Psychedelic Fantasies: The Fungus that Came to Blackeswell -- Review

From the moment I heard  about Geoffrey McKinney's Psychedelic Fantasies line, before the first module had been released, I knew it was a good thing, and my kind of thing.

Cheap but solidly produced modules. A short format for ease of digestion and use at the table. A focus on unrestrained imagination, as opposed to "the standard D&D tropes".

Now we have the third module in the series: THE FUNGUS THAT CAME TO BLACKESWELL.

Full disclosure: the module is written by my friend and Berlin RPG cohort Yves Geens. I guess that makes me totally biased. I do feel though that if the module was crap I'd say so. It's not. And of course Geoffrey wouldn't have published it if it was :)

Now to the reviewing part.

I received the module in the post last night, and read through it in one sitting (the advantage of the short format). I've not run it yet, but am very much inspired to do so, having read it.

The short overview of what's going on in this module is: a subterranean village famed for its odd inhabitants (a wizard and an inventor) and its unusual riches (Blackeswell pearls) is overrun by a hostile fungal infestation from the nearby Fungal Jungle. The village and its inhabitants are decimated.

(Note that, although Blackeswell is described as being a subterranean settlement, this has little impact on the adventure. It could be easily placed in an above-ground setting such as a forest, swamp or mountains.)


The main theme of the module, from my reading, is one of despair. There's an almost Raggiesque atmosphere present. Although there are none of the player-screwing-over moments or twists which we know and love(?) from the pen of Mr JER the 4th, the fate of the villagers of Blackeswell is unremittingly tragic and gruesome. I seem to recall there is one single house in the village whose inhabitants have survived with their lives and sanity (seemingly) intact. As for the rest, a twisted variety of fates has met them. Many are simply reduced to pools of gore, their only memorial being the now-futile shop signs advertising their now-ruined wares.

Good stuff. This could be the kind of module where PCs come in hoping to make a quick buck, but end up getting embroiled in trying to work out what on earth befell the village, and what can be done to stop it spreading or happening again elsewhere.

This is one interesting point about the module -- the reason why what has happened has happened is not (unless I've missed something) explicitly revealed. There are hints, and a locus or point of emanation can be discovered, but from my reading it was not clear what exactly caused the fungal infestation in Blackeswell. I'm not totally sure if this is intended or not, but it's something to bear in mind. Referees wanting to work this module into a campaign would be advised to give this topic some preparatory thought, as players will inevitably begin to wonder about what's happened in the village and try to find out what caused it.

In terms of the encounters in the module, each house contains something different. There are plenty of weird fungal horrors to fight or (in many cases more wisely) avoid, some nice treasures to be dug out from the clutches of the ever-present mycelial growths, and some interesting NPC encounters (a few villagers are still alive, and another adventuring party is holed up).

The main theme is (obviously) fungal monsters, which appear in pleasing variety. There are also elements of dimensional magic and sci-fi robotics, which lend a gonzo sub-tone to the module. Personally I'm a big fan of fantasy / sci-fi mash-ups, but strangely I felt that I would actually tone down the gonzo elements when running this adventure. I felt like I would place the focus more on this being a horror adventure, which the wackier elements could detract from. This isn't meant as a criticism -- the sci-fi elements are really well done -- just an aspect of taste as to how I would imagine running this module myself.


All in all, an excellent adventure with a deliciously weird and creepy tone. I am very much looking forward to running it! Highly recommended.

Vivimancer -- Scent Spells

In my Ix / Dying Sun campaign, there are two types of magic-user: defilers and preservers. Anyone who's familiar with Dark Sun knows the score, although I have altered the exact effects of defiling magic in my setting (as obliquely mentioned here).

Initially when conceiving the campaign, I had the idea that it'd be great to use completely non-standard spell lists, in order to further increase the originality (as compared to "standard D&D") of the setting. My mind immediately jumped to Theorems & Thaumaturgy, and the idea that defilers are necromancers and preservers are vivimancers. Further development led me gradually away from this idea -- now shamans (a class of cleric) possess some necromantic abilities, and magic-users of both types are vivimancers, unearthing the ancient genetic magic of the long-dead sorcerer kings.

Inevitably, I decided that there also needs to be some setting-specific spells added to the standard vivimancer list. I'm doing these in the "tomes" tradition of Theorems & Thaumaturgy, on the basis of sets of spells created by high-level sorcerers over the course of their careers.

The PC magic-users' master is a character called Ohl Deezu, whom I have determined is a specialist in magic involving scent. Here are a few low level spells in his repertoire, which are open to PCs.

Hyperolfaction
Level: 1
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 turn per level

The target's senses of smell and taste are enhanced by an order of magnitude, enabling the detection of subtle scents beyond the normal human range of perception. While under the spell's effects, the target is able to perform various feats of perception similar to those which highly trained dogs are capable of in the real world:

• The target can follow fresh scent tracks unfailingly. Tracks which are older than an hour require a successful WIS roll on 1d20, with a -1 penalty per hour since the tracks were made.
• If the target is familiar with the scent of an individual, its presence in rooms or on objects can be identified unmistakably. Scents older than one hour require a WIS roll, as above.
• If the target has knowledge of poisons, botanical extracts or the like, his chance to identify the presence of unusual compounds is doubled.

The spell has a single downside: the target's sense of smell is so enhanced that he automatically fails any saving throws against scent-based attacks (such as a troglodyte's stench).

Pheromone Surge
Level: 1
Range: 30'
Duration: 1d6 hours + 1 per level

Targeted against a single creature within range, this spell causes a wave of magically produced pheromones to assail the target, provoking an overwhelming sexual attraction. The target may make a saving throw versus poison to avoid the effects. If the save fails, the attraction lasts for the duration of the spell. Essentially, for this period, the caster becomes irresistibly attractive in the eyes of the target, who will do anything they can to get up close and intimate with the caster.

The spell is ineffective against targets who would not normally regard the caster as a potential mate. It thus has no effect on creatures of inappropriate species or sexual orientation.

Scentlessness
Level: 1
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 turn per level

The target's body and all items on its person are shielded by a magical anti-scent mask, making the target completely undetectable to the olfactory senses of others. As the target is rendered completely scentless, even creatures with incredibly powerful olfactory capability (such as those under the effects of hyperolfaction) cannot detect the target.

Domesticated Animals of Ix

I've written before that cats, goats and rats are the only mammals on Ix, apart from humans. All other animals are of the reptile, bird or insect families. It thus makes sense that humans would have domesticated some of these creatures for various purposes. Here are a few such beasts.



Ixilots
Gargantuan 25' long tortoise-like reptiles bred for their might and stubbornness. Ixilots are commonly found at the head of large caravans, as they can pull tremendous loads. Their shells are ringed with barbed tusks, and they bear two curved horns on their foreheads -- Ixilots are a formidable force in battle, despite their slowness.

Ixilots are a purely domesticated animal, without any extant wild relatives. The downside of the use of Ixilots as beasts of burden is their appetite for huge quantities of plant matter and water -- caravans using them have to be well stocked.


Like other animals of the tortoise family, Ixilots have the unusual capacity to enter a deep hibernation sleep. If placed in cool and complete darkness they enter this dormant state after several days, and can thence remain asleep for a span of some years without food or water.


Skanks
The domesticated lizards are bred from wild relatives which hunt the desert in packs. They have been bred into many forms, and are used for many purposes, from guards to pets. Typically skanks are in the region of 4' long, but larger and smaller species exist. They are intelligent and can be trained easily to perform a variety of tricks or functions.

The wild skank possesses a musk gland which can exude a stench sickening to other creatures. The skanks use this gland defensively if cornered. Most domesticated breeds have had the musk gland selectively bred out over millennia.


Scarabs
Giant burrowing beetles 20' long with iridescent black shells, these insects are sometimes used for pulling caravans. They are almost as strong as ixilots, and require less food and water, but are more difficult to train, being especially unintelligent and single-minded. The only way to control scarabs is by the use of certain special scents.

The raising of scarabs is a specialised and complicated art, as their maggot form is so large and voracious, and requires darkness and large quantities of dung and ash to gestate in.



Orks
Domesticated from a species of predatory flightless desert bird, these creatures are used as mounts. They are renowned for their running speed and their resilience to dehydration. Orks have a heavy, horny beak which can inflict vicious wounds. They are aggressive by nature, and have to be well trained in order to be safely used by humans.


Gajji Grubs
Gajji are a vicious species of giant beetle with horrible slicing mandibles. In captivity only very few are allowed to reach the mature form -- and those purely for the purpose of breeding. The 2' long grubs are valued for their succulent pink flesh.

Tear, City of God -- Hex Map

In preparation for my Dying Sun campaign, I wanted to create a map of the capital city which the PCs will be based in. In the past, when creating city maps, I've always gone for plain paper and free-hand drawing. This time, however, I got the urge to do it as a hex map. I feel like this is a good level of scale for a city. There's no way I'm ever going to get down to the level of mapping out every single street and building, but it's nice to be able to mark on different types of district or specific landmarks. This can be achieved nicely with different hex symbols -- some representing individual important/large buildings, and some representing the general type of building or function in an area.

Another nice thing about doing it as a hex map is that, potentially, the way is open to run some sessions using the standard hex-crawl rules as PCs explore the city, with random encounter tables for the different districts. I don't intend the campaign to be focussed on this type of play, but it's certainly nice to have the option, and it sounds like it'd be fun.

I also very much enjoy drawing hex maps and love the hex-crawl format. I especially find it fun coming up with the little symbols, which is a totally fresh challenge with a city hex map, as none of the standard "mountains / plains / swamp" symbols really apply.

Here are the hex descriptions for the places which are marked on the map so far. It's pretty sparse at the moment, but enough to give some flavour.

Places of note in the City of Tear, seat of the Empire.
Listed by district.

The Plateau of Radiance
The Great Hayyem Tree (1006) – The mighty tree which shades the imperial city and brings forth life from the barrenness of the desert. The holy waters of lake Jzan well around the base of the Hayyem.
The Floating Palace of Radiance (1007) – Built upon the pristine waters welling at the Hayyem's base. Here dwells Zyklor, God Emperor.
The Arch-Hierophant's Palace (0909) – On the west bank of the River of Tears, upon the imperial plateau.
The High Temple of Zyklor (1109) – Administrative centre of the Templars, on east bank of the river upon the imperial plateau.
Cliff Fortresses (0805, 1004, 1205) – An army of countless strength is maintained in these three fortresses dug into the cliffs at the north edge of the plateau of radiance.

The Imperial District
The River of Tears (1008 to 1117) – The holy river cascades from the Plateau of Radiance into the upper city, eventually flowing to meet the Water Ziggurat. Hundreds of streams and canals branch off from the river, and flow into the city's subterranean water system.
The Chapel of Pristine Mercy (0912) – Located at the base of the Plateau of Radiance. Primary temple and convent of the Sisters of Mercy.
Imperial Arena (1313) – Hosts gladiatorial battles – the city's most popular form of entertainment, frequented by poor and rich alike.
The Water Ziggurat (1117) – Holiest temple in the city, central barracks of the Templars. Great prison complexes lie beneath the pyramid.
The Watching Tower (1216) – A tall windowless monolith which stands close to the Water Ziggurat (1117). Psionicists sense a strange watching presence in its impenetrable interior.
The Bridge of Thieves (1113) – An ancient, elaborate and crumbling bridge crossing the River of Tears. Condemned prisoners are hung from high pylons here to die in the scorching sun.
The Prophets' Bridge (1015) – A wide bridge on which sermons are held by zealous templars. It is said that the mortar of the bridge was made from the bones of those who died in the service of Zyklor.

The Gardens District
The Sedant Glades (0812) – A large meditative garden and woodland maintained by the Sisters of Mercy.
The Pools of Pandarme (0813) – A meandering series of pools, canals, tea houses and inns, owned by a conglomerate of merchants.

The District of Wells
East of the River of Tears and the imperial district, an old quarter of the city filled with wells and fountains.

The Merchants' District
Headquarters of the Slavers' Guild (1511) – The slavers' fortress, formed of black basalt and carved with cathedralesque intricacy, bewildering spires and turrets.
The Slave Markets (1513) – East of the arena, and south of the slavers' guild headquarters. Slaves of all races and specialities can be bought here.

The Forge District
Where specialists in metalworking and glass-blowing live and work.

The Ash District
Where the filth of the oil refineries to the north and the forges to the east congeals. A highly undesirable residential area where crime is high and life is short.
The Worm Vats (0412) – A hive of tall towers and deep pits where various insects, worms and maggots are bred.

The Artisans' District
The Spice Markets (1619) – Spices, exotic plants, incense, perfumes and drugs are all found here.

The Canals District
The Walled Gardens of Phantalme (0518) – Luxurious retreat for the moneyed. The gardens are said to contain plants and animals of fabulous exoticness.
The Pagoda of Masks (0619) – Infamous and exclusive pleasure palace. Guests are required to remain masked at all times.

The Scholars' District
The Manse of Lazd the Abstruse (0419) – The streets around the great sage and sorcerer's abode have taken on something of his silent and mysterious character. Lazd's birds, arrayed with rainbow hued feathers fly freely here.

The Blood District
The Blood Ziggurat (0522) – Where sacrifices of animals and slaves are made to the great God Zyklor.
The Beast Markets (0524) – Located just south of the Ziggurat of Blood. In addition to sacrificial goats, a wide range of domesticated and wild lizards can be found for sale here.

The Sorcerers' District
The Black Plaza (1022) – The desert road passes through the gate of the sphinxes (1023) and leads directly into this wide flag-stoned square. An unnatural shade hangs over the plaza, making it a pleasant spot for relaxation, despite its slightly unnerving atmosphere. At night the plaza is shunned by all sensible folk. Rumours tell of abductions and dark cults.
The Catacombs (1122) – This eerily named residential district contains a jumble of decaying houses built atop one another. Some do indeed dwell here in a level of subterranean habitation.
The Imperial Academy of Sorcerers (0923 & 1123) – Twin towers of staggering height and forbidding aspect, standing aside the ancient Lunar Stair.
The Lunar Stair and the Gate of the Sphinxes (1023) – The gargantuan ancient southern gate of the city. Carved from dark red stone, and weathered by millennia of sand and wind.

The Commerce District
The Grain Markets (1121) – Just north of the Gate of the Sphinxes.

The Shrines District
A run-down quarter of the city, where a proliferation of shamanistic cults, religious sects, seers and prophets gather.
The Nectar Ziggurat (1521) – Place of worship and training complex for the legendary Concubines of God.
The Houses of Bone (1722) – Tall, twin buildings with an arched alley between them. Houses the remains of the city's wealthier dead in its crypts and vaults.
The Wall of Shadows (1423 to 1922) – Partly ringing the city's south-eastern edge, this ancient wall is made of the same stone as the Lunar Stair. Upon its surface can be seen blasted outlines of giant, spined monstrosities.

Laybrinths of Madness -- Free PDF

Over the last month I've been working on a little side project which I have named Labyrinths of Madness. The name gives a hint as to what it is: a set of guidelines / house rules for running Lovecraftian games of horror and investigation using the familiar and well-loved Labyrinth Lord or B/X rules foundation.

As I say, it's only guidelines, and doesn't form a complete game or campaign setting. I reckon it's enough to get going with though, if anyone finds the idea of running such a game interesting.

Get it here FREE!

Any Artists Interested in a Creative Collaboration?

Not sure if anything will come of this, but I thought I'd put the idea out there...

Over the last couple of years, in addition to running my regular D&D games, I've discovered a growing interest in the creative process of writing and laying out supplements. Stuff like Theorems & Thaumaturgy, and the booklets I've produced for my upcoming Dying Sun campaign. I see this almost as a separate hobby. Rough hand-written notes are of course sufficient for most practical gaming needs, but (I guess like many people in the OSR scene) I've also found a lot of pleasure in making things "proper", and ending up with a nice-looking physical artefact to use in play and to potentially share with others.

Theorems & Thaumaturgy, for instance, could have just been a scruffy document on my hard drive and a scattered series of blog posts -- well, that's how it started out. But I think the collaboration with Kelvin & Cadanse (the illustrators), and Alex & Jim (proofreading / editing), and then the work of laying it out properly as a book, really paid off. I'm very proud of the end result, and had a lot of fun doing it!

So I'd like to do more stuff like this. (Albeit probably on a smaller scale than Th&Th... I'm thinking 16 to 32 page booklet sized projects.)

The trouble is, I'm not an artist. I unfortunately let my drawing skills drop off when I was about 13, and don't currently have the time or inclination to start learning again. One can, of course, simply use images grabbed off the internet -- which is what I did for the Ix booklets. Something produced in that way can't be legally shared with others though, as it's stuffed full of totally copyrighted images.

So what I had in mind was that it'd be really cool to find a creative partner. Someone who's into drawing pictures of weird D&D stuff, but not necessarily into writing (as I'm into writing but not drawing). (I have a great admiration for people like Richard LeBlanc and Gus L who can write and draw awesome stuff!)

Anyone who reads this blog has an idea about the kind of stuff I'm into writing, and Theorems & Thaumaturgy and Within the Radiant Dome (my module for Geof McKinney's Psychedelic Fantasies line) give a good idea of how my more polished stuff (i.e. more polished than a bunch of randomly meandering blog posts) looks. That should give an idea of the kind of flavour of material I'm talking about.

More concretely, some projects I've got in the works at the moment, which could be manifested into proper booklets, include:

• Dying Sun setting guide (split into separate player's and DM's booklets).
• Psionics supplement for Labyrinth Lord. (This is already written, but is awaiting some serious play-testing when I start running my Dying Sun games.)
• A rough draft currently entitled "Labyrinth Weirdness"... a collection of additional races, classes, equipment, rules etc to add some strange, gonzo, esoteric elements to Labyrinth Lord campaigns.
• Various short modules.

Also, inevitably, some more collections of spells, in the vein of Theorems & Thaumaturgy will most likely emerge from my mind at some point.

I know the "normal" way this works is that a writer/publisher who's working on a book pays artists as freelancers. But as I'm not really intending this as a "business", I just can't imagine getting into the world of paying professional artists big chunks of money to illustrate stuff. It's a hobby, and I don't want to get involved in big outlays and needing to sell X copies to recoup costs, and so on. (Not to say that's a bad thing... it's just not my thing.) That's also not to say that I wouldn't consider selling nicely produced materials for profit (naturally, shared with a potential collaborator), but rather that I want to keep this on the small scale, pocket money outlays/earnings level, rather than having to think about hundreds or thousands of $€£ expenditures.

So, is there anyone out there who finds this kind of collaboration a cool idea? If so, get in touch! (Either leave a message here, email me at the address in the sidebar on the right, or send me a PM on google+.)

Theorems & Thaumaturgy: Free PDF Now on Lulu

I'm sure everyone who's interested has already got a copy, but just for the record I've moved the PDF hosting of Theorems & Thaumaturgy onto lulu as well (it was hosted separately before, as I couldn't work out how to make a free PDF product on lulu... I just worked it out).

You can get hardcover, softcover and free PDF editions of the book here.