Brownie Brownies are the servants of Faerie, everything from cooks to valets to housekeepers. Like leprechauns, they are compelled to perform a specific task, in this case domestic chores. Unlike leprechauns, they like what they do and they do it well. Though they aren’t suited for combat, but they can fight well enough and are […]
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Boil and Bubble: Cthulhu Mythos Spells, Part I
I’m a fan of the Mythos (which you probably know), thanks to Chaosium’s license, even though the Mythos is up for grabs to be used (most of H.P.’s stories are public domain) – it’s not for RPGs. Since I tend to use them (or a variation of them) in my games I figured I’d share […]
Continue readingBoil and Bubble: Personal Greater and Lesser Effects
One of the more interesting mechanics of Ritual Path Magic is the “Lesser vs. Greater” effect. Basically, if it’s a “realistic” magical effect then it’s probably a Lesser effect – otherwise it’s a Greater effect. Now, what is and isn’t a Greater effect depends on the campaign…but what if it were dependent on the caster, […]
Continue readingTriple Threat – Cruciati Demon
Note: the following creature came from a nightmare I had. Thought I’d share. Cruciati Demon Cruciati demons are tall humanoid (about 6’ is average) beings that have deep black skin with blood-colored splotches all over there body. Numerous chains hang from their flesh, embedded in skin and bone with hooks or piercings. From the chains […]
Continue readingDesigner’s Notes: How Very Tempting
Writing “How Very Tempting” was among my easier articles – about 27 hours (most of that spent revising – I wrote the whole thing in about 3 hours) total. I knew what I wanted and I went for it. I’d been fooling around with a system for some time in my own campaigns (which this […]
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Boil and Bubble: My Thoughts on the Social Implications on Ritual Path Magic
Ritual Path Magic is the new kid on the block as far as popular magic systems go. It’s got a lot going for it: flexibility, self-consistency, ease of use, well you get the idea – I’m a fan. But I’m also a advocate. For every person who says “No, this doesn’t work because I can […]
Continue readingTriple Threat – Hurlant Fish
Note: The following critter is from a dream I had. It also featured a talking catfish – but that’s not exactly useful for role-playing games. Hurlant Poisson First documented by Nicolas Flamel in 1397 after a fishing trip gone awry, the Hurlant Fish (“screaming fish”) is a large (about the size and shape of a […]
Continue readingGamemaster’s Guidepost: Split Power Levels
GURPS fosters a play environment where all player characters are created equal. Where everyone has a specific budget for their character and all is right with the world. But what about having player characters with different point totals? After all, not everyone is created equal in the “real world” – some of us start out […]
Continue readingBoil and Bubble: Ritual Path Magic Material Enchanting
Sean Punch’s The Material Difference from Pyramid #3/66: The Laws of Magic is an exciting new system looking at a common videogame trope: “Resource Farming.” Though the article is geared toward the basic magic system it could be easily adapted to Ritual Path Magic. The Basics First, a few assumptions. Let’s assume that enchanter’s work […]
Continue readingMelee Academy: Predictably Unpredictable
The Joker, Jack Sparrow, Murdock…you ever wanted to play that guy, the crazy bastard who comes up with quirky schemes in the middle of combat and then some how pulls them off? Besides buying a lot of Luck there are a couple of other ways you might be able to pull it off. The Big […]
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