Music Monday - Pink Pony Club

I will admit I'm a little late to the game, but I've been listening to Chappell Roan a lot recently and after watching a skit was inspired to create a magic item based on Pink Pony Club.

The original music video:

And here's a D&D appropriate bardcore cover:

For Your Game

Ser Roan was a charismatic servant and temple guardian of the Red Knight. Though born of humble origins, her brilliance and willingness to actively aid those that came to her chapel garnered her the admiration of common folk and outcasts. While she was short of stature and had a lithe figure, her fiery red curls and signature weapon made her stand out. She wielded an old relic of her faith, a magical mace cast from a red metal. With a head shaped like a knight chess piece, the metal had started to fade to a pale red with time, though it retained its enchantments. Ser Roan served the people nobly until she met her untimely end while questing for her goddess. Bards still sing her tales. 

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Pink Pony Club (OSE)

Bonus: The Pink Pony Club grants a +1 bonus to both attack and damage rolls made using it. 

Mounted Bonus: If the wielder is mounted the Pink Pony Club instead grants a +3 bonus to both attack and damage rolls made using it. 

Celestial Mount: Once per day you can summon a celestial steed. This creature uses the War Horse stat block and remains until killed or the wielder dismisses it. If the steed is killed the wielder must perform a day long ritual before using this ability again.

Pink Pony Club (D&D 2024)

Weapon (Mace), Rare (Requires Attunement)

You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. The bonus increases to +3 when you use the weapon when to attack while mounted.

You have advantage on all Charisma (Performance) rolls.

You call on the aid of a celestial steed. You may cast the spell Find Steed (Celestial version only) spell at second level without expending a spell slot and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a Long Rest.

The Evils Of Illmire

After watching several videos praising it, I decided to grab a pdf copy of The Evils of Illmire. The adventure was written, produced, and features layout by Zack Wolf. There are several artists featured in the adventure, but my personal favorite is Jack Badashski. The plot centers around a a dangerous wilderness and a backwoods town under peril caused by a sinister cult. The original version was 72 pages, but Zack has updated it a few times. The current version is 125 pages. The rules are written for Old-School Essentials, but can be easily ran with other systems. You get pdf monster conversions for Dungeon World and Swords & Sinister Spells. Personally I might use it for my next 5e game. 

Honestly though, it's not just an adventure. It's a "mini-mega" hexcrawl. Sixteen hexes are presented. The descriptions give you all you need, including encounter charts. There's also a variety of environments. From swamps to forests to mountains, there are a variety of dungeons and sites to explore. Each of these encounters is presented with a Dyson Logos map. Parties can interact with mantis folk, froglings, a witch, a giant king, and the Observer (who's definitely not a beholder). There is a directory of personalities and a hand plot and connection list. While I'm sure a party will eventually leave the 16 hexes, honestly you could have an entire campaign take place in Illmire. Once rid of the cult, the town would make an excellent home base. 

So it's pretty obvious, I really liked this adventure. While I only have the pdf at the moment, I will either print it out of pick up a print copy at some point. You can get the pdf and print on demand on DriveThru RPG. At the time of this post you can get the pdf cheaper on itch.io. The pdf comes with quite a few extras, including maps, artwork, and thematic character sheets.

Swan Maidens

The Swan Maiden Class is a new 14th level Old-School Essentials class from Tim Brannan of The Other Side Blog. The 19 page pdf uses a great selection of public domain artwork. 

Inspired by classic literature these ladies protect natural areas from threats. Obviously, their main ability is their ability to turn into a swan. Additionally they are valuable companions to have for any who travel through the wilderness and can cast nature based divine magic. The classes spells (some of which are very new) are presented as well as some cool Swan Maiden themed magic items. Finally, inspired by legends and folklore, there are some alternate rules for the maidens. This is a really nice touch and gives some ideas of how gamemasters can customize classes for their own campaigns.

I really like this class. It seems like a lot of thought and research went into its design. 

October Horror Challenge - White Zombie (1932)

Day 12's prompt was "Black and White." I was originally going to watch City of the Dead, but something changed my mind and I rewatched White Zombie. 

Plot

A young man turns to a voodoo master to lure the woman he loves way from her fiancé, but instead the villain turns her into a zombie slave.

Review

This is a classic flick. It has a fantastic atmosphere and the sets are nice. I said it the first time I reviewed this one, but this is honestly my favorite Bela Legosi film. Yes Dracula is fantastic, but honestly I find Murder Legrendre to be a more striking horror antagonist. Like most flicks of the time, it doesn't do a great job showing another culture. The film is set in Haiti and features voodoo, but it's a watered down surface level take on them.

 Your Game 

These aren't new stats, but I thought I'd reshare the Lamentations of the Flame Princess stats I created for Murder Legendre a decade ago.

Murder Legendre

Armor: 12,  HP: 25, Magic-User 11, Movement 120', 1 dagger attack, Morale 9, Magic items  Zombie Potion (see below)

Spells Per Day: 1st: 5, 2nd: 4, 3rd: 3, 4th: 3, 5th: 2, 6th: 1

Legrandre's spellbook contains the following spells: Charm Person, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Hold Portal, Identify, Message, Read Magic, Sleep, Shield, ESP, Forget, Phantasmal Force, Ray of Enfeeblement, Wizard Lock, Dispel Magic, False Alignment, Hold Person, Phantasmal Psychedelia, Speak with Dead, Charm Monster, Confusion, Animate Dead, Hold Monster, Magic Jar, Feeblemind, Animate Dead Monster, Mind Switch

Zombie Potion: Anyone drinking this potion must make a Poison saving throw or seemingly die. The next day the character rises from the grave as a "zombie" under the control of the potion's creator. Killing the creator will free the "zombie."

Movies Watched: 13

New to Me: 8.66

Add Something Wild To Your OSE Games

Here are a couple of unusual classes I’ve found for Old-School Essentials. The first is a throwback to a classic old school module and second would make Black Phillip proud.

Phanaton  by Spes Magna Games - Anyone that's played X1 The Island of Dread probably remembers these halfling-sized humanoid. Looking like a cross between a lemur and raccoon (with a little bit of flying squirrel thrown in). They can climb, glide, fight, and have a prehensile tail. I think these would make a great addition to any game that features Secret of the Black Crag.

The Uncanny Goat by Yesterweird is a class that lets you live deliciously. This class literally lets you play a goat. Not a normal one, mind you. They are as intelligent as any other adventurer and can speak and read Common and Barnyard. They are hardy, expert climbers, and get strange gifts as they grow in level. I think my favorite part of this class is the d20 What Made The Goat Go Wrong chart that explains why you are such an uncanny goat. 

The Quintessential Dungeon

I'm a big fan of Ben's reviews over at Questing Beast.  Recently I watched his video for The Quintessential Dungeon and I wanted to share this fantastic one-page dungeon with you wonderful folks. The illustration and writing was done by Will Doyle over at Beholder Pie. The layout is easy to read and what the text doesn't give you, the illustrations do. It really has anything you could want in a beginning dungeon. First of all the dungeon has a dragon, because the game is called Dungeons & Dragons. There are some D&D deep lore cuts too. The adventure starts at The Green Griffin Inn and the infamous wizard Bargle (RIP Aleena) is the mastermind behind everything.

The adventure has no stats, but everything mentioned can be pulled from the bestiary of whatever elf game you are using. 

Download the adventure here today.

Green Devil Face #7

Earlier this week I discovered that  that Green Devil Face #7 (the official zine of Lamentations of the Flame Princess) includes a succubus class. Of course that means I needed to grab it. 

The zine starts with a introduction by James Raggi. He gives a manifesto for this issue of GDF (while also being cheeky and admits that it's cheaper and easier to release). Unlike the typical slick looking release by LotFP, this one looks like an old school zine. The text looks like it was typed on a type writer and some of it looks taped on. There is little art and it's all amateurish and hand drawn. This isn't a critique, because that's the point.

Leo Ruotsalo's 48 Ways To Use A Dead Princess is a table with 48 entries. This is the first of  two d48 charts. Each entry presents a new magic item created from the macabre remains of a dead princess. Some of these are really humorous, like the asshat and noble money maker (made from the buttocks and lady bits of a princess respectively). I will never use this chart as a whole. However, I really do like some of the items and will probably use them as twisted treasures. 

Tim "Samwise7" Harper's 2D6 Death & Dismemberment Table of Doom is a 2d6 chart you can roll on when a character dies. Some of these actually allow your character to survive, though you might be maimed in the process. This one is fun and despite its name, can add some life to your game.

Nik Stanosheck's Succubus class is next.  The class is short and sweet taking up only a page of the nearly 50 page zine. Obviously not going to reproduce the class or be too specific. I'll just say the class is essentially a variant cleric, with special consideration to spells and healing. This is the reason I bought the zine. I'm not saying I love this one, but its solid and definitely usable. 

Luca Negri's Esperantian Standoff is an interesting encounter. It involves inquisitors, a "witch," some bandits in disguise, and a relic tongue. Awh Rats is another encounter that takes the cliche "killing rats in the basement" hook and adds a failed magical apprentice, a portal, and a new rat-related magic item. Of these two, I think I like Awh Rats more, though both seem memorable.

Another chart from Tim "Samwise7" Harper, d66 is a Critical Hit Damage Table. This one is pretty straightforward. In addition to the tables, there are two optional rules included, as well. This is a cool table, but considering how lethal old school D&D is, do we need it to be deadlier?

C.A. Paul's Think of the Children! is a short adventure idea. The party are hired by a conservative church to find missing children. If you want to role-play as some self-righteous parents. this could be fun to run.

Alucard Finch's The Barber Surgeon's Ruin is another short adventure. The party find a miniature girl in their pocket. She leads them to her home where they encounter miniature malformed psychopaths created by a magic Brazier. Of the adventure/encounters in the zine, this is my favorite. 

Tim "Samwise7" Harper is at it again with Revised LotFP OSR Spells: First Level. This article takes the 20 1st-level magic-user spells from LotFP and reskins and reworks them a bit. The spells are more visceral, thematic, and appropriate for the game. For example Magic Missile becomes Arcane Vivisection which calls forth a blade of magical energy to strike surgically at the magic-user's foes.

Aarok Eckstrand's The Gaol of Hubert Bristol is an adventure that definitely plays to the weird of LotFP's weird fantasy theme. They tricked into going to a strange prison with a poo-eating monstrosity and hunchback jailers. I don't ever seeing myself using this one.

Sah's Vampire Eaters is an interesting adventure location. Players come to an out of the way prospering town. They are welcomed by the friendly residents. They may seek out the mystery of the town's prosperity. You might have guessed by the title, but they have a chained up vampire that they harvest meat from. This one is gross and weird, but could be a interesting village to add to your game.

 J. Smaug Vestergaard's Heksen (The Witch) aka The Salem Post Office Incident aka New England Deliverance is an adventure for levels 1-5. Loosely inspired by the Nic Cage flick Season of the Witch (which despite reviews, I loved), the party needs to deliver a wagon (that seems to simple mail) to a fort. This is a nice adventure that is a race against time. 

OSR icon, Jeff Rients, presents The Tomb of St. Satan. This is a fun idea. Basically a community got it in their idea that Satan was converted to Christianity by Jesus. The adventure site features one of Jeff's blasphemous spellbooks (The Middle Testament, The Grimoir of St. Satan).

The final article is another d48 chart, this time we get Leo Ruotsalo's The 48 Weirds. This is d48 random outworldly phenomenon to permanently change with a person is. This isn't something that would be used often, but I'm sure it would be handy if you need to do something like this.

There's some fun OSR stuff in this one. If you want some new bits and bobs to add to your game check it out. The pdf of Green Devil Face #7 can be found here and the print/pdf combo is found here.

Yet Even More Free OSR Goodness From Itch.Io

 You know the drill. Here are three more free OSR adventures I've found and wanted to share. 

You're Trapped in a Bag of Holding! is a system agnostic one-page adventure with a name that says it all. The party find themselves in a bag of holding and have to get out. I think you could definite get a memorable session out of this one.

The Sepulcher of the Seven is an OSE adventure for levels 5-7. Centuries ago a half-elf/half-deer centaur led a group against the armies of a fae witch. She succeeded, but in the years since the church has erased the parts of history they don't want taught. In this adventure a party learns the truth of things as they explore a 39-room dungeon. This is a phenomenal adventure and I honestly can't believe it's free. If you want a detailed review of the adventure, check out Questing Beast's.

The Sunken Temple of the Amphibian God is a two page system-agnostic dungeon. In this site-based adventure an amphibian cult has taken over once noble ruins. The first page contains a keyed map and the second describes the rooms in a bit of more detail. 

SKEEEEEE!

Yesterday Brutorz Bill of Green Skeleton Gaming Guild commented on my 5e Man-Bat Commando stats and said I should do OSE ones. I agree so here they are. This is my first time doing OSE monster stats, so I hope they're alright. This monster's background was inspired by their origin as creations of Ra's al Ghul's League of Assassins.

Man-Bat, Commando 

Created by druidic zealots altered by an alchemical formula, these humanoid bats are the elite warriors and assassins for an order of militant druids.

___________________

Armor Class 4 [15]

Hit Dice 3*(13 HP) 

Attacks 1 x weapon (1d6 or by weapon), 1 x bite (1d4) 

THAC0 16 [+3]

Movement 120' (40')/ 180' (60') flying

Saving Throws D 12 W 13 P 14 B 15 S 16 (3)

Morale 12

Alignment Neutral

XP 65

Number Appearing 1d10 (1d10) 

Treasure Type U

• Surprise: On a 1-4, set ambushes
• Languages: Can understand (but no speak) Common
• Echolocation: Unaffected by effects that impair, modify, or rely on sight. Blinded by magical silence.

More Old-School Goodness From Itch.Io

Here are some more fun and free/pwyw OSR goodies I've found on itch.io. 

The Perpetual Cheese is a pamphlet adventure by TabletobRPG. There is no real plot, per se. It's just a cave complex your party will come across. A group of kobolds have discovered a lost shrine to the Dionysus (the god of cheese and wine in this incarnation). Being master cheesemakers he's gifted them with a perpetually growing cheese culture (which is a cheese culture slime in game terms). Unfortunately for the kobolds a group of kobold-eating dwarves has entered the complex. This adventure sounds really fun and I can't wait to use it. I do think it's odd that the fact the dwarves will eat another sentient is just casually mentioned. Also, the kobolds in this adventure are the more modern little dragons, rather than classic canine-like humanoids. This last point isn't a big deal to me and I'll just reskin them when I use it. 

The Place in the Bog is a short one-page low level adventure site made by Skullfungus to be used with most old school fantasy rpgs. The stats are very bare bones. The party is urged to find the source creating spudlings (which I imagine are some sort of potato-based humanoid) This can be a standard hack and slash, though players could also roleplay through this one. I adore the art Skullfungus makes. His style is fantastic!

Finally if you are looking for some unique foes for your OSE games I recommend The Fae Queens and The Nightmare Angels by Pitch Black Lair. The Fae Queens presents three powerful queens from beyond the stars. The come from the Far Realm, though unlike normal denizens of that realm they appear to be quite beautiful. The Nightmare Angels is a similar product overall. It presents three angels. A blazing stone fell from the sky and when it did everyone on the planet had the same nightmare. From this nightmare three angels, inspired by three concepts from the nightmare came into being. Even if you feel like using the background flavor, these are some unique and powerful foes to include in your games.

Gunslingers, Giants, and a Haunted Castle

Here are three free/pwyw Old-School Essential pdfs found on itch.io that I thought were cool and wanted to share.

Class Concordance #1 presents the gunslinger class. I assumed this might just be an OSE adaptation of the Pathfinder gunslinger or something like that. It is not. Though I only have a passing familiarity with Stephen King's Dark Tower series, these gunslingers are based on the ones of those tales. They are lawful warriors that serve an order and answer to higher powers. As far as class features are concerned they get a few at 1st level and a few other as they level up. For example they don't get their order's iconic weapons until 3rd level. The pdf ends with list of Otherworldy Beings based on King's mythos. It looks like it's supposed to be a d20 list, but it is numbered 3-19. Number 19 is The Author. Cheeky. I'm going to be honest, this one isn't really my thing, but I'm sharing it become I know folks love the Dark Tower books. Finally though the image says $1 it is PWYW (at least at the time of posting).

This is my WEIRD little GIANT is a giant-based tri-fold pamphlet. This one is fun as hell. It allows you to make each of your giants unique. We are presented with base stats. The rest of the pamphlet is random charts. There's one for figuring out how tall your giant is (which affects HD), how dangerous it is (which gives you abilities). There are also charts that allow you to figure out what your giant eats and their attitude. Of course it has chart that let you figure out why your giant is unique. Additionally there's a chart about what's in the giant's bag. I really appreciate this being included. The first issue of Dragon Magazine I bought had a chart like this. Finally there's a chart that let's you figure what the giants in your world. 

Castle Korpenhall is a one-page adventure. It was created by the illustrator/writer Gnarled Monster (who has released the fantastic looking Beyond the Borderlands series of zines). It was an attempt to turn Castle Ravenloft into a one-page dungeon. I think it does a fantastic job of capturing the vibe of Ravenloft and fitting it into limited space. One way this is done is by the map including items in the room and being more of an isometric illustration. In addition to OSE stats (which include the vampire Lord Blodig and other fearsome foes), there are Dungeon Revers and Mork Borg stats for the adventure. While the adventure is PWYW, if you pay $6 for it you also get an editable sketch of the original Castle Ravenloft and Korpenhalla.

Wait, Goblins Don't Wear Shirts?

While I prefer to post my own content, I also like sharing stuff I think is cool. I've been browsing itch.io, a site I don't use often, and found some really cool free/pwyw Old-School Essentials/OSR content. Today I want to share some of the great stuff from Goblins Don't Wear Shirts, a British rpg designer and illustrator. He has an anti AI stance, is pro trans rights, thinks black lives matter, and has a very open "Fuck Off Nazis" stance, so he seems like a creator I could get along with irl. If you are on Bluesky you can follow him here. Speaking of Bluesky, feel free to follow me if you're on the app. Now onto his adventures.

Goblin With A Ray Gun is a quirky one page B/X dungeon that's a throwback to early D&D adventures that combined sci-fi with fantasy. The lead into this adventure is pretty standard. The pc's are hired by Farmer Maggot to eliminate some rats that are loose in his basement/cellar. However, the real culprit of the mischief going on is Beebo, an outcast goblin that's somehow came across an ancient buried UFO. Along with the adventure, a supplement has been included entitled "OH GOD WHAT THE F*CK IS IT DOING NOW!?" This includes three d4 charts: Laser Beam Excavation (new areas to add to the map), Beebo Ups Her Arsenal (more sci-fi gadgets), and Wait... Did You Hear That? (random sci-fi complications/occurrences).  This isn't a standard adventure, but by the gods it sounds super fun. It could even kickoff a campaign.

Tarley's Bathhouse is a system agnostic adventure site. It's a spa/resort in the mountains. Unfortunately old Tarley is actually an evil cultist that likes to kill and rob his wealthier guests. The map for this one was done by Skullfungus which means it gets extra points from me.

The Dead Ermine is a one page OSE adventure featuring an alehouse, brigands, and a killer weasel. The titular alehouse is frequented by criminal types. A group operating out of it have recently captured a mustela mortis. This ferocious weasel creature has a deadly breath weapon. For one reason or another the party must retrieve the killer critter. This one is fun and can be dropped into pretty much any fantasy city or town. The Dead Ermine could also be a roadside tavern, tbh.

So You've Agreed To A Quest Whilst Drunk is a one-page Hangover-inspired B/X quest. The party is woken by a noble's courier who demands they hand over "the package" they signed a contract to deliver. The have until sundown to hand it over, or else!  An investigation leads the adventurers to a smuggler's den and the package. Players like to have their characters get drunk after adventures, so this is a fun one to spring on a low level party after a night of such carousing. 

The Tumbledown Tower of Magnificent Malangana is a one page B/X adventure set in an abandoned wizard's tower. Once again the players are hired by Farmer Maggot, although this time it's to kill a livestock-killing bear that's taken up residence in the tower. What adventurer doesn't want to poke around a wizard's tower?

The Death of Old Fred is a one page B/X adventure. While preparing the body of recently deceased citizen, Fred, hedge-witch-in-training Alice was attacked by him. She offers to pay the party to get Fred back and intact. I really got a kick out of this one and its a great example of an adventure that makes the players really think about their tactics instead of just hacking and slashing.

Magen Chaim

Maigen Chaim is an Old-School Essentials zine focused on Jewish monsters and magic. Written by John Baltsiberger and Jack Zaientz and is a co-production of A Madness Heart Press and Lost Pages (creators of the fantastic Genial Jack zine). The art is made of collages created by Zaientz made from public domain pieces.

The first section of the zine discusses building a monster hunting kit. We're presented with nine different herbs, minerals, etc. Each item has one to three uses mentioned after their description. These provide minor game benefits and will be very familiar to anyone that knows a lot of folklore. For example under the salt entry it mentions that some creatures are incapable of crossing over a line of salt. I want to start including more things like this in my games, and I feel its easier to do so in OSR games that things like 5e.

The second part of the zine presents six new monsters from Jewish lore with stats. Shape-shifting women, estrie are hemovore that prefer to feed on children. Not inherently good or evil, the Sheydim are halfborn; part human and part shadow. The charred dead are wicked corpses forced to gather wood to keep Hell's fires burning. Dybbuk's are evil souls that have escaped eternal punishment and hunted by angels. They can possess the living. Lantukh are trickster house spirits. Finally a seraph is a winged, burning-cobra empowered by the flames of the nephilim.

Finally there are three new class/variants. I will talk about but can't really compare the second and third variants to their originals because I don't have the Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy Genre Rules.

The first adventuring class is the Baal Shem. These variant clerics are wandering rabbi who've mastered Name Magic. They are mystics  and wandering monster hunters. Like regular clerics, they can turn undead, however, they can't destroy undead this way and the only armor they can wear is leather. These divine casters can use magic from both cleric and magic-user spell lists. However, they must observe the Sabbath and follow the 613 mitzvot. This makes them quite power, but means they must live very strict lives. I really like the idea of this class, but it seems like one that would require a lot of outside knowledge and have some very strict roleplay rules.

The second class is the Babski Refues. This druid variant has a gender requirement, as only women can practice this form of rural folk magic and remedies. Their magic is tied to their journals and these act as spellbooks. They cast druid and illusionist spells and can turn undead. They have identify plants and animals, discern clean water, and are resistant to poisons. They eventually gain the ability to communicate with animals. Also there is no mention of druidic hierarchy so it seems they exist outside of normal druidic society (which makes sense given their background).

The third class is the Red Jew. I have never heard of the legend of the Red Jews but they are believed to be members of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The class is a barbarian variant. They are agile fighters, masters of ambush, hate magic (outside of that practiced by the Babski Refues). Additionally being nomadic mount dwellers they have several skills that help them survive mountainous wilds. 

These classes are cool, but I doubt I add them to any of my games. While they could be adapted, unless I was playing a game set on Earth I probably wouldn't use them. Honestly even then, I'd probably restrict them to npcs because I don't want to be insensitive. 

Ultimately I'm not in love with this zine, but I don't dislike it either. I appreciate it for what it is and will definitely use bits and pieces from it in my future games. If the zine sounds like something you'd be interested in, you can grab the pdf or print copy at Madness Heart Press. I ordered the print/pdf combo but have received my print copy yet. I may update this post and talk about the print quality when I get it.

Delicious In Dungeon and the Ship's Cook

This weekend I started watching Delicious in Dungeon. It's a dungeon crawling action comedy anime released by Netflix. Set in a D&D-esque fantasy world the series focuses on a party on a rescue mission in a megadungeon. They team up with Senshi, a dwarven fighting chef who's spent years dining on monsters in the dungeon. The series is a mix of dungeon action and cooking show. It's a weird mix, but works so well. So far the series has been pretty light hearted overall. I spoke with some friends that have watched it and have been told that it does get darker, but ultimately is hopeful in nature. The characters are quirky and fun, without being obnoxious and the animation is great.

If you've played D&D, the monsters and adventures will seem familiar, even if they have different names. For example the picklock Chilchuk is basically a halfling rogue. Marcille, the half-elven spellcaster seems like the stereotypical "I cast fireball" wizard when it comes to combat. Something I really like about the series is that it addresses the ecology of a megadungeon. It is revealed that Senshi is the caretaker of the upper levels of the dungeon and helps it maintain its balance. I know D&D is a fantasy game, but I do tend to like some logic with my D&D (though "it's magic" is also acceptable). If you enjoy anime and rolling dice, you should definitely check this one out.

Watching the series reminded me of a Old-School Essentials class I found while looking for nautical content for a Freeport game I want to run.  While it's called the Ship’s Cook, this class would work just as well in a dungeon and honestly, Senshi could have it. Charisma is its primary attribute and it has D6 hit dice. They can wear any armor and wield cooking utensils as weapons. They have built up resistance to poison and can create rations from fallen creatures (though there is a discussion about cooking and eating humanoids being taboo). They have bonuses on using knives, skewers, and pans as for weapons. Ship's Cooks can make bad food taste good and learn special recipes. These require special ingredients and have useful effects. As they gain levels they learn to make money and charm folks using their food. They can also create new recipes with new effects. I can't say its worth sacrificing one of of the classic core classes to play a Ship's Cook, but I do think they'd be a fun addition to a party. 

The Mud Wizard

The Mud Wizard is an OSE class inspired by a real life activist. The individual (along with thousands of other protestors over many years) fought against the destruction of a village in western Germany for mining purposes. Basically a man dressed as a monk/wizard confronts riot cops in a field covered in mud. The riot cops are getting sucked in, falling, and can barely navigate, while the "mud wizard" seamlessly moves through the difficult terrain.  I've posted two videos about it below if you want to see the action yourself. The first is more educational and gives context to everything. The second is just a really entertaining Ozzy Man Reviews vid. 

Now on to the pdf. It begins with a discussion of the real life Mud Wizard and then discusses the class (both as a player option and Mud Wizard npcs). Despite being called Mud Wizards, practitioners of this magic are divine in nature, more akin to clerics and druids. They use the power of nature to turn pigs and tyrants. In game terms this translate to lawful humanoids, pigs, and other porcine creatures. Of course, they also cast spells. Their spell list contains some core OSE spells and some new ones. It's a fun, useful class, and I think a nice addition to any OSE game.

 

You can get the class by following this link and selectin a charitable donation of $2 or more. The specific charity isn't mentioned on the product page, but all sales profits will go to a non-religious, non-political environmental charity.

The Dead West Review

Grab you six-shooter and saddle up for SURVIVE THIS!! The Dead West .This one takes the familiar SURVIVE THIS!! rules used in Dark Places & Demogorgons and Bloody Appalachia and slaps it right dab into a demon and undead filled American western setting. Ruleswise it has familiar attributes, thematic classes, and roll a d20 and add your modifiers core rule.  Everything is compatible with other ST content which allows for maximum awesomeness. The setting is based on the American southwest, but isn't the American southwest (and I'll discuss it more in a bit).

Character Creation

After rolling attributes, HP, and Saving Throws, characters can either select or roll for a profession. Much like 5e backgrounds, these give players their starting gear and bonus skills. Then you choose a class. The are:

• Cowboy - embodiment of the Western lifestyle, you can be a rodeo or range expert.
• Demon Stalker - warriors dedicated to fighting the supernatural forces of the Dead West.
• Doc - a sawbones
• Faithful - individuals attuned to the holy
• Frontiersman - individuals more at home in the wilds than civilization
• Gambler - they know when to hold them and when to fold them
• Gunslinger - these masters of the six-shooter are expert duelists and can do trick shots
• 
  The Hand - This is all all-round solid jack of all trades class. They don't have any specialties, but they are solid allies
• Knife Master - graceful warriors skilled with small blades
• Lettered - scholars and educated types, there are four paths: academic, government, lawyer, and scientist
• Marshal - you are the long arm of the law
• Outlaw - these folks don't know the meaning of honest work, and take what they need
• Pugilist - hand to hand combat experts
• Riflemen - while gunslingers focus on six-shooters, rifleman are marksman of a different sort
• Soldier - highly trained warriors 
• Telesstic - special individuals born with and trained to use unique powers, paths include Life, Arcane, and Decay

The skills section looks familiar to most ST games. You roll a d20 and add the appropriate bonus (based on skill level, class features, and attributes).  New skills include Fighting: Old World Boxing and Horsemanship. We're presented with setting appropriate weapons and equipment, as well as a list of new magic items. 

Game Rules

Again most of the information presented here is standard Survive This stuff. There are new rules for Dueling and Horsemanship (which make perfect sense with the setting). After your standard description of how to play rules, we're presented with a massive 70 pages worth of bestiary. These stat blocks are quite varied. We get stats for undead, elementals, demons, regular folk, and legendary characters in the Dead West. If you play any ST game, this section is quite useful even if you aren't running The Dead West.

The Dead West

While a lot information about the setting can be gleaned from earlier section, we're then presented with 7 pages of Dead West information. The setting is quite interesting.  The town of Raimi Mission and the surrounding areas were enveloped in an impenetrable crimson barrier. The laws of nature changed those that were killed didn't stay dead (hence the name, the Dead West). Additionally powerful elementals and demons stalked the land. Twenty years have past since that fateful event. There are small bastions of civilization that still exist and most of these are connected by a railroad system. Most of these areas are given brief descriptions. 

The book ends with random encounter charts, as well as disaster chart. There's also an index (including references) and finally a bonus urban legend stat block.

Final Thoughts

The book looks gorgeous. It's the first of the standard sized hardcovers from Bloat Games. The art is fantastic.  Bloat Games regular Phil Stone did the cover and Christopher Torres did the interior art. It's got a great style and definitely a great buy for weird west fans. This a complete game and setting that is fantastic on its own. However, you can make it even wilder by using other SURVIVE THIS!! games. Take the vampire as race rules from We Die Young and make a  vampire cowboy. The beasties from the Cryptid Manual all slot into the setting perfectly. I also have to point out that if you're like me and love Deadlands but don't care for the original system of Savage Worlds, you can use the rules from The Dead West and play it.

Blobs vs. Blades Review

Fantastical Classes: Blobs vs. Blades is an Old-School Essentials supplement by Joshua Burnett. The total package,  he both wrote and illustrated it. There are six new classes presented, as well as racial options if you prefer the Advanced version of OSE. If you're a fan of old school video games like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, you're going to love this one. 

The Adepts are individuals who seeks to understand and sculpt magic as a whole. They are able to tap into both the arcane and the divine. 

The titular Blob is inspired by and a tribute to the slimes of Dragon Quest. Josh even honors slime creator Akira Toriyama in his acknowledgements and thanks. Blobs grow as they the level up, dealing more damage with the pseudopods and gaining more protection from their natural armor. Blobs are one of the two classes to be presented as an Advanced Race.

Dancers are essentially a cooler version of bards. They are agile in combat and can add their CHA to their AC. They also gain some thief skills and arcane magic (which they cast through dance). We're also presented with a few new Dancer-centric weapons.

The Fury in another agile combatant that specializes in fighting with two weapons. They are mobile, can unleash furious attacks and dual wield.

Ophidians are human/Serpent Man hybrids descended from unholy breeding programs. Physically a blend of man and serpent, they've inherited sorcerous powers from their Serpent Men ancestors. They are stealthy, have fangs, can speak with serpents, are venomous, and can eventually hypnotize victims with their gaze. Like Blobs, Ophidians care also presented as an Advanced Race.

Swordmages are the final new class presented. This arcane warriors combine swordsmanship with spellcraft. They can expend prepared spells to imbue their weapons with raw magical force. We also presented with two (optional) alternate swordmages. Dream Swords can cast illusionist spells while Swordmages that call upon necromantic power are Death Blades.

The book ends with XP calculation charts for each class. These breakdowns were created using Erin D. Sample's BX Options: Class Builder. You can grab that book here.

Blobs vs Blades is an excellent addition to any classic old school swords and spells game. The blob might not be quite the norm to western audiences but it definitely has a place in the game. I love Josh's art. It has a fun spirit too it that I can't quite put my finger on. If you like your games old school and want to add some video game flair to them, you definitely need to pick this one up when it becomes available to the public.

That Sounds Like A Bunch Of (Dungeon) Malarky To Me

Dungeon Malarky is 52 bits of weird fantasy set dressing. The cover is an outstanding tribute to a counter-culture classic. Art by J.E. Shields and Adrian Landeros is featured throughout the work. 

Each entry introduces a new eldritch bit or bob that will bring new life to your game. Levi gives us a few paragraphs with lore, descriptions, and origins of the material/hazard/resource.  That's not the end of it though. We also get some alchemist lore about how this weird shit can be used in your game. Every idea is memorable and this one is packed with the badass weirdness we've come to expect and love from Levi's work. This material is the secret spice to make the most bland tasting module a feast full of flavor.

The zine is OSR/system neutral. It wouldn't take much to use it with any game that prominently features dragons, dungeons, and the like.

At the time of posting you can order it from DMDave. Not sure if its available anywhere else but keep any eye out on Exalted Funeral. Also check out the newest PX Kickstarter project Assault on Witchgate 13.

As an added bonus here is some Pun-made Dungeon Malarky for your game:

Planet X Rizz

In the far reaches of space lies the mysterious Planet X. Though there aren't many concrete details, enlightened and mad folk across the known world know of it. They speak of bizarre and fantastic things, of delights that make the pulse rise, and horrors that make one's blood go cold. All agree no matter what the story, the place sounds badass!

Occasionally due to cosmic phenomenon, magical portals, or the capricious whims of the gods a piece of Planet X will make its way to the realms. Great creative power can be found in these pieces. They appear to be small pieces of obsidian at first, however their colors shift when held. Those that have held the shards say they hum with some sort of unknow energy, cause flesh to tingle.

Alchemist Lore: Even taken a part from the whole, pieces of Planet X retain traces of its legendary reputation. Young adventures have taken to grinding it into a fine powder the refer to as "rizz." Why? Who knows why kids do what they do? If rizz is added to any item during creation the end product will just be cooler on a fundamental level. Cloaks made with rizz dye seem to blow in the wind, even indoors. Blades with rizz powder will be accompanied by killer sound effects when wielded in combat. Any text written with rizz ink will be infused with the sheer awesomeness of Planet X and astound readers. Its said that rizz can even be ingested or snorted, but the alchemist community neither confirms or condones this.

Krampus, The Lost Archdevil

Krampus, The Lost Archdevil is a two page pwyw pdf from Appendix N Entertainment. It features art from Jacob Blackmon with writing by RJ Thompson. As the title suggests, the mythical figure is presented as an archdevil and this is an expansion to the author's Heaven and Hell Series. I really like the lore given because its detailed but also leaves some mystery. The stats are flavorful and there's a new magic item.

Basic Rules Classes In Golden Age Supers OSE

Now that I've posted by new classes for Golden Age Supers OSE, I thought I'd briefly discuss how the core classes fit into the setting (and what changes I'd make). 

Cleric

In the golden age settings clerics can be archeologists granted powers by a divine artifact they find, the decedents of a god, or even a partially depowered deity themselves. 

Chosen Weapon:

The cleric can use one weapon type associated with their divine power source, ignoring their normal class restriction about using only blunt weapons.  

Fighter

Fighters are largely unchanged. They are proficient with all modern and archaic weapons and armor, including explosives. 

After Reaching 9th Level:

The fighter has gained enough fame (or infamy) to establish their own mercenary force. This is a group of 5d6 X 10 fighters of level 1-2. They must be regularly paid as mercenaries, but their monthly wages only cost have the normal amount. They are considered fanatics/berserkers if Morale (Optional Rule) is used.

Magic-User

Magic-Users are largely unchanged. Either through research or luck they've discovered arcane secrets. Unlike their earlier predecessors, modern magic-users have learned to use some modern firearms for the protection. While most disdain them, magic-users are proficient in the use of pistols.

Thief

Whether classic criminals, spies, or those that hunt the former down, thieves are still a common class in golden age supers settings. While they aren't silent, modern thieves have embraced the use of firearms and explosives and some even uses rifles and train as assassins. Instead of a thief den they will establish a hideout or safe house. 

Demihumans

While the demihuman classes aren't in the free basic rules pdf, I would say you can add them to the game as is. I would initially limit them to only archaic weaponry, though after reaching level 2 you may want to allow them to use more modern armor and weapons. Give them the class feature below. While initially out of place, these character could be like the League of the Realms from Marvel's War of the Realms event.

Modern Marvels:

At 2nd level, the <insert class name> has spent enough time in the modern era that they can use non-archaic armor and weapons. They only gain the ability to use firearms and explosives.