"The ancient almanac of unusual magic, penned by the wizard-lord Aryxymaraki in the time before the Day Without Night, has been rediscovered…"

Within the pages of Aryxymaraki’s Almanac of Unusual Magic, you will find four new kinds of magic-user, each of which uses magic in new and exciting ways:

Dwarven earthforgers inherit an ancient tradition allowing them to draw on the spark of the divine found in all creation to power their magic. Gnomish alchemists are experimenters whose concoctions range from ‘helpful and safe’ to ‘incredibly poisonous’. Terran engineers are scientists and builders from another time, whose inventions and tinkering certainly appear magical to most non-technological societies. Warlords draw on the chaotic energy of battle, taming it with their practiced tactics and leadership to ensure that their side wins. These new classes are built for use with Autarch’s Heroic Fantasy Handbook, which provides rules for ceremonial and eldritch magic. Because they use eldritch magic, the new spells (and tactics) described for the gnomish alchemist, the Terran engineer, and the warlord constitute more than one hundred new eldritch spells usable in any campaign that includes eldritch magic, even one that doesn’t include any of these new classes. Of course, it wouldn’t be an ACKS supplement without full builds for all of the classes and spells, and the source factors for gnostic magic, allowing you to build your own content to expand what’s in the Almanac"

Aryxymaraki’s Almanac of Unusual Magic is one that I've been waiting for since the kickstarter reared its head a long while back. Clocking in a fifty six pages of ACK's goodness Aryxymaraki’s Almanac of Unusual Magic packs in the magical PC goodness for orienting magus towards the Heroic Fantasy Handbook.

And like it Dwarven earthforgers are a welcome add on to Adventurer, Conqueror, King giving the Dwarven PC classes a much needed magical elemental boast. The class is well rounded & feels like it belongs in Dwarven hold deep beneath Greyhawk.

Here's exactly the sort of flavor we're talking here;"At first level, dwarven earth-forgers are able to learn and cast gnostic ceremonies in the runic tradition. Unlike other ceremonial spellcasters, dwarven earth-forgers know only one ceremony at first level, determined by their choice of sigil of creation (see below). The ceremonies available to dwarven earth-forgers are referred to as invocations. They may cast an invocation at any level equal to or less than the maximum level listed on their progression table, below, for their class level. The invocation will describe its effects at each level in its description. When they perform an invocation, they may choose which level to perform it at; they do not need to prepare it ahead of time" We get behind the scenes building of the class from the ground up. Then variarations & much more. The Gnome Alchemist is another class that as player & DM that I really like ;"Gnomish Alchemy is a new subset of magic for ceremonial and eldritch magic. It is a kind of eldritch magic, and uses all of the same source factors and can theoretically access the full spell list. In addition, any spells designed for gnomish alchemy can be used by eldritch spellcasters without any change necessary (beyond determining their shade). Instead of its spells being categorized as Black, Grey, or White magic, they are categorized as Toxic, Tolerable, or Safe. Instead of risking Corruption when casting Black or Grey magic, they risk exposing themselves to Toxicity when using concoctions that are Toxic or Tolerable. And instead of comparing their Corruption to their Wisdom score, they compare their Toxicity to their Constitution score. Thanks to their distance from the magic, provided by their use of alchemy rather than direct ritual, they can blithely perform acts that would sear the soul of an ordinary eldritch caster. However, because their ingredients have difficulty doing things outside the physical, effects that are perfectly safe for ordinary eldritch casters may be among the most toxic for a gnomish alchemist." Simple easy, & straight forward.. And its a well done class but then we slide deeper into the Alchemy levels for the Gnome Alchemist we get deeply into their background, motives, class structure, & much more. And then we get into one of the primary villain NPC race's magicks of my campaigns 'The Terrans'. And their traditions of Terran engineering; "Like Gnomish Alchemy, Terran engineering is a new kind of ceremonial and eldritch magic. Terran engineers can easily do some things that are horrifying or dangerous for other eldritch spellcasters (including gnomish alchemists), but have difficulty with other things that might be simple for them. Instead of their spells being Black, Grey, or White, they are categorized as Hypothetical, Experimental, or Tested. Only Tested spells can be cast or learned safely! Even Experimental spells carry dangers with them, and Hypothetical spells, which truly test the boundaries of engineering, are even more dangerous. Like gnomish alchemists, Terran engineers do not gain Corruption in the normal way; instead, they gain intellectual apathy as they delve deeper past the frontiers of the science they know and learn the dark secrets of the universe. Their ability to resist this is based on their Intelligence score, rather than their Wisdom score." We get deep into the actual nuts & bolts of the alien technologies & dangerous sciences of the Terrans. And not all is wonderful with them. Take for example the spell Aversion Field; " Aversion Field Range: 0’ Terran Engineering 4 (Hypothetical), Duration: 9 turns Eldritch 4 (Black) By means of a supersonic noise above the level of human hearing, the caster can create a field that repels animals. The field affects a 480’ diameter sphere centered on the engineer when cast, though the field does not move after casting. The field lasts for nine turns. Animals and giant animals in the field when it is cast, or who attempt to enter the field for the duration must save vs Spell; on a failed saving throw, they flee in panic for 30 rounds. On a successful saving throw, the animal is not affected by the aversion field." Applied to the holdings of a Terran royal through his or her engineer a pattern of spells & operations for the Terrans emerges. And its not all rainbows & sunshine. This is a race whose spell casters have an agenda & its clear through out Aryxymaraki’s Almanac of Unusual Magic that PC's better watch out. Finally we get a brand new class of magic in form of Warcraft; "The ebb and flow of combat…the dance between life and death. There is an art to war, to knowing when to step forward and when to fall back. When to take a chance, and when to cut your losses. And as with any art, there are masters of it. Those masters call their art warcraft. Is warcraft magic? There is power in it, and its secrets seem to be visible only to a talented few. Perhaps it is a matter of training and talent only. Perhaps there is magic in it, as there is magic in a sunset or in a baby’s first breath. There is a raw power available in combat, as primal forces surge to the fore while combatants strive for victory or death. Warcraft is the art of recognizing that power and of manipulating it through the actions of yourself and your allies. Practitioners of warcraft do not directly manipulate magic, and would not consider themselves spellcasters. They are strategists and tacticians, commanders and captains. By recognizing the flow of the battle (consciously or not), they can identify the perfect action to take at the time, and the effects of such perfect timing can be magnificent." Without a doubt Warcraft magi would be right at home in the field with the armies of Rome! Seriously this class is everything I was expecting & wanting from Aryxymaraki’s Almanac of Unusual Magic. This is a battle magi worth of ACK's warfare. A solid class of magus capable of pulling off some of the magicks to bring the war to the enemy in spades. This is a good solid class to add to party if their looking to profit & deal with warfare on a tactical or grand level. Could Aryxymaraki’s Almanac of Unusual Magic be added to other OSR systems?! Easily in my opinion where Labyrinth Lord & its subsystems are used. Aryxymaraki’s Almanac of Unusual Magic is a good book to add into the mix to get the maxinum ulility out of your OSR systems.

All in all I'm really glad that I backed Aryxymaraki’s Almanac of Unusual Magic it has just the right combination of OSR magicks & classes to make a worth while addition to a DM's tool box for Adventurer,Conqueror, King rpg. Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery Want more OSR action?! Please subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

" Player characters travel back into the Cretaceous period in this supplement for Cepheus Engine. There they carry out perilous missions in their attempts to study dinosaurs in their natural environment. A great game to play alongside young people and children. "

One of the free game setting supplements that I noticed on Zozer Games is Camp Cretaceous a free setting book & 2d6 Cepheus Engine gaming system motor under the hood. This is a really good setting book for thos kids who are at that age where dinoaurs are the greatest thing on the planet. Or their 'whatever age' something or better parents or grand parents looking to further their own Jurassic Park experience or prehistoric education. This is a fast play game which can be picked up right away. Everything here is well thoughtout by someone who knows their prehistoric history. For a free game & setting Camp Cretaceous doesn't skip on the details, eventualities, factions, & of course dinosaurs. All of this comes in at an even one hundred & twenty pages. The one thing that stands out is that the author presents is his DMing & dealing with children players. There's extensive advice when it comes to dealing with everything from the table top level up. The Late Cretaceous campaign setting is well done with all of the dinosaurs, history, ecology, etc.. Camp Cretaceous is done in such a fashion that it will serve as compelling game for both the seasoned rpger or a beginner. Camp Cretaceous takes the setting material into the direction of exploration, discovery, & problem solving. The combat system is well done but not necessary for a whole cloth good time of play within Camp Cretaceous .

Camp Cretaceous is a perfect add on for an adult DM looking to expand their Cepheus Engine rpg game campaign into 'lost world or time travel campaign themes. There are several reasons why this works one of these the game works to create expediations. So there's a perfect ' in' for DM's looking to exploit a Cretaceous campaign setting. For example with Stellagama Publishing's These Stars Are Ours campaign setting. Camp Cretaceous could be used as a supplement to agument a planet with a biological or ecological laboratory setting for the dinosaurs created by the Reticulans.

This campaign adventure hook could be used for Zozer Games Hostile rpg with the xenomorphs using the dinosaurs as hosts. Perhaps even a combination of the two campaign ideas with the marines dodging dinosaurs & xenomorphs. Let's get back to Camp Cretaceous . There are several reasons why this game works:

A lot of care & time went into the writing & creation went into Camp Cretaceous Camp Cretaceous was done by a historian & techical writer who knows his subject matter. Camp Cretaceous is a perfect game for introducing kids to rpging & actual history. Great game for those who have the attention span for action but want problem solving within their rpg's. Dinosaurs! Plenty of room for campaign expansion & add on's within Camp Cretaceous Plenty of DM ideas, hooks, & toybox stuff built into Camp Cretaceous Camp Cretaceous is a perfect game for an Athur Conan Doyle Lost World game campaign. Nice to see a kid friendly game & setting book that's free. Camp Cretaceous does an excellent job with that. Just go download Camp Cretaceous and have fun!

Camp Cretaceous is a five outta five in my book. Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery Blog Want more OSR goodness? Subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

"Edokka IV is a nearly deserted world owned and exploited by the Ilsunsi Directorate. The planet has abundant mineral resources which are necessary for the Ilsunsi production lines on other worlds. The Directorate uses off world miners to extract the ores.

Recently, however, the miners have discovered something in the mines. Some of the miners have begun dying from unknown causes. Other miners are refusing to go down into the mines. The Ilsunsi are willing to pay for someone to go down into the mines to find the cause of the problems and correct it."

Initial Impressions

Joseph Mohr does a solid adventure with 'An Unfortunate Discovery' a pay what you want title.'An Unfortunate Discovery' is a solid & easily adaptable module for the Cepheus Engine rpg. The adventure action of this module is one that I'd adapt to Zozer Games Roughnecks easily. You've got the company planet that is being exploited for its resources in the middle of no place squared. 'An Unfortunate Discovery' has a bit of everything for the party of adventurers. But 'An Unfortunate Discovery' is only twenty pages so its not a huge commitment of play sessions.

How can this be done?! Take your party of roughnecks add in a cyberpunk 80's veneer & then simmer over an edge of the frontier system for even more goodness for 'An Unfortunate Discovery' . The planet is a complete wasteland & the former holdings of an alien empire. So who know what's out there this means the planet is a blank campaign canvas.

Working 'An Unfortunate Discovery'
Into An On Going Campaign

So if we're working 'An Unfortunate Discovery' into an on going Eighties or Nineties Cepheus Engine campaign the idea would certainly suit a Space Above & Beyond style game with the military elements in full display. The alien forces breathing literally down the backs of the PC's.

A mix of Cepheus Atom & Cepheus Engine would go a long ways to fleshing out far more of Eddoka IV's former warzones. If Zozer Game's Hostile is used with 'An Unfortunate Discovery' then things get really interesting really fast. The adventure is a few tech levels above Hostile & the marines with the miner PC's have every reason to get those artifacts out especially for those corporate bonuses.

But for a really nasty Nineties twist of the wrist of a film to add to this mix the cultclassic Screamers from Ninety five is a good bet for a half remembered VHS rental that fixes this campaign into the realm of sci fi horror.

Half forgotten today 'Screamers' is perfect cultclassic for a former alien battle field with some lurking relics & antique war machines just waiting for the foo erm marines or miners to stumble upon them. In point of fact if Screamers is added into Stellagema Publishing's Uranium Fever you get Edokka IV becoming a perfect former Reticulin battle ground world. The miners stumble upon it. The Reticulins left behind their former weapon systems & the miners are in really deep trouble.

'An Unfortunate Discovery' is flexible enough to take the PC's into the heart of a world with some very deep old wounds. And then even though it seems like a small module An Unfortunate Discovery' got enough of a middle coating to make this a good mid tier module.

Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery Want more OSR action? Subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

James Mishler Games sent a copy of Bard Class by James Mishler, & Jodi Moran-Mishler. And its a really servicable Bard PC class. All of the old highlights are there from the classic Dungeons & Dragons sources. The place where this bard PC would really work?! In a classic Castles & Crusades campaign where you need a variant bard class. This is like the Swiss army knife of Bardic PC classes. The Bard Class class clocks in at twenty eight pages & has a bit of that old school Dragon magazine baric magick tweaked with the usual Mishler family OSR sleight of hand.All of the old favorites are here:

The following Bard abilities and skills: Bardic Instruments Bonus Languages Counter-Song Influence Inspire Lore Perform Read Languages Saving Throw Bonus Spellsongs Thieving Abilities Witticisms

A list of spellsongs (normal spells re-interpreted as spellsongs);

A list of musical instruments, including cost, weight, availability (City, Town, Village), and special notes;

The College of Bards, rules for advancements, and rights and responsibilities of members.

The best part of Bard Class by James Mishler, & Jodi Moran-Mishler is the fact that its open & totally usable at the table top level for a number of games such as Adventurer,Conqueror, King rpg, Castles & Crusades, & you as a player could even use it with White Star. This is a really nice & well thought out class for the OSR player & dungeon master. The Mishlers totally do a really good job with many of their games. And the Bard Class is no exception.

The Bard Class's real appeal for me as a dungeon master was the six magna opera, the bardic equivalent of relics, which are some solid additions to the usual baric magic items & artifacts that I've seen. Bard Class has an actual reason for adventuring & these magic items which could be added into a campaign to give the bard player motivation & the basis for a quest. Everything within the Bard Class fits together nicely as a tool box for the DM to add or subtract as needed for their games this is a good solid addition for the player's or the DM's tool box. The class is perfect but in my opinion needs a bit more padding & fluff for the PC class backgrounds. That's my only cavet with the entire class. Otherwise this up to the usual high grade Mishler standards. Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery blog Want More OSR action? Subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

"Cepheus Modern is a 2d6-based OGL game based on Cepheus Light, for playing campaigns set in the modern era. Whatever your game is: modern paramilitary, retro espionage, World War II battles, mysterious explorers, or renegade hacktivists; Cepheus Modern has you covered. This rules-light game offers character creation with a variety of modern careers, skills and equipment, rules for resolving actions in and out of combat, and a complete animal/creature creation system.

Do you like your modern games with a dose of strangeness? Cepheus Modern has that as well, with chapters covering Psychic Powers, Cybernetics, Urban Fantasy, and Aliens! Run your game as straight reality or with as little or much weirdness as you like. To add more sci-fi to your game, consider using this game with Cepheus Light."

Whist digging ourselves out here at Casa De Fabiaschi the players have been trying to figure their way out of the, 'Oh my God the space station is going to explode & we're all going to die' routine. Let's take a step back & look at an optional 'pay what you want' Cepheus Engine title by Stouthearted Games called Cepheus Modern. This is another one of those Cepheus Engine light titles that's been on the back burner for a month or so. Now apparently as a member of the Cepheus Engine rpg club we're not supposed to talk about Mongoose Traveller or original Traveller, etc. Whatever 'cus I'm not a publisher of Cepheus Engine nor do I want to get authors in trouble. But as a subsystem that can be tacked onto Cepheus Engine rpg?! Cepheus Modern is a winner in my book. It presents a whole host of alternative retro & modern campaign options along with the careers to go with them.

So this makes Cepheus Modern very valuable on a number of fronts as a DM or Cepheus Engine player. The fact that Cepheus Modern catters to the campaign & adapts the rules to it rather then the other way around. Cyberpunk campaign? Check that's there. Magic & psionics? Check & check again. Uban Fantasy as an actual viable option?! Check again. But its the fact that the rules actually work without any fiddling on the part of the DM. And its the fact that Cepheus Modern will also work with 1970s 2D6 RETRO RULES From Zozer Games which is how psionics & magic have been quietly appearing the background of our current campaigns.

Cepheus Modern covers all of the basics & does the job that its supposed to in spades & it does so without any issues what so ever. Do I think you should get it?! Yes & its worth the download if your a Cepheus Engine DM or player.

Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery blog Want More OSR action subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

"The travelers are offered a job with a substantial payday, The only problem is that the job is on a burned out radioactive world in the Sonora sector of space, An alien species, long dead and gone, once used robotic walkers to invade the planet Ceqal IV. The Olonsean Empire would like to have artifacts from these walkers. The patron, however, has other ideas."

Joseph Mohr is an engine every couple of months a new OSR or Cepheus Engine rpg adventure pops up on Drivethrurpg. And so its been interesting to see "Sleeping Giant" a pay what you want Cepheus Engine Rpg adventure pop up yesterday. There been quite a bit of experince at the table top when it comes to using Joseph Mohr Cepheus Engine rpg adventures that we have had over the last two years. Each one comes with a hook, a set up, the meat of the adventure, & then the conclusion for the PC's. And this isn't a bad thing at all. And this set up is highly effective; "Nehael Thriqu, an intelligence officer of the Ilsunsi Directorate, approaches the travelers when they are in star port with a proposition. The Directorate has received intelligence that the Olonsean Empire intends to send an expedition to the world of Ceqal to recover alien artifacts. The Olonsean Empire is an aggressive species of aliens who are always looking for artifacts which can improve their military. It is believed that the planet Ceqal IV may contain such artifacts as it was once the site of an ancient battle. This battle took place long before any of the races which currently inhabit the Sonora sector evolved or moved into this part of the galaxy. Much of the planet is covered in radioactive zones from the orbital bombardment that took place here long ago. A great deal of hazardous wreckage still orbits the world from the battle that took place in space around the system. It is considered dangerous place to visit and no one has after the first explorers visited the world nearly five hundred years ago. Nehael Thriqu offers the travelers CR 200,000 to visit this world and find whatever it is that the Olonseans are looking for before their own expedition arrives. He offers CR 100,000 as a bonus if the travelers can recover the artifacts and bring them to him. Alternatively he will be quite happy if the travelers can just prevent the Olonseans from recovering the artifacts by destroying them. To this end he will supply the travelers with military grade explosive charges (five) which should accomplish the task." One of the things that really shines out about "Sleeping Giant" is how easy it is to customize & really play with to suit your campaigns. "Sleeping Giant" has all of the ingrediants of a good solidly done original Star Trek television episode in an adventure outline form. "Sleeping Giant" could easily be adapted to a very gritty & lived in Cepheus Engine rpg setting like Zozer Games Hostile rpg setting. Here's how it would work with a Hostile style game. The Company patron comes to the PC marines with a purposal to recover relics or weapons from world of Ceqal before the Olonsean Empire (effectively a group of alien pirates or marauders) recovers them first. Bonuses will be paid & there is propitiation of future missions.

And even the writer says it right at the beginning of the adventure; "This adventure involves an alien robotic walker which was once used in combat during an invasion of this world. The walker is basically a large mechanical warrior in which a crew once lived inside. Consider it a walking tank. It was heavily armored and equally heavily armed. There are many components to this device which the Olonseans would benefit from. Should they recover any of these components they will put them to military use and change the balance of power in the region. This adventure is set in the Sonora sector which is detailed in my previous work “The Frontiers of Space.” But it could easily be moved to some other part of the galaxy if needed."

To make this work in Zozer Games Hostile rpg setting I'm breaking one of the conceits of this setting. Namely that there are no humanoid alien races within it. The Talon Sector & the Earth Empire that we've been using as the basis of our Hostile games does have humanoid races within it. Its a big galaxy folks and besides this something that the Aliens comic books from Dark Horse also played with. That's another blog entry. "Sleeping Giant" has random encounters, the robotic wreckage, and even the possibility of more relics.. There's a bit of problem solving & all together this works very well. "Sleeping Giant" is actually a nice campaign set up adventure for some experienced rpgers in the Cepheus Engine rpg. Could "Sleeping Giant" work for original Traveller rpg?! In a word very effectively because it hits the right buttons for original Traveller. You've got a solid mission, a post apocalytic alien world, a rival enemy hell bent on those same relics. Yes it works nicely..

Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery Want more OSR action? Subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

Mercenaries, Spies, & Private Eyes rpg's supplement Stormhaven. Allard Technologies has its fingers into every science fiction & old school Call of Cthlhu rpg game that we've run since the Eighties. They've been the upstart corporation going back decades. There are some solid legs that Stormhaven has that lends itself to everything from straight up Call of Cthulhu Pulp to Eighties inspired action film material. As a campaign setting set piece the booklet packet is invaluable. And now doing a retro sci fi styled campaign Stormhaven once again is making its shadow felt. This is a slice of Eighties awesomeness done by Michael A. Stackpole with art and maps by Barbara Armata, Liz Danforth, Jennell Jaquays, and Steven S. Crompton. This is a classic & classic for a reason. Five stars & I've been using Stormhaven for decades now. Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery Want More OSR action?! Subscribe to swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com

Gun runners & weapons manufacturers are going to have a field day with this fact & its one of the primary lights behind my use of Modern War: Conversion System From Zozer Games. This is a fantastic little system to put the guns,planes, etc. in the hands of the people. And in this case its a system that enables the DM to eye ball a piece of military hard ware determine stats for & then drop it right into their games. The DM's last night were really impressed with it last night. This is a solid addition to the Zozer games Cepheus Engine Rpg products. Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery Want more OSR action?! Subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

" Dwarves and gnomes are adept at using magic to enchant armor, weapons, and other items, infusing them with magical power. While the golden age of runemaster power is long since passed, even today the dwarves and gnomes are known for their enchanting prowess."

James Mishler Games sent me the Runemasters pdf three days ago & its put me right back into the C&C OSR game mind set especially since we've got two players who are dwarven & gnome fanatics. This class has at its heart the ability to create Runestones; "Runes: Runemasters learn runes much like magic-users learn spells, keeping their knowledge in a book of runes that only other runemasters can read (no need for read magic, and read magic is useless to magic-users, as they cannot learn runes). A runemaster begins play knowing two 1st level runes, and automatically learn one new rune of their choice every level thereafter, of a level they may cast. They may also learn runes from other runemasters and by finding and learning them from ancient books of runes. Time and cost for learning (“mastering”) a rune and inscribing it in one’s book of runes is the same as for a magic-user to learn a spell of the same level. The number of runes listed on the table is the number of runes the runemaster may cast per day. Runemasters do not memorize runes; they may cast any runes they have mastered, in any combination they choose, 4 based on the number of casting slots of that rune level. Runemasters do not gain bonus runes due to high Intelligence or Wisdom. Runes musts be scribed – written on flesh, stone, gems, metal, paper, or even drawn in the air – to be cast. Usually this is done with the index finger, the magically-drawn rune often glowing upon the surface or even in midair for the duration (though some runes are invisible, and riven runes must be chiseled or etched for permanency). Thus, as with other spell casting, the runemaster cannot move and must have at least one hand free to cast a rune." But what's so new about this?! Dwarves have been doing it since the early days of 'The Dragon' magazine?! The difference is in the way that the magic is embedded into the character class. The Runemaster is dynamic class & very important to the Castles & Crusades table top level. Runemasters are really the essential class when dealing with magic weapons, dungeons, etc. and this is huge. They also get thirty four new runes for the player to deal with. This is huge for the adventurers because it gives them a leg up for magic items, relics, & much more. The runemaster is going to be a game changer in campaigns so keep this in mind.

This means that the Runemaster at higher levels can do all kinds of mayhem when it comes to dungeon delving, dealing with the forge, & much more. And it adds a new wrinkle to the legendary & mythological background of many of the Castles & Crusades books. The real difference with the Runemaster is for the Castles & Crusades Mythos Series. The runemaster in those settings is a force to be reckoned with. Look how many mythological & popculture resources such as Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). In Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung),we see the true extent of the vengeance of a Runemaster. Runemasters is solidly put together & offers the players or the dungeon master a truly solid class to add to their OSR arsenal. For the Dwarven or Gnome fanatic player this is an automatic buy. For the DM looking to add more depth to their Dwarves this is grab & go to drop into the OSR campaign. Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery blog Want More OSR Action Subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

" Pirates are the scourge of the space-lanes. Cutthroats, bandits, and scum, they are enemies to all humanity. Captured pirates can expect no mercy: only grim justice for their heinous crimes. Despite the risks, this book encourages science fiction roleplayers—Gamemasters and players alike—to embrace their inner space pirate, and set forth to the stars to carve a bloody swath across the galaxy!"

There are days when sometimes when looking over at the absolute wall of Traveller rpg books that stare at me that it begins to hit me just how not intimated by this game hits me. Most of Traveller & Cepheus Engine rpg game campaigns that either have crossed the table top or the screen revolve around piracy or one kind or another. Traveller was the game that engineers & science geeks play. But once we got into it, this was the science fictional game to play hands down. So when Stellagama Publishing sent me a copy of Piracy and Privateering it took me a day or more to put it at the top of the pile of books to be reviewed. See what Piracy and Privateering does is to create an almost rpg system neutral book that leans heavily into the wind of the Original 2d6 OGL Science Fiction rules, Cepheus Engine, Stars Without Number, and White Star. Now way back in the early half of 2019 we grabbed a copy of Piracy and Privateering This was with the intent of running a piracy themed game of White Star or Stars Without Number. But then OSR game campaigns took over. And Piracy and Privateering will work with Cepheus Lite Rpg rather easily. Technically with these two books you could run an entire campaign for many years.

This is an updated & expanded sourcebook tha hammers on the detailed systems of piracy. And with Piracy and Privateering you can actually run an entire OSR or Cepheus Engine rpg campaign from the pirates perspective! Piracy and Privateering gives the players & the DM everything they need to get a steady hand on the setting of such a game from boarding actions to what to do with the booty afterwards. Josh Peters does an excellent job of fleshing out everything needed from: Pirate setting generation setting the scene for your piracy game Target aquistition & boarding of ships Randomly encountering the monsters of your pirate PC's & the hunters of such PC's. Traffic, back water worlds, & all of the little things that goes into such a campaign. Indepth world & setting info NPC handling, generation, & plug or play aspects of the pirate NPC. What Piracy and Privateering is a space opera & pirarcy tool box for not only generating entire adventures, NPC's, & more but giving the space campaign teeth & legs to continue for years to come. It does this with its random generation & steady ideas of growth through play & actual rolls. This is a marked improvement in some of the early products that I've seen. Right now we're in the middle of generating a whole cloth campaign dark space opera using Cepheus Engine rpg & classic Traveller resources. This means that Piracy and Privateering couldn't come at a better time for our group or me as dungeon master. This is a great buy so go & grab it here! Piracy and Privateering is a fine addition to the Cepheus Engine & OSR space opera gaming scene.

Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery blog Want more OSR action? Subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

Before planning out a Cepheus Engine rpg campaign set within the stated guidelines of the Hostile Rpg. My group encouraged me to pick up the Gunslocker rpg supplement. And in fact they insisted on it. Why?! Rpgger & gamers love weaponry & ultra violence especially when going up against Xenomorph style alien life forms.

"The complete compilation of firearms for Zozer Games' HOSTILE SF RPG setting. Here are all the guns from HOSTILE, the Marine Corps Handbook and Dirtside along with 18 new firearms and 4 new types of grenades. In addition there are two pages of firearms accessories and a fast-play rule for determining hit chance using the range band method. "

Weapons for a Sci fi game are the cherries on top of a very well planned out system such as Zozer Games's Hostile rpg. Weapons Lockers is one of those 'must have' books! Why?! Every dungeon master worth his or her salt knows two things. You can never have enough monster books, dice, and weapons books. Every DM worth his salt knows three things?! Let's put it another way or as Hudson puts it to Ripleyi in Aliens [special edition]" [during the drop to LV-426]

Private Hudson: I'm ready, man, check it out. I am the ultimate badass! State of the badass art! You do not wanna fuck with me. Check it out! Hey Ripley, don't worry. Me and my squad of ultimate badasses will protect you! Check it out! Independently targeting particle beam phalanx. Vwap! Fry half a city with this puppy. We got tactical smart missiles, phased plasma pulse rifles, RPGs, we got sonic electronic ball breakers! We got nukes, we got knives, sharp sticks...

Sergeant Apone: Knock it off, Hudson. All right, gear up." And this is exactly what your getting here guns, gats, & gear to take on those threats to your adventurers, marines, & lawmen in the outer reaches of the universe. Did I mention that this is the Gunslocker is well done & well designed for the Hostile Rpg universe.

The Gunlocker supplement does an excellent job of organizing, cataloging, & presenting the weapons of 2225. There's a very nice array of fire arms from revolvers to energy weapons all in forty five pages. The variety is solidly done & for a marine fanatic such as myself the presentation is on point. Ian Stead's artwork takes me back to '88 or so with the release of the Alien's Marine Handbook with Gunlocker's homages in his artwork & layout.

Zozer Games has really been impressing me with their simple to use & easy access stats for their fire arms & energy weapons. The level of detail is top drawer without a Janes Weapons Guide level of detail that leaves the DM scrambling for a pillow or how to field strip an imaginary weapon. But the overlap into Cepheus Modern means that the DM has options to use these weapons in other Cepheus Engine rpg sci fi campagin settings. And all of this within forty five pages.

Hostile Rpg Gunlocker Supplement brings Hostile rpg into a very military position with regards to setting specific weapons & the world of 2225 is a very dangerous one indeed. Military based campaigns are going to be bloody & very dangerous affairs. But its not always about the world of men is it!? The Gunslocker rpg supplement is solid, classy, & very well done & it should be in the shopping cart of any Hostile rpg fan in my opinion. This is a very key book for the marines & militaries of the Hostile rpg. Five outta of five because it fits its point & purpose really bringing home the Hostile rpg universe in spades!

Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery Blog Want more OSR action? Subscribe To https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

Zozer Games's Roughnecks is a supplement that you can just about feel the 'Outland' vibe coming off it. The whole book fits the asthetic of Alien & Eighties sci fi so well. The PC's are not your typical heroes of 'Luke Skystalker' mode but working stiffs and miners at that. And lay out & production are so well done. Roughnecks works so well with Far Horizons that its not even funny. These two books together brings exploration of the outer solor system home. Zozer Games puts out fantastic products & again this is brought home with Roughnecks. You get everything you could want as a dungeon master for running Hostile Rpg Eighties sci fi hard core mining operation. One where you can run your people hard & they can play harder in the wastelands of space. And Roughnecks fits in with the asthetic of Eighties sci fi that I'm going for with our group of players coming up. Roughnecks works because it gives the PC's the tools to actually pull a profit from their operations. The DM has a a mini mining book to play out within the Hostile campaign. There's far more going on below the surface of the solar system that can be pulled from for the corporations. The solar system is last great frontier before the alien worlds of beyond but our own solar system is dangerous as Hell. Roughnecks presents mankind as their own worst enemies when it comes to the making of a profit. The corporations do what they do & even here their still faceless. There's a good chance for heroics even within Roughnecks but watch out for your fellow miners & bugs. All around Roughnecks works for me on any number of levels as a dungeon master highly recommended. Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery blog Want more OSR goodness? Subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

"HOSTILE is a gritty, near future roleplaying setting for the 2D6 Cepheus Engine rules that is inspired by movies like Outland and Alien. It is a universe of mining installations, harsh moons, industrial facilities, hostile planets and brutal, utilitarian spacecraft."

So looking over the Hostile rpg is like looking into an alternative Traveller or Cepheus Engine rpg 'Aliens' universe. This is exactly the style of rpg universe setting that my players are looking for. The layout of the pdf is really well done. There's a real sci fi cinematic feel here for Zozer Games universe & its one of interstellar & military expansion. The PC generation is very well done here & the additional PC options present a uniquely sci fi alternative universe PC take on the classic old school Traveller style.

The more that we slide into the the Hostile rpg universe the more that the every aspect of life here is driven by space exploration & expansion. The technologies, space craft, medicine, etc are all a pre Cold War mode but its done with style & substance. There's an inner working & logic that fits within the the Hostile rpg universe in spades. This is a universe that can handle a Blade Runner campaign or even a whole cloth military campaign against Xenomorphs. And its one that works very well & it really does have the spirit of those classic Eighties sci fi films. Add to this the fact that you get the Hostile Technical Manual pdf free & you are ready to go.

And the Hostile rpg is a monster of a book at three hundred plus pages & it really does a good of defining its universe from the ground up. This is sci fi that I can understand in spades & from that view point it works very well for both designing interstellar adventures & for generating PC's. The whole package of the Hostile rpg. Overall I highly recommend the Hostile rpg from the standpoint of both player & DM. Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery Blog Want more OSR action?! Subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

"ALIEN BREEDS is a roleplaying supplement for the Cepheus Engine and other classic 2D6 SF roleplaying games. It details a new species of hostile alien predator with both an unnerving and horrific lifecycle as well as an ability to mutate ad hoc to suit its current environment. ALIEN BREEDS works well within Zozer Games’ own SF setting called HOSTILE, but it can be used in any Cepheus Engine game – as long as your players can handle this beast… and there is certainly no guarantee of that!"

When it comes to using iconic xenomorphs the Alien Breeds supplement brings it home from zozar games for the Cepheus rpg or old school Traveller. This is a forty one page solid adaptation of the alien monster. But what Alien Breeds does is create a number of xenomorph variations in spades for adventures. Paul Elliott, always brings more bang for the buck as a author & designer. Even though Alien Breeds is a good supplement its the inclusion of the adventures & the installations that makes it excellent for Cepheus rpg campaigns; "a typical colony installation. It is a fairly small example, big enough to hold may be 50 or 60 people, enough for an extended science survey, a prospecting mission or the maintenance of some new equipment on planet – perhaps a powerplant, refinery, test mine or atmosphere processor." And Alien Breeds is perfect to add into the outer interstellar gulfs of TSAO: These Stars Are Ours! from Stellagama Publishing. The PC's climb aboard a Grey saucer & the last thing their going to expect is a nest of Xenomorphs. Yes I realize that Alien Breeds is for the vaulted 80's sci fi inspired Melee rpg setting But TSAO has marines built into the interstellar setting & the xenomorphs are a perfect biological weapon for them.

Personally I can see Alien Breeds being a perfect add into the mythos of the TSRO universe. Their origins are mysterious & should be kept that way. In the Dark Horse Alien comic book universe it was implied that many alien races have used the Xenomorphs as biological weapon systems & have run afoul. I'm looking forward to getting more titles from Zozer games in the near future. Alien Breeds is a five outta of five in my book. Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery Blog Want More OSR action?! Subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/

"In an age before the rise of human civilizations, empires ruled by aliens and gods dominated the Earth. Prominent among these was Atlantis. This nation had its roots in a solar system far removed from our own, and they colonized the Sol system through a mixture of technology and magic that was the hallmark of their civilization."

So what exactly is Neulow Games The Love Witch? Well its all about a hybrid of graphic novel or comic book old school Seventies goodness & Miller's game design according to him ; " The Love Witch contains three exciting tales that mix high fantasy and horror by master comics-scribe Marv Wolfman, with gorgeous art by Ernie Colon, Don Heck, and others. The book also contains an all-new feat and talent-based magic system that can be brought into any d20 System and which is far more flexible than is typical, as it is not tied to any class- or level-based abilities." And its within these abilities & gaming design that Miller's writing shows through because this right up my campaign alleyway. The magic of Atlantis is solidly laid bare here. This is a tight book clocking in at fifty six pages with of Atlantean magic via the Love Witch PC class but its really not. We'll get to that. And its here that the book shines. We get alternative schools of Necromancy, a full view of the PC class & deeper mysteries into the fate of Atlantis. Because of Nuelow Games approach to the Lovewitch I got exactly what I need with crossover potential with Witchkind & the Immortals both of which play key rolls within my campaigns.

So is this a PC class or not?! Sorta but more of a legacy according to Miller;"It was mentioned above that Atlantean magic is not a class feature in the d20 System. Instead, heroes gain the ability to use magic by acquiring one or more feats either during character creation or as they advance in level. Their spellcasting abilities grow more refined and powerful through additional feats, as well as talents and ranks in certain skills. Depending on when the GM’s campaign is set, or what relationship the heroes have to Atlantean enclaves after the continent has been destroyed, the characters may have access to the feats that form the foundation of the spellcasting system in this book." And its this that makes the Lovewitch easy to slip into a campaign. Things like 'Deathless' make the Lovewitch an easy match for Immortals; "Deathless [General] You are hard to kill. If slain, you will rise from your grave. Your supernatural patron wants your work to continue. Prerequisite: Ancient Blood or Ancient Spirit Benefit: +2 to Fort and Will saves. Special: When the character is dropped below -10 hit points (or the threshold used for “dead” in the campaign), he or she doesn’t die. Instead, the character’s spirit leaves the body and continues to exist as a formless entity on the mortal plane. If the Disembodied template is available in the campaign (see NUELOW’s Ghost Woman), the character has gained that template. If not, the character exists formless near the location of his or her demise until a suitable living vessel comes along. The character may attempt to possess the being. The target receives a Will save (DC12+your character level) to resist. If the target is injured or somehow emotionally vulnerable or frightened, the Will save is DC8+your character level. The target immediately gains Dual Souls as a bonus feat, with this character become Character B. (See Dual Souls for details.)" And this makes it simple for the DM to take Castles & Crusades Siege system or Fantastic Heroes & Witchery to adapt the Lovewitch to their home campaigns.

Is the Lovewitch perfect?! No its a supplement that's built to fit into Miller's OGL material but easily lifted & fitted for an experienced DM. It has that Seventies horror comics vibe & we've had one player whose PC is going down the Lovewitch path & has the ancestry for this supplement's magic. All in all its a fine addition to the DM's tool box. Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery blog Want more OSR goodness?! Subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/