Grab your girl, Strap on your guns, and hold on! We're heading down 'Strange Trails'!
For gold, glory, and high adventure! You can get Strange Trails Right HERE
Introduction Strange Trails came out Jan.21 2011 as a sort of preview for 'Weird Adventures'. Its a preview all right but what it actually is. An overflow book with a metric ton of material that can get the ball rolling into your Weird Adventures campaign.
Eight articles from Trey's blog, some expanded, and all of them annotated and illustrated--including artwork by our man in Manila, Reno Maniquis, and that ostensible cat,Johnathan Bingham.
An “Appendix N” for the City and its world. This Appendix is essential for getting the feel of the setting and is very well done.
A shot of flavor fiction to set the mood.
And all for the low, low price of...free.
Why Do I Need Strange Trails?
Strange Trails is essential to running a Weird Adventures campaign. Seriously the pdf goes into areas of the world of the 'City' that the author didn't cover in the 'Weird Adventures' book. That's not a bad thing really because this book clocks in at twenty five pages of 'pulpastic' D&D inspired material!
This book is all you need for either an evening's quick dungeon crawl in or a cruise through the more dangerous pulp seas of 'Weird Adventures'.
That being said this is really an add on book more then an introduction. There are several elements in the book that easily lend themselves to a very nasty and dire horror adventure or pulp terror campaign..
'A Hand To Play' is ten minutes of menace and a look into a world of crime and desperation. The plot goes something like this: A family man and sometime drug dealer, Joe decides to gamble and go behind his employers back in order to make himself some extra money. Unfortunately for Joe though, he is employed by an infamous underground criminal - Mr. Trent. This short looks into the life of Joe(Philp Gwilliams whose performance is subtle and very tight) whose crossed Mr. Trent played by Doug Bradley. Doug Bradley has of course played Pinhead and needs no introduction but Mr.Trent is a very different animal then the lead cenobite.
The byplay between the gangster Mr.Trent and Joe is the heart of the short. In less then ten minutes the audience is introduced to the characters, plunged into the world of 'A Hand To Play', and the tension is felt throughout.
Screenwriter Paul McGowan knows his craft and Director Mike Clarke takes full advantage of every single second of the writing.
'A Hand To Play' threads the line between 'Neo Noir' and horror quite nicely. The measure comes from Doug Bradley's Mr.Trent. A charming yet menacing person in equal measure whose presence screams don't mess with me.
I've seen some of the police shows that Doug Bradley has done in the past. He was very good in many of those shows. However, it was Philp Gwilliams that really impressed me. He gave a very subtle performance. It was a nice tight short.
Viewing the short made me want to know more. More about the world, the characters around Mr.Trent and how he operates.
Chris Cronin's editing is very well done and does take anything away from the performances and adds to the feel of the film setting the world of 'A Hand To Play' in motion. Joel Catchatoor's original music sound track adds to the menace and tension of the film without distracting the audience. I'd go so far to say that it enriches the whole thing. 'A Hand To Play' is only now starting to make its way in the indie and horror film festivals. If you get a chance to see it do yourself a favor and grab a seat. This a very nice little gem of a film. Four Stars. ***** A Hand To Play Has a Facebook page right HERE
Gorgon Milk is running a new community project and it looks like a great one!
Basically a Community Project: D30 Table of Magical Gems Found in the Eye Sockets of Animated Skeletons
(TO BE INCLUDED IN "UNDERWORLD LORE" BOOKLET)
These skeletons remind me of the animated one from the "Last Unicorn"
The premise is simple:
Imagine that many temples and secretive arch-mages would amp up their skeletal guardians by fastening magically charged gemstones into their otherwise empty and non-functional eye-sockets.
So grab a keyboard and head over to Gorgon Milk's page right HERE
There are creatures you don't ever want to encounter. Monsters spawned from the darkest brain fevered corners of the human imagination. Things that simply kill and kill again. They were spawned from darkest alley ways of the human collective unconsciousness during the 'Supernaturalpyse' . Now these monsters serve their dark masters and begin the summoning!
1d30 Trashtastic Monstrous Servants of The Ancient Gods Random Encounters
1d4 Flesh Melting Clowns AC 8 Hit points 2 Damage 1d6 acidic
1d8 undead mutant cultists AC 7 Hit Dice 3 Damage 1d4 bite
Small village zombies AC 9 Hit points 1 Damage 1d3
Giant Freaking Spider AC 7 Hit Points 6 Damage 1d6 Acidic bite
Spider Draco Bats AC8 Hit Points 3 Damage 1d4 plus implant and explosive birth
Giant Of The Old Ones AC 8 Hit points 10 Damage 1d6 # 1d4 accompanying mini monsters
Evil Unicorn Mutate AC 7 Hit Points 6 Damage 1d4 hooves, 1d8 horn
Mist Ghost AC 3 Hit points 3 Damage 1d4 claws
Giant Blue Bottle Flies #1d4 Hit points 6 Damage 1d4 plus implantation and infection
Giant Flesh Eating Hydra Worms AC 6 Hit Dice 8 Damage 1d8 per bite
1d20 Random Encounter Table For Scalawags,Scoundrels, And Thieves
A knife wielding assassin on the trail of a broken who knows too much. The assassin is armed with enchanted blades and acts as the hand of a cult of demon worshiping scum.
A mad scientist who masquerades as a traveling sales man and teacher is looking for victims to test his latest horrid experimental formulas on. A second level wizard and rank scientist.
A three time loser cultist and petty thief is looking to hire out his skills while casing out adventurer parties as targets. This third level specialist is a petty second story man and once worked for the mob.
This sadistic torturer passes herself off as a kindly teacher and helper of the aged, sick and often uses them as fodder for diabolical experiments. She is threading her way across country looking for an ancient treasure while offering her services. She keeps a hidden diary of her exploits.
A widower who has a magic ring containing the essence of his dead brides. This 4th level wizard uses the life force of his departed as the source of his magic. He is willing to hire out to dangerous and desperate adventurers who provide this adrenaline addict with the sick thrills he needs.
This seemly normal adventurer and playboy is actually an immortal werewolf looking for his next kill. He is a 2nd level fighter by day and by night a double hit point fiend of the most murderous aspect.
This mad man is actually a double agent for two very dangerous countries. During the day this sex addict spy seduces embassy employees. No man or woman is safe from him but by night he kills those he seduces. He isn't sure whose he's working for anymore.
This little old lady is actually one of the most ruthless wizards of the Black Society. She is actually a he altered in both appearance and temperament She is on a mission to find a rare flower so that she might return to her original form. She is fifth level but does not remember her original form. She will however betray adventurers upon the new moon.
This black hearted fiend is on the run from bounty hunters and will drop an arcane artifact into the bag or safe hiding spot of the nearest adventurers.
A wandering homeless man bumbles into the PC's .He's is actually the head of a cult of the Old Ones on a desperate search for their Antichrist He has kidnapped many young women in a search for the right candidate to bear his child.
A handsome man in a crushed blue velvet suit wanders nearby. There is something strange about him. The party sees him over and over again. This being is actually a wandering curse forced to hunt down a member of the party. His effects are up to the DM.
A wandering child has a human femur in her hands. Her eyes are empty and weep a bit of blood every time she is seen. She is actually a ghost enslaved to a 6th level wizard who uses her abilities to steal bits of human souls to find the right victim for his diabolical experiments. The wizard moves through the crowd nearby. He bares an uncanny resemblance to a member of the party.
A knife wielding thief kills a nearby victim and then plunges into a nearby crowd never to be seen. He is actually staking the party having missed his prey. The victim was actually another version of the thief. He's now targeted on of the party. He wields an enchanted dagger which reappears after its been used in his hands again.
A beautiful woman is randomly attacked by a psycho with a butcher knife but is found miraculously alive. The psycho vanishes into a nearby alley. She is actually a high level vampire moving about in the cloudy daylight. This vile vamp will target a member of the party for later feasting.
A man with one arm stumbles through a nearby alley way. His face a horrid patch work of weird scars. He claims to have been the victim of a wizard's transformation. He has few memories but a pocket full of money and will pay adventurers to help him find out his identity.
A strange grey skinned man in oriental garb shadows the party and finally offers his services. Seems he is a third level wizard willing to help the adventurers for some vague reason. He will not accept payment. But will take it when the times comes naming his sadistic price.
A small dwarf is looking for protection from a group of religious zealots. The dwarf has a touch of the infernal about him. But he's actually a holy cleric under a curse of a major mob boss possessed by a pit fiend whose looking for him. He can heal at will but must answer questions with rhyme. A very troubled soul who needs help.
A sister who is actually a 3rd level fighter in search of adventurers to help defend her sisters from a take over by a mob boss who wants their land. A rare artifact is held within the places and the order has forgotten all about it. The mob has not.
This thief has been transformed into a freak by the curse of a wizard and seeks adventurers to help him lift his curse. He will barter services for help. There is a hidden reason for his curse and he may try to kill any female adventurers present.
A member of the Church of Starry Wisdom is on the lamb from a cult hit squad. She desperately needs to get to the police. She will try to seduce any male or female she can. Her body is a mass of mutations that are hidden under a set of nice cloths. She will bare a twisted progeny by morning should any sub comb to her advances. She will slip away and the monster will try to murder its parent. For the rest of the parent's days the monster will stalk its parental prey. Only when the stars are right will the fool be free.
The story concerns a family who moves into an old house that rejuvenates itself by means of its occupants.
Its a theme that runs through both the Legend of Hell House And The Amityville Horror as well. This film has a sort of 'Twilight Zone' or dream quality to it.
The plot According To Wiki:
The Rolf family takes a vacation from an unnamed city at a large, shabby neo-classical1890s mansion in the California countryside. The family consists of Marian (Karen Black), her husband Ben (Oliver Reed), their young son David (Lee Montgomery), and their elderly aunt Elizabeth (Bette Davis). The owners of the house are the Allardyce siblings, brother Arnold and sister Roz (Burgess Meredith and Eileen Heckart respectively). The Allardyces inform their new tenants of a particularly odd requirement for their rental: the Allardyces' elderly mother continues to live in her upstairs room and the Rolfs provide her with meals during their stay. The siblings explain that the old woman is obsessed with privacy and will probably not interact with them, so meals are to be left outside her door.
As it turns out, this task falls to the mother, who gradually succumbs to the allure of the ornate house and its period decor. She becomes obsessed with caring for the home, begins to dress as if she is from the Victorian age, and of particular concern to her is the room outside Mrs. Allardyce's room with its huge collections of framed pictures and a music box. Various "accidents" occur during the summer. While playing in the pool the father almost drowns the child, a gas heater in the child's bedroom is mysteriously turned on and the windows closed. Ben is haunted by a dream and a waking vision of an eerie, grinning, malevolent looking chauffeur whom he saw at his mother's funeral decades prior. With each "accident," the house begins to regenerate itself. It gradually becomes clear that Marian is somehow being possessed or controlled by the house and that a malevolent force is slowly consuming the family.
Then Aunt Elizabeth suddenly takes ill and dies, and the mother does not attend the funeral. She steps into a room that had previously contained barren and half dead flowers only to discover a beautiful, ornate garden. Upon arriving home from the funeral, Ben confronts Marian, who retreats to the room outside the old woman's bedroom. He angrily confronts her about her obsession with the home and what the home is doing to their family. She denies it. He reveals to her his intentions of leaving the next day, "with or without you."
The father sleeps in an armchair in the son's room, then awakens to the sound of old shingles falling off the home. He attempts to escape with the son but, a tree blocks the road. The mother drives them back to the house; the father accuses her of being part of it. He then sees the mother as the chauffeur, and becomes catatonic. The next day, while David is swimming and Ben is watching him, the placid pool turns into angry, vicious waves, pulling the boy under as Ben is unable to move. Marian frantically saves him, and agrees it is time to leave.
As Ben readies his family to leave the house, Marian decides to go back inside to tell Mrs. Allardyce that they are leaving. After she fails to return to the car Ben goes inside to get her, but cannot find her. Ben decides to confront the elderly Mrs. Allardyce, whom he has not seen face to face. Ben is horrified when he finds that his wife has somehow become the old woman in the attic, or perhaps always has been. Ben is thrown from an attic window, landing on the windshield of his car. In shock, David runs toward the house and is killed when one of the chimneys falls on him.
When the house is now fully rejuvenated and glistening like new, the voices of the Allardyce siblings are heard marveling at the house's beauty and rejoicing over the return of their mother. The house is seen to be filled with pictures of various people, many from years past, some more recent - including those of Ben, David and Aunt Elizabeth.
Using Burnt Offerings For Your Old School Horror Games
Not unlike the the Legend of Hell House, Burnt Offerings mansion is far more subtle then the usual horror rpg adventure. This is a location that offers subtle demonic possession and the promise of eternal repose within its walls.
The 37-room mansion is 16,224 square feet and features 10 fireplaces, a Tiffany-style dome, wood paneled public rooms and inlaid parquet floors. The servant quarters in the house are designed to accommodate 12 live-in staff.
The Allardyces family seem to have a very dark history with the place. There's an almost 'Shining' feel to the place. Adventurers will find the place a probably a bit too methodical in its pacing for killing. Those accustomed to slam-bang approach of post-'70s horror fare may be in for a surprise. But seasoned Call of Cthulhu fans will find plenty to enjoy in this film's location for its subtle charm and a bit of insanity in the house's approach.
The house seems to be a malevolent force is slowly consuming the family and others who have visited it and become a part of its walls. I've always felt that the place might touch other times and places throughout history. The place lures its victims in and then begins to consume both sanity and body until the place claims them as its own.
The house can be more then just a simple trap. Those spirits that reside within its walls may have knowledge of the past that no other being possesses. The rare insights that may come in handy to adventurers. Getting past the entity which controls and regenerates the house will not be easy.
Even those who escape the houses phantoms may be cursed and may find themselves returning to the house as its obsession takes over.
There are a couple of reasons to use Burnt Offerings. 1. The film is relatively unknown to many horror fans and rpg players today. 2. The film makes a quick set up for a one shot adventure. 3. There's plenty to use here if the 'time travel from hell' bit is used to allow the house's phantoms to work their magic over the adventurers.
The film's location of the Dunsmuir House and its grounds have appeared in numerous movies and television shows. There's plenty of info about the place right over on wiki!
Rejoice oh Tribes of the Moon! The Cabal Cut which has been making its rounds across the oceans and the world is now coming to your small screen! According this article in Fango by Sammual Zimmerman :
Shout! Factory’s boutique genre label has been big news this past year. Young, but adoring to cult classics and hidden gems ignored by good home video release, they’ve already unleashed proper editions of HALLOWEEN II & III, DEADLY BLESSING, THE FOG and THE NEST with titles like INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN and PRINCE OF DARKNESS on the way. Today, they’ve come to Comic-Con to celebrate their mission and announce something very, very big.
At a panel moderated by Scream Factory contributor and Horror’s Hallowed Grounds host Sean Clark and featuring Cliff MacMillan (Scream Factory DVD Producer), Jeff Nelson (Scream Factory Marketing Director) and special guest actress Adrienne Barbeau (CREEPSHOW, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK), Scream Factory announced six titles.
John Carpenter’s ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, EVE OF DESTRUCTION, Stanley Donen’s Kirk Douglas, Farrah Fawcett sci-fi thriller SATURN 3 and Sam Raimi’s DARKMAN are all expected late this year/early 2014 according to multiple sources. Paul Schrader’s 1982 CAT PEOPLE remake starring Nastassja Kinski and Malcolm McDowell is looking at a 2014 release.
The biggest news however is that the label will be restoring and releasing the storied NIGHTBREED: THE CABAL CUT. A 144-minute director’s cut that reinstates a wealth of material deleted from the film’s theatrical release, adding a great deal of original vision back to Clive Barker’s monster movie. Scream Factory apparently made clear it would take some time to do right, but the much sought after version will hit Blu-ray! Check out the original article right over HERE
Michael Plumides came on board and went out into the world and found a company to release the film....
Now Scream Factory Films will release Nightbreed - The Cabal Cut
There are so many people to thank if you are reading this you are one of them.....
Thank you
Anne Bobby for your beauty, your craft and our name.
Craig Sheffer for Cabal / Boone.
Doug Bradley for being you.
Simon Bamford for being cool.
Nicholas Burman-Vince for everything you do.
Hugh Ross for your fine work.
Ron McKenzie for all your support
Owen Williams for the BIG Empire feature.
Everyone else on the cast and crew we did it!!!!!
This movement was to show Morgan Creek, the current owners of the film "Nightbreed", that there is a high demand for this film to be released in an extended cut as the director and creator Clive Barker originally intended.
Please Press Play To Begin! Because of heinous energies of the 'Supernaturalypse' all along the highways and byways of America there are all types of weird leakage that falls through the dimensional cracks of the paranormal world. Below are small slice of flesh of the weirdness that is sometimes seen along the highways at 1:00 am and the hours of the damned.
By ways And Haunted Highways 1d10 Random Encounter Table
The ghost of a dead cheerleader still trying to get home. Covered from head to toe in wounds that still bleed from her killer's murder. She pleads silently for some relief from her torment as she wanders across the face of the Earth. When the moon is full she is able to assume a normal form for a time and asks to be taken home only to be left farther from her home town and family.
A strange band of 1d8 1st level mutant fighters in a hearse looking for a quick couple of slaves and perhaps a cannibal feast. They travel in a 57 Cadillac hearse and are armed with some modern firearms.
A gang of psycho killers out to create unholy rites to their dark masters. AC 7 Damage 1d6 knives Hit Points 2. Armed with blasters 1d8 and on motor cycles.
A family of zombies in a station wagon. There are 6 of them including Grandma. Max hit points and they are more then slightly crazy.
A psycho killer in a pick up truck armed with a rifle 1d6 70 yard range 5 shots and a machete 1d4. 2nd level fighter jazzed up on LSD and caffeine Real hard case looking for as many kills as he can get.
1d8 deep ones riding around in corvettes and armed with black powder weapons 1d8. They're after a lost member of their coven. However they'll easily take some side line sacrifices to Cthulhu with little issue. Hit points 5 AC 8 Damage 1d4 claws. The Disciplines of Dagon is the nick name of this little slice of Lovecraftian inspired madness.
1d6 Erynies after a lost soul and looking for prey. Very pissed off posse followed by an ill wind.
A rolling cloud of ghostly souls that moves by in a cloud of horror and chain rattling terror. There is a 75% chance that a random body part will fall from the sky into the characters laps.
A spawn of Cthulhu has just escaped from a nearby crypt of the old ones. There is a 20% chance its hungry, weird, and very pissed off.
A group of dark riders after a band of hobbits on motor cycles. Stats as wraiths and double hit points. These bastards will hunt down anyone they encounter. Armed with modern WWII guns and ammo.
Varlets and Vermin is a fifty two page pdf that I downloaded quite a few months ago. The book is adapted for swords and wizardry but easily adaptable for a number of retroclones. For a horror game this is perfect low level introduction to causing mayhem and issues.
"I've always felt the lack of lower level monsters in any setting; but especially the old school with its stripped-down lists.
Dungeon referees who want something a little spicier than rats, skeletons and kobolds should therefore consider my new pdf supplement, available to download here absolutely gratis: Varlets and Vermin. It's a collection of monsters and related ideas for challenge levels 1 and 2, written for Swords & Wizardry but easily adaptable to other systems."
How is this book used? There are number of low level challenges in this book but that doesn't mean low level horror. The tips, tricks, traps, and monsters all have the feel of something that could cause problems for any level of adventures. The challenges are not gonzo level monsters by any means but with very little work they could be come a royal pain or a deadly issue to any underground expedition The nice part is that these monsters are easily adaptable to both an urban environment or as a country based horror campaign setting. The author does a very nice job setting things in motion for the DM to take and run with these. I'd give this book an easy three and a half stars. Very useful material put into an easy to digest format and quick plug & play usage.
The call of the Adirondack Mountains has attracted every degenerate tribe of mad men and manics from the time of the 'Supernaturalypse'. Hoards of knife wielding psychopathic mutants and lone monsters stalk its trails and byways. Perhaps its the energies that flow through the hills,maybe the monsters that simply lurk in mankind have been unleashed for generations finally. Below is a small cross section of these strange feasters of men. They fight as berserks often high upon the twisted fungus that grows around mutated trees and upon the mountainsides themselves.
1d30 Crazed Cannibal Tribes of the Adirondack Mountains Random Encounter Table
1d6 Degenerate tribe of Old One Worshipers led by a 2nd level fighter. Armed with short swords, bows and arrows, and cleavers. They enjoy torturing their prey.
An inbred group of 'family' members looking for victims. 1d4#
Strange old timey religious nutjobs and psychos looking for converts and another 'last supper'
A traveling bunch of mutants and freaks twisted into mockereis of humanity. 1d10 of these monstrous mad bastards. 10% of mutations among them.
1d6 nuns and missionaries looking to 'save souls.' They've actually been infected with 'zombie rot fever'
A band of demonic cultists from a nearby community looking for a meal and sacrifice. Armed with short swords and ritual knives. 1d8 of these demonic servants.
A solitary tinker twisted beyond all human hope and sanity hunting down his latest victims. Armed with sharp knives and a quick wit.
A band of trappers possessed by a Wendigo spirit. There are 1d10 of these possessed souls roiling through the hills.
Former bounty hunter turned psycho cannibal killer. 3rd level fighter armed with bow and arrow. Short sword, shield, and cooking implements.
1d8 time lost victims transformed into horrid beasts of hunger. The gate way is still open to their dimension hell there may be more of them. 10% chance of them coming through.
1d10 A pack of preteen savage cubs hunting down victims as part of their rite of passage. Armed with slings, rocks, and knives.
1d20 zombie rot infected farmers with the craving for flesh. Very hungry and pissed off. Armed with farm tools and knives.
A pack of escaped criminals infected with dimensional energies hell bent on eating whomever they can.
A bunch of former alchemists who were a part of a military experiment who are now hosts for a new bio weapon plague looking for victims and hosts. 1d8 of these murderous, hungry bastards.
1d10 former 'Guardians of Light' fighters now possessed by a demonic hunger spirit who crave the cooked flesh of the living. Armed with swords, armor, and attitude.
A group of cursed outlaws, looking for lunch. Armed with bows & arrows, on horse back, etc. Functioning cannibals and capable of complex planning.
A traveling sales man on horse back. Actually a scout for a murderous tribe up the road of 1d20 1st level fighters who crave the flesh of humans.
A lone fem fatale cannibal psychopathic warrior woman looking for a group of victims. A third level fighter armed with bastard sword, armor, shield, and attitude.
1d10 A pack of outlaws suffering from a mild case of lycanthropy that manifests as cannibalism. They are mostly functional until night fall then they fight as true beserks and eat the raw flesh of their prey.
1d6 Former towns people mutated into crazed psycho killer cannibals. No better then rabid animals. 10% chance of carrying rabies.
A group of twisted highwaymen robbing and eating their way across the state. Armed with black powder weapons and on horse back. They carry bastard swords and light armor.
1d8 Dimensional traveling mutant cannibals from Dimension X. 10% chance of alien artifact among them.
A lone chain saw wielding psycho killer cannibal armed with stakes as well. On a holy crusade to rid the world of others and eat them.
1d8 Degenerate politicians from an alternative Earth. Here to consume anyone they can. Looking to start a cult known as a party.
1d10 mutated soldiers from another local city state exposed to cosmic radiation from a fallen meteor nearby. Armed with M-16's and cosmic hunger for the flesh of others.
1d8 cannibal cultists lead by a third level wizard. Out for a sacrifice and meal. They have a camp near by.
A tribe of cruel torturing cannibal savages 1d10 of the things! Mostly 3rd level warriors armed with bows and arrows, slings and rocks, and short swords
An escaped psycho cannibal in a straight jacket! 1st level fighter armed with a knife.
1d8 alien cannibals armed with ray guns. There is a downed saucer nearby with a 20% chance of more of these things. They are looking to start a colony here.
An infected cannibal paladin suffering from 'Zombie Rot'. Very dangerous. More monster then man. This mad dog has a 10% chance of carrying rabies.
Outside of the walls of the minor city states such as Mercy. Things are very dangerous . Travel is by horse mostly, the wagon has made a return. And the woods around touch paranmormal worlds. The world is place twisted by the supernatural energies that leak into our so called reality. There are unholy things in those woods.
Weird cults, horrid monsters, and strange beasts lurk in the woods between worlds here.
Gothic New York State Random Monster Encounters Table
A group of degenerate mutated cavemen 1d8 cultists looking for victims for a slab on an alter. They are lead by two psychopathic 2nd level fighters. Armed with make shift weapons.
A troop of were rats disguised as traders. They are working for a group of nearby city state cultists. Very dangerous. There is a 10% chance that they are carrying rabies.
New England Tuatara hunting for victims. This giant lizard blends in with the local trees and is quite hungry. Maxiumum hit points. He is active at night as well having infravision.
1d16 zombies! Local sacrifices imbued with the power of the Old Ones. They stumble and blindly mimic life. They suffer from a hunger that can not be filled.
Giant Woodland crab spider - This monster blends in with the local leaf litter and is looking to store prey in nearby trees for later eating.
Giant Crow acting as a scout for a local demon cult. This monster loves to pick off victims and blind them. He eats the eyes and leaves the victims to tell the tale. Ranges about twenty miles and then makes the route for prey and bobbles again.
A pack of 1d8 wolves lead by a dire wolf on a mission for a local shaman. These monsters will slaughter anyone who gets in the way of their holy mission.
1d8 skeleton soldiers animated by the supernatural energies of the woods. They are armed with primitive black power weapons and swords. These bastards are highly intelligent.
1d8 traders moving about their business. They are traders but are also spies for the local demon cults gathering intel and targets for sacrifice.
Lone were wolf warrior moving about the area. He murders and moves on. During the day he is a second level warrior with a slightly psychotic bent.
Last night I started the PC's in Mercy Square. One of the walled cities in the 'Supernaturalypse.' They're getting a feel for the walled island in the middle of the New England end of this nightmare world. Its located someplace in Upstate New York. Between the sheriff and the mayor the place has a very cosmopolitan feel. Yet the citystate has a very dark and somewhat 'warhammerish' fantasy flavor about it. Mercy is essentially a temporary refuge at best and a tragic accident waiting to happen at worst. So why Mercy? Well here's the Drivethrurpg description:
Post Apocalyptic Town: Mercy Square is the third installment of mapped, detailed "villages" for a post apocalyptic wasteland. Inspired by the Hamlet On A Page series, this product offers the GM a basic overview of a post apocalyptic settlement on a single page. A map is provided as well as a list of numbered locations which include the total population of citizens found at such locations. Below the map is a detailed description of the community.
Located within the heart of a devastated city, Mercy Square is an over-populated, rubble walled settlement of urban dwelling, post apocalyptic survivors. Founded by Mayor John Greenburg (Area 4) and Sheriff Logan Bolton (Area 4), this community was based on the aspects of hope, safety, and restoration of civilization. Since the community’s humble beginnings of a mere sixty some citizens, the secured urban area now houses over a thousand survivors. Although the buildings within the complex are perfectly capable of providing the needs of shelter for at least another five hundred or more, the overall feeling of this urban safe-hold is that the community is bursting at the seams.
In essence, Mercy Square is suffering from something that is a hard found blessing in the ruins of the apocalypse. That combination of a blessing and a curse is overpopulation. While the community offers the perfect model for the rebirth of civilization as it was once known, the ruins of the surrounding metropolitan city is quickly running dry in regards to needed resources. The community has a constant need for food, fresh water, and gasoline. While the community’s scouts, scavengers, and drivers make a constant effort to supply the community’s needs in recovered goods, such ventures are starting to fall short of need.
The PC's are already seeing the signs and portents of Trey's 'City' and the horrific effects of the world that they find themselves within. They've started to look for work and the encounters below reflect some of what they've already encountered.
1d10 Random NPC Encounters In Mercy
A junk trader selling his wares. There is a trace of ghoul blood running through his veins. His eyes glow with a weird light and he eyes adventurer a bit hungrily from time to time. He's friendly enough. Sharpens knives for two pennies and trades stories with adventures.
A group of refugees from out West. Some sporting horrific burns and scars. They're off to see Mercy's healers and doctors.
A group of hobogoblins is moving through the crowds pick pocketing and telling tales. They're willing to trade some items for hooch. Just came in on the rails.
A priest whose community is being beset by vampire bikers is looking for adventurers and fighters.
A traveling tinker with a coat full of wonders is actually a skilled technician and is looking for work. He has 1d4 random relic technology for sale.
A husband and wife team of acrobats are performing for the crowd. Actually their 'recruiters' for a local cult of the Old Ones. They tell tales that carry hints about local adventure locations if one is willing to listen.
A group of soldiers from another city state is looking through the crowd. They're actually 'drafting' manpower at the local watering holes. There are 1d8 2nd level fighters working the crowds.
A group of caravan merchants is selling fruits and veggies from across the land some of these are actually enchanted with weird powers. There are actually two of the farmers among them who are undead. They've sold their souls for remarkable abilities with things that grow.
Half ghoul funeral director brothers are setting up shop to offer their temporary services. They are experts in dealing with the undead and especially zombies. They are always looking for adventurers to help them in their endeavors. They sell all kinds of wood handy crafts and coffins including stakes. Some with special qualities.
The sheriff and his men who will be wanting to question the characters. They'll like to know the comings and goings of everyone.
