Feed aggregator

 Exploring the depths beneath a decaying city requires a mix of environmental hazards, weird sorcery, and gritty martial threats. This table is designed with an OSR (Old School Renaissance) sensibility, favoring traditional mechanics and a "Dying Earth" or Sword & Sorcery atmosphere.This blog post picks right up from Detail d100 Sword & Sorcery Random back alley encounters For Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

The post Video of the Day – Doctor Who: World War Three, 2005 appeared first on Blogtor Who.

I've been plugging away at the Army Ants Companion (a living document you can access at any time) for the Army Ants RPG, and I've made a few tweaks to the game. One tweak I've made is in regards to soaking damage; I had borrowed the 'save for half damage' mechanic that is embedded into the heart of my little D+D design hangups. I've swapped that out for rolling Reflex to soak damage from grenades and areas of effect. This opens me up for a variety of other attack types, linking each type to a trait. For example, sensory damage now gets soaked by Spirit, and poisons/toxins get soaked by Body. Mental attacks get soaked by Mind. I like the variety of play options that this opens up.
I also think I've settled on a 'look' for the Army Ants. I'd been giving them heavier grays in their uniforms, but this Phil design feels a little lighter and more attuned with how I want the look to carry. 

This year’s Big Finish Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trip Opportunity focuses on the First Doctor

The Big Finish Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trip Opportunity honours the memory of a stalwart of the Big Finish production office who passed away suddenly on 8 May 2014. Each year it finds a new talent to write a Doctor Who short story for release at Christmas. And this year, the topic is The First Doctor. The competition runs for five weeks, starting on the 8th of May and closing in the middle of June.

Big Finish’s Executive Producer Nicholas Briggs said: “It’s always a special time to remember our dear friend Paul. It’s particularly exciting for me this year as we’re focussing on the First Doctor, who has been something of a passion of mine recently. Can’t wait to read the story submissions for this!”

Range producer Peter Anghelides said: “In the ten years since we launched this memorial competition, we’ve never had a winning story featuring the First Doctor. This is the year we’re changing that.

“We want to read your proposal for a standalone Short Trip with a brand new idea that showcases him in a short story for a single reader that we’ll publish at the end of this year.

“Your story will be inspired by the character of the First Doctor as we saw him on TV. It’s an era when each story naturally offered a new perspective on the continuing series – so we want your proposal to demonstrate that kind of originality and inventiveness. What fresh characters, adversaries, locations, concepts and perspectives can you devise for a compelling short story?”

In addition to naming a winner, Big Finish will also identify a shortlist of commendations. “In recent competitions, the standard of entries has been wonderful,” said Peter Anghelides. “Although we will have only one winner, we thought it appropriate this year to name and commend other strong contenders.”

You can find more details, including the official submission guidelines, on the Big Finish website.

 

The post Big Finish’s New Writer Competition 2026 appeared first on Blogtor Who.

 In the Victorious RPG, where Victorian-era aesthetics meet superheroic action, a character like Reverb fits perfectly as a "dimensional dandy" or a cosmic traveler grounded in 19th-century theories of the luminiferous ether.Here is a profile for Reverb, designed for the Victorian supersetting.Hero Profile: ReverbSecret Identity: Alistair ThorneArchetype: Astral Traveler / Sound Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

Art by Guy Wurley
The ramshackle boomtown called Salvage by its inhabitants and the Scrapyard by outsiders is built amid the fallen combatants of an ancient battle. The colossi are named for their color. Red Knight lies on its back, reaching for a sword that is out of reach. Blue Knight fell forward. Its weapon is long gone, but one hand is raised. The plains have made half-hearted attempts to reclaim the giants, and the knives of time have marked them, but they remain, tempting those interested in making a quick fortune or simply curious about their enigma. The colossi are unusual treasure troves, or above ground mines, made as they are from rare materials and magitechnologies unreproducible in the current age. 
All the prospectors, adventurers, scholars, and thieves looking to claim their own piece of the colossi, and the merchants, dealers, entertainers, and bandits looking to get rich off them, crowd into haphazard buildings constructed along and amid the fallen giants. It's a dangerous place. There is no law in Salvage and plenty of desperate characters. Guns are more common that elsewhere given the relative abundance of both artificers and the raw magitech materials.
The danger isn't just from the inhabitants. There are caustic fluids, poison gases, and other environmental hazards to be sure, but also the colossi are not as dead as they appear. They haven't moved in ages, but not all of their internal parts have been stilled like their limbs. Component constructs, perhaps something like immune system elements, sometimes react violently to scavengers crawling through a colossus's insides. Some grow independent and feral and prowl outside the bodies as if their look for prey or raw materials to affect repairs.

 Setting a campaign in the Belle Époque (roughly 1871–1914) using the Victorious RPG system—and specifically integrating the Red RPG (The Red Book) mechanics—creates a unique blend of superheroic "Steampunk" and gritty, high-stakes tactical play.Here is how you can detail and merge these two influences for a campaign.1. The Setting: The Beautiful EraThe Belle Époque was a period of optimism,Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

Let me start by saying that I blame Michael (aka the Stargazer) for this! He recently started writing about the original Alternity game here and here, and it made me so nostalgic that I began digging through the files for my old campaign. That is where I found the topic for this post. Let me give you some context.

It was 1998. Alternity had been published earlier that year by TSR (which Wizards of the Coast had already purchased). I was obsessed with it. I wanted to run a campaign in a setting I had originally conceived around 1990 and had been tinkering with over the years: the Nirvani Alliance. Alternity felt like the perfect system for it, so I started adapting the rules for the campaign.

In September, I was busy planning my upcoming wedding, which was just three months away. Then, Hurricane Georges hit Puerto Rico! We lost power for days, so I spent nights by flashlight and candlelight, writing the campaign material discussed in this post.

What I wrote were the Alternity system rules for a mystic order of armored religious knights, inspired by various classic sci-fi influences. I eventually typed up the pages and showed them to my players. Naturally, none of them wanted to play one of the knights, so I shelved the rules and didn’t work on them any further.

Below are the rules, written 28 years ago, for an out-of-print game I still deeply love! I made no changes to the mechanics. I cleaned up the text, fixed some grammar, and made a few tweaks for clarity. This is not a professionally written or edited piece; it is a slice of house rules from my old Alternity campaign. I am sharing them purely for nostalgia’s sake, and I hope someone finds them useful.

This post includes an introduction and summary of concepts, rules, and ideas. At the end, you’ll find a link to the Alternity Indomitable Order Rules, an 11-page PDF with detailed information on this Order of warrior-knights. Don’t judge me too harshly, I wrote this almost 30 years ago!

The Age of the Nirvani

Of all the races inhabiting Alliance space, the Nirvani are the only ones not native to this galaxy. Even their name was a gift from the Keriani, who encountered them as they fled the forces of the TukNi-Amak puppet government. These refugees, who called themselves “humans,” claimed to hail from a distant galaxy decimated by a devastating plague.

The Keriani—whose name translates as “born from the womb of Ker”—named the newcomers Nirvani, or “born of no womb”. Though they arrived in the middle of a great interstellar war, the Nirvani were ready to start anew, and their arrival signaled a new order for the galaxy.

The Indomitable Order

The Knights of the Indomitable Order serve as the warrior sect of the Church of the Celestial Canticle. The Order traces its legacy to the foundation of the Alliance and the liberation campaign led by Lord Sparrowhawk. Selected by The Ever Present as a sword of vengeance, Sparrowhawk identified twenty-three soldiers of great faith—the Enlightened, or Saints of War—and bestowed upon them his wisdom and power.

These Enlightened formed the Bloodlines, passing their knowledge and unique abilities to subsequent generations. In modern times, the Order remains the Church’s premier fighting branch, though its influence has waned. Today’s knights survive by breeding strictly within the Bloodlines to retain their diluted, yet still formidable, birthright.

Life as an Indomitable

A member of the Order is born, not chosen. They serve as guardians, fighters, and symbols of the Church’s power. Those who abandon their destiny are branded Fallen, stripped of their heritage through an excruciating process involving power-inhibiting nanites. Those who openly rebel become Renegades, hunted down as enemies of the faith.

The Major Bloodlines

Each group within the Order has its own outlook and specialized abilities:

• The Sisterhood of Heimdal: Traditionalists and keepers of records who use “Bloodsense” to identify a newborn’s destiny. In Alternity terms, they possess the Enhanced Sense mutation.
• Bloodline Gilgamesh: The highly militaristic ground troopers. They receive a +1 to their STR score and a +3 to their Wound rating.
• Bloodline Zeus: Known as the “Scions of Thunder,” these warriors can manifest an Electrical Aura to damage enemies.
• The Conclave of Ra: Progressive tacticians who possess a variation of Energy Absorption, allowing them to turn light into energy.
• The Icarians: Independent and reclusive, these members have an improved DEX score and the Adaptation Gravity (light gravity) power.
• The Fellowship of the Jesesites: The only ordained Bloodline within the Church. They are healers who possess the Enhanced Healing power, though using it on others can cause them to suffer physical strain.

Relics of the Order

For players navigating the Alternity system, the Order’s equipment provides significant tactical advantages:

• Rune & Relic Armor: These suits are powered by the hero’s own bio-field. While wearing them, the specific powers of each Bloodline are augmented—for example, a Jesesite gains Hyper Healing, while an Icarian gains the ability to fly.
• Star Swords: Members of the Order receive a -1 step bonus to their Melee Weapons—Powered weapons skill base situation die when wielding these blades. They can even parry energy attacks.
• The Indomitable Ancestry Perk: A new 3-point Perk that allows a normal Nirvani hero to use Rune or Relic armor, though it costs them fatigue points to do so.

The life of the Indomitable is one of pride and strict adherence to the faith. Whether you are a dedicated soldier of the Church or a Renegade running from your heritage, you are “the chosen among the chosen”.

Want to dive into the mechanics? Check out this file: Alternity Indomitable Order Rules, for my complete notes on the Indomitable Order using the Alternity rules.

Are you ready to wield a Star Sword in your next session? Let me know which Bloodline fits your playstyle!

Writing and reviewing this document really stirred up my nostalgia for the game and for the campaign setting. I hope you find the Indomitable Order concept and its mechanics interesting. Let me know what you think of the application of the Alternity rules, the lore, or the campaign itself.

Would you be interested in reading more about the concepts or the Nirvani Alliance? I’m really looking forward to your comments!

The post Video of the Day – Victoria Season 2, 2017 appeared first on Blogtor Who.

The Cheery Cherry Booties are a quick, beginner-friendly project that adds a playful pop of summer style and charm to any little outfit. With their simple stitches and adorable cherry details, they are designed to fit babies 0-6 mths. These booties come together quickly and make a thoughtful, handmade gift - now free on Moogly! […]

The post Cheery Cherry Booties appeared first on moogly. Please visit www.mooglyblog.com for this post.

3

I have especially fond memories of Lois Lane’s brief career as Elastic Lass. In Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane 23 (Feb. 1961), the intrepid reporter decides she needs an edge…

The post JUST IMAGINE! February 1961: The Flexible Feats of Lois Lane appeared first on First Comics News.

Here we go, another post on the Substack. I think I can claim that I'm back at it. There are already two new essays lined up, and I'm aiming at one a week with one of those for those who have also subscribed. I can say one more thing: people are seeing the posts and it gets Likes, which is far and beyond of what blogger is offering. Good. Anyway, check out my new essay:

[link]

Excerpt:

Sometimes I just get hit by a topic. This is one of those times. You know how some issues will just not stop returning into the general discussion how a thing is done or not? The performative aspect of that aside (which has gotten worse, tbh, but it’s just a phase), it may be an indicator that something is either not understood properly or (and?) that an idea really needs looking into. Immersion is one of those.

What we agree upon is not what we think.

There is a new kind of meme going viral just now where someone takes music videos of famous bands and replaces the music and singing with just squeaky shoes and grunting. It’s unbearable (and funny, to a degree), but it manages to point something out that we tend to forget: many of the visual media we look at need something as abstract as music to even allow immersion. It’s not just what we see, it’s the combination of seeing and hearing that may create the kind of trance we need to lose ourselves in what we see.

Language can be, in that sense, like music and entrance a listener just the same (and that will be important later on). That is mostly due to the fact that we are reduced to seeing and listening with visual media. Many are not aware that those are skills we learn, actually.

It is hard to tell if allowing that kind of immersion for playing video games (which has an active part, of course) needs the training we naturally receive for growing up with visual media. But assuming that you need some proficiency in how moving pictures work before you could play something like Quake seems to be evident. Just give your grandma a controller and see how she’ll fare.

Anyway, the base line here are two factors: rhythm and the skill to interpret it towards an experience. That’s a good start, but not the whole picture, because we need to know the frame of what we explore, too. In other words, the experience needs to pose a question we need to be able to understand in order to work our way along the rhythm towards an answer.

Very broadly speaking, that question needs to be rooted in our understanding of reality. Specifically speaking, if the question leading into an experience is based on a compromise we can agree upon, then we are more willing to leave that base towards where the experience is leading to (which is why playing a character helps along the way so easily).

Read on ...

 

That guy Joshua Williamson gets around! He’s writing the current Iron Man ongoing for Marvel, and he’s adding a new Legion of Super Heroes comic to his DC work very…

The post WAYNE’S WORLDS: The Legion Returns! appeared first on First Comics News.

The latest Gamdom promo code is “GAMBLE100”, designed to give new players an immediate advantage from the moment they join. By activating this code during registration, you can secure 15%…

The post Gamdom Promo Code “GAMBLE100”: Unlock 15% Instant Rakeback for Your First 7 Days appeared first on First Comics News.

The post Video of the Day – Doctor Who Confidential, 2006 appeared first on Blogtor Who.

Over the weekend at MagicCon: Las Vegas, some exciting news on upcoming sets was announced! MagicCon took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, from Friday, May 1, through May…

The post Magic: The Gathering – MagicCon: Las Vegas ’26 Preview Panel Recap appeared first on First Comics News.

 When it comes to exploration-heavy campaigns, the best modules are those that provide a solid "sand-box" environment—giving the players a destination but leaving the "how" and "where" of the journey entirely up to them.Here are the quintessential classic modules for a campaign focused on discovery and hex-crawling.1. B2: The Keep on the BorderlandsThis is the gold standard for introductory Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

The 8th issue of the Stalwart Phile is now posted. It focuses on the Null Zone, presenting a few creatures who come from it. As you can see, I've done some housekeeping here on ye old blog. I've also done some updates to the Doc Stalwart Comic Database, and added a bit to the Resources tab for Stalwart '85. 

Danhausen and Joe Hendry distracted the brother enforcers with a curse and a song enabling them to get hit with a nasty shot by Mae Ling. A single promethean bullet ended the lives  of  The Crimsiki Brothers (Anton & Viktor) shot by the  assassin Mae Ling.  This session picks right up from The Ghost of Hong Kong by Steve Miller Pulp Hero and the Trail to SanNeedleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

KING DRACULA #4 OF 4 AVAILABLE 05.13.26 With Dracula sacrificed, the Vampire God rises, wreaking mayhem wherever it touches. And the Vampire Lords who helped bring it to life realize…

The post Get Ready for the Thrilling King Dracula #4 Preview appeared first on First Comics News.