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.

Ix: Vivimantic Lenses

In my forthcoming Ix campaign, the only type of magic-user is the vivimancer from Theorems & Thaumaturgy. They are characters who are attempting to piece together the lost arts of the ancient sorcerer kings, who were masters of biological magic and genetic science.

In this setting, all enchanted items created by magic-users are of biological origin, typically being crafted from specially bred plants or animals. (As I previously discussed, all clerical magic items will be created by a process of spirit binding... I hope magic items in this setting will be unusual and flavourful!)

For a bit of flavour, here are some example items.

Vivimantic Lenses

Optic lenses harvested from the eyes of vat-crafted chimera, these items are found in wide variety, from marble-sized to cyclopean. Looking through these lenses, or allowing light to pass through them, activates arcane powers. Lenses may occasionally be found set in rings, crowns or pieces of jewellery.

Like all vivimantic items, the magic imbued in lenses allows them to retain some of the features of living organisms.

Lens of Sublime Refraction

Fist-sized lenses of a milky hue, covered in a warm oily liquid, these lenses gather and refract light from atypical angles. Looking through the lens, and aligning it correctly, the viewer is able to see around corners and through small holes. The maximum range of vision using this lens is 60'.

Lens of Transparent Revelation

These clear, 1' diameter lenses scintillate with rainbow hues which ripple across the surface. They are extracted from octopoid monstrosities which can only be grown in large vat-pools. Looking through this lens, the internals of solid objects are revealed, allowing their form to be studied. Objects larger than 2' cannot be fully penetrated by this lens' sight.

Lens of Subtle Sight

This lens redirects any light which hits its surface into the optic nerve of one who holds it. The lens must be in direct contact with the user's flesh in order to function. Lenses of subtle sight are typically palm-sized and of an azure hue, flecked with brown. Every time a lens of subtle sight is used, there is a 1 in 6 chance of it permanently embedding itself in the flesh of the user.

Lens of Biological Detection

Always found in pairs, these small green lenses must be placed over the eyes. They reveal the world wreathed in a green mist, with biological organisms haloed in yellow. The capability of the lenses is such that the outlines of organisms are visible even through inorganic matter up to 1' thick.

If looking through one lens only, with the second eye uncovered, the viewer's brain is bombarded with strobing energies – a save versus spells is required to prevent insanity lasting 1d4 days.

Lens of the Sub-World

A tiny black lens no larger than a fingernail, this object has the power to reveal biological matter on the smallest scale. Vivimancers trained in its use are thus able to study samples of living tissue in order to identify species or to diagnose disease.

Go on then... Search & Replace Dungeon

Silly fun!


(It's probably more fun to do your own that to read someone else's, so get going...)

The sound of the roller-coaster of doom is audible throughout if PCs enter through the north entrance. The ceilings are 6 feet high.

Check for wandering monsters every 3 game minutes or whenever PCs make a lot of noise, roll d10:

1-2 d6 scamp rats

3-4 d4 butcher s (with keys to green locks)

5 1 Giant Collecting centipede looking to kill PCs and steal their slippers

6-10 Nothing


___________

1 Stairs to surface/next level

2  rainbow unicorn-It is a foot tall & eerily beautiful. It is harmless. If unmolested, it will continue to roam the halls.

3 Fragments of a dazzling helium mosaic, very damaged, are here--a landscape with only a pair of white legs ending in hooves are visible so far.

Pieces of the mosaic can be found throughout the dungeon, and will fuse to the wall if placed on the mosaic.

The true form of the mosaic is of King Arthur of the Atlanteans on a horse--and assembling it will create a work of art worth PC level x 1000gp, however it is possible to construct false forms by accident or design.

Existing mosaic+humanoid upper body = a demon. The Beelzebub in 76 will begin calling anyone present to it. Save vs spell.

Existing mosaic+missing front horse legs+human upper body = centaur. Each round, violent madness will be inflicted on whichever party member rolls the lowest on a d20 until they leave the room.

Missing pieces are in rooms 19, 87, 50

4 This gollum-spawn is intelligent & can speak but does not show it because it fears surprise It seeks the egg & spoon race trophy in room 21

5 Dead butcher

6 Monster in 7 can be heard from here

7 animated dinosaur statue It is too large to leave the room. Drinks from well

8 Three butcher s looking for the Candy-Floss Prince

9 Echoing corridor

10 Statue of the Almighty Ronald McDonald --vandalized. d6 dead butcher s with a bounty-hunter horse here dead in the center of the triangle, apparently dragged from 25. The triangle will slowly devour them over the course of an hour, at which point the statue will come to life and seek out the Beelzebub in room 75.

11 spine weasel inside a roller-coaster of doom

12 Nonfunctional roller-coaster of doom

13 -Junk everywhere, vial of urine sample

14 As soon as the PCs enter this room the  gravity will activate.
A wizard will recognize the effect as a product of a special curse that can be removed on the request of a specific livingmaster (the William Shakespeare )

15 Kitchen. Pots, pans, the usual. There is a brick oven & a  small pantry closet. A halfling could fit in it.

16 This room is full of  dramatic deaths that the
William Shakespeare has collected.

The columns here look weak and can be destroyed with 30 pts of damage. The ceiling will cave in.

17 2 identical statues. One made of bronze one made of helium
18 There is a oboehere worth 2500gp. Playing it for the first time will cause monster in room 7 to break out and crash through the rooms, collapsing the ceilings until it gets to the player.

19 Library. Full of walkman

-humanoid upper body mosaic pieces from the mosaic in room 3

20 Hall. 11 small portrait paintings. One of each of spoon-beaks's sisters. They
are worth d20 x 100gp to collectors with unusual tastes

21 Paladin of the Almighty Ronald McDonald fighting butcher wizard in desperate battle

 egg & spoon race trophy. Worth 600gp.

22 Empty cells.

23 Old dining room. Three paintings here: each eight feet wide, worth 2000 gp each.

24 WC

25 Dying Priest of the Almighty Ronald McDonald, just finished pulling foes to room 10

bounty-hunter horse

William Shakespeare. It is disguised as whelk and will observe the PCs.

26  clean-up droids is here--it does not speak & obeys the William Shakespeare. clean-up droids has (as always) hidden a key to room 67 in  rug

27 There is a cursed waders. Any creature inspecting it will be afflicted by a desire to going down the helter skelter for 1d4 rounds.

28 Channel of olive oil from south ends in a pool here

29 Channel down center of hallway filled with olive oil a cork is floating in it

30 Empty

31-Secret door activated by mechanism in room 85

32-Secret door activated by mechanism in room 85

33 Pool of olive oil

34 Dead leapoard men carrying diary, contains biographical details of the Queen of the Big Wheel including its birthday

35  pink crystal formation. Anything pink that touches it will begin to vibrate unnaturally--the object will then reflect magic for one hour and then explode.

36 Walking into this room lowers steel bars where the green O's are and releases monster in 37.

37 Godzilla in cage.
38 the Queen of the Big Wheel's bedroom. If the Queen of the Big Wheel is not in this room the (ordinary) doors will be locked.  Secret door: behind a cosy duvets--a thin crack will be visible. Room contains a make-up table (no mirror, of course), a canopy bed hung with velvet, (d12 x 100) gp worth of other
trinkets. The bed, painting, the Queen of the Big Wheel 's wardrobe, & the table are each worth (d12 x 100) gp. There is a drum with a rigged up with a thousand Volt battery trap under the bed containing 600 gp & locket with a small painting of the Queen of the Big Wheel

39  Switch raises and lowers bars in rms 36-38

40 ~Child's bedroom. Belongs to the Queen of the Big Wheel's daughter. Her remaining toys ( spinning tops and cart wheels ) are here.

41 a prism with a laser beam inside it which is attracted to sound activated by door

42  Stone walls carved into the shape of the notion of ones own mortality

43 gummi bear marines

44 the omni-spirit of the Nazi overlords in cage. Sibling of the Queen of the Big Wheel Gone mad long ago. She may aid the PCs if they convince her they can help her escape the dungeon. She hatesthe Queen of the Big Wheel & will make any deal to be reunited with her, but again, will turn on anyone aware of her existence immediately afterward.

45 Anything made of bronze placed on the altar will be transformed into helium.

Any plasmain the circle or crossing it will be transformed into pure love

46 Texts sacred to religion of the Almighty Ronald McDonald

47 Puzzle room: waiter, coiffeur and astronaut are sacred to this religion. A magic mask asks 3 questions only members of those professions, respectively, would know. Wrong answers = drizzle and it emits a CLOSING TIME ALARM

48 Statue of a creature of plasma . An Archpriest of the Almighty Ronald McDonald is here. (PC level x 1000 gp worth of gold flake on statue.)

49 Murals depicting King Arthur and betrayal by Judas

50 Tombs. d6 Priests of the Almighty Ronald McDonald

Fragment of mosaic in room 3 showing horse head and humanoid lower body in a saddle.

51 Tombs. Vial: Substance repels big cats

52 Tomb of King Arthur

53 Mouldering skeleton of hero's traitorous ally the Fabled Wand of Liliput

54 d6 gummi bear marines guarding sacrifice chamber. They have keys to the cage in room 55.

55 a prism with a laser beam inside it which is attracted to sound

Apparently a baby unicorn in a cage. Is actually a kirin . It is looking for the gollum-spawn because it betrayed her.

56 Prayer room, distinctive to the Almighty Ronald McDonald

57 Prayer room, distinctive to the Almighty Ronald McDonald

58 2 dead gummi bear marines

59 2 dead gummi bear marines --one muttering "The leapoard men , the leapoard men " shattered manacles on the floor.

60 2 gummi bear marines  guarding the entrance to room 61

61  the way home being examined by 3 gummi bear marines

Room is full of gelignite

62 Giant Collecting centipede. A pile of its eggs obscure the door to the north. Two walkman containing the Queen's true name are hidden under the pile.

63 Full of slippers collected by a giant Collecting centipede

64 Well, rusty water.

Dead adventurers. Burned spellbook. Partially accurate formula for Summon Djinni remains. Failed int check indicates Summon Jenny

65 Door to north opens easily, door to east seems old and stuck.

66 the gentleman trash compactor room.  clean-up droids throws organic waste into this room.. Thethe gentleman trash compactor covers the entire room, including the wall, obscuring the locked, unpickable secret door there.

67 -Cookie Monster. It knows all about the William Shakespeare, which is why the William Shakespeare has had
clean-up droids wall it up in a secret chamber. William Shakespeare keeps it alive to find out who sent them here

68 Murals, int check to read, glyphs and pictograms seem to refer to helium and pure love

69- Empty or stairs to surface/next level

70 Quiet room.

71 Prison Contains d10+10 victims of the Queen of the Big Wheel. A variety of sentient species
are represented as well as a few celebrated & high-level missing persons.

72 Door is large, impressive and locked. Picking is at half chance.

73 Throne room of King/Queen of Atlanteans . Long dead Atlanteans

74  pyramid crystals guarded by soul-stealing prism

75 Beelzebub It has been trapped here by a mystic seal on the secret door by the William Shakespeare and seeks revenge.

76 Clearly a room once built by the Atlanteans culture.

77 Contains various instruments of cryptography

78 Disused cryptography room. the Queen of the Big Wheel was having experiments conducted until capture of the Candy-Floss Prince made them unnecessary.

leapoard men assassin seeking the Candy-Floss Prince

79 Disused cryptography room d4 scamp rats

80 Disused cryptography room Blood, remains of scamp rats

81 d8 scamp rats

82 Statue of the Almighty Ronald McDonald

83 d10 gummi bear marines plus Mr Cramps, the sock warden

84 the Queen of the Big Wheel d4 fanatic big wheel attendants a loose screw sets the whole wheel tumbling down experimenting with pure love. Huge dead baby unicorn conceals secret door.

85 Cage containing mechanical model of universe, rotating planets into proper position for the day opens secret door in room 31, rotating them onto the Queen of the Big Wheel 's birthday opens secret door in room 32

86  Pool of olive oil

87 the Candy-Floss Prince just escaped, hiding from the assassin in room 78.

-missing front horse legs from mosaic in room 3

88 Walls carved with scenes dedicated to the Almighty Ronald McDonald depicting members of the following professions: waiter coiffeur astronaut--all kneeling

Careful inspection reveals that carving is not wholly original and the figures have been repurposed. There is a monster with a huge mouth where the secret door to 73-76 is.

New Spell: Raise Petty God

Gorgonmilk has offered to take the Petty Gods mantle and get this thing finished.

Anyone who contributed content / art, see here!

Ix Booklets

Got my players' booklets for the Ix / Dying Sun campaign finished and printed out. I'm pleased with the result -- a very fun little project!

The first is a guide to the setting, character creation, house rules and additional equipment.

The second is the supplement to add psionics rules (including 2 psionicist classes) to Labyrinth Lord.

Now I just need to get hold of a long-arm stapler!

Alternative Use of Charisma: Allies & Enemies

A small house rule which I've been using in a slightly modified form in my recent Victorian horror campaign (which reached an unexpectedly explosive conclusion this week).

This rule works especially well for campaigns which are somewhat story-oriented (in that the PCs are involved in a fair amount of town based activity, and interaction with various NPCs and factions plays an important role), and campaigns where little or no use of the standard D&D henchmen rules occurs. Personally I've found that the henchmen rules are virtually never used in campaigns I run, so I thought it'd be good to come up with some alternative use of the Charisma stat (in addition to its role as a modifier to reaction rolls, of course).

Here's what I thought:

Using the standard B/X ability modifiers (3 = -3, 4-5 = -2, 6-8 = -1, 13-15 = +1, 16-17 = +2, 18 = +3), pluses in the Charisma stat mean that the character has a useful contact or ally, while minuses mean the character has an enemy.

Of course, the exact role these allies/enemies play in the campaign, and how much impact they have is up to the DM.

In the Victorian campaign we were just using the allies rule, which worked out really well. It occurred to me yesterday that the rule could be mirrored to give enemies to PCs with low CHA.