Revolution

P July/august 2000
G
The Independent RPG
Magazine for the people.
Volume One, Issue one.
RPGEVOLUTION IS
DREW BAKER
Nick lalone
Mike mearlS
Lise Mendel
Clinton R. Nixon
Peter Seckler
Jared Sorensen
Nathan Trier
We have no art

Table of contents
News from the Front Line

where we speak of the revolution

Mission Statement by Nathan Trier

RPGevolution: the New Coke of gaming

Views from the Fringe by Lise Mendel

a column for the marginalized

Frankenstein 3000 by Peter Seckler and Clinton R. Nixon

a post-apocalyptic setting for the d20 System

F3K: Sunset for the Horse-O-Matic by Nathan Trier

12

Demonblade by Clinton R. Nixon

14

fiction in the world of Frankenstein3000

dark fantasy for the Sorcerer RPG

Another Blood-Soaked Day at the Robot Factory by Mike Mearls 20

mayhem, cards, and machine code

Deific by Nathan Trier

24

the game of creation

Circus-Punk 2020 by Jared Sorensen, art by Drew Baker

27

the ceiling of the big-top was the color of television tuned to static

Miserable, Rotten Wretches by Nathan Trier

31

Horde of Goblins by Clinton R. Nixon

33

heroic gaming turned on its head

an excerpt from the upcoming Goblinomicon

Music and Gaming by Nick LaLone

36

gaming, Lars Ulrich, and karaoke

Backpage: Dice Club by Jared Sorensen

where we end our little revolution for now

39

RPGevolution

News From the

Front Line
I was in Barnes and Noble yesterday, shopping for books. I had quite a few different ones, and
was feeling rather annoyed that I didn't have enough money left over for some RPG supplements;
I really wanted Diablo II: The Awakening for that magic item table with more than a million
different items that WoTC had been touting.
But then I realized my error. I had four books and a magazine in my hand. That is--I had 5 RPG
supplements.
We, as RPG players, put a line between ourselves and game designers, a line dividing the
distribution of creativity. We are content to think up our own characters, and when we graduate
to being the referee (or game -master, or whatever you like to call it), we can even write up some
spiffy adventures. But, design a setting? Most of us keep well out of that. Make our own character
creation rules? "But that's not what the book says."
Does that line really exist? No. Try telling a kid how to play Cowboys and Indians. Try giving him
some rules on who and what he can be, and where his game of Cowboys and Indians has to set
at. I imagine the response will be, at the least, shocked, and probably rather rude.
We forget the power we have as players. The only difference between you and that person who
wrote The Dark Dungeon of Devilish Doom or whatever is that he got paid for it.
That's really what RPGevolution is about. We don't want to overthrow the RPG industry. Those
people are keeping this hobby alive. RPGevolution is a forum for anyone who has the stones and
the willpower to spend a little time creating and typing to show off their RPG ideas, whether it be
an interesting character, some strange items, a setting idea, or an entire game.
So--read the magazine, take what ideas appeal to you, and integrate them into your game. And
then think of your own ideas, and send them to us. Tear down that invisible wall you've always
raised between yourself and the writers at WoTC or FASA or Atlas or wherever. Read a book, get
inspired, adapt ideas, create your own, get in an online forum, discuss your ideas, and spit them
out for the world to play with.
Hell--it can't be as bad as SenZar.
Clinton R. Nixon, Editor, RPGevolution.com
Send letters (we really would like a letters section), submissions, artwork, or whatever you feel
like sending to [email protected]. And, for more information on independent RPGs and
their design, check out these websites:
http://www.indierpgs.com http://www.gamingoutpost.com
http://www.gargoyle13.com http://www.memento-mori.com/main

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Mission Statement
by Nathan Trier
Why RPGevolution? Why are we taking on the gaming industry and publishing free, easy-to-play
games?
We're doing this because the gaming industry is just that - an industry. Here's the thing, folks.
Everyone is in it for the money. Not solely for the money, of course - selling gaming books is far
from a lucrative industry. But the end result is, in fact, money.
Who here wouldn't want to write, design and play games for a living? Right, not many people.
And what's keeping you from doing it right now? You think you can write a better game? Go
ahead, do it. Quit your job. Sell your neckties and your parking pass. Have you joined the
gaming industry yet? No? Why not?
Well, everyone reading this probably has a different reason: I'm not a good writer, I wouldn't
know how to sell my game, I like just playing. All of the reasons boil down to money. You don't
think you can make enough money to support yourself in the industry (and that's okay - stick
with me here).
Companies like White Wolf and yes, Wizards of the Coast are able to make money. And they
don't do it by nefariously tricking you into buying supplements, or overpricing their books, or
selling silver jewelry. They make their money because you keep buying.
Creative consultant Charlie Prather said that there's two creative poles: improvising within a
framework, and improvising outside of that framework. At one end of the spectrum we have
people like the composer John Cage (who performed his composition O' O" by making vegetable
juice on stage), at the other end we have pop groups like 5 'N Snych Boys from the Backstreet.
Note that when I talk about those boy bands, you know who I'm talking about, and you know that
everyone else knows who I'm talking about.
But John Cage? Who's that?
Which is exactly my point. Five-member boy bands get so much exposure because they embody
exactly what a certain audience likes. Their producers know what sells, and then they sell it over and over again. Any other industry works on the same principle. Is there really that much
of a difference between Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper? No, and they all sell pretty well. If lots of
people buy a product once, that means they liked it, and that means they'll buy it again. Smart
marketers know that.
The gaming industry knows that, too, and more power to them. What, you didn't expect me to
say that? I mean it - hooray for the gaming industry! These guys pour sweat and effort into
their books and supplements, all because they want me to have a better
gaming experience. My definition of a good gaming experience may differ from theirs, but I
appreciate the effort nonetheless. And they're trying to make a living off it. I can't find fault with
that, unless they engage in shady business practices (which a certain company may or may not
be doing right now, it remains to be seen).
White Wolf knows what sells. And they sell it. Steve Jackson knows what sells. And they sell it.
Small variations on a theme.
What we're trying to do here is lean towards the other extreme - we want to give you games that
probably wouldn't sell too well. Not because they're bad games, but because the ideas are a
little.different. We want you to try something new, without making you risk $30 on a softbound,
300 page book.

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View from the fringe

by Lise Mendel
I'm not an "outsider" to the RPG community. I've been gaming for 23 years now, and have played
in games using just about every delivery type of the medium - tabletop, LARP, play-by-mail/eMail and on-line. I've run games in each category except for on-line, too. I've played in all of the
'major' genres, and many of the obscure ones as well. I've played with other gamers ranging
from 7 to 50+. I've been to gaming cons, worked in a (successful!) RPG store, and built an
Internet based gaming support group with over 100 members in (at last count) 7 countries.
So why do I call this column "View from the Fringe"? Two reasons.
First of all, I was originally asked to write this column along the lines of "Women in Gaming" (the
gaming support community I mentioned above - I'm not running it any more, but it's still on line,
being run by Lisa Hartjes. If you're interested, visit it at http://www.ifr-inc.org/wig/ - I think it's
worth a look.) I expressed concerns about representing myself as speaking for all Women who
game (the reason I built the WIG site in the first place was to build a forum for the whole range
of women's voices), and was then encouraged to bring as many minority voices to the column as
I could.
So this column will be a 'traveling soapbox' for those on the fringe of the gaming community.
That's a pretty loose definition, and I'm looking forward to finding people who consider
themselves minorities within the gaming community. I think it will be interesting and educational
to see who feels marginalized. It might be a challenge to find gamers who don't!
After all, we make our own artificial rivalries within the community. I've heard people stereotyped
based on the system they prefer to play (D&D toesuckers, White Wolf posers). There are endless
debates about the virtues of 'realistic' vs 'balanced' games, which often come loaded with value
judgments. There are epithets hurled against people based on their playing style such as
'munchkins', 'rules lawyers', 'power gamers' and 'get-a-lifers'. At times it's hard to realize we
have anything in common at all!
Which leads us to the second reason I'm calling this column "View from the Fringe". We are a
community of outsiders. As a rule, we pride ourselves in being non-conventional, 'different',
individualist and just plain ornery. We cultivate (with loving attention) our image as misfits and
weirdos, or, if we are 'mundane-acting' we hide our gaming hobby from friends and co-workers.
So, while we're all busy being 'individuals' together, let's talk about it. How do we see ourselves
different from each other and what do we all share? How does it feel to be the only Christian in a
group where that term conjures up images of Jack Chick, or to be a Pagan playing a game where
your religion is badly misrepresented. Or let's talk about how we, as gamers, can often recognize
each other in mundane situations, and immediately bond because of it. Let's talk about the
perspectives gaming give us on other aspects of our lives.
And, of course, let's talk about games!

Lise Mendel founded Women in Gaming, and is currently assisting (with or without her
knowledge) in several Gargoyle13.com projects. To comment on this article, she can be
reached at [email protected].

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RPGevolution

by Peter Seckler and Clinton R. Nixon of Gargoyle13

"I'm a street walking cheetah with a heart full of napalm
I'm the runaway son of the nuclear A-bomb
I am the world's forgotten boy
The one who searches and destroys
Honey gotta help me please
Somebody gotta save my soul
Baby detonate for me
Look out honey, 'cause I'm using technology
Ain't got time to make no apology
Soul radiation in the dead of night
Love in the middle of a fire fight
Honey gotta strike me blind
Somebody gotta save my soul
Baby penerate my mind"
--Iggy Pop

Frankenstein3000 is a setting for WoTC's

upcoming d20 System, although it can be
used with any RPG system. For more
information on the d20 System, or to
purchase the D&D 3rd Edition Player's
Handbook, which contains this system, visit
www.gargoyle13.com.
The world of Frankenstein3000 is a science
fantasy world, set far in the future, where
mutants roam the wasteland in search of
artifacts and dreams.
Technology in the world of
Frankenstein3000
In the world of Frankenstein 3000,
technology falls into four basic types.
Common Tech
"Amongst the common folk, the Musket and
Pistol are fairly standard weapons, although
they haven't replaced the use of the sabre or
the cutlass completely. Can't reload fast
enough for some of those beastly aberrations
out there."
Abelard the Guardsman
This is basically everything available on a
back-woods farm. Simple forging, beastdrawn power, black powder muskets and
simple milling. Common Tech is available to
all characters.
Monster-Capable Weaponry
"Legacy technology developed before and
during the invasion is largely useless now.
The exception to legacy technology is of
course Monster Weaponry--which was built

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using the same nanotechnology we used to create the Monsters themselves. Close to
indestructible, and impossible to operate by all but the post powerful of men- Monster Weaponry
is both rare and strange. Even Geniuses cannot operate it. "
Alphonse Moriarty, MMD
Only available to Monsters--this highly individualized Nanotechnology was built to withstand
most types of destruction and repair itself even when badly damaged. In the world of
Frankenstein3000, Monsters still have working weaponry, guns, sensors, just about anything a
soldier could ever need. However, each component is keyed to an individual monster-user and is
unusable by anyone else- even another monster.
Tesla-Cast Legacy Technology
In the world of the past, power was broadcast directly through the air--wirelessly. This power was
used extensively in most technological devices and weaponry. When the Power-Grid failed during
the Bio-War, all technology was rendered useless. Geniuses have the ability to use small TeslaCast devices on a limited basis, due to an inherent ability to broadcast Tesla-Cast energy. These
devices can achieve an astonishing variety of effects.
"Horse-drawn carriages are common, as are wooden sailing ships. I have even heard of the
launch of an ironclad warship at Chesapeake Bay. In certain places, Prodigies make their curious
inventions available as a matter of public service.
The fools. "
Ponstant Wright, Publisher
"We have made great strides in restoring the nation- and with every passing year the predations
of the outsiders become fewer and less frequent.
Technology has developed to the approximate level of the early-mid nineteenth century.
Modern marvels such as steam-powered machinery are becoming more common in the cities.
There is no public electricity or water.
Trading and shipping routes have opened up between the fortress cities.
In summation, our kingdom is a dynamic thriving place, teetering on brink of prosperity.
and sire--you really should see my lab."
Tass, Master Weaponeer to King Faris II
Electro-Steam
The cutting edge of technology in the world of Frankenstein3000 involves two main components:
a boiler assembly and at least one vacuum tube. These devices can achieve two main effects:
Animation and crude electrical discharge. Usually Electro-Steam is used to power large vehciular
devices (which walk, swim, run, crawl, roll or flap), robots, or gigantic steam-driven door-locks or
lifts.

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RPGevolution
Classes in Frankenstein3000

Classification: Unvoiced.
Encrypted. Begin Feed.

Monsters
"Monsters were created near the
beginning of the war- but by then
it was already over. Those we
know as 'Monsters' today were
once men. Now they're
something different. Anyone will
tell you.
The first wave of soldiers killed
by Alien Bioweapon Zero
developed an ironic
immunosystem even in death.
This discovery was something of
a breakthrough.
The idea was that using
Nanotechnology and some
valuable secrets salvaged from
the alien stronghold discovered in
the Phillipines- a defense could
be improvised.

Known Side Effects of Xeno-A Antigen:

POSITIVE
Subjects treated with Xeno-A Antigen have been noted by Dr.
Moriarty and his staff to possess incredible strength, far beyond
what they possessed in life.
Wounds and injuries, even major traumatic wounds, amputations
and internal organ damage seem to only slow the subject down
until nano-virus infected cells can regenerate or reattach
themselves. A subject observed losing an arm in a grenade
attack was able to simply reattach the still-twitching limb after
the battle.
Subjects do not seem to age. In addition to Alien Bioweapon Zero
poisoning, the Xeno-A antigen seems to make the subject
immune to most normal diseases and high radiation.

Dead soldiers were collected,

stitched together and finally
reanimated and treated with the
unstable Xeno-A Antigen.
The result was an almost
unkillable cyborg soldierunkillable because it was already
dead.
We fantasized about immortality
in those days."
Alphonse Moriarty, MMD
D20 Notes
Hit Dice. Monsters receive d10 hit
points per level.
To Hit Bonus and Saving Throws.
Monsters use the Warrior to hit
bonus chart and saving throw
chart.
Bonus to stats. An additional 2d6
should be added to Strength and
Constitution Scores (for a max of

Fig. 1. Typical MAI Implantation Device.

NEGATIVE
The virus has a difficult time repairing burn damage, and severe
burning can actually destroy the subject. Many subjects seem to
also develop a fear of fire.
The Trauma of being dead and leading a composite existence can
lead to severe psycholo gical disorders. Depression, Psychosis and
Rage can result from improper handling and aftercare.
For this reason the Monster Artificial Intelligence (MAI) was
developed. It is believed that with the guiding intellect of the
MAI, Monsters will become a powerful and effective force, and
our best hope for defense against the alien threat.
Classification: Unvoiced.

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RPGevolution
30 in each score). Intelligence and Wisdom should be rolled Twice (see note below)
Bonus Feats. Monsters receive a bonus combat-related Feat every even level, much like Fighters
in the D20 system.
Skill points. Monsters receive 2 + (Int bonus) skill points every level, and 4 times this amount at
character creation.
Regeneration. Monsters regenerate 1d4 hp every 10 rounds, even in death, unless that damage is
caused by fire. Fire damage heals normally. If a Monster is killed he will be forced to remain inert
for 1 day for every point brought below 0. For example, A Monster brought down to -6 will remain
dead for 6 days. After this period he will regenerate normally.
Monsters do not need to eat, sleep or breathe, although they can do all of these things out of
habit.
A Monster has TWO Intelligence and Wisdom scores. The first set is the set affiliated with the
Monster's dead human brain. The second set is the ability score of the Monster AI computer
(which is implanted in the Monster's brain). Whichever set has the highest Wisdom score becomes
the Dominant personality. The other personality will automatically emerge when the monster is
reduced to his last 25% of hit points, or when the Dominant personality allows it. In the event of
a tie score- the two personalities struggle constantly and the monster becomes Psychotic.
Players and GMs can handle this personality split however they like: two players may wish to
share the Monster and the AI personality, or a player can simply agree to change personalities
and 'personas' once reduced down past the 25% threshold. Take care that 'Out of Character' and
'In-Character' knowledge isn't confused in these situations, and keep in mind that it should be
possible for the Monster and his AI to keep secrets from one another.
Geniuses
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of
genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."
E.F. Schumaker
There are a few gifted individuals in our new society- gifted with the ability to recapture the lost
technology of our forefathers. A Genius can make Lost Tech work, hand it over to a layman, show
him exactly what to do--and the same piece won't work. An interesting phenomenom, yes? There
is something special about them, have no doubt.
True to their strange gift- Geniuses often seek further education - legacy technology and books
from before the alien invasion- and a way to unlock the mysteries of the past. Their intellect is a
frightful thing. Commoners often find them disturbing and avoid them. To compound this- a
Genius must usually have a laboratory somewhere, and often this involves isolation and secrecy.
D20 Notes
Hit Dice. Geniuses receive d4 hit points per level. (They begin the game with 8 hit points,
however.)
To Hit Bonus and Saving Throws. Geniuses use the Wizard to hit bonus chart and saving throw
chart.

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Bonus to Intelligence. Geniuses
may add 2d6 to their beginning
Intelligence score, to begin with a
maximum Intelligence score of 30.
Large head. Geniuses take
additional damage from head
injuries. This is up to the GM to
resolve, and should be handled
dramatically, rather than
punitively. Extra damage may take
many forms: chronic psychosis,
amnesia, or one-shot knockouts
are three typical options other than
just applying extra hit points of
damage. GM's should feel free to
come up with their own options as
well.

Classification: Unvoiced.
Encrypted. Begin Feed.

It is believed that a strange in -vitro birth defect associated with a

wild strain of Xeno-B virus has had a mutational effect on certain
members of the populace.
Legacy Technology based on Tesla -Cast Energy would seem to
be useless after the fall of our national infrastructure. Certain
individuals display a marked increase in intellectual capacity,
enlarged brain -pan, and the strange ability to act as living Tesla Cast energy-providers.
In short: They can get the old technology to work when they
have hands-on contact. Legacy Technology is useless to anyone
else, with the exception of specially built - Monster-Capable
devices.
NEGATIVE

Device creation. Geniuses can

create incredible feats of
Tesla-Cast technology is largely unreliable and limited, and
technology to aid them. They
finding and repairing components salvaged from the ruins and
should choose spells as a Wizard
the wild can be a daunting task.
(in 3rd edition D&D), and then
A Genius separated from his lab, components or devices must
design the device that creates the
rely on his formidable wits alone to survive.
spell effect. They can choose any
spell of a level they can use, but
It has been observed by our staff that a Genius suffers extra
must make a roll, with their
damage from head injuries.
Intelligence bonus, versus a DC of
12 + (the level of the spell) in
Classification: Unvoiced.
order for the device to function
correctly. They may receive
bonuses for a superb lab or other situational reasons.
For example, a Genius who chooses the Magic Missile or Burning Hands spell must design a
weapon (a repaired handheld stunner perhaps- or even an original design that the Genius used
salvaged parts to create) that is used to issue the spell. A device can take many forms: gas
grenades, remote sensors, weaponry, armor.
The basic rule is this: If the player and GM cannot agree on how to translate a spell into a device
form- just don't take that spell.
Skill points. Geniuses receive 4 + (Int bonus) skill points each level, and four times this amount
at character creation.
Prodigies
"I will ignore all ideas for new works on engines of war, the invention of which has reached its
limits and for whose improvements I see no further hope."
Sextus Julius Frontinus

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Prodigies are individuals who have paved the way for new technology in this world of ruins. They
have harnessed the art of invention and the power of Electro-Steam to create new devices, and
astonishing new technology.
Electro-Steam is the cutting edge of the only modern technology available to the common man.
Normal men still rely on beast-driven vehicles, hard labor, and brute force. Genius-devices are
unreliable--of obvious limited use; and only perform in the hands of an untrustworthy Genius.
The main benefit of Electro-Steam technology is that it can be used by anyone. The downfall of
Electro-Steam technology is that vacuum tubes are fragile, overheat easily, metal devices rust
and dent easily- and they are slow and bulky. In addition, only a Prodigy can repair an ElectroSteam device.
D20 Notes
Hit Dice. Prodigies receive d6 hit
points per level. (They begin the
game with 8 hit points,
however.)
To Hit Bonus and Saving Throws.
Prodigies use the Rogue to hit
bonus chart and saving throw
chart.
Bonus to stats. A Prodigy can
begin the game with an extra d6
to both Intelligence and Charisma
scores, to begin with a maximum
score of 24.
Skill points. A Prodigy gains 6 +
(Int bonus) skill points each
level, and 4 times this amount at
character creation.
Beginning equipment. A Prodigy
begins the game with a workshop
and plenty of scrap metal and
tools. The Prodigy may also
choose either one of the
following:
A) A single armature which can
be basically vehicle-shaped,
basically humanoid, or basically
anything the player desires. The
Armature has no power plant and
minimal armor. At some point the
Prodigy should draw up plans for
the type of robot or vehicle he
wishes to use for his character,
and conduct the skill rolls (and

Classification: Unvoiced.
Encrypted. Begin Feed.

Prodigies are unusual in their marked resistance to Alien Bio Weaponry. Other than that it is quite clear that they possess a
greater-than-normal intellectual capacity. They display no other
obvious mutations or anomalies.
Electro-Steam technology is the new hallmark of technology in
the new world. Any device that can be attached to a boiler
(minimum-size is backpack sized) and at least one vacuum tube
can be animated by Electro -Steam. Currently only crude effects
can be achieved with Electro -Steam, but new refinements are
being developed by inventive prodigies every day.
In short: Electro-Steam can achieve two effects: Animation (large
metal and wood armatures can be mechanized to produce a
walking, rolling, flapping, crawling, or swimming vehicle) or
simple electrical discharge (badly-aimed electrical discharges) .
Often several devices, weapons and functions are built into the
same large vehicle armature so that they can share the same
boiler and vacuum tubes.
NEGATIVE
Electro-Steam is bulky and slow- although it is incredibly strong.
It is obviously better suited for large construction devices and
mechanical equiment such as lifts or gate -locks. The minimum
size for an Electro -Steam armature is backpack-sized, and that
only houses the smallest boiler possible and a single exposed
vacuum tube.
The metal used in Prodigy devices is expensive and prone to rust.
Steel is virtually unknown and unavailable. Electro -Steam devices
are normally made from scrap-iron and/or tin. Copper is often
used when it is available.
A Prodigy requires a workshop to work effciently. If he is
seperated from his workshop or fails to maintain it, h e loses the
ability to repair and develop Electro -Steam devices.
Classification: Unvoiced.

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possibly adventure for) needed components and additional supplies.
B) A Backpack sized powerplant and a single exposed vacuum tube, but no animated armature or
weaponry. Again, the Prodigy should develop any robot or vehicle or other devices he plans to
use in the game and ok them with the GM.
Certain skills are only available to the Prodigy Class. Geniuses for example, are at an utter loss to
understand even the most simple Electro-Steam devices. Commoners are similarly unable to
repair or invent Electro-Steam devices.
Lackeys
"Oh you who are born of the blood of the gods, Trojan son of Anchises, easy is the descent to
Hell; the door of dark Dis stands open day and night. But to retrace your steps and come out to
the air above, that is work, that is labor!"
Virgil, The Aeneid
Certain tragic victims of our new society have been affected negatively by a virulent strain of
Xeno-B/Xeno-A. The Lackey displays both severe physical deformities and astonishing potential.
Often despised by the common folk, Lackeys are forced to take menial jobs or live the life of a
solitary hermit. In certain situations, however, a Lackey has a chance at something better.
Classification: Unvoiced.
Encrypted. Begin Feed.

There are those who have begun to develop a bizarre XENO -B

mutation related to-

Error
Error

To be successful, a Lackey must

bond with another character more
capable and visionary than he.
Through this bonding, a powerful
link is developed, a bond that
actually makes the Lackey's brain
work more efficiently.
D20 Notes
Hit Dice. Lackeys receive d8 hit
points per level. (They begin the
game with 10 hit points, however.)

"oops."
"Boris?"
"Yes, master?"
"Did you just touch the encryption transmitter?"
"No, master. Uhm. Maybe. I guess I did. I'll just fix it.."
"No! Thats not the right one-it doesn't turn that way--"
<crack!>
"uhm. Yes. Well.. it's quite old. Sorry, master. "
NEGATIVE
There are no real negatives, other than the bonding. If a lackey
is bonded to a character that dies, his Intelligence and Wisdom
are reduced by half until he finds another character to bond to.
Classification: Unvoiced.

To Hit Bonus and Saving Throws.

Lackeys use the Rogue to hit bonus
chart and saving throw chart.
Skill points. A Lackey gains 8 +
(Int bonus) skill points each level,
and 4 times this amount at
character creation.
First--and most importantly-Lackeys must choose another
player character (hopefully) or an
NPC to bond to. This character can
be any type except another Lackey.
When bonded, the Lackey may add
+2 to any skill check he makes, up

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to a number of times a day equal to the bonded character's level. When performing a service in
the name of the bonded character, the Lackey may add an additional +2 to any skill check. This
means a Lackey may add +4 to any skill check made in the service of the bonded character up to
a number of times per day equal to the bonded characters level.
When dealing with the general populace--Lackeys must reduce their starting charisma by half.
They are not only physically ugly--they are also crude, uncouth and un-cultured, as well as
generally disliked by most members of the peasantry. Speech impediments and ugly scars are
also common, and players should be encouraged to develop a signature speech impediment.
However- this charisma reduction only applies to unclassed commoners. Monsters, Geniuses,
Prodigies and other Lackeys are unaffected by these prejudices.
A lot of people are probably wondering "who the hell would want to play a lackey?" but really, its
one of the most comedic roles a player can have. Have fun...
Skills
Players and GM's using Frankenstein3000 should feel free to make up skills appropriate for
their campaign. Skills that fall within the concept of the character's class cost 1 skill point per +1,
and skills that fall outside the class concept cost 2 points per +1. In addition, a character cannot
have a class-related skill at a higher rank than his level + 3, and non-class related skills can only
rise to half that number. (Both of these are calculated before adding bonuses to the skills for
statistics.) Here is a brief list of example skills for Frankenstein3000:
All classes
Craft (choose common craft, like Woodworking), Ride, Swim, Spot, Search, First Aid, Intuit
Direction, Animal Handling, Sneak, Pick Pocket, etc.
Monster

Genius

Prodigy

Lackey

Climb
Jump
Intimidate

Identify Tesla-Coil
Tech
Repair TC Tech
Knowledge
(choose area)
Medicine

Metalworking
Identify Electrosteam Devices
Build/Repair ES
Devices
Knowledge
Appraise
Sense Motive
Medicine

Climb
Carry Large
Amounts of Stuff
Grovel
Escape
Wasteland Lore

Peter Seckler is the web-master of Gargoyle13.com, and the creator of Pumpkin Town, Savage
Kingdom, Lost Oz, Tempest Exile, and more games, including The Nutcracker Prince, a d20based game he co-authored with Clinton R. Nixon. He is currently working on Earthwound, an
adventure for 3rd edition Dungeons and Dragons. Clinton R. Nixon is also the author of
Impound, and is currently working on a Goblin-themed complete setting for d20 entitled The
Perilious Adventures of the Rat-Scat Gang. Both of these d20 products will be available at
Gargoyle13.com during the month of August.

Page 11

RPGevolution

fiction by Nathan Trier

Dr. Destructo and I raced across the plains. "Make haste, Healy!" he exclaimed, shouting
over the roar as he shifted the Horse-o-Matic into high gear. "We must not be slowed by
your damnable girth!"
My girth was indeed considerable, but hardly damnable. I have taken many a blow
intended for my esteemed master, and heretofore suffered no ill effects from it. I know
he values my services he just gets catty when his life has been threatened, such as now.
"In truth, master, I am running as fast as I can!" I panted.
He did not respond perhaps he was unable to hear me over the sudden clattering that
arose from deep within the Horse-O-Matic's innards.
"Drat!" He began twisting around in his saddle, banging ineffectively on the steed's iron
shell. The clattering had turned into a low grinding sound. A large trail of smoke began
exuding from the exhaust system in the Horse-O-Matic's posterior. The Horse-O-Matic,
slowed down to a clankering stop. Dr. Destructo began beating on it; either out of anger
or to realign whatever mechanisms may have come undone, I trust it was the latter. Of
course, his small fists were not very effective against his creation's cast-iron hull.
"Damnation!" He swiftly began rummaging through our satchels for his toolkit.
"Master," I said. No response, he was absorbed.
"Master!"
"MASTER!"
"WHAT, HEALY?" he spun around angrily the Master does not like to be disturbed when
he is working.
Perhaps now may not be the best time to work on the "
"What? What? You're speaking nonsense. Do not tell me how to do my work, Healy. Do I
tell you how to "
"Master," I said, motioning to the direction from whence we came. "He follows us still."

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The Master paused, and gave me a look that was full of fear. He then turned away.
Seeing that no response was forthcoming, I busied myself unloading the crippled HorseO-Matic, which was beginning to smell of burnt wiring.
"You're right, Healy, you're right. And here we are, stranded in the forsaken wilderness,"
he motioned towards the sunset, a lovely shade of pink," surrounded by savages and
wild beasts, with naught to do but sit and wait until we wind up in the jaws of either."
"Master," I suggested, "perhaps we could continue on our path."
"Lo, Healy, now is the time for us to prepare our souls for whatever may come
beyond" He lay a withered hand on the Horse-O-Matic's head. Some of its gears
whimpered in response. "Ah, Healy, I wish that I could, but as you can see from my
misshapen frame, it is the most I can do to walk the exuberance of running is foreign
to me. Perhaps if I had not spent my boyhood toiling in the ironite mines of Goreanon,
desperately hoping for an apprenticeship"
The Master was prone to such moods. He attributed it to a chemical imbalance in his
brain due to years of exposure to Purolitrix fumes. Or to his boyhood spent toiling in the
ironite mines of Goreanon. For all his genius, the Master often cannot see the solutions
in front of him. That is why we work so well together he is the visionary, and I, noble
Healy, am the one who handles the practical matters he so often overlooks. Such as
now.
I set to work wrapping the Horse-O-Matic's satchels around my own person. The Master
was now sitting on the Horse-O-Matic, weeping: "Ah, my dear Aunt Vonnensteinberg,
you were so proud of me when I won the Junior Academy Science Fair by default. Now
look at me! Look at how I am to meet my end!"
"Master."
He looked up, wiping the tears from beneath his IsoTubble goggles. There I stood,
burdened down with our supplies, packages and myriad of satchels. "Save your tears for
a more fitting tragedy. Hope is not lost yet."
"Why Healy, what on earth are you doing?"
I picked him up bodily and slung him across my shoulders. "Your dedicated assistant will
not let you perish, sir!"
"Yes! Yes! Onward!" he cried, his feet nearly striking me in the face as we began to run.
"Make haste, Healy, make haste, despite your girth! Safety is just over the next hill!"
Nathan Trier is, most likely, the most prolific submitter to RPGevolution, and a regular
at the Gaming Outpost (http://www.gamingoutpost.com).

Page 13

RPGevolution

a tale of Order versus Chaos for the Sorcerer RPG

by Clinton R. Nixon
Note: Demonblade is an original setting for Sorcerer, an independent role-playing game by Ron
Edwards. Demonblade requires Sorcerer to play, and Sorcerer & Sword, the fantasy
supplement for Sorcerer, is recommended. You can get more information about Sorcerer,
including how to purchase it, at http://www.sorcerer-rpg.com/ . Sorcerer is (c) 1998 Ron
Edwards.

"Like memories forgotten, the world was eaten by Chaos unbeknownst to the
Empire. A fragment at a time, the imperceptible losses, slow but inexorable, were
never noticed until it was too late. Chaos' extraordinary ability to erase even the
memory of a thing proved fatal as the world of Men was devoured. One is easily
reminded of the tale of a frog in a witch-ess' pot: as the witch slowly heated the
water, one degree at a time, the frog was loathe to notice. Had the witch cast the
frog into boiling water, he would have leaped away--by raising the temperature
slowly over time, too slow for the frog to notice, he was boiled alive.
"But, at what price Order? We have given up our humanity for our deliverance
from the roiling seas of Chaos lapping at our door--and still, are we even
delivered? The waves lap at our front gate, driven back by our own Orderly tools,
but do our tools serve us, or are we their servants, the servants of a demonic
army, and the peons in a demonic war?"
Historian Ekor Nak of the Imperial City
Demonblade is a game set in a dark fantasy world nothing like our own. This world does have
strong resemblances to worlds found in pulp fantasy literature such as Franz Leiber's novels of
Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, and Michael Moorcock's Elric series. This world is caught in a
struggle between Order and Chaos, the primary influences on this world as opposed to the
morality of good and evil.
The Empire is the crux of the world. Once expansive and grand, the Empire now consists only of
its capital, the Imperial City, a huge metropolis of iron and stone. For time eternal, the forces of
Order and Chaos have conducted a shadow war throughout the Empire. With imperceptible
stealth, the demons of Chaos slowly dissolved the land away, piece by piece. With the
disappearance of the land, its memories faded also. There was no one to call attention to this
encroachment as the inhabitants were eaten along with their property.
Finally, reports came in to the City--a farm gone here, a village gone there. Still, the logical
Emperor, allied with Order, knew he and his were safe. The stories were regarded as superstitions
and fairy tales--and Chaos devoured on. It was not until his Empire was nearly gone that the

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Emperor was able to see through the magical haze placed over his mind and see what had
happened to the once glorious land he had ruled.
In desperation, there was little to do but call his Imperial engineers and sorcerers together to
summon forth the war machines needed to fight back the sea of Chaos that lapped ever closer to
the Imperial City daily. Called forth, the demons of Order took their forms as steel walls to protect
the city, mechanical animals and men, rust-covered and spiked, to combat the Chaos demons,
and weaponry--swords and axes, pikes and cannons, to arm the men of the city. Some demons of
Order took other forms, strange machines that integrated themselves with the flesh of men,
augmenting them with demonic powers beyond their own.
The forces of Order have stabilized the insurgence of Chaos, stopping it just outside the walls of
the Imperial City, which are themselves sheathed in iron demon skin. The Emperor lives, ancient
with centuries of life behind him, through his arcane exoskeleton, holding and strengthening his
withered, useless body.
The City and Technology
The Imperial City is filled with strange technology, although the word is not used as such. The
walls of buildings are sheathed in metal, and some newer buildings are built of iron from the
ground to their roof. The city walls, hundreds of yards high, are riddled with cannons, unleashing
their deadly shot against the legions of Chaos.
Most technology is demonic in originthat is, automatons and mechanical animals wander the
streets, but they are demons of Order, summoned and hopefully bound by a sorcerer. Sorcerers
often have mechanical augmentations to their body, iron arms and legs, strange eyeglasses and
faceplates. These are often demons, but the prevalence of Order permits tools and parts to be
made of the substance of demonsthat is, a machine can be made by a skilled engineer from the
demon iron that has special powers, yet does not have to be Bound, enabling a non-sorcerer to
use the item.
Demons also take the form of mechanical devicesa moving carriage, or a machine of war,
including personal weapons. There are no true guns in Demonblade, despite the cannons, but
demons do take the form of weapons that may spray shards of metal, or round shot, or even
eldritch energy. It is up to the GM how advanced and fantastic they wish the game to be, but it is
conceivable that a sorcerer might have a 5 foot long aluminum and copper weapon, steadied by a
strap around his shoulders and wrapped around his arm, capable of firing purple lightning.
Alternatively, demons may take the form of weapons no more advanced than a hammer or
sword.
The Citizens of the Imperial City
The concentration of sorcerers in Demonblade is much higher than in Sorcerer, more equivalent
to Sorcerer and Sword. As much as 10% of the Imperial Citys population are sorcerers, and as
much as 25% have had some dealings with demons.
The rest of the population is a mixed bunch. There are merchants who have lived their entire lives
in the city, peasants whose farms were destroyed in the great destruction of Chaos, aristocrats,
and poor street urchins. The city is not untouched by mortal chaos, by any means. Crime exists,
and is rampant in some poor ghettos. There are places in the City covered with iron and steel,
and beautiful, where the rich live. In the marketplace, Tin Men walk the streets, guarding
merchants from theft, and people move orderly between the stalls.

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There are also dark neighborhoods, made of wood, rock, and hay, where people relieve
themselves anywhere they find a modicum of privacy, and animals fight with children for scraps
of dirty food; and where a strangers money parts with him inside of five minutes.
It is not certain (and is definitely up to the GM) where people are happier. As far as a look for
Demonblade, the following rule applies: metal = Order, organic (wood or flesh) = Chaos.

Characters in Demonblade
In Demonblade, the PCs are Imperial citizens, usually from the Imperial City, but may hail from
anywhere throughout the Empire. They may be street sneaks, or a farmer whose lands were
destroyed by Chaos as he fled to the capital. They may be traveling acrobats, stuck now and
forever in the city, or an Imperial Sorcerer, well versed in the arts of Order, and hell-bent on
battle.
The Empire is not defined in any way in these rules. Not only is it gone now, but, like Ron
Edwards suggests in the Sorcerer and Sword rules, it is often better to let your setting be
defined by your characters than your characters defined by the setting. Suffice it to say that
the Empire was expansive in the extreme, and a variety of characters may be created.
Create characters as normal for Sorcerer (or Sorcerer and Sword, if you have this
supplement), with the following notes:
Use whatever descriptions seem appropriate for Stamina, Will and Lore, and feel free to make up
descriptions not in the rulebook with GM approval. Here are some setting-appropriate examples:
Stamina
Imperial Soldier. Rugged and hardy from training, public service and combat. Good with a
sword or pike, and proficient with a shield.
Wiry. You might spend all day tinkering with gears and wire, or pouring over a book, but the
combination of your hot workshop and lifting metal plates has left you in thin, but good shape.
Raised outdoors. You are able to deal well with the elements, as you grew up on a farm/in
the forest/elsewhere outdoors. This also applies to skills such as climbing, digging, swimming,
or whatever else is appropriate for your background.
Mechanical animal. You have had some of your vital organs and body replaced with
mechanical augmentation (of the non-demonic sort). This may allow you certain advantages
(a telescoping arm, or clawed fingers).
Will
Vow against Chaos. The demons of Chaos destroyed your home/wife/child/cows/something.
You're mad as hell, and will do anything to get your revenge.
Imperial Court. You serve in the Imperial Court in some capacity, whether you are a noble,
one of the Imperial Sorcerers, or a servant. You have intimate knowledge of Imperial politics,
and feel you are above the peons of the street.

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RPGevolution
Lore
Naive. (Lore 1-2). Just like in Sorcerer and Sword, you are naive when it comes to dealing
with demons. You probably do not start play with a Bound demon, and know maybe one or
two rituals, although you're capable of using them if someone teaches you more. Most PCs in
Demonblade fall under this category, because the entire population is aware of the existence
of demons (although many do not recognize the denizens of Order as demons as well), and as
many as 25 percent of the population have dealt with demons in some way.
Not Quite Human. You are touched in some way by something otherworldly. You have no
idea what it is, or what happened to you, but you've always felt a bit apart from humanity,
seeing things through a different set of eyes. (This does not necessarily mean you have a high
Lore, but you can have Lore 1-3 with really worrying how you got trained.)
Imperial Sorcerer (Lore 4-5). Trained by the Empire, your knowledge of demons is high,
and your dealings with them regular. You are a member of the elite, and you know it, looking
down on other sorcerers as mere dabblers and inept. Not only do you have a depth of
knowledge at your disposal, but access to the Imperial Library and a network of other
sorcerers--not that they're always reliable, as the best way up in stature and rank among the
court sorcerers is through destroying the reputation, soul or existence of another (as long as
you don't get caught.)
Warrior against Chaos (Lore 2+). You're caught in the middle of this demonic war, and are
ready to sacrifice your soul in order to win. You could have learned what you know from many
sources: theft of knowledge, from other warriors, from front-line experience, or in trade for
something valuable from a demon. Whatever the cost, you've learned dark secrets, and are
more than willing to use them. Watch out for those damned Imperial Sorcerers, though-they'd be ready to eat you alive if you weren't so wily and valuable.
Cover/Past
Choose whatever feels appropriate for your character. There are a myriad of jobs in the world of
Demonblade, and being a sorcerer is one of them. See above and later in the chapter on the
Empire and technology for ideas.
Price/Flaw
Again, choose something appropriate. There's plenty of examples in Sorcerer and Sorcerer and
Sword.
Humanity
Use all rules available in Sorcerer and Sword; trading Humanity should be available to Imperial
Sorcerers and anyone Not Quite Human.
Loss of Humanity is treated differently, however. The few sorcerers that deal with the demons of
Chaos still suffer the same effects from loss of Humanity as the main rules suggest.
Sorcerers that deal with the demons of Order suffer in a different way: as their Humanity dips
further and further, they find themselves drawn into Order. They may grow increasingly intolerant
of any form of Chaos, or normal mortal chaosarguments, white noise, people who are too
individualistic, voices against the Empire, and petty crime. The idea of mechanical augmentation
becomes less and less alien to them, and they may begin transforming themselves into

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something less human.
When Humanity reaches 0, much like in Sorcerer, the effects are left to the GM. The character
should be removed from play, however.
In Demonblade, the City plays a large part, as the focus of the story, but also as the stronghold
of Order in this war against Chaos. The City itself is not sentient, but composed in large parts by
elemental Order, the gift of the demons. As Order grows stronger, its much like a garden of
Order, as the walls grow covered in iron, the spires reach higher with sharp steeples of metal,
and the streets flow in steel.
One result of a sorcerers Humanity dropping to 0 is that he may become part of the City, forming
a statue or a gargoyle, or a part of a wall or building. He may become part of a weapon, or a
weapon itselfa sword to strike against Chaos with. The strongest sorcerers may become one of
the dreaded Tin Men, automatons that patrol the streets day and night, sleepless and wordless,
rooting out Chaos, even to the pettiest crime.
Demons of Order
There are several different types of demons of Order, most of which are much easier to recognize
than the demons in Sorcerer.
Mechanical animals or automatons are ferrous demons in a vaguely man-like or animallike shape. They could never be confused for the real thing, as they are composed of metal
and wire and conduits, with creaking joints and sharp teeth. These demons abilities are
conferred to themselves.
Object demons are like their counterparts in Sorcerer, although they, like almost all demons
of Order, are composed of metal of some sort. These demons encompass everything from
replacement body parts, to swords, to giant war machines, such as a catapult or ballista. The
difference between an object demon capable of momentum and an automaton is that an
object demon must be controlled. Even if it is capable of propelling itself, it will have some
method, be it a wheel, level, or whatever, of controlling its movement. Object demons may
confer their powers upon themselves or others.
Parasite demons live inside a host, and could be composed of a metal parasite, like a spider
living inside ones chest, or many smaller robotic pieces, medieval nanites infesting and
animating ones skeleton. Their powers can only be conferred upon their host. However, the
sorcerer and the host do not have to be the same person. The host may not even have to be
alive.
Archons are equivalent to Passing demons from Sorcerer, although they may have the
power Boost. They look human using the ability Cover, and nearly human without. They
appear to what humans would be without any flaws. Ranging from copper to golden, these
feared creatures are the leaders of the demonic armies of Order, and rarely seen in this
reality. It is forbidden for a sorcerer to summon one of these immensely powerful demons,
although it is rumored that some of the Imperial Sorcerers are actually Archons in disguise.
Desire

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RPGevolution
It would appear at first that the demons of Order would have simple Desiresthe destruction of
Chaos. While that is a prime motivator for these demons, they often want more. Some example
desires for Order demons are:
Construction. The demon needs to build, whether it be buildings, other machines, or
furniture.
Crime-fighting. This isnt nearly as good as it sounds. This demon sees the inherent chaos in
everyone, and is ready to root it out.
Knowledge.
Power.
Summoning. These demons want more and more demons of Order in the world, in order to
meet their own needs.
Want
Demons of Order have needs much like Demons of Chaos. The main rule to remember when
deciding on a Need is that the need should serve Order in some way, or at least not be antithical
to it. The need could be as simple as a need to clean, or to meditate regularly.
Most needs from Sorcerer are appropriate if put in the right perspective. The need to start fights,
for example, seems inappropriate. However, this demon may like to sit in taverns, waiting for a
fight to break out, then put a savage and brutal end to all the fighting, eliminating every trace of
Chaos in the room.
Demons of Chaos
The demons of Chaos are the same as the familiar demons from Sorcerer. They may well take
other forms, like the half-demons, and Old Ones from Sorcerer and Sword. The main difference
between demons in Sorcerer and these demons of Chaos is that they are not bound. They can be
bound by an intrepid sorcerer, but their Power counts as binding strength, as they are bound to
this earth. This is halved inside the Imperial City, however, as the forces of Order weaken the
demons.
Demons of Chaos in Demonblade have the
luxury of other forms as well--because Chaos
has gained so much power in the world,
demons have been able to shed some of their
cloak. Monstrous war-machines of Chaos,
covered in ichor, feathers and teeth, have been
sighted from the Imperial walls, and it is
rumored that part of the Undercity have been
captured by Chaos, converting them into the
Caverns of Flesh.
Clinton R. Nixon is an avid player of Sorcerer
and not really a big proponent of Order in any
fashion.

Buy Sorcerer now!

Go to http://www.sorcerer-rpg.com,
the home of Sorcerer, Sorcerer
and Sword, and the newest
supplement, The Sorcerer's Soul.

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RPGevolution

a Mike Mearls Mental Marvel

You are the smartest man in the world. You finished first in your class at Unknown
University. You built a time machine just to ensure that you are never late for anything.
Your intellect dwarfs those of Einstein, Hawking, Mearls, and Newton.
But the world doesnt know that yet. Maybe the time machine did accidentally unleash a
pack of ravenous velociraptors on downtown Flint, Michigan. It wasnt your fault. At
least, not completely. And it looks like the Fords, IBMs, and Microsofts of the world are a
lot more interested in making money than causing general mayhem and panic. Wheres
the fun in that? So youve decided to take a job in Dr. Chaos robot factory. Its fun
designing giant attack robots for the universes foremost supervillain. Except for one
small detail: your coworkers.
You hate them.
They take credit for all of your ideas. They complain to management when you do the
same to theirs. They eat all the chocolate donuts and leave you with the plain ones. They
steal all the nasty things you write about them on employee evaluations and use them
against you. But thats not the least of it. Oh no siree. The ultimate insult is this:
Performance bonuses are split amongst all employees.
Thats right. You designed the ultimate killing machine. Its ready to take on the heroes
of the world and leave them a smoking ruin. But the big bonus that Dr. Chaos promised
you, the one thatll put you on easy street, aint all yours. Well, thats going to change.
You programmed the robot this morning to systematically slaughter your coworkers,
leaving you alone to collect Dr. Chaoss cash money. Robots always run amok. ALWAYS.
And no one will question this routine mayhem. NOBODY.
But wait. Why are all your lab mates smiling at each other, and you, like that? No
matter, just smile back and enjoy the show as your robot does its job. Besides, if
anything goes wrong, you have your handy robot remote control. Wait a sec, why is
everyone else holding their handy robot remote control, too?!?!?

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RPGevolution
The Game
Another Blood Soaked Day at the Robot Factory is a fast-paced, sort of real time
card game concerning the back stabbing, high stakes world of building death machines
for crazed, world domination bent supervillains. The Ultimate Combat Attack Robot
(UCAR for short) is finally complete. All thats left is the final power up and cognitive
tests. Unfortunately, someone has been tampering with the robots programming. In
fact, so many people have been screwing around with it that UCAR cant operate on its
own. Happily, UCARs remote control units are working fine. Unhappily, those remote
control units are in the hands of a group of bloodthirsty corporate scientists with murder
(and a big fat performance bonus) on their minds. Each player in Another Blood Soaked
Day at the Robot Factory is a remote control toting scientist desperately trying to force
UCAR to off his rivals while staying alive to cash that bonus check.
Objective
Each scientist holds a UCAR remote control unit. This unit can transmit one Robot
Symbolic Instruction (RSI) at a time. Unfortunately, each RSI can represent only one
basic concept, roughly equivalent to a single English word. So, if you wanted to tell UCAR
to Shoot that guy you would transmit the command (shoot) and a target (that guy)
separately. What this means is that if you have five crazed scientists, each beaming
orders at UCAR simultaneously, UCAR is going to do some pretty unexpected things.
Another Blood Soaked Day at the Robot Factory simulates this by using cards, each
of which has a RSI written on it. The smallish box described under Components serves
as UCARs RSI memory registers. Players toss commands into the box, hoping to build
commands that compel UCAR to splat their opponents while at the same time screwing
up their opponents orders.
Components
Until the Internet incorporates matter replication and teleportation technology, youll
have to make your own Another Blood Soaked Day at the Robot Factory playing pieces.
Theyre rather simple to make. Youll need:
20 blank index cards per player
A smallish box, one that hold the cards if they were stacked face down. The box has to
be small enough that once the cards are placed in the box, they wont get knocked out of
the order in which they were put in there.
Paper and pencil.
Game Play
Game play is very simply: players stick cards into the box. There are no turns, no order
of play, or anything else besides a mad dash to get cards into the box. There is one
restriction, though: at any given time, each player may have a maximum of ONE card in

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RPGevolution
his hands. That's right, you cant simply pick up your entire stack of cards and stuff them
into the box. Each scientist can only transmit one RSI to UCAR at a time, so each player
can only put one card in the box at a time.
Robot Symbolic Instructions
UCAR understands a limited number of commands. They are broken down into three
types: actions, targets, and modifiers.
Actions
Action cards are represented by an index card with the action written down on them. An
index card with the Waste Em, Boy written on it represents the Waste Em, Boy
command. (Still with me here?)
Waste Em, Boy: UCAR comes equipped with a CHAOS Model D chaingun. This command
forces UCAR to fire the gun at his current target. Getting shot does 2 points of damage
to a scientist.
Help Me, UCAR: Since UCAR was meant to work with Dr. Chaoss mortal followers, it
includes an emergency field surgery kit. UCAR will heal its current target of 1 point of
damage.
Save Me UCAR, Save Me: UCAR can project force fields around stuff. This command
orders him to project one around his current target. The force field absorbs the next
shoot attack directed at the scientist then disappears.
Targets
Target cards are pretty simple. Write an opponents name on a card with an appropriate
appeal to UCARs sense of mayhem, such as Nail Bob Ross, UCAR old boy! Its now a
target card that directs UCAR to do stuff to that player (Bob Ross, in this case.)
Boosts
Boosts modify actions. They may cause UCAR to modify how it does things. Make boosts
cards just like you made action ones: write the name of the boost on the card. Pow,
instant boost card.
Keep It Up: UCAR thrives on positive feed back. Give him a pat on the back, and hell
repeat the next action he takes two more times, both at the same target. Play this is if
the affected card had been added to the pile twice more after the original.
Not Him, the Other Him: This card forces UCAR to scramble and reset its targeting
controls. Every player at the table must roll a die. High roller is the new target. In case
of a tie, all high rollers are the current target.

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Stop, You Mechanical Monster: This appeal to UCARs well hidden thoughtful side causes
him to pause for a second before redoubling the mayhem. Discard the next action card.
If the next card after the discarded one is a Waste Em, Boy! card, that card inflicts 4
points of damage.
Reading the Cards
Once all the cards are in the box, carefully pull the pile out. Start with the bottommost
card and read off the command written on each card. This is the order in which UCAR
follows his commands. Since the bottommost card was the first command given, thats
what UCAR does first. Figuring out what UCAR does is simple. UCAR directs his actions at
his current target. His current target is the last target card pulled out of the box. If no
target card has been pulled out of the box yet, UCAR acts is if a Not Him, the Other Him
card had been played.
Starting Cards
Each player starts the game with 20 blank index cards and a pen or pencil. Each player
can create whatever mix of command cards he wants. Enterprising players may keep a
few cards blank at the start of the game in hopes of scratching down orders on the fly.
Illegible cards have no effect, though players are encouraged to mercilessly taunt the
incompetent who cant write clearly.
Damage
Every starts with 0 damage points. The player with the fewest damage points at the end
of the game survives and wins. The Help Me card reduces damage, the Waste Em, Boy
inflicts it (duh!). Damage cant go below 0. If you are in perfectly good health, all the
surgery in the world wont save you.
Wrapping Up
Thats Another Blood Soaked Day at the Robot Factory. The rules right now are
very simple, and the game demands more funky effect cards and more fun things. The
easiest variant is this: soak this baby in alcohol! Instead of damage, players take shots
of beer. Instead of getting healed, players force others to take shots of beer. If you have
any sense of fun, getting the cards into the box will quickly take on a very physical, and
somewhat violent, bent.

Mike Mearls is a genius of the highest order. He is also the founder of Adept Games, the
publishers of PERP, The Swords Against Sorcery Project, and Hand Axe!, the finest
RPG ever written. Adept Games can be found at http://www.rpg.net/adeptgames/.
Mearls will also slay monsters for money and goods, and dispose of rabbits, as part of his
new venture, Mearls Incorporated.

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a game of creation by Nathan Trier

Deific is designed to let players act the parts of deities, balancing the portrayals of the
gods in classic myth and fantasy role-playing games. The mechanics make it more of a
collaborative story-telling game than the usual game of "adventuring." The core system
could be called a story-circle: plots and descriptions are passed around from player to
player, making everyone involved both a player and GM. All players contribute towards
creating a world that's rich with history, races and religions.
Deific operates on the principle that failure is better for the plot than success. When a
player's action fails, whoever is in charge of that particular plot should give a detailed
account of how it failed. More detail in the description means more detail in the setting,
which gives all the players.
The rules are very loose, relying on players to offer creative and fair interpretations of
the mechanics. Deific is best played with a group of role-players who are more
interested in telling a story than winning.
Axis Mundi: Beginning the Game
1. Establish how your deities got where they are. Answers can be anything, such as
"dimensional travel," or "they've been sleeping in the center of the planet," or "a
horrible war left only three survivors."
2. Whats your playing field? Establish a geography is the world a blue and green
globe spinning through space? A disc with the mountain-home of the deities at the
center? A giant tree on the back of the turtle on the back of a hippo? Include
general areas (desert, forest) with some specific landmarks (a tree with a spirit
inside, caves that lead to the underworld) that you can hang stories off of. Sketch
up a rough map that everyone can reference.
3. Is the world barren, or are there already inhabitants? Are they dumb animals?
Horrible monsters? Enlightened humanoids? Or are there other stronger (or
weaker) deities?
4. Everyone describes their characters to the others in the group.
5. Create your character:
a. Characters have four traits:
i.
Wisdom Knowledge of all things arcane.

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ii.
iii.

Might Strength of his offense (this extends to spells as well).

Empathy Ability to understand how other gods / mortals think and
feel. Gods who demand human sacrifices have low Empathy scores.
iv.
Cleverness The ability to spot loopholes, or take advantage of
another deity's character faults.
b. Players distribute 19 points among these 4 traits.
c. Players pick 4 of the following skills:
i.
Mimic The deity can adopt the form of something else; great for
tricksters!
ii.
Change Individual's Form (take it twice for Change Race's Form) give
that petty underling wings, an extra set of eyes, make him six feet or six
inches tall
iii.
Manifest The deity can appear in full physical form to mortals
iv.
Manipulate Air the deity has total control over the element of air
v.
Manipulate Fire the deity has total control over the element of fire
vi.
Manipulate Water - the deity has control over the element of water
vii.
Manipulate Earth - the deity has control over the element of earth
viii.
Manipulate Magic the deity has control over the somewhat nebulous
element of magic
ix.
Manipulate Life/Souls the deity has control over life or souls.
x.
Construct the deity is a talented craftsman, and can build remarkable
things like clockwork people, floating fortresses, or Swords of Utmost
Agony
6. Begin playing!
Sample character: Zeus
Wisdom 4
Might 9
Empathy 3
Cleverness 3
Skills:
Mimic
Manifest
Manipulate Fire (Lightning Bolts)
Change Individual's Form
Music of the Spheres: The Mechanics of Play
As previously stated, Deific eschews the traditional character party - GM arrangement
and utilizes the collaborative story-circle. In the story-circle, you still control the actions
of your deity, but your fellow players control the effects and repercussions of those
actions. When Player A begins a plot, then Player B notes the name of the deity and the
action that deity made ("Orlok Appears to troll chieftain in vision") on a piece of paper.
Player B is now in charge of that plot. Plots should be as close to evenly distributed as
possible, so the next plot that Player A starts goes to Player C to control, since Player B
already has a plot for Player A. Some actions, such as "Bezlan hides in his sanctuary and

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tends to his wounds," may not warrant falling under another player's control, as that
particular action may not generate any particularly interesting repercussions.
Play goes by rounds, progressing to the right. Turn 1 begins with Player A, and ends with
the player immediately to Player A's left. When it is Player A's turn again, then it's a new
turn.
1. Player A describes the results of any plots he's controlling, and then describes the
actions his deity is taking this turn.
2. The success of any actions are based on the score of the deity's relative trait. Any
related skills count as a +1 bonus.
3. The player gauges his trait + any relative skill(s) against a scale of 10. 5 means
his character was just barely successful. 10 means the deity succeeded better
than he could have hoped, 1 means he failed miserably and something very bad
happens. The results of any actions are described by another player.
Rules for specific actions:
Always refer to your deity in third person ("The mighty Orlok has been angered by the
cowardice of his servants")
When creating a race, the deity must pick one of his traits to be characteristic of that
race.
Anything beyond this, use your best judgment. Discuss it with your group. You can
either keep track of house rules or clean the slate for every new game.
Alternate rules:
1. Instead of plot-control going to the right, players who want control of a plot
may knock on the table (first come, first served). If no players knock, then it's
assumed the plot is completed without problems.
2. Play ends after two hours after that, use the world you've created as a
setting for a traditional, party-based FRPG.
3. Pick three or four skills that are common to all deities, and then let each player
define 2 or 3 powers unique to her deity. Let the other players review the
unique powers if it could upset game balance, the other players brainstorm a
weakness for that power.
4. Diced Mechanic: Players distribute 5 points among their six skills. To resolve a
task, roll 2d6+ Trait+ Relevant Skill. 10 is a minimal success, 15 is a solid
success, 20 is a spectacular success.
Nathan Trier is a writing maniac, apparently. He has yet another article later.
All bow before Nathan Trier.

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by Jared Sorensen

Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?
George Carlin
Picture the neverending circus. Tightropes criss-cross the sky, secured by mile-high
wooden pillars. Curiouser are the ropes that stretch off into the distance. One can
imagine them securely tethered, rope ladders reaching down through the fog and
rainbow-colored lights to the safety of the groundmaybe. Canvas tents, vast and
forbidding. The tentflaps buffeted open and closed by the wind that blows through the
canyons of the city.
Worn concrete and decay mar the surface below. Squat gray buildings cast fierce
shadows down upon grafittied walls and abandoned circus wagons. The Joy-Toy building
stands above everything, even the highest high-wires. It leans at a weird angle,
occasionally letting off a burst of smoke and flame from a smokestack as its corporate
wizards create some new trinket or novelty for the masses. Some balloons-mobiles float
lazily overhead,
sweeping the streets
with spotlights.
Everything is quiet
in Klown Town and
thats never a good
sign.
A trio of monkeys
watches from a
nearby fire escape,
chattering aimlessly
as the scene
unfolds. The Klowns
race through the
streets on an urgent
mission. The tiny car
is jammed with
ruffled collars and
baggy trousers,

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gigantic feet and cotton-candy colored wigs. The car screeched to a halt and Klowns
emerge, pouring out like fried dough onto the street, twisted like pretzels fresh from the
oven. A single streetlight, the only one not broken by rowdier types, shines down on the
street. A spotlight for the big show. Flopsy amuses the other Klowns with an impromptu
display of shadow puppets. The Klowns laugh while Georgio and Mr. Chump unload the
guns, chains, knives and samurai swords from the trunk of the diminutive vehicle.
Twenty Klowns gathered around a supply depot of weaponry is bound to attract
attentionand this case is no exception. A pair of Mimes, ultra-chic in their black
leotards and striped shirts. They smoke their clove cigarettes against the brick wall
where Flopsy is twisting his fingers into the shape of a billy goat. The Mimes are visible
now, their chalk-white faces turned to face the light. One rolls his eyes, the other shrugs
and pantomimes a warning shot, his hands cupped around his mouth.
From the darkness steps another dozen thin figures in black clothing and white-face.
Their leader, a portly Mime in a black beret and striped shirt steps forward, his hands on
his hips.
Bobo straightens his over-large tie and smiles a huge red grin.
Whaddya gonna do now, Frenchy? Walk against the wind?
The Mimes leader smiles
smugly and flicks his clove
away. He draws a weapon
from his shoulder and
points it at Bobo. The Mime
mouths an unmistakable
epithet and unloads onto
Bobo, the unseen UZI
spraying invisible bullets at
the Klowns. They duck
behind their car, readying
their weapons as Bobo is
riddled with gunfire. The
only sounds are the
shuffling of feet as the
Klowns re-group and Bobo
yells in shock and surprise,
falling down in a heap and
deflating like a leaky
balloon.
Flopsys dinosaur shadow reaches down from the brick wall and grabs one of the Mimes
with its jaws. A sickening crunch and the Mime flops down, twitching slightly before it
collpases under the weight of its own pretention and disappears from a POP. Georgio
leaps onto the hood of the Klown car, its shocks creaking under his considerable weight.

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He holds a pair of throwing axes in his hands and leaps from the car, bellowing in a rich
baritone as his comrades rush the Mimes.
Its gonna be another long night in Klown Townwelcome to the Eternal Circus.
The world of CircusPunk is one of surrealism and madness, a place of ironies and
opposites. Where joy is a commodity to be hoarded over like pieces of silver and
laughter is always tinged with insanity.
Which isnt to say that the residents are insane, its just that their world is crazy.
To imagine the CircusWorld, picture the style of films like Blade Runner and Akira.
Ultramodern architecture and endless fields of neon. Now replace the skyways and
catwalks with high-wire tightropes and teetering trapeze platforms, brightly-colored
canvas tents and circus wagons covered in cracked and peeling paint. Stairways that
lead to nowhere, or back onto themselves as if props in an illustration by MC Escher.
Monolithic constructs of rotting wood and iron tracks rollercoasters to hell, Tilt-a-Whirls
to the center of the universe.
Is CircusWorld a prison? Another dimension? A junkyard where past carnivals come to
die? Who knows? Ultimately, its yours to explore. Myself, I prefer to think of it as just a
place to play rough

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Most of the populace of CircusWorld are Klowns, degenerate low-lifes who hang out in
bars and engage in criminal activity for fun and profit. The Clarabells still cling to the old
ways you may even see some of these old-timers hanging out on stoops doing their
tired old schtick for passers-by. But the circus blew out of town a long, long time
agoand there hasnt been any real clowning work for ages.
Most of the employed Klowns (which is to say, very few) work at the Joy-Toy Corporation
as messengers, guards and factory workers. The JTC owns the majority of the city and
the corps Ringmaster is its de facto ruler. The JTCs so-called Leaning Tower is the
tallest building in the city, dwarfing the tallest ballon-mobile docking platform (except
for, of course, the Ringmasters private platform on the top of the JTC building).
The rest of the Klowns sleep out on the streets or in small tent cities that spring up at
night when it rains. Those that can afford it usually rent out space in a seedy hotel or
sleep off their hangovers in an old movie theater.
When not busking for change on the sidewalk, some Klowns run a nice racket dealing in
counterfeit novelty items and looped cartoon reels. Of course, some of this black market
activity causes friction within various gangs and those tensions are bound to flare up into
turf wars. One of the larger gangs is not even composed of real Klowns. The blackclothed Mimes, with their artsy-fartsy attitudes and black berets, are known to deal in
the same merchandise as the Klowns the resulting confrontations are never pretty.
Despite their effete demeanors, the Mimes are tough customers with access to powerful
Schticks learned in the back-alley theatres and improv workshops.
The Mimes usually keep to themselves and their own territory, an area of the city on the
far-side of Klown Town called Little Paris. The premiere Mime joint is a little bistro caf
called (non-Mimes refer to it as Marcels, after the apparent owner) which has a
strict no-Klowns policy. Theyre willing to let Clarabells grab a latte now and then but
capital-K Klowns will be hard pressed to get by the doorman, a Parisan strongman by the
name of Pierre (dont make fun of his accent or his ridiculous curled moustache).
The Klown-side (simply known as Klown Town, or Palookaville to outsiders) is a lot less
cultured. Rough and tumble rodeo clowns patrol the area and are known to start fights if
they dont manage to find any to join. Some of the party clowns who arent alcoholics or
crazy sometimes find work out of town working childrens birthdays but those are highly
contested, causing many party clowns to hire less-reputable Klowns to intimidate their
competitors or even take over areas where the parties are held.
The CircusWorld is home to many other types of people besides Klowns and Mimes.
Circus freaks, carnies, barkers, fortune tellers, acrobats, strongmen, animal trainers and
musicians all call the city their home. Its all just a part of life under the Big Top.
Jared Sorensen is the creator of Memento-Mori Theatricks (http://www.mementomori.com/main) and the author of such games as Schism, octaNe, Pulp Era,
Gigantocorp, The Cradle, and Ars Mechanica. He is also involved in graphic design
and is the webmaster for the comic, Gloomcookie. He does not play games.

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heroic gaming
turned on its head
by Nathan Trier

It all started with AD&D; the cohesive adventuring party meeting in a tavern, the aweinspiring dragon snoozing on his treasure hoard, the diverse races and cultures who
were put onto this earth to give the PC's kick-ass magical items, or to be mowed down
by the aforementioned magical items.
And then the hobby moved on...or did it? There's not that much of a difference between
the way we played RPGs back in the old days and the way we play now. You create your
character. You meet the other characters; you create an adventuring party. You go on
an adventure. There are bigger, more dangerous things than you. You beat those
dangerous things; you improve your character. Your character goes from weak to strong.
As your character gets stronger, so do your opponents. We're playing the same game
over and over again, just in different costumes.
Want something different? Sit down with a piece of paper and write down all the
conventions, clichs and givens of the genre you want to run a game in. Then reverse
them.
If you want a little bit of a twist, just switch one or two of the conventions. In a spy
game, for example, start the players as entry-level position spooks instead of the usual
cool professionals ("Wait - which button do I push to set off the plastique?"). If you want
something really different, switch a lot of the conventions. In our spy game example,
you could run poorly dressed characters who are employed by a small-time agency that's
severely under funded ("Okay, here's the plan. The waitress is bringing us the bill. I'll
pretend to drop my wallet, then you kick her in the shins and we make a break for it.")
Think about the unstated assumptions that go in a genre - what elements are common
to every game in this genre? What goes without saying? When you think of a clich,
write it down - and then underneath write down what the opposite of that clich would
look like. Let's take a fantasy game as an example:
Given: The world is a magical place, full of magic and adventure.
Reversed: The world is a festering filthhole. You live in a city so thick of smog you can't
see the sky (if there is a sky - it may be a roof for all you know). Outside of the city is a
barren wasteland.

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Given: You can go anywhere and do anything.

Reversed: You live in a walled-in city. It might be a city, it might be a factory, it might
be a sewer-system. Nobody really knows. But noone ever, ever leaves.
Given: Your character is a noble and stalwart adventurer, perhaps a wizened, gruff
fighter or a wily and crafty wizard.
Reversed: You suck. You're a piece of human refuse.
Given: The characters are a band of loyal adventuring companions.
Reversed: Your companions would stab you in the back at the slightest provocation.
What have we got? A bunch of loathsome characters with high mortality rates,
scrambling for survival in an oppressive, ugly, identity-less city-state. Traditional fantasy
setting? No way. Could it still be fun? Yes, oh yes.
Let's flesh out the setting. This is just an example of how I did it; how you flesh it out
could be totally different:
The characters are all henchmen who have dedicated their lives to slavishly serving "The
Master." Not that any of them have ever seen The Master. The closest they come is
reporting to their Immediate Supervisor, who tells them what to do. And then they do it.
It could be beating up an offender (his offense? Who knows?), busting up something real
good, or peeling potatoes. Henchmen are generally given a task to do, and then left
alone to do it. This, of course, gives the clever GM plenty of opportunity for mischievous
mayhem.
Henchmen don't have much of a life expectancy. Not only are they thrown against much
powerful threats by The Master, the constant jockeying for position and one-upmanship
can often get lethal.
The characters live in an oppressive, smog-soaked city. Everything is covered with soot,
and it's common for pedestrians to wear gas masks (those who can't afford a gas mask
use a rag). There are bums in every street corner, and everyone's crooked. Your
characters are a cut above - everyone knows you work for The Master. Not that that
makes your jobs any easier.
Obviously, this game isn't best suited for an extended campaign. But it could be perfect
for a quick and dirty one-shot. To facilitate the high mortality rate, rolling up a new
character after your old one croaks should be a snap: a quick and easy system like PERP
(http://www.rpg.net/adeptgames/PERP/PERP.html) should be perfect. Character names
include one of the things your character is good at - like Joe Muscles, or Izzy Puke.
There is nothing left to say about Nathan Trier.

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two new goblin species for 3 rd edition Dungeons and Dragons

by Clinton R. Nixon
These two sub-races of goblin are excerpts from the upcoming Goblinomicon from
Gargoyle13, which will be an indepth sourcebook for 3 rd edition Dungeons and
Dragons on the subject of goblins, to include several variant goblins, and some goblinthemed adventures.
Hive Goblins
Hit Dice: 1d8
Initiative: See below
AC: 10 + special (see below)
Attacks: 1 claw or weapon,
+special (see below)
Damage: 1d4 (claws) or by
weapon
Special Attacks: Hive mind
Special Defenses: None
Saves:
Will: +0
Fortitude: +1
Reflex: See below
Abilities:
Str 7, Dex 12, Con 12,
Int 9, Wis 8, Chr Skills: +4 Mining, +1
Alertness, +2 Set Traps, more
by location
Feats: None
Climate: Underground caves,
goblin-made as opposed to
natural
Num appearing: 3-10
Description:
Hive goblins are a rare breed of goblin that evolved rather differently from their distant
kin. In appearance, they look like normal goblins, with the exception of their reddishyellow skin and eyes, which look like transparent amber with no visible pupil.
The resemblance ends there, though, as hive goblins evolved in a rather insectoid
fashion. All hive goblins are gifted telepathically. However, their minds are so alien (and

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human minds so alien to them) that this gift can only be used to communicate amongst
each other. Normal hive goblins have a telepathic range of 100 yards, and they are in
constant and complete communication with all hive goblins within a 20 foot radius. Hive
goblins are so gifted telepathically that this communication includes full awareness
through all the goblins' senses.
In game effect, what this does is make the goblins incredibly aware of what is going on
around them, behind them, on top of them (if there's a goblin there), and more. In
combat, for each hive goblin in combat (up to a maximum of +10), all hive goblins
receive a +1 bonus to AC, to their Reflex save, and to their attack bonus. It is also
impossible to surprise a hive goblin if another hive goblin in the area has sighted the
protagonist.
For example, if someone was attacked by 5 hive goblins, each hive goblin would have a
15 AC, a +5 Reflex save, and a +5 to hit. If one of the goblins was killed, the remaining
would have a 14 AC, and a +4 Reflex save and to hit bonus.
Hive goblins are excellent miners, and dig their own ant-hill-like caves into mountains,
cliffsides, and under flat land. Each tribe has a queen hive goblin, a swollen, ichordripping monstrosity that has a telepathic range of 5 miles, in which she can use the
senses of any hive goblin. She can give orders to any of these, and can take control of
up to 10 goblins' bodies herself (with an Intelligence of 15, Wisdom of 14, and Charisma
of 9).
Hive goblins' telepathic strength is also their main weakness. The link between their
minds is so well developed and unblocked that any mind-altering spell cast on a hive
goblin can be "contagious" to the other goblins with the 20 foot sensory transmission
radius. When a spell under this category (sleep, charm, hold person, confusion, etc.) is
cast on any hive goblin, all hive goblins within a 20 foot radius must also make a saving
throw or be affected. If there are hive goblins within a 20 foot radius of these, they will
be affected the next round. This continues each round until no hive goblins are left with
sensory connections, causing a chain reaction.
It is theorized that if the queen of a tribe could be controlled, this would affect all the
hive goblins in her tribe.
Witch-imp,
also known as Witchling, Witch's Nipple, Impling, Goblin-imp, or Imp-goblin
Hit Dice: 2d4
Initiative: +0
AC: 10
Attacks: 1, +0 to hit
Damage: by weapon (usually a stick or dagger)
Special Attacks: Spell drain
Special Defenses: Spell absorption

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Saves:
Will: +10
Fortitude: +0
Reflex: +0
Abilities:
Int 14, Wis 7, Chr 13
Skills: +5 Spellcraft, +4 Concentration, +5 Spell Absorption
Feats: Combat Casting
Climate: Worldwide
Num appearing: Solitary
Description:
Witch-imps are born from ordinary goblins. They are usually killed at birth or thrown out
of the tribe for their birth defect, a rubbery point forming at the top-back of their head,
much like a large nipple. Normal goblins fear witch-imps, but fear the bad luck of killing
one almost as much, resulting in a decent mortality rate for these creatures.
Witch-imps love magic, and are very resilient versus its effects (as shown in its Will
save). They can sense the casting of magic in a 1 mile radius via their magic nipplehead, and often will seek out the caster.
A wise magician will be nice to the witch-imp, as he is rather defenseless vs. it. If magic
is cast directly on/at the witch-ump, it can make a Spell Absorption skill check versus DC
12 + the level of the wizard to absorb the spell. If the spell is absorbed, the witch-imp
takes no adverse effect from the spell, and is able to cast it at a later time. This spell
may be cast once a day (or once per level if the witch-imp has a character class) at the
level of the original caster.
If hit by a witch-imp, the magician is in danger of losing one of his own spells. The
magician must make a Will save versus DC 15 or lose a random spell he has memorized,
with the same effects as spell absorption.
Witch-imps are generally friendly towards wizards, luckily, and are intelligent enough to
learn from them, albeit in an unconventional way, as most witch-imps know no
language, neither Goblin or Common, at least not well. (They are smart enough to pick
up snippits of language quickly.) A wizard that allows a witch-imp to apprentice from him
gains the creature's complete loyalty.
Stories have been told of more wily witch-imps that are able to differentiate different
spells through their magic nipple. These imps are rumored to respond to foolish wizards'
casting for a familiar, and follow the wizard around, secretly learning from him and
sucking away his energy surreptitiously.
Clinton R. Nixon is a contributor to the Goblinomicon, soon to be published by
Gargoyle13. In addition, he is creating an entire goblin-based setting for 3 rd edition
Dungeons and Dragons entitled The Perilious Adventures of the Rat-Scat Gang. His
dog reminds him of a small goblin most of the time.

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Music and Gaming

by Nick LaLone
Music.
We hear music everyday: on the street, in the car, at the mall. Music is a very important
part of our lives. When a movie is created, a soundtrack is a critical part of the finished
product. It would be great if that could also be done with role-playing games. But, since
it isnt, I am going to give you a quick insight into creating your own soundtracks to
enliven and enrich your gameplay. First, however, lets look at how to bring music to the
gaming session.
There are at least three easy ways you can actually bring music to your gaming sessions.
First, if you are lucky enough to have a CD writer you can actually make customized CDs
that fit exactly what you are looking for. I would also suggest a three-disc changer,
AIWA has the cheapest product at the best quality; being able to swap discs and music
quickly is key, as players are notorious for straying from the GM's planned story line.
Second, Napster is a godsend of a program with which you can actually get any song
that you could think of. (Note: RPGevolution does not endorse downloading copyrighted
music from Napster. Once, I was downloading some Go-Go's for my Cyberpunk:2020
game, and Lars from Metallica kicked down my door and hit me in the kneecap. It still
hurts on rainy days. Don't say I didn't warn you. --Editor) If you do not own a CD writer
and do not want to bring your computer to the game table, what you can do is take a
tape adapter, the kind that comes with most portable CD players, and plug it into the
speaker port of your computer. Next, get out a dual tape cassette player; put a blank
tape into the "record" cassette slot and the tape adapter into the "play-only" cassette
slot. With this you can record your music from your computer, thus giving you an almost
unlimited library of music to work with. And lastly, you can actually bring your computer
to the gaming table. Although this is rather bulky, a computer can hold loads more than
a tape and can change songs with the push of a button. If you own a laptop this is an
even better solution as it is less bulky and will actually be able to fit on a larger gaming
table. Decent speakers for computers are amazingly cheap; Labtec
(http://www.labtec.com/product/productlist.cfm?CategoryID=1&FamilyID=32&special=0
) makes a pair of speakers with a 6 subwoofer for around $60.00 and they sound
absolutely marvelous. Although movies and role-playing games are obviously different
they do have a few similarities.
There is not space in this article to get into the complexities of the issue, but this is how
I see it: a movie is a specific story meant to thrill and entertain, whereas a role-playing
game is a set of rules and a particular setting or concept in which many thrilling and
entertaining stories take place. These similarities can be used to your advantage.
When using music in your games, think back to certain movies that have the same "feel"
as that you intend for your adventure. This may help the players get a better grasp on
the ambience you are trying to create, thus adding to everyones gaming experience.

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But how do you approach creating a soundtrack for your adventures?
One method, which you can use to select music for your game, is to have a particular
genre in mind when creating an adventure. When you find the Genre you are using, look
at various movies in the same genre and what kind of music they use: here are a few
samples for the Mystery, Action, Dungeon Crawl, and Horror genres:
The music to be used with intrigue or mystery filled adventures actually depend a lot on
the setting in which the game takes place. So, what should you look for when creating a
soundtrack for this type of adventure? A lot of slow, accented music usually works with
almost any setting. With Cyberpunk or futuristic games, electronica bands like Orbital,
Aphex Twin, and Prodigy make some great futuristic sounding instrumentals. Even the
soundtrack to the movie Pi can be used as it is filled with electronica. The Resident Evil
Soundtrack can be used to accent survival horror or suspense fairly well. And almost all
of the films directed by Akira Kurosawa can provide with some great background music.
Kurosawa films are especially effective with Oriental adventures of intrigue in such
games as The Legend of the Five Rings by Alderac Entertainment Group and
Sengoku by Gold Rush Games (and Orbital recently released a remix of The Seven
Samurai theme). When looking for suspense (or simply the song to play just before the
antagonist is revealed) Bram Stoker's Dracula, 1492, and most horror films (i.e.
Halloween, Friday the Thirteenth, Nightmare on Elm Street) will provide the
atmosphere you are looking for.
Action/Adventure is another great theme for a role-playing session. There are so many
choices when looking at this genre that I don't think I could list them all. The first movie
that comes to mind is Cutthroat Island. This movie has some great swashbuckling
music to accompany the rescue of a princess, an encounter of the Dragon kind, or a
battle on the high seas. Army of Darkness can also prove to be useful for large-scale
final confrontations. The idea is to have big, bold instrumentals or even fast paced Heavy
Metal. Korn's "Make Me Bad" or most of the heavier Fear Factory, Prodigy, or Pantera
songs can add a great atmosphere to an "in your face, grit your teeth" fight sequence.
As a warning however, I must stress that music with lyrics can be dangerous during a
gaming session. Most AIWA mini systems come with a karaoke feature that actually
blocks out most of the lyrics in a song. As a final note, when coming up with a
soundtrack for an action adventure I always liked to pick a specific song for the big
villain. A sort of big bad theme song for the main villain is always great; after all what
would Star Wars be without the Imperial March?
The Dungeon Crawl is a classic, and exploration is key to almost any role-playing game. Whether the
adventurers are crammed into the sometimes extraordinarily tight confines of a medieval dungeon or
futuristic prison planet, repetitive music will add a lot to the frustration of players. But what if you don't want
to annoy them? You can always pop in a John Williams greatest hits or tribute CD or choose from a very
large selection of baseline fantasy films like the Conan series, Dragonslayer or even Kull the Conqueror.
1492, Last of the Mohicans, and Braveheart can also provide a good deal of ambience.
Horror is probably one of the most difficult genres to run. The biggest problem in a
horror adventure is the fact that, although the characters are supposed to be scared, the
players are probably not. While I try not to run horror games very often, there is a

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plethora of great music out there. Metallica loves H.P. Lovecraft and older Marilyn
Manson is just scary. If you are looking for more music in the horror genre a lot of Goth
bands can actually provide what you might need. And, again I must stress that should
you decide to use songs with words I would try to use the Karaoke feature found on
most AIWA shelf systems. Some Goth bands are the Sisters of Mercy, the Damned, the
Mission, Switchblade Symphony, Bauhaus, and Type O Negative. When choosing for
horror, also look horror movies that kind of have the same general feel as your
adventure. Besides the genre approach, another way of gathering music for your
adventures is to do as computer role-playing games do and pick a classical piece or longwinded instrumental to represent certain areas in your gaming world
Computer role-playing games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior use instrumentals as
background music in different areas found throughout their virtual worlds. A few paper
Role-playing games do this as well. The Nutcracker Prince, created by Gargoyle13s own
Pete Seckler and Clinton Nixon, has a CD with the themes of most of the major points in
their world. Also, Frankenstein 3000, which can be found in this issue of RPGevolution,
has an interactive soundtrack to go along with it. Talislanta, a pen and paper RPG by
Shooting Iron, has about three CDs of ambient theme music as well. All of these are very
well done and I suggest for you to check them out for a look at how to accomplish the
computer role-playing game atmosphere for your own adventures.
So how do CRPGs approach this? Well in the beginning there were about three or four musical pieces that
played throughout the game. The only times these would change were in towns, in caves, or in battle.
Some of them even had different music for boss fights. Now, each computer role playing game has
orchestrated soundtracks and some of them actually have fully developed songs and musical numbers.
Lunar: the Silver Star Story and the Final Fantasy Anthology both have musical compilations with which you
can add to a gaming session. Also, some Playstation Games leave their directory structure open for you to
view.
What this means is that you can pop your Playstation disk into you CD-ROM and check
out all of their music that is included in the game. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night,
Resident Evil, Twisted Metal and Mortal Kombat (any of them on the Playstation) are
notorious examples of this. "Castlevania: SOTH" actually has a dance mix of the
Castlevania theme that cannot be found anywhere in the game on the CD itself. A lot of
Playstation CDs however, especially Square created games, do not leave their directory
open. So remember when looking through your games for that great soundtrack, not
everyone is there!
This is probably the most basic and easiest way to apply music to a paper and pencil role
playing adventure.
If you have an immature group, songs with words in them will only lead to people
singing along (and probably badly). I would suggest scores and soundtracks that can
create a build up to a heartfelt adventure. Always start with the slow and easy path. All
music flows, and the right selections can make your adventures do the same.
Nick LaLone is a co-founder of the Gaming Guild of Ohio, and an avid poster at the
Gaming Outpost.

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BACK PAGE
by Jared Sorensen (based off Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk)
"I want you to do me
a favor. I want you to
roll these dice as hard
as you can."
I looked around and
said, okay. Okay, I
say, but outside in the
parking lot.
So we went outside,
and I asked if Jester
wanted me to roll one
d20 or 2d6...
Jester said, "Surprise
me."
I said I had never
rolled dice before.
Jester said, "So go
crazy, man."
I said, close your
eyes.
Jester said, "No."
Like every guy on his
first night at dice club,
I breathed in and
rolled those percentile
dice in my fist like
they do at every
game convention we'd
ever seen, and me, my dice turn up 98.
The first rule about dice club is you don't talk about dice club.
The second rule about dice club is you don't talk about dice club.

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You don't say anything because dice club exists only in the hours between when dice
club starts and when dice club ends.
... that's the third rule of dice club, when someone says stop or goes limp, even if he's
just faking it, the game is over.
Only six gamers to a game. One game at a time. They game without shirts or shoes. The
games go on as long as they have to. Those are the other rules of dice club.
And the seventh rule is if this is your first night at dice club, you have to roll initiative.
"Well," Doc says, "I've got good news."
Where is everybody?
"That's the good news," Doc says. "The game's disbanded. I only come down here to tell
any guys who might show up."
"The good news," Doc says, "is there's a new game, but the first rule about this new
game is you aren't supposed to talk about it.
Oh.
Doc says, "And the second rule is you're not supposed to talk about it."
Oh shit. I open my eyes.
Fuck.
"Freeform is a natural part of my evolution," Jester whispered, "toward tragedy and
dissolution."
"I'm breaking my attachment to character sheets and random numbers," Jester
whispered, "because only through destroying my dice can I discover the greater power
of my spirit."
"The game master who destroys my dice," Jester said, "is fighting to save my spirit. The
teacher who clears all D&D modules from my path will set me free."
"I'm here to see Jester. Scarlet Jester. He lives here. I'm his friend."
The system monkey says, "I'm sorry you're too... ," and he pauses, "you're too Goth to
train here."
Memento-Mori says, "Get screwed."

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"Besides," the space monkey says, "you haven't brought the required items. Two black
four-siders. Two pair of black six-siders-"
Memento-Mori screams, "Jester!"
"One pair of heavy black percentiles."
"Jester!"
"Two six-packs of Mountain Dew and money for pizza."
"Jester!"
And I hear the front door slam shut. Memento-Mori doesn't wait the three days.
"Don't get any dice," Jester told the Assault Committee. "And just so you don't worry
about it, yes, you're going to have to flame someone."
Cross-posting. Flames. Mischief and Misinformation.
No questions. No questions. No excuses and no lies.
The fifth rule about Project Theatrix is you have to trust Jester.
I've met Gygax across his long walnut desk with his diplomas hanging on the wall behind
him, and Gygax asks me, "Why?"
Why did I cause so much pain?
Didn't I realize that each of us is a sacred, unique player character of special unique
specialness?
Can't I see that we're all manifestations of character generation?
I look at Gygax behind his desk, taking notes on a pad, but Gygax's got this all wrong.
We are not gamers.
We are not freeformers or LARPers either. We just are.
We just are, and what happens just happens.
And Gygax says, "No, that's not right."
Yeah. Well. Whatever. You can't teach Gygax anything.

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