Halls of the Nephilim

Wasted in the second adventure from Tim Snider (of The Savage Afterworld) for his Country Meat-Grinder Classics line. You can read my review of the first adventure, The Hellson Horror, here. Wasted is a 15 page, 1st level adventure for DCC RPG. For those unfamiliar with Country Meat-Grinder Classics, it's a "hicksploitation" horror setting. You can use it as it's own setting, 1930's Appalachia cut off from "proper" society, or use it with little to no change in Shudder Mountains, Weird Frontiers, or my own Portsmaw setting. 

The plot centers around an annual village celebration. Unfortunately for the village, a mysterious contamination has decimated corn crops, causing those that eat it to turn violent. Like shiner, Patrick Dalton, swiped some of the contaminated corn before it could be destroyed. The corn, mixed with shine formula, has created doomshine. This toxic brew kills and re-animates those that drink. Dalton found he could controls these un-dead and has dubbed himself the Doombrewer. He now plans to take over the town with his brew and rule with an un-dead army.

The adventure has a great set-up and fun plot. There are a few different kinds of encounters. The party fight contaminated deer, un-dead townsfolk, the Doombrewer, and a horrific boss monster (that I won't spoil). In addition, there are several activities they can participate in before things go to hell. Tim's created some simple but fun rules carnival/festival events. Who knew I needed rules for a greased pig contest? Finally there is a new "liquid courage" rule that really fits the setting and gives some pseudo healing options for the primarily non-magical (at least as far as pc's go) setting. These work for Country Meat-Grinder Classics, but would fit really well in a standard DCC game.

If you can't tell, I really like this adventure. Unfortunately for folks that didn't order it yesterday, it is currently sold out. Tim periodically restocks his Etsy shop so check in every now and then if you want your own print copy. You can grab the pdf here.

Wide-Eyed Terror is a DCC roadside encounter by Breaker Press. Designed for 12-16 0-level characters or 4-6 1st level characters. Taking place at a semi-isolated farmhouse, the adventure can be used with or without the publisher's The Precipice of Corruption adventure, which can be supplemented by their fantastic Tome of Debasement zine. The encounters introduce Nolids and the canid companions, mutilated cultists of Gorrsecck the Lidless. These horrific fiends have set themselves upon a farmhouse. The players will explore the aftermath of their raid, help the survivors, and slay some evil. There are a few buildings to explore in this short adventure/extended encounter. 

Here we go again!

The first prompt for this year's RPG a Day is scenario. I've decided to talk about my favorite adventure I've ran and the adventure I'm most excited  to run one of these days. 

Of all the adventures I've ran, Daniel Bishop's The Arwich Grinder is my favorite. Presented in Crawl #9, this horror adventure is a 0-level funnel. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's a creepy Lovecraftian affair that involves a lot nastiness and an old farm. While it definitely fits in with the New England Lovecraft Country vibe, I've found with a little spin it also works really well with Shudder Mountains Appalachian style gaming. I've ran the adventure twice. The first time I ran it for my friends Josh and Stew. You can read my notes about that session here. Surprisingly the last time I ran it, there were zero player casualties.  If you play DCC, you need to get a copy of this one.

Of the many adventures I own, but have never ran, An Occurrence at Howling Crater is the one I love the most and the one I'm most excited to run. Planet X Games produce amazing books. It's just a fact. Howling Crater is one of the many gems they've released. It's grindhouse hillbilly terror mixed with robuts and retro sci-fi glory. I understand the over the top and genre-bending nature of the adventure might not make it everyone's cup of tea, but by the gods it's definitely someone's jug of irradiated moonshine. The adventure is written for 5e, but could be adapted to several different swords and magic games. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up too. 

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One down, thirty more to go.

The Hellson Horror is the first in (hopefully) Tim Snider's new line of "hicksploitation" DCC adventures. His vision of Country Meat-Grinder Classics is 1930's Appalachian-like area cut off from "proper" civilization and in a perpetual backwoods tech, knowledge, and society. Guns and cars/trucks exist but aren't reliable.  Folk magic and superstition are common, but powerful stuff is the stuff or demonic bargains and dark witches. That being said, this can definitely be adapted to The Shudder Mountains, Weird Frontiers, or my Portsmaw setting. 

This adventure is for a group of 2nd level characters. Years ago a wealthy family came to the aid of starving locals. Unfortunately this depleted what they had and they couldn't keep up. The matron of the family made an infernal bargain and all were saved. Unfortunately a year ago the payment came due and now they most feed folks to a monstrous creature. The party get involved with their cousin Vinny goes missing on a hunting trip.

Tim has done a fantastic job with this one. I love the Hellsons and he's done a great job coming up with creepy features for the family. With just a sentence or two per family member, he's made them all fall unique. The devil-sows and Hawgziller are great foes too. Finally, as someone that grew up in Appalachia, I appreciate his use of polecat. 

If you want to add a taste of Appalachia to your game, grab a copy here. Below I've listed a few things I'd do to customize the adventure to some compatible settings. 

 

Silver John artwork by Stephen Hickman

Secret Antiquities is a weird historical supplement series written by the amazing Michael Curtis. It is esoteric America at its finest. The supplement would be great for any DCC game set in America, such as Black Powder, Black Magic or Dark Trails. It could even work with Umerica.

You can get issue 1 here. Issue 1 focuses primarily on the patrons of the setting. The patrons are a bit different than standard DCC patrons. There power is also based on belief, which will draw obvious comparisons to American Gods. They have the following traits:

• Manifestation - When did the patron first appear in America?
• Status - Is the patron still active in 21st century America?
• Alignment - Unlike typically DCC patrons, the patrons of Esoteric America only strike deals with those of similar beliefs (though exceptions are made).
• Demands - What must the wizard do to repay their patron for the powers granted?
• Other Campaign Settings - Not using a mystical version of America? These patrons can be used in other games.

• Uncle Sam - The American Dream, his patron taint can literally make you bleed red, white, and blue. His spells are Pledge of Allegiance, Rockets' Red Glare, and Uncle Sam's Magical Champions
• The Anti-Sam - The antithesis of Uncle Sam, the Anti-Sam represents the American Nightmare. His spells include Classified Information, Biological Warfare, and Accidental Death. 
• The Old Man of the Mountain (aka The Great Stone Face) - This ancient spirit is the patron of the land and knowledge. His spells include Stone Ward, Endurance of the Mountain, and Lucky Stone.
• Stagger Lee (aka Stackalee, Stack-o-Lee, or Stagolee) - This is the patron saint of badasses that get in trouble. His spells include Dirty Shooting, Hell is Home, and Make the Mojo Hat.
• The Dead Rock Star - This spirit of fame and excess goes by many names and has been active in America since the 50's. It's spells include Stage Presence, Summon the Fan Eternal, and Marshall Power.

• Emperor Norton I - The eccentric Emperor of United States and Protector of Mexico has become the patron of the benevolently mad and those enslaved by circumstance.
• Mrs. O'Leary's Cow - While the cow didn't actually cause the fire and it was a scapegoat for lots of bad things (like discrimination against the Irish) the cow has become the patron of arsonists. 

This is a unique, but fascinating DCC supplement. I love Michael's forward. America can be a great fantasy setting. Still, if you're not playing in America, the patrons are still quite useful. The Old Man of the Mountain would make a great patron for a Shudder Mountains or Portsmaw game. Personally my favorite is Stagger Lee (who I first discovered in Larger Than Life). Emperor Norton (also featured in Larger Than Life) and Mrs. O'Leary's Cow are also really great patrons. I'd love to see full patron write-ups for them.

This is a great first outing for a series. I recommend it to anyone that wants something new or is using a version of America for their DCC game. Michael has recently mentioned on Facebook that he has more plans for the series and will return to it once he's finished with DCC Lankhmar.

You can grab your Corn Whiskey Western Themed D6's from Black Oak Workshop here.

Portsmaw is often on my mind. I know I just need to set and write it. The setting is pretty fleshed out in my head. The thing I keep getting caught up on is what system I want to write it for. Originally it was an April A-Z Blog Challenge idea and was created for Swords & Wizardry Light. I liked the idea that anyone could use it with free rules. Earlier this year I toyed with doing that and 5th edition D&D. I think both could do it justice.

However, since Origins my mind has went in yet another direction. I think the weirdness I envision for Portsmaw would be great for Dungeon Crawl Classics. There's also a precedent for this. The Chained Coffin by Michael Curtis was a big inspiration. My thoughts are Portsmaw will be a standalone setting, but could also be placed right beside the Shudder Mountains and fit perfectly.

Thoughts and comments?

If you're taking a trip over yonder to the Shudder Mountains, I have some more music to recommend. The bluegrass group, Iron Horse, has two Metallica cover albums and both are fantastic. I realize it might not be for everyone, but if you want something a little different, check them out. 

I think Dungeon Crawl Classics #83: The Chained Coffin is my favorite D&D adventure. Yes, I know it's technically Dungeon Crawl Classics, but it's all D&D to me. I haven't actually ran the adventure for DCC, but I did run it using 5th edition.

More than just an adventure, it's a setting. Well it is, if you have the boxed set. I most definitely do.  I also have Dungeon Crawl Classics #83.1 Tales of the Shudder Mountains  and I'm excited that Dungeon Crawl Classics #83.2 Death Among the Pines is coming out at Gen-Con.

There's just something about Appalachian D&D that appeals to me. I want the setting, the Shudder Mountains, to be a part of more games I run. I've always had a healthy respect for mountain culture (though I can't stand modern redneck culture) and my family was a part of that just a few generations ago.

In anticipation of picking up DCC 83.2 I've decided to read of the Shudder Mountains material again. I like to listen to music while reading so I've decided to share my Shudder Mountains mix.

Today's post was inspired by the book I'm reading The Best of Joe R. Lansdale. It's also not my first Bubba Ho-Tep-related post. I statted out the King for Cinematic Unisystem. Stat-wise Bubba isn't anything that new. He's a slightly toned down version of the mummy in the core DCC book. However, he doesn't have mummy rot, instead he drains souls.

Bubba Ho-Tep

While he's not a native to the Shudder Mountains, the mummy known as Bubba Ho-Tep now calls those rustic mountains home. The creature and its sarcophagus were stolen by thieves from an eccentric collector. The thieves met their end during one of the flash floods that regularly occur in the valleys of the Shudder Mountains. The mummy escaped the mud and its coffin and began preying on the shudfolk (and strangely dressing like them). The slow and shambling creature prefers to prey on the elderly and infirm.

Init -2, Atk choke +5 melee (1d4/2d4/3d4/ etc. and soul suck); AC 11; HD 6d6+6; MV 15'; Act 1d20; SP damage reduction 5, soul suck, vulnerable to fire, un-dead traits;  SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +10; AL C

Bubba Ho-Tep can suck the souls from any sleeping creature. He sucks the souls from the creature's anus. For every round of soul sucking, the target loses one level.

Two weeks ago I picked up three new Dungeon Crawl Classics adventures from Dungeon Dwellers in Portsmouth, Ohio.


DCC #81: The One Who Watches Below is the winner of Goodman Games 2012 Mystery Dungeon contest. It's a 1st level adventure that involves mystical eyeballs, curses, and a confrontation with an ancient power. This adventure is one of the most creative I've read in a long time.

DCC # 78: Fate's Fell Hand is another really creative 2nd level adventure. The characters are sucked into a pocket plane and forced to take part in a magical duel between three archmages. There's a fun tarot vibe to the adventure.

DCC #71: The 13th Skull is a 4th level adventure written by the big guy himself, Joseph Goodman. It's a classic adventure that probably doesn't have a happy ending. There's also a 2nd level one shot. I particularly liked the one shot because it has succubus stats.

The last DCC thing I wanted to mention is I've found a perfect mini for the Chained Coffin. DCC adventures don't need minis, but I thought it'd be fun to use them in a few instances. The Deathgrasp Sarcophogus from Demonweb D&D miniatures set is perfect.

Maybe one of these days I'll get to run some DCC. I've thought about posting something on the game boards at a few local shops.

Boxed set with awesome cover

Silver Foil cover version of adventure (and mini adventure)

Player handout of puzzle with movable pieces.

Level 0 and level 3 adventure set in Shudder Mountains setting.

Companion which features new magic and monsters as well as an Almanac detailing the region.

Physical map of the Shudder Mountain region

I've not had time to delve deep in the material, but what I've read is quality stuff. I'm thinking about placing the Shudder Mountains somewhere in the Spine of the World in Faerun and sending my players their in my 5E game.

As I've previously mentioned, Goodman Game's The Chained Coffin Kickstarter sounds really cool. I won't talk about what the adventure is about (as I've already done that), just want to mention the status of the Kickstarter and the cool additions.

For pledges of 30 dollars or more the adventure has become a boxed set! You get a foil version of The Chained Coffin (and mini-adventure The Rat King's River of Death), and spinning wheel. In addition, there will be a 24 page Almanac of the Shudder Mountains region. This will include a  patron write-up for Ol' Blackloak (an encounter in the adventure), 7 alternate versions of the Bad Lick Beast (the cool looking critter on the adventure's cover), several pages of additional random encounters that can be used during the adventure,  magic of the region, and a bestiary. You can see an outline of the gazetteer here.

There will also be a 0-level funnel adventure set in the Shudder Mountains and another adventure that will bridge the funnel to The Chained Coffin.

The project has a little of two days left and two stretch goals. The next will add 8 additional pages of content to the gazetteer and the last will add a map (which would be really cool to have).

While it doesn't match the old school artwork of DCC, I think the picture I've included with this post sums up the awesomeness that could happen from taking part in this Appalachian inspired adventure. If you need further persuasion to give this project a look, I think this awesome banjo cover of Slayer's Raining Blood will get you in the proper mindset.

Negotiating with Ol' Blackcloak

Reading the description of the adventure has me excited. It's inspired by the Manly Wade Wellman Silver John Books. While I grew up in Ohio, the area is part of the Appalachian region and near West Virginia and Kentucky. This adventure is drawing from folklore and culture that I'm quite familiar with (and have a wonderful love/hate relationship with).

The projected has already been funded and met it's first stretch goal.  That means there will be addition sourcebook material for the Shudder Mountain region written by the author. Ol' Blackcloak (an encounter in the adventure) will also be given a patron writeup. I really hope it reaches the $9000 mark because I would love to see alternate write-ups of the featured monster, the Bad Lick Beast.


The book will also include a mini adventure that features the Rat King, an npc that appeared in the first Dungeon Crawl Classic adventure.

DCC is one of those games I've never got to play but I absolutely love. If you have a little extra cash and would like to see a fantasy adventure that's a departure from the norm, you should check this one out.