Now available from DrivethruRPG is "People, Plots and Places of the Wild West: The Lost Cache of Killer O'Bannon."
-Nate
People, Plots and Places of the Wild West: The Lost Cache of Killer O'Bannon
This six-page scenario, for use with the Savage Worlds RPG, presents clues that lead to a cache of loot taken during battles in Kansas and Missouri before the Civil War. It is written for a party of Novice characters, but can be adapted to challenge more experienced groups as well.
I don't play video games myself, but I am familiar with this franchise because A) I have friends who loved it; and B) I watched the first two movies based off of it. It was a surprise to me that this series is not only in development but ready for release, and I am intrigued.
This short PDF presents a mysterious location to explore, an Elizabethan-era sailing ship that is frozen in an iceberg. It includes deck plans and descriptions for the vessel, a bit of history, guidelines for exploring it, and a magical text for use with the Savage Worlds RPG and Treasure Hunter Adventures. It is intended to help celebrate #SWAGtember.
-Nate
#SWAGtember
Now available on DrivethruRPG, this supplement presents five locations in which Spelljammer crews might need to dock; for each location there are maps and descriptions, suggestions for inhabitants and plot hooks.
Captain Quin's Logbook: Frontier Ports of Call
I've been working on this supplement for a while, using maps that I drew for Star Wars RPG scenarios and retooling them for use in Spelljammer adventures. The post below is a preview for the Oasis.
-Nate
Desert Oasis
This large structure, built from dried clay bricks, is relatively simple in nature but impressive in its achievements. It consists of a dozen landing bays (see below), which can be left with floors of packed earth or flooded for landings on water, depending on the needs of incoming vessels. Double doors on two sides provide access for people who are coming and going, and in the middle there is a large open area that serves as a campground and a marketplace. Vendors come from all around to sell their wares; some set up semi-permanent stands, while others just pitch tents or roll out carpets. In the middle of all that are two other buildings, a cantina and a warehouse. All around the outside of the structure are fruit trees and fields of crops, which are irrigated by the overflow of water from the Oasis. In that way, it serves as a small hub for agriculture in addition to being a starport.
The cantina is pretty typical of its type around various Wildspace systems. Inside the front doors is a broad, open room (1) filled with tables and chairs. There is a bar lined with stools against the back wall. Behind the wall a door leads back to the kitchen (2); off of that is the storage room (3). There are two private rooms (4) in the corners, available at extra cost. Similarly, the warehouse consists of a loading dock (1) which, along with big double doors, leads into a broad, tall room filled with storage shelves (2).
Broad double doors (1) provide access to the landing bays. Each one has a broad central pit that is 140 feet in diameter (2) in which ships can land. As mentioned above, the sandy floor can be left dry, or the pit can be partially flooded with water to allow water landings. Three doors lead from each bay into the other rooms. One is a bunkroom (3), with beds along the outside walls, a table and chairs in the middle, and shelves for personal belongings. Another is the kitchen (4), with more tables and chairs, a broad table for preparing food, a hearth on the outside wall, and cupboards that hold pots and pans and other implements. Finally there is a room (5) with a well, two privies, and tubs for taking baths. This is pretty luxurious by frontier spaceport standards.
Location
This frontier port is a natural fit in any location that has a hot, dry climate. On Toril, that means the Calim Desert, the Haunted Lands or Anauroch. Oerth has the Bright Desert, and Krynn has the Plains of Dust. When it comes to more obscure worlds, the planet Ashen in Pyrespace could be a good fit.
Inhabitants
Detailed below are some of the major inhabitants of the Oasis.
The proprietor of the Oasis is Ennu Talik (use the Tribal Shaman variant of the Druid stats from page 346 of the DMG). During her explorations she found a decanter of endless water and realized the potential it had for creating an oasis such as this. While some of her fellows balked at the idea of settling down permanently, others recognized the comforts that could come from such stability.
Ennu is assisted by a dozen Tribal Warriors (DMG page 350) who keep the peace and assist visitors as needed. They dwell at the Oasis permanently, and are related to a tribe that lives in the area. When tribe members visitors arrive to trade for goods, they camp out in the landing bay occupied by this group.
Nilo is a retired githyanki buccaneer (BAM page 27) who runs the cantina and warehouse. He once sailed throughout Wildspace on a spelljamming ship, but was smitten by Ennu. Using his spoils from a recent adventure, he offered to build the cantina and warehouse in order to create more business. What he did not expect was to fall in love and give up his peregrinations forever.
Kassandra is a dryad (MM page 121) who dwells in the orchard that surrounds the Oasis. Her spirit was bound to one of the trees here by a powerful fey who thought it was a punishment. Instead, she has come to enjoy dwelling in this place, caring for the plants and animals and meeting the many travelers who pass through it.
Zurn is a plasmoid who, through easy living and casual theft, has grown into a boss (BAM page 42). See below for more about the shenanigans that he can cause.
Doing Business
The Oasis serves mainly as a hub for other people's trade. It has food enough for itself, of course, but not much too offer for sale. What it does have is plenty of water, and will fill casks and barrels as part of the docking process. Ennu and her people charge 10 gp per vessel that lands, and 5 sp per day for lodging at the inn. Those who camp out in the central marketplace are charged 1S sp per day.
Plot Hooks
Presented here are just a few of the intriguing developments that could take place in this port of call.
The PCs could be tasked with delivering a cargo of animals—chickens, goats, sheep or even cows—to the Oasis. That, in itself, is enough of a challenge. There could be locals who are opposed to this delivery, however, and that pushes the PCs to deal with them while also protecting the animals in question.
There is a plasmoid boss who lives in the Oasis (see above). In fact, he uses the pipes that connect the landing pits as his own private means of travel, moving from bay to bay to see what he can and take what he wants. The PCs might be one of his victims, or be recruited by another victim to help find the culprit.
This comes to a head when the plasmoid thief finds the decanter of endless water and steals it, then begins to demand money in exchange for keeping the Oasis running.
In times of trouble, the Oasis can serve as a refuge for locals, with its solid walls serving as a fortification.
That becomes important when a tribe of gnolls that lives in the area begins sending representatives to visit. They say they are just interested in peaceful trade, but some worry that they are scouting out the structure and looking for some kind of weakness that they can exploit.
Periodically, some of the tribe members venture out into the wilderness to hunt local game, both as a food source, for entertainment, and as a means of proving one's mettle.
When a sandstorm hits, it drives all of the local inside to take shelter. Some are found to be missing, however, and volunteers are sought to venture into the storm to rescue them.
As part of an origin story, the PCs could be inhabitants of the Oasis who prove their mettle in some kind of adventure here and then are invited to join a spelljammer crew.
For example, they might be recruited by Ennu and her people to help when the crew of a visiting spelljammer vessel turn unruly and start looking for a fight.
In the center of the Oasis, beneath the ground, there is a cistern buried. It is accessible via a trapdoor in the ground between the cantina and the warehouse, with walls built from mud brick in a similar manner to the walls of the compound. From it, four pipes lead out to each of the landing bays. At the mouth of each cluster it branches into three, leading to the wells along with valves that can be opened to flood the pits, to prepare for a vessel that needs to land on water. Finally, on the outside of each landing bay is another valve that can be opened to drain the pit as well as to provide irrigation for trees and crops growing outside.
The cistern itself is a circular chamber accessible via trapdoor and ladder on two sides, with ladders leading downward. On the other two sides of the chamber are pipes by which one can send water out to the landing bays and into the land beyond.
Now available from DrivethruRPG is "People, Plots and Places of the Wild West: Lou's Landing & The Rendezvous."
-Nate
This eight-page PDF includes maps and descriptions for Big Lou's wood hawking business, stats for him and Henri "Renard" LeGris, eleven plot hooks, and a mini-scenario representing the boisterous competitions of the frontier gathering known as The Rendezvous. It is intended for use with Wild West settings using the Savage Worlds RPG.
Lou's Landing & The Rendezvous
Now available from DrivethruRPG is "People, Plots and Places: The Writer."
-Nate
This two-page PDF includes character stats, background information and plot hooks for an itinerant writer. It is intended for use with Wild West settings using the Savage Worlds RPG.
This supplement, now available on DrivethruRPG, is designed for use with the Savage Worlds RPG and the Treasure Hunter Adventures campaign setting. Itprovides a historical overview of the secret organization known as the Invisible College, along with a floor plan and description for a base of operations, stats for members, and numerous plot hooks.
-Nate
OSS Report on the Invisible College
As a second preview of O.S.S. Report on the Invisible College, here are the maps from the supplement. Long-time followers of this blog will notice that I reused the layout for a Shakespearean theater, but added an underground level to it.
-Nate
Upper Levels
Ground Level
Underground Level
This supplement is inspired by the scenarios that I've been running for Con of the North over the past four years. Those adventures have taken place in Poland, England and Germany, and draw upon events from history including World War II. To that end, I wanted to flesh out some of the background for this enigmatic organization.
-Nate
History
For centuries the Invisible College has served as advisors to the kings and queens of Britain.
Henry VIII—Breaking from the Catholic Church
Although the court of King Henry VIII is not widely known for supporting academic or occult pursuits, it did bring about the break between England and the Catholic Church. That is notable for two reasons. First, until that time most of the investigation into supernatural events would have been handled by the clergy, including the Holy College of the Inquisition. Second, the dissolution of the monasteries and the confiscation of their lands, goods and other wealth by the crown, resulting in the King and his associates acquiring countless texts and relics from the Church. Given what is still known to exist in the Vatican's collection of texts and relics, it seems likely that this dissolution yielded an impressive haul.
Edward VI—A Short Reign for a Young King
Henry's son Edward became king in 1547, although the kingdom was actually run by a regency council. It was notable for removing more of the Catholic practices from the new Church of England. Edward died at age fifteen in 1553.
Lady Jane and Mary I—Disputed Claims
Following the death of Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey had a disputed reign that lasted for just nine days, and was followed by that of Mary I, who ruled for five years. Known as “Bloody Mary” among Protestants, Mary's reign saw imprisonment of Protestant leaders and efforts to bring England back to the Catholic Church.
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Elizabeth I—The English Renaissance
The reign of this queen, which lasted from 1558 to 1603, saw a tremendous expansion of scholarship, art and exploration undertaken by England, one that would come to be known as the English Renaissance. In her court, the queen boasted an impressive number of luminaries: the occultist John Dee; artists like William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson and Edmund Spenser; explorers like Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh, John Cabot, John Hawkins and Martin Frobisher; and others. These activities brought in information and goods from around the world, and left behind a rich legacy of art and literature. She led her people in the defeat of the Spanish Armada, too, an attempted invasion of England. This, more than any other time, seems to be the likely starting point for the secret organization known as the Invisible College.
James I and Charles I—Witch Trials and the English Civil War
This period first saw King James VI of Scotland take over the throne of England, too, where he ruled from 1603 to 1625. His reign saw a continuation of the English Renaissance. He also wrote a book called Daemonologie, which delved into the practice of necromancy, other types of divination, and the summoning and binding of demons. Notably, the book endorsed the practice of witch hunting.This monarch initiated the writing of the King James Bible, which translated that book into English for the first time. He also survived an assassination attempt known as the Gunpowder Plot.
The reign of King James in Scotland saw a number of witch trials take place, most notably those that took place in North Berwick (depicted at left). It is not known if the Invisible College approved of these activities or not, but they would continue, even spreading to Salem, Massachusetts in 1692.
James I was succeeded by his son, Charles I, in 1625. His reign is best known for the rising conflict between the royal throne and Parliament, which pitted the notion that monarchs had a divine right to rule with desire by the ministers to keep royal power in check. This eventually led to civil war in 1642, with both sides raising armies to do battle. In the end, Charles I was captured, put on trial for high treason, found guilty, and executed by beheading.
Oliver and Richard Cromwell—Interregnum
Following the execution of King Charles I, the upstart Parliament named Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector of the English Commonwealth—a republic that did not have a monarch. That raises important questions about whether the Invisible College would have continued to work with a usurper, when the purpose of the organization is believed to be advising the King or Queen of England on matters of occult or supernatural importance. It is known that Richard Cromwell succeeded his father as Lord Protector after Oliver died in 1658, but only remained in that role for about nine months, when he was deposed by military led by Royalists. Given that turn of popular opinion against the Protectors, it seems likely that the Invisible College would have remained loyal to the ousted House of Stuart.
Charles II and James II—The Restoration
In 1660, forces led by Governor of Scotland George Monck worked with Parliament to restore the monarchy, with Charles II—the son of James I—put on the throne. Unfortunately, his reign would see two unspeakable tragedies, the Great Plague of London in 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666. In spite of those events, Charles II continued to develop English exploration of its burgeoning empire, by founding the East India Company and the Hudson Bay Company.
He also granted a charter to the group that would become known as the Royal Society. Known formally as the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, it was dedicated to studying the subject of natural philosophy, which would eventually come to be known as science. This is an important development for the Invisible College, because now the sovereign would be advised by those who believed in the supernatural and those who did not. Even so, it seems that some of these nascent scientists, such as Elias Ashmole, openly joined the Royal Society while also serving the Invisible College.
After the death of Charles II, his brother succeeded to the throne as James II. He was a Catholic, and the birth of his son raised the possibility of a Catholic dynasty on the throne of England. That, along with the persecution of certain Anglican Church leaders known as the Seven Bishops, led to another intervention in the monarchy, this one in favor of Protestant sovereigns that would be known as the Glorious Revolution.
Mary II, William III and Anne—The Glorious Revolution and American Colonization
Apparently the possibility of a Catholic dynasty leading England was considered to be too much of a threat; for that reason, James II was deposed, to be replaced by his Anglican daughter Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange. Although they brought troops into England, there was little open conflict, and James II went into exile. Mary and William ruled together from 1689 to 1694, when she died; his reign continued until his death in 1702. Among other developments, the English colonies in America thrived during this period.
During Queen Anne's rule, the Acts of Union, passed by the English and Scottish Parliaments, formally connected the thrones of those countries. That changed Anne's title into Queen of Great Britain—and, with that, ruler of the growing British Empire. This period also saw growing conflict with France and the indigenous people in North America, during events that would be known alternately as Queen Anne's War and the French and Indian Wars.
Four Georges and William IV—Wars in the Old World and the New
With the death of Queen Anne in 1714, succession fell to a great-grandson of King James I. This was George of Hanover, who became King George I. The Act of Succession, passed by the English Parliament in 1701, decreed that only Protestant candidates could rule, and so a German took the throne. This led to a series of attempted rebellions in favor of surviving members from the House of Stuart, known as Jacobite uprisings.
George I died in 1727 and was succeeded by his son, who became George II. George II was popular with the people, as his father had not been. His reign also saw attempted Jacobite uprisings, along with Wars of Succession on the Continent and a growing conflict with France, which is known as the Seven Years' War in Europe, and as the French and Indian War in the United States. He died in 1760.
That brought to the throne King George III, who would reign longer than his two predecessors combined. This is the King George known from the history books as having suffered the loss of his colonies as a result of the American Revolution. He also purchased the property that would become Buckingham Palace. Acts of taxation passed by his government led to discontent in the colonies, and thus to open rebellion. King George III eventually began showing signs of mental illness, and late in his reign Britain became involved in the War of 1812 and the Napoleonic Wars.
The long reign of George III was followed by two more short ones, those of George IV and then William IV. George IV was known for living an expensive lifestyle and pursuing romantic interests that were not approved by his family. He first served as regent when his father's mental illness kept him from performing his official duties—thus putting him in charge during the two aforementioned conflicts—and then succeeded to the throne in 1820. Lifestyle choices led to physical and mental health consequences, and he died in 1830.
William IV, another son of George III, was distinguished for having served in the British Navy during the Revolution, but was also prone to pursuing relationships not approved by his family or ministers. Eventually he married Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, but once again the royal line failed to produce direct descendants. For that reason the crown would be passed to the King's niece, Victoria.
The Invisible College, the Royal Society and the American Revolution
It is relevant to note that an organization with aims parallel to those of the Invisible College, but pursuing the study of science instead of occult topics, also began to influence the English crown starting in 1660. Known officially as the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, it boasted such members as Robert Boyle, Christopher Wren, Sir Isaac Newton and Sir Hans Sloane. The Royal Society underwent a gradual change in focus, too, from including alchemy and astrology in its studies to omitting such superstitions. It is thought that this is when the Invisible College truly became separated from the Royal Society, with the prior continuing its study of supernatural events and activities.
Given that the people of the American colonies were subjects of the Crown until the Revolution, one must also wonder if any members of the Invisible College remained in this country following its gaining of independence.
Victoria—The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire
Such was the length of this queen's reign that her name became a period in history—the Victorian Era, which spanned from 1837-1901. This was a time in which the British Empire spanned from Jamaica nd Canada in the west, through territory in Africa to India and Australia in the east. There is no doubt that the Invisible College learned a great deal from the various cultures under British hegemony. Her reign saw the Great Famine in the 1840s, which led to much emigration from Ireland to America, and the birth of nine children who would become entangled in the politics of the European continent. By and large, this was a time of grown scientific inquiry and decreasing belief in the supernatural, although there were some exceptions.
Edward VII—The “Uncle of Europe”
Britain, after years of stability on the throne, saw a short reign of not quite ten years (from 1901-1910) by Edward VII—but one which saw many changes around the world, including industrialization and the rise of steam power, along with the birth of Socialism as a political movement. As an adept socialite, and through his relationships with many rules throughout Europe, Edward helped make this a generally cordial time in the history of the Continent.
George V, Edward VIII and George VI—World War I and the Great Depression
Only four years into his reign (1910-1936), King George V saw the outbreak of World War I, pitting his nation against that rules by his cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. The death toll of this conflict was some twenty million people, with a like number being wounded. It was truly unprecedented in scope, being referred to (erroneously, in hindsight) as “the war to end all wars.” This also led to members of the British royal family giving up any claims to German nobility, and the reigning House of Saxe-Coburg was rechristened the House of Windsor.
After the allies defeated Germany and its allies, the ensuing peace eventually gave way to the Great Depression, which saw unimagined unemployment, poverty and hardship—and set the stage for another global conflict. When King George V died, his eldest son succeeded him as Edward VIII. He fell in love, however, with a divorced American named Wallis Simpson, and proposed marriage. This created a national scandal, and led to Edward abdicating after less than a year. His younger brother, Albert, succeeded him as King George VI at the end of 1936, and thus took the helm of the nation as it was once again being steered into a global war.
Assessment
It is believed that he, like previous sovereigns, has been advised by members of the Invisible College, in a discreet manner is consistent with that of his predecessors, and that they use whatever occult knowledge they possess to promote stability and prosperity in the British Empire. For that reason, they seem to be trustworthy allies in the coming war.
This six-page introduces a high-stakes poker tournament, with 25 competitors hoping to win it all, and others who want to claim the prize by unfair means. It is intended for use with Wild West settings using the Savage Worlds RPG. It pairs well with, but does not require, the Riverboat.
People, Plots and Places of the Wild West: Poker Tournament
There are, of course, many great western movie soundtracks. I stumbled across this one on Youtube the other day, and quite enjoy it. The songs provide good background music without being linked to specific existing stories.
-Nate
I've been working on this supplement for a bit, and then it came together rather quickly. I am hoping that it is the first in a series.
-Nate
"This six-page PDF includes deckplans and descriptions for a sternwheel riverboat, stats for the crew and the vessel itself, more than a dozen plot hooks, three new Hazards, and suggestions for using Dramatic Tasks and the Chase rules for races and when abandoning ship."
People, Plots and Places of the Wild West: Riverboat
This year's convention was a lot of fun. There was one weird hiccup, about which I am still waiting to hear, but I also participated in four fun rounds. Here are the highlights, in reverse chronological order.
Sunday's Treasure Hunter Adventures Session
This was the hiccup. On Saturday night, while I was playing in a D&D Epic, I saw an email that my round for Sunday had been cancelled. That seemed odd, since I as the GM had not asked to cancel it. I went to HQ and inquired, and they created a new event for me. The players had also been emailed, however, so they did not know to look for it. Uncertain, I headed over for it on Sunday, and one of the original players—who had not checked his email—did show up for it. We chatted for a bit and then he headed off to find a game with more players.
The D&D Epic
I played in one of these last year and did not love it. That scenario was a combat meat-grinder, and not a lot of fun for me playing a new 1st-level character. This year's scenario included more options that featured roleplaying and exploration, however, which was nice. Although the DM seemed nervous, thinking that he didn't have much experience, he did a good job keeping the action moving. All in all, it was a good session!
Junk Racers
I had a chance to be the fanboy at this session. It was DMed by Matthew Hanson, who organized the Kickstarter for Graveyard of the Gods, which I backed. This was part of a scenario from that book, which can easily function as a mini-game in its own right. We played kobolds who were scavenging junk on the corpse of the dead god Annihalia in order to build our own junk racer and enter the big race. We had some solid combat encounters, and then joined the race.
That was a blast! Matthew used notecards to represent the track, and it worked well. There was plenty of maneuvering, some crashes, and a few boarding actions, and in the end the kobolds won the race!
I am always a little nervous before I run a convention scenario for the first time. This was the case on Saturday, when I would be premiering The Dead Man's Tale, a direct sequel to last year's Infernal Devices.
I needn't have worried.
It was a pleasant surprise that all five players at the table had played in one of the two sessions from last year. All had enjoyed it enough to come back again this year, which was a good sign. Some of them even had the handouts from last year, including the one that provided a cliffhanger clue for this scenario. They deciphered the markings on the cross, realizing that X did indeed mark the spot. That led to a trek through the mountains in southeastern Germany, with the villains from last year in pursuit. Linh shot down an enemy drone, drawing a Joker and blasting it before anyone else could even react. Vaughn then modified it so that they could use it to spy on their foes, covering their backs as they ventured into a lost World War II treasure cache.
That proved fortuitous. The heroes figured out another clue, revealing the hidden vault, before recognizing that the enemy was making their move. They caught the neo-Nazi mercenaries in a wickedly bad choke point and made quick work of them. Sometimes I'll try to stretch out a combat if it seems to be going too easily, but in this case the players seemed to appreciate that their solid tactics were winning the day.
The Astral Adventurer's Guide includes a chapter about the Rock of Bral, which consists of 7 pages detailing that asteroid city. This book, which is available in PDF format from the DM's Guild, uses 96 pages for the same purpose. Obviously, that is a lot more detail. But how has this book aged? Here are my thoughts.
Early on we're introduced to a Bral proverb: “Check your vendettas at the docks.” I like that this philosophy makes the asteroid city into a neutral hub for activity.
This book does a good job of introducing numerous factions, including more detail about the four Underbarons; information about the royal court; numerous trading companies and merchant houses; and Guilds, Societies and Orders. The DM is free to add more, but there's already a lot of detail with which to work.
Details about the government provide the PCs with an opportunity to become involved, if that interests the players. Those who command five or more ships are invited to join the Council of Captains, proving an in.
There are numbers on the map that are intentionally left without description, so that the DM can add one's own locations. In fact, there are 155 numbered locations on this map, as compared to the 30 that are mentioned in the Astral Adventurer's Guide.
All in all, this book seems like a worthy addition to a DM's resources for Spelljammer campaigns. There is game mechanics information that is out of date, but it provides a starting point from which to devise new character stats (character race, class and level, for example). The asteroid city is not affected by changes to the Spelljammer setting, meaning that most of the details in the book remain accurate.
