Out Of The Dark

This post's title has a double meaning. For one it's about this blog finally coming out hibernation and me getting back to writing and blogging. But it's also the title of the book by David Weber that I'm currently reading.

I'm at a loss to explain exactly how David Weber's books have been completely off my radar up until recently. The first book of his I read was “In Fury Born” when a buddy of mine recently recommended it to me. This is military sci-fi at it's best! Set in mankind's far future, the book expands on Weber's earlier novel “Path of Fury”. The story follows the career of Alicia DeVries as she progressively moves higher in the ranks and more into more elite combat units. Then things get really interesting. After a particularity brutal combat mission DeVries becomes disillusioned with the military and quits to live a peaceful life on the frontier planet called Mathison's World. But this peaceful respite is not to last, and a short time after a pirate raid leaves DeVries family dead and her seething with the desire for revenge. Theres more, and I don't really want to spoil anything if you haven’t read this book yet. What I will say is that the book is packed with great action scenes, full of intrigue, and a bunch of interesting twists on typical science fiction literature. This is a dense well written book and it left me hungry for more.

That was when I picked up “Out of the Dark”. Based on a short story of the same name this book takes the old idea of aliens invading Earth and puts an interesting spin on it. The story begins with a race of aliens from the Galactic Hegemony observing Earth during the 15^th century. Horrified with just how savage Humanity is and fearing that one day we might reach the stars, a plan is put into motion. The Shongairi, another war like alien race are manipulated into attacking Earth. However, the Hegemony underestimated how quickly we are able to advance technologically and by the time the Shongairi arrive Earth is well into the 21^st century.

Weber is a prolific writer with over 40 novels or collaborations to his name. He has quickly become one of my favourite author's. In particular I can't wait to read his signature Honor Harrington Series, and his newest Safehold series. It's times like these that I wish I could read a lot faster! If your looking for some awesome science fiction to read trust me when I say you could do a lot worse than reading anything by David Weber.

Campaign Arcs

It's been a while. I've been writing again and the desire to run a game has been eating me up. These Demons must be fed....

While I was working on my campaign I read this article called "The Covenant of the Arcs" by  Christopher Perkins, from his The Dungeon Master Experience column. I'm not gonna lie, I don't really dig 4e. I've said this before and I don't need to bash the game. It's not my bag, nuff said. However, I do feel that if your not reading this no DDI membership required column your doing yourself a great disservice. Mr. Perkins runs what seems to me to be one of the coolest 4e D&D campaigns for not just one, but TWO weekly groups!

Part of what I think has made his campaign and others like his so awesome is plot weaving. The ability to take multiple story ideas and combine them into something that combines the best of sandboxing and linear structure into one awesome campaign. In this article Perkins gives us a basic understanding of how he did this in his own campaign. Using a foundation built on three major plot arcs he illustrates
how this structure allows for a robust, satisfying and complex long term campaign. This was something I took to heart and I decided that I was going to give it a shot. So below I have included the role of the heroes as well as my three major plot arcs I have planned for this campaign.

If you happen to be a a player in my group I would please ask that you stop reading now! What follows will ruin the fun for you as I plan to reveal what I've planned as my major plot seeds for "The Saint's of Los Angeles" Campaign.

The Role of the Heroes

The Saints of Los Angeles Campaign is a space opera set in mankind’s far future. The PC's are heroes in a universe that is dominated by war, social injustice, and intrigue. As the crew of the space freighter Los Angeles, the PC's will travel through space and explore the galaxy, discover its mysteries, meet unique people, battle hostile aliens, and take on many exciting and dangerous missions. Hopefully during this the PC's will be able to live up to their destiny and calling as heroes and the true “Saints” of a galaxy in dire need of them.

The Campaign Arcs

1. War Story Arc: War erupts in the Tempest System when a ferocious alien race bent on conquering mankind suddenly appears from the distant reaches of space. This brutal and intelligent race once controlled vast regions of Protectorate territories. However, a civil war millennia ago forced them to abandon the area. Their Empire now revitalized and engorged with a variety of alien slave races seeks to reassert its power and influence over its former territories. However, this race has sorely underestimated their human foe and during their long absence mankind has grown to become a formidable adversary in its own right. The result will no doubt be a war of epic proportions.
   
   
2. Intrigue Story Arc:  Unknown to most the Eclipse Corporation is one of the most powerful organizations in the Empire. The true architects behind the Eclipse Corporation's success and it's low key stature are "The Founders". This ancient cabal of unseen secret masters conspire to manipulate events from behind the scenes for their own inscrutable goals. Eclipse Corporation's CEO and the patriarch of the eccentric Ashton family works as  "The Founders" principle pawn and voice while they push their mysterious agenda from behind the scenes. Chief among "The Founders" preoccupations are Eclipse Corporation's black laboratories. Hidden from the public eye, a myriad of vile and thoroughly illegal experiments take place in numerous asylums and research facilities throughout the galaxy.
   
   
3. Political Story Arc: It is a time of civil unrest. Politicians, crime syndicates, corporations and religious leaders play a dangerous game as they manoeuvre against one another to gain the upper hand in the political arena while promoting their own agendas and best interests. Leviticus Wu, the elusive and charismatic leader of SUNRISE, a growing underground militant political group attempting to over throw the galaxy wide Protectorate government. A government they claim is dominated by corruption, the rich, and the interests of massive corporations. In turn Lord Protector Hektor Tanaka, the official leader of the Protectorate has labeled SUNRISE, a terrorist group, and seeks to eradicate any trace of it. SUNRISE's goal is to form a new government that allows the people to create a new democratic society free from the invisible prison made by the corruption, nepotism, and the powerful rich. Complicating matters is the rapidly and increasingly powerful influence of of the Church of the Holy Resurrection. This Church, loosely based on the Old Earth Catholic Church has discovered a way to offer true and ever lasting life to its devout followers and because of this has become a powerful political player.      

Going Dark

Things have been quiet on this blog for the past while. Life has been rather busy for me lately. Unfortunately that means that my hobbies are going to need to take a back seat to family and school. If I can manage to post here now and then I will, but I strongly suspect that this will be sporadic at best.

This is Zombiecowboy. If you are listening to this message, you are the Resistance.

Savage Swords Saturday-Wenching Edition!

Yeah, thats tight. Conan has got that shit locked down! For some reason when ever I think of Conan I can't help but think of a quote from Sin City:

Most people think Marv is crazy. He just had the rotten luck of being born in the wrong century. He'd be right at home on some ancient battlefield swinging an axe into somebody's face. Or in a Roman arena, taking his sword to other gladiators like him. They woulda tossed him girls like Nancy back then.

That makes me chuckle to think of Conan as the Marv of the Hyborian Age. Anyway till next week enjoy your Savage Swords Saturday!

A Dwarf, An Elf, And A Troll Walk Into An Elevator….

The elevator doors gently close behind them. Soft elevator muzak plays in the background. The three humanoids are wearing perfectly tailored black Armani suits, white silk shirts, and thick black ties. Each of them draws a large handgun from well-worn shoulder holsters. As they check over their weapons in the cramped space an idle conversation begins.

Dwarf: We should have shotguns for this kind of deal.
Elf: How many up there?
Troll: Three or four.
Elf: That's countin' our guy?
Troll: Not sure.
Elf: So that means there could be up to five guys up there?
Troll: It's possible.
Dwarf: We should have fuckin' shotguns.

The elevator doors open with a ding into an open and luxurious penthouse apartment. The human occupants of the room freeze in place at the unexpected rush of the armed trio as they burst into the room.

Troll: Everybody be cool, this is a robbery!
Elf: Any of you fuckin' pricks move and I'll execute every motherfucking last one of you!
Dwarf: [Grumbling under his breath] We should have fuckin' shotguns…..

If that seems familiar its because I stole it from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. Man, that would be the bomb! Just imagine how sick a Tarantino/ Rodríguez collaboration on a Shadowrun movie would be!

Anyway, I’m not sure exactly what made me think of this. But part of it was as I was looking for some ideas and inspiration for this Deadlands campaign I was thinking about. One rarely walks a straight line when searching for shit on the internet, and before I new it I was side tracked. I saw on some gaming site a mention about the racial tensions in Shadowrun. It also talked a little bit about the standard framework for a stereotypical SR adventure, and some other stuff, but it was the racial tension thing that grabbed me. That’s an idea I would love to explore one day.

Obviously it doesn’t have to be in a SR game. Imagine for a minute if you implemented something like that in a standard D&D game. As things typically stand, all the standard races pretty much get along. OK so half-orcs are outsiders, dwarves don’t really like elves (but lets face it, dwarves don’t really like anyone that much), and lets just not even talk about drow. But basically speaking D&D comes off like some kind of fantasy version of Star Trek. Once your apart of the Federation no one really is all that racist about you anymore. I know that’s not strictly true, but you get my point.

So imagine a D&D world where in typical fashion the Humans were on top. They are the rulers of the land, they make the laws and call the shots. They have beaten every other race into submission, taken their stuff and their lands, and enslaved their people. That sounds about on par for what we’ve done to people of our own species so it’s not difficult for me to see us doing it to other species.

Right, so the other races are enslaved as indentured servants. They have a few rights and can walk around the city with out the need for shackles. But for all intents and purposes it’s a pretty miserable life. Soon an secret resistance starts. Human sympathizers aid in an underground railway of sorts and smuggle out as many slaves as they can. However humans for the most part are the bad guys in this. Slave Masters employ human wizards to tattoo their mark on their property. Many of these magical tattoos are used to keep track of and scry on them, and if need be strike them dead, or blow them up in a fiery conflagration.

In a world controlled solely by humans, every other specie is forced to live in impoverished ghettos around the city. Seeking a better life than the filth and squalor around them many of these races band together and strike back at their cruel masters. Some rich human merchants and nobles take advantage of this anger and redirect it towards their enemies. This buffer provides these disreputable movers and shakers plausible deniability and wholly unaccountable if for some reason things should go horribly wrong.

Yeah, that would be a great campaign….
　
　

Do Zombies Dream of Steam-Powered Sheep?

Over the Easter weekend I borrowed my brother-in-laws Deadlands Reloaded books. The first campaign I personally ever ran was, as it’s referred to today, Deadlands Classic. This was back when it was just one hardcover book with everything a Marshall and/or Player needed to play the game.

All this is to say that I’m no stranger to what Deadlands is all about, and that I was just looking for a refresher course on the setting, and the changes using the Savage Worlds rules. This in turn led to Monday night and my dreams being dominated by cowboys and undead. The dreams weren’t anything worth repeating. Just the kind of weird nonsense that reminds you that you’re in a dream, and you might as well just roll with it.

Deadlands.

It feels as if a bullet has impaled my brain with a Deadlands campaign written all over it. The words on that bullet burn in an infernal red glowing script that only the Devil himself has the patience or inclination to inscribe. My mind has been infected with the blue prints for a Savage Worlds Deadlands campaign, and come Hell or high-water I’m going to need to run it if I ever want to get the poison out.

After reading just a little of the Deadlands books I realized just how over whelming the setting is. There’s just so much detail. I almost hesitate to say TOO much detail. It’s that double edge sword of trying to give your reader everything they need to run a campaign rather than not enough. The problem is that it means that MY Deadlands campaign will end up off the reservation. Not a bad thing by any means, but just that it’s going to conflict with what’s considered cannon in the supplements. To which I say fuck cannon and the horse it rode in on. But that’s just me amigo.

I have a few ideas for how I wanted to handle this campaign. Things will start out normal enough. The Posse is gathered for some reason or another. I haven’t figured out this part too much just yet. Perhaps they will work for one of the Rail Barons, a Government agency, or some other seemingly mundane outfit. They start doing normal jobs that involve normal people. The first few forays would be a more or less straight up western adventures, with maybe a little bit of super science thrown into the mix, but otherwise fairly standard stuff.

Then shit starts to get a little weird. Like ogres, onions, or that tranny prostitute you "accidently" picked up, the layers begin to peel away revealing that things aren’t as normal as you first assumed they were. Subtle strangeness begins to crop up again and again and force you to start questioning what in the world is really going on here. At some point, like Neo or Sarah Connor, you cross the inevitable and invisible line. It is the point of no return and once it is crossed you find yourself sucked down the Rabbit Hole. You’ll forever be a changed person and there’s no going back to "normal".

Like I was saying Deadlands has a pretty complex history and story-line. While having all this info is nice I find it a little intimidating and even over whelming at times. I will most likely use portions whole cloth and other stuff I will change to suit my own needs. I’m just hoping Shane Lacy Hensley doesn’t send the RPG Police to my house, beat me up, and take my books away when he finds out.

So here’s some of the things I wanted to do/explore with this campaign:

• Chinese Tong Gangs and an ancient power hungry sorcerer leader ala Big Trouble in Little China
• An Illuminati/Freemason conspiracy
• The Shan, Mi-Go, and some other stuff ripped from Call of Cthulhu
• Undead, lots of undead.
• The PCs begin the campaign seeking a new and better life. They arrive in a newly formed and growing California boomtown. They find themselves embroiled in the affairs and politics of the town. The chance at both fame and fortune become directly linked to the success and preservation of the town, its people, and its interests. Soon the PC's find themselves entangled in a web of horror and conspiracy. It falls to them as pillars of the community to sort through the lies and treachery and fight back the shadows of things "Man was not meant to know".

And that’s what I have so far. But I can feel it all there, lurking heavy in my mind. This could be the mother of all campaigns for me. The Magnum Opus that I have always wanted to run, yet have never been able to succeed at. If I write it, they will play…
　

The Stars Are Right! Cthulhu Save Us All!-Part 2

Heres the goofy outline I made for this Cthulhu vs, Godzilla adventure. This is a continuation from my idea in Part 1

Part One: Retrieve The Necronomicon
The first phase of the mission is to recover a copy of the Necronomicon. Unfortunately, every time one of Hoover’s researchers tried to study the Book they went mad. Keeping a copy locked up was too dangerous and tended to be a trouble magnet, proving more a liability than it was worth. So he long ago implemented a policy to destroy every copy of the book that his people manage to recover. Hoover and the FBI have kept tabs on all sorts of strange Mythos activity since the Raid on Innsmouth. Thus Hoover provides the group with three choices in which they could conceivably recover a copy for the mission at hand.

Miskatonic University-The restricted book collection has one, but it’s recently been stolen. If they group wants to track down this copy they will have to follow clues that lead to Dunwich. Here a descendant of Wilbur Whateley is using it to do research. Inbred hillbillies, ala "The Hills Have Eyes" are the least of the PC’s concerns as a new Son of Yog-Sothoth is discovered to exisit.

The Hermetic Order of the Silver Twilight-A new chapter of this venerable gentleman’s club has opened in Boston. Boston’s social elite rub shoulders here while a warren of ghouls dines on their charnel feasts in festering tunnels below. The Cults copy of the book is located below this labyrinth of tunnels in a subterranean temple complex. If the Cult leader suspects that the book is in danger he flee with it into the Dreamlands with it.

Kingsport Cult- Before the Congregational Hospital on Kingport’s Central Hill could be built the old Congregational Church had to be torn down. The true reasons for tearing the church down were never made public except to say that is was a public safety hazard. The truth of the matter is that a foul cult that worshipped a strange pillar of green fire known as Tulzscha. Few people in the sleepy port town realize that the cult is still alive and well, preying on the innocent and helpless patients in the hospital above. Byakhee, undead, and cultists as well as their horrible master all stand in the PC’s way if they wish to recover the book from this awful place.

Regardless of which place they get the book from, the PC’s drag these cultists into the fray with them. These foul and degenerate souls will dog the PC’s every move seeking the glory and reward of being the ones to aid Great Cthulhu in his return to the world. It’s possible that they might need to hit two, or all three of these places in order to successfully get the book.

Part Two: Escape From Arkham Asylum
Just having the Necronomicon is not enough. While it has the required ritual in it to release Cthulhu from his Temple Prison, its not like just reading and following a recipe from a cook book. This knowledge was compiled by deranged wizards over hundreds of years after all. Yet all is not lost. One of Hoover’s last and finest occult researchers is more than capable of performing the required ritual. There are just two problems that stand in the PC’s way. The first is that this researcher is insane and locked up in Arkham Asylum. The second is that when the PC’s get inside and to the Doctor, a riot in the Asylum breaks out. The place becomes a true mad house! The PC’s must find a way to escape the Asylum with their charge all the while having to deal with insane inmates. Some encounters are comedic and some dangerous and deadly serious. To make matters worse they find themselves locked in with the members of the Cult(s) that they stole the Book from!

Optional: Recover the Relics
If you wanted to flesh it out more you could have the Investigators require a variety of rare and obscure knick-knacks that are required to complete the ritual. In the interest of keeping things moving you might only want three or four of these maguffins, after all Godzilla is on his way! If you do this make sure that the Cult(s) that they tried to steal the Necronomicon from in Part One will be a consistent and reoccurring thorn in the groups side. It might even be fun to have various groups be turned on each other by ingenuous and clever play on the PC’s part.

Part Three: Race to R’lyeh
Necronomicon? Check.
Insane Occult Researcher? Check.
Now all that’s left is for the Investigators to get their asses to the haunted Island near sunken R’lyeh and dreaming Cthuhu, say the words and perform the Ritual. Easier said then done. The journey is a whirlwind race between the PC’s and the Cult(s) that seeks Cthulhu’s favor. Of course Godzilla is almost State side.

When the PC’s finally reach the Island, Hoover, who mysteriously already arrived there first, greets them, and thanks them for a job well done. Then Hoover transforms before their eyes to reveal that all this time they were working for just one more mask of Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos himself.

Before the PC's can deal with Nyarlathotep there cultist enemies arrive on the scene! A last ditch, no holds barred, knock down and drag out fight occurs between the Investigators and whichever cult happens to be their nemesis. All the while Nyarlathotep protects and over sees the insane occult researcher as he performs the ritual that raises R’lyeh and releases Cthulhu.

With Cthulhu free a battle of the Titans goes down. At first it seems like Godzilla will prove the victor. But then in a stunning recovery the likes of which will only ever be on seen pay-per-view during a 1980’s professional wrestling match Cthulhu makes a come back and wins the day. In the aftermath of this cosmic struggle Cthulhu sinks ominously below the blood and froth tinged waves. Leaving the group alone on the beach to wonder if we have seen the last of this horror from beyond the stars, and the sinking feeling in their stomachs of "Oh God what have we done!"