Daredevil – A GROOVY Ghastly Affair Class

26 Monday Sep 2022

Posted by Daniel James Hanley in Ghastly Affair, Gothic Gaming, GROOVY Ghastly Affair, Historical Gaming, OSR, Uncanny Highway

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1960s, 1970s, 20th Century, Americana Gothic, Circus Horror, Fairground Horror, Ghastly Affair, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Groovy Era, Groovy Seventies, Midwest Horror, Swinging Sixties, Weird Americana

The 1970s were the Golden Age of motorcycle and automotive stunts, when insane bike jumps would staged in sports arenas, and almost every exploitation movie that could afford it featured a car chase ending in an explosion. The Daredevil Class would be right at home along the Uncanny Highway, or as part of any action-centered GROOVY Ghastly Affair Saga. And a Daredevil is just the type to leap at the chance to sell their soul for fame and glory (while failing to read the fine print on the contract).

DAREDEVIL

Everyone says you have a death-wish. From an early age you climbed high fences, jumped from roofs, and literally played with fire. As you got older you learned to love the rumble of an engine at 100 miles an hour, and fell in love with the sight of explosions. It’s very likely that you won’t ever be old, but you don’t want to die asleep in a bed anyway. Your motto is: live fast, die young, and leave a once-beautiful corpse smeared across the highway! And if there’s an afterlife, you intend on busting out of Hell, and blazing down the road forever.

Maybe you’re a fairground performer who jumps motorcycles across shark-tanks, and rides the Wall of Death. Or perhaps you’re a movie stuntman– crashing cars, falling from cranes, and getting lit on fire. You might be a professional drag racer, demolition derby driver, or motocross champion. Or maybe you are just someone whose incredible luck is matched only by their need for thrills.

Use the Daredevil class to create characters inspired by such people as Evel Knievel, Bud Ekins. and William Carey Loftin; or by fictional characters such as Cameron (from “The Stunt Man”), Johnny Blaze (from the classic “Ghost Rider” comics), or Coy Buckman (from “Cannonball”).

DAREDEVIL SPECIAL ABILITIES

ABSORB IMPACT

If you are prepared, you can absorb the damage from punches, tumble away from falls, and brace yourself for crashes.

Whenever you have Initiative in a Fight against an ordinary unarmed opponent, you take no damage at all from their punches or kicks that Round. Note that this Ability does not function against actual Kung Fu Fighters, trained Boxers, or anyone else who can do Lethal Damage with their fists and/or feet.
If you see an adversary coming at you with a hard object such as a chair, you will take only 1 point of Lethal Damage (plus any Damage Bonus) from it the first Round, and only 1 point of damage (plus any Damage Bonus) on any Round when you have Initiative.
If you know a heavy object will drop on you eventually, you take the lowest possible damage when it eventually does. For example, a 25 lb weight falling from 20 feet normally inflicts 10d6 points of Lethal Damage. If you see it, and know that it is going to fall eventually, you will suffer only 10 points of Lethal Damage from it – if you fail your Dexterity Save to dodge it altogether.
If you know exactly where and when a fall will occur, you take the minimal amount of possible Lethal Damage from it. For example, if you deliberately jump from 30 feet without anything to break your fall, you take only 3 points of Lethal Damage. You must still Save to avoid the possible damage to your Dexterity and Speed, however.
If you deliberately fall down stairs (perhaps on a movie set), you take only 1 point of Lethal Damage per 10 feet fallen.
If you know that the vehicle you are in is going to crash, and you fail your Saving Throw, you still take only the minimal damage possible.
You have no special ability to resist bullets and sharp objects.

DRIVING or PILOTING (+1)

Choose whether your Daredevil is a skilled driver, or a skilled pilot.

According to your choice, you get a +1 Bonus on the Dexterity Check to control either motor vehicles or aircraft under challenging conditions, or to successfully pull off stunts (such as jumping across 12 parked cars, or doing a loop de loop).
The Presenter may impose Penalties, however, for particularly difficult maneuvers and stunts. Additionally, the Presenter may rule some stunts to be simply impossible.

LUCKY (+1)

You get a +1 Bonus on all Saving Throws – even when you have deliberately put yourself in harm’s way.

REPAIR AND MODIFY MACHINES (+1)

You can make a Dexterity Check (with a +1 Bonus) to repair a mechanical machine (including a motor vehicle), modify one to work better, or sabotage it to perform worse.

It is assumed you have access to proper tools and equipment.
A car or motorcycle modified to work better grants its driver a +1 Bonus on Dexterity Check to make difficult maneuvers or accomplish stunts. However, if you attempt to improve a motor vehicle and fail the Ability Check, any future driver instead suffers a -1 Penalty on Ability Checks to control the vehicle under challenging conditions.
A car or motorcycle modified to be safer grants its occupants a +1 Bonus on Saving Throws to avoid collision damage. However, if you attempt to make the vehicle safer and fail the check, occupants will instead suffers a -1 Penalty on their Saving Throws if the vehicle crashes.
If you deliberately sabotage a machine, you can choose to make it completely non-functional, slightly damaged (so drivers suffer a -1 Penalty on Ability Checks to control it), or fix it in such a way that it will suddenly break down after 1 Turn (10 minutes) of use.
You have no special ability to repair or modify electronic devices.

SEXY SCARS

Any time you might potentially suffer Charisma Damage from a Hazard (such as from a fire), you instead get Sexy Scars that add to your Charisma, point for point! Also, any other Ability Damage you take from a Hazard is always temporary, and heals at the normal rate.

For example, if you are stuck inside a burning car for one Round and fail the Saving Throw, instead of losing 1 point of Charisma, you actually gain 1 point! Also, the Dexterity and Constitution damage that would be permanent for other characters are for you only temporary.
You cannot deliberately fail the Saving Throw to intentionally get Sexy Scars.

DAREDEVIL WEAKNESSES

DEATH-WISH

You are in love with danger. Whenever you are faced with a situation that could be resolved easily without rolling dice, you must choose the potentially more dangerous way that will require an Ability Check or Contest. For example:

If your girlfriend is insulted by some guy in a bar, you must try to intimidate or punch him – rather than just walk away.
If you need to get inside a barn that could simply be opened, but you are behind the wheel of a pickup truck, you must drive right through the doors instead.
If you need to shut off a security camera and have a gun, you must try to shoot out the lens – rather than just walk over to the camera and cover it with a bandanna.
Every time you take the safe way out of a situation that you could potentially resolve in a more thrilling and dangerous manner, you suffer 1 point of temporary Charisma Damage.

HIGHWAY TO HELL

Whenever you suffer an increase in Perversity, the amount is double what it would be for another character.

For example, you and your fellow Player Characters break into a roadside bar and steal from the till. At the end of the Affair the Presenter rules that you must all make Charisma Checks to avoid Perversity increases. If your friends fail their Checks, their Perversity scores will only go up by 1 point each. However, if you fail the Check, your Perversity will increase by 2 points instead.

INITIAL ABILITY ADJUSTMENT FOR DAREDEVILS

+1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution

DAREDEVIL HIT POINTS PER LEVEL

d12 Hit Points at 1st Level.
You gain an additional d12 Hit Points per Level.

DAREDEVIL DAMAGE BONUS BY CHARACTER LEVEL

1st Level: None
2nd Level: +1
3rd Level: +1
4th Level: +2
5th Level: +2
6th Level: +3
7th Level: +3
8th Level: +4
9th Level: +4
10th Level: +5

TYPICAL STARTING EQUIPMENT FOR DAREDEVILS

racing jumpsuit (in your national colors).
racing helmet.
cowboy hat.
cowboy boots.
all-denim outfit.
broken wristwatch that you keep as a good-luck charm.
chain necklace with a cross, or religious medal.
pack of cigarettes.
flip-top metal cigarette lighter.
bottle of whiskey, scotch, vodka, or brandy.
six pack of beer.
caffeine pills.
photograph of your spouse or lover, folded up in your wallet.
.357 Magnum pistol (loaded) or big knife.
stick of dynamite.
racing motorcycle or muscle car (with nitrous oxide injection system).
set of mechanic’s tools.
radar detector.
trailer home.

ADVANCING IN LEVELS AS A DAREDEVIL

8 Experience Points to attain 2nd Level.
4 additional Experience Points are needed to attain each Level after 2nd.

(The Advancement rate for the Daredevil Class may seems somewhat speedy for the high power of its Special Abilities. But, remember that your Death-Wish means you are almost certainly going to either get yourself killed, or else lose your mind, before the end of any Saga!)

DAREDEVILS IN OTHER TIMES

The Daredevil Class also works for games set amid the Monster Truck Rallies of the Awful Eighties. Then, the Daredevil might be facing off against big machines driven by actual Monsters!

The Sleuth – A Ghastly Affair Class for Gothic Murder Mysteries in 1913

22 Thursday Sep 2022

Posted by Daniel James Hanley in 1913, Ghastly Affair, Gothic Gaming, Historical Gaming, OSR

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Detective Story, Early 20th century, Edwardian, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Literature, Gothic Romance, Gothick, Historical, Historical Gaming, Murder Mystery, Occult Detective, pre-World War I, Romance, Romantic Horror, Whodunnit

This first draft of the Sleuth Class expands Ghastly Affair into the world of Edwardian Murder Mysteries. I’ve chosen 1913, the very eve of World War I, as the default year for Affairs in that time. This is the year after the sinking of the Titanic (the first early blow against faith in the Inevitable Progress of Industry), the year of the Armory Show that introduced Modern Art to the United States, the height of the Edwardian Spy-Fever in Great Britain, and the year when bobbed hair and plunging necklines were to starting be seen on ultra-fashionable women.

I have deliberately chosen not to give the Sleuth a simple “Investigate” Special Ability. The whole point of the Sleuth Class is to actually play out the process of investigating mysteries, rather than treat the process abstractly with a few Ability Checks.

SLEUTH

You could never resist a good mystery, and you’ve gotten quite good at solving them. You know there’s darkness in this world – most of all in the unlit corridors of the human heart. But you’ve never found a question – however bizarre – that doesn’t have a perfectly reasonable answer. At least, not yet.

Perhaps you are actually a police inspector. Or, you might be a globe-trotting gentleman of leisure looking to do something interesting with his education You could be a noble Lady bored with the same tiresome garden parties. You might even be engaged in counter-espionage on behalf of your government.

Use the Sleuth Class to create characters inspired by historical figures such as Frederick Abberline (chief investigator on the Jack the Ripper case), Rose Mackenberg (who investigated fraudulent mediums with Harry Houdini), and Chang Apana (the real-life inspiration for Charlie Chan); or by such fictional characters as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or C. August Dupin.

SLEUTH SPECIAL ABILITIES

DANGER BONUS (+1)

You get +1 Bonus on all Ability Checks and Saving Throws in times of Danger, such as Fights, Chases, and Escapes.

This Bonus is in addition to all others that may apply, including your Danger Bonus (see below). Yes, you are actually better at detecting clues when you are in Danger!

DETECT CLUE (+1)

Whenever you encounter a new person, place, or object, you can make an Intelligence Check (with a +1 Bonus). If you succeed you know whether not the thing encountered is (or contains) an important Clue to whatever mystery you are currently working on, and you can also discern (or remember) one non-obvious fact about the subject.

A Clue does not always lead directly to the solution of the current mystery, but may simply point to the next location, person, or situation where another Clue can be found.
Presenters should see the Ghastly Affair Presenter’s Manual for guidance about using Clues to help structure the Chapters in a Game Session.

DETECT LIES (+1)

You can make a Wisdom Check with a +1 Bonus to discern whether or not someone is telling the truth.

Note that this Special Ability does not reveal the truth, just if an informant is lying.

SNEAK (+1)

You get a +1 Bonus to the Dexterity Check when attempting to hide, or to move silently.

SOCIAL CONTACTS

You can rely upon a number of informants, experts, and allies equal to your Charisma score.

Half your total number of Social Contacts will be Police, at least one of which will be in a command position. Note that the relationship with your Police contacts may be sometimes be rocky (and they may even occasionally arrest you), but they will always be there when you really need them.
If you are engaged in counter-espionage on behalf of your government, then one of your Social Contacts is your “handler”.
Determine the Professions of your remaining Social Contacts randomly.
Your Social Contacts can be located anywhere you might feasibly have already traveled.

SLEUTH WEAKNESSES

CRIMINAL NEMESIS

There is always some criminal – of your own Level or higher – who is your especial enemy.

Your Nemesis will constantly try to harm or oppose you, cause trouble in your investigations, or even frame you for crimes they commit.
Work with your Presenter to determine an appropriate initial Nemesis. They might be such things as a rival Sleuth secretly operating a criminal empire, an aristocrat who is also an international jewel thief, a wily Spy determined to undermine the stability of your country, or even a murderous Vampyre who suspects you know the truth about them.
If you associate with other characters who also have Nemeses (such as Demon Hunters), all your Nemeses may occasionally team up against the group of you!
If you defeat your Criminal Nemesis, advance past their Level, or move beyond their reach, their place will be taken by a new Criminal Nemesis (chosen by the Presenter).

OBSESSED WITH MYSTERIES

Make a Wisdom Check (with a -1 Penalty) whenever you are confronted with an unsolved murder, an act of espionage, or the theft of a valuable object.

If you fail the Check, you must investigate the mystery as soon as possible, or lose 1 point of Charisma a day until you do.

SUGGESTED ASSETS FOR SLEUTHS

Aristocratic Skills, Boxer, Good Driver, Good Judge of Character, Expert Equestrian, Good-Looking, Good Manners, Good Shot, Good Reputation, Intimidating, Lucky at Love, Master of Disguise, Naturally Skeptical, Official Credentials, Patient, Resistant to Alcohol, Sharp Ears, Tracker, Underestimated, Well-Dressed, Well-Spoken, Witty.

SUGGESTED AFFLICTIONS FOR SLEUTHS

Addicted to… (choose drug), Allergic to… (something common), Asthmatic, Bad Reputation, Blind in One Eye, Chronic Disease (choose one), Disfigured, Elderly, Incompetent Equestrian, Lame, Lost Love, Missing Arm, Poorly-Dressed, Satyriasis / Nymphomania, Sleazy, Traumatic Memory.

INITIAL ABILITY ADJUSTMENT FOR SLEUTHS

+1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom

SLEUTH HIT POINTS PER LEVEL

d6 Hit Points at 1st Level.
You gain an additional d6 Hit Points per Level

SLEUTH DAMAGE BONUS BY CHARACTER LEVEL

1st Level: None
2nd Level: +1
3rd Level: +1
4th Level: +2
5th Level: +2
6th Level: +3
7th Level: +3
8th Level: +4
9th Level: +4
10th Level: +5

TYPICAL STARTING EQUIPMENT FOR SLEUTHS

day suit (tailored jacket and pants, or jacket and skirt)
evening wear (tuxedo suit, or hobble skirt).
day hat.
evening hat.
walking stick, or parasol.
spats, or long evening gloves.
suitcase.
pocket watch or handbag.
codebook.
letter from a police officer asking your help in a difficult murder case.
invitation to a weekend garden party at a country manor.
unused ticket for a trip on a luxury ocean-liner, on a riverboat, or on the Orient Express.
Macassar Oil (black hair oil), or lipstick.
magnifying glass.
tweezers.
fingerprint kit (vial of powder, and soft brush).
handkerchief (large enough to wrap evidence in).
revolver (loaded).
motor buggy, or automobile.
pocket cash in the amount of 2 Pounds Sterling, or 10 American Dollars, or 40 German Marks, or 50 French Francs. (In 1913, Francs are legally accepted currency in most of Europe outside of Germany, Scandinavia, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.)

ADVANCING IN LEVELS AS A SLEUTH

8 Experience Points to attain 2nd Level.
4 additional Experience Points are needed to attain each Level after 2nd.

VARIATION: THE OCCULT DETECTIVE

To create a supernaturally-inclined Sleuth inspired by the likes of Thomas Carnacki, Jules de Grandin, or Simon Iff, substitute one of your Sleuth Special Abilities with one of the following from the list of Magician Special Abilities: Esoteric Knowledge, Use Incantation, Perform Ceremony, Create Talismans, or Employ Pact.

If you take Use Incantation, Perform Ceremony, Create Talismans, or Employ Pact as a Special Ability, you might also substitute one of your Sleuth Weaknesses with Magical Implement or Power Object (as per the Magician Class).

SLEUTHS IN OTHER TIMES

The Sleuth (and its Occult Detective variant) can also work well in the Groovy Era of the 1960s and 70s, and the subsequent Awful Eighties. This is the time period for characters inspired by the likes of John Shaft; Columbo; Nancy Drew; Mystery Incorporated (Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, and Velma); Carl Kolchak; and Harry D’Amour.

If you want to use the Sleuth in the Gothic Age of the Thirteenth Century, (inspired perhaps by Brother Cadfeal, or William of Baskerville from “In The Name of the Rose”), then instead of being Police, half your social contacts are priests, monks, and nuns – with one senior clergyman.

*Note: Information on currency exchange rates in 1913 is based on information from https://www.historicalstatistics.org/Currencyconverter.html

The Hacker – A Ghastly Affair Class for the Awful Eighties

20 Tuesday Sep 2022

Posted by Daniel James Hanley in Ghastly Affair, Gothic Gaming, Historical Gaming, OSR, The Awful Eighties

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1980s, 80s, Eighties, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothick, Historical, Historical Gaming, New Wave Horror, Romantic Horror

This is the first draft of a new Ghastly Affair Class expanding the scope of the game into the neon decadence of the 1980s – the era of movies like the “The Hunger”, the remake of “Cat People”, Dario Argento’s “Inferno”, “Manhunter” and “Body Double”. Its the time when everything is excessive, from haircuts to shoulder pads. And beneath the sounds of the synthesizers and drum machines is the terrible wail of forgotten ghosts.

More Groovy Era material is coming soon – as well as support for the Gothic Age of the Thirteenth Century, for Edwardian murder mysteries, and for the Haunted Future where outer space is inhabited by the souls of the dead.

HACKER

You are more at home with electronics than people. You take devices apart, see how they work, and put them back together better. You know how to break into computer databases, get free cable TV, and secretly record phone conversations. If there’s indeed a ghost in the machine, you’ll find it. But it’s the rules of ordinary life that you can’t quite seem to figure out.

They don’t teach Hacking in school – at least, not in the 1980s. You had to teach yourself, from information in books, in magazine articles, and on dial-up Bulletin Board Systems. Everyone else is jealous of what you can do, with the computers that they barely understand. Maybe that’s why they try to make your life a living hell. But you know that one day, Hackers will inherit the Earth.

You may have a Screen Name that you consider your “true” identity, and is the name by which other Hackers know you. You don’t need to decide upon your Screen Name immediately, but should probably do so after completing your first Affair.

Use the Hacker Class to create characters inspired by such fictional characters as Stanley Coopersmith (from “Evilspeak”), Peter Miller (from “Dressed to Kill”), or Paul Conway (from “Deadly Friend”).

HACKER SPECIAL ABILITIES

BYPASS ELECTRONIC SECURITY (+1)

If you are at computer terminal, you can make an Intelligence Check (with a +1 Bonus) to access any information stored on the device.

If you have access to a computer with a modem, you can also make an Intelligence Check (with a +1 Bonus) to bypass the security of a desired computer connected to the “Internet”. In the 1980s, generally only computers belonging to large academic, scientific, or governmental institutions are so networked. The most common modems of the 1980s are the “acoustic coupler” variety, and require both ends of telephone headset to be placed on a cradle.
Besides “cracking” computer systems, you also use this Special Ability to bypass other forms of electronic security, such as video cameras, laser tripwires, and signal scramblers.
If you have a “blue box” device you can use it to generate tones that, when played into the microphone of a phone headset, allow you to make free phone calls (even from pay phones). This practice is called “Phone Phreaking”. By the end of the 80s, however, changing telephone technology will make Phone Phreaking impossible.

BUILD, REPAIR, OR MODIFY ELECTRONICS (+1)

If you have access to the proper tools and materials, you can make an Intelligence Check (with a +1 Bonus) to do such things as:

build a functioning radio or computer.
boost the signal of a radio transmitter.
repair a VCR or television.
improve the reception of a TV set.
increase the memory or processing power of a home computer.
disable a video camera without obviously breaking it.
rig a phone so you can record everything said on it.
create a device that will take a picture when someone enters a space.
build a robot that will perform a simple task repetitively.

Additionally, If you can study the text of a genuine Magical Ritual, you may (at the Presenter’s discretion) make an Intelligence Cehck to create an electronic device that will produce the same effect as the Ritual, without the specific materials and actions otherwise required.

The device will only work once, however, before breaking irreparably.
Roll 1d4 x 50 to determine the cost of the device in (1983) dollars.

COMPUTER PROGRAMMING (+1)

You can make an Intelligence Check with a +1 Bonus to create a new computer program, or modify the source code of an existing program.

Generally your program must be possible under the current state of computer technology. For example, you generally cannot render a photo-realistic digital portrait using a home computer in 1983, but you could replicate the sound of a human voice.
At the Presenter’s discretion you can attempt to exceed the limits of current technology, but if you fail the Ability Check you render the computer inoperable.
Additionally, if you can study the text of a genuine Magical Ritual, you may (at the Presenter’s discretion) make an Intelligence Check to create a computer program that will replicate actually performing the Ritual, without the specific materials and actions otherwise required. Such a program can only be run once, however, and will permanently disable the computer running it.

RESEARCH (+1)

You get a +1 Bonus to the Intelligence Check to find desired information in books, magazines, or computer databases.

Your Bonus does not extend to in-person Investigations that requires physically interacting with people not on a telephone or computer network. See the Weakness Social Awkwardness below.

LOCKPICKING (+1)

Your fascination with mechanism and security extends to physical locks.

You get a +1 Bonus to the Dexterity Check to pick locks, including both keyed and combination locks.

HACKER WEAKNESSES

NEMESIS

Choose a person who has made themselves your adversary. Every Affair, your Nemesis will do something to make your life more difficult.

Possible Nemeses include a school bully who always humiliates you in front of your crush, a rival Hacker who constantly frames you for their own security intrusions, a criminal trying to force you to steal for them, or a Government agent determined to find out your true identity.
Your Nemesis is always of at least your own Level. If you kill them, advance past them in Level, or move beyond their reach, you gain a new Nemesis of the Presenter’s choosing.

SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS (-1)

Whenever you must make a Charisma Check due to an in-person social interaction (such as trying to ask a non-Hacker out on a date), you suffer a -1 Penalty on the Check, with the following exceptions:

Interactions that take place across a computer network, on the phone, on the radio, or on a Bulletin Board System.
Situations where another merely sees, but does not interact with you.
Interactions with other Hackers (who accept your Social Awkwardness as normal).

SUGGESTED ASSETS FOR HACKERS

Fast Learner, Gift for Languages, Good-Looking, Master of Disguise, Naturally Skeptical, No Fear of… (something frightening), Musical, Sharp Hearing, Shrewd, Sneaky, Talent for…(choose one of your Special Abilities), Wealthy Family, Wily

SUGGESTED AFFLICTIONS FOR HACKERS

Addicted to… (substance), Allergic to… (something common), Bad Driver, Chronically Ill (choose disease), Deaf, Embarrassing Family, From the Wrong Side of Town, In a Wheelchair, Horrible Body Odor, Lame, Nearsighted, Severely Overweight, Speech Impediment, Still a Child, Ugly, Unlucky at Love

INITIAL ABILITY ADJUSTMENT FOR HACKERS

Intelligence +2.

HACKER HIT POINTS PER LEVEL

d4 Hit Points at 1st Level.
You gain an additional d4 Hit Points per Level

HACKER DAMAGE BONUS BY CHARACTER LEVEL

1st Level: None
2nd Level: +1
3rd Level: +1
4th Level: +1
5th Level: +2
6th Level: +2
7th Level: +2
8th Level: +3
9th Level: +3
10th Level: +3

TYPICAL STARTING EQUIPMENT FOR HACKERS

personal computer, with custom modifications.
portable shortwave radio.
latest issues of Byte magazine.
membership card in local computer club.
membership card in local radio club.
digital calculator watch.
t-shirt.
blue jeans.
canvas sneakers.
eyeglasses (or sunglasses).
a dozen caffeine pills.
ponytail holder or scrunchie (if female).
set of lock picks.
portable cassette player with headphones.
cassette mix tape of your favorite New Wave songs.
set of small precision screwdrivers.
needle-nose pliers.
Swiss Army knife.
“breadboard” with various electronic components, for making temporary and experimental device circuits.
“blue box” for making free phone calls.
van or motor scooter.
$50 spending cash (or equivalent in local currency).

ADVANCING IN LEVELS AS A HACKER

6 Experience Points to attain 2nd Level.
4 additional Experience Points are needed to attain each Level after 2nd.

Farms and Ranches of the Uncanny Highway – Part II

02 Friday Sep 2022

Posted by Daniel James Hanley in GROOVY Ghastly Affair, Historical Gaming, OGL, OSR, Random Tables, Uncanny Highway, Weird

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1960s, 1970s, Americana fantasy, ghost story, Gothic America, Groovy Era, Haunted America, haunting, magic realism, Midwest Horror, modern fantasy, paranormal, Prairie Horror, Road Crawl, Road Trip, Roadcrawl, Roadtrip, Seventies, Sixties, Small Town Horror, Southern Gothic, spirits, Urban Fantasy, Urban Legend, Weird America

Ah, the country life – free from the noise, filth, and bustle of the city. Also, it’s conveniently far from law enforcement! Spend some more time on the farms and ranches along the Uncanny Highway, where cattle get mysteriously mutilated, and the scarecrows won’t stay where you put them.

Table 6 creates the farmhouse. Table 7 defines the family that owns the farm or ranch – or at least whoever lives in the house! The primary barn is generated by Table 8. Table 9a creates other structures on the property, ranging from tool sheds to greenhouses. 9b defines the contents of any greenhouses – from strawberries to Pod People! You can determine the vehicles and machines on the property using Table 10. Table 11 can indicate the presence of anything from a concert stage for an upcoming music festival, to a dead scuba diver in a tree.

See Part I for Tables 1 to 5, defining the apparent and real income sources of the farm or ranch.

Table 6: The Farmhouse or Ranch House

Modifiers to Roll: -1 in west & southwest, +1 in northeast

d8	The architectural style of the farmhouse is..
1 or below	Mission Revival / Adobe (1 or 2 floors) or Shotgun House,… (in the South, 1 floor)
2	Ranch,… (1 floor)
3	Craftsman / California Bungalow,… (2 or 3 floors)
4 – 5	Rural Gothic,… (2 or 3 floors)
6	Queen Anne,… (2 – 4 floors)
7	Colonial Revival,… (2 or 3 floors)
8+	Dutch Colonial (2 or 3 floors) or Shotgun House,… (in the South, 1 floor)

d12	…it is painted predominantly…
1 – 2	red…
3 – 4	brown…
5	light blue…
6	gray…
7	dark blue…
8	gray-green…
9	green…
10	yellow…
11	white…
12	pink…

d6	…and its condition is…
1	dilapidated, with some boarded-up windows.
2 – 3	not good, but it is obviously still inhabitable.
4 – 5	average.
6	excellent.

75% chance in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, or Texas of a storm cellar dug into the ground nearby.
25% chance the house is haunted.

Table 7: The Family and Inhabitants

d12	The Farmhouse is inhabited by…
1	a single man*…
2	a single woman*…
3	a single man with 1d6 children… Roll d20 for age of children. Flip a coin for gender.
4	a single woman with 1d6 children… Roll d20 for age of children. Flip a coin for gender.
5 – 11	a man and women with 1d10 children… Roll d20 for age of children. Flip a coin for gender.
12	3d6 adults and 1d6 children living communally… Roll d10 for age of children. Flip a coin for gender.

d12	…who mostly look(s)…
1	like any average Americans,…
2	exceptionally neat and clean,…
3	oddly fashionable,…
4	like they stepped out of the 19th century,…
5	corpulent,…
6	underfed,…
7	dirty,…
8	rough,…
9	twitchy,…
10	dull,…
11	sickly,…
12	inbred,…

d12	…and generally behave(s)…
1	with conspicuous honesty.
2	with apparent friendliness and hospitality.
3	in whatever manner they are treated by others.
4	with suspicion towards strangers.
5	shrewdly.
6	piously.
7	self-righteously.
8	aggressively.
9	coldly.
10	like outrageous bigots.
11	almost robotically.
12	in a comically sinister manner.

75% chance of 1d4 dog(s).
50% chance of a cat.
25% chance any farmer’s daughter is trying to run away.
* Working farms or ranches inhabited by a single man or single woman will also always have 2d10 full-time workers on the property from spring to autumn (unless the farm or ranch is just a front for illegal activity). The workers may be housed in the farmhouse itself, in a section of the barn, in exterior shacks, or in trailers.
Additionally, crop farms need at least 2 temporary workers per planted acre during harvest time.

Table 8: The Barn

d20	The Barn is…
1 – 13	wooden, and rectangular in plan,…
14 – 15	stone, and rectangular in plan,…
16 – 17	brick, and rectangular in plan,…
18	round and wooden,… Or octagonal.
19	round, and built of stone,… Or octagonal.
20	round, and made of brick,… Or octagonal.

d12. Roll twice.	…it has…
1	an attached silo,…
2	a hay hood overhanging the entrance,…
3	a cupola on top for light and ventilation,…
4	a sliding door,…
5	a completely open side,…
6	livestock stalls,…
7	a hayloft, and an exterior door directly to the upper level,…
8	a threshing floor,…
9	a ramp to the upper level,…
10	an attached cart shed,…
11	a corn crib,…
12	hinged siding which allow the inside to be fully ventilated,…

Re-roll repeated results.

d6	…and its condition is…
1	dilapidated.
2 – 3	not good, but it is obviously still usable.
4 – 5	average.
6	excellent.

10% chance the barn is haunted.

Table 9a: Other Structures on a Farm

d20. Roll twice.	Also present on the property are…
1 – 2	a tool shed.
3 – 4	an old out house.
5 – 6	a garage barn. Houses whatever Farm Vehicles and Machines are determined on Table 10.
7 – 8	a second barn.
9 – 10	a windmill water pump and water tower (or tankhouse)
12	a grain windmill.
13	a grain silo (stand-alone)
14	a gazebo.
15	a small, abandoned house. 25% chance to be haunted.
16	a water tower.
17	a greenhouse. Roll 1d4 times on Table 9b.
18	1d10 migrant worker shacks or trailers.
19	a slaughterhouse.
20	an icehouse

Repeated results are possible.
A farm can have unused structures which serve no current purpose.
10% chance the second structure rolled is haunted. This is in addition to any ghosts that may be present elsewhere on the Farm or Ranch.

Table 9b: Contents of a Greenhouse

d20. Roll 1d4 times.	In the greenhouse there are….
1 – 2	flowers.
3 – 4	strawberries.
5 – 6	tomatoes.
7 – 8	cucumbers.
9 – 10	delicate lettuces.
11	exotic fruits.
12	exotic vegetables.
13	marijuana.
14	culinary herbs.
15	trays where worms are grown. For composting, and sale to fishermen.
16	ornamental tropical plants.
17	ordinary carnivorous plants.
18	1d4 large carnivorous plants of an unknown species, apparently being fed blood. There will be a bloody knife, and the carcass of a small animal nearby. If anyone comes close, the flower-like mouth(s) of the plant(s) will open and stretch out to bite. 25% chance the plant(s) are intelligent. 50% chance whoever is tending the plant(s) wants to start feeding them human blood.
19	a strange blue and purple plant with powerful hallucinogenic properties. It is being used for research into mind control and the development of Psychic powers.
20	human-sized pods of an apparently vegetable nature, inside of which are growing duplicates of the farm’s inhabitants. The pods are being tended by someone on the farm who is already a Pod Person.

Table 10: Farm Vehicles and Machines

d20. Roll 1d6 times.	In addition to a pickup truck and a tractor, there is / are…
1	a bale handler
2	a coupe utility vehicle.
3	a cultivator.
4	a forklift.
5	a front-end loader.
6	a harrow.
7	a harvester.
8	a livestock trailer.
9	a manure spreader.
10	a mower.
11	an additional pickup truck.
12	a mechanical planter.
13	a plough.
14	a reaper.
15	a roller.
16	a seed drill.
17	a sprayer.
18	an additional tractor.
19	a wagon.
20	a woodchipper. If the farm is secretly disposing of bodies, the woodchipper will be used for that purpose.

Note that a Farm or Ranch may possesses machinery and vehicles for which it does not currently have a use, but once did.
Machinery will be stored either in the main barn, or in a garage barn (if one is present).

Table 11: Notable Things on the Property

d100	In an otherwise unused part of the property, you’ll see…
1 – 10	an antique car, rusting atop cinder blocks.
11 – 20	a pond. Roll again in the Southwest. 10% chance the pond is large and deceptively deep, containing 1d4 cars, and 1d8 corpses. Any pond in the South is also 10% likely to have an alligator in it at any given time.
21 – 25	children’s playground equipment. A slide, merry-go-round, monkey bars, etc.
26 – 30	a traveling circus or carnival being set up. Roll 2d6+1 times on the Attractions table in AMUSEMENT and THEME PARKS to determine the attractions being set up. The show will start this coming Friday night. If the PCs attend, determine a Secret and Event with the tables in AMUSEMENT and THEME PARKS.
31 – 35	a concert stage being set up. The show will start this coming Friday night. 25% chance this is going to be a 2 or 3 day Hippie festival. Concert will be attended by d100 x d100 people each day.
36 – 40	tents beings set up for a Christian revival meeting. The meeting will happen this coming Sunday morning. Revival will be attended by d20 x d20 people. d10: The preacher is… 1 – 4 = just an ordinary man or woman, 5 = an actual Miracle Worker, 6 = an Angel in disguise, 7 = an Extraterrestrial in disguise, 8 = one of the Fairy Folk in disguise, 9 = actually an Android, 10 = possessed by a Demon.
41 – 50	1d6 Mobile Homes. d8: Inhabitants are… d8: Inhabitants are… 1 = vacationers, 2 = retirees, 3 = migrant workers, 4 = Irish Travelers, 5 = Romany, 6 = U.F.O. chasers, 7 = a film crew, 8 = storm chasers.
51 – 55	a mutilated animal, apparently drained of blood, partially skinned, and with organs removed by extremely sharp and precise instruments. If the Farm raises livestock (other than bees), this is one of them.
56 – 57	a cock or dog fighting pit. Unless the Actual Income Source is hosting animal fights, the pit is unused, and barely recognizable for what it once was.
58 – 63	a large pile of junk.
64 – 70	a spot where something was recently burned.
71 – 75	a dug-out firepit or barbecue pit.
76 – 77	a dead scuba diver caught in the branches of a tree.
78 – 79	a small crashed aircraft. d4: Craft is a… 1 = two-person helicopter, 2 = hot-air balloon, 3 = hang-glider, 4 = propeller-drive light airplane.
80 – 81	an oddly lifelike scarecrow that seems to be in a different position each time you look.
82 – 83	a mass of fish apparently fallen from the sky
84 – 85	d4 thread(s) that hang(s) from the sky. The thread is similar in composition to fishing line. It is impossible to determine what the other end is attached to.
86 – 89	a graveyard with 2d6 headstones. 25% chance the surname on the headstones is different from that of the current family.
90 – 93	a locked shed with no actual windows, just ventilation louvers you can’t see into. If the Farm or Ranch is just engaged in legal farming or ranching, the shed is used to store fertilizer. Otherwise, it contains evidence of the farm’s Actual Income source – weapons, bricks of marijuana, a dead body, etc.
94 – 96	a small, glowing meteorite at the bottom of a crater. d6: Meteor… 1 = is very hot but otherwise harmless, 2 = encloses a hungry Star Jelly that will flow out to attack any bare flesh, 3 = mutates anyone who touches it into a hairless cannibal, 4 = transforms anyone who touches it into an Undead Zombie, 5 = grants the first person to who touches it the power to recognize disguised Extraterrestrial and understand their language, 6 = grants super-strength to the first person who touches it.
97 – 100	what looks like a freshly dug grave with no marker. d10: If you dig you’ll find… 1 = a sheet of plywood covering an old well, 2 = the hatch to a bomb shelter, 3 = an old septic tank, 4 = a collection of Rock n’ Roll albums, 5 = a collection of pornographic magazines, 6 = the corpse of a dog (or an exotic animal, if any are present), 7 = 1d4 duffle bags filled with d100 x d100 dollars each, 8 = the corpse of a Strange Animal or Creature, 9 = the corpse of a bank agent who was trying to foreclose on the farm, 10 = the hatch to a long-buried Flying Saucer.

10% chance a field on the property is haunted. This is in addition to any Ghosts present in any building on the farm.

Farms and Ranches of the Uncanny Highway – Part I

30 Tuesday Aug 2022

Posted by Daniel James Hanley in GROOVY Ghastly Affair, Historical Gaming, OGL, OSR, Random Tables, Uncanny Highway, Weird

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The Farms and Ranches along the Uncanny Highway range from perfectly ordinary to utterly bizarre. When they aren’t just growing pumpkins, they’re hosting deadly Kung Fu tournaments – or worse!

Table 1a determines whether the Farm appears to focus on growing crops, raising livestock, or both activities. Table 1b defines how the Farm appears to market its produce. Table 2 reveals the truth about the Farm – whether it is a legitimate operation, or used for nefarious activities. Tables 3a to 3g correspond to various geographic regions, and define the legal crop(s), that are apparently being grown. Tables 4a to 4g are similar, but generate the livestock (if any). Table 5 generates any Exotic Animals that might be present, and their purpose.

Part II will include tables for the Farmhouse, inhabitants, barn(s), farm machinery, and odd structures on the property.

Table 1a: Type of Farm or Ranch

d6	The land is apparently dedicated to…
1 – 3	just crops. See Table 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, or 3g, according to region.
4 – 5	just livestock. See Table 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, or 4g, according to region.
6	both crops and livestock. Determine crops by region with Table 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, or 3g; and livestock by regions with Table 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, or 4g.

Farms on the Uncanny Highway encompass d100 x d4 acres.

Table 1b: Farm or Ranch Market

d6	The produce of the property appears to be primarily sold…
1	directly to consumers via a farm-stand on the roadside. The farm stand will be closed in cold months. If there are dairy cattle, bees, and/or egg-laying chickens, the milk, honey, and/or eggs will also be sold at the stand.
2	on a pick-your-own basis (for crops), or as whole animals (for livestock). A sign on the roadside advertises “Pick-Your-Own…” (and the crops that can be picked), and /or “Live…” (and the animals available). If there are dairy cattle, bees, and/or egg-laying chickens, the milk, honey, and/or eggs will also be sold out of the farmhouse.
3 – 4	directly to a food packer (or store)
5 – 6	to a wholesaler.

Remember that the growing season in the northern half of the United States is much shorter than in the southern half, except in the case of fruits and vegetables raised in greenhouses.

Table 2 The Truth About a Farm or Ranch

d100	The inhabitant(s) is/are actually…
1 – 40	just making their money from legal farming or ranching!
41 – 50	making most of their money hosting vacationers. Establishment is a “Dude Ranch” if it primarily raises horse and/or cattle., or a “Bed & Breakfast” otherwise. Roll again if the Farm raises pigs, on account of the smell.
51 – 55	making most of their money renting land for concerts, tent revivals, and circuses.
56 – 57	making most of their money renting land for filming locations. 75% chance a film crew is currently on the property. d6: Movie being filmed is… 1 = horror, 2 = sci fi, 3 = romance, 4 = an art house drama, 5 = an experimental art film, 6 = a road-trip film, 7 = a documentary about a local legend, 8 = pornography.
58 – 60	running a religious cult, and the apparent workers on the farm have actually given all their money and possessions to the family.
61 – 65	illegally distilling liquor. There will be a fermentation tank and a still located either in the farmhouse, or the barn.
66 – 70	growing marijuana in a hidden part of the farm (or in a greenhouse).
71 – 72	running a drug lab, making black market pills and methamphetamine.
73 – 75	storing barrels of toxic waste. d4: Those directly exposed to the toxic waste will… 1 = die in one day and rise again as Zombies, 2 = suffer enough damage to kill an ordinary person, 3 = grow an extra appendage in 1d8 days, 4 = collapse into a state that is fluid, but still ambulatory and intelligent. The GM should always allow a Saving Throw, Luck roll, or the equivalent to avoid the hazardous effect.
76 – 80	hosting illegal Martial Arts contests. The next fight will be tonight!
81 – 84	laundering money for the Mob.
85 – 86	holding abducted people for a kidnapping ring. There will be a captive currently imprisoned on the farm.
87	running their own human trafficking ring. There will be 1d6 captives currently imprisoned on the farm.
88	raising human beings for meat. There will be 1d6 captives currently imprisoned on the farm. The meat might be consumed by the family, or sold to the ultra-wealthy.
89	making “snuff” films. The kill room equipped with a camera could be in the farmhouse, in the barn, or even in a bomb shelter.
90	hosting dog fights. There will be 1d6 cages imprisoning dogs trained to fight.
91	hosting cock fights. There will be 1d6 cages holding roosters.
92	hosting C.I.A. mind control experiments. d4: Subjects are… 1 = secretly dosed with LSD, 2 = presented with absurd and improbable situations, 3 = abducted and put into absolute darkness for a week, 4 = selected for their psychic potential and trained to be clairvoyant spies and astral assassins.
93	providing training grounds for right-wing South American death squads sponsored by the C.I.A. Any apparent farm workers are actually death squad members in training.
94	providing training grounds for a private right-wing militia.
95	providing training grounds and a meeting place for Demon Hunters. 50% chance there is a captured supernatural creature on the property.
96	providing a cover for K.G.B. agents operating in America.
97	providing training grounds for terrorists sponsored by the K.G.B. Any apparent farm workers are actually terrorists in training.
98	sheltering a Nazi war criminal, who pays with stolen gold. He will have d100 x d4 pounds of gold remaining. 50% chance he also has a 1d12 pieces of looted art. Besides the gold (and any art), his quarters will hold incriminating pictures, documents, artifacts that establish his identity and guilt beyond any doubt. If captured alive and brought to Federal authorities, he can be traded for a generous reward.
99 – 100	disposing of bodies for the Mob. Corpses are buried on the property, fed to the pigs or alligators, etc.

Table 3a: Crops in the Northeast

Connecticut, Delaware*, Maine, Maryland*, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

d20. Roll 1d6 times.	There is a field of…
1 – 2	corn.
3 – 4	pumpkins and squash.
5 – 6	berries.
7 – 8	apples.
9 – 10	asparagus.
11 – 12	tomatoes.
13	cabbages.
14	beans.
15	table grapes.
16	cranberries.
17 – 18	onions.
19	mushrooms. Equal chances mushrooms will be grown on trays inside shacks, or in an abandoned mine tunnel underneath the farm. 25% chance an underground farm connects to subterranean tunnels inhabited by 1d12 cannibalistic mutants who worship ancient powers of the Outer Darkness.
20	sugar maples for syrup.

Repeated results indicates multiple fields devoted to different varieties of the indicated crop
* Delaware and Maryland can also use Table 3b.

Table 3b: Crops in the South

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (east of Dallas), Virginia, and West Virginia.

d20. Roll 1d6 times.	There is a field of…
1	paddy rice.
2	corn.
3	citrus fruits.
4	tomatoes.
5	asparagus.
6	cabbages.
7	beans.
8	onions.
9	peaches.
10 – 11	peanuts.
12	cotton.
13	soybeans.
14	pecans.
15	table grapes.
16	watermelons.
17	cucumbers.
18	cantaloupes.
19	rye.
20	tobacco.

Repeated results indicates multiple fields devoted to different varieties of the indicated crop.

Table 3c: Crops in the Midwest

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

d20. Roll 1d6 times.	There is a field of…
1 – 3	alfalfa.
4 – 7	wheat.
5 – 10	corn.
9 – 13	upland rice (grown on dry land).
14 – 17	soybeans.
18 – 20	oats.

Repeated results indicates multiple fields devoted to different varieties of the indicated crop.

Table 3d: Crops in the Western Prairie and Rocky Mountains

Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon east of the Cascades, South Dakota, Washington (east of the Cascades), and Wyoming.

d20. Roll 1d6 times.	There is a field of…
1 – 2	alfalfa.
3 – 4	winter wheat.
5 – 6	barley.
7 – 8	corn.
9 – 10	oats.
11 – 12	potatoes.
13	tomatoes.
14 – 15	cabbages.
16	beans.
17	hay.
18 – 19	sunflowers.
12	peas.

Repeated results indicates multiple fields devoted to different varieties of the indicated crop.

Table 3e: Crops in the Southwest

Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas (west of Dallas), and Utah

d20. Roll 1d6 times.	There is a field of…
1 – 3	beans.
4 – 6	figs.
7 – 9	corn.
10 – 12	cabbages.
13 – 14	pumpkins.
15 – 16	watermelons.
17 – 18	onions.
19 – 20	lettuce.

Repeated results indicates multiple fields devoted to different varieties of the indicated crop.

Table 3f: Crops in Southern and Central California

California south of Redding.

d20. Roll 1d6 times.	There is a field of…
1	citrus fruits.
2	wine grapes. 75% chance the farm produces its own wine. A winery will have a crushing or press room, a room of primary fermentation tanks, and a barrel room. A winery that sells directly to the public will also have a bottling room. These spaces may be separate buildings, or housed in one structure. They are in addition to any other structures on the property.
3	table grapes.
4	avocados.
5	asparagus.
6	walnuts.
7	lettuce.
8	almonds.
9	figs.
10	artichokes.
11	lettuce.
12	plums.
13	broccoli.
14	strawberries.
15	pistachios.
16	olives.
17	tomatoes.
18	cucumbers.
19	carrots.
20	medicinal herbs. 25% chance the family practices some form of traditional witchcraft.

Repeated results indicates multiple fields devoted to different varieties of the indicated crop..

Table 3g: Crops in the Pacific Northwest / Northern California

California north of Redding

Oregon in the Cascades, and west of the Cascades

Washington in the Cascades, and west of the Cascades

d20. Roll 1d6 times.	There is a field of…
1 – 2	hops.
3 – 4	berries.
5 – 6	apples.
7	pears.
8 – 9	onions.
10 – 11	cherries.
12 – 13	mint.
14 – 15	hazlenuts.
16 – 17	walnuts.
18	wine grapes. 75% chance the farm produces its own wine. A winery will have a crushing or press room, a room of primary fermentation tanks, and a barrel room. A winery that sells directly to the public will also have a bottling room. These spaces may be separate buildings, or housed in one structure. They are in addition to any other structures on the property.
19	sunflowers.
20	medicinal herbs. 25% chance the family practices some form of traditional witchcraft.

Repeated results indicates multiple fields devoted to different varieties of the indicated crop.

Table 4a: Livestock in the Northeast

d12. Roll 1d4 times.	The livestock are…
1 – 2	ducks. There will be a duck pond and duck shed on the property, in addition to any other structures.
3 – 4	egg-laying chickens. There will be a henhouse on the property, in addition to any other structures.
5 – 6	dairy cattle. There will be a dedicated milk barn and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures.
7 – 8	horses. There will be a stable and fenced-in paddock on the property, in addition to any other structures.
9 – 10	rabbits. There will be a rabbit hutch on the property, in addition to any other structures.
11 – 12	exotic animals. There will be a fenced-in enclosure and/or cages on the property, in addition to any other structures.

Repeated results indicates multiple breeds of the indicated animal.

Table 4b: Livestock in the South

d12. Roll 1d4 times.	The livestock are…
1 – 3	pigs. There will be a pig pen and mud wallow on the property, in addition to any other structures.50% chance of a slaughterhouse also being present.
4	alligators for meat and leather. There will be a fenced-in pond on the property, in addition to any other structures.50% chance of a slaughterhouse also being present.
5	dairy cattle. There will be a dedicated milk barn and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures.
6	chickens for slaughter. There will be a chicken coop on the property, in addition to any other structures.50% chance of a slaughterhouse also being present.
7	egg-laying chickens. There will be a henhouse on the property, in addition to any other structures.
8	cattle for slaughter. There will be a cowshed and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures.50% chance of a slaughterhouse also being present.
9	honeybees. There will be d100 x d4 hives on the property, in addition to any other structures. 10% chance the hives are now filled with Killer Bees!
10	horses. There will be a stable and fenced-in paddock on the property, in addition to any other structures.
11	hunting dogs (hounds, retrievers, pointers, spaniels, etc.). There will be a kennel on the property, in addition to any other structures.
12	exotic animals. Determine animals with Table 5: Exotic Animals on a Farm or Ranch. There will be a fenced-in corral and/or cages on the property, in addition to any other structures.

Repeated results indicates multiple breeds of the indicated animal.

Table 4c: Livestock in the Midwest

d12. Roll 1d4 times.	The livestock are…
1 – 2	dairy cattle. There will be a dedicated milk barn on the property, in addition to any other structures.
3 – 4	pigs. There will be a pig pen and mud wallow on the property, in addition to any other structures. 50% chance of a slaughterhouse also being present.
5 – 6	egg-laying chickens. There will be a henhouse on the property, in addition to any other structures.
7 – 8	cattle for slaughter. There will be a cowshed and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures. 50% chance of a slaughterhouse also being present.
9 – 10	horses. There will be a stable and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures.
11 – 12	dogs for pets. There will be a kennel on the property, in addition to any other structures.

Repeated results indicates multiple breeds of the indicated animal.

Table 4d: Livestock in the Western Prairie and Rocky Mountains

d12. Roll 1d4 times.	The livestock are…
1 – 3	cattle for slaughter. There will be a cowshed and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures. 50% chance of a slaughterhouse also being present.
4	egg-laying chickens. There will be a henhouse on the property, in addition to any other structures.
5	dairy cattle. There will be a dedicated milk barn and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures.
6 – 7	honeybees. There will be d100 x d4 hives on the property, in addition to any other structures.
8 – 9	horses. There will be a stable and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures.
10	buffalo. There will be a cowshed and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures. 50% chance of a slaughterhouse also being present.
11	sheep. There will be a sheep shed on the property, in addition to any other structures.
12	exotic animals. Determine animals with Table 5: Exotic Animals on a Farm or Ranch. There will be a fenced-in corral and/or cages on the property, in addition to any other structures.

Repeated results indicates multiple breeds of the indicated animal.

Table 4e: Livestock in the Southwest

d12. Roll 1d4 times.	The livestock are…
1 – 2	dairy cattle. There will be a dedicated milk barn and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures.
3 – 4	egg-laying chickens. There will be a henhouse on the property, in addition to any other structures.
5 – 6	cattle for slaughter. There will be a cowshed and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures. 50% chance of a slaughterhouse also being present.
7 – 8	horses. There will be a stable and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures.
9 – 10	sheep. There will be a sheep shed on the property, in addition to any other structures.
11 – 12	exotic animals. Determine animals with Table 5: Exotic Animals on a Farm or Ranch. There will be a fenced-in enclosure and/or cages on the property, in addition to any other structures.

Repeated results indicates multiple breeds of the indicated animal.

Table 4f: Livestock in Southern and Central California

d12. Roll 1d4 times.	The livestock are…
1 – 3	dairy cattle. There will be a dedicated milk barn and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures.
4	egg-laying chickens. There will be a henhouse on the property, in addition to any other structures.
5 – 6	honeybees. There will be d100 x d4 hives on the property, in addition to any other structures. 10% chance the hives are now filled with Killer Bees!
7	horses. There will be a stable and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures.
9	goats. There will be a goat shed on the property, in addition to any other structures.
10 – 11	sheep. There will be a sheep shed on the property, in addition to any other structures.
12	exotic animals. Determine animals with Table 5: Exotic Animals on a Farm or Ranch. There will be a fenced-in enclosure and/or cages on the property, in addition to any other structures.

Repeated results indicates multiple breeds of the indicated animal.

Table 4g: Livestock in the Pacific Northwest / Northern California

California north of Redding, Oregon (in the Cascades and west of the Cascades), and Washington (in the Cascades and west of the Cascades).

d12. Roll 1d4 times.	The livestock are…
1 – 2	dairy cattle. There will be a dedicated milk barn and fenced-in corral on the property, in addition to any other structures.
3 – 4	goats. There will be a goat shed on the property, in addition to any other structures.
5 – 6	sheep. There will be a sheep shed on the property, in addition to any other structures.
7 – 8	egg-laying chickens. There will be a henhouse on the property, in addition to any other structures.
9 – 12	exotic animals. Determine animals with Table 5: Exotic Animals on a Farm or Ranch. There will be a fenced-in enclosure and/or cages on the property, in addition to any other structures.

Repeated results indicates multiple breeds of the indicated animal.

Table 5: Exotic Animals on a Farm or Ranch

d20. Roll 1d6 times.	The exotic animals being raised include…
1	elk…
2	ostriches…
3	giraffes…
4	lions…
5	tigers…
6	mountain lions…
7	jaguars…
8	leopards…
9	peacocks…
10	zebras…
11	chimpanzees…
12	orangutans…
13	brown bears…
14	bighorn sheep…
15	wild boar…
16	antelopes…
17	gazelles…
18	monkeys…
19	crocodiles…
20	wolves…

d6	…for the purpose of…
1	pure enjoyment.
2	running a private zoo. 75% chance admission will be charged to see the animal(s). If so, it will be advertised with a sign on the Highway.
3	running “canned hunts”. There will another fenced in area on the property where the “hunts” occur. 10% chance the farm also stages fight between the animals and abducted people, for the amusement of wealthy clients.
4	raising exotic meat for wealthy gourmets. 75% chance of a slaughterhouse being present on the property, in addition to any other structures.
5	scientific research. There will be a researcher attending to the animals during the day. d6: Researcher is… 1 = from the nearest college, 2 = from the Defense Department, 3 = from a completely secret branch of the federal Government, 4 = an agent of a foreign government, 5 = working for a wealthy eccentric, 6 = an Extraterrestrial in disguise.
6	keeping people away from something buried in their enclosure. d6: The hidden thing is…1 = the bodies of the property’s former owners, 2 = buried treasure, 3 = buried toxic waste, 4 = extraterrestrial corpses, 5 = the trapdoor to a serial killer’s murder room, 6 = the buried gateway to Hell.

Repeated results indicates multiple breeds of the indicated animal.

A Map of the Uncanny Highway

25 Thursday Aug 2022

Posted by Daniel James Hanley in Gothic Gaming, GROOVY Ghastly Affair, Maps, OGL, OSR, Uncanny Highway, Weird

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1960s, 1970s, American Fantasy, Americana, Americana fantasy, Fictional Road, Gothic America, Groovy Era, Groovy Horror, magic realism, Midwest Horror, Prairie Horror, Road Crawl, Road Trip, Roadtrip, Rural Horror, Science Fiction, science-fiction, scifi, Seventies, Sixties, Small Town Horror, Southern Gothic, Weird America

The schematized map below shows the approximate path of U.S. Route 28 across the continental United States, and how the Highway is broken down into named “Sections”. These Sections are usually 100 miles long, but may be shorter if the road changes its general direction, goes into different terrain, or crosses a State border.

TV Stations of the Uncanny Highway

23 Tuesday Aug 2022

Posted by Daniel James Hanley in GROOVY Ghastly Affair, Historical Gaming, OGL, OSR, Random Tables, Uncanny Highway, Weird

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1960s, 1970s, Americana fantasy, Cryptozoological Creature, Cryptozoology, electronic horror, fortean phenomona, forteana, Gothic America, Groovy Era, magic realism, Midwest Horror, modern fantasy, Prairie Horror, Road Crawl, Road Trip, Roadcrawl, Roadtrip, sci fi, science-fiction, Seventies, Sixties, Small Town Horror, Southern Gothic, technological horror, Urban Fantasy, Weird America

Whether in truck-stop lounges, motel rooms, or in roadside dive bars, characters on the Uncanny Highway will have plenty of chances to watch TV.

Each 100-mile Section of the Uncanny Highway has 1d4+1 legal Television Stations. All broadcast with UHF, on channels 14 to 69. No matter how close the Highway seems to be to a major city (or how many times one bangs on the TV), one cannot tune into the major VHF stations broadcasting on channels 2 to 13.

In addition to the legal stations, each Section will have 1d4 illegal “Pirate” stations that operate without any kind of license. These might broadcast on any channel from 2 to 69, at any point during the day (but usually during the night hours). Assume that whenever the PC turn on the TV and just cycle through the dials, they will happen to find at least one of these Pirate stations broadcasting.

Remember that during the Groovy Era legal television stations will “sign off” and cease broadcasting around 1 AM. Sometimes, sign-off will as early as midnight, or as late as 2 AM. At that time there will be a station identification, and usually the “Star-Spangled Banner” will play over patriotic images, scenes of the American landscape, or video of a flag. Then, there will only be static and white noise until “sign-on” at 6 AM, which will always start with a station identification. Of course, a Pirate station may just be starting their transmission when the legal stations have signed-off for the night!

Table 1: Legal Television Station Name

The four-letter name (or “call sign”) of a TV Station located east of the Mississippi River will begin with “W”, while a station west of the Mississippi has a call sign that begin s with “K”. So if the station is in Georgia and you roll an “S”, an “N”, and an “X” on Table 1, the station is WSNX. If it was located in Utah, it would be KSNX.

d30, d30, d30	You’re watching station W / K–
1	A	A	A
2	B	B	B
3	C	C	C
4	D	D	D
5	E	E	E
6	F	F	F
7	G	G	G
8	H	H	H
9	I	I	I
10	J	J	J
11	K	K	K
12	L	L	L
13	M	M	M
14	N	N	N
15	O	O	O
16	P	P	P
17	Q	Q	Q
18	R	R	R
19	S	S	S
20	T	T	T
21	U	U	U
22	V	V	V
23	W	W	W
24	X	X	X
25	Y	Y	Y
26	Z	Z	Z
27	U	U	U
28	S	S	S
29	A	A	A
30	X	X	X

Table 2: Current Programming of a Legal TV Station

d20	This station is currently playing…
1	a horror movie.
2	a movie about World War II.
3	a romance movie.
4	a mystery movie.
5	a historical movie (other than World War II).
6 – 7	a sitcom.
8	a dramatic series.
9	a crime drama series.
10	an action-adventure series.
11	a Western series.
12 – 13	a game show.
14	a variety show or concert. d6: Music is… 1 – 3 = Rock n’ Roll, 4 – 5 = Country & Western, 6 = Polka, 7 = Big Band Swing, 8 = Funk, 9 = Soul, 10 = Rhythm & Blues, 11 = Folk, 12 = Christian or Gospel.
15 – 17	a sporting event. d6: 1 – 3 = baseball (spring / summer) or football (autumn / winter), 4 = stock car racing (spring / summer) or hockey (autumn / winter), 5 = drag racing (spring / summer) or basketball (autumn / winter), 6 = motocross (spring / summer) or ice skating (autumn / winter).
18 – 19	a regular news show.
20	a show devoted to exploring paranormal phenomena and the mysteries of the occult. Use NEWSPAPERS Table 3: Strange News Stories to determine the topic covered.

Roll on Table 5 to determine if any broadcast oddities or signal intrusion will occur.
There is a 25% chance that show will be interrupted by a Breaking News Bulletin (see Table 4).

Table 3: Local TV News Stories

d20	The report begins:
1	“Local man claims to have seen a strange animal on the highway…”
2	“Are the rumors about a local amusement park true?”
3	“Strange events at a local amusement park…”
4	“Are the rumors about a local bar true?”
5	“Does this movie, playing at a local Drive-in, go too far?”
6	“Are the rumors about a local restaurant true?”
7	“Strange events at a local motel…”
8	“Are the rumors about a local motel true?”
9	“Could a new acquisition at local museum be cursed?”
10	“Are the rumors about a local trailer park true?”
11	“Strange events at a local trailer park…”
12	“Local man has a story to tell…”
13	“Local woman has a story to tell…”
14	“Is there any truth to the local legend of…”
15	“Psycho Killer claims latest victim…”
16	“Murder tonight at a nearby…” d4: 1 = truck stop, 2 = motel, 3 = amusement park, 4 = drive-in theater.
16	“There’s been a rash of U.F.O sightings all along the Highway…”
17	“Horrible highway accident claims multiple lives…”
18	“We’re investigating reports of a driverless car running other vehicle off the road…”
19	“More tonight on that string of mysterious disappearances…” d6: The missing people have actually… 1 = been abducted by Extraterrestrials, 2 = been killed by a vampire, 3 = been eaten by werewolves, 4 = been abducted by cannibals to be eaten eventually, 5 = been abducted by the government for use in Psychic research, 6 = escaped the Uncanny Highway to normal America.
20	talking about something that relates directly to a Player Character’s motivation for being on the road.

Table 4: Breaking News Bulletins

d20	The obviously surprised announcer reports that…
1	sudden storms are developing in our area…
2	there has been a sudden explosion tonight at a local… d6: 1 = motel, 2 = truck stop, 3 = amusement park, 4 = house, 5 = church, 6 = farm.
3	local police are hunting a.. See STRANGE ANIMALS and CREATURES.
4	there has been a massive spill of toxic chemicals on the highway… d4: Those directly exposed to the toxic waste will… 1 = die in one day and rise again as Zombies, 2 = suffer enough damage to kill an ordinary person, 3 = grow an extra appendage in 1d8 days, 4 = collapse into a state that is fluid, but still ambulatory and intelligent. The GM should always allow a Saving Throw, Luck roll, or the equivalent to avoid the hazardous effect.
5	police cars are in pursuit of a… d4: 1 = bank robber, 2 = murder suspect, 3 = reported U.F.O., 4 = suspected kidnapper.
6	bank robbers have escaped police… 50% chance that 1d4 armed bank robbers will pass by – or even come into – wherever the PCs are staying.
7	inmates have escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane… 50% chance that 1d4 homicidal maniacs will pass by – or even come into – wherever the PCs are staying.
8	prisoners have escaped from custody… 50% chance that 1d4 escaped prisoners will pass by – or even come into – wherever the PCs are staying.
9	there has been a sudden outbreak of strange disease, whose victims take on a cadaverous appearance, and attack others in order to eat their flesh. They’re now Zombies, of course!
10	there has been a verdict in the mass-murder trial that rocked our area… Equal chances that the suspect was found guilty or acquitted, and equal chances that they were innocent or guilty. If the convicted person was innocent, then there is still a roaming killer for the PCs to encounter.
11	Police are telling motorist to stay off the Highway, as rivalries between Biker gangs have erupted into all-out war near a local… d4: 1 = roadhouse, 2 = gas station, 3 = motel, 4 = truck stop.
12	a local politician has been assassinated…
13	the Town Hall is on fire…
14	Police are right now searching for more victims, after a woman escapes imprisonment at a local… d6: 1 = motel, 2 = truck stop, 3 = amusement park, 4 = house, 5 = church, 6 = farm.
15	masked men have abducted a local celebrity at gunpoint…
16	you are about to see live footage of an Unidentified Flying Object… 50% chance the sighting is a hoax.
16	there has been an unexplained massacre at a local hospital… d6: Massacre was actually caused by… 1 = a temporarily incapacitated Vampire rising again at night, 2 = bodies reanimating as Zombies from exposure to toxic waste, 3 = a Werewolf having their first transformation, 4 = a Psycho Killer, 5 = an Extraterrestrial looking for a piece of stolen technology, 6 = an interrupted assassin shooting their way out of the hospital.
17	people are reporting sudden attacks by massive swarms of rats at a local… d6: 1 = motel, 2 = truck stop, 3 = amusement park, 4 = house, 5 = church, 6 = farm.
18	a maniac is on a rampage at a local… d4: 1 = truck stop, 2 = motel, 3 = amusement park, 4 = drive-in theater.
19	a meteorite has struck a local… d6: 1 = house, 2 = farm, 3 = motel, 4 = amusement park, 5 = lovers’ lane, 6 = public park.
20	a man driving a World War II tank has gone on a rampage…

Table 5: Television Oddities and Signal Intrusions

d100	While you are watching television…
1 – 75	nothing especially weird happens.
76 – 80	programming from an an illegal “pirate” station breaks in. See Table 6.
81	all the colors suddenly change. If TV is black and white, the picture now looks like a photographic negative
82	static overtakes the picture, and you see the ghostly face of a dead relative forming in the “snow”.
83	static overtakes the picture, and you see the ghostly face of a woman forming in the “snow”.
84	static overtakes the picture, and you see the ghostly face of a man forming in the “snow”.
85	static overtakes the picture, and you see a demonic face forming in the “snow”.
86	the sound devolves into static, and in the noise you hear the ghostly voice of a dead relative
87	the sound devolves into static, and in the noise you hear a threatening voice.
88	the sound devolves into static, and in the noise you hear a voice pleading for help.
89	the picture goes out, and sound is replaced by that of an unlicensed radio station.
90	everyone seems to speaking in a foreign language.
91	the signal is completely interrupted by another from a foreign country. d4: The broadcast is from… 1 = Canada, 2 = Mexico, 3 = Cuba, 4 = Japan, 5 = China, 6 = The Soviet Union.
92	and the image is replaced with yourself watching the television, as if there was a camera in the room.
93	the image is replaced by that of a certain location you passed on the Highway, and a mechanical voice telling you to go back there at midnight tomorrow to welcome the “Cosmic Benefactors”. If the PCs actually go there at the appointed time, use STRANGE ANIMALS and CREATURES Table 2a: Appearance of an Extraterrestrial, and 2b: Appearance of an Extraterrestrial Vehicle.
94	the screen turns to static, and a soft women’s voice tells you she is a representative of the “Pleiadian Federation”, and that you have been chosen to transmit their message of Universal Brotherhood to all people.
95	the picture goes out, and a smiling face seems to press itself up against the screen from inside.
96	the picture turns to that of a local Psychic, who says they need you help to find a missing person. The person is someone the PCs have actually seen on the road so far, or will meet tomorrow.
97	the image is replaced by the close-up of a human eye. If the PCs look close, they will see the television set itself reflected in the pupil of the eye.
98	the image is replaced by the close-up of a human mouth. The mouth is saying something, but there is no sound. If a PC can successfully read lips, the mouth is warning them about a potential danger in one of the Roadside Attractions on the Highway.
99	the image is replaced with what looks like a filmed version the dream a PC had last night.
100	The signal is replaced with one from an alternate America. d6: In the alternate America… 1 = the nation is Communist, and Russia is Capitalist., 2 = the nation has always been a full and equal union of Native Americans and immigrants from elsewhere, 3 = there has already been a nuclear war with Soviet Union, 4 = the nation has been overrun by Zombies, 5 = Satanism is the official religion, 6 = Richard Nixon and the Mary Jane Band are the grooviest and most popular Psychedelic Rock group in the world!

Oddities and Signal Intrusions last 1d10 minutes.

Table 6: Programming of a Pirate TV Station

d20	This station broadcasts…
1	movies currently in theaters.
2	bootleg concert footage.
3	masked people reporting on local corruption.
4	uncensored footage from a local Hippie commune. If the PCs are looking for a missing person, there is a 25% chance of seeing them. If so, there will always be some clue indicating either the location of the commune, or the place from where the broadcast originates.
5	far Left Wing / Communist political commentary. 25% chance of a specific terrorist threat against a local town or Roadside Attraction.
6	far Right Wing / Ultra-Nationalist / Fascist political commentary. 25% chance of a specific terrorist threat against a local town or Roadside Attraction.
7	Libertarian political commentary.
8	pictures of a local person in various places, including their place of work. The caption underneath gives a dollar figure for each person, and a phone number to call “with proof”. The PC will recognize at least one of the people from their recent travels.
9	a show devoted to some kind of unconventional Christianity. d6: This church advocates… 1 = Free Love, 2 = mixing Christianity and Hinduism, 3 = ancient Gnostic teachings, 4 = the unity of Jesus and Satan, 5 = that Jesus was an Extraterrestrial, 6 = smoking marijuana to commune with Christ.
10	teachings from a Yogi. If the PCs are looking for a missing person, there is a 25% chance of seeing them as part of the Yogi’s audience. If so, there will always be some clue indicating either the location where the lecture was filmed, or the place from where the broadcast originates.
11	illegal bare-knuckle boxing matches. 10% chance a fighter is killed during the broadcast.
12	illegal Kung Fu contests. 25% chance a fighter is killed during the broadcast.
13	programming centered around illegal drugs.
14	the teachings of a U.F.O cult. If the PCs are looking for a missing person, there is a 25% chance of seeing them as part of the teacher’s audience. If so, there will always be some clue indicating either the location where the talk was filmed, or the place from where the broadcast originates.
15	a lecture by the charismatic leader of a new self-help group. If the PCs are looking for a missing person, there is a 25% chance of seeing them as part of the teacher’s audience. If so, there will always be some clue indicating either the location where the lecture was filmed, or the place from where the broadcast originates.
16	pornography. If the PCs are looking for a missing person, there is a 25% chance of they are one of the performers. If so, there will always be some clue indicating either the location where the movie was filmed, or the place from where the broadcast originates.
17	pictures of local landmarks captioned with dates and sequences of numbers. One of the dates is tomorrow.
18	Satanic Black Masses. All the participants will be masked, but if the PCs are looking for a missing person, there is a 25% chance of seeing someone who seems to resemble them. If so, there will always be some clue indicating either the location where the Mass was filmed, or the place from where the broadcast originates.
19	blurry pictures of a Strange Animal or Creature, and a message reminding all “DH’s” that more information is available at the “Safehouse”. Of course, this station is operated by the local Demon Hunters. The building shown is a Roadside House that the PCs have either already seen, or will encounter soon.
20	actual snuff films. If the PCs are looking for a missing person, there is a 25% chance they are the victim shown. If so, there will always be some clue indicating either the location where the movie was filmed, or the place from where the broadcast originates.

Raining Frogs on the Uncanny Highway

16 Tuesday Aug 2022

Posted by Daniel James Hanley in GROOVY Ghastly Affair, Historical Gaming, OGL, OSR, Random Tables, Uncanny Highway, Weird

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1960s, 1970s, Americana fantasy, fortean, fortean phenomona, forteana, Gothic America, magic realism, Midwest Horror, modern fantasy, Prairie Horror, Road Crawl, Road Trip, Roadcrawl, Roadtrip, sci fi, science-fiction, Seventies, Sixties, Small Town Horror, Southern Gothic, Urban Fantasy, Weird America

Those lost on the Uncanny Highway may experience everything from the bone-chilling cold of a Midwestern winter to the broiling dry heat of a Southwestern summer. Summer in the heartland brings the threat of Tornadoes. And no matter where you are, there is always the chance that frogs – or even stranger things – will fall from the sky!

If the PCs are moving, determine new weather conditions whenever they enter a new 100-mile Section of Highway. If they stay overnight along a Section (perhaps while living in a small town, staying at a motel, sleeping in truck stop bunks, or even camping in a tent on the side of the road), roll for the next day’s weather at midnight (in-game).

Table 1: Weather Conditions on a Highway Section

d12	The temperature on this Section of road is…
1	much hotter than normal,…
2 – 4	hotter than normal,…
5 – 8	normal for this time of year,…
9 – 11	colder than normal,…
12	much colder than normal,…

d12	…and the wind is…
1 – 2	absolutely still,… Re-roll in the Midwest. If the result is 0 – 2 again, then the day is actually still. In Central California from November to April, this result indicates a thick Tule Fog that will limit visibility to 1d10 x 100 feet.
3 – 5	slight,…
6 – 9	moderate,…
10 – 11	gusting,…
12	very strong,… 25% chance of a Dust Storm in the Southwest or Southern California during the month of July.

d12	…with…
0 – 2	clear skies. Re-roll in the Pacific Northwest. If the result is 0 – 2 again, then the day is actually clear and sunny.
3 – 4	partly cloudy skies. 10% chance of a Notable Weather Phenomenon, determined on Table 3. This phenomenon will occur as soon as the PCs are ready to travel for the day.
5 – 6	cloudy / overcast skies. Re-roll in the Southwest or in Southern California, except in July. 25% chance of a Notable Weather Phenomenon, determined on Table 3. This phenomenon will occur as soon as the PCs are ready to travel for the day.
7	light precipitation / drizzle in the AM hours. Roll d12 to determine the AM hour the precipitation will start, and a d4 to determine how many hours it will last. Roll on Table 2 to determine precipitation type.
8	light precipitation / drizzle in the PM hours. Roll d12 to determine the AM hour the precipitation will start, and a d4 to determine how many hours it will last. Roll on Table 2 to determine precipitation type.
9	moderate precipitation in the AM hours. Re-roll in the Southwest or in Southern California, except in July. Roll d12 to determine the AM hour the precipitation will start, and a d4 to determine how many hours it will last. Roll on Table 2 to determine precipitation type.
10	moderate precipitation in the PM hours. Re-roll in the Southwest or in Southern California, except during July. Roll d12 to determine the PM hour the precipitation will start, and a d4 to determine how many hours it will last. Roll on Table 2 to determine precipitation type.
11	severe precipitation in the AM hours. Re-roll in the Southwest or in Southern California, except during July. Roll d12 to determine the AM hour the precipitation will start, and a d4 to determine how many hours it will last. From March to September, roll on Tables 4a & 4b to determine Tornado formation if in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, or Texas.
12	severe precipitation in the PM hours. Re-roll in the Southwest or in Southern California, except during July. Roll d12 to determine the PM hour the precipitation will start, and a d4 to determine how many hours it will last. From March to September, roll on Tables 4a & 4b to determine Tornado formation if in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, or Texas.

Precipitation may have already happened before the PCs even enter the Highway Section (in which case there may still be evidence of it), or might occur long after they have moved on to another Section.

Table 2: Precipitation Type

d100	The precipitation is…
1 – 60	just the normal type of precipitation for this temperature and location.
61 – 100	the normal type for the temperature and location, plus a Notable Weather Phenomenon. Roll on Table 3.

Assume that precipitation is snow if the air temperature is under 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and rain otherwise.

Table 3: Notable Weather Phenomena (Other Than Tornadoes)

d100	There will be…
1 – 5	fog.
6 – 24	thunder.
25 – 30	lightning without thunder. d4: Lightning is… 1 = sheet lightning, 2 = forked bolts within clouds, 3 = forked bolts flashing from cloud to cloud, 4 = forked bolts striking from cloud to ground.
51 – 60	thunder & lightning. d4: Lightning is… 1 = sheet lightning, 2 = forked bolts within clouds, 3 = forked bolts flashing from cloud to cloud, 4 = forked bolts striking from cloud to ground.
61 – 70	hail for 1d10 minutes,
71 – 75	chunks of ice falling from the sky, for 1d4 minutes. d6: Ice is… 1–3 = otherwise normal, 4 = oddly yellowish, 5 = oddly greenish, 6 = oddly bluish.
76	a strangely bright night, or oddly dark day.
77	hail with small stones inside, for 1d4 minutes.
78	loud bangs that sound more like gunshots than thunder.
79	1d4 glowing spheres of ball lightning. d6: Balls are colored… 1 = white, 2 = yellow, 3 = red, 4 = orange, 5 = blue, 6 = green. Each ball is d12 inches in diameter.
80	a rain of pebbles for 1d4 minutes. d8: Pebbles are.. 1 – 4 = brown and tan, 5 = stark white, 6 = black, 7 = red, 8 = purple.
81	a rain of small fruit for 1d4 minutes. d4: Fruit is 1 = crabapples, 2 = small hard peaches, 3 = hard pears, 4 = tangerines.
82	a rain of red-hot metal in small pieces, for 1d4 minutes.
83	a rain of fish for 1d4 minutes. d6: Fish are… 1 = minnows, 2 = small herrings, 3 = trout, 4 = small cod, 5 = eels, 6 = strange deep sea fish with large mouths and needle-like teeth.
84	a rain of frogs for 1d4 minutes.
85	a rain of crabs for 1d4 minutes.
86	a rain of shellfish for 1d4 minutes. d6: Shellfish are…1 = clams, 2 = mussels, 3 = oysters, 4 = scallops, 5 = whelks, 6 = periwinkles.
87	a rain of empty seashells for 1d4 minutes. d6: Shells are from…1 = clams, 2 = mussels, 3 = oysters, 4 = scallops, 5 = whelks, 6 = periwinkles.
88	a rain of meat in small chunks, for 1d4 minutes.
89	a rain of nuts for 1d4 minutes. d6: Nuts are… 1 = walnuts, 2 = almonds, 3 = hazelnuts, 4 = pecans, 5 = beechnuts, 6 = chestnuts.
90	a rain of beans for 1d4 minutes.
91	a rain of corn kernels for 1d4 minutes.
92	a rain of dollar bills for 1d4 minutes. Up to d100 x d20 dollars can be recovered from a 10-mile stretch of road, at as rate of 10 dollars per minute spent searching.
93	a rain of foreign bills for 1d4 minutes. d10: Bills are the lowest denomination from… 1 = Canada, 2 = the United Kingdom, 3 = France, 4 = West Germany, 5 = The Soviet Union, 6 = The People’s Republic of China, 7 = Japan, 8 = Egypt, 9 = Ethiopia, 10 = India. Up to d100 x d20 bills can be recovered from a 10-mile stretch of road, at as rate of 10 bills per minute spent searching.
94	a rain of American coins for 1d4 minutes. d6: Coins are… 1 – 3 = pennies, 4 = nickels, 5 = dimes, 6 = quarters. Up to d100 x d20 coins can be recovered from a 10-mile stretch of road, at as rate of 10 coins per minute spent searching.
95	a rain of foreign coins for 1d4 minutes. d10: Coins are the lowest denomination from… 1 = Canada, 2 = the United Kingdom, 3 = France, 4 = West Germany, 5 = The Soviet Union, 6 = The People’s Republic of China, 7 = Japan, 8 = Egypt, 9 = Ethiopia, 10 = India. Up to d100 x d20 coins can be recovered from a 10-mile stretch of road, at as rate of 10 coins per minute spent searching.
96	a rain of worms for 1d4 minutes. d6: The worms are… 1 = ordinary earthworms, 2 = mealworms, 3 = maggots, 4 = marine flatworms, 5 = leeches, 6 = odd inch-long beings that are purple in color and don’t seem to belong to any known species.
97	a rain of papers for 1d4 minutes. d4: Papers are…1 = crumpled balls of blank scraps, 2 = pages from the Bible, 3 = a scientific paper in a foreign language, 4 = apparently from a secret government study of U.F.O.s and Extraterrestrials, 5 = covered with strange equations and diagrams, 6 = the truth about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, from a secret Government study.
98	a rain of sand for 1d4 minutes. d8: Sand is.. 1 – 4 = ordinary beach sand, 5 = stark white, 6 = black, 7 = red, 8 = purple.
99	globs of slime falling from the sky, for 1d4 minutes. d6: Slime is… 1 = white, 2 = yellow, 3 = green, 4 = red, 5 = glowing yellow, 6 = glowing green.
100	an unconscious person falling from the sky at an oddly slow speed, as if they had an invisible parachute. Severity of precipitation indicates the general build of person who falls. Light Precipitation = a child, Moderate Precipitation = a person of average build, Severe Precipitation = an exceptional tall or corpulent person. Person is only 25% likely to speak English when they awaken, and will have complete amnesia about their identity and past.

If the PCs can possibly witness the Notable Weather Phenomenon, they will. If it happens while the PCs would be otherwise asleep, they are first awakened by either the phenomenon itself, or some other occurrence.

Table 4a: Tornado Occurrence and Severity

Roll on this table whenever there is severe precipitation in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, or Texas, from March to September.

d100	Tornado…
1 – 75	does not occur.
76 – 90	inflicts only slight damage to permanent structures. Cars and trailers are moderately damaged. Sheds and barns and severely damaged. Branches are stripped from trees. Roll on Table 4b.
91 – 97	inflicts moderate damage to permanent structures. Cars, trailers, shed, and barns are destroyed. Trees are uprooted. Roll on Table 4b.
98 – 99	inflicts severe damage to permanent structures, rendering them uninhabitable. Trailers, cars, shed debris, and barn beams are picked up into the tornado and thrown. Roll on Table 4b.
100	destroys everything except large steel and concrete buildings, which are severely damaged. Trailers, cars, barns, sheds, and most houses are shredded, and the pieces thrown. Roll on Table 4b.

If the PCs can possibly witness the tornado, they will. If it forms while the PCs would be otherwise asleep, they are first awakened by the sound of storm winds.

Table 4b: Tornado Location and Duration

d4	The tornado forms…
1 – 2	d10 miles ahead of the PCs…
3 – 4	d10 miles behind the PCs…

d10	…and starts moving…
1	towards the north…
2	towards the northeast…
3	towards the northwest…
4	towards the south…
5	towards the southeast…
6	towards the southwest…
7	towards the east…
8	towards the west…
9 – 10	right down the Highway,… Every vehicle, road feature, and roadside attraction in the Tornado’s path has a 50% chance of being hit.

d12	…at a land speed of…
1 – 5	30 miles per hour (½ mile per minute),…
6 – 8	40 miles per hour,…
9 – 10	50 miles per hour,…
11	60 miles per hour (1 mile per minute),…
12	70 miles per hour,…

d10	…lasting for….
1 – 8	d10 minutes.
9	d20 minutes.
10	d100 minutes.

Tornadoes are also in addition to any Notable Weather Phenomena that might also be happening. Tornadoes can occur in conjunction with thunder and lightning, or be accompanied by a rain of fish!

More Ghosts of the Uncanny Highway

10 Wednesday Aug 2022

Posted by Daniel James Hanley in GROOVY Ghastly Affair, Historical Gaming, OGL, OSR, Random Tables, Uncanny Highway, Weird

≈ 2 Comments

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Calling the Uncanny Highway merely haunted is like referring to World War II as a series of skirmishes. Besides the many Vanishing Hitchhikers, the road itself is haunted by cars with no apparent drivers. Every house, motel, or church may host a ghost or two. And if you go into the surrounding countryside, the spirits of the dead are likely also with you.

Table 1 generates spectral vehicles and riders to encounter on the Highway, or at night in town. Use multi-part Table 2 (based on the tables in Appendix O of “A Ghastly Companion to Castles, Mansions & Estates”) when a house (or place of business) is haunted. Table 3 is for encounters in parks, cemeteries, or the countryside (including the Lovers’ Lanes and Unsafe Teenage Hangouts of small towns).

Table 1: Ghostly Vehicles and Riders

d20	You see a spectral and translucent…
1	black hearse.
2	covered wagon with horses and a driver, or horse and buggy with an Amish driver (in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana).
3	antique car, the driver of which you cannot see. d6: Car is from… 1 = the 19-aughts, 2 = the 19-teens, 3 = the 1920s, the 4 = 1930s, 5 = the 1940s, 6 = the 1950s.
4	convertible from the 1950s. d6: The ghostly driver appears to be a… 1 = “greaser”, 2 = varsity Letterman, 3 = cheerleader, 4 = soldier on leave, 5 = middle-aged businessman, 6 = housewife.
5	horse with no rider.
6	headless horse with no rider.
7	horse with a headless rider.
8	Native American warrior on a horse.
9	Civil War soldier on a horse (in Northeast, South, and Midwest), or a Cowboy on a horse (outside of Northeast, South, or Midwest).
10	semi truck, the driver of which you cannot see.
11	tractor-trailer rig, the driver of which you cannot see.
12	muscle car, the driver of which you cannot see.
13	sports car, the driver of which you cannot see.
14	yellow school bus, with cadaverous faces pressed against the glass.
15	passenger bus, with cadaverous faces pressed against the glass.
16	motorcycle with a rider in black.
17	teenage girl on a bicycle or roller-skates.
18	cop car, the driver of which you cannot see.
19	construction crew and their vehicles, apparently making repairs to the Highway (or street).
20	19th century locomotive, apparently traveling on invisible tracks parallel to the Highway (or street).

Table 2: Ghosts of Haunted Houses and Businesses

d12	The…
1	skeletal…
2	bloody…
3	decayed…
4	stark white…
5	insubstantial…
6	luminous…
7	weeping…
8	twitching…
9	lumbering…
10	floating…
11	livid…
12	shadowy…

d10	…figure(s) of….
1	an old man…
2	a young man…
3	an old woman…
4	a young woman…
5	an androgynous person…
6	a boy…
7	a girl…
8	twin children…
9	a deformed man…
10	a deformed woman…

d10	…wearing…
1	rags,…
2	all white,…
3	a work uniform, or school uniform(s) (if children),…
4	formal wear,…
5	all black,…
6	native American clothing,…
7	nothing,…
8	chains,…
9	only underwear,…
10	19th century clothing,…

d20	…and carrying…
1	their own severed head(s),…
2	an old cavalry sword, or lance (if dressed in Native American clothing),…
3	a lantern,…
4	a transistor radio,…
5	a gun,…
6	a candle,…
7	a bottle,…
8	a jar,…
9	a Bible,…
10	nothing,…
11	a lamp,…
12	a knife,…
13	a skull,…
14	an infant,…
15	a whistle,…
16	a noose,…
17	a baseball bat,…
18	a bucket,…
19	an American flag,…
20	flowers,…

d6	…will….
1	suddenly appear,…
2	drop from the ceiling / sky,…
3	form from a mist,…
4	rise up from the floor / ground,…
5	fly through the air,…
6	walk out of a wall or door,…

d12	…in / on…
1	the front doorway,…
2	the front parlor / the front counter area,…
3	the kitchen / back room,…
4 – 5	a bedroom / the main business area,…
6	the laundry or utility room,…
7	a closet,…
8	a large wardrobe / display case,…
9	the back yard,…
10	the roof,…
11	the attic,… Roll again if not present.
12	the basement / cellar / crawlspace. Roll again if not present.

d12	…when…
1	the sun goes down,…
2	it is midnight,…
3	it is after midnight,… d4: 1 = 1 AM, 2 = 2 AM, 3 = 3 AM, 4 = 4 AM.
4	it is just before dawn,…
5	it is night around Halloween time,…
6	it is night around Christmastime,…
7	a priest or minister enters / comes near,…
8	a man enters / comes near,…
9	a woman enters / comes near,…
10	someone who has never encountered the ghost enters / comes near,…
11 – 12	anyone enters / comes near,…

d20	…and then…
1	beckon.
2	move across the room.
3	ask if someone knows their name.
4	enact their own death.
5	howl.
6	point somewhere and scream.
7	silently stare.
8	try to hand something to a character.
9	laugh.
10	cry.
11	plead for someone to help them.
12	suddenly disappear.
13	attempt to kiss the onlooker.
14	remove their eyes.
15	remove their heart.
16	vomit a large quantity of blood.
17	rot away.
18	sing.
19	pound on the walls and/or floor.
20	dance.

d100	Even when they do not otherwise appear, the ghost(s) make(s) themselves known by…
1 – 2	phone calls, which can come even from unplugged devices.
3 – 4	radios, television sets, and other electronic devices that start randomly turning on and off.
5 – 6	a voice on the radio, even if it is unplugged.
7 – 8	an image on the television, even if it is unplugged.
9 – 10	certain songs playing on the radio, even if it is unplugged.
11 – 12	blood oozing from the walls.
13 – 14	slime oozing from the walls.
15 – 16	the smell of decay.
17 – 18	the smell of blood.
19 – 20	the sound of weeping.
21 – 22	the sound of laughter.
23 – 24	the sound of indistinct chatter.
25 – 26	the sound of singing.
27 – 28	a banging sound.
29 – 30	a tapping sound.
31 – 32	the sound of old-fashioned music, coming from nowhere.
33 – 34	a buzzing sound.
35 – 36	a low hum.
37 – 38	the soft touch of invisible fingers.
39 – 40	the feel of a sudden slap across the face.
41 – 42	the touch of an icy cold, but invisible hand.
43 – 44	the touch of a burning hot, but invisible hand.
45 – 46	the feel of an icy kiss from invisible lips.
47 – 48	a tingling sensation.
49 – 50	a sensation like being poked with needles.
51 – 52	the sudden pain of being cut by a knife.
53 – 54	the sudden chill in the air.
55 – 56	the deepening gloom of the room.
57 – 58	a strange luminescence in the air.
59 – 60	a ball of light that moves slowly through the room.
61 – 62	a disturbance in the air, like someone walking past.
63 – 64	the persistent feeling of being watched.
65 – 66	a choking dryness in the air.
67 – 68	static electric shocks, like before a thunderstorm.
69 – 70	puddles of water that mysteriously appear and disappear.
71 – 72	puddles of blood that mysteriously appear and disappear.
73 – 74	puddles of slime that mysteriously appear and disappear.
75 – 76	the appearance of bloodstains on furniture and curtains.
77 – 78	the appearance of bloody footprints.
79 – 80	the appearance of muddy footprints.
81 – 82	a shiver up your spine.
83 – 84	a sudden ache in the bones.
85 – 86	a sudden shortness of breath
87 – 88	the taste of spoiled food in your mouth.
89 – 90	the taste of ashes in your mouth.
91 – 92	the taste of dirt in your mouth.
93 – 94	the taste of whiskey in your mouth.
95 – 96	a bitter taste in your mouth.
97 – 98	the smell of perfume or cologne.
99 – 100	images impressed upon unexposed photographic film.

d20	The spirit will be laid to rest if…
1	their lost body is found and properly buried.
2	the body of someone they loved is properly buried.
3	their murder is solved, and the culprit exposed.
4	the property or business has new owners.
5	their forgotten name becomes known.
6	the house or business is razed to the ground.
7	the family line of the current owners ends.
8	a family member obtains something the spirit was denied in life.
9	the person they loved in life openly declares reciprocal feelings.
10	some item removed from the house or business is restored to it.
11	the person they harmed in life proclaims that the ghost is forgiven.
12	a disinherited member of family that owns the property is restored to their birthright.
13	a project they left unfinished in life is completed.
14	the money they were cheated of in life is buried with their body.
15	an object they hated in life is destroyed.
16	an ornate monument is placed over their grave.
17	an elaborate dinner party is held, with an empty seat left for the ghost.
18	a Strange Animal or Creature that haunts the area is destroyed.
19	an animal kept in captivity is let free.
20	the room they once inhabited (or in which they worked) is blessed.

Table 3: Ghosts of the Countryside, Lover’s Lanes, and Parks

d20	You see a spectral and translucent…
1	Native American hunter, apparently in pursuit of an animal.
2	Native American woman who seem to be looking for someone or something.
3	Frontiersman from the 18th Century (in the Northeast and the South), or 19th century (outside of the Northeast and the South), apparently checking traps you cannot see.
4	little girl in a white dress, with a mischievous look on her face. If she is followed for 10 minutes, she will lead her follower(s) into some hazardous area.
5	hunter in modern gear, who pays you no attention. If he is followed for 10 minutes, he will go the place where his body lies.
6	woman in a white dress, crying and forlorn. In the Southwest or Southern California, this is La Llorona.
7	boy in play clothes, who looks lost. If he is followed for 10 minutes, he will go the place where his body lies.
8	man dressed in black, carrying a bright lantern.
9	teenage couple holding hands. If they are followed for 10 minutes, they will go the place where their bodies lie.
10	group of 2d4 teenagers, their bodies covered with slashes and cuts. If they are followed for 10 minutes, they will go to the shallow graves where their killer buried their bodies.
11	mountain lion.
12	wolf.
13	black dog.
14	bear.
15	stag.
16	raven.
17	black housecat, as big as a person.
18	owl.
19	raccoon.
20	ball of light.

Hitchhiking PCs on the Uncanny Highway

08 Monday Aug 2022

Posted by Daniel James Hanley in GROOVY Ghastly Affair, Historical Gaming, OGL, OSR, Random Tables, Uncanny Highway, Weird

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

1960s, 1970s, Americana fantasy, ghost story, Gothic America, Groovy Era, Haunted America, haunting, hitchhiking, magic realism, Midwest Horror, modern fantasy, Prairie Horror, Road Crawl, Road Trip, Roadcrawl, Roadtrip, Seventies, Sixties, Small Town Horror, Southern Gothic, spirits, Urban Fantasy, Urban Legend, Weird America

Not everyone who travels the Uncanny Highway does so in their own vehicle. During the Groovy Era of the 60s and 70s, it was actually quite common for young people to set out on road-trips equipped only with hope – and whatever would fit in a backpack.

The following tables let PCs be hitchhikers themselves, thumbing rides from town to town. The tables are broken down by the apparent gender of the visible hitcher, and number of people who appear to want rides.

See also Hitchhikers of the Uncanny Highway, to define the characters waiting to be given rides by PCs with vehicles.

Table 1a: Hitchhiking Result – Lone Female Hitcher

d20	You are waiting for 1d20 minutes before you are offered a ride by…
1	a lone biker.
2	a lone female biker.
3	a biker riding with his gang.
4	a lone man in a convertible.
5	a lone woman in a convertible.
6	a lone man in a two seat sports car.
7	a lone man in a muscle car. Roll on Table 2.
8	a painted and decorated bus. d6: Bus is full of… 1 – 2 = hippies, 3 – 4 = Jesus Freaks, 5 – 6 = Hare Krishnas.
9	a bus full of musicians on tour.
10	a lone man in a van. Roll on Table 2.
11	a couple in a van. Roll on Table 2.
12	a lone man in a sedan. Roll on Table 2.
13	a lone woman in a sedan Roll on Table 2.
14	a couple in a sedan. Roll on Table 2.
15	a lone male trucker in a Semi. Roll on Table 2.
16	a female trucker in a Semi. Roll on Table 2.
17	a couple in a convertible or sports car. Roll on Table 2.
18	a lone man in a pickup truck. Roll on Table 2.
19	a lone man in a pickup truck. Roll on Table 2.
20	a couple in an RV. Roll on Table 2.

Table 1b: Hitchhiking Result – Lone Male Hitcher

d20	You are waiting for 2d20 minutes before you are offered a ride by…
1	a lone female biker.
2	a biker woman, who is riding with her all-female gang.
3	a lone man in a convertible.
4	a lone woman in a convertible.
5	a couple in a convertible.
6	a lone man in a two-seat sports car.
7	a lone man in a muscle car. Roll on Table 2.
8	a painted and decorated bus. d6: Bus is full of… 1 – 2 = hippies, 3 – 4 = Jesus Freaks, 5 – 6 = Hare Krishnas.
9	a lone man in a van. Roll on Table 2.
10	1d4+1 young people in a van. Roll on Table 2.
11	a lone man in a sedan. Roll on Table 2.
12	a lone woman in a sedan. Roll on Table 2.
13	a couple in a sedan. Roll on Table 2.
14	a lone male trucker in a Semi. Roll on Table 2.
15	a female trucker in a Semi. Roll on Table 2.
16	a couple in a convertible or sports car.
17	a lone man in a pickup truck. Roll on Table 2.
18	a couple in a pickup truck. Roll on Table 2.
19	a lone man in a pickup truck. Roll on Table 2.
20	a couple in an RV. Roll on Table 2.

Table 1c: Hitchhiking Result – All-Female Group

d12	You are waiting for 2d20 minutes before you are offered a ride by…
1	a biker gang.
2	an all-female biker gang.
3	a lone man in a station wagon. Roll on Table 2.
4	a lone woman in a station wagon. Roll on Table 2.
5	a lone male trucker in a Semi with a sleeper cabin. Roll on Table 2.
6	a lone man in a van. Roll on Table 2.
7	a couple in a van. Roll on Table 2.
8	a deliveryman whose cargo space happens to be empty. Roll on Table 2.
9	a lone man in a pickup truck. Roll on Table 2.
10	a couple in a pickup truck. Roll on Table 2.
11	a painted and decorated bus. d6: Bus is full of… 1 – 2 = hippies, 3 – 4 = Jesus Freaks, 5 – 6 = Hare Krishnas.
12	a bus full of musicians on tour.

Table 1d: Hitchhiking Result – Couple, or Mixed Group

d10	you are waiting for 3d20 minutes before you are offered a ride by…
1	an all-female biker gang.
2	a lone man in a station wagon.
3	a lone man in a van. Roll on Table 2.
4	a couple in a van. Roll on Table 2.
5	a couple in an RV. Roll on Table 2.
6	a deliveryman whose cargo space happens to be empty.
7	a lone man in a pickup truck. Roll on Table 2.
8	a couple in a pickup truck. Roll on Table 2.
9 – 10	a painted and decorated bus. d6: Bus is full of… 1 – 2 = hippies, 3 – 4 = Jesus Freaks, 5 – 6 = Hare Krishnas.

Table 1e: Hitchhiking Result – All-Male Group

d4	you are waiting for 5d20 minutes before you are offered a ride by…
1	an all-female biker gang.
2	a lone man in a pickup truck. Roll on Table 2.
3	a painted and decorated bus. d6: Bus is full of… 1 – 2 = hippies, 3 – 4 = Jesus Freaks, 5 – 6 = Hare Krishnas.
4	the tour bus of an all-female band.

Table 2: Potentially Alarming Situations when Hitchhiking

d100	You notice…
1 – 50	nothing to give you cause for alarm.
51 – 52	the decal that says “Gas, Grass, or A*s – Nobody Rides for Free!”
53	the decal that says “P**sy Wagon”.
54	the vehicle has blacked-out windows. If a station wagon, this is a hearse.
55	the bullet holes in the side of the vehicle.
56	a snarling dog in the vehicle, which the driver insists is harmless.
57	the windshield seems to smeared with dead insects and dirt, to the point where it looks difficult to see out of.
58	the engine is emitting smoke.
59	the vehicle has a supercharger (intake and blower) emerging from the hood, the rear wheels are dramatically larger than the front wheels, there are flames painted on the side of the vehicle, and the driver is wearing a helmet and jumpsuit. Roll again if vehicle is an RV,
60	the doors and hood seem to be from different vehicles, and there are numerous patches of rust paint.
61	the outside of the vehicle has numerous stickers threatening the world with hellfire and damnation.
62	the outside of the vehicle has numerous stickers with racist symbols and slogans.
63	the outside of the vehicle has numerous stickers with Stalinist and Maoist slogans.
64	the driver is carrying a pistol in a holster.
65	the driver has a shot gun next to them. If there is already a person on the passenger side, they are holding the shotgun.
66	the driver is in their underwear. If more than one person is already in the car, they are all in their underwear.
67	the driver has a swastika tattoo. If there is already a person on the passenger side, they also have similar tattoos.
68	the driver seems to be bandaged up.
69	the driver insist on knowing if you are a “sinning woman (or man)”, or there are “sinning women (or men)” with you.
70	the driver is wearing mirrored sunglasses, and you can see their eyes at all.
71	the wires underneath the dashboard have been pulled out, and there is no key in the ignition.
72	the window on the driver’s side has been smashed.
73	there is a barred partition between the driver and other seats, like in a cop car or city taxi.
74	there are numerous empty beer cans in the car.
75	the driver has an open bottle of whiskey. If there is already a person on the passenger side, they are also drinking from the bottle.
76	the driver has a baggie filled with pills next to them. If there is already a person on the passenger side, they are holding the baggie.
77	the driver’s arms (if visible) are filled with track marks. If there is already a person on the passenger side, they also have track marks.
78	the driver has many teeth missing, sunken facial features, and looks like they haven’t slept in two weeks. If more than one person is already in the car, they all look like this.
79	the driver’s pupils seem to be fully dilated.
80	the interior smells strongly of marijuana, and there are several stubs of recently-smoked joints in the ashtray.
81	next to the driver is a mirror or plate encrusted with cocaine.
82	there are bloodstains in the back seat / cargo area / truck bed.
83	the interior smalls like farts.
85	there is a book on U.F.O.s in a seat, and the driver asks “Are they after you too?” If there is already a person on the passenger side, they are reading the book.
86	there are numerous books about the coming Apocalypse on a seat. If there is already a person on the passenger side, they are reading the book.
87	bizarre religious tracts are strewn on the seats. If there is already a person on the passenger side, they are reading the tracts.
88	a copy of “Quotations from Chairman Mao” is on a seat, along with empty bottles and lengths of knotted rags. If there is already a person on the passenger side, they are reading the book, and the bottles and rags are in their lap.
89	there are animal bones in the back seat / cargo area / truck bed.
90	there is an inverted cross hanging from the rear-view mirror.
91	the interior smells like something awful is being covered up with pine-scented air-fresheners.
92	there are instant camera photographs of apparently frightened women, strewn on the seats. If there is already a person on the passenger side, they are looking at the pictures.
93	there is a length of rope, a roll of duct tape, and some folded plastic sheeting on a back seat.
94	the driver insists on taking your picture with an instant camera.
95	the diver asks you to wear a certain article of clothing (or piece of jewelry), and calls you by a name that isn’t yours.
96	the interior smells like urine.
97	the seats look like they are all wet.
98	the seats look like they have been slashed and ripped.
99	there is also a life-size mannequin in the vehicle. d6: Mannequin is… 1 = dressed as a cowboy, 2 = in women’s underwear and makeup, 3 = undressed, 4 = dressed in a suit, 5 = wearing a Halloween mask, 6 = dressed as Richard Nixon (with a Nixon mask).
100	there is no driver, even through the car stopped, and a door opened up for you!

Table 3: Ride Offer

d20	The driver (or rider) is willing to take you….
1 – 5	as far as the next town.
5 – 6	as far as their own house / trailer / clubhouse on this Section of Highway.
7 – 8	as far as the next bar or roadhouse.
9 – 10	as far as the next truck stop.
11 – 12	as far as the next eatery.
13	as far as the next motel.
14	as far as the next gas station.
15	as far as the nearest amusement park.
16	as far as the next roadside church.
17	as far as the next drive-in theater.
18	as far as the next farm.
19	to the next Section of highway, and then they will insist you get out.
20	wherever you want to go.

Table 4: Identity of the Driver

d100	The driver who gives the ride is actually
1 – 80	who they appear to be. If Table 3 was used, the most disturbing implication of the result is true.
81	an undercover cop.
82	an undercover journalist.
83	an undercover private detective.
84	an undercover C.I.A. agent.
85	an undercover K.G.B agent.
86	a cannibal.
87	an assassin for hire.
90	a terrorist.
91	a disguised Extraterrestrial.
92	one of the Fae in disguise.
93	a Satanic cultist.
94	a Witch, Warlock, or Magician.
95	a holy Miracle Worker.
96	a Psychic.
97	an Android.
98	a Werewolf (if during the day) or a Vampire (if at night).
99	a Ghost, and the vehicle will disappear once the hitcher gets out / off. 50% likely the driver(s) will give the hitcher(s) a prophesy before disappearing. If the vehicle has several occupants, or if the hitcher is picked up by a biker gang, they are all actually Ghosts
100	an Angel in disguise.

DAREDEVIL

DAREDEVIL SPECIAL ABILITIES

DAREDEVIL WEAKNESSES

INITIAL ABILITY ADJUSTMENT FOR DAREDEVILS

DAREDEVIL HIT POINTS PER LEVEL

DAREDEVIL DAMAGE BONUS BY CHARACTER LEVEL

TYPICAL STARTING EQUIPMENT FOR DAREDEVILS

ADVANCING IN LEVELS AS A DAREDEVIL

DAREDEVILS IN OTHER TIMES

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SLEUTH

SLEUTH SPECIAL ABILITIES

SLEUTH WEAKNESSES

SUGGESTED ASSETS FOR SLEUTHS

SUGGESTED AFFLICTIONS FOR SLEUTHS

INITIAL ABILITY ADJUSTMENT FOR SLEUTHS

SLEUTH HIT POINTS PER LEVEL

SLEUTH DAMAGE BONUS BY CHARACTER LEVEL

TYPICAL STARTING EQUIPMENT FOR SLEUTHS

ADVANCING IN LEVELS AS A SLEUTH

VARIATION: THE OCCULT DETECTIVE

SLEUTHS IN OTHER TIMES

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HACKER

HACKER SPECIAL ABILITIES

HACKER WEAKNESSES

SUGGESTED ASSETS FOR HACKERS

SUGGESTED AFFLICTIONS FOR HACKERS

INITIAL ABILITY ADJUSTMENT FOR HACKERS

HACKER HIT POINTS PER LEVEL

HACKER DAMAGE BONUS BY CHARACTER LEVEL

TYPICAL STARTING EQUIPMENT FOR HACKERS

ADVANCING IN LEVELS AS A HACKER

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Table 6: The Farmhouse or Ranch House

Table 7: The Family and Inhabitants

Table 8: The Barn

Table 9a: Other Structures on a Farm

Table 9b: Contents of a Greenhouse

Table 10: Farm Vehicles and Machines

Table 11: Notable Things on the Property

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Table 1a: Type of Farm or Ranch

Table 1b: Farm or Ranch Market

Table 2 The Truth About a Farm or Ranch

Table 3a: Crops in the Northeast

Table 3b: Crops in the South

Table 3c: Crops in the Midwest

Table 3d: Crops in the Western Prairie and Rocky Mountains

Table 3e: Crops in the Southwest

Table 3f: Crops in Southern and Central California

Table 3g: Crops in the Pacific Northwest / Northern California

Table 4a: Livestock in the Northeast

Table 4b: Livestock in the South

Table 4c: Livestock in the Midwest

Table 4d: Livestock in the Western Prairie and Rocky Mountains

Table 4e: Livestock in the Southwest

Table 4f: Livestock in Southern and Central California

Table 4g: Livestock in the Pacific Northwest / Northern California

Table 5: Exotic Animals on a Farm or Ranch

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Table 1: Legal Television Station Name

Table 2: Current Programming of a Legal TV Station

Table 3: Local TV News Stories

Table 4: Breaking News Bulletins

Table 5: Television Oddities and Signal Intrusions

Table 6: Programming of a Pirate TV Station

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Table 1: Weather Conditions on a Highway Section

Table 2: Precipitation Type

Table 3: Notable Weather Phenomena (Other Than Tornadoes)

Table 4a: Tornado Occurrence and Severity

Table 4b: Tornado Location and Duration

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Table 1: Ghostly Vehicles and Riders

Table 2: Ghosts of Haunted Houses and Businesses

Table 3: Ghosts of the Countryside, Lover’s Lanes, and Parks

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Table 1a: Hitchhiking Result – Lone Female Hitcher