil is strong, and over the course of a century, it will seek out its prey.

- a luminous phantom tortures a young Victorian woman, taunting her with mournfoul howls
- a savage beast rips unsuspecting men to shreds as WWII rages overseas
- the haunter of dreams stalks a contemporary woman, who foresees her own brutal murder....

A single place links these horrors: Moorcrest Manor, an isolated Devonshire estate.
And a single hope remains: You. That is, if you dare face the Haunter of the Moor.

HAUNTER OF THE MOOR features three separate, spine-tingling adventures spanning nearly a century of terror. To play, you'll need a CHILL game and two to eight hardy souls. Inside, you'll find player aids, maps, and hours of role-playing fun.

Be sure to look for other fine products from Pacesetter."

Chill - GM Screen & Accessory Pack

The ever present GM Screen. This one is for Chill and specifically the Mayfair version of the game. It comes with the screen, a color map of the world and a 32 page adventure. The adventure is Isle of the Dead. I have never played the adventure and am not 100% certain it was still bundled with the screen when I scanned it and packed it away.

From the publisher's website:

This cleverly designed pack adds to the playability of the Chill book by providing those items necessary for convenient game play: a color Chill Master's screen, a color map of the world and a 32-page, spine tingling scenario that sends 4-6 characters into an abandoned amusement park. For the Chill Master's convenience, the gate-fold screen features result, fear and weapon tables that make game calculations quick and easy.

Chill - Deathwatch on the Bayou

This module was released in 1985 and contains two separate adventures for the Chill game. Being set in the rural areas of Louisiana makes it ripe for roleplaying, on the GM side, in my humble opinion. I have found the more different the NPC is from what would be normal for me and the players the more vibrant the play works out to be. This again though is just how it works out for me and you may find that not to be the case. I have never had a chance to play either of these adventure but I can only imagine they would be amazing to play.

From the back of the adventure:

"Deathwatch on the Bayou features two adventures for use with the CHILL role-playing game:

• 'Timbalier Terror,' a tale of the bayou's living dead.
• 'Mystery of Isle au Pitre,' the story of a gulf island that claims its visitors forever.

Inside you'll find maps, characters cards, and hours of suspenseful role-playing. Be sure to look for other fine products from Pacesetter."

Chill - Death on Tour

Death of Tour is something that you would have seen on Kolchak: The Night Stalker or in more recent days perhaps on Supernatural. The horror in Chill is much more of a understandable nature than it is in Call of Cthulhu. I have said before that in the end this would make for a better horror campaign game. There is something to be said for not having to reroll new characters every three sessions or so.

The adventure is something fairly simple. A series of vampire murders are following the tour path of a particular band. The question is one of if it it a member of the band or if they have an undying fan base. If horror can be light then this is most likely how it looks. This was released by Pacesetter and I am not sure it was ever ported over to the Mayfair version but it can still be found online on a regular basis.

From the back of the adventure:

Dear Carol,

I'm real glad you're visiting this summer. There's this cute guy named Keith I want you to meet. He's Burt's best friend and it would be great if we could go out together and stuff.

Want to see Jackson Jammer and Van Helsing at the amphitheater? Keith says he can get tickets easy. It'll be AWESOME! Burt thinks Jammer is the best guitarist in the world.

But remember not to say anything to my folks. Those weird concert murders have got them all worked up. Like I'm so sure some vampire is going to bite us on the necks in front of 2,000 people.

Anyway, get down here soon. It's going to be INTENSE!

XXXXXXXXX
OOOOOOOOO

Luv ya,

Vicki

P.S. You're not scared, are you?

Turn up the volume: you've just tuned in "Death On Tour," another terrifying adventure for use with the CHILL role-playing game system. Inside, you'll find character cards, maps, background information, and all of the plot encounters you'll need for hours of horrifying fun. Be sure to look for other fine products from PACESETTER, Ltd."

Chill - Creature Feature

The year is 1987 and you're driving home from just seeing Predator, jamming away to Mony, Mony with your friends. You are talking about being a little bored with the game you are playing right now and want to do something really different. The sole girl in your group Stephanie has an uncontrollable urge to play a game where the players are monsters. It will be three more years before Nightlife is released and four for Vampire. Luckily you have played Chill and Creature Feature was just released.

I am not sure if anything beat this to the punch in allowing players to be the bad guys or not but if so it had to be released before 1987. This was released a both a supplement as well as a rules variant for Chill. It was released under the Pacesetter flavor of the game and I don't think it was redone under Mayfair. It allows for players to be Werewolves and Vampires as well as introducing additional rules. I never used it for the monster play aspect si I am not sure how that plays. I am a fan of all the Chill products and suggest that you get any you can.

.... I just wish someone had not suggested that Stephanie (Meyer) could play a human in the game where the guys all were monsters and that two of them had not been smitten with her. History was befouled that Twilight.

From the back of the book:

"A NEW GAME for use with CHILL PLUS NEW CHILL RULES!

It's a whole new maul-game...

Part One: The CREATURE FEATURE game. YOU play the creatures in this delightfully weird CHILL game variant.
- Play a werewolf... and bite the hand that feeds you!
- Play a vampire... and put some new blood in your adventures! CREATURE FEATURE is a whole new, fully developed game in 55 dark-humored pages. (You still need the CHILL game to play.)

Part Two: New combat rules for CHILL. Do you know the difference between a .45 and a standard NATO round? Think a spear should be less deadly than a musket when you're playing CHILL or CREATURE FEATURE? Then these are rules you've been waiting for!

Part Three: New slants on S.A.V.E. Now envoys can battle one-on-one with a ghost, beyond the realm of their bodies! At last, S.A.V.E. presents the highly dangerous Incorporeal Disciplines: Seance, Leave the Body, and Incorporeal Attack. It's a whole new form of the Art! You'll also discover new skills and new equipment, and the modern S.A.V.E. organization. Don't-miss reading for every CHILL player.

This book is designed for use with the CHILL role-playing game. Be sure to look for other fine products from Pacesetter."

Chill Companion

I have written about Chill in the past. This was the fallback horror game for the group that I gamed with the longest. Call of Cthulhu was the primary but there was a die hard Chill supporter in the group and when it was run I actually got to play for a change. Chill in the long run is most likely better for long term horror campaigns but CoC is hard to not default to.

The Chill Companion was released by Mayfair for their version of the game. I actually prefer the Mayfair edition for the rules. The Companion adds quite a bit to the game in new rules as well as game information and resources. This is borderline essential in my opinion if you are going to play Chill for any period of time. In addition to adding to an already well done core game it serves as a good resource if you want to play another horror based game.

From the back of the book:

"This 160-page  reference work is a must for every fan of horror role-playing. The Chill Companion traces horror as a genre through fiction and film, covering everything from the Gothic novel to slasher and modern psychological horror films. Each medium is described in full, enabling game masters to design scenarios and campaigns based on each type.

The Chill rules are expanded with new skills, edges & drawbacks * optional rules for using magic * psionic dueling * Resolve * and step-by-step guidelines for scenario design. Also included are statistics for: Dr. Van Helsing * Dr. Frankenstein * Dr. Caligari * Dr. Jekyll * Mr. Hyde * Quasimodo * and more!"

Children of the Night - The Created

Ravenloft is an example of how a single idea can be expanded out into a product line. I recall the first foray into Ravenloft all too well. I was not surprised when it eventually became a setting.

I have found most of the Ravenloft products to be well done. I am a horror fan though so I love any lit morsel of a plot device or twisted ploy that could be used in the intended product or taken out into another. This is the fourth and final offering in the Children of the Night series. It features thirteen adventures each featuring its own unique creature offering as well as it's own author. Golems are not my favorite creatures and I think they have limited replay value but in a long running campaign this should be more than enough to last you.

From the back of the book:

The Whole Is Greater Than the Sum of the Parts

Within these pages lie the stories of 13 madmen and their singular creations. Some are flesh and blood, others glass or wax, even metal or mist. Whatever their makeup, each has the will to live - and sometimes that means needing to kill. They are more than just golems. They are the Created. And they are ready to make your acquaintance.

Among those lurking inside:

The Chaperone, a bestial companion with grave defects.
Automatic Man, a corroded "butler" entombed in rubble, eager to serve up terror anew.
Angelique, a perfect beauty with an imperfect past, terrified by the "killer within."
Dr. Bollenbach, a surgeon who know the many faces of death - and who would like you to meet them.

Children of the Night: The Created is the fourth volume in a series that celebrates the horrors detailed in the best-selling Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendiums. Each of the creatures in this book is introduced through a complete story describing its origin, powers, and personality, as well as a short adventure.

While these monsters are designed for the RAVENLOFT campaign setting, they can be unleashed in any AD&D game world. Each mini-adventure can serve as a diversion from regular play, a special "evening of terror," or become part of your ongoing horror campaign.

For all character levels.

Companion to Superworld

Superworld is a game that I discovered after it had been out for only a short period of time and was very excited about. The problem back then was that there were very few game shops where games could be bought and Amazon was still maybe 30 years or so away. I remember eventually finding a place that sold games and buying a copy of it to play. Imagine my disappointment in being told by the group that I was playing with at the time that they wanted to continue playing Champions. This began a long history of missed opportunities with Superworld....that persist to this day.

The Companion to Superworld is an essential part of the game. It expands the powers and adds alternate rules. It also includes conversion rules for both Champions as well as Villains & Vigilantes. There is even information on Danger Rooms and the effects of weather. I really, really wish I could tell you how these rules played in the game but that is apparently never to be. The system is based on the Basic Role Playing system from Chaosium so I bet it works great.

From the back:

This Superworld Companion expands the world of super-powered roleplaying. It includes: changes for and variants of Superworld powers: new ways to use powers such as Absorption, Defense, Dimension Shift, Emotion Control, Fortune, Gimmick, Illusion Projection, Invisibility, Martial Arts, Mimic, MicroSIZ, Reduction, Resistance, Snare, and Teleport.

New Powers: Aura Enhancement, Aura Defense, Cancellation, Clairvoyance, Cosmic Consciousness, Hex, Immunity, Infection, Lightfoot, Mental Image, Microscopic Vision, Paralysis, Possession, Power Sense, Quake, Resurection, Shield, Siphon, Special Sense, Tongues, Transform, Ultraviolet Vision, Verification, Wall, and Weather Control.

Also included in the Superworld Companion are conversion systems to Champions and to Villains and Vigilantes, an in depth treatment of weather and weather-related powers in Superworld, and a fully described base with working danger rooms for heroes or villains (usable with Superworld and Champions).
 

Cities - Chaosium

This is the third edition of cities. It was released in 1986 after Chaosium licensed the rights to the Midkemia product lines. This version has material that is not present in the two earlier version but as I mentioned when I blogged about the second edition I have not had a chance to compare the two products. The book contains 64 pages with over 60 or so charts and related tales. The back cover contains the Table of Contents for the book so I am posting a picture of that below as well. 

Champions of Ruin

I have gone on record as being opposed to the idea of an evil campaign. I have played in these in the past and the always seemed to become an escalating contest to see who could commit the foulest atrocity. I think part of the attraction of roleplaying is that it gives us a chance to live out the type of stories we heard as children. One of may favorite quotes is from GK Chesterton and it goes as follows:

"Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed."

Given that this book is not one that I would ever suggest picking up and using the way as it was intended. I think it is human nature that if we strip away the veneer of humanity and social norms that we become very wretched beings. It is the humanity that makes us what we are and for all the philosophy that might debate it I think it is goodness that allows us our humanity. With that idea though this book is essential as it allows us insight into a mindset that we hopefully normally have no reason to tread. There is already a rock solid review of the book on rpg.net here so I will defer to that for a full review and only work the bully pulpit/soapbox today!


From the Back of the Book:

Every corner of Faerun harbors its own sinister element. When opportunities arise, malevolent groups and nefarious individuals emerge from the shadows to make their infamous marks on the Realms. Within these pages, you will discover everything players and Dungeon Masters need to create the most evil organizations, treacherous villains, and morally ambiguous antiheroes to ever afflict the Forgotten Realms game setting.

• 3 new feats
• Over 30 new spells
• New feats and prestige classes