1d20 Random Encounters Flesh Golems Table For Your Old School Horror Campaign

1d20 Random Encounters Flesh Golems Table

1. This creature has been created from the bodies of different religious pilgrims and murmurs the praises of many different gods. He or rather it wanders the country side preaching a weird blend of heretical knowledge to those how will listen. There is a 50% chance of the monster knowing a forbidden vile piece of gossip about the gods. It has the abilities of a 2nd level cleric 
2. This scarecrow like being has been created from the corpse of  a farmer who has lost his land to foreclosure and now seeks bankers blood to fertilize the lands that he now watches over. 
3. This zombie like creature is actually the charred remains of a high level wizard who was burned up within his own tower. He now seeks those in need of the services of a mage and offers a more psychical approach to the needs of his clients. He has a 60% magic resistance as the energies that animate him are not phased by the reality altering nature of magic. 
4. The Scorned Woman - A former cleric of a goddess of love animated by the fires that destroyed her temple now seeks those whose love was broken by in justice. She will offer her services as a 2nd level cleric and wreck vengeance upon evil doers. Her goddess still heeds her pleases.
5. This fighter is made from the bodies of the former members of his tribe who were sewn together by the village wise woman. He wanders the worlds as a mercenary offering his services to the cause of justice. A 4th level fighter who flesh is an odd patch work of rot and rock hard muscle. He carries a +2 sword called The Spirit of Lightning 
6. The Drowned Fool - A former jester created from the court he once served. This acrobat and jester entertains children and deals murder at night. The magic of vengence courses through him and every night he may release a 1d4 damage lightning strike like bolt of energy. He is very chaotic in the extreme. 
7. The Post Man - A creature created from the body of a drowned post man who still carries out his route. None of his coworkers have noticed he is dead and decayed. Mostly mindless but every full moon he murders.Again and again. 
8. The Combination - A gaggle of bodies that has been animated by a lightning strike and now lives in the sewers beneath your local city. He or it hears all and sells the information to the highest bidder. 
9. The secretary - This shapely rotted corpse has been created from a secretary pool. Now a mob boss that takes out her competition. This creature is ruthless, efficient, lawful, and relies on her great organizational skills. A crack shot with her pearl handle forty five. 
10. The Magical Cross Word - This creature is a jumble of words, pictures, and ideas made flesh. He mumbles in a see saw cross word like language as he rips his victims apart. Chaotic in the extreme and blamed for 35 murders as a psycho killer of the worst nature. A true mad monster 
11. The Indian Warrior - A native American warrior animated by the spirit of vengeance that wants the ones responsible for the murder of his trip. 4th level fighter armed with a war club and a bad attitude.  Chaotic and unpredictable. 
12. The Stranger - Created by a mage from a train wreck. This blank faced monster wanders the world scanning the world around him with a faceless visage  This character is a 4th level psychic with telepathic abilities. Chaotic and very nasty disposition. 
13. The dead presidents - This creature is the sum of 32 presidents that feels it has the right to rule and murder anyone who stands in the way of its agenda. Chaotic and nuts. 
14. The Judge - This bastard still rules his court with an iron hand. Literally the hands of his wrought iron. He has secret knowledge of the way that law works.
15. Between The Facts - This weirdly sewn bunch of bodies doesn't remember anything except he was once a reporter for a major news paper and continues on with the job. 
16. The Templar  - This suit of armor is the home to a vile creature whose been created from his high school science experiments. The creature has 1800 strength and once nothing more then the bits and pieces of several classes 
17. This creature resembles a zombie but is actually a roboast flesh golem created from the bodies of those slain in car accident. It now seeks vengeance on drivers of SUVs
18. The Accursed King - This creature is made from the corpse of a king and his complete court. The vile creature is roaming the land for those who created him 
19. This creature is actually the sewn together bodies of 340 pygmy like natives who are looking for their former home. The creature will use blow guns, knives and anything it can get its hands on to murder and kill those around it. Loves to use a straight razor on victims 
20. The monster has been created from the flesh of comic book fans and thinks of as a super hero. Flashy and very strong this creature regenerates as a troll. Will not kill but will maim
    
    
    
    
     

The Lenzkirch Advent Tales

Here's a great project that I've been involved with Along with the talents of Tim Dry and the artistry of Eric Gross ! Imagine a 2013 online, mini version of 'Tales Of The Unexpected' meets 'Hellraiser' meets a graphic novel - you might be close...


You can find the night mares right over HERE

Revisiting The Last Man On Earth 1964 For Your Old School Horror Campaign

 Recently I was asked by a friend whose a DM for a plot like for a post apocalyptic horror setting with vampires and or zombies. 

What he was looking for was something that used the old tropes but without the cultural baggage of the Twilight movies. My thoughts went to this public domain movie!
 The film is haunting and very odd with the bleak atmosphere that it creates. This isn't a world you'd want to visit let alone live in.

 Based on Richard Matheson's I'm Legend. This film goes from bad to worse for Mr. Price's character.
Dr. Robert Morgan explores the city around him. The film was shot in Italy and the city is as much of a character in the film as he is. Its a silent tomb waiting to be explored and exploited by a party or is it the other way around.

Dr. Robert Morgan is at his wits end in this movie. He strolls through the film like a dead man himself simply going on and surviving as best he can. Price is the classic disheaveled scientist in the film. The character makes a great NPC.

There are lots of options for a horror campaign with this film. The city makes a great adventure unto itself but there are even more uses for it. 

 The Plot : 

In the year 1968, every day is the same for Dr. Robert Morgan (Price): he wakes up, gathers his weapons and then goes hunting for vampires. Morgan lives in a world where everyone else has been infected by a plague that has turned them into undead, vampiric creatures that cannot stand sunlight, fear mirrors, and are repelled by garlic. They would kill Morgan if they could, but fortunately, they are weak and unintelligent. At night, Morgan locks himself inside his house; during the day, he kills as many vampires as he can, burning the bodies.

A flashback sequence explains that, three years before, Morgan's wife and daughter had succumbed to the plague, before it was widely known by the public that the dead would return to life. Instead of taking his wife to the same public burn pit used to dispose of his daughter's corpse, Morgan buried her without the knowledge of the authorities. When his wife returned to his home and attacked him, Morgan became aware of the need to kill the plague victims with a wooden stake. Morgan hypothesizes that he is immune to the bacteria because he was bitten by an infected vampire bat when he was stationed in Panama, which introduced a diluted form of the plague into his blood.

One day, a dog appears in the neighborhood. Desperate for companionship, Morgan chases after the dog but does not catch it. Some time later, the dog appears, wounded, at Morgan's doorstep. He takes the dog into his home and treats its wounds, looking forward to having company for the first time in three years. He quickly discovers, however, that it too has become infected with the plague. Morgan is later seen burying the dog, which he has impaled with a wooden stake.

While out on his daily rounds, Morgan spots a woman in the distance. The woman, Ruth, is terrified of Morgan at first sight, and runs from him. Morgan convinces her to return to his home, but is suspicious of her true nature. Ruth becomes ill when Morgan waves garlic in her face, but claims that she has a weak stomach.

Morgan's suspicion that Ruth is infected is confirmed when he discovers her attempting to inject herself with a combination of blood and vaccine that holds the disease at bay. Ruth initially draws a gun on Morgan, but surrenders it to him. Ruth then tells him that she is part of a group of people like her — infected but under treatment — and was sent to spy on Morgan. The vaccine allows the people to function normally with the drug in the bloodstream, but once it wears off, the infection takes over the body again. Ruth explains that her people are planning to rebuild society as they destroy the remaining vampires, and that many of the vampires Morgan killed were technically still alive.

While Ruth is asleep, Morgan transfuses his own blood into her. She is immediately cured, and Morgan sees hope that, together, they can cure the rest of her people. Moments later, however, Ruth's people attack. Morgan takes the gun and flees his home while the attackers kill the vampires gathered around Morgan's home.

Ruth's people spot Morgan and chase him. He exchanges gunfire with them, and picks up tear gas grenades from a police station armory along the way. While the tear gas delays his pursuers somewhat, Morgan is wounded by gunfire and retreats into a church. Despite Ruth's protests to let Morgan live, his pursuers finally impale him on the altar with a spear. With his dying breaths, Morgan denounces his pursuers as "freaks," and declares that he is the last true man on earth.

Here's the complete film for your edification.

Using 

The Last Man On Earth 1964 For Your Old School Horror Campaign
 
 This film has it all. From the post apocalyptic angle to the zombie themes its all here. The film is really sort of depressing into itself but its a horror movie. Only now is it being recognized as a Vincent Price classic and the book Iam Legend by Richard Matheson is much darker and stronger. But I digress.
The world of The Last Man On Earth is a place where the undead have complete sway. The plague is bacterial in nature but the atmosphere is one of complete Gothic decay with a modern twist. This is world locked in time with very little hope of survival in the coming future unless.
The City that Vincent Price inhabits as I've mentioned is a character unto itself. This world is a concrete tomb waiting to be explored with treasures and terrors a plenty. There are hordes of undead plague victims waiting to feed on PCs. Treasures to be plundered across the world and beyond. All of the classic OD&D vampire and zombie tropes are there waiting to be exploited.
 With games like Mutant Future and even Star Ships and Space Men Second edition the possibilities are endless. Mutant Future allows vampire mutant strains to emerge for a dog eat dog situation. Star Ships allows the DM to stage a quest for the journals and tapes of Dr. Morgan. Also to find out what happened to Roman style society that was emerging from the survivors.
What about the rest of the world? Could your current fantasy campaign have a very nasty undead beginning? Is the world of high fantasy one with a dark beginning? A little time travel adventure might shed some dark light on your PC's immunity to a certain strain of undeath. 

There are other options as well that I've run with this movie as well. For a game like Dark Conspiracy the world of Last Man became a proto dimension where Dr.Morgan had become trapped in an alternative universe where the forces of undeath pulled the world into this sunset world hell. For Kult this world was a left over play thing that one of the death angels kept for himself. His very presence on Earth caused the events of the movie to happen. 

What about those vampires? Are these the standard Monster Manual vampires? Umm no their not and nor should they be. These are monsters/victims whose humanity is time locked with the plague. I've used Orcus several times as the cause of various situations. The various cures work for a while but all blend together.  They will fail after 1d8 days and the state of undeath continues.
 Now I've only covered the film and not the book or the comic books here. That's for another entry 

Revisiting Horror Express For Your Old School Horror Gaming Campaign

This is one of those Public Domain movies that's just a bit of a cut above. The movie has a bit of everything for everyone. Its one that works so well as an adventure that I've run it numerous times.
 The basic outline and plot are from wiki :

"The following report to the Royal Geological Society by the undersigned Alexander Saxton is a true and faithful account of the events that befell the society's expedition in Manchuria. As the leader of the expedition, I must accept the responsibility for its ending in disaster. But I will leave, to the judgement to the honorable members, the decision as to where the blame for the catastrophe lies..."

In 1906, Professor Alexander Saxton (Christopher Lee), a renowned British anthropologist, is returning to Europe by the Trans-Siberian Express from China to Moscow. With him is a crate containing the frozen remains of a primitive humanoid creature that he discovered in a cave in Manchuria. He hopes it is a missing link in human evolution. Doctor Wells (Peter Cushing), Saxton's friendly rival and Royal Society colleague, is also on-board but travelling separately. Before the train departs Shanghai, a thief is found dead on the platform. His eyes are completely white and without irises or pupils, and a bystander initially mistakes him for a blind man. A monk named Father Pujardov (Alberto de Mendoza), the spiritual advisor to a Polish Count and Countess who are also waiting to board the train, proclaims the contents of the crate to be evil. Saxton furiously dismisses this as superstition. Saxton's eagerness to keep his scientific find secret arouses the suspicion of Wells, who bribes a porter to investigate the crate. The porter is killed by the ape-like creature within, which then escapes the crate by picking the lock.

The creature finds more victims as it roams the moving train, each victim being found with the same opaque, white eyes. An autopsy suggests that the brains of the victims are being drained of memories and knowledge. When the creature is gunned down by police Inspector Mirov, the threat seems to have been vanquished. Saxton and Wells discover that images are retained in a liquid found inside the eyeball of the corpse, which reveal a prehistoric Earth and a view of the planet seen from space. They deduce that the real threat is somehow a formless extra-terrestrial that inhabited the body of the creature and now resides within the Inspector. Father Pujardov, sensing the greater presence inside the Inspector and believing it to be that of Satan, renounces his faith to pledge allegiance to the mysterious entity.

News of the murders is wired to the Russian authorities. An intimidating Cossack officer, Captain Kazan (Telly Savalas), boards the train with a handful of his men. Kazan believes the train is transporting rebels; he is only convinced of the alien's existence when Mirov is discovered to be the creature's host when Saxton switches off the lights and Mirov's eyes glow. The creature has absorbed the memories of Wells' assistant, an engineer, and others. It seeks the Polish Count's metallurgical knowledge too, in order to build a vessel to escape Earth. Kazan fatally shoots Mirov, and the alien transfers itself to the deranged Pujardov.

The passengers flee to the freight car while Pujardov murders Kazan, his men, and the Count, draining all their minds. Saxton rescues the Countess and holds Pujardov at gunpoint. Saxton, having discovered that bright light prevents the entity from draining minds or transferring to another body, forces Pujardov into a brightly lit area. The creature/Pujardov explains that it is a collective form of energy from another galaxy. Trapped on Earth in the distant past after being left behind in an accident, it survived for millions of years in the bodies of protozoa, fish and other animals, but cannot live outside a living being longer than a few moments. The creature begs to be spared, tempting Saxton with its advanced knowledge of technology and cures for diseases. While Saxton is distracted by the offer, the creature resurrects the Count's corpse which attacks Saxton.

Saxton and the Countess flee the creature, but it now resurrects all of its victims as zombies. Battling their way through, Saxton and the Countess eventually reach the caboose, where the other survivors have taken refuge. Once there, Saxton and Wells work desperately to uncouple themselves from the rest of the train. The Russian government sends a telegram to a dispatch station ahead, instructing them to destroy the train by sending it down a dead-end spur. Speculating that it must be war, the station staff switch the points.

The creature takes control of the train as it enters the spur. Saxton and Wells manage separate the last car from the rest of the train just before the train jumps the track and tumbles to the bottom of a deep ravine. The caboose rolls precariously to the end of the track before stopping, inches away from the edge of the cliff.

The survivors quickly depart from the van while Saxton, Wells and the Countess gaze over the ravine to witness the inferno consuming the train and its unearthly inhabitants.


 Using horror express For Your Old School Horror Gaming 

Horror Express has a bit of everything in one very nice little package. From the UfO/ancient alien angle which is perfect for your Call of Cthulhu games to the characters as NPCs or patron showing up later in a retroclone game. 
The movie's setting can be used whole sale for steampunk horror game. The creature itself is lich with the power of possession that's usable as it likes. It may reanimate the dead three times per day. 

As a collective there could be more of these monsters within the cave in Mancuria and they might easily be discovered. The creatures might be even uncovered after a nuclear war so they could appear in a game of Mutant Future. 
Given the time frame of the creatures that the creatures operate they could show up in Labyrinth Lord or any retroclone game easily. So that the DM is not locked into the 1900s time frame.
 The movie is even adaptable to modern game where one of the train cars is uncovered and the beast's essence is still out there. The thing begins it rampage again and has new agendas.  What happened to those zombies that were "destroyed 
 What might happen with descendants of Professor Alexander Saxton and Doctor Wells  ? Could these gentlemen's families still be in the monster fighting business? Might they have been instrumental in the forming of an organization that has been watching the skies or the various locations mentioned in the journals of their forebears? 
Could the Russian government have a hand in preventing these monsters from appearing again? Even given the superior knowledge of a race like this the horrors of the knowledge that man wasn't meant to know might be far to much. 
 What about that cave back in Manchuria? Could that be a mega dungeon with a saucer at the bottom just waiting for the PC to uncover it?
 Who were the aliens that the creature came from? Personally given everything that the monk said and the various conversations the monster had with Saxon and the Wells. I believe that we're looking at an Archon.
 

 Everything about the monster fits the Archon arch type. Given all of the alien/devil stuff it all fits. According to wiki : The Bundahishn (iii. 25, v. z) is able to inform us that in the primeval strife of Satan against the light-world, seven hostile powers were captured and set as constellations in the heavens, where they are guarded by good star-powers and prevented from doing harm. Five of the evil powers are the planets, while here the sun and moon are of course not reckoned among the evil powers—for the obvious reason that in the Persian official religion they invariably appear as good divinities.^[13] It must be also noted that the Mithras mysteries, so closely connected with the Persian religion, are acquainted with this doctrine of the ascent of the soul through the planetary spheres
 More info can be found right over Here So in theory the adventure/movie could be even used with the Kult rpg 

Free Dark Conspiracy PDF Resource And Fast Review - Demon Ground Vol 1 - October 1998 (Premiere Issue)

Intro 

 Back when I downloaded my first issue of Demonground it was the dark days of the internet when things were more wild and innovative. Naw that's simply nostalgia talking.
 Demonground was/is a professional quality magazine pdf that has some fantastic content while actually covering a wide variety of horror related table top rpg stuff.
The premiere issue was no exception boasting some top names in the horror rpg field. You've to register to download the issue but its a small price to pay for another horror resource that you can actually use for both Dark Conspiracy, Call of Cthulhu, Little Fears and lots more. 

Vol 1 - October 1998   (Premiere Issue)

Cover Art:  The Devil's Day by Alan M. Clark  Editorials:  Beginning of a New Era by Marcus Bone  A Short History of DC by Lester W. Smith  A Long, Hard Look... by Geoff Skellams  Adventures:  Terror Train  by Mike Marchi  House Rules:  Nine New Careers  by Geoff Skellams  Dimensional Physics  by Mitch Polley  Automatic Fire Table  by Moritz Capelle  Equipment:  Slings and Chains  by Mike Marchi  Dark Races:  The Gatherers  by Marcus Bone  NPCs:  Crazy Charlie  by Marcus Bone  Fiction:  Stark Raving Mad  by Geoff Skellams  Interior Art:  by James Collins, Eyal Feingersch and Mike Marchi

 
With the release of Dark Conspiracy Demon Ground has suddenly become a great resource to revisit and age hasn't diminished the quality of the work one bit.  This issue has a built in adventure for Dark Conspiracy that actually works, a complete NPC, and another Dark Race. The nine careers are usable but need a bit of fine tuning. The short history of Dark Conspiracy is a bit bitter sweet for me looking back on it now but its informative and complete in what it says and does. 
The Dimensional physics article  is well done but really opens new doors for a Dark Conspiracy DM. Slings and chains are very useful because of the inclusion of gangs, mutants, and the unsettled nature of  the world of DC. The automatic Fire Table is now covered in the new DC rules. All in all a very cool horror resource and its very useful for other games as well.
 About three stars in my humble opinion but your milage may vary
You can register and download it right over Here

The Christmas Aftermath Event - THE LENZKIRCH ADVENT IS LIVE !

"Making it’s debut December 26th at Midnight, The Lenzkirch Advent. Created by Tim Dry, Eric Fabiashci, and Eric Gross. This collaboration encompasses original music, research, and animations bringing a new level of story telling to the Pandoric histories. We were fortunate enough to enlist the talented Mr. Dry, writer, actor, and musician to be open [...]

Making it’s debut December 26th at Midnight, The Lenzkirch Advent.
Created by Tim Dry, Eric Fabiashci, and Eric Gross. This collaboration encompasses original music, research, and animations bringing a new level of story telling to the Pandoric histories.

We were fortunate enough to enlist the talented Mr. Dry, writer, actor, and musician to be open to working with us on a project. After many discussions, we all decided that doing a Christmas Pandoric is just what would start the year off to a good start.

The task, monumental. Involving all our combined efforts around the clock to produce the twelve (12) days of the Anti-Advent. Mr. Dry was able to set up a photo shoot to time with the writer/researcher Eric Fabiashi who began the task of culling the web for information regarding everything pertaining to Advents and the outline for the history of the advent. What they both came back with was monumental. Combine this with the lightning Photoshop skills on hand and the whole effect is staggering to behold.

For Twelve days starting on December 26th at Midnight, one day to the Advent will be added and view-able each day. This is not a simple story to read and walk away from. This is to be experienced. But, Mr. Dry has also upped the ant-(advent) by crafting a truly disturbing tale of the Advents dark history." 
 You can read more right over HERE
I'm very proud to be a part of this project. Each day another part of the story shall be revealed. The advent will reveal another link to the events of the Anti Christmas as they unfold every time you click on the link marked for each day. You can view the first animations right over HERE  Check back each day as the horror continues for the next twelve days! 

1d10 Broken Toys - New Random Christmas Monster Encounter For Your Old School Horror Campaign

 There are toys that slip through the cracks of reality into the realm of the lost and the fey. Pieces of a child's dream that slips into the realms of nightmares and Christmas past. These creatures are both chaotic and lawful. These creatures often recruit adventurers to deal with matters of utmost importance to the courts of fairy and fey. These creatures often recruit or accompany adventurers on journeys into the lands of fairy and nightmare. They can also be the direst of nightmarish enemies or NPCs. 

Armor Class: 8 

Hit Dice: 2 -3 

Attacks: 1d4 claw or weapon 

Move:8 

Experience:5/230 

1d10 Broken Toys - New Random Christmas Monster Encounter Table 

1. Sir Upton The 1st Teddy Bear Knight of the Realms - Veteran of more then 30 campaigns of the Wars of The Rats is wise beyond his stuffing. He is looking for a party to help with a very troublesome warren of rats and Rat kings for his mistress. This highly intelligent bear may teleport three times per day without error. 2nd level fighter and envoy of the realms of fairy.
2. The Gnome of The Unknown - A small fairy gnome mercenary is willing to show any group willing to pay his tax of shiny buttons and 3 gold coins the backdoors of reality and the passages of time. He was once an action figure named Rupert and the name still holds power over him. He is armed with a razor of sharpness. A 2nd level thief and explorer of beyond. 
3. The Calico Princess - This handmade maiden has been stitched together from the garments of great western adventuresses and heroes of yore. This princess is a capable envoy to the realms beyond fairy. She is on her way to Blackmoor to recruit a group of adventurers for a war on the orcs assaulting her queen's realm 
4. Doctor Fenious J. Rabbit - This once stuffed rabbit has become a mad villain of the most vile type and wants nothing more then take the stuffing out of adventurers. Armed with a harness of scalpels and sharp knives. Chaotic and very unpredictable but likes to see blood. 
5. The Chrustmas Gnomes - A group of Christmas gnomes created from a group of garden gnomes who hire themselves out to guide parties into the most fetid parts of fairy. 3rd level thieves of the most dire stripe. 
6. The Wise Guys - A Trio of Nativity figures that are actually 3rd level wizards & and advisers to the various courts of fairy. They often travel the world looking for adventurers to embroil in one intrigue or another. Very chaotic and very dangerous in a humorous sort of way. 
7. The Jester of Psychoses - This toy jester is animated by the darkest specters and ghosts that cross the planes. He has murdered four hundred families and is working towards five hundred in the coming year. There are three fairy courts with rewards on his head. Has the heat metal ability and produce darkness at will. A very dangerous toy and also a 5th level fighter. 
8. Rick Ranger Doll - This 5th level paladin of the courts of fairy is looking for a group of adventurers to accompany him on a quest into the darkest recesses of the Monster's Closet to regain his boy back. Stolen from him eight months ago 
9. The Doll of Cthulhu- This doll is a conduit for the power of the Great Old Ones and is looking for a new child of power. Very dangerous and sanity shattering 
10. The Box Of Wishings - A Jack in the box that is actually a Jinn princess looking for adventurers to break his/her curse which lead adventurers into the foulest depths of fairyland and nightmares.