Dark Fantasy Favorites

I really love fantasy in general, and dark fantasy in particular; however, I have the impression that authors and readers often confuse dark fantasy with violence, gore, nihilism, or sexuality.

The definition of dark fantasy deserves its own post (here is one attempt), but for now it's enough to remember that dark fantasy is an intersection of fantasy with horror — capable of evoking tension and fear — and tragedy, which in turn frequently portrays the fall (moral, physical, social, etc.) or suffering of its protagonists and supporting characters. Nihilism and moral ambiguity appear frequently but are not in themselves defining features of the genre.

The books below are some of my favorites in dark fantasy, which I consider not only very well written, but also examples of a deeper understanding of the genre.

Stormbringer, by Michael Moorcock. This is my favorite book from the saga of the albino prince Elric, which in turn is one of the most important works of dark fantasy, influencing countless subsequent works, like The Witcher, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Chronicles of Amber and so on.

However, this book is (in a way) the conclusion of the saga. So, my recommendation would be to start with the first book (Elric of Melniboné) and, if you like it, continue reading the entire saga. If you don't like it, skip to this final cycle, which is essential.

Worms of the Earth. Robert E Howard, author of Conan, has a darker edge in several stories, although Conan himself is a heroic character. This tale, one of Howard's darkest ones, narrates the story of the tragic hero Bran Mak Morn, the last king of the Picts, in a desperate struggle to save his people from Roman hordes or at least guarantee his revenge.

It's a perfect choice if you want to start with a shorter story.

Black God's Kiss, by C.L. Moore, is a tale about Jirel of Joiry, a (seemingly) French warrior, who finds herself defeated in her own realm and imprisoned by an evil enemy eager to humiliate her. Consumed by hatred, she decides to descend into the hellish Abyss beneath the castle to find a useful weapon against her rival... The plot resembles Worms of the Earth, and the writing is also similar to Howard's in tone, mixing action with fantasy and cosmic horror.

Jirel is not exactly a "female Conan" (nor the stereotypical princess, damsel, or amazon); she is strong and fierce, but has distinct enough characteristics to be interesting. For example, she is Christian and painfully aware that she's not just risking her life, but also her soul, even if she succeeds in her mission. Additionally, she is apparently the first notable female protagonist in the sword & sorcery genre.

Another excellent short story.

The Shadow of the Torturer, by Gene Wolfe, is one of the best dark fantasy books (and fantasy in general) I've ever read. The reading is a bit difficult because of the elaborate vocabulary, but it's incredibly rewarding.

Full review here.

The Broken Sword, by Poul Anderson (seek out the original 1954 version) is one of the best books in the appendix N, and it's been a huge influence on Moorcock and others.

Review here.

Darkness Weaves by Karl Edward Wagner is one of the darkest of the bunch - or at least it has one of the darkest protagonists I've read recently. If you want Conan with a darker vibe, Kane is your guy.

Review here.

Other books and authors. 

I should mention Clark Ashton Smith here; some of my favorite stories are The Vaults of Yoh-Vombis, The Beast of Averoigne, The Tale of Satampra Zeiros, The Empire of the Necromancers, The Isle of the Torturers, The Abominations of Yondo.

There are other authors like Poe and Lovecraft that I think fit more comfortably in the horror genre than dark fantasy, although some stories would certainly fit. Borges and Kafka have their own thing going on, that is not the same kind of dark fantasy found here.

I haven't enjoyed The Blade Itself. The Black Company is good but not great IMO; same for The Witcher. A Game of Thrones is great but has no ending so far.

On the more modern side (post 2010s), I enjoyed the Lost Gods by artist Brom and Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman.

I really like dark fantasy, so you'll probably see other reviews here in the future (and some I've already reviewed in the past and didn't mention here). I welcome suggestions!

Shadow of the Torturer (review)

Shadow of the Torturer (1980), by Gene Wolfe, the first part in The Book of the New Sun series, is an amazing work; so much that the first thing I considered when writing this is how to make this review more than just glowing praise and a strong recommendation.

So I'll start with a caveat: this book is definitely not an easy read. The language is baroque and intricate to a point that often surpasses Vance and Gygax. The subject matter is not light either; this is dark fantasy written by someone who understands dark fantasy. I often stopped reading the book to re-read a paragraph because it was too difficult or too insightful (and, to be honest, I had abandoned the book in the first chapter a few years ago before giving it a second try).

By the way, I read it in physical format, but if you have a device that lets you access a dictionary with a single click, it will be especially useful here. The author frequently employs archaic terms (and occasionally some Latin) where simpler words might suffice, yet he does so consistently and elegantly; it feels enriching rather than a gimmick.

The plot is about Severian, a torturer's apprentice who falls in love with a prisoner and has to travel due to the consequences of his trespasses, while at the same time growing from childhood to maturity. The (superb) world-building takes us through ancient ruins, secrets, lost technology, weird religions, half-forgotten myths, and a few strange creatures (that are not really important in this first book).

The near-absence of magic and monsters makes me wonder if I should call this dark fantasy or dark sci-fi; probably a mix of both, in the true weird tradition. The little magic there is seems to be of Clarke’s third law type (or a variation: any sufficiently forgotten technology is indistinguishable from magic).

But fantasy and sci-fi are far from the only influences of this book. Despite having a "dying Earth" setting and other similarities to Vance, the echoes of Kafka and Borges are often clear. Like these authors, Wolfe manages to create a world that is strange not only in its inhabitants and landscapes, but often in its thoughts and morals. I have to add that I found the characters also full of nuance and depth, not merely strong warriors, evil overlords or damsels in distress.

The influence of Catholicism, on the other hand, is both strong and somewhat hidden, as religion also seems to be partly forgotten and twisted in this dying world. Apparently, the author was a devout Catholic, but with a somewhat somber view of the world, as you can see from this quote:

“It has been remarked thousands of times that Christ died under torture. Many of us have read so often that he was a “humble carpenter” that we feel a little surge of nausea on seeing the words yet again. But no one ever seems to notice that the instruments of torture were wood, nails, and a hammer; that the man who built the cross was undoubtedly a carpenter too; that the man who hammered in the nails was as much a carpenter as a soldier, as much a carpenter as a torturer. Very few seem even to have noticed that although Christ was a “humble carpenter,” the only object we are specifically told he made was not a table or a chair, but a whip.”

Well, as you can see, I was thoroughly impressed with this book. It is certainly one of the best books I've ever read, not only because it seems to take influence from some of my favorite authors but because the writing is superb by itself. 

Yes, if you want some sci-fi, fantasy, or D&D ideas, you'll find it here, but there is so much more; it seems to elevate the genre to a new level. I am always doubtful if I should review a book without reading the whole series (which, by the end of the book, feels necessary - there are apparent five books in this "New Sun" cycle), but this was a really good one. 

Highly recommended.

Happy new year and may you live to see the New Sun!

Reading Elric

Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné is immensely influential. It not only inspired Dungeons & Dragons—especially its intelligent and cursed swords—but also left its mark on numerous books (The Witcher, the Targaryens in Game of Thrones), comic books (Berserk, and probably many of the "multiverses" form Marvel etc.), and even music (Hawkwind, Blue Öyster Cult, both of which collaborated with Moorcock himself).

In short, Elric is one of the pillars of dark fantasy.

But people often ask how to start reading it. The series can be confusing, since there are so many books and the publication order doesn’t follow the internal chronology at all. The books have been republished rewritten, collected under different names, and so on.

Another complicating factor is Stormbringer—the book that (sort of) concludes the saga. It’s one of the greatest entries in the series (probably my favorite), one of the two Elric works mentioned in the Appendix N, and ironically, one of the earliest to be published.

I’m a big fan of Elric, and part of me wants to just say: Read the whole thing in internal chronological order! But I think it’s easier more helpful to offer a few different starting points.

So, how do we begin with Elric?

Start with Elric of Melniboné (1972).

It’s not the strongest novel in the collection, but it’s a solid introduction to the character, his world, and the themes that define the saga

If you like it, you can go on and read The Fortress of the Pearl, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, and The Weird of the White Wolf, before going to Stormbringer. 

All of them are great.

But I'd say is even easier to just pick any collection of your choice, as long as it contains the first and the last.

For example (from Wikipedia):

In 1977, DAW Books republished Elric's saga in six books that collected the tales according to their internal chronology:

Elric of Melniboné (Hutchinson, 1972, cut vt [variant title] The Dreaming City Lancer, 1972 US; DAW, 1977) ISBN 0-425-08843-X

The Sailor on the Seas of Fate (Quartet, 1976; DAW 1977), ISBN 0-441-74863-5

The Weird of the White Wolf (collection, DAW, 1977, contains "The Dream of Earl Aubec", "The Dreaming City", "While the Gods Laugh" and "The Singing Citadel"), ISBN 0-441-88805-4

The Sleeping Sorceress (NEL, 1971; Lancer, 1972 as The Vanishing Tower; DAW 1977), ISBN 0-441-86039-7

The Bane of the Black Sword (DAW, 1977, fixup of "The Stealer of Souls", "Kings in Darkness", "The Flame Bringers" and "To Rescue Tanelorn"), ISBN 0-441-04885-4

Stormbringer (cut, Herbert Jenkins, 1965; restored and revised, DAW, 1977, Berkeley, 1984, fixup of "Dead God's Homecoming", "Black Sword's Brothers", "Sad Giant's Shield" and "Doomed Lord's Passing"), ISBN 0-425-06559-6

Now, if you dislike it... we have a few options.

You could go from Elric to directly Stormbringer to see what all the fuzz is about. If you like the story but dislike the prose, there is another great alternative: reading the comics.

Elric's comics and graphic novels

Elric has been adapted several times into comic book format. My favorites are the ones adapted by  Roy Thomas and illustrated by P. Craig Russell and others—and once again, Stormbringer (by P. Craig Russell) stands out as the best of the bunch, but I'd recommend reading the The Michael Moorcock Library first (Elric volumes 1-5: - Elric of Melniboné, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, The Dreaming City, The Weird of the White Wolf, The Vanishing Tower).

There is also a French version by Julien Blondel in the works, with a few volumes already published. The art (Didier Poli et al) is both dark and really stunning. But the story is much less faithful to the originals, which I'd favor on a first read.

There are other comics that are also worth checking out (The Making of a Sorcerer, Druillet's version, Moorcock's Multiverse, etc.), but I'd start with the "main books" mentioned above.

Additional reading:

https://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com/2025/07/odysseus-elric-epic-musical-and-tragedy.html

https://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-appendix-n-project.html

https://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com/2021/03/my-weird-dark-twisted-fantasy.html

https://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-broken-sword-one-of-best.html

Odysseus, Elric, Epic (the musical!) and tragedy

I had never noticed the similarities between Elric of Melniboné and Odysseus, so I thought it would be a fun idea to share.

This impression came when I was watching Epic: The Musical (E:TM), a reimagining of Homer’s Odyssey that became popular on TikTok (!) and seems to be even more similar to Elric than the original Odyssey.

As far as I can tell, Moorcock hasn’t made any widely known or direct comments specifically about Odysseus, nor did I find anyone else pointing to the similarities. Likewise, Jorge Rivera-Herrans (The author of Epic) apparently has not publicly mentioned Elric of Melniboné or Michael Moorcock.

It is likely that some of the similarities I see are common to many different myths/stories, but I find them meaningful enough to mention. Of course, other works such as The Broken Sword might be even more influential on Moorcock.

Both Elric and Odysseus are reluctant heroes (and kings of their respective islands) that leave their thrones (for different reasons) and go on adventure, bound by fate, defying the gods but also summoning them for help.

Odysseus is a warrior of Athena and Elric a protégée of Arioch (at first), but both relationships become complicated during the stories. Both heroes seem to be  pawn of the gods at times, and divine beings shape their fate as much as their own choices do.

Both spend a long time dreaming of coming back to their loved ones. Both carry the guilty for the loss of their men in the sea and in battle. 

While these themes are widespread in mythology, certain Elric scenes specifically evoke the Odyssey for me.

For example, Odysseus wounds Polyphemus, which angers Poseidon. Elric faces the Sad Giant and decides to spare him... but his companion decides to slay him, to avoid upsetting the lawful gods / thwarting their prophecies. In E:TM, the fact that Odysseus spares Polyphemus angers Athena.

Both Odysseus and Elric sleep with sorceresses and other women despite their great love for  their beloved (Penelope and Cymoril; in defense of Elric this happens after the demise of Cymoril).

Is it a stretch to say both travel to the Underworld, be it in Hades or the Realm of Chaos where Elric finds Stormbringer? Maybe.

Both Odysseus and Elric cause a bloodbath on their respective kingdoms when they do manage to come back.

After the Raid on Imrryr (from The Dreaming City), the Dragon Masters of Melniboné awaken the ancient dragons that will obliterate Elric's entire fleet. Knowing he cannot save everyone, Elric summons wind elementals to carry his own ship away from the carnage. Afterwards, he swims away alone.

Odysseus's fleet gets destroyed by Poseidon  - especially the Laestrygonians giants, with the last ship being destroyed by a storm and leaving Odysseus alone on as island. In E:TM, Odysseus uses a bag of wind given by the wind god Aeolus to save his ship.

[Elric also has to deal with beings such as Straasha, Lord of the Sea, reminiscent of Poseidon, and Grome, Lord of Earth].

Finally in Elric of Melniboné, the first novel in the saga, during Elric’s assault on the Mirror of Memory (a magical trap that steals the minds of those who look into it), Elric recruits blind warriors to fight by his side, but nearly goes mad himself.

Odysseus has a similar predicament when passing near sirens: he orders his crew to plug their ears with beeswax so they won’t hear the song, but he almost succumbs to their enticing songs, as he chooses to be tied to the ship's mast instead of covering his ears.

[BTW, Elric also gets tied to a ship's mast in different circumstances, suffering hallucinations due to his albinism].

In short...

The Odyssey is so important to western culture that its influence is everywhere, and some of it might as well be unintended, subtle nods or subversions (as Elric is often more tragic dark fantasy than epic).

Elric seems to owe a lot to Greek tragedy - or, in this case, one of the most popular Greek epics ever. As we've said, some themes are nearly universal, being present since the Epic of Gilgamesh and other works. But some similarities are remarkable enough that I felt like sharing them here.

What do you say? Could Odysseus be a direct inspiration to Elric's stories?

Undead types and NPCs

I recently remembered the similarities between death knights and skeleton warriors. Both are powerful undead creatures, clad in decayed flesh and ruined armor, big swords, with ominous red dots for eyes.

[Wraiths also have red dots for eyes in their descriptions. And decaying flesh. Wights are similar].

One major distinction is that skeleton warriors are typically enslaved by a wizard, compelled to serve without autonomy. Death knights retain their will and intelligence—although, theoretically, they could be bound by a powerful spellcaster, like ANY undead could.

[I'm remined of "The Empire of the Necromancers" by Clark Ashton Smit. Go read it, it is awesome. Some undead retain some memories by accident, not because a wizard decided to create a specific "type" of undead].

So they look similar and serve similar purposes. It is unlikely that PCs would be able to tell them apart.

This speaks to a broader Dungeons & Dragons trend: the proliferation of nearly identical monsters.

Personally, I’d prefer a “powerful undead” template with variations instead of dozens of creatures that mostly feel the same. Imagine, for example, a system where magical users become liches, warriors evolve into death knights, and thieves fade into shadows or something similar.

Maybe they can keep (some of) their levels, so you'd have undead of all levels of power. These can be individuals, not simply monster types. Whether they are enslaved or not, or if they lead other undead, or if they wear armor or carry a sword, depends on their circumstances.

Not all liches must be super powerful! Some minor wizards could take a chance and botch the process a bit. Same goes for other types of undead.

In my book, Teratogenicon, I describe three fundamental types of undead:

• Mindless – Purely animated bodies, like zombies and skeletons. These do not need personalities or many details.

• Bodyless – Entities of mind and soul, but no physical form (ghosts, wraiths). Some will have interesting personalities and traits.

• Soulless – Powerful creatures like vampires, liches, and death knights. While they retain their physical and mental abilities, they are somehow estranged from their souls. Maybe it is stored somewhere safe, maybe it is lost, or maybe just forgotten and they could be redeemed (but that'd probably cause their physical/mental demise). "Soulless" is a more poetic than practical description. They definitely deserve some history, personality an and traits!

This categorization offers a simple and effective way classify undead though a body/mind/soul divide. Undeath creates a fissure—some beings lose their autonomy, some exist only in spirit, and some are something else entirely.

Of course, there could still be liminal undead: creatures that keep some of their mental faculties, like ghouls, or protoplasmic shapes that are just echoes of souls and no actual souls, poltergeists that can affect the physical world up to a point, or dead bodies inhabited by spirits that belong somewhere else.

As you can see, I have nothing against undead types; in fact, I wrote a PDF with one hundred of them and ideas on how to create even more ("glowing red eyes" are there, but there are more than 100 traits to choose from!) . 

But I think some types of undead, specially the most powerful ones, should be seen as individuals (NPCs) rather than monster types.

Black Sword Hack

Somebody recently created an SRD of this game. You can see it here.

There is no need to review it since you can see it for yourself, so I'll be brief.

The system is a very simple "roll under ability, only players roll". There is a "doom die" system that is interesting but looks like it could be replaced by fatigue/stress.

I suspect any of my readers will take interest in this game, since it related to some of the most frequent topics here: dark fantasy, minimalism, sword and sorcery, D&D.

And it has some great ideas and tables you can basically incorporate in any D&D game.

BSH feels a bit vague and incomplete at times; I'm not sure I'd use it as written without adding a few parts (say, a random encounter table and more traveling rules). But since the game is under a CC license, anyone can add their own twists and even publish it, BTW. Congrats to the authors for doing that!

Overall, it is a great game that I definitely recommend checking out. 

If you want to buy the full game with art, etc., you can get it here:

https://www.themerrymushmen.com/product/black-sword-hack-ultimate-chaos-edition/

Synergy (momentum, skills, challenges) + Conan 2d20 ramblings

I wrote a dark fantasy RPG a decade ago (Days of the Damned), but I have not published it, mostly because I thought I could do better (and I think I did - the games I published are significantly more polished). 

Still, it had some fun ideas - many inspired by other RPGs - that I should consider using in my games (I might even give it a re-write and publish it one day).

One important aspect of DotD was synergy. It boils down to "if you succeed, add half your margin of success to the next roll (as long as the next roll is related)".

This bears some resemblance to 3e's "skill synergy" and, AFAICT, to (Modiphius 2d20) Conan's "momentum".

My method has some obvious use in combat - add half your margin to damage, which seems to work even better than this - but has many other uses as well.

For example, a thief could add synergy from sneaking to attacking, while a ranger could get a bonus to initiative or perception because he rolled so well in his nature check. A jousting tournament begins with a horse-riding check, which adds to your attack, etc.

Want to study a foe before attacking him? Same solution. Maybe fast-talk someone so they can lower their guard, or distract him to pick his pocket? Same.

Anyway, this is just a small idea that I remembered today because I read something about Modiphius' Conan and it sounds like they did something cool with a (vaguely) similar idea.

I considered getting their PDFs - I'm a sucker for S&S games, as you might have noticed - but then I remembered there is no longer a legal way to get the PDFs as "their license expired".

(I should have bought it at the time... sighs).

The thing is, Robert E. Howard died in 1936, and most his work (apparently, everything he published while living) SHOULD be in the public domain.... however, depending when where you live, they are NOT.

This is probably why you might have a hard time finding awesome Glenát comics (just google "Glenat Conan").

I think ANYONE should be able to publish a Conan game, but that's just wishful thinking.

This is not Modiphius' fault, of course. I'm sure they have their reasons - and better lawyers than I. 

AFAICT, everyone could publish Conan stuff in the US by 2028... And even then someone might claim  "trademark" to avoid this (although IMHO a common name shouldn't be subject to that either).

It just sucks that we lose access to lots of works written (or that could have been written) with inspiration by Howard, Lovecraft, or Burroughs because some company somewhere is trying to enforce copyright laws that are even more draconian than the minimum "50 years after the author's death".

Maybe Modiphius can publish all their material again under a different name ("Sword of the Barbarian", I dunno) so I can one day read it. 

Or maybe I should check their John Carter book... let me know if it is any good!

BTW, if you ever want to read one of my books and cannot find or afford it, I encourage you to ask me for a discount, and I wouldn't mind if you get my books in other ways you can... That's all I'll say on the matter for now.

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In praise of Lamentations (LotFP)

I recommended Lamentations of the Flame Princess (LotFP) to someone online and they asked what's so special about it.

I had already compared it to other similar systems here:

Famous for its gory, mature, bloody art and themes, and some interesting adventures, but for me the rules are the best part: well organized, streamlined, and even somewhat rebalanced. Seems inspired by Mentzer's B/E. It strays a bit further from Basic than any of the ones mentioned above, but still roughly compatible. I find most of the changes (cleric, turn undead, 1d6 thief skills, encumbrance, the summon spell, etc.) very positive and preferable to the original rules and other clones. The basic rules do not contain anything explicit or gory except for one spell (summon) that might cause sexual violence. Free version here.

As you can see, there is a free version; if you prefer, go read the book instead of this little overview! The version with art is also worth it (if you are not discouraged by some blood and gore)

Notice I do not run LotFP, but my own game, Dark Fantasy Basic, with a few updates.

But if you want to know why I like LotFP, here are some my favorite aspects.

The fighter gets +1 "to hit" per level and a few simple combat maneuvers. Other classes do not get any bonus after level 1, which I dislike but at the same time admire for its radical simplicity. 

Clerics and magic-users can use swords, however, which I like.

Clerics get to choose turn undead as a spell; it is not an intrinsic ability anymore. A cleric takes many hours to prepare spells - as many as the highest level spell being prepared. They deserve the nerfing IMO.

The magic-users start with read magic plus three random spells, and gains ONE new random spell per level. This is perfect IMO. Notice the simplicity: the fighter gets +1 to-hit, the MU gets one new spell, etc.

The MU can still get other spells through research, scrolls, etc. Spells like fireball, which I dislike, are simply removed. The summon spell is expanded (to 10 pages!) to generate random creatures that the MU cannot always control - and it can be used from level 1!

The specialist is probably the most interesting class: he has the same 1-in-6 chances that most other classes have to perform certain feats/skills, but he gets skill points each level to distribute as he wishes between stealth, climb, search, etc. Sneak attack is also a skill - having 4 points means you QUADRUPLE damage. There are ten skills, which sounds about right to me.

Overall, the rules of the game are simplified and well organized. I like most of the options the author takes (simplified encumbrance, silver standard, simplified weapons, streamlined attribute modifiers from -3 to +3, a few combat maneuvers, etc.), and they are very adequate to the "dark fantasy" genre I enjoy so much.

There are a few things I'd change, of course (combat feels less deadly than most B/X games for several reasons, I dislike the usual 5 saving throws, would like to give the fighter more tools to play with, or more customization in general - no multi-classing here, etc.), but this is just me.

The rules are both SIMPLE and feel COMPLETE, which is hard to do. The spells go to level 9, characters go to level 20 and beyond. There are innumerable small tweaks that improve the usual B/X rules, too many to analyse.

If I were to run a OSR dark fantasy game I didn't write - and couldn't change a thing - this is one I might use.

So, while I don't run LotFP, I have run several modules - Qelong (awesome), Better Than Any Man (which is very good and FREE!), The god that crawls (review here), etc. 

I don't think it is useful to make generalizations (well, I've made a few here) - some are great, some are bad, look for reviews here or elsewhere. In this post, I just wanted to talk about the basic rules.

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Fallout: Carcosa

Nine years have passed since I first started thinking of creating a "Dark Sun-ish" setting.

(Nine years. Whoa. That is quite a lot. And it was fast. I have to think about that. Anyway.).

At that time, I mentioned the Fallout series as one inspiration - besides Barsoom, Carcosa* and Dune.

A few things have changed since then - maybe one or two authors mentioned in that post turned out to be contemptible at best, so I'll avoid them - but, once again, I've been thinking of Fallout and Barsoom, and wishing to run a campaign in such setting.

It was probably the TV series that made me want to play Fallout again. I had only played Fallout 3, and now I'm playing New Vegas. 

It really makes me want to create my own post-apoc setting - "with blackjack and hookers", as the saying goes, but New Vegas already has some of those...

Carcosa* is one of these games that I always wanted to run but never quite got around to it. It is full of awesome ideas, but I think it stops just a bit short of being an amazing setting like Dark Sun. I hear that the author has other modules in the same setting, but these are not in DTRPG.

Here are a few elements from New Vegas I'd like to add to Carcosa in order to make the setting more interesting.

Vaults

Fallout vaults are a source of endless possibility and fun. 

First, each one is a dungeon to explore - but a dungeon with a real purpose and history. 

Second, vaults are created as different experiments, so each vault can be unique and even contain different creatures (including mutants, robots, etc.). Some experiments are social, so different forms of government are to be expected - you can check this post or Dark Fantasy Places for ideas.

Factions

New Vegas has several interesting factions. Some evil, some neutral, some trying to do 
good, with many shades of gray,

"Everyone wants to save the world, they just disagree on how" as the show mentions.

There are several factions that think that things will be a lot nicer when THEY are in power, even if they need to brutalize some folks to get there.

Carcosa doesn't have much of that - all groups are similar, and governed by a single individual. Add a few details and things start to get interesting.

In addition, Carcosa has "men" int he encounter table, but doesn't give you anything else - are these merchants? Explorers? Adventurers? We should probably add some ideas here.

Lost technology

This is another fun part of both Fallout and Carcosa - projectile weapons, power cells, power armor, robots and cyborgs are in both settings.

Maybe the system deserves some kind of "repair/tech" skill, allowing some PCs to try to access technology they cannot fully understand.

Mutated monsters

In Carcosa, "The spawn of Shub-Niggurath are the innumerable and typically unique monsters [...] These [...] are the most common type of monster on the planet of Carcosa". There are also numerous oozes, jellies, worms and dinosaurs.

Which is fun. But I think mutated/giant insects (or other beasts) might be an interesting addition to the setting. 

Unique monsters are cool, but not every monster needs to be unique - sometimes, fighting a bunch of giant cockroaches or giant scorpions can be fun.

Sandbox & Hexcrawl

I have been critical of hex-crawls for a while now. 

It doesn't make sense that an adult wouldn't know at least vague directions to nearby lands. The idea that you enter a new hex and suddenly see a new city (or the sea!) sounds absurd. There are exceptions - maybe when discovering a new continent, etc. Still, if there are intelligent people around, it should be easy to ask for directions.

Unless...

What if the PCs are vault dwellers? When they come out to the world, they have no idea where they are! They still can see a mountain at a distance, but not much more than that. It would be a nearly ideal setting for a hex-crawl.

Can we use Carcosa hexes?

Carcosa hexes are often interesting but sometimes very repetitive and terse ("Castle of 29 Black Men led by a neutral 5th-level Fighter"). 

Human groups are very small, somewhat similarly to Fallout.

Maybe we can combine existing hexes with some random tables to add detail.

Do we still need magic?

Fallout doesn't have magic spells. Carcosa has rituals, but they are very unique - unlike anything I've seen in other RPGs. Dark Sun has proper spells. But do we need them?

Maybe psionics would work better here. And, of course, technology that is "indistinguishable from magic".

But the rituals in Carcosa are so interesting and unique that I'm doubtful about getting rid of them.

---

Well, that is it. I hope I can actually do something with this before nine more years have passed!

* Affiliate links.

Sword&Sorcery I: Introduction

I don't know when I'll finish this book but here is the introduction. Let me know if there is anything missing.

I'll add the following chapters as I write them.

---

Introduction

Old School Sword & Sorcery (OSSS) is exactly what it says on the tin: an old school RPG in the Sword & Sorcery (S&S) genre. We assume you are familiar with RPGs, especially of the OSR type. If you are not, you can easily find explanations online. [add link to "what is OSR"]. This book will not teach you to play RPGs, since it is better to try it in practice or watch videos of other people playing.

If you are not entirely familiar with S&S, this book will discuss several aspects of the genre: characters, magic, monsters, treasure, and so on. The most famous S&S character is Conan the Barbarian, created by Robert E. Howard. Elric of Melniboné (created by Michael Moorcock) and the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser (by Fritz Leiber) are other quintessential S&S heroes. These examples are particularly important because the term “sword and sorcery” was coined by Leiber while discussing Howard’s stile with Moorcock.

Howard (especially due to the Conan stories) is the quintessential S&S author. This book will reference Conan stories multiple times. If you are not familiar, I recommend reading a few short stories to get the idea. Red Nails, The Tower of the Elephant, Queen of the Black Coast, and The People of the Black Circle are some of my favorites. If you want to expand your knowledge of S&S literature, there is a list of authors on page xxx to keep you entertained for years.

There are multiple ways to use this book: as a complete game (with characters, monsters, tools and rules) contained in a single book, or as toolbox to create your own S&S campaign or adapt existing adventures and modules to the S&S genre (see " Compatibility ", below).

No matter how you decide to use this book, we hope you enjoy it!

 

Sword & Sorcery tropes

Sword & Sorcery has its own tropes, somewhat different from the most famous fantasy games. This section explains some of them. Each of these tropes are reflected in the rules (sometimes clearly, sometimes subtly): the heroes are a bit stronger and more competent, alignment is not always clear-cut, magic is dangerous, and so on. Understanding S&S tropes will help you understand some of the rules choices we have made.

Tough protagonists

S&S protagonists are very tough but often amoral, and sometimes true anti-heroes, unlike the noble heroes of epic fantasy. They are driven by their own interest and passions for wealth, romance, revenge or simple survival, instead of honor and compassion.

The protagonists are often competent from the beginning of their stories, instead of going “zero to hero”. They excel in multiple fields: warriors that can climb and move silently, thieves that fight with sword and spell, and sorcerers who are also skilled swordsmen.

Peril everywhere

S&S settings are dangerous and unstable. They contain pure Evil, but pure Good is harder to find. The opposition is rarely a single “Dark Lord” that threatens the realm with his goblin minions. Instead, the world is full of callous humans, prehistoric beasts, fallen civilizations, and cosmic entities that are unknown to most people.

Limited scope

S&S narratives often focus on characters and small locations rather than big armies and the fate of entire nations. Sometimes the world and the characters appear remarkably unchanged from one story to the other.

Many S&S authors choose to tell stories in episodic fashion rather than part of a big narrative. Unlike epic fantasy sagas such as The Lord of The Rings or The Wheel of Time, the stories take shorter format and uncertain chronology. You can enjoy Conan’s stories in any order (and the same can be said of Fafhrd, Gray Mouser and even Elric to some extent). 

Dark magic

Magic is seldom a superpower or a universal solution to your problems; instead, it is dangerous and costly. Most sorcerers are antagonists, but magic is a sinister tool even when wielded by the protagonists.

Wicked cities

Civilization is not merely threatened by outside forces: it is often rotting from the inside and a threat unto itself. Cities and realms are not always safe harbors in S&S settings, but places full of intrigue and backstabbing in dark alleys. Sometimes barbarism is preferable – at least it is more honest.

Weird worlds

The S&S genre flourished in pulp magazines that also featured horror and sci-fi stories, in addition to fantasy. “Weird Tales”, the most important pulp magazine in this context, featured works by Howard, Lovecraft and Ashton Smith. Sometimes, the genres (and settings) were combined to generate dark fantasy, sword and planet and others subgenres. Even within S&S, horror and sci-fi elements are present, and the protagonists often have to face aliens and demons, magic and technology, without being able to tell them apart. One example is “The Tale of Satampra Zeiros”, by Smith, that seamlessly mixes influences by Howard, Lovecraft and Dunsany.

Unique creatures

In S&S, unique monsters are more common than evil hordes of orcs or various dragons. Each monster is shrouded in mystery. This includes “nonhuman humanoids” – elves and dwarves are rare, and, if they are present, they often have a dark twist. Protagonists are almost always humans from various backgrounds, usually from a strong or mythic lineage (e.g., from fallen Atlantis or Lemuria).

Unreliable deities

Deities in S&S settings are often unreliable or simply absent. Demons, monsters, monarchs and even gigantic beasts can be worshiped in lieu of actual deities. If deities exist, they are often capricious and mysterious, sometimes having their own hidden agendas and dark appetites.

Blood and passion

Some S&S stories are famously for its violent aspects, including bloody descriptions of combat. Sexuality and romance is portrayed in a more realistic and cynical manner – or leading to tragic consequences. S&S art often contain bare-naked bodies of muscular men and voluptuous women. A few stories include (more or less obvious) references to murder, torture, sexual assault, and so on. Needless to say, you do not have to include any of these aspects in your games.

 

 

The rules

My favorite kind of rules are easy to use and remember, while also providing players enough variety for their characters.

In addition, I like them to be compatible with my favorite modules - usually, those using the OSR label or the classic ones written before the year 2000. The goal is being able to use these modules whenever I need, with minimal or no conversion.

At the same time, I enjoy the simplifications and the additions that often come with modern (post-2000s) games: a single unified mechanic for multiple tasks, skills and feats to customize PCs, and so on.

Basic Fantasy RPG (BFRPG) by Chris Gonnerman was one of my greatest inspirations for writing this game – not only for being a great set of rules but also for adopting a Creative Commons license that allows others to use their material.

The rules contained in this book attempt to fulfill the requirements described above and enforce some of the S&S tropes mentioned above. You might notice that PCs are tougher than usual, magic is more dangerous, magic items are a bit scarcer, etc.

The rules contained herein are “advanced” in the sense that we assume you are familiar with other RPGs. Still, they should be clear enough that no important question is left unanswered.

 

A note about Dark Fantasy Basic

Sword & Sorcery tropes, as explained above, shares some tropes with dark fantasy. This book is, in some ways, a sequel to my first RPG, Dark Fantasy Basic. While some ideas are similar, the rules have been almost completely rewritten not only to make them better fitted to S&S but also to take advantage of all the years of experience I had with that system since then.

 

The basic mechanic

Before delving into PC creation, it is useful to understand the basic mechanic of the game.

When a character tries to do anything that carries a risk of failure, roll 1d20, plus modifiers (usually due to ability and class/level), with 20 or more signifying success. A “hard” difficulty is assumed; the GM may set other difficulty number (DC) for particularly easy or hard tasks, as described in the following chapters.

This process is called a “check”. When the books call for a check, assume it means rolling 1d20, adding the relevant modifiers, and succeeding on a 20 or more, unless otherwise specified.

Combat, spellcasting, skills, all work in a similar way.

Now let’s create some characters!

ORWELL @2081 - the PDF is now available!

ORWELL @2081*, by my friend Jens, is now available on DTRPG in PDF format, as mentioned in his blog.

As I've mentioned before, this is an interesting RPG - one of a kind, really.

Maybe you could see it as the "current" version of the classic Paranoia* - once we were afraid once war, treason and constant vigilance, now we are threatened by social media, AI, infantilization, pharmaceuticals, fake news and, well, constant vigilance again.

It also reminds me of Misspent Youth* or Cyberpunk* somewhat. 

But these are just references - ORWELL (or Ø2\\‘3||) has its own thing going on.

The writing is provocative and enticing; it paints a very grim picture of the future (and present...). 

The art is dark and awesomely creepy, check this out:

The layout is clean and good looking.

The system is quite unique, using 3d12 and various twists that distinguish it from the D&D-like RPGs I'm used to. 

Anyway, here's the blurb:

    Welcome to a very dark world ...

    The setting is Europe in the year 2081, unified under one totalitarian party called The Family. The United States of Europe (USE, for short) are a playground for all the bad ideas this century has already come up with (and some of the classics from the last 100 years). Citizens are rated by an arbitrary and mean Social Status system, puberty blockers are mandatory for all but the Elites. All of this is shrouded through a huge media ruse: reality is hidden behind a fully augmented and gamified layer, maintained by an AI implanted at birth and controlled by The Family. Citizens never grow up, just grow older and if they aren't high in social status, they are bled and used for everything they have, most of the time without even realizing it. That veil is lifted for some, and with that comes resistance (or opportunity).

    It’s a game that assumes players are open to exploring all kinds of ideas and willing to put some thought into the stories they tell and experienced DMs who want to explore a system that challenges them as well. It is also a satire of a dystopian future that may not yet fall upon us …

I'd recommend you check this one out especially if you like:

- Tragic/satiric views of our possible futures.

- Very dark humor.
- Games such as "Paranoia" and "We happy few".
- Books like 1984 (Orwell), Brave New World, and The Futurological Congress, or anything by PKD.
- Black Mirror.
- Amazingly creepy art.

- An innovative, unique system.

* Affiliate links.

GMs day sale (2024) - OSR, classic D&D and others

GMs day sale has arrived, so here are my picks (same as last years with some additions).

Notice that the usual discount this year is 40%, which is even better than last year IIRC...

First, let me remind you that all of my books are included in the sale! 

If your tastes are similar to mine, take a look! They are mostly compatible with OSR games (except for a couple of 5e books - "Manual of Arms").

There are some big discounts if you use VTT, which I don't. Dragonbane looks good so... maybe?

New stuff I'm getting this year: 

- I've been curious about AS&SH for a while, and might finally check it out.

- I've been running some classic modules and I might get Night Below and others (recommend some in the comments!).

The Halls of Arden Vul Complete is also 40% off - or $45.00 off. Soudns reasonable for 1.100 pages (!) although it is probably too much material for me to digest.

Now, let's see the old favorites...

Big discounts!

These products seem to be about 40% off and I find each of them interesting. The first two are my own. Some are also mentioned (and further explained) below:

OSR

* Teratogenicon, my monster maker (check the previews!).

* Dark Fantasy Basic, my B/X neoclone.

* Low Fantasy Gaming Deluxe Edition (review of the original version);

* Monkey Business.

* Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG (DCC RPG);

* How to Write Adventure Modules That Don't Suck; 

* The Monster Alphabet; 

* Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy: Rules Tome; 

* Silent Legions; 

* The Nameless Grimoire.

* Into the Unknown (my impressions).

* Adventurer Conqueror King System.

* Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells.

Classic D&D

This are some of my favorites, also 40% off. Explanation here.

* D&D Basic Set Rulebook (B/X ed.) (Basic).

* D&D Rules Cyclopedia (Basic)

* Dungeon Master's Guide (1e)

* Monstrous Manual (2e) - the current price is RIDICULOUSLY LOW for such a a great book.

* Dark Sun boxed set.

Goodman Games

In addition to the amazing Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG (DCC RPG), I really like The Dungeon Alphabet, The Monster Alphabet and The Cthulhu Alphabet. They are near system-less and full of awesome stuff to inspire your games. I still haven't read How to Write Adventure Modules That Don't Suck but it is also on sale. All of them 40% off.

They also publish awesome adventures; alas, few are on sale, but fortunately Doom of the Savage King, the one I am currently running, is 40% off! Recommended! Same for Jewels of the Carnifex, which I reviewed here.

Necrotic Gnome

Several Old School Essentials titles are also on sale in addition to Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy: Rules Tome. I really like Old-School Essentials. It is basically a concise, well-organized version of my favorite D&D (B/X). The SRD is great. the version that interests me the most is the advanced version - it is NOT an AD&D clone, but B/X with many new options taken from AD&D, dragon magazine, etc. For players and DMs.

Sine Nomine Publishing

Worlds Without Number is probably the hottest "new" (released in April/2021) OSR title on sale with 40% off. I have only read the free version briefly, but seems very good overall, and I've appreciated many other titles form the same author, including Scarlet Heroes and Silent Legions (maybe my favorite OSR take on horror and Lovecraft).

I think that's it for now. If you know any other books on sale that you'd recommend (especially if it is 40% off), let me know in the comments and I'll add it to my list. Feel free to promote your own products!

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Minimalist sword & sorcery I - The concept

I've been thinking about this idea for a while. I started writing a minimalist D&D but I got stuck, maybe my hearth is not in elves and orcs anymore. 

But what about a minimalist sword and sorcery game? That sounds cool. There are a few good ones out there (I really like LFG for example, but it is a bit crunchy for my tastes), but maybe I can add something of my own.

Here is how I would (will?) do it:

S&S Tropes

- Tough protagonists - Starting at level 3 is recommended, everyone has many talents: a fighter can climb and hide, a sorcerer can use swords and some armor, etc.
- Dark, Dangerous Sorcery - Must recreate the entire spell system.
- Perilous world - well, we already expect that from D&D. But add easy rules for starvation, dehydration, etc.
- Decadent civilization - even resting in town is a challenge.
- Some dark fantasy tropes apply here: nonhumans are mysterious, alignment is complex, etc.

The system

- The basis: BFRPG because it is an awesome game with CC license.

- Convert everything to a Target20-like system.

- Take some hints from AD&D.

Player Characters

- Ability scores: 3d6 in order or maybe something a bit stronger.
- Classes: Fighter, Sorcerer, Expert. Optional feats and skills to differentiate them.

- Races: none, but you can add some cultures or backgrounds (barbarian, civilized, decadent, etc.).

Adventure and combat

- As usual, with my own tweaks, including cleave and other power-ups for the fighters.
- Most challenges are simply Target20 or similar.

- Lots of optional rules for weapons and armor because I like them.

Magic

- I have to rewrite it completely to make it more dark and dangerous.

- Sorcery probably requires bounding spirits to your will, but also includes some alchemy, mesmerism and summoning.

- Add some rituals, corruption and blood magic from Alternate Magic.

- Magic items are not as common and not as useful.

Monsters

- Probably just curate the list a bit, giving more emphasis to S&S foes.

- Also emphasize unique monsters and monster variations (using Teratogenicon as inspiration).

Treasure

- Must be significantly reduced (see this post).

Minimalism

- Single save, single XP table, single mechanic for skills, etc.
- Lots of optional rules left to appendices.

Sounds interesting?

Black God's Kiss - brief review

"Black God's Kiss" (1934), by C.L. Moore, is a short story about Jirel of Joiry, an (apparently) French female warrior, who finds herself defeated in her own kingdom and imprisoned by an evil enemy that is eager to humiliate her. Full of hatred, she decides to go into the hellish Abyss beneath the castle to find a useful weapon against her rival...

The plot is reminiscent of Worms of the Earth by Robert E. Howard. The writing  is also similar to Howard in tone, mixing action with weirdness and cosmic horror. 

Jirel is not quite a "female Conan" (nor the stereotypical princess, damsel, or amazon); she is strong and ferocious, but has enough distinguishing characteristics to be interesting. For example, she is a Christian, and fully knows that she is not risking only her life but also her soul - even if she succeeds on her quest. Also, apparently the first notable S&S female protagonist (probably some of the best female S&S author I've read, too).

As far as REH-inspired works go, this one is pretty good. The ending was a bit vague (probably explained in the next story), but other than than it could be a strong entry to any REHish collection. The pacing is very fast, the setting is interesting - and could certainly serve as inspiration for your D&D games.

For some reason, I thought this was part of the Appendix N, but, surprisingly, it isn't. It would be a good addition for lots of reasons: time of publishing, theme, quality. It is better than average when compared to the other books on the list. I can only assumed Gygax hadn't read it or liked it.

It is a short book, so there is no point in writing a long review. Maybe I'll do that after I've read the other books in the series.

For now, I'll just recommend you check it out!

Quick HORROR tip: make it LIGHT and REALISTIC

After so many posts about "dark fantasy" games, talking about "light realistic" games might sounds strange... but might be appropriate.

In order to have a "scary" horror game, realism could be a good choice - otherwise, the players might fall back to fantasy tropes of peasants slaying giants. 

In the horror genre, there could be a single foe - say, a guy with an axe - and if he gets you, you're probably dead.

It happened to me in one D&D game. I describe a monstrous entity and the fighter said "I attack". I said, "well, it is the size of a bus...", he attacked anyway, dealt 8 damage or whatever, and got ignored by the entity. 

His actions were not absurd in a game where you're supposed to fight dragons.

"Light" rules are important too. If the rules are complex enough that make you study the character sheet for solutions, you disengage from the "fictional" and therefore lose any "scare value" that you could get from it - as described in the example above. The players was thinking "attack bonus" instead of "giant-sized flying worm".

In an horror game, you should spend significant amounts of time engaging with the fictional world - building tension, describing clues, etc.

I remember one CoC game that got my players scared by simply describing an empty room with some green ooze under the bed.

At this point, "I roll perception" could ruin the mood.

But if you need this "roll perception" stuff, the system should be quick and deadly about it.

 
Unknown Armies has the right idea about this - PC skills are often around 20% to 40%. They are unreliable and fail more often than not. Combat (especially with guns) is extremely swingy - you can die with a single shot OR after more than a dozen stab wounds.

[It does have a complex and interesting system for mental trauma, however. For short games, this isn't even necessary - you don't have to check if you're scared, you should know a dagger is extremely dangerous].

Cthulhu Dark took simple, deadly rules to the extreme: fight a monster and you die, period. Too extreme for my tastes, but adequate to some kinds of horror.

There are other forms of horror, of course - you could have all kinds of adventures in hellish landscapes, dream worlds, or full of powerful but flawed heroes struggling against inner demons or cosmic entities. The protagonists could be fighting trauma, madness, addiction or poverty instead of monsters. 

But these two guidelines seem adequate for, say, 80% of any "best horror movies" list.

Anyway.

If you're looking for good horror games, I've good experiences with Unknown Armies, Kult and, of course, CoC (I haven't tried the current versions, only old ones).

But, come to think of it, old school D&D might work too, especially if the PCs have no armor, few weapons and few ways to level up (e.g., a one-shot set in modern days). 

A 1st level fighter with 3-4 HP can do little against half a dozen zombies, except maybe run. If the PCs are stuck in a house with a 4 HD monster - or even maniac with an axe trying to get them by surprise - their chances are slim.

The PCs saving throws often fail and, if the adventure last for more than one day, they recover only 1d3 HP.

Stronger monsters (e.g., vampires) are unbeatable unless you find their weaknesses.

[There is more to be said about using FEWER monsters, BTW - something I addressed recently here and here]

Giving a very bad THAC0 to everyone (including monsters) might be a good way to ramp up the tension. 

Combat lasts for a few rolls, but every single one might mean death.

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Skeleton with a bow

I was playing Castlevania and thinking of fun encounters. It got me thinking...

A skeleton in B/X is a 1 HD monster, maybe with 4-5 HP - relatively weak, unless you find half a dozen at once (which is likely).

But picture a skeleton with a bow in a place you cannot access easily - a tower, castle wall, or behind a chasm or river. Maybe you could climb it in, say, three rounds, less if you're a thief.

Now let's give him some resistance to arrows, since it has no flesh or organs. Maybe arrows do 1 point of damage to it at most (or half damage if you don't want to be mean to archers).

And put him in armor. To evil wizards, they are better than mercenaries, since they require no food, sleep, pay, or overtime. No morale checks either.

He is now a bit of a challenge to a group of first-level PCs by himself.

You could use turn undead if you have a cleric. That is, if there is no range/area limit.

But throw a robe over the skeleton and maybe the PCs are not even sure what they're dealing with - until they get close!

Now put ten skeletons with robes and armor over the wall an this becomes a challenge to a level 5 party. We don't even need to raise HP. 

A fireball might explode one of them - they are scattered. Charm, hold person, sleep, etc., are all useless here.

Arrows are of limited use, but slings and magic missiles get a chance to shine (even if a longbow has slightly better reach). The thief gets to use his climbing skills in an action scene - maybe even moving silently in the process while his allies take cover.

Come to think of it, is it fair that the skeletons can "see" the PCs? Well they are probably programmed to shoot at anyone who comes near the castle or try to cross a bridge.

If they run out of arrows - they probably only have a few - they might climb down the walls (sounds reasonable but the armor might make things difficult; some may fall and be destroyed in the process, which is a cool scene by itself).

And when the PCs find out what is happening, then the evil wizard unleashes the Bone Golem, to see all the usual tactics (turn undead, fireball and lighting bolts) fail spectacularly.

Sounds like a fun game to me!

Teratogenicon is the DEAL OF THE DAY - 50% off!

Dear friends,

Teratogenicon, our most impressive book, is the DEAL OF THE DAY on DTRPG. - 50% off!

The books is a collection of tables and essays on how to create your own monsters.

It contains one chapter for each of the fourteen most famous monster types (aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, and so on). Each chapter examines specific habits, appearance, goals, traits, powers, origins, and many other topics.

In addition, the appendixes will help you to create stats (for both old school and contemporary games), to roleplay monsters, and to include all monster types into a coherent whole, among other things.

If you haven't got it yet, this is your chance. It is compatible both with OSR and modern RPGs. 

If you buy it - or if you already got it - you can also buy my "everything bundle" for a discounted price, after you buy Teratogenicon.

Just check the previews to see if it piques your interest!

And please share, like, upvote and retweet if you can!

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