Monsters and Magic: Into Darkness 1

Hey Hey


Here I present the first portion of a small setting book I am working on for the Monsters & Magic RPG.  Unlike my previous writing for this game it is decidedly not a fantasy offering.  Instead of the normal tropes associated with such a game I am going for a High Adventure, Sci-Fi/Horror mash up.


This setting, Into Darkness, will contain a plethora of new ideas for M&M including compartmentalized 'super-powers', psionics, and cybernetics.  This is an idea that has been perculating for a very long time so I hope you all enjoy the ride!!


https://www.dropbox.com/s/2ifod4mzbiqr3e0/Into%20Darkness.pdf


Thanks as always, and Keep on Gaming!!

New Year, New Ideas

Hey everyone!


First off I hope that all of you are having a great New Year thus far and had an enjoyable holiday season no matter what your personal beliefs are.  I have been doing well despite a rather serious bout of problems with my neck and spine.  It is this not so enjoyable problem that has been keeping me from my normal amount of productivity.


I have decided to be more proactive this year with my work.  I have been accepted as an artist for an upcoming Monsters and Magic product and have submitted my writing to a company whose work I enjoy.  These steps are huge for me and are helping me to move along in my other personal projects.


Writing wise I have slowly been working on my homebrew system and two different settings for it.  Although it has been going slow I have been making progress and that is always a good thing.  I am extremely fortunate to have a number of people who have been supporting me and helping me through my creative and personal issues.


Today I want to present one of the races for my Hellborn project.  Hellborn is a modern day setting where mankind is besieged by monstrous creatures from an adjacent dimension...  I understand that I have yet to fully detail my mechanics but the following will give you an idea of the direction I am going.

Cambion

“There is nothing quite as grand as knowing ones true self.”

Physically cambions have two guises.  Their true form is drastically different than the façade they present when around others.  A cambions skin tone varies greatly from pearly white to deep glossy black.  Shades of red and blue abound and their hair is always a contrasting color from that of their flesh.  All manner of runic scars and tattoos adorn their hides and their eyes constantly glow with an inner light.

Cambions are able to shift their form into that of a seeming normal human.  They are pleasant to look at and radiate charm and an air of success.  The cambion is able to maintain their façade for as long they desire although they are known to lose control.  Strong emotional and physical stressors such as pain, passion, love, and hate can force the cambion to involuntarily change to their true form. 

Cambion

Body                 3d6

Reflex              3d6

Intellect          3d6

Intuition          3d6

Presence           3d6

Species Traits

Charming: The character gains a 2-point bonus to all Persuasion, Con, and Sense Motive Checks.

Hellborn Heritage: The character is able to allocate an additional 4d6 to their Primary Attributes.  The Player distributes these three dice among the attributes as they see fit but only a maximum of 2d6 may be applied to any one attribute.

Cambion Traits

The character begins play with three choices off the following list.  Some choices are more potent than others and as such cost more than one ‘pick’.

• Claws and Fangs: These weapons deal 1d6 damage when used in combat
• Dark Sight: The character is able to totally ignore all penalties for dim or no light
• Energy Attack: The character is able to release a blast of corrupt power.  This attack has a range increment of 10 and deals 1d6 +2 damage.
• Full Wings (2-choices): The character is able to manifest fully functional wings that allow them to fly.
• Horrific Scream (2-choices): The character is able to unleash a blast of sound that stuns enemies.  The scream affects a 20’ area. Everyone other than the character must make a Body Check TN 14 or flee for one full Round.  The TN to resist the scream increases by 1-point for each additional character level.
• Horns: These weapons can be used to gore an opponent once per round dealing 1d8 damage
• Indomitable: 1-point of Mental Protection
• Inverted Knee: The character gains a 2-point bonus to all Athletics Checks involving leaping, climbing, and tumbling.  They also gain a 2-point bonus to all Running Checks
• Prehensile Tail: The character has a long flexible tail that can hold items and manipulate things.  The tail can also lash out dealing 1d4 damage.
• Scaly Hide (2-choices): 1-point of Natural Protection
• Vestigial Wings: Add to the characters jumping distances and allow them to glide 2’ per 1’ dropped

Transformation: The character is able to hide their hellborn traits from others although during times of emotional or physical stress they may lose control and change involuntarily.  Changing forms in combat is a 6-IC Action.  The character may only hold onto their façade for a number of hours equal to their Body modifier plus 1 before having to rest for the same amount of time.

I will be posting more this week about my progress on a number of projects including a review of a game I recently discovered that I enjoy.  I look forward to keeping this going and to any response that you all may have...


Thanks as always and Keep on Gaming!!

Work and My Inspirations

Hey gang!

Wow, has it been a long time or what?  Sorry about the lack of posts, I have been rotating between being busy and a total lack of creative energy so I have been erratic in getting on here.

I have been fortunate to find a couple here in town that are also gamers and this has really gotten me going again, even through the bouts of frustration.  After a couple fun, but short sessions of Rifts we decided to shift directions to playing my homebrew!  I am excited and a little nervous about finally using it but it will be worth it in the end...

This, and some conversations with some other gamer friends has got me thinking about inspiration and games.  It is a topic that I have ran through my mind several times and would be willing to bet that many of you have as well.  As a writer I will easily admit that there are many games and books that have inspired me over the years and I am positive there will be many more to come.

Of late some of my biggest influences have come from people I have learned to look up to.  Jay Libby and Joshua Kubli, both fellow game writers, have done wonders for me and my work.  They have helped me fight through anxiety attacks that have hindered my writing and given me ideas on how to evolve.  There are others, who are not writers at all, that have helped me as well.  There is of course my family but there is also my friend Rick and my new gaming group.  It is good to have a way to get ideas out..

It's funny, I know that my personal writing has been affected by countless sources... Books, Movies, Video and Roleplaying Games... hell even the Bible to a tiny point.  The thing that I think about sometimes is where does inspiration stop and copying begin?  At first my newest version of my system was little more than a knock-off of the Palladium system but it has evolved (thankfully).

Now there are still comparisons to be made to other things.  The base mechanic is similar to the 3.x rules, my magic system is reminiscent of Palladium's, and well, there are others.  I do understand that there is nothing totally new, especially in this field.  But I like to think that I am doing at least a few things differently.

Ah well, I suppose the important thing is having fun.  I enjoy my work and think that others will as well once I post it up here.  Well, hopefully anyways lol

So, what are you all up too?

The return to M&M

Hello my friends!

I hope that everything is going great for you of late and that this upcoming day of feasting is a fun one for all.

After many moons away I have made my return to the fun little OSR offshoot of Monsters & Magic.  Don't get me wrong, I never stopped like it rather I simply got involved in other things for a while.  Those of you who have read a few of my posts understand that I am a bit erratic in my projects and train of thought so me changing gears again isn't a surprise.

I have been working on writing up more of my many ideas for M&M and will be adding more posts in this vein over the next few days.

Todays offering is another of the Deities of my Espeth setting.  This god, Barag'gi, is one of the many evil gods that interfere with the lives of all the people of Espeth.  For centuries his manipulations have left an indelible mark on the work of those practicing the arcane arts.  Whenever one delves into the mystical they must wonder if they will become the tool Barag'gi.

Barag’gi: Corrupt Lord of Knowledge

Other Titles: The Silent Word, Master of Forbidden Lore

Temple Traits: Gather knowledge at all costs, Revel in using knowledge for personal gain

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Temple Weapon: Scourge

Spheres of Activity: Artifacts, Madness, Magic, Secrets,

Power: Steal Spell: Once per day the character is able steal the spell of another person and use it themselves.  The target spell must be of a level that the character can normally cast although they do not have to be able to prepare it normally.  This can be used to steal both clerical and arcane spells.

Description: A slim, pale skinned man with shining black eyes.  In his hands is a massive silver rune covered in black runes that crawl constantly across its covers.

Holy Days: Barag’gi followers celebrate the seventeenth of each year as the day when their master betrayed Xepheles and struck out on his own.

Holy Symbols: A closed tome surrounded by black thorns

Major Centers of Worship: Trepia, the Frontier, and Pythios

Worshipers: Anyone seeking forbidden information and lost secrets hold Barag’gi sacred.  The majority of his followers do so in secret due to their position as scribes and sages for important families.

Barag’gi is known as the first follower of Xepheles and the being whose influence brought about the rise of the Demon Lords.  From the earliest moment of his discovery of Espeth, Barag’gi has sought to procure, through any means necessary, all the continents hidden secrets.  It is his followers actions that have led to the led to the inherent distrust the masses have towards the arcane.

There are countless tales attributed to this god of long-lost artifacts appearing in a followers hand only to vanish again at a vital point in their schemes.  Although most folks would avoid this aspect of his worship those that are truly faithful to Barag’gi understand that the blessings of their Lord are fickle and short-termed.  For them it is enough to receive his blessing even if it will be removed at an inopportune time.  In this vein it is all too common for the devout to supply their followers with special equipment only to demand its return at the worst possible time. 

Today Barag’gi is treated with an unusual amount of trepidation and awe.  His accumulation of lost knowledge is astounding which draws followers of the arcane to him in droves, but is mercurial nature often drives away young acolytes soon after they join his ranks.  The masses fear him for his constant scheming that inevitably causes all manner of chaos across the face of Espeth.

A Multitude of Possibilbiites

Hello all,

I hope all of you are having an excellent time in your endeavors!  I am doing quite well despite a multitude of health issues going on at the moment.  I have had the chance of late to expand some of my writing horizons as well as get in some much needed gaming time here and there.

I have been doing a good job of late of keeping myself motivated and working.  Progress is always good and it has only strengthened my resolve to get my projects finished.  The work on my homebrew system/setting is moving along at a relatively steady pace.  New ides are constantly forming and there always seems to be something to add here and there.

Originally I was planning on doing several settings for this system but at the moment I am concentrating solely on a fantasy one.  Surprisingly enough I have been working on a full Game-Master 'book' of sorts for it.  I didn't think I would be including something like that but I have realized that there is a lot of info I can put into such that will aid me in fleshing out the setting and adding optional rules here and there.  Fun stuff indeed.

My Cosmology Engine project is almost done writing-wise and I have started working on some sketches for the artwork portion of the project.  The game is my homage in sense to the Palladium meta-setting Rifts although it has enough difference to be my own thing.  I imagine there are only a few more things to write down for the project then comes editing and art.  So while things are not entirely done it is creeping closer.

I am also delving into another supers-related project that I won't go into a lot of detail about until there is more hammered out behind the scenes.  This one promises to be a metric crap-load of work but is really exciting for me.  There will be more info about this coming soon!

So, on the playing tip I got to try out Fate (CORE) for the first time.  I have been interested in seeing how this game works for quite the long time.  I love narrative concepts and enjoy simple dice mechanics so this is a great combination of the two.  I have much to learn still, but for those who enjoy fast actions and create-your-own possibilities this is a natural.  The best part is that I am a player in this and I only need to have a bit of background in the game to enjoy it!  I give it a hearty thumbs up!  I am thinking about doing a full-fledged review of Fate soon, we will just have to see.

Homebrew's and Existing IP's

Hey gang!

I hope this post finds all of you in good spirits and life is treating you well!  Things here at the world headquarters for Hard Luck Ink (ie. my desk) are going well.  I have been plugging away at a number of personal projects of late and although some are slower than others there is still progress.

The main push for me at the moment is to finish the very basic 'core rules'.  My hope is that by getting a firm handle on the center of everything it will allow me to expand in a more logical manner from here on out.  The plan at the moment is to have a somewhat bare-bones starter set of mechanics to allow people to get the feel of the game.  Then, shortly after this release some small setting packets.  This has been done for a long time with existing games such as Pathfinder, the various D&D editions, and various others.

Unlike the bigger companies my plan is to go small.  Basically instead of releasing a single massive fantasy setting I will begin with one region (the frontier) and detail it.  This 'plug-in' will consist of regional species, special rules for that area (if any) and general information about what is going on in that area.  In the meantime I will also be working on some of the overall information needed elsewhere.  I feel that by trying to concentrate on one region at a time, rather than the entire book, I can get more done at once and not have to try to force myself to do everything in a hurry.

My overall plan for my system, to be named the Crusade System, is to have it be as universal as possible.  Do I mean that it will work for every single setting out there?  No, not really. What I mean is that it will be universal enough to fit all of my needs.  Thus far it seems to be working.

The first release once the core-rules are done (soon I hope) will be Crusade: Blades of Espeth; The Frontier (my fantasy setting), then I will do a primer for Crusade: Into the Darkness (my horror/monster-slaying setting)  after that there will be more for each.

I currently have copies of my base mechanics out to a couple people.  Thank you David and Nathan.  If there are any others among you who would like to help me out I would greatly appreciate it.  Just hit me up on here or via email and we can work something out!

In the interim I still have some great projects for other companies coming as well.  My world-ravaging supers-setting using the Cosmology Engine is almost done writing wise as is my Bulletproof  Blues post-apocalyptic book.  I also have a project in the works for another G-Core project.  One bit of warning those, all three of these are super-related and I am having some issues with the current state of the comic book industry and that is numbing my interest in that genre at the moment.... no worries though these WILL be finished.

Thanks as always and keep on Gaming!

Just thinking...

Hey all!

One of the things I have always tried to do with my writing is stay open to new ideas.  Over the years I have dabbled in countless different systems and those that I made myself.  What I have been wondering about is what can I do to make things easier?

Sticking to one Setting: This is a great idea but unfortunately I have concentration issues and to compound that I am constantly having new ideas for different things.

Sticking to one Genre: I have had multiple conversations with my mentors like Jay, Nathan, and Joshua about this and it is still up in the air.  I love my supers, that is a given, but I am somewhat obsessed with making a different spin on that.  Is this a bad thing?  I don't know.

I have of course narrowed it down to two genre; supers and fantasy.  I have even thought about combining the two somehow but eh... I don't know.  I have several supers ideas as is and don't want to confuse myself by creating another.

I have two sets of notes for post-apoc supers, a horror/super melange, and a dark Iron-Age setting.  I really want to finish at least two of these but sheesh is it ever taking me a long time.  I think it is good that i keep coming back to these.  It shows that I haven't stopped thinking about them but man is it frustrating at times...

So, I know I won't get many, if any, answers to this but what do you think?

A: Post Apoc supers where the world is being torn apart by the intrusion of different realities

B: A supers world tryign to survive in the face of an alien invasion

C: A dark Iron Age setting where life is cheap and the need for true heroes is on the rise

Hopefully some of you can take the time and toss me an answer or two.  I love the input of others and value your thoughts!

Thanks as always and keep on Gaming!