Short Shelf of Picks - Vol. II
These are not reviews, but short opinions of things I have come across that seem neat. I do not go into full analysis of these products but share some thoughts about what I like.
A Man on the Road
This tri-fold by Ian Yusem may be only a pamphlet, but it is not slight. This OSE-compatible publication is a tool to generate one nasty NPC for your game. As the sub-title states: An Encounter With A Horrible Bastard. The cover art by L.F. OSR is spot on, as it displays the ominous tone and/or dread of such a run-in, whilst maintaining anonymity – this dude can get dropped into just about any game. You get stats for The Man and His Horse! Then roll on tables for his weapon, his vulgar speech, his tactics, his lies, his place of appearance, his treasure, his wake of destruction. Imagine Blood Meridian’s Judge Holden meets the Hound from GoT. The physical copy is printed on nice sandy cardstock in black and red ink. This seems like a great supplement to always have in the binder for when that awful foe is needed. Generate an Adventure Seed by rolling the In His Wake table, to see where your PC’s next destination may be!
Find at: https://ian-yusem.itch.io/a-man-on-the-road
or in print at: https://spearwitch.com
The Icy City #1: Troika Edition
This is originally a longer work in pdf form, but Aaron King has decided to release the book in zine format, breaking it into smaller parts. As of this moment, only #1 is available, but I have it directly from the author that #2 shall appear in the near future! This is one of the most striking covers I know. It’s likely public domain, but the magenta and white flames (?) and the black side bar. I just love it. In 46 pages you get d36 new backgrounds for Troika! and one unconventional background called the Dungeon Dragon with some tables for generating, well…the dungeon inside the dragon. The book closes with a decent length adventure for first-time players! Backgrounds include Alchemized, Icy City Deputy, Otterfolk, Whaler. My only minor gripe would be the inconsistent internal art: I like the drawings that I assume to be King’s, and I wish he had included more, instead of inserting domain art for some of the backgrounds – these outside images detract, in my opinion. That being said, I’m excited for the next issues and will be in line for them!
Find at: https://erinking.itch.io/icy-city-troika
or in print at: https://spearwitch.com
Prime Material No. 1
Michael Hansen’s Troika! supplement has d66 new backgrounds! I think some players will be pretty excited for this book, because it goes for more traditional medieval atmosphere. Whereas Troika! seems to cater quite well to out-there, zany, surreal material, in this book you will find Beastmaster, Dirt Farmer, Druid, Inquisitor, Siege Engineer. There are some new combat rules, spell ranges and combat actions. Skills like Forage, Interrogate, and Alchemy. A list of vegetable-based spells, like Beet, a voodoo doll like effect where carving into a beet will cause same effects to a foe! Wild. Find stats for PC companions/familiars like beast and undead minion. Also, new enemies like a Dragon are here. Not visually flashy at all (unlike much Troika! material) this might be a neat item for fans of Troika! but who want more traditional content. (I would love to see this fully illustrated…that would be temptation knocking…as this author (amateur artist) reaches for pencil and sketch sheet…)
Find at: https://modality.itch.io/prime-material
or in print at: https://spearwitch.com
Pointcrawl Locations Deck
I acquired this awesome solo supplement through the Patreon of SoloRPG. This comes with 36 illustrated location cards, each holding a d6 Random Feature table and three icons for terrain, action and consequence. The book suggests drawing three cards: starting location, through location, and destination. Using the myriad combination of locations, feature tables, and the narrative-generative icons offer a ton of potential, and not just for solo gamers. This is a quick toolset that fits in your pocket! I sincerely hope this project gets expanded and turned into a regular deck sized supplement. There are numerous card products for solo gamers, but in honesty, I have been intimidated by some of their design. These cards may not offer an entire session on one card, but it is the simplicity that I quite enjoy. And they look great.
Find at: https://www.patreon.com/solorpg
Oniria’s Slumber
As many of you know, I tend to come at stuff from an arts perspective. I appreciate a good cover, and the art for this project is excellent – and as it turns out, rather on point regarding the content. Jean Verne has chosen obscure modernist painter Karl Wiener for the full color illustrations of this book. Vibrant, playful, and sometimes outright contemporary, Paul Klee or Wassily Kandinsky come to mind. Oniria’s Slumber is another Troika! based publication but this is it’s own system, with specific character creation rules. You play as sort of dream wandering modifiers, that protect the sleeping from dreams and nightmares. At character creation, you record Recurring Dream and Worst Nightmare as mechanics! These things grant you tokens and play out with certain triggers. This is so cool. There is included a safety paragraph, so at the table, people are reminded to be careful in detailing personal material regarding dreams and nightmares: You can make it up, but with intimate groups, this could be very potent stuff as well. Classes are Lucid Dreamer, Dream Reader, Day Dreamer, and Sleepwalker. You navigate the sleep world and interact with Reveries. PCs get faculties that allow them to commune with dreams, transform, link with dreams. Some of these mechanics perhaps are seen elsewhere in different terminology, but the language and subject of this book is just so cool! Requires more time from me, but at 26 pages, this is a dense book; not to read, but material wise, content wise, visually. I think it’s considerably inspired. Speaking with Jean, there may be a print-ready edition soon, and I think it will look great.
Find at: https://fantasticjean.itch.io/onirias-slumber
The Cape of Old Daemons
I had just posted my picture of my homemade copy of Ordure Fantasy, Michael Raston’s d6 dirty-fantasy game, when he reached out to let me know he’d just published this! I love this about Raston’s work – it is generous, creative, different, inspired, personal. Anyone who follows his blog will know what I mean. Find tables, systems, drawings, adventures, all done with a gritty personal style. So, The Cape, an adventure for Ordure Fantasy. A dystopian, dying earth kind of setting, with caravans of wizards collecting artifacts from the ruins and the king’s Red Sun Agents policing them. Truthfully, I haven’t cracked this much yet, but instantly from the acid-weird cover, Michael’s kick-ass drawings, and his ever-present tables through the text, this book lends itself to some deep dives. It’s safe to say this creator makes stuff that requires beyond surface engagement, and I am always inspired going through the material!
Find at: https://www.drivethrurpg.com