That is all. Go about your business of being stuck at home.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Toilet Paper Shortage
Things would be way better if more folks knew how to use these properly:
That is all. Go about your business of being stuck at home.
That is all. Go about your business of being stuck at home.
Saturday, January 18, 2020
The Star Warriors Setting
Some time ago, on a Blog not too far away...
[plays loud orchestral music]
THE CONSORTIUM
This large, powerful corporate conglomerate is the Authority's principle ship and weapon manufacturer. Both entities believes that they are more pivotal to the stability of the Azuran system than the other, buy they are so inescapably codependent off one another that nether side can get control of the other without undoing them both. But that does not stop the scheming and power-plays. The corporate leaders live apart from the common people; in the an orbiting space station above Omicron, the Sky Follower — once a splendid garden park open for anyone to enjoy.
AUTHORITY ENFORCERS
Enforcers form the backbone of the Authority. Covered in black armored spacesuits and armed with lethal weapons and training, Authority Enforcers are fanatically loyal to Authority High Command. They are soldiers who also serve as law enforcement. The most elite become the infamous Night Watch Enforcers — the Authority's covert commandos and secret police. Good citizens of the Azuran System would be wise to not cross Enforcers as the Authority does not tolerate dissension!
SPACE PIRATES
In the chaotic reaches of the Azuran system, space bandits pray on helpless merchant ships and passenger liners. Pirates are feared through out the Azuran System! A few Captains are bold enough to dare strike Authority supply convoys. Vary few pirates are noble, as most are just in it for wealth. Although seen as nothing more than a fairy tale by hopeful youth, there is a legend of a roguish Space Pirate Captain who is driven by revenge and justice to defeat the Authority.
Omicron: The Industrial Planet
This ancient planet is covered in layers of urban expansion. Once the economic center of the Azuran system, the collapses of the Solar Alliance brought an era of warring corporate feudal states within Omicron that help gave rise to the Authority that filled the power vacuum left by the Alliance. Through the Authority, the corporations coalesced into a single corporate entity: The Consortium. The upper-levels are made up of Consortium-controlled businesses, while the mid-levels are made up of Consortium-controlled communities, both enforced with a heavy hand by Authority peacekeepers. The lower-levels are a lawless den of scum and villainy out of the reach of the Authority. It is infamous for bing the birthplace of the system's worst criminals, bounty hunters and guerilla fighters. But much of the population of the lower-levels are just poor, desperate people. The people of this world are historically hardworking, industrious and practical in nature. Before the collapses of the Solar Alliance they were also a fairly easy-going and philanthropic people, but now they are cynical and aggressively militant. The whole planet is a powder-keg of political and economic discontentment, just waiting for the Authority to loosen their iron grasp on Omicron.
Skull Rock: The Space Pirate Hideout
The notorious Skull Rock is the hidden base of the dread Black Star Pirates. It is a large hollow asteroid within The Outer Belt. Time and time again, attempts to destroy Skull Rock ended horribly for Authority fleets thanks in large part for the dangers of navigating The Outer Belt, as well as the ambush tactics deployed by the pirates. Smugglers, slave merchants and Wayfarers are often welcome to the Grand Trading Hall of Skull Rock. The bounty in Skull Rock could buy a whole planet!
[plays loud orchestral music]
Years ago on the Blog From the Sorcerer's Skull, the owner "Tray"
came up with a neat little pulp space setting that takes place in the
far-off Azuran System called The Star Warriors.
At
first it comes off as just another Star Wars-inspired setting with an
evil regime (the Authority), a battle between an order of heroic mystic
space knights (the Star Knights) verses an order of evil occult space
sorcerers (the Dark Star Warriors) with a supernatural element that is
the source light and dark magic (The Enigma Source and Anti-Source), and
with some wild west added for flavoring. But when you really look at
it, it was inspired by the Vega star system from the Green Lantern
comics and the Micronauts' Homeworld from the Marvel comic, as well as a
number of obscure '80s toy lines, like the Lords of Light, Power Lords, BraveStarr, etc. (The 1980s was a sea of obscure cartoons and toy lines.)
(Although, it should be said that after Star Wars cough lightning in a bottle, just about everyone wanted to create "the next Star Wars", so the '80s was full of wannabe Star Wars films. And the cartoon-toy craze of the 1980s was due to the successes of Star Wars mechanizing.)
At first, I tried to come up with comprehensive background details on
history, customs, costumes, military ranks, etc., as well as stock NPCs
both good and bad, but it quickly occurred to me that it was too much
detail for a sandbox. Having a good foundation is fine, but I still want
the setting to be open-ended enough to make it malleable, without
binding myself into a straitjacket. Nor do I want to front-load a butch
of powerful NPC heroes to steal the player-character's thunder. After
all, if the setting already has powerful heroes in play, what is the
point of the player character.
That is the
charm about the setting. Even with how fantastic the Star Wars setting
is, the glut of background information ("canon" and "legends"), as well
as the limitations placed in the well-established setting, makes it hard
to run as a role-playing setting. The Star Warriors is a rough outline
fresh for adventure and individual world-building. I take whats there
and add my own flavoring to the stew, in service to my own games. I see
this setting as a place where you'll find 17th century pirates
as space-pirates in rocketships; Barsoomian-like people going through
space in elegant Spelljammer-like ships; space gypsies; space-elves
that look like the nymphish woman in an old Leiji Matsumoto anime; a
backwater barbarian hero who is applying his/herself as a great space
adventurer; and so on
and so forth. Pure kitchen-sink fantasy... IN SPACE!!!
Here are my ideas:
NEW ORGANIZATIONS
THE CONSORTIUM
This large, powerful corporate conglomerate is the Authority's principle ship and weapon manufacturer. Both entities believes that they are more pivotal to the stability of the Azuran system than the other, buy they are so inescapably codependent off one another that nether side can get control of the other without undoing them both. But that does not stop the scheming and power-plays. The corporate leaders live apart from the common people; in the an orbiting space station above Omicron, the Sky Follower — once a splendid garden park open for anyone to enjoy.
AUTHORITY ENFORCERS
Enforcers form the backbone of the Authority. Covered in black armored spacesuits and armed with lethal weapons and training, Authority Enforcers are fanatically loyal to Authority High Command. They are soldiers who also serve as law enforcement. The most elite become the infamous Night Watch Enforcers — the Authority's covert commandos and secret police. Good citizens of the Azuran System would be wise to not cross Enforcers as the Authority does not tolerate dissension!
FREEDOM FIGHTERS
Although treated as a monolithic terrorist organization by the Authority, Freedom Fighters are individual insurgence groups with their own leadership, goals and... methods. They range from small bands of scrappy rebellious youth, to well-armed fleets ships and guerrilla fighters; from noble renegade Star Knights, to heartless desperadoes. Without a great leader to unite them, each group bravely and desperately fights a hopeless battle to brake the iron grip of the evil Authority.
ELYSIA'S RESISTANCE FLEET
Formed form the survivors of the conquest of Elysia by the Authority, they form a scrappy but well-disciplined and well-armed fleet. They have a good number of warships and fighters, and with the right planing and strategy, could take down an Authority's armada head on, but with limited resources, it would be a pyrrhic victory at best. They lack dedicated troops and are dependent on allies for ground battles. When confronted with Authority Enforcers, all they have are technicians and pilots with sidearms.
Although treated as a monolithic terrorist organization by the Authority, Freedom Fighters are individual insurgence groups with their own leadership, goals and... methods. They range from small bands of scrappy rebellious youth, to well-armed fleets ships and guerrilla fighters; from noble renegade Star Knights, to heartless desperadoes. Without a great leader to unite them, each group bravely and desperately fights a hopeless battle to brake the iron grip of the evil Authority.
ELYSIA'S RESISTANCE FLEET
Formed form the survivors of the conquest of Elysia by the Authority, they form a scrappy but well-disciplined and well-armed fleet. They have a good number of warships and fighters, and with the right planing and strategy, could take down an Authority's armada head on, but with limited resources, it would be a pyrrhic victory at best. They lack dedicated troops and are dependent on allies for ground battles. When confronted with Authority Enforcers, all they have are technicians and pilots with sidearms.
THE WAYFARERS
Travailing in old but well-decorated rocketships, these spacerborne free-spirited vagabonds are a mix of tramp traders, grifters, entertainers and mystics. They are not trusted by civilized people and the Authority see them all with suspect. People seek them out for their fortunetelling abilities, to acquire rare and exotic (and often illicit) goods, or to take in their exotic performances. Their strange music and dance are said to induce an unearthly ecstasy! Whilst there are those who want them to settle down, the wild heart of a Wayfarer will never allow it.
Travailing in old but well-decorated rocketships, these spacerborne free-spirited vagabonds are a mix of tramp traders, grifters, entertainers and mystics. They are not trusted by civilized people and the Authority see them all with suspect. People seek them out for their fortunetelling abilities, to acquire rare and exotic (and often illicit) goods, or to take in their exotic performances. Their strange music and dance are said to induce an unearthly ecstasy! Whilst there are those who want them to settle down, the wild heart of a Wayfarer will never allow it.
SPACE PIRATES
In the chaotic reaches of the Azuran system, space bandits pray on helpless merchant ships and passenger liners. Pirates are feared through out the Azuran System! A few Captains are bold enough to dare strike Authority supply convoys. Vary few pirates are noble, as most are just in it for wealth. Although seen as nothing more than a fairy tale by hopeful youth, there is a legend of a roguish Space Pirate Captain who is driven by revenge and justice to defeat the Authority.
THE BLACK STAR PIRATES
The most infamous Space Piratefleet in the whole Azuran system! Their brutality is the stuff of legends and nightmares! While most Space Pirates would keep prisoners for the sake of slavers and ransoms, they have been known to kill off whole ships of crew and passengers, including on luxury ships full of rich passengers, from time-to-time as a stark reminder to the Azuran System that they are a force not to be reckoned with. As they have a robust trading center for slaves and stolen goods at the well-guarded space fortress on Skull Rock, they are the most well-equipped pirate fleet in the Azuran system. The bounty on an individual Black Star Pirate Ship is enough to buy a small moon!
The most infamous Space Piratefleet in the whole Azuran system! Their brutality is the stuff of legends and nightmares! While most Space Pirates would keep prisoners for the sake of slavers and ransoms, they have been known to kill off whole ships of crew and passengers, including on luxury ships full of rich passengers, from time-to-time as a stark reminder to the Azuran System that they are a force not to be reckoned with. As they have a robust trading center for slaves and stolen goods at the well-guarded space fortress on Skull Rock, they are the most well-equipped pirate fleet in the Azuran system. The bounty on an individual Black Star Pirate Ship is enough to buy a small moon!
NEW WORLDS
Omicron: The Industrial Planet
This ancient planet is covered in layers of urban expansion. Once the economic center of the Azuran system, the collapses of the Solar Alliance brought an era of warring corporate feudal states within Omicron that help gave rise to the Authority that filled the power vacuum left by the Alliance. Through the Authority, the corporations coalesced into a single corporate entity: The Consortium. The upper-levels are made up of Consortium-controlled businesses, while the mid-levels are made up of Consortium-controlled communities, both enforced with a heavy hand by Authority peacekeepers. The lower-levels are a lawless den of scum and villainy out of the reach of the Authority. It is infamous for bing the birthplace of the system's worst criminals, bounty hunters and guerilla fighters. But much of the population of the lower-levels are just poor, desperate people. The people of this world are historically hardworking, industrious and practical in nature. Before the collapses of the Solar Alliance they were also a fairly easy-going and philanthropic people, but now they are cynical and aggressively militant. The whole planet is a powder-keg of political and economic discontentment, just waiting for the Authority to loosen their iron grasp on Omicron.
(This world is located at the one of the unnamed planets near Authority Prime, Elysia and Computronia; see first link above for system map)
Skull Rock: The Space Pirate Hideout
The notorious Skull Rock is the hidden base of the dread Black Star Pirates. It is a large hollow asteroid within The Outer Belt. Time and time again, attempts to destroy Skull Rock ended horribly for Authority fleets thanks in large part for the dangers of navigating The Outer Belt, as well as the ambush tactics deployed by the pirates. Smugglers, slave merchants and Wayfarers are often welcome to the Grand Trading Hall of Skull Rock. The bounty in Skull Rock could buy a whole planet!
(This asteroid is found outside the "ring of life" that makes up the solar system; see first link above for system map)
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
The Mandalorian (Spoilery)
I Just got done watching the first four episodes of The Mandalorian.
HOLY STUCK-UP, HALF-WITTED, SCRUFFY-LOOKING NURF-HERDER ON A TAUNTAUN!!! THAT WAS GREAT!! IT HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, ALL THE WHILE HITTING ALL THE HIGH NOTES!!! I HAVE NOT BEEN THIS EXCITED ABOUT STAR WARS SINCE SEEING YODA IN THE LAST JEDI OR WATCHING THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR THE FIRST TIME!!
*takes deep breath*
OK...
Yes, I love it.
The new series takes the original Boba Fett form the Hoilday Special — twin-prong zap-rifle and all — and puts him in an Akira Kurosawa-inspired Spaghetti Western and the seminal manga Lone Wolf and Cub. It is a well-written and well-acted cinematic series with just the right amount of practical vs CGI effects and lots of beautiful props and locations. You'll find a lot of hommage to the Star Wars franchise and the media that inspired it (Spaghetti Westerns, Kurosawa films, Lone Wolf and Cub, etc.).
I'm going to assume everyone and there dog knows about "Baby Yoda". The internet cant get enough of the Baby Yoda (by the way, he is not actually Yoda, but for the lack of a species name). You can already find memes of him on YouTube (search "Baby Yoda Car Radio"). And yes, he is key to the plot. I know I'm not the only one wanting to sodomize the corpse of Walt Disney with a thick wad of cash to get a damn Baby Yoda plushy for the holidays. IT BETTER BE DAMN KUWT AN NOT SOME SOULLESS-EYED FUNKO POPS FIGURE!!!
In a nutshell, the series is about a faceless Mandalorian Bounty Hunter named Dyn Jarren was hired to recover someone, no questions asked. Once he found him, the nameless "Child", he goes on the run to keep the child safe. That is it! Its an on going series with a big mystery.
Unless you are one of those pedantic souls who cannot stand to see a highly unnoticeable boom-mic, or one of those stupid asshats who bitch about Star Trek (of all things) having "too much diversity", then, chances are, you are not going to like anything good, you miserable pieces of shit! For everyone else, I highly recommend it. So far, 5-out-of-5!
Is it worth getting a Disney+ subscription? Fuck no! They are a shitty company and I question their cyber-security. Plus, in the Information Age, why pay for something when you can pirate! ARRRGGG!!! (Or if you really like it, buy the physical media.)
HOLY STUCK-UP, HALF-WITTED, SCRUFFY-LOOKING NURF-HERDER ON A TAUNTAUN!!! THAT WAS GREAT!! IT HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, ALL THE WHILE HITTING ALL THE HIGH NOTES!!! I HAVE NOT BEEN THIS EXCITED ABOUT STAR WARS SINCE SEEING YODA IN THE LAST JEDI OR WATCHING THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR THE FIRST TIME!!
*takes deep breath*
OK...
Yes, I love it.
The new series takes the original Boba Fett form the Hoilday Special — twin-prong zap-rifle and all — and puts him in an Akira Kurosawa-inspired Spaghetti Western and the seminal manga Lone Wolf and Cub. It is a well-written and well-acted cinematic series with just the right amount of practical vs CGI effects and lots of beautiful props and locations. You'll find a lot of hommage to the Star Wars franchise and the media that inspired it (Spaghetti Westerns, Kurosawa films, Lone Wolf and Cub, etc.).
Its basically is... IN SPAAACE!!!
I'm going to assume everyone and there dog knows about "Baby Yoda". The internet cant get enough of the Baby Yoda (by the way, he is not actually Yoda, but for the lack of a species name). You can already find memes of him on YouTube (search "Baby Yoda Car Radio"). And yes, he is key to the plot. I know I'm not the only one wanting to sodomize the corpse of Walt Disney with a thick wad of cash to get a damn Baby Yoda plushy for the holidays. IT BETTER BE DAMN KUWT AN NOT SOME SOULLESS-EYED FUNKO POPS FIGURE!!!
In a nutshell, the series is about a faceless Mandalorian Bounty Hunter named Dyn Jarren was hired to recover someone, no questions asked. Once he found him, the nameless "Child", he goes on the run to keep the child safe. That is it! Its an on going series with a big mystery.
ALL HAIL OUR NEW HYPNOTAOD!!!
Unless you are one of those pedantic souls who cannot stand to see a highly unnoticeable boom-mic, or one of those stupid asshats who bitch about Star Trek (of all things) having "too much diversity", then, chances are, you are not going to like anything good, you miserable pieces of shit! For everyone else, I highly recommend it. So far, 5-out-of-5!
Is it worth getting a Disney+ subscription? Fuck no! They are a shitty company and I question their cyber-security. Plus, in the Information Age, why pay for something when you can pirate! ARRRGGG!!! (Or if you really like it, buy the physical media.)
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Dead in the Water (for MCC RPG)
Hello everyone!
If it seems that I have not posted in awhile, that because I have been caught up with real life — the bane of all RPG players.
I
was working on another art project with Tim Snider and the final
product came in my mailbox. Unlike the other projects, this one is for
Goodman Games' Mutant Crawl Classic (instead of Mutant Future), and this
one showcase a painting I did for him years ago on the cover (while
working on the last Mutant Future-based supplement). I was so happy to
see one of my pictures on the cover, I wanted to shout it from the
rooftop, but them I remembered I have a Blog (pardon the dust... and
cobwebs... and the old Christmas boxes... and the dead hookers).
The 16-page booklet — first featured at Gamehole Con in Madison, WI —
is a simple "funnel adventure", for 12 to 16 zero-level characters. For
those unfamiliar with Mutant Crawl Classic, as a standard rule, players
start with multiple characters due to the high mortality rate at
level-zero — once they gain a level, they play a single character with a class, and all the abilities that comes with it. If you cannot tell, where Mutant Future is the spiritual successor of 2nd ed. Gamma World, MCC feels like a successor of 4th ed. GW.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Oh Zak...
Picture of Zak S., aka Zak Smith, aka Zak Sabbeth, aka Zak Shitbag.
I just found out about this today.
Why am I not suppressed?
For those not in the know, epic-level shit-starter Zak "S" Smith of Playing D&D with Porn Stars Blog and I Hit It With My Axe v-blog was just #MeToo-ed at the beginning of the week. In a nutshell, his ex-girlfriends -- Mandy, Jennifer, and Hannah and Vivka -- came foward to tell the world about his menially, emotionally and sexually abusive behavior towards them.
You can read it here.
I read their posts. I have no doubts about the honesty of the women that came forward. What they said about him is too specific and are the types of things people seldom think of when it comes to abuse. He is a narcissistic ass who treats people like shit and then looses his shit when people throw this shit right back at him. I recognize the patters, and I have known too many assholes like that!
Years ago, I used to follow his blog, and it had some good stuff on it. Some time after, I noticed how toxic he is, and they way he overreacts to anyone who disagrees with him. I hate the term "SJW" and I considered people threw that term around (along with "cuck" and "NPC" -- outside RPGs and video games) to be self-deluded shit-heels, but Zak acts as the poster boy of what Alt-Right wankers call "SJWs". Although, in Zak's case, he does not care about anyone else to really care about the equality of others, especially women. Much like a rich prick who throws a million to charity and a further 2-million to make sure the while world knows it, Zak puts on the badge of "social inclusiveness" to make himself look good.
While there are going to be apologists who will take his side, they can kiss my ass, along with those asshats who would start a campaign of threats and harassment on the woman... well they can choke on my dick! Well, people are dropping him left and right like the burning bag of shit that he is. His ability to find sites to publish his stuff is now limited. He is already banned from a number of forums (to be fair, he was already banned from many sides for being such a toxic person).
I wish to thank the woman for being brave enough to speak out about him, as the internet gets really nasty with women who do so. That kind of added abuse should also not be tolerated. I wish the women well and godspeed.
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Happy Holidays!
Tis the season to be naughty, Fa-la-la-
Whatever holiday you celebrate, eat & drink well, fuck hard, and enjoy your bounties.
Happy Holidays, you awesome motherfuckers! _\,,/
Whatever holiday you celebrate, eat & drink well, fuck hard, and enjoy your bounties.
Happy Holidays, you awesome motherfuckers! _\,,/
Sunday, November 4, 2018
My DriveThruRPG POD Haul
For those do don't know, the DriveThruRPG website offers not just game books in a digital Portable Document Format (PDF), but also physical Print-On-Demand (POD) copies, much like with Lulu.com. I have a TON of PDFs on my computer and backups storage mediums (disks, USB sticks, etc.), along with a small tablet to read them, and I love that I have access to a lot of gaming resources (legal or otherwise) at my finger-tip, but I also like to run games with actual physical books instead of fumbling through a sea of digital files that cannot be booked-marked or recalled with any amount of speed. Here is something about having books right there at your desk and in your shelf. Plus, a number of the current PODs are for old, discontinued products, with a good number providing extra income to their creator (although, I could care less about WotC or who ever took over White Wolf Publishing).
Mind you, in a number of cases, retro-clone POD books are cheap enough to buy out of hand, but I still have to save-up for them. It this case, I had to save up for months to buy these "big books":
OK, firstly, months back I got the re-print of the classic Empire of the Petal Throne: The World of Tékumel.
For a while I was reading through some pirated PDFs about the setting and fell in love with it. It is a rich and beautiful backdrop deep in history and culture. To me, this is true fantasy, as its far beyond the mundane and ordinary fantasy we see everywhere today. This is not a setting like Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms where you can jump right in without effort. Tékumel requires a bit of research (and some mental adjustment) to get into. I know this is really off-putting to most, but I eat the setting details up like candy. As a fan of the Barsoom Saga, I'll usually fall back on the Tsolyáni culture to round-out the Barsoom people... or a derivative there off. Buying the hardcopy felt great, as I know it would go to Baker's estate.
I quite enjoyed the book, but I could care less about the rules. I'm more interested in the setting itself, so I put my sights on Swords and Glory vol. 1: Tékumel Source Book, which I ordered last month, along with the next book...
For few a years now, I have been in an '80s nostalgia-driven classic cyberpunk kick. Back in the '90s I was into the cyberpunk genre, but the only thing available was Shadowrun, but I never liked that game. All I wanted was pure, unadulterated cyberpunk! No punk-rock elves! No street-mages! No dragon-CEOs! I have a number of cyberpunk RPGs on my files — Shadowrun, Cyberspace, GURPS Cyberpunk, C.O.P.S., etc. — and I like to mix things up, but the cyberpunk backdrop that really stood out is Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. It has all the right mix of elements: Gibson/Sterling-styled "Mirrorshades" cyber-punks; Bladerunner-like backdrop; Tech Noir-styled bars bathed in blue & pink bisexual neon lighting; OCP-like Machiavellian corporate politics; Mad Max-styled Nomads (and Water World-styled Pirate-bikers for good measure) Rage Against the Machine-like Rockerboys; weapons, gear and vehicles that look like concept art form late-'80s OVA-era anime; a sex-positive attitude towards nudity and sexuality; and a fashion sense and outlook that is so entrenched in the 1980s.
Now, I'm not a fan of the Cyberpunk 2020 rules: I find the game mechanics to be dull and I never liked Humanity Loss, as I see it as a wonky limiter on the number of cybernetics that you can install. Plus it makes no sense that a few cosmetic implants that change your physical features in smalls ways (color-changing hair/eyes/skin, glow-in-the-dark tattoos, etc.) and things that folks do even think about (blood-filters, contraceptive implants, and the like), above and beyond the major mental and physical alterations, would push someone into becoming a murderous psychopath. (If anything, only have the cool, useful things strip one's psyche.) It also has a strange aversion to recreational drug-use in that "Reefer Madness" sort of way. I don't care what Maximum Mike said: Cyberpunk is vary much "Dungeons & Drug-Dealers"! Much like in the real-world, safe recreational drug-use is a skill all its own (hell, even as a kid I was taught: "Even with weed, always know the person you are buying drugs from!"), and drug-dealers do not last long peddling bad shit.
But still, I bought the reprint of Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. (second edition, version 2.01). You might be asking way I would put money down on a system I don't care for. The truth is, I see the Cyberpunk 2020 setting as a foundation for my own cyberpunk games. I can add, mix, alter and remove things as I see fit, using a rule-system of my own choosing. I have a ton of other cyberpunk-related books, RPGs, movies and anime to work with. More over, there is a a great resource for EVERYTHING Cyberpunk 2020-related called Datafortress 2020! It list every item, weapon, armor, cyberware, lifestyle and vehicle found throughout the history of CP2020 and than some. It expands on Night City. Goes into the major military conflicts in Africa and South America. And it really flesh out the Nomad culture. (All while using a lot of images found on countless search results.) I highly recommend that site, even if you are not into the CP2020 setting.
The Tékumel Source Book and Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. reprints arrived a day before Halloween and I have been reading both. The Tékumel Source Book is full of great information, but lacks page numbers with it indexing. Everything is in 1.XYZ index numbers with the "1" being the book, the "X" being a section of a broad topic and "Y" and "Z" going into more and more specific topics. As such, I'm having to write the section headers and index numbers on the top corners of each page to be able to find everything as the sub-section headers tend to get buried it the walls of texts. Due to a lack of artwork, I cannot rely on them to "landmark" sections, so I'm more dependent on the indexing. The top-page headers I put in looks like this (bun in pencil):
Early History — The Historical Empires
1.200 — 1.310
Besides that issue, I really enjoy what it has too offer. Its going to take more time to fully absorb it, but so damn worth it!
Beyond the rules, the Cyberpunk 2020 book is great! The artwork is good, although I wised that it was a little less prudish. I have seen the non-English CP2020 books, and they have less restraint. (Although, if I had my way, Tim Bradstreet, with his hard realistic, film noir style, would totally be apart of their artist pool.) What I really enjoy about the game is how it is presented like a series of magazine articles with magazine adds here and there for notable equipment. I love this! It really adds to game immersion. When you read the start of the chapters it really casual and, much like actual magazine articles, you'll find quotes from the chapter placed in sidebars as large, bold text to really highlight what the section is about. You'll find newspaper articles related to a situation only to turn the page and find a game scenario about it. You'll find quotes form the likes of Johnny Silverhand, a rebel Rockerboy, Morgan Blackhand, the "Solo's Solo", and Maximum Mike, who is essentially the Word-of-God for the game (the game was written by Mike Pondsmith). With all the art, tables and sidebars, is hard to to get lost in this book.
In both cases, the books kind of suffers from the black & white line illustrations due to how both setting love vivid colors. In Tékumel, they love bright, contrasting colors. Houses, clothing, banners, the works: Bathed in bright colors with a lot of meaning. Cyberpunk maybe a futuristic film noir, but it is covered in Hajime Sorayama-styled chrome, with the bold color contrast of Patrick Nagel, and the aforementioned blue-N-pink bisexual neon lighting. (Although, that would have made the reprints more expensive and time-consuming.) Also, I'm not above altering the artwork of a new or reprint RPG, if I have issue with it — I did this for my Crimson Blades books and some others. Being line art, it makes my job way more easy.
If there is one thing I wish DriveThruRPG had for Tékumel is Book of Ebon Bindings. Is is a book about demonology and the occult. Damn good stuff!
Mind you, in a number of cases, retro-clone POD books are cheap enough to buy out of hand, but I still have to save-up for them. It this case, I had to save up for months to buy these "big books":
OK, firstly, months back I got the re-print of the classic Empire of the Petal Throne: The World of Tékumel.
For a while I was reading through some pirated PDFs about the setting and fell in love with it. It is a rich and beautiful backdrop deep in history and culture. To me, this is true fantasy, as its far beyond the mundane and ordinary fantasy we see everywhere today. This is not a setting like Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms where you can jump right in without effort. Tékumel requires a bit of research (and some mental adjustment) to get into. I know this is really off-putting to most, but I eat the setting details up like candy. As a fan of the Barsoom Saga, I'll usually fall back on the Tsolyáni culture to round-out the Barsoom people... or a derivative there off. Buying the hardcopy felt great, as I know it would go to Baker's estate.
I quite enjoyed the book, but I could care less about the rules. I'm more interested in the setting itself, so I put my sights on Swords and Glory vol. 1: Tékumel Source Book, which I ordered last month, along with the next book...
For few a years now, I have been in an '80s nostalgia-driven classic cyberpunk kick. Back in the '90s I was into the cyberpunk genre, but the only thing available was Shadowrun, but I never liked that game. All I wanted was pure, unadulterated cyberpunk! No punk-rock elves! No street-mages! No dragon-CEOs! I have a number of cyberpunk RPGs on my files — Shadowrun, Cyberspace, GURPS Cyberpunk, C.O.P.S., etc. — and I like to mix things up, but the cyberpunk backdrop that really stood out is Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. It has all the right mix of elements: Gibson/Sterling-styled "Mirrorshades" cyber-punks; Bladerunner-like backdrop; Tech Noir-styled bars bathed in blue & pink bisexual neon lighting; OCP-like Machiavellian corporate politics; Mad Max-styled Nomads (and Water World-styled Pirate-bikers for good measure) Rage Against the Machine-like Rockerboys; weapons, gear and vehicles that look like concept art form late-'80s OVA-era anime; a sex-positive attitude towards nudity and sexuality; and a fashion sense and outlook that is so entrenched in the 1980s.
Now, I'm not a fan of the Cyberpunk 2020 rules: I find the game mechanics to be dull and I never liked Humanity Loss, as I see it as a wonky limiter on the number of cybernetics that you can install. Plus it makes no sense that a few cosmetic implants that change your physical features in smalls ways (color-changing hair/eyes/skin, glow-in-the-dark tattoos, etc.) and things that folks do even think about (blood-filters, contraceptive implants, and the like), above and beyond the major mental and physical alterations, would push someone into becoming a murderous psychopath. (If anything, only have the cool, useful things strip one's psyche.) It also has a strange aversion to recreational drug-use in that "Reefer Madness" sort of way. I don't care what Maximum Mike said: Cyberpunk is vary much "Dungeons & Drug-Dealers"! Much like in the real-world, safe recreational drug-use is a skill all its own (hell, even as a kid I was taught: "Even with weed, always know the person you are buying drugs from!"), and drug-dealers do not last long peddling bad shit.
But still, I bought the reprint of Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. (second edition, version 2.01). You might be asking way I would put money down on a system I don't care for. The truth is, I see the Cyberpunk 2020 setting as a foundation for my own cyberpunk games. I can add, mix, alter and remove things as I see fit, using a rule-system of my own choosing. I have a ton of other cyberpunk-related books, RPGs, movies and anime to work with. More over, there is a a great resource for EVERYTHING Cyberpunk 2020-related called Datafortress 2020! It list every item, weapon, armor, cyberware, lifestyle and vehicle found throughout the history of CP2020 and than some. It expands on Night City. Goes into the major military conflicts in Africa and South America. And it really flesh out the Nomad culture. (All while using a lot of images found on countless search results.) I highly recommend that site, even if you are not into the CP2020 setting.
The Tékumel Source Book and Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. reprints arrived a day before Halloween and I have been reading both. The Tékumel Source Book is full of great information, but lacks page numbers with it indexing. Everything is in 1.XYZ index numbers with the "1" being the book, the "X" being a section of a broad topic and "Y" and "Z" going into more and more specific topics. As such, I'm having to write the section headers and index numbers on the top corners of each page to be able to find everything as the sub-section headers tend to get buried it the walls of texts. Due to a lack of artwork, I cannot rely on them to "landmark" sections, so I'm more dependent on the indexing. The top-page headers I put in looks like this (bun in pencil):
Early History — The Historical Empires
1.200 — 1.310
Besides that issue, I really enjoy what it has too offer. Its going to take more time to fully absorb it, but so damn worth it!
Beyond the rules, the Cyberpunk 2020 book is great! The artwork is good, although I wised that it was a little less prudish. I have seen the non-English CP2020 books, and they have less restraint. (Although, if I had my way, Tim Bradstreet, with his hard realistic, film noir style, would totally be apart of their artist pool.) What I really enjoy about the game is how it is presented like a series of magazine articles with magazine adds here and there for notable equipment. I love this! It really adds to game immersion. When you read the start of the chapters it really casual and, much like actual magazine articles, you'll find quotes from the chapter placed in sidebars as large, bold text to really highlight what the section is about. You'll find newspaper articles related to a situation only to turn the page and find a game scenario about it. You'll find quotes form the likes of Johnny Silverhand, a rebel Rockerboy, Morgan Blackhand, the "Solo's Solo", and Maximum Mike, who is essentially the Word-of-God for the game (the game was written by Mike Pondsmith). With all the art, tables and sidebars, is hard to to get lost in this book.
In both cases, the books kind of suffers from the black & white line illustrations due to how both setting love vivid colors. In Tékumel, they love bright, contrasting colors. Houses, clothing, banners, the works: Bathed in bright colors with a lot of meaning. Cyberpunk maybe a futuristic film noir, but it is covered in Hajime Sorayama-styled chrome, with the bold color contrast of Patrick Nagel, and the aforementioned blue-N-pink bisexual neon lighting. (Although, that would have made the reprints more expensive and time-consuming.) Also, I'm not above altering the artwork of a new or reprint RPG, if I have issue with it — I did this for my Crimson Blades books and some others. Being line art, it makes my job way more easy.
If there is one thing I wish DriveThruRPG had for Tékumel is Book of Ebon Bindings. Is is a book about demonology and the occult. Damn good stuff!
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