RPGS – Page 180

Item Seed: Leabhar Maidin Glas.

Leabhar Maidin Glas

(Green Morning Book)

This somewhat unlucky tome — well, unlucky for its readers — was the target of numerous thefts, the occasional assassination, at least one war; and even today it’s still valuable as a historical heirloom. The book is in Middle Irish, and dates back to the 10th Century AD; and for its time the Leabhar Maidin Glas was a potent tome full of fell rituals and practices. However, the practices in question were all in the field of agriculture, if you’ll pardon the pun; there’s absolutely nothing magical and esoteric in the book at all. Well, nothing magical or esoteric, here in the modern era. Back in the day before scientific agronomy the tips found in the book would be remarkably good at increasing crop yields and breeding livestock, which is why so many petty noblemen kept raiding each other in order to get their hands on the only copy.

Continue reading Item Seed: Leabhar Maidin Glas.

Item Seed: The Kirby Tester.

Kirby Tester – Google Docs

The Kirby Tester

This shrinkwrapped package consists of a handheld item resembling a portable taser; a CD containing a variety of diagnostic software programs; and an illustrated (four color, naturally) pamphlet explaining how to use both the item and the software. Retail value $79.99, five dollar rebate coupon inside, a couple of links on the cover to websites that require an account to access. The package does not reek of extradimensional origin, assuming that somebody nearby has the ability to detect that sort of thing.

Continue reading Item Seed: The Kirby Tester.

Location Seed: Abattoir Place, New York City.

Abattoir Place, New York City – Google Docs

Abattoir Place, New York City

Technically, this street is supposed to be West 12th Street after that street intersects with 11th Avenue: Abattoir Place extends west until it hits the Hudson River. And if you’re walking, that is indeed how you get there. If you’re driving, however, you’ll never see the street, because it doesn’t exist for anybody who isn’t moving under his own power. Even a bicyclist won’t be able to find it.

If you’re trying to figure out how that works, do yourself a favor and stop. Accept that it’s magic or something, and that it could be a lot less benign than it is. People have puzzled over this mystery right to the point of getting major strokes; it’s just not worth it.

Continue reading Location Seed: Abattoir Place, New York City.

Item Seed: Beruang H-40 Laptop.

Beruang H-40 Laptop – Google Docs

Beruang H-40 Laptop

This item was found in Borneo’s Tanjung Puting National Park, and the first interesting thing about the Beruang Laptop is that it is in excellent condition. The item was apparently designed to be humidity-resistant, effectively waterproof, rustproof, corrosion free, acclimated for jungle use, and just generally rugged. There is one section of the laptop case that seems to have been regularly gnawed, or at least bitten — but that section has been heavily rubberized. It’s almost as if the laptop was supposed to be carried around in one’s mouth. Oh, and the laptop is powered by a solar panel system that has the folks in the lab taking notes.

Continue reading Item Seed: Beruang H-40 Laptop.

In the Mail: Champions Mini Series #1-6. [MAJOR RPG GEEK BRAG WARNING]

This was absurdly cheap ($9) on Amazon. Sufficiently so that I didn’t actually completely believe that I’d get them, as-advertised. But they arrived, and they really are what they said they were: a complete run of a six-part Champions RPG series from Eclipse Comics. Each issue has stats in the back for a featured character and everything.

Maybe I’m just a niche market, but this price was nowhere near my have-to-think-about-it threshold. On the other hand, according to one guide I could have picked up the whole thing individually for three bucks an issue, plus shipping. On the gripping hand, it’s still an absolute steal.

In the Mail: “Curse of Strahd.”

It’s one of the oddities of my roleplaying history that I didn’t actually do much with Dungeons & Dragons until I hit college, mostly because my parents were down on D&D. …Just D&D, though. Rolemaster, Call of Cthulhu, Paranoia, GURPS, Hero System? No problem. But no D&D. So, anyway, I never got to play Ravenloft. So I’m kind of looking forward to perusing Curse of Strahd. Hopefully, it won’t suck…

Item Seed: Ghost Canoes.

Ghost Canoes – Google Docs

Ghost Canoes

These incredibly handy artifacts can only be made from wood from a tree that died, and was then left strictly alone for a full century. This makes them available only from Elves, a similarly long-lived species, or a community of incredibly patient mortals. Fortunately, once constructed Ghost Canoes can be repaired with regular wood.

Continue reading Item Seed: Ghost Canoes.

Day to go on the ‘Cold Warning’ Call of Cthulhu mini-Kickstarter.

Apparently you can do one-week ones, and Cold Warning is one of those. It’s a blast from the past that had been on ice for decades. But they thawed it out, which is pretty cool and I think that it’s interesting to see how stuff that’s been frozen in time for that long can still be well-preserved. Plus, if they get enough ice by tomorrow then a stretch goal will open up, which would be chill.

…I’ll stop now.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/golden-goblin-press/cold-warning-a-call-of-cthulhu-7th-edition-adventu?ref=user_menu

Santo [The Day After Ragnarok]

Santo – Google Docs

Santo

[The Day After Ragnarok]

The masked folk hero Santo (b. 1917; real name Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, but nobody knows this) had just begun what would have been a long and illustrious career as a luchador when the Serpentfall hit. Santo rapidly fell afoul of the Almazan regime, once it overthrew the Mexican government: he has spent the last few years throwing the Sinarquistas out of southern Mexico, one fascist at a time. He is loved by the common folk. He is feared by every corrupt official from Tijuana to Tapachula. The Sinarquistas are torn between hating him for his defiance, and desiring to convert him to their cause.

He is Santo.

Continue reading Santo [The Day After Ragnarok]

Welp. Got the Fall of Delta Green playtest feedback report out.

In case you were wondering what I was doing today. End of month is always fun, isn’t it? Particularly when you’re facing those subtly oh-that’s-easy deadlines that suddenly sprout teeth and start staring at your trachea. Whee!

Still, this is how the industry advances. We all must do our part, yes? Yes.

Moe Lane

PS: Thanks again to everybody who played.