Every player’s fear and a GMs’ nightmare – the death of a player character. Nothing can halt game play like a (unplanned – see below) death. Was it a bad roll? Did the player just make a mistake? Was it intentional? Was it GM error? Regardless of the why, the effects of how it can […]
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Triple Threat: Shoggoth
Note: This is a creature from H. P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. Shoggoth Iridescent black masses of bubbling protoplasm with random eyes, mouths, and less definable organs forming from and receding into the body, Shoggoths were created the servants of the Elder Things using alien biotechnology about a billion years ago. Shoggoths are malevolent, mocking, and […]
Continue readingCarpe Blogiem: My Love/Hate Relationship With Virtual Tabletops
I’ve been playing role-playing games for a long time, I’ve been into computers almost as long. When I found out the two could combine…oh man, I geeked out. My first VTT was MapTools (version 1.19 I think). I spent hours toying with it and trying to make it work…and it did. But not the way […]
Continue readingGamemaster’s Guidepost: Unusual Background, Revisited
I’ve covered this before, but I felt it was a worthy topic to return to. This time, focusing on the GM. As a GM when exactly do you use a Unusual Background? Though I personally found the trait rather intuitive, many GMs seem to be mystified enough to just ignore it – which I think […]
Continue readingCasting Lots – Part II – Game Session 6
Angelique Ashur, Jonathan Valerius Baksheesh, Maynard “Alex” Hamilton, & Sergei Romanova June, 18th, 2001, 11:30 pm 54.5 Hours Since Kidnapping 3510 South Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60653 When the PCs get back to the Waking World, they immediately tackle the problem before them – the kidnapping of young Jackson Van Dorian the V. Before they […]
Continue readingGamemaster’s Guidepost: Starting Point Totals
Want to strike fear into the icy heart of any GURPS GM? Say the following words: Starting. Point. Totals. What I’m about to say is probably going to be viewed heretical by some, but in my experience running GURPS, it seems to be true. Point totals DO NOT MEASURE CAPABILITY/POWER. Trying to use point totals […]
Continue readingBoil and Bubble: Diablorising Ritual Path Magic – The Necromancer – Part III
And the final in my installment for Diablo II’s Necromancer. my “conversion” of the Diablo II Necromancer’s skills. Lastly: Poison and Bone! Poison and Bone Most of the spells and abilities listed here involve inflicting poison damage or conjuring bone constructs. Teeth Spell Effects: Greater Create Matter. Inherent Modifiers: Damage, External Small Piercing (Cone, 3 […]
Continue readingTriple Threat: Blitz Barnacle
Blitz Barnacles are large (almost a half a foot in length) barnacle-like critters. They get their name from the fact that if they take damage they are liable to explode. Worse, stepping (or God help you, falling) on one causes a muscular contraction that shoots out several sea urchin-like spikes. They’re natural prey of the […]
Continue readingTriple Threat: Walloping Welk
Walloping welks are huge mollusks the size of a VW bus. Their tough shells are so durable that they are oft sought after to use in the creation of archaic armor and shields. Their mucous and slime also have curious properties (one is natural fire extinguisher and the other an anesthetic). For Any Game… ST: […]
Continue readingCasting Lots – Part I – Game Session 5
Angelique Ashur, Jonathan Valerius Baksheesh, Maynard “Alex” Hamilton, Franklin Kasseal, & Sergei Romanova June, 18th, 2001, 5:30 pm (Chicago Time) 48.5 Hours Since Kidnapping The Keep On The Edge Of Forever, Dreamlands …following the noise the PCs heard outside the rush back to the Wall and see a small army of wraiths1 (over three dozen) […]
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