Phylactery Issue 3

Planet X Games is back with another issue of their amazing OSR zine, Phylactery! Ed Bickford's tribute to Uncanny X-Men 141 is great. The artwork is a great collection of pieces from Adrian Landeros, Ed Bickford, Ala Fedorova, Chris Carmen, JE Shields, Lawrence Hernandez, and Dan Smith. As per my usual review, I'll give a quick rundown of each feature and thoughts.

My Zine DNA

Levi gives a little background about his history and love of zines. This is a nice little intro and I think it's cool to learn more about a writer I admire.

The Secret History of the Grandfather of Assassins

Great background for to add some assassin oriented history to your game.  Every game needs an assassin's guild right? The article ends with a two unique magic items.

Alternate Death Blow Techniques for High Level Monks 

This feature provides 10 different alternatives to the 13 level quivering palm ability of the 1e monk. These feel like they were taken straight from a Shaw Brothers production.

Gods, The Fallen and the Forsaken

Five new obscure divine patrons are presented. Of these my favorite is Jurak, godling of mongrelmen (one of my favorite races) and outcasts. 

More Secrets From The Lich's Crypt

Need unique nasty items? This article is for you. There are three presented. Like everything Levi rights, they have pretty cool backstories and lore associated with them.

Secret Organizations and Diabolical Cults

Three new cults are presented. Of them, I have to say the Shade-Druids of Usk-Var apppeal to me the most. There's something about a group of vile albino druids that checks all the right boxes. Levi does such a good job with these articles, I sometimes think he might be the head of a secret cabal.                 

Evil Books and Sorcerous Tomes

This librarian loves any new tome related content. Levi gives us three new maniacal magical librams. Of the vile books of darkness, I think the Tableau of the Gibbering Maw is my favorite.

Naga Bob, Veteran Adventurer

A hired sword and thief. He can be a rival, ally, mentor, or part of your party.

Saint Kurnus, The Fallen

Fallen paladins are great villains, especially tragic ones. The tale of Saint Kurnus is a sad one. 

The Grand Heresy of Chernobog 

Your game needs priest-liches driven by hate! These malicious undead spellcasters are described and a example is given.

Cursed Barrow of the Whispering Skulls

This short adventure includes, hooks, rumors, a map, and encounters. I haven't ran it, but it looks like a nice side trek for any game.

Myths and Legends Straight Outta The Grindhouse

Levi introduces us to Kaltraraag, "the Graveyard of Dragons." This legendary locale is said to be saturated with magic, being the final resting place of numerous dragons. 

Here There Be Monsters!

Four new monsters are presented: blight hag, Kyuss polyp, murderous idol, and witchmaw troll. The 

Kyuss polyp is my favorite, though I'm not sure if Kyuss is in the OGL.

The zine ends with some illustrations and an advertisement for King Tut's Rootin' Tootin' Weird West RPG Extravabonanza. Hands down, Levi Combs, is one of the best active rpg content creators. My man has a wonderfully twisted mind and knows how to articulate his thoughts. Order your copy today at Exalted Funeral.