Bob, Lord of Evil

This is a supplement to a game called Murphy's World. Sometimes you buy a game for the cover, sometimes you buy it based on past experience,  sometimes based on the reviews of others and then at times like when I bought Bob, Lord  of Evil you buy it for the title and the premise of the game. I bought this knowing that  I would never ever play it. I bought it simply to read it and to own it. I am not sure  it is possible to be a better person for owning an object, I know for a fact it isn't  but I am am a happier person having this in my collection and happier has to count for  something doesn't it. I don't want to neglect mentioning the art which is so appropriate for the system it isn't funny...well actually it is. If you want to get an idea on why it is good to own this read the  information on the publisher's site using the link below.


Link to more information

Published: 1998
Pages: 154

From the Back of the Book:

The Dark Lands, ruled by Bob, Lord of Evil, is a silly place where you can play light- hearted adventures with a techno-fantasy-horror theme. This book can be used with any  existing system of rules - you're not required to generate a new Character to visit the  Land of Bob, as Characters from other worlds can easily be brought to the Dark Lands via  a crashed spaceship, magical backfire, or interdimensional teleportation gate.  Characters could even suffer an individual or collective bout of unconsciousness and  visit Tir Nan Bob in their dreams, er... nightmares!

What's inside? Everything you need to start Adventuring!

Blue Rose Companion

I wish I could tell you that I didn't buy this game based on the cover. I am not sure  what it is about the art but the first time I saw the core rulebook I had to have it.  This is no less true about this book and also the World of Aldea book as well. There are  times that judging a book by it's cover will lead you down the path of ruin. Luckily  this was not the case with these books. I have not had a chance to play the system as of  yet but it reads like it will be a solid play and the material is presented in an easy  to read and yet still striking manner.

Published: 2005
Pages: 120

From the publisher's website:

Blue Rose Companion A Blue Rose Sourcebook Written by Chris Aylott, Elissa Carey, Joseph  Carriker, Steve Kenson, Alejandro Melchor, Aaron Rosenberg, and Rodney Thompson Cover  art by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law 120-pages, perfect bound ISBN: 1-932442-36-7 Every great  hero needs a companion. The Blue Rose Companion expands upon the game systems and  options for the Blue Rose fantasy roleplaying game. The Companion offers more options  for creating your heroes, from heroic paths to new feats and arcane abilities. It  provides game systems for arcane rituals, places of power, and creating arcane items. It  also offers a selection of new arcane items and an expanded bestiary of monsters for  your heroes to fight. With the Blue Rose Companion you can take your adventures in the  world of Aldea to the next level.

Bloodshadows Mean Streets

This is a book I remember buying and when it was bought. It was at the last or next to  last of a small convention that had been around for years. Origins had settled for it's  extended and maybe permanent stay in Columbus and that spelled the end for CapCon  apparently as it has never returned. This was sold at the auction that year with one or  two other pieces of Bloodshadows material. I picked it up thinking it looked interesting  and  I was always looking for a new game to play. It was at that convention a buddy told  me about a new card game he tried and a month or two later a mutual friend introduced me  to crack (and by crack I mean Magic the Gathering). Needless to say I never got around  to using the Bloodshadows system or this book.


Published: 1994
Pages: 96

From the back of the book:

BLOODSHADOWS CAMPAIGN PACK

Take a long trip through the Wilderness or a short trip through a gate and you might end  up in Albredura. You could do worse, you could do better. Albredura's a city of  survivors and cynics, hard magic and cold steel. Trying to turn a profit is tough in a  town where breaking even might not even mean survival.

Mean Streets is a campaign supplement for Bloodshadows, the World of Fantasy Noir. It  contains details on the isolated city of Albredura as well as gamemastering tips for the  Bloodshadows roleplayer.

Also included in Mean Streets is the Bloodshadows Gamemaster Screen, containing many of  the necessary charts and tables included in the Bloodshadows Worldbook and Masterbook.

Mean Streets is a Campaign Supplement intended for use with the Bloodshadows game.

A MasterBook Game

Blood Dawn The Prophecy

This is one of those books that I really have no idea how it got into my collection. I  know it was not a Half Price Books purchase because it has no sticker. It is possible  that I just don't remember buying it individually but more than likely it was bundled  with some other book that I wanted or bought as part of a huge lot. The sad part is that  is all I can say about the book personally. This got bought (not sure how), scanned and  boxed. Someone compared it to Fallout online but since it predates the games maybe the  comparison should go the other way. For the record I have never played any of the  Fallout games either.

Published: 1996
Pages: 240

Description (drivethrurpg):

In an instant, billions died. Now, sixty years after the nuclear holocaust the last  vestiges of mankind crawl around in the radioactive hell that is the United States and  Europe. In this desolate, post-apocalyptic world of magic, mutations, and machines, you  as prophet must rebuild civilization. Out in the Waste, a bullet is worth two weeks of  food, and reading and writing are illegal! Yet the fate of mankind lies in the hands of  you and a few others. You cannot fail in your mission to take the Earth back from those  who destroyed it.

Blood Dawn revolves around a group of Prophets (the players) who are sent out into the  blasted ruins of Earth by the Underground Collective, a secret society devoted to taking  the Earth back from those who destroyed it. The Prophets are a rag-tag bunch of misfits,  humans, mutants, or worse, who have been selected by the Underground Collective and then  "enhanced" to increase their power and survivability. The players must travel The Waste,  winning its denizens over to their side, in the fight against those who live in the  protected Dome cities, those responsible for the Earth's destruction.

Blood Dawn is a skill based system, utilizing a d20 as its base. Players can choose from  six races to play, and equip them with a wide variety of skills and equipment to make  each truly unique.

Asylum - Eastern Seaboard

This is the second and final supplement published for Asylum. Again since I have not played the game I can't speak in full honesty to the value of the supplement for the game. In my opinion though this may be as valuable as the game for many users.

The supplement describes the Wards that six cities on the east coast have become. This is in addition to Chicago which is described in the core rulebook. This greatly expands the area of play that characters can use though why they would travel between Wards might be had to explain unless the Staff Manual supplement is used.

I think the best use of this might be as reference materials for other games. It might be possible to tone down the crazy and sue this as material for almost any post apocalyptic game a DM might want to run. I can even see keeping a portion of the insanity as using them as a basis for some alternate Paranoia type settings.

In the end if you own the core game I think this is just as important to own as the Staff Manual. This allows not only movement but expands on ideas that the GM can use in whatever Ward they may choose to use as the players home base. I think this is a case where the game as a whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. I think if you can see yourself playing the game then this is something to buy.

Published: 2003
Pages: 156

Publishers blurb:

Ever wonder what your city would be like as a Ward? Now you can find out!

This second supplement to the Asylum RPG details the six East Coast Wards, which are built on the ruins of former cities: Mt. Ward (Montreal), Massward (Boston), NYWard (New York), Discward (Washington, D. C.), Atward (Atlanta), and MyWard (Miami). Each Ward section details that location, complete with histories, a map, a description the major buildings and forces, a list of local rumors, and an adventure geared specifically towards that setting. Each Ward section is written by a native of that area for more accuracy. The insanity is coming to your city!

Asylum - Staff Manual, Wave of Wonder

Not having played the game it is a fair assumption that the first supplement to the  game has not been used either. That would be an accurate one. Asylum - Staff Manual  provides the GM information on the saner of the insane....those that run the Wards. It  even provides information so that the players can now play the role of the staff. This  immediately brought to mind the song and story The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether.

I think this book is one that might give the GM enough material so that a sustained  level of campaign play might be possible. I can see this becoming something along the  lines of a Logan's Run situation where some of the players in the role of staff are  sent to recapture escaped inmates played by others. There are a number of possible  scenarios that I can see coming from that. In the end since the book can be picked up  fairly cheap if you have the other why would you not have this one. Not having it  would border on the insane....sorry had to do it.

Published: 1997
Pages: 124

Publishers blurb:

The first supplement for the Asylum game, this book details life as Staff. It  discusses Offices itself, in terms of general layout and routines, and also explains  such elements as education and training. The Staff are discussed in detail, including  several Staff Classifications never seen by Inmates in the Ward. A full character  creation process is provided, so that players can become Staff, and the book contains  several sample adventures specifically geared towards these nominal rulers of the  Ward. It's a whole new side to the insanity!




Spell:

Wave of Wonder

Level: Eighth
Range: None
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: 6" Radius
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 Segment
Saving Throw: Special

When this spell is cast the magic user causes a wave of mystical energy to spread out from them in a circle. All touched by this wave will have something occur to them. These  waves continue as long as the caster is able to concentrate on the effect.

When the spell is cast the DM will need to roll for each potential target ion the area  of effect. The spell will affect all in the are be they friend, foe or bystander. The  effect will be determined from one of the four tables below. The DM will need to roll  a d4 to determine the appropriate table for each target and then percentile dice for  the effect.

Table 1

01-10    Target is slowed for one turn
11-18    Caster deluded in believing target is affected by second roll
19-25     Target affected by double force Gust of Wind spell
26-30    Target affected by Stinking Cloud spell effect
31-33    Rain falls on target for one turn
34-36    Target attacked by a wild rhino, elephant or giant mouse
37-46    Target affected by a lighting Bolt as if cast by a wand
47-49    Target surrounded by and blinded by 600 butterflies for one turn
50-53    Target is enlarged as per spell
54-58    Target is surrounded by a 3" sphere of darkness for one turn
59-62    Target is surround by entangling grass growth for one turn
63-65    Target is affected by a vanish spell. Non-living object become ethereal.
66-69    Target is diminished to 1/12 of usual size for one turn
70-79    Target affected by a fireball as if cast by wand
80-84    Target becomes invisible until broken or for one turn
85-87    Target polymorphed into a tree for one turn
88-90    Target pelted by 10-40 1gp base gems. Each hitting does 1 hp of damage.
91-97    Target surrounded by brilliant shimmering lights and is blinded for 1d6 rounds
98-00    Target is affected by a Flesh to Stone spell

Table 2

01-10    Target affected by a Web spell
11-18    Caster affected by a Shocking Grasp spell
19-25    Target is affected by a Reverse Gravity spell
26-30    Target affected by Otto's Irresistible Dance Spell
31-33    Area covered in 800 ceramic beads. All must save each round to stand.
34-36    Target attacked by a giant dove, a giant rabbit or a giant iguana
37-46    Target affected by a Chain Lightning spell
47-49    Target covered in liquid chocolate. Double wandering rolls until cleaned.
50-53    Target affected by a Haste spell
54-58    Target has Hold Monster/Person cast on them
59-62    Bottle of endless wine appears for one turn. Target must drink bottle leaves.
63-65    Target polymorphed into a random creature (DM choice on selection method)
66-69    Target spins for 2-4 rounds at a high rate with no control.
70-79     Target gains 1d8 hit points permanently.
80-84    Target affected by Magic Missile as per spell from wand
85-87    Target levitates without control for 2-5 rounds then falls.
88-90    Giant mouth appears and bites target for 3-18 points of damage
91-97    Target affected by a Potion of Fire Breathing
98-00    Target affected by a Disintegrate spell

Table 3

01-10    Target affected by a Scare spell
11-18    Caster afflicted with sever rash. Dex reduced to 3 for one day
19-25    Target affected by Darkness spell every other round for two turns
26-30    Target fumbles all attacks for 2-5 rounds in next combat
31-33    Target affected by an audible glamor spell
34-36    Target attacked by a giant eagle, giant lynx or giraffe
37-46    Target affected by Delayed Blast Fireball in 5-30 rounds
47-49    Target and random other in area switch all equipment
50-53    Target affected by a Confusion spell
54-58    Target affected by a Mirror Image spell
59-62    Target begins to sing for 2-8 rounds as if commanded by a Charm spell
63-65    Target attacked by a half strength Invisible Stalker
66-69    Target affected by uncontrollable Jump spell for one turn
70-79    Target shifted to Astral Plane for 1d6 Turns
80-84    Target affected by a Strength or Weakness spell 50% either
85-87    Anything target is holding affected by an Enlarge spell
88-90    Target covered in flaming oil and suffers 2d6 damage for three wounds.
91-97    Target affected by a Faerie Fire spell
98-00    Target affected by an Incendiary Cloud spell

Table 4

01-10    Target affected by Color spray spell
11-18    Caster affected by a Ray of Enfeeblement spell
19-25    Target loses one level but gains 1 point on 1d6 attributes
26-30    Target gains one level but loses 1 point from 1d6 attributes
31-33    Target attacked by undead. Roll as if cleric of same level to determine type
34-36    Target most valuable item replaced with bad fake
37-46    Target stunned for 3-12 rounds
47-49    Target laughs uncontrollably for 3 rounds (no other actions permitted)
50-53    Target gains ability to cast Improve Invisibility once per day
54-58    Target is always surprised from now on (remove Curse cures this)
59-62    Target changes sex
63-65    Target affected as if used a Gaseous Form potion
66-69    Target fails next 2-5 saving throws
70-79    Target attacked by clone of themselves
80-84    Target affected by a Stoneskin spell
85-87    Leprechaun appears causing as much chaos as possible
88-90    Target affected as if going through a Blade Barrier spell
91-97    Target becomes deaf and mute for 2-5 days
98-00    Target affected by a double strength Cone of Cold.

The caster will be required to make a saving throw versus magic to maintain their concentration for each round past the first. When they either elect to break concentration or it is broken then they must make a saving throw or be affected by a backwash effect of the spell. If the save is made nothing happens. If they fail then they must continue to try and make saves until one is made. For each failed save they will suffer the effects of one roll.

The material component of this spell is a Wand of Wonder that will have all of its charges depleted with the casting of this spell. Each time this spell is cast there is a 5% cumulative chance that the caster will attract the attention of a powerful entity from the plane of Limbo. This will most likely be a Slaad though the DM may choose any creature they desire.

Please note that much of the material for tables 2-4 were taken from the article in Dragon #147 by Richard Hunt. The effects from table #1 are from that article as well but I assume they mimic the original Wand of Wonder.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were  all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate  for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be  slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it  is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not  to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let  me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Asylum, Silence the Dead

It is said that Albert Einstein defined insanity as follows.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

This has always hit a little too close to home for me but I can see it as being the one viable definition. Asylum is a game about insanity. It is one that I have not had a chance to play and I wonder if buying games expecting to play them at some point qualifies me as a suitable case for treatment.

The idea behind the game is one of the darker ones I recall having read before. There is no darker power behind this. Being driven insane by seeing one of the Great Old Ones or finding out they are real is better than the reason for it happening in Asylum. In the game premise is that a natural disaster has caused climatic change and that is driving the entirety of humanity insane. A little more jarring as this is something that one can see as possibly happening.

I want to inject that I want to be sure that by writing about the game I do not want to make light on the topic of insanity. People who suffer with any form of mental illness are not people to make jokes about. When I first saw the game I had reservations about this but my desire to see more of what it was about eventually won out. I think the game handles it well enough though using marbles as the randomizer was something I might have avoided but then this was written a few years ago.

I really want to compare the game to what I think the gaming offspring of World of Darkness and Paranoia might look like. I am not sure it is completely accurate but the game is very much story driven and the players will each have their own issues they have to try and deal with. The motivation for the game is different than most games as well. I am note sure this game would be for everyone though. If the group is more of a roll playing one than a role playing one this might not be for them.

One of the big pluses of the game for me was that it was very rules light. This leaves the game master with the option to not only allow the game to flow in the direction the players want but also to allow them to handle the topic of insanity as they and the group need to have it handled. The system can be manipulated by those wanting to Min/Max it but this is something that the game master can perhaps handle in other ways.

This is a game I struggled with buying for sometime but in the end I am glad I did. I think it is worth picking up to read if noting else even if you are never going to play it. In the line of White Wolf games there is in game fiction that is better than most of the White Wold fictional offerings and there are even part of the rules that are written as if in game though this is not immediately apparent.

Published: 1996
Pages: 176

From the back of the book:

Paranoids. Sociopaths. Pyros. Kleptos. Delusionals. They're all here -- and you're one of them. Enter the world of Asylum, where the United States has been reduced to a collection of walled Wards, built from former cities and surrounded by desolate wastelands. The sun has been gone for over a hundred years, hidden from view by the airborne algae called Blanket Seed, and everyone has gone mad. Those in the Wards are called Inmates, and they are cared for by Staff and watched over by the Orderlies who are as insane as they are.

Fight for your survival in the violence-prone streets or up on the Beltway. Ponder who you really are, and attempt to discover if any of the equally tenuous people nearby can be trusted. Try to eke out a living with your Occupation, selling your wares or your services in the bazaar-like Mall. But, most of all, whether you revel in it or despise it, accept that the world is no longer sane, no longer ordered, no longer normal.

Insanity can be strangely liberating.

　


Spell:

Silence the Dead

Level: Zero
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: Corpse Touched
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 Segment
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user will cause the spirit or soul of the corpse touch to become incapable of being communicated with. This will not prevent any other actions such as reanimation of the corpse or a Resurrection or Raise Dead spell from being cast.

The casting of this spell will prevent any form of communication with the spirit from the Prime Material Plane through normal spells or abilities. The use of a Limited Wish or Wish spell will allow communication though the DM may find useful ways to allow that. The spirit or soul can communicate normally on the outer plane that they were to find themselves.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

30 Sided Character and Other Tales, Freezing Flames

This is the last of the 30 sided books that I have. I think there is one more  that may have been a self published effort but I am not sure. These are books that I bought and probably did not give enough attention to when I bought them. They are all packed away now and I am struggling with the idea of digging through all  the boxes just to find them. In the end I fear inertia will (has?) won out! The  information from Waynes Books apparently listed all the tables in the book which  in an of itself is a boon.


Published: 1986
Pages: 45

From tomeoftreasures.com

More 30 sided charts devoted mostly to character development and situation  within a gaming campaign. More of the same Liddil humor that amongst many others  includes dice generating charts called To Weird Classify and Childhood Drama  Affecting You.


From waynesbooks.com

30 Sided Character and Other Tales

"THE 30 SIDED CHARACTER
singing the p.r. blues
species with embellishment
the way you are
family and kinsmen who influenced you
what the gypsy read in the cards
how tall, how heavy and how unusual you are
things that make you different
childhood trauma affecting you
things you love and hate
the profession of your choice
things packed in your knapsack by your mother
combat wounds and traumas

THE 30 SIDED NON-PLAYER CHARACTER
people you meet out and around
people you meet in a bazaar
people you would find in a tavern
more people in a tavern
conversations with tavern owners
more conversations with tavern owners
conversations and encounters with gate cards
men, nearmen and notmen who can spoil your day
groups of men and notmen looking for trouble
encounter with a wizard
people you meet in a village
animals domestic or otherwise
the undead, near dead, never alive & very, very bad

THE 30 SIDED LAND
swampland and jungle trails
specialized terrain (mountains)
weapons, weapons
more weapons
treasure, treasure
alternate worlds
other alternate worlds
magic spells you never heard of on scrolls
mondo magic spells
cryptic clues and signs of the times
more signs of the times
close encounters of the indoor kind
yes-no table
too weird to classify"



Spell:

Freezing Flames

Level: Second
Range: 6"
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: One Fire
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 6 Segments
Saving Throw: Special

With the casting of this spell the magic user will cause a normal fire to become  something very dangerous to a weary traveler. The fire will seem to be  generating heat but in reality it will be feeding off of the warmth from those  around it. One unusual side effect of this spell is that the fuel for the fire  is never consumed so a fire could potentially burn forever if not disturbed.

The fire will be normal for a period of one turn after the spell is cast on it.  After that point in time anyone who spends more than two turns resting in the  area it would generate heat for will begin to suffer the effect of the flames.  Those up and about and moving in and out of the sphere of warmth will not be  affected.

For each round a potential victim is in the area of effect they will suffer the  effect of having their constitution lowered by one point. This will continue  until the victim leaves the area of effect of the spell. If a victim is in the  area of effect and their constitution drops below three they will lapse into a  coma and if their constitution drops below zero they will die.

Each round a victim is in the area and suffer the effect they are entitled to  roll to detect the effect though for every four rounds they are in the effect  the saving throw has a -1 applied to it up to a maximum of -4. If they detect  the effect and leave then the loose will stop. At this time they will need to  make another saving throw and if failed they will suffer one point of damage for  every point of constitution lost. If the save is made then they suffer no  damage.

Victims of this spell will need to spend time resting to recover the points of  constitution after leaving the area of effect. Points will be regained at a rate  of one per hour except for those below three. Points between three and zero will  require one full day of rest to recover. Being near an active warming fire will  reduce the time by half.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last,  were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not  appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then  it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells  that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to  comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these  in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper  credit. 

30 Sided Adventure and Other Tales, Blood Sacrifice

I am normally a sucker for random tables and I am sure there are some in here i  would like. I can't speak to it directly as I recall getting this while I was in  the inventory scanning phase (not sure if it was one, two or three though) and I  scanned it and packed it away with nothing more than a cursory flip through.

It was a little over a year ago that I posted on one of the other in the line  and I will post the last of three I have in next day or two. I am not sure I  recall any more about that one though.

On a final note when I posted about this books sibling last March there was a  project going on around the OSR to have people submit their own random tables  and then it would be compiled into a PDF and released out into the wild or maybe  it was sold. Either way does anyone remember anything ever coming of that  project?


Published: 1990
Pages: 52

Summary from rpg.net

Contains a set of tables to generate adventure ideas for fantasy roleplaying  games. It gives a seed and then the resulting die roll expands upon it. Also  includes the micro-module "The Search for Fezenclop's Treasure" and the short  story "Stopover at the Crying Lion".

From tomeoftreasures.com

The 30 Sided Adventure and Other Tales is a bit later entry into the 30 sided  series. The publisher is listed as the Bob Liddil Publishing Group, printed by  The Armory under license.

This book has the usual assortment of 30 sided generator tables that range from  the general to bizarre. The end of the book contains an adventure called The  Search for Fezenclop's Treasure' into which the tables set up the adventure.



Spell:

Blood Sacrifice

Level: Fifth
Range: Sight
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: 1 Target / 2 Levels
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 3 Segments
Saving Throw: Special

With the casting of this spell the magic user will sacrifice a number of their  hit points in order to cause damage to others. The blood letting is part of the  spell casting but is strictly ceremonial in nature.

The casting of the spell will allow the magic user to sacrifice up to one half  of their hit points in order to cause damage. The caster will then cause damage  equal to that number to the targets selected in the casting of the spell. The  caster will cause this amount of damage each round for as long as they maintain  concentration on the spell. The hit points sacrificed can not, even with magic,  be healed until the caster has spent at least one full night resting.

The targets of this spell are entitled to a saving throw and if made then they  will not suffer any damage and if they have suffered any damage prior to the  saving trow from any source they will instead be healed for the amount they  would have taken. Each time such as save is made the amount of damage the caster  does is then reduced by 1d3 points.

The material components for this spell, other than the caster's blood, will be a  small ceremonial knife and bowl. The knife and bowl may be reused but the blood  is used up in the casting of the spell.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last,  were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not  appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then  it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells  that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to  comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these  in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper  credit.

Aria: Canticle of the Monomyth, Treasure Slumber

Aria: Canticle of the Monomyth is a game that I love the idea of. I think of it  as being something close to The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen but  only on a superficial level. The idea of a game where the players have a hand in  the overall flow of the game at a broad strokes level is appealing. It might  take sometime to get the right group of players assembled but when it happened I  think it would be amazing.

This is a game I have never been able to find the time to play and I am certain  that groups I have played with would find this amazing stupid. In different  groups over the years there have been individuals that it very well might work  with but there have never been more than one or two in any given group. I fully  believe that this is game I will never get to used as it was designed to be but  it will instead be relegated to use as a mining source.

The idea of this appeals to me I think almost entirely because of a novelette by  Theodore Sturgeon called the Microcosmic God. This is one of my favorite science  fiction stories eve, You see a hint of it in Men In Black and in the first  episode of the revived Outer Limits (though this is attributed to a story  called Sandkings I think that drew from Microcosmic God) and in an episode of  The Twilight Zone called The Little People. I am not sure this game is for  everyone but I know as reference material to get the creative juices flowing it  should serve nicely.


Published: 1994
Pages: 308

From the unofficial Aria site:

Throughout history, peoples and cultures have told stories of their gods,  heroes, and villains in order to better understand the world around them. These  myths seize upon the hopes and fears of society; heroes embody a culture's  highest ideals while villains manifest as ancient dreads personified. Aria  focuses on the Journey of the Hero, the sacred quest of the Monomyth, which  represents in mythic language the seeking of cultures after their own identity.  Aria Canticle of the Monomyth is a roleplaying game system which attempts to  embody this connection between hero and culture.

Aria is designed to function on several levels; during the course of a single  game, players can assume the roles of individual personas, persona lineages, or  even whole societies. All such interaction is directed toward the development  not only of personas, but also of entire cultures and worlds. As an integral  part of the game, Aria players weave together mythic, historical, and personal  time into one great tapestry of life — a living history beginning with the first  game session. Creating this vision of the Monomyth, where heroes and villains  clash in a world as well-developed and as rich in character as its mightiest  inhabitants, Aria players engage in the pageant of Mythmaking, the evocation of  numinous symbols summoned from the collective imaginations of the entire gaming  group.



Spell:

Treasure Slumber

Level: Third   
Range: 9"
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: 4" Radius
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 4 Segments
Saving Throw: Negates/Special

When this spell is cast the magic user will cause all in the area of effect who  fail their saving throw to fall into a deep slumber. The length of this slumber will be varied.

The duration of the effect will depend on the level of the caster as well as how  much wealth the affected individuals have on them. For each level of the caster  the number of units of time will be increased by one from a base of one. The  units of time are in the table below. Those who make their saving throw will not  fall into the slumber but will be stunned and unable to act for the remainder of  the current and the following round.

Copper     Segments
Silver        Rounds
Gold         Turns

This means that an individual affected by this spell cast by a seventh level  magic user that had only copper on them would slumber for eight segments. If  they had silver it would be eight rounds and if carrying gold it would be eight  turns.

Individuals in this slumbering state can not be touched by any other living  creature or they will awake immediately. This will prevent the sleeping targets  from being slaughtered. If any attempt to harm one of the sleeping individuals is  made they will all immediately awaken.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last,  were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not  appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then  it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells  that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to  comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these  in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper  credit. 

The Gray Papers - Agone, Delayed Damage

The Gray Papers is a book that I purchased and have not done more that a cursory look over on. The purpose of the book is to help the EG (DM) expand the setting of the Twilight Realms. This is done through three means in the book. The first is by providing a set of guidelines for creating and also evolving a realm. I like the passage from the back of the book "Domains are like mortals...eventually they die". The book also provides a number of realms that have already been designed which can be dropped into a campaign. Finally it provides templates for NPC creation. The book also includes a drama which is always a nice addition.

As I have said Agone is a game I have not had a chance to explore in any great detail but am fascinated with. I think the book sounds like something that could be used even if one is not playing the system though. The creation of what the game calls realms is something I struggle with. Just the examples they provide on the back cover blurb would be enough for me to pick the book up and mine it for ideas. As with the other books I have written about in the system they can be picked up for a song basically so why not roll the dice.


Published: 2001
Pages: 144

From the back cover:

New intrigues abound!

Twin medusae rule together over the land of Scarletstone, yet they are immortal enemies...

Suleïdin's cravan relentlessly hunts Phoenix Flames across the desert of Keshe...

Holy Post is threatened by the menacing shadow of the Liturgicals... And who will stand in the way of the Lyphanian Horde?

Explore ten unique Domains, from Lightning-Dragon crest to the Barony of Arboline. in these exotic locales, players can find many new manifestations of the Masque, and perhaps even a little hope in their ongoing battle.

Domains are like mortals, they come to life, they struggle from day to day, and eventually they die.

The Gray Papers contain secret reports from the eminences grise, who have traveled throughout Harmundia. Herin are detailed a wide variety of Domains: baronies, schools of war, a caravan and even a simple haven. Explore their histories, points of interest, important personalities and the secret plots that threaten to destroy them.

These are ready-to-play lands, ideal for adventurous jaunts or long-term campaigns. Best of all, for each place you will find unique assets and faults to help you create a detailed background for your players' Troupe that is completely interwove with the storyline!

The Gray Papers includes Domain creation and management rules. This sourcebook also contains descriptions of numerous occupations that can be found throughout Harmundia. Finally, a lengthy Drama will lead your inspired through three different Domains that are mysteriously connected...

The shadowy path into the Domains and intrigues of the Twilight Realms begins here...



Spell:

Delayed Damage

Level: Third
Range: 9"
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: One Creature
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 Segment
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user will cause the recipient of the spell to only suffer half of the damage they would normally suffer for the duration of the spell. The mitigated damage will eventually catch up with the recipient at some point though.

The spell will reduce the damage taken by the recipient for a number of rounds equal to either the casters intelligence or the constitution of the recipient based on which ever is the greater of the two. The DM will need to record the damage taken as the damage is halved with the initial damage being rounded down and the delayed damage being rounded up.

The delayed damage will be held off for one turn plus a number of rounds equal to the casters level. The caster can end the delay at any time though. When the spell expires in addition to the damage the recipient will suffer one point of damage for every three rounds the damage was delayed.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Age of Empire, Gaze Reflection

Age of Empire is a game I picked up somewhere but for the life of me I can not  remember where. I know I have been fascinated with the Victorian setting for  games. I thought that the era with it being one of exploration and discovery  made it ripe with ideas for adventure. I had thought of it as strictly in a  "modern" setting though.

Age of Empire and Castle Falkenstine before it opened up whole new avenues of  adventure for me to consider. I am afraid that there has only been avenues for  me to explore in my head to this point with Age of Empire. The groups I have  been able to play with since discovering these were interested in strictly fantasy or science fiction gaming. I have to make a point of finding a pick up  game of this at a convention some time.

Not having played this I can't give it the proper review that it deserves but I  wanted to write a little about it. This sets itself apart from Castle  Falkenstine by being a game that adds fantasy the Victorian world and not adding  Victorian elements to a fantasy setting. The differences may seem small but in  game terms it will make a difference in the way the games play.

The system seems fairly straight forward and lean. I think it is a game that  would be easy for players and the DM to pick up and be playing fairly quickly. I  have said before that I favor less complex games as I think that rules often  inhibit role playing. The game uses dice as opposed to the card based mechanics  of Castle Falkenstine which will help make it seem less foreign.

I understand that the game may be harder to find than others though. To begin  with it was released by a smaller company who was later bought and then that  company discontinued the line. There was apparently also some issues with the  name and it being thought to infringe on the Microsoft Age of Empires computer  games. In the end though I know I see this periodically on eBay and have seen it  in used book stores. I would say that if you are a fan of Castle Falkenstine but  have found yourself thinking why not just make it set in the Victorian era this  is the answer for you.

Published: 1995
Pages: 108

From the back cover:

In the Age of Empire, the players take part in creating tales of adventure and  fantasy in the Victorian Age. From the gas-lit, fog enshrouded streets of London  to the wilds of the American west, from the depths of Africa to the hidden  treasures of the Orient, the world of the late 1800's teemed with the intrigue  and excitement of the real world. Age of Empire takes the Victorian setting and  turns it on it's ear. Adding to the mix all manner of fantasy trappings, secret  societies, bizarre technology, alien invasion, criminal masterminds etc.



Spell:

Gaze Reflection

Level: Fourth
Range: 6"
Duration: 1 Round/Level
Area of Effect: 1 Creature/Level
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 3 Segments
Saving Throw: None

When cast by the magic user this spell will bestow a immunity to attacks that  are based on gaze. In addition to this the spell will also allow the attack to  be reflected back on the attacker.

While under this spell gaze based attacks such as that of a Medusa will not  affect the intended victim. The intended target should still make a saving throw  versus the attack though. If the saving throw fails then nothing will happen  other than the intended victim being unaffected. If the save is made then the  attack is reflected and the attacker will need to make a save, albeit at a +2,  or be affected by the spell.

The material component of this spell is a small silvered mirror. The mirror is  not consumed with the casting of the spell and may be reused.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last,  were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not  appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then  it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells  that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to  comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these  in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper  credit.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Miser's Vault

My introduction to Baron Munchausen was via the 1988 movie by  Terry Gilliam called the Adventures of baron Munchausen. I know  the movie is not for everybody but I fell in love with it. I am  not sure that I like it as much as Time Bandits but that is  another story all together.

This is a game I tried to pick un without having to spend too  much money for a long period of time. It seems to go for more  than one would expect and I was finally able to pick it up. This  is the first edition and is much smaller than the later edition  which I have not had a chance to see. As is often the case though  I have not had a chance to play it as of yet.

This is not your traditional role playing game. It is much closer  in nature to Vampire than it is AD&D. There is no dice rolling or even true combat in the game except what is told by the players. It is  often called a story telling game and that is exactly what it is.  A great aspect of the game is that the rule are written in  character as if the good Baron is explaining things to you.  There is a great review of the game in character here. It is for the newer edition of the game but the basics are still the same.

The game is each player trying to spin the best fanciful story  while the other players try to interject on a limited basis  things to complicate, discredit or lessen the story. It is one  that would perhaps best be played with a free flowing quantity of  alcohol at the table. It is not one that can played by everyone  though. Players have to be creative, have a flair for the  dramatic and be able to think on their feet when it comes to  telling a story. I could really see this as a game that DMs play  together in the dark corner of some tavern at a large convention.  This game would also suit itself to play via the online Google+  functionality possibly.

If you can find a copy of the game I would suggest picking it up.  There rules are not really needed past a certain point as it is  fairly straightforward. If anyone ever decides to have a pick up  game on Google+ I would love to hear how it goes.

Published: 1998
Pages: 24


Game Description:

"A Game of Wagers, Wine, and Competitive Lying"

Players, preferably gentlemen from good families, challenge one  another to recount, as outlandishly as possible, their many  exploits, occasionally wagering against the narrator's ability to  incorporate complicating circumstances into the tale.

From the back of the book:

"The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen contains a full  set of rules, background, more than two hundred adventures ready  to be played, a revolutionary system of mechanics that does away  with dice or cards and uses money and fine wine instead, two  combat systems ('duelling' and 'duelling for cowards'), quick- start rules and a great many insults against the inhabitants of  various nations, but principally the French. This game can be  learned in under five minutes, requires no GM or preparation, and  takes about an hour to play. You will require pencil, paper,  imagination, a manservant, money, a selection of fine wines,  noble blood, a sense of flamboyance, and at least one attractive  member of the opposite sex (optional)."


Spell:

Miser's Vault

Level: Seventh
Range: 6"
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: One Room
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 2 Rounds
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user is able to create an  protective shield on the exterior of a room. This barrier does  nothing more than prevent any sort of coin from leaving the  confines of the room. For the purpose of this spell bullion and  raw precious metals would be treated as coins.

The spell as stated above will not allow any coins to be cross  any threshold of the room. The spell is not powerful enough to  prevent actions such as the teleportation of coins but nothing  that requires the physical transport of the coins will work. This  will even apply to coins that are out of phase.

Coins can be brought into the room with no problem but once  inside they can only be removed with the knowledge of a special  command word and even then within limitations. The spell will  allow any other item though to removed from the room without  problem including gems and jewelry and magical items unless they  are coins of some type.

The individual who cast the spell will have an individual coin in  the room that has a command word appear on it when the spell is  cast. The command phrase can only be seen by use of a detect  magic spell being cast directly on the coin which will make the  phrase appear. By use of the command word an individual can  remove a number of coins equal to 100 times their intelligence.  This ability will only work once per day and no more than three  times in any given week. Each time it is used there is a 5%  cumulative chance that the command word will change and appear on  another coin. It will be physically impossible short of a Wish  to ever remove the coin with the command phrase on it from the  room.

The material component of this spell will be the coin that has  the command phrase on it. The coin will be magically mixed among  any other coins in the room.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the  write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the  80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other  than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be  slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of  spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :)  Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on  me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please  let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror, Wild Magic 8

Let me start off by saying that I love the idea behind these  modules. The concept of converting a child's story into an  adventure was a good one. I fully enjoyed reading them and seeing  how the characters and events in the module were handled using  game mechanics.

On the flip side as much as I loved reading them and the idea  behind them they seem to be one of those great ideas on paper and  in planning but when done they don't live up to expectations. The  modules can be fun but would require the right group of players  in the right mindset. I am certain I would also never use this in  an existing ongoing campaign (though I do have an idea how that I  will mention at the end).

EX2 "The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror" is the companion piece to  Dungeonland. I found that Dungeonland had more of the material I  I liked though the inclusion of Humpty and the twins in this  module made it memorable as did the Jabberwock. For the record  though the Jabberwock deserved a better treatment.

The artwork was not as good in EX2 as it was in EX1. It is not  that the art is bad in anyway it is just that I liked the earlier  modules art better and there was more there. I am not certain but  that he did all of it but James Holloway did most of the art from  what I could tell. I like his art and as I said the art was good  it was just that EX1 had more and I liked it better.

The module is going to be one that will test the players. Just  because the theme is a child's tale the players might want to  take it as something they can walk through. Nothing would be  further from the truth. If they are not well seasoned players who  are familiar with running higher level characters they will most  certainly meet with characters dying unless the GM takes pity on  them.

As to my idea on how to use these modules. I was thinking of  using them as a "Dallas" or "Newhart" TV show situation. Where in  the end it was all a dream but used as a test. To make the  players even more uncomfortable I thought about making a  situation where they had to swap characters they played. This  would test them and make all of them uneasy. In the end the  possible benefactor who placed them there would allow them to  keep some magic item that they got from the adventure but in the  end none of it was real.

Published: 1983
Pages: 32

From the back cover:

Your adventures have taken you to strange places before, but in  the eyes of your experienced party, few of these places are as  unusual as the bizarre Land Beyond the Magic Mirror. Here the  delightful and the light-hearted often hide great challenges and  dangers; here you will journey through a landscape unique among  fantasy role-playing scenarios.

This module was first conceived by E. Gary Gygax as part of the  Greyhawk Castle dungeon complex and has been the source of  challenge and fun for many skilled players of the ADVANCED  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS(R) game. It is finally available to all  players and can be added to your existing campaign with ease.

The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror is designed so that it may be  used with its companion scenario, Dungeon Module EX1,  Dungeonland. Still, The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror may easily  be played on its own, and should offer hours of excitement in its  strange landscape!

 
Spell:

Wild Magic 8

Level: Ninth
Range: Special
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: Special
Components: Special
Casting Time: Special
Saving Throw: Special

With the casting of this spell the magic user is able to simulate  the casting of any eighth or lower level spell. The spell will  work best if it is a spell that the caster knows though this is  not a requirement.

When this spell is used the caster will be able to use any eighth  or lower level magic spell even it is is not one that they  memorized or even know. If they have it in their spellbook the  spell will go off without problem.

Spells that are not in their spellbook will be trickier. If they  have seen the spell cast there is a 50/50 chance that it will  work. If the spell fails then there is another 50/50 chance of  things happening. It is possible that the spell will just out and  out fail. The other is that it works but in reverse and in a  negative way for the caster, possibly even affecting them.

The caster can even use this to try and create some new magical  effect. The DM may choose not to allow this. If they do then they  will need to impose strict limits on its use.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the  write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the  80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other  than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be  slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of  spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :)  Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on  me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please  let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit. 

A|State, Siphoning Mist

This may be one of the creepiest covers I have ever seen for a game. I almost didn't buy it when I saw it as it was that disturbing to me for some reason. I am glad I finally decided to get it. The game is yet another I have not had a chance to play but I really want to. Rather than me try and describe it I am going to copy the Introduction from the publishers site. If that does not make you want to play it or pick it up there is nothing I could write that would make that happen.


Published: 2004
Pages: 256

From the back cover:

Welcome to The City…

A sepiatone world lit by guttering gas lamps and the flickering filaments of electric bulbs. A closed world, isolated and alone.

A world of contrasts and contradictions. The citizens live their lives in a tangle of technological obscurity.

A world of pain, fear, longing and hatred. Where the basest human emotions rise to the surface, where men will cripple each other for a dull shilling.

A world of superstition, folk tales, wild religion and rampant rumour. The Shift and The Bombardment are apocalyptic legends from the far past, feeding the nightmares and fantasies of current generations.

A world of strangers and beings who do not belong. The Shifted, strange entities, whispered about in pubs and taverns. Mentioned in guarded conversations, lest the very mention of their name summon them from the dark.

You will never forget the The City.
But The City will forget you.

From the publishers Site:

I n t r o d u c t i o n    t o    t h e    w o r l d    o f    a /  s t a t e  

Welcome to The City. A sepiatone world lit by guttering gas lamps and the flickering filaments of electric bulbs. A closed world, isolated and alone. Stinking canals radiate out through The City, thick with effluent and the detritus of millions of lives. Dank alleys wend between corroding concrete towerblocks, wide boulevards swarm with peddlers, traders, sellers, buyers, thieves and victims. The City is full of dark places where the lights of knowledge, morality and justice fail to glow.

Welcome to The City. A world of contrasts and contradictions. The citizens live their lives in a tangle of technological obscurity. In crumbling brick tenements, they crowd round dim televisions, sedated by the media output. In the factories, workshops, mills and yards, they toil and strain with rusting, decaying machinery. Above them all, the macrocorps stand like gods, islands of glittering advancement in a sea of black oil, flaking iron and reeking gas.

Welcome to The City. A world of pain, fear, longing and hatred. Where the basest human emotions rise to the surface, where men will cripple each other for a dull shilling. Yet light, life, love and hope manage to raise their voices, occasionally heard above the clamour of darkness. Through all the evil and wreckage, some still manage to retain a sense of decency and honour.

Welcome to The City. A world of superstition, folk tales, wild religion and rampant rumour. The Shift and The Bombardment are apocalyptic legends from the far past, feeding the nightmares and fantasies of current generations. Some pray to God for salvation, others pray to a cold, empty universe. In hidden places, black rites are carried out, for reasons as varied and obscure as The City itself. Folk heroes and villains stalk the streets: Ticktock Man, The Leaper, Iron Lady. They all contribute to the second city, the city carried on the tongues and in the minds of its citizens.

Welcome to The City. A world of strangers and beings who do not belong. The Shifted, strange entities, whispered about in pubs and taverns. Mentioned in guarded conversations, lest the very mention of their name summon them from the dark. The Ubel, twitching and creaking through the backstreets in their bloodstained rags, chittering incomprehensibly. Lugner, whispering maddening dreams in the night. Drache, as insubstantial as mist, clouds of unreason. Hager, assassins and kidnappers, looming figures cast in black cloth and pale flesh. The Simils, pitied and reviled in equal measure, clanking golems of iron, brass and stone.

Welcome to The City.
You will never forget The City.
But The City will forget you.

Nearly one thousand years ago, as far as anyone can tell, an event took place. Why and how this event happened remains unknown. But it happened, and since then, things have been different in The City. Philosophers, scientists and poets agree that the The City once had a name. In the present it is simply called The City, for there is nowhere else other than the blasted Outlands.

The event came to be known as The Shift, a change in reality so great that the very fabric of The City was changed forever. Places and people were altered, new beings sprang, fully formed into existence. One fact that is known is that almost immediately after The Shift, The City was subjected to a rain of fire known as The Bombardment. Infernos fell from the sky and laid waste to whole tracts of land. More important than the destruction of the physical was the destruction of knowledge that The Bombardment caused. Datacores were wiped, libraries reduced to ashes and the memories of the survivors scarred. No remnant of life before The Shift and The Bombardment remains, only a few structures of vast size and strength remain to remind the inhabitants of the past. For centuries people have lived in limbo, the only history that of the past hundred decades.

Rumours circulate that The Outlands were once fertile and green, now they are a blasted land of desert and rock. The City is a place of dark alleys, ponderous architecture and stinking canals. In the century following these two cataclysmic events, the survivors sought to band together and make some sort of life for themselves. Not only did they have to deal with a lack of technology, they had to deal with the creatures which became know as the Simils, the Ubel, the Drache and the Lugners. The struggles of the first century gave rise to organisations which still exist today. The eight macrocorps all grew from the ashes, each with their own unique story of war, decimation and survival.

Over the coming centuries, The City and its inhabitants would reach a twisted equilibrium with their situation. Society grew and expanded, the population stuttered, fell and then grew. Sciences and technologies were rediscovered, yet even today, many live in poverty and primitive conditions. The rediscovered technologies were harnessed by those who had the power and influence to utilise them. The macrocorps became bastions of knowledge, hoarding their precious discoveries to themselves, only to find them ripped away by unceasing war and the more subtle influences of espionage and treachery.

Now, centuries later, The City is a study in contrasts. The majority of the population live in tenements and towers built of brick, stone and concrete. Their dwellings are lit by gas piped in from huge rubbish heaps, their clothes made from crude fibres and their property that of a society barely reaching the industrial age. In the domains of the macrocorps, things are very different. The corporate citizens have access to the finest food, to unlimited power and light, to shining vehicles and well made clothes. Their soldier who guard them ward off rioters armed with black powder sparklock weapons, the soldiers themselves carrying sleek gauss rifles and compact lasers.

In the slums of Mire End, Dreamingspires and Fogwarren, life is a daily toil, making enough to get by as best you can. The middle classes fear the slums, envisioning them encroaching upon their own moderately comfortable lives. In the corporate bastions of Luminosity Tower, Konkret and The Forbidden City, the corporates look down upon the teeming million, their workforce and their potential doom.

Through the backstreets and alleys, Ubel stalk, ripping and tearing those who come too close, leaving only a cooling corpse as an echo of their passing. Simils made of iron and brass, surmounted with a human head, clank their way through the streets on lay down their existences in the hell of the Contested Grounds. Lugner spread rumour, fear and suspicion through their whispers and fleeting dreams.

Some seek to stand up to the despair and hopelessness. Lostfinders search and investigate for little or no reward while Stringers piece together fragments of information to feed into the hungry newswires and memory cores of the Dataflow. The Provosts of the Three Canals try to enforce some form of law and order in a chaotic society, holding on to the belief that there is the one place in The City where life is that little bit better. Others believe that the forces which prevent anyone leaving this place are corroding, that soon they will be able to leave this place for a better life among the stars.

The clouds will one-day part. And then, the people of The City will once again have that rarest and most precious of commodities: hope. 



Spell:

Siphoning Mist

Level: Third
Range: None
Duration: 2 Rounds/Level
Area of Effect: 6" Radius Sphere
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 4 Segments
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user brings into being a sphere of thin mist. The mist is thin enough that it can easily be seen through though obscuring vision is not the intended effect.

The mist will fill the allotted space in a matter of seconds once the spell is cast. The following round all creatures not connected with the caster ot their party will suffer 1d6 of damage. The DM will need to assign each creature affected to one of the casters party before rolling for damage. It will be possible that there may be multiple or no creatures assigned to a party member.

After assigning the creatures the DM will then need to assign one half of the damage that was syphoned from the victims to the party members. These points will heal any damage that has been taken but can not increase the hit points beyond the characters maximum. Any points not sued in a given round are lost as far as healing effect is concerned.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Triviathlon - TSR, Failure

Today I am going to talk briefly about a contest that  ran back in 1996. Before they were bought by WotC TSR  ran a trivia challenge that allowed gamers to answer a  list of questions and win prized including trips to the  Spanish GenCon held in Barcelona.

The challenge was called Triviathlon. It consisted of a  poster that contained 100 questions. The poster was  available through Walden Books and was also included in  issue #227 of Dragon Magazine. The questions were  rather random and involved a lot of research or lack of  any real life. I am not sure if the prizes were ever  awarded as TSR was purchased a few months later in  April of 1997.

In issue #237, the issue that returned Dragon magazine  to publication, answers to the first 25 questions were  provided...along with the question. These ran for three more issues. They are in issues #238, #239, and #241.

The idea behind this must have sounded good but the  actual execution was probably flawed by the changes and  the situation that existed for TSR at the time. The  estimate is that were better than 400,000 of these  printed so it will never be a super rare item but the  number that still exist is probably much, much lower  as they were either used or discarded.

If you happen to see one on eBay and it is not going  for much it might be worth picking up. The fact that  the answers are now published make it more palatable as  you can see how you did. It is a neat little item to  have but I am not sure I would have ever gone out of my  way to find it if I didn't already have it.


Spell:

Failure

Level: Second
Range: 6"
Duration: Special
Ares of Effect: Special
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 Segment
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user is granted the  ability to cause a limited number of actions to end in  failure. The number of actions that will be affected  will be a function of the casters level. How the action  fails will be dependent on the action and how creative  the DM wishes to be. The caster has no ability to  determine how the action fails.

The caster will be able to cause one action to fail.  They will also be able to cause on additional action  for every three levels of experience they posses. The  caster can hold these for a period of time equal to  their intelligence in turns. The effect is not limited to an individual. Once the  spell is cast the magic user can spread around the  instances of failure among any individuals they have  line of sight on. They will need to be within 6" (60')  of the caster though.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever  long the write ups last, were all written up or  conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may  not appropriate for anything other than 1e and  depending on how well I did back then it may be  slightly off for that as well. If there is any  duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely  I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on  them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes  to use these in anything they print please let me know  in advance and all I ask is proper credit.