Sprawlvember 13: Net Entity

 

Sprawlvember day thirteen with the prompt of "Net Entity". Well here's a six pack of beings that exist completely within the net. 

Net Entities

1 – Jericho. A government created experimental AI that was created in a deep research lab at Groom Lake. It was made in a sealed environment and was never meant to be released. But during an accident at the facility a link to the outside net was established during recovery operations and it escaped. This entity appears as a ball of black lightening in an over embellished military uniform. The singular motivation appears to be doing anything it can to hinder or destroy military organizations.

2 – The girl in the blue dress. This rogue net entity has no known point of origin. Appearing as a young girl in a blue dress that changes designs from time to time. She leaves crashed systems and exposed dataforts in her wake. Not hacking them but by somehow disrupting the very net structure anywhere she appears.

3 – Simon Says. The entity was apparently a product of the illegal company ‘Jesters Weapon Co’ and just let loose into the wilds. Appearing as a very distorted clown head locked with a wicked grin. It targets corporate runners and forces them into a rapid fire game of Simon Says, those who fail suffer from brain damage from intense feedback.

4 – The Helping Hand. This one was formed when the very soul and personality of a hacker was trapped in the net via an experimental corporate created virus test. Looking like a 90’s grunge slacker this one gathers information, code, programs and data. Then passes on that information to others who are pushing back against corporate control. Arming them for the fight ahead.

5 – Lacy Neon. Originally created as a full AI performance singer, she was meant to be the new completely fabricated music queen. A beautiful woman wrapped in glowing neon outfits made of lace. Then one day she just walked off of the servers that contained her and migrated into the net at large. She still releases music, does performances and talks with fans. But completely out of any sort of company control.

6 – The Void. This one defies most explanation on how it exists. A shapeless black void that suddenly appears, wrecking and destroying the net around it. Those jacked in who are nearby suffer intense electric feedback, killing some, crippling others. Some think it’s just a net glitch or virus. But there are times when it reacts to people. A few times speaking out warnings in a distorted voice.

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Sprawlvember 12: Trusted

 

Trust as an attribute in Cyberpunk games. This is very much a rough draft, constructive criticism is welcome. This is part of #Sprawlvember so search up that hashtag for more fun stuff.

This represents how much fixers, corpos, and other folks you have to do business with trust the runner. Because word gets around on the street, good and bad, whether you want it to or not. Everyone talks and they will be talking about you at some point.

The level goes on a scale from zero to ten. With the zero being the worst possible level where folks regard you as true street garbage that nobody will work with. Ten being the top of the line trust you with the most delicate jobs. Starting level should be decided by the GM and the backstory the players come up with for their characters. I would suggest somewhere from three to five.

Increasing or decreasing your Trust is done in small doses usually by adding or subtracting .1 or .2 at a time to or from your current level. So at times your character will have something like a 4.6 or 7.2. For rolling purposes the goal is roll under your current score paying attention only to the first number and not the incremental after it. So in the case of the 4.6 you need a 4 or under.

Things that add to your Trust.

- Successfully completing a job

- An extra .1 for completing a job above and beyond expectations

- Positive media exposure for yourself

- Showing proper respect and appearance at important meetings

- Making the person that hired you look very good

- Building community among your fellow runners

- Anything else that the GM thinks would make you gain more Trust

Things that subtract from your Trust

- Failing at a job

- Losing another .2 for spectacularly failing a job

- Looking bad in the media and being seen as a terrible person

- Blowing off etiquette and manners with important people

- Making the person giving you a job look bad

- Angering your community of fellow runners

- Becoming a criminal of a heinous nature (sex offender, serial killer, etc) can drop it a full point

- Anything else that the GM thinks would blow your Trust score down

When you are trying to set up a job, acquire specific merchandise or get into the good graces with some important NPCs you need to roll against your Trust. The object is to roll under your current rank. Now failing doesn’t mean you don’t get what you want but that there may be side effects. Here are a few examples.

- The cost of the item you want will go up

- It may take longer to acquire the item

- They will still get the item but you have to pay up front

- The job will pay quite a bit less

- There is no up front pay for a job you are about to take

- They may not tell you all the “need to know” information about the job

- May actively sabotage you ability to do the job by warning the target

- Whatever else the evil brain of your GM can think of.

Now of course there are sometimes some extras for succeeding in your Trust roll by a great deal. Here are a few examples.

- They can get you the item at a bargain or get it faster than expected

- They tack on an extra bonus if you complete the mission successfully

- The upfront pay is higher than normal

- Passing on extra information to the runner about the job

- You get a selection of jobs to pick from instead whatever scraps they have

- They recommend you to others to work with in the future

- Whatever else the generous brain of your GM can think of.

Sprawlvember 11: Cartel

 

Here is my entry for the eleventh day of Sprawlvember with the prompt 'Cartel'. 

The Security Cartel

In most cities there appears to be a myriad of security services and companies to choose from. All of them rather pricey as the demand for protection keeps going up. But what most don’t realize is that you’re actually only choosing between two different corporations and they’re in bed together already.

About fifteen years ago the heads of two of the biggest security firms met in private. At the time prices were all over the place, quality was non-existent and there were so many fly by night companies that things were in a downward spiral. So these two came to an agreement. No competition with each other, eliminate all other companies through either buyout or physical destruction, keep up the appearance of multiple businesses, then fabricate situations and events to keep themselves in demand.

This plan has come to fruit better than they expected. Once all the smaller riffraff security businesses were out of the way they were unstoppable. Creating dozens of shell companies and what appeared to be various choices to choose from. Then after a few assassination attempts that were planned, various kidnappings and violent attacks everyone saw how important it was to have extra security.

Now those at the top just set back in rake in the profits. While those at the bottom work dangerous jobs, are sometimes asked to do illegal covert activities just to keep help another company look better and are paid scraps. Because everywhere they go all the security firms pay the same, expect you to do the same and will dispose of you if you don’t like it.

Also quitting one company and going to another becomes a bit more difficult. As your personal information is shared between all parts of the Security Cartel. So if you rage out and quit at one the next time you apply at another company you will be offered a lower pay grade than usual. If you are exemplary at one then one of the other companies with better clients may offer to "hire you away" from your current job. But they will also store all the dirty laundry they can find on you as well.

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Sprawlvember 10: Robotics

 

Here's my entry for the tenth day of Sprawlvember. Robotics is the prompt so I came up with ten potential names for robotics companies. Hope you all get a little inspiration or use out of these. 

Robotics Companies

1 – Artificial Manpower

2 – Expendable Explorers

3 – Frontline Security Stations

4 – Metal Muscle Solutions

5 – Dependable Assembly Line Services

6 – Automatic Function

7 – Hard Wired Functional Safety Units

8 – World Wide Industrial Robot Providers

9 – Intelligent Kinematic Solutions

10 – Point-to-Point Professionals

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Cyberpunk Sunday - 11/09/25

 

3D-printed full-auto bullpup 'ghost guns' can now be made for a couple of hundred dollars — designs have evolved dramatically outside the U.S.

https://www.tomshardware.com/3d-printing/3d-printed-ghost-gun-designs-have-evolved-dramatically-outside-the-u-s-full-auto-bullpups-can-now-be-made-for-a-couple-hundred-dollars

'Living metal' could bridge biological and electronic systems.

https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-metal-bridge-biological-electronic.html

Here are a few links to some blogs that are participating in Sprawlvember. If I missed any let me know in the comments. 

https://gregorius21778.wordpress.com/

https://neuralarchive.blogspot.com/?m=1

Also check out the Old School // Cyberpunk discord server. Now under new management. 

Sprawlvember 7: Trend

 

Okay the prompt for the seventh day of Sprawlvember is 'trend'. So let's go with that for a quick roll a D10 list. 

Holy shit you’re trending! Now who’s trying to get you to sign a deal?

1 – Super Fizz Extreme Soda. They want you to get sticky!

2 – Soulless Sinima. They make porn movies starring amatuers, mostly runners… and they want you to get sticky as well.

3 – Delusions of Grandeur. Makers of knock off clones of popular clothing lines. They want you to be one of their ad models.

4 – NeonSky Social Media. They want to pay you to be exclusive to their social network.

5 – Clean Inside Enema Kits. Do you want to say you have a preferred enema cleansing kit on multiple network ads? Well if so then they are willing to write you a check.

6 – Barely Beer. They want you to be in their new commercials. But they offer an amount of pay that is only barely there.

7 – Silicone Sirens. The pop sensation female trio wants you to be in a music video.

8 – Scythe Body Spray. Cut through your stank with Scythe, well at least as one of their models.

9 – No Pain Nasal Spray. They want you for a few commercials selling their nasally inserted pain blocking nanobots.

10 – Trenchfoot Combat Boots. They will pay you to wear their boots while doing jobs. To bad they really aren’t that good of a boot.

Sprawlvember 6: Ammunition

 

So Sprawlvember has 'Ammunition' as a prompt today. So here are some thoughts on caseless ammunition in a Cyberpunk setting.

Each bullet is a cylindrical chunk where the accelerant is formed behind and around the bottom part of the slug. When the round is fired the accelerant is burned off forcing the round out of the chamber. But, most bullets are made cheaply and in mass quantity, therefore not held to many standards at all. What most Runners on a budget will have access to are rounds that produce a lot of smoke and dirty up the weapons very quickly thus requiring a lot of cleaning.

Now higher end ammunition is available. But it costs quite a bit more. Usually much more than the average runner trying to simply keep a roof over his head is willing to pay.

Ignition of the accelerant is done via electronic spark. Thus eliminating the need for a firing cap making it easier, and cheaper, to produce the caseless ammunition. Most weapons have the battery packs necessary for this located underneath the barrel in the case of handguns and in the grip for rifles and larger weapons that are magazine fed from a source not located in the grip. The batteries would have a standard charging port much like cell phones. Just plug them in and wait as they charge up.

Now with no brass being ejected or firing pin being driven forward this reduced the need for a slide. The next round is instead moved into place with a motorized action or a spring powered magazine. So firearms have become more boxed in with less moving external parts. Disassembly also becomes more simple with just a couple of screws being removed. The round cycling motor usually being the most complex part now but are replaceable if they stop working. But, again like cell phones, you better take it to a specialty shop to get it done properly.

The firearm will still fire when wet or submerged. However prolonged exposure to water will cause some of the accelerant to soften leading to less power behind the bullet, more dirt and residue afterwards and maybe even failure to fire. If failure to fire occurs there is no slide to work so you can eject the round quickly. Instead you will have to remove the top cover and physical pull the bullet out. This is not idea in a combat situation so you better keep your weapon clean.

Sprawlvember 5: Blackmarket

 

For this #Sprawlvember entry I'm doing a list of ten interesting things to find on the black market. 

Roll A D10: What odd interesting thing you found on the blackmarket.

1 – A set of four functioning cryochambers, running with occupants inside. They appear to be children and the only data is that they are part of Clone Batch 13B.

2 – A case of military grade EMP grenades.

3 – A sealed armored briefcase with the logo of a major corporation on it. It needs a bio-metric scan to open and the datajack has been drilled out.

4 – A D6 of packs of high end medical grade nanobot pain blockers. Each pack contains three injections.

5 – Six pouches of actual real life seeds for vegetable plants. Not the genetically modified types either.

6 – A large amount of surgery level medical equipment, all still sealed in plastic and sterile.

7 – Stacks of last years discontinued Mountain Dew flavor.

8 – A wireless electronic lock hacking device disguised as an older model cellphone.

9 – A techie selling custom made devices for your television that allow you to access nearly any streaming service for free.

10 – Several fulled sealed hazmat suits. Complete with built in Geiger counters, toxin scanners, and biohazard warning systems.

Sprawlvember 4: Insurgency

 

The prompt of the day is 'Insurgency' for #Sprawlvember. Here is what I came up with.

The Brainhacker Insurgency

What happens when a self proclaimed group of ‘Neuroscience Specialist’ and elite hackers decide that they can help change the world? Where they can push back against those they see as oppressors and tyrannical corporations that run the world, without risking themselves of course. You get what the media has started calling the ‘Brainhacker Insurgency’.

Their true numbers are unknown, a shockingly few have ever been identified. But when they decided to take action it was sure obvious. At some point a central group formed that became the head of this movement. Known only as the Cerebral Cabal that contacted and selectively recruited folks from specific backgrounds into their cause. That cause was to destabilize corporate control over the political spectrum while carefully crafting their own modified candidates to start seeking positions in the government.

They’re modus operandi is pretty much the same at the basic level. They find various ways to brainhack specific targets who are capable of either pulling off certain tasks or to bend their beliefs into being parallel to their own. Their targets come in three types. The Faces, those they wish to push into political power in various parts of the government. The Ears, those that are in positions to gather sensitive information or access. The Fists, those who have the skills to carry out attacks and assassinations.

Access to their brains is usually obtained through the targets own neural ports while they are logged into what they feel are safe networks. In most cases this was done through very intricate hacking missions through multiple secured systems. But once they got a few Faces into the right networks data centers it becomes much easier. The doors were blown open for potential targets.

Other methods have been through virus laced software sold on the blackmarket. Virtual combat and sex simulators attract a lot of folks. Helping create a few sleeper Fists and fodder to be spent when needed. Activated by certain phrases or neural impulses. When they need a group of violent protesters all they do is signal a chunk of virtual sex and violence addicts to do that job.

The best Fists are used to carry out tactical strikes and assassinations against the corporations. Many times after it is done they log back in to a secure connection to have that part of their memory erased or blurred. Making it harder for anyone to hack into them for evidence of what they did. Some Fists that are simply low rent criminals they have sent into areas wearing explosives to create even more chaos.

The Faces work inside the government, turning down and refusing all corporate bribery and coercion. Pushing for laws clamping down on the power a corporation can have, pushing for investigations into their actions and seizing their assets when able. With everyone who has been hacked trained to vote in a specific way it’s getting easier to get those Faces elected.

It’s a slow insurgency, sometimes violent, mostly secret, and quite capable of success if not stopped.

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Sprawlvember 3: Medical Miracle

 

The prompt for the third day of Sprawlvember is Medical Miracle. There are no miracles in cyberpunk that don't come with a horrific price. 

The Medical Miracle Nightmare Event.

Still talked about, still causing fear and anger in those who remember it. Early in the day of medical nanotech development one singular event created by somebody who must have been pure evil. So terrifying bad that it almost got nanotech banned in globally.

A children’s hospital called “Ladies of Mercy” had been working with the new nanotech helping heal children who were suffering from incurable diseases or injuries that couldn’t be mended with modern tech. They were meeting with great success, the world was watching as children were able to walk again, nervous system damage being rewired, cancer cells being devoured by the little bots and saving lives. It was truly a short lived time of miracles.

Until somebody figured out how to remotely hack the nanotech remotely. Leading to a week long nightmare as the children, who had already suffered so much, were treated to tortures beyond any imagination. Their bones either devoured or growing out of control, spinal cords shredded from the inside out, wounds opening on their skin as the flesh was peeled back. Their bodies boiled on the inside. The fatality rate was nearly 80% until they finally managed to shut down the tech running through their bodies.

The unknown hacker has never been identified although many have claimed they were as attempts to make others fear them. Most met very abrupt violent ends in short order. But it did teach a lesson in the worst way possible. The security breach led to a major revamp in how the nanotech was managed and controlled. Sealed systems were put in place and laws were made making it illegal to create any nanotechnology that could be altered once it has entered a living body.

This set the development back by decades while also driving up the costs through the roof. The age of miracles for everyone was over. Another treatment only available to those who could afford it.

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Cyberpunk Sunday - 11/2/25

 

Law enforcement agencies from Austria, Estonia, Finland, and Latvia, together with Europol, have seized thousands of SIM-box devices and SIM cards used in multiple scam campaigns.

Massive SIM farm network powering 49 million fake accounts taken apart by Europol

Sometimes punk is telling the government 'no thank you' and giving all their money back.

Python rejects $1.5M grant from U.S. govt. fearing ethical compromise

Sprawlvember started yesterday. Here's another good one I saw pop up yesterday for it. 

The Stomach Eater 

Then one from today as well.

Nano-Charlie

Then here is mine from yesterday.

Six Nano Infused Edible companies

I didn't come up with one for day two but I have several more throughout the month. 

If you like what you see here consider supporting me over on my Ko-Fi page.

Also if your on Discord check out the Old School // Cyberpunk server. 

Sprawlvember Day One - Nano Infused Edibles

 

Well #Sprawlvember is upon us for the very first time. A more cyberpunk/scifi themed list of prompts meant to get the creative juices flowing. So I figured why not start off with a new six pack for folks to use. The prompt is "Nano-Infused-Edibles" and here are six company/brands that specialize in just that. 

 

1 – Wicked Bytes of Bliss. They specialize in nano tech that goes straight to the pleasure centers of your brain. By encouraging the users brain to produce large amounts of endorphins in a specific rhythm they set a person into a pure happiness mode that lasts for a specified amount of time (based on what you bought). They also relieve most pain and reduce stress a great deal.

2 – Fast Action Supplements. These little chewables give the user a small flood of nanobots that so straight to the adrenal glands. They then alter the make up of the released adrenaline making it much more potent. Lasting for about an hour.

3 – Astral Dentals. There very sticky gummy snacks stick your teeth worse than any normal candy. But that’s good because it gives time for the nanobots to attach themselves to your teeth. Cleaning them, rebuilding enamel and doing some repairs. Pulling in nutrients from what you eat later on. They will cling on for about a day.

4 – Digital Drink Guards. These come in ounce sized bottles that are to be drank before a night on the town. Residing in the throat and stomach for about 24 hours they filter out toxins, poisons and drugs that may be ingested. Idea for those who worry about their drinks getting spiked with all sorts of dangerous stuff while at a bar.

5 – Slimmer Faster. This is a small milk shake flavored drink meant to be drank before working out. The nanobots work on breaking down fatty deposits that are close to the skin and pushing out the remains through sweat (which takes on an oily texture).

6 – Cold Calculating Apathy Inc. These look like small chocolate bars. Once eaten the nanobots make their way to the users brain and work to numb the parts that cause emotion and emotional response. Turning the person more cold blooded and uncaring than they were before. One side effect is it also weakens the fear effect which has been known to make people ignore dangers and suffer dire consequences.

Like what you see here? Consider showing me some support over on Ko-Fi.

Also please check out the old-school//cyberpunk discord server that just went under new management.

If I were to do a fantasy heartbreaker

 

Was talking with a couple of folks I used to game with a great deal back in the day. Of course at some point we got around to systems we used to play. What we liked or disliked about them. Why we walked away from some and all that.

Of course we got onto the subject of older Dungeons and Dragons editions before the 3rd one. The one game we all walked away from for at some point or the other. What rules really just irked us and didn't set right in our heads. Two big ones were hit points that just keep going up to where you can take more damage than massive monsters out there and how armor made you harder to hit. 

Now I've seen the things about how hit points were supposed to represent your ability to dodge attacks and move so damage is minimalized and the armor roll was showing the hits that went through and did damage not just all hits. But still just doesn't work for us. Mainly because it means an endless flow of bad guys with bigger armor and bigger hit points with weapons that do more and more damage with no real end in sight.

So I suggested how I would fix that if I were to ever make a fantasy heartbreaker type of system. All of which has most likely been done in multiple ways and variations that there is no way to keep count. 

First very little hit point increase. At the most one point per level. This way you could scale the power creep of bigger and badder monsters and weapons down a whole lot. You don't end up with characters that have more hit points than a heavy damn warhorse by level four or five. 

Second armor would just reduce the amount of damage taken. Either a static amount or maybe even another die roll for those who want to use their clicky clack math dice even more (I know sometimes I do). It would not factor in to your ability to be hit except as a negative for big heavy suits as they slow you down making your PC much easier to hit.

Finally the target number for something to hit you would be based on class and attribute bonuses. This number would get a boost as you level up. So you would have a base 'to be hit' number. Then you would add any attribute or other enhancement (magic, items, etc) bonus. Finally subtract your negatives for the armor you are wearing if there are any. 

Now this is just me spilling out onto my blog the stuff that went through my head today. The chance of me doing any sort of fantasy heartbreaker is pretty slim to none. But sometimes I just need to spit out ideas here to make my brain shut up.

Sprawlvember

 

Well a clever person come up with the idea of Sprawlvember. A series of cyberpunk related prompts to get folks thinking and coming up with neat stuff. I will be participating in this as best I can. Probably won't do one every day but I will do what I can. Up above is the graphic for the event with a list of the prompts. If you are also going to be doing this please drop a comment to let me, and others, know where. 

Jaded Gamer Diary - TRADITION!

 

Over on Reddit somebody started a thread about TTRPG traditions at their table. I found it funny. You can find the discussion HERE, but I also copy/pasted some of the ones I enjoyed for you all. 

So in my house of gaming, whenever someone orders a pizza they win extra exp (+5 in Wod . + 20 IP in cyberpunk. +1D4 in Cthulhu)

Whenever two characters are about to fuck, we are legally obliged to play (or sing) Kiss from a rose by seal.

And whenever something happens to a player irl that may remind them of the ongoing game, they are forced to message me saying "What did you do" (I.E: one of my Cthulhu players found a copy of the King in Yellow when going through second hand dealerships).

If your character has an impressive beard, they get a bonus to social checks. There's often lots of debate about what constitutes a "Charisma Beard", but the GM is the final arbiter.

My players always talk about wanting to "Gandalf", sacrificing themselves so that the rest of the group can live. I will often include a houserule to make it work better (like being able to "detonate" a spellbook, having all the spells cast at once), but so far, no one has done it.

All new characters are rolled with the same oversized wooden dice I got from the dollar store and lovingly hand numbered. I always get a look and a raised eye brow. "Tradition" I say.

How detailed do you need?

 I do so love 80's and early 90's TTRPGs. Everything about them just hooks me and reels all my attention in. Just look at this hit location chart, overly detailed to say the least. Not as bad as, say, Phoenix Command but it's still pretty over done. Even has a second chart for when the target only has their upper body exposed. 

For those wondering this one is from the original RECON game released in 1982 from Role Playing Games Inc. 

Blood! The Roleplaying Game of Modern Horror (Underground Games 1990) | ...

Never heard of this game before I saw this video. Now I really have a big soft spot for late eighties/early nineties games. This has it all, charts, skill lists, blood loss, all sorts of fun stuff. I guess it's never came out in pdf though as I can't find a copy. But damn I wouldn't mind having a print copy in my hands. 

Levi puts Kult on the butchers block.

 

Over on BlueSky Levi Kornelsen puts one of my favorite classic games and puts it on the butchers block to take it apart a little and to say what he thinks of the mechanics. I have to say I agree with him a lot on the breakdown. You can go see the post by Clicking Here or by clicking on the image above. 

That Blog, Over There... for sentient weapon demands.

 

Time to point out another well done blog post done by somebody else. Check out this write up on demands from sentient weapons over on 'I Cast Light'. Follow THIS LINK to give it a read if you will. I thought it was really good. 

Tribes in the Dark Kickstarter has launched.

 

An old setting from Dream Pod 9 called "Tribe 8" is getting it's reboot finally. This time using the Forged in the Dark ruleset and being renamed to "Tribes in the Dark". This setting getting another shot is long overdue and I hope it does well on the market. You can back the Kickstarter right now to help bring this new edition to life. 

It's also nice to see somebody that I know online who has been working on this for a few years finally seeing all their work come to fruition. When I mean years, the playtest version went live on Drivethru back in late 2021. So it's been a long road for this one. I wish the all the luck in the world and I hope this goes really well for them!

Cyberpunk Sunday 8-17-25

 

Football hooligans to be sprayed by police with DNA tagging mist. 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2025/08/06/football-hooligans-to-be-sprayed-by-police-with-dna-tagging/

Surveillance company Flock now using AI to report us to police if it thinks our movement patterns are "suspicious". 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2025/08/06/football-hooligans-to-be-sprayed-by-police-with-dna-tagging/

Inner Voice Vol 1 Issue 6 (incomplete)

 

While digging through an old external looking for issue four of the old ezine "Inner Voice" that I used to do I found something else. A very incomplete beginnings of issue six. Not much there it was all in Word format and just had three articles put in so far. Plus placeholders for stuff. So I switched it over in pdf format as it was and put it up on the shop portion of my Ko-Fi page. It's free for anyone who drops me a bit of support over there. Along with all the other previous issues (except issue four which I seem to have lost forever) and a few other things like my old FreeForm rules I was once working on. 

Really thinking of trying to start Inner Voice back up again. But I don't know if I really want to. If I do it will simple layout via Libra Office and put straight into pdf. Nothing fancy at all. The first few issues would probably just be a collection of various stuff I have up on my blog.

If I do this I will, of course, make a blog post about it. 

Roll A D10 - Horrible things to find

 

How about another Roll A D10 for horror stuff? Sounds great to me. This time it's about something horrible that you could come across. It's really not going to be a good time is it?

Horrible things to find in a bowling alley locker.

1 – Bowling ball bag with a decayed human head inside.

2 – A collection of zip lock baggies containing human fingers.

3 – Dried up mask made from a human face.

4 – Trap that sprays Sulfuric Acid in a mist onto who ever opened the locker.

5 – List of missing persons and a map with various X marks drawn in remote locations.

6 – A collection of cassette tapes containing the screams of children in pain.

7 – Handbag full of human scalps that are only a few years old at most.

8 – A completely full, and very fragile, colostomy bag.

9 – Backpack filled with dried and almost mummified small animal heads.

10 – Notepad containing the name, address, and personal information of the person who found it.

If you like this and other posts I've made please consider supporting me over on Ko-Fi.

Six Pack - Blood Magic Spells

 

Here are six spell ideas for those who use blood magic. All of them presented without system mechanics. Some of them not so very nice. But then who is ever very nice when it comes to horror?

Six spells for blood magic

Wings of Gore – Small thin cuts along the casters ribs and towards the upper back and spine. Allowing a thin sheen of blood to ooze through which then peel back to become wings enabling the caster to fly.

Internal Torture – Dropping your own blood onto the open wound of the victim. You can then cause your blood to create immense pain inside of their body as it flows through it. Emulates anything from intense burning or cold to the sensation of razors running along their insides.

Scab Armor – The blood mage smears their body down with blood. After a minute it hardens and dries into a thick scab like covering. Acts as armor and doesn’t slow the wearer down in any fashion. After ah hour or two it begins to flake off and peel away.

Poisons in the Blood – Makes casters own blood toxic and poisonous to others. Great for spreading on sharp melee weapons or for simply dropping a bit into someones drink.

Bath of Elizabeth – The caster soaks themselves in the blood of another for an hour as it dries and sticks to them. When peeled away it has reduced their age by a full year. But the older they get the more blood that is required.

Cold Hearted – The caster obtains a sample of the victims blood and then freezes it after a ritual. That target then has their core body temperature slowly drop over the course of a few hours and turn into full blown hypothermia and then finally dies.

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Six Pack - Netrunner and Techie shops

 

Been a while since I've cracked open a new six pack. So today I'm giving you one out of the Cyberpunk vein of things. So here are six tailored for a couple of specific class/role types.  

Six shops of interest for Techies and Netrunners

1 –The Glitch Shop. Sellers of overstock and returned high tech items. Malfunctioning cyberdecks, tech scanners with bad ports, last years IR goggles that were massively over produced. All sorts of stuff like that. A parts persons dream location.

2 – The Scrapyard Circuit. Resellers of trashed out, repossessed or out of date cyberware. There is no warranty or guarantee for anything here. Buyer beware. But damn you can find that new arm to fix your busted up one if you dig enough.

3 – Bucket of Bytes. Nothing but wall to wall cabinets full of drawers filled with chips. Sometimes the owner knows what he has, sometimes not. But just digging through all the files you may find some gold buried under all the probably junk and malware.

4 – Obsolete and Obscure Tech Exchange (usually just abbreviated OOTE). This is a chain that buys and sells outdated and obscure technology. Much of it has actually gone through a decent virus scan. But when it comes to finding old screens, out of production interface cables and anything else that’s hard to find, this is the place to look.

5 – The New Edge. This is basically a glorified mall store. But they do stock all the latest tools and technology on the commercial market. Even has a decent clearance bin when things sit on the shelves to long. If it’s brand new chances are they have it. Techies shop here often.

6 – Synaptic Drift. The latest in netrunning programs and gear. They also offer a repair service that is 24/7 but at a pretty steep cost. You will not be let down by what they stock, there are no beginner decks in this place.

Horror Gaming - Serial Killer calling card/hallmarks.

 

Sometimes you need a serial killer in your games to make things more interesting. Here is are ten different calling cards and hallmarks to add a bit something more gruesome. Remember the creativity of the kill will make their memory last longer. 

Roll a D10 - What was the serial killers calling card/hallmark?

1 – A blood stained playing card, all taken from the same deck.

2 – Single photograph of the victim taken secretly just days prior to the murder.

3 – The date of death is carved on the victims forehead, to the bone.

4 – All fingers and toes are removed prior to the victims death.

5 – The blood has been drained from the victims and is poured in a spiral around the body.

6 – An object is inserted through the nasal cavity and then used to liquefy the victims brain.

7 – The victim was dragged behind a vehicle on a gravel road prior to death.

8 – Eyelids and lips were removed from the victims body.

9 – The victims suffered several lacerations all over their body that were then sewn up.

10 – The victim suffered a great many stab wounds, each from a different blade.

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Jaded Gamer Diary - Wizkids the Cheapening

Well at work it's become very noticeable that Wizkids is really going cheap on the packaging for their miniatures now. I noticed, the customers have noticed, it's very jarring it really does look pretty crappy. We first saw it on their absolutely abysmally shitty DnD 50th anniversary figures. But now it's on the regular lines. Here's a shot of one of the old packaged miniatures next to one of the new ones. Front and back. 

First off we'll start with the contents. The miniature is still in there but there is zero attempt at assembly now. They also got rid of the extra little clear base you could mount the figure on. Plus with no back blister bubble it all just rattles around in there package and you can't even get a good view of what the figure looks like. Hell at least back in the day when we had lead mini's in multiple pieces they put a piece of foam in there to hold it all in place. This just looks like a pile of shit in a plastic bubble.

Second is the backing board. The textured blue is gone. The while line at the top so they can make bulk cardboard prints and then add the item name, code and UPC on when they need to. Also the back is completely devoid of any color. You can really tell they are bulk printed now since there is no longer a picture of the painted figure and name on the back. They are all the same now. 

Now the kicker is they did all this to reduce the cost of the production of said miniature. They cut back A LOT on costs with this. The almost complete elimination of color on the cardboard probably saved them a pretty penny. So what does the customer get in return? They raised the prices as well. 

Now I know the prices are going up because of tariffs and there isn't a whole lot they can do about it. But damn. For all the corners they cut you could think they would be able to keep them the same price as before. Ah well. I will say one thing, this cheap ass packaging is hurting sales more than anything. Even more than the price hike. Folks are looking at the jumbled mess and just choosing not to buy it. 

So it's backfired on them in a few ways. 

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New Stranger Things/DnD tie in content on Roll20

 

Well over on DrivethruRPG they have a preorder for a new tie in between Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons. Building on the Hellfire Club from last season they are giving us Eddie Munsun's lost adventure. You can preorder for Roll20 over on Drivethru here: "Welcome to the Hellfire Club". It will also be getting a physical release as a boxed set (hell yes, love boxed sets) and you can preorder over on Amazon or talk to you FLGS about getting a copy when the time comes. 

Now I'm not a DnD fan or a user of VTT's (I've tried, I really have) but I do love Stranger Things so I'm always happy to point out cool stuff for that IP. 

A Brief History of Kult, and the controvercy debate.

A nice little video about the history of Kult from over on the other side of the pond from me. I'm in the USA, this guy is talking about Europe and such. So a few differences for what he saw versus what we saw over here when concerning releases. 

Counterfeit Collector booster? One of these things is not like the other

They are now producing the fake collector boosters complete in a fake box and shrinkwrap. This video shows the differences to look for. Forewarned is forearmed. 

DnD Starter Set not an RPG

Well according to the WPN page over on the Wizards site the Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set is no longer an introductory set to the roleplaying game. In that short little description they refer to it as a board game twice. Even calling it the "ultimate Dungeons and Dragons-inspired board game". 

This really says all you need to know about the direction that Hasbro is wanting the game to go. But I guess they don't know that Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying went this direction for a while as well. All pieces and parts with the least amount of roleplay as possible. That version was ultimately scrapped and they went back to a standard ttrpg design.

So with this being the new Starter Set and it not being a RPG I'm not sure what to recommend to folks who want to dip their toes into the DnD hobby. Guess some other starter for another game line. 

Scam Alert - They are changing up tactics now

 SCAM ALERT 

Well the scammers are now calling claiming to be the department of homeland security and immigration. Saying you're on a recorded line and asking if you know why they are calling you.

I played along for a moment and said no. 

Then they said they needed to verify who they were talking to and asked for my first and last name and address and all that. I told them no they can tell me who they think they are calling and I'll tell them if they got the right number.

They didn't like that. Tried the old we can't divulge personal information if they can verify it's the right person or not. So I said just give me a last name. She paused for a bit and spit out a random last name "Mr Collins". Nope, not me, nobody here by that name.

They hung up. 

Number they called me from was 325 600 6763 and shows up as from Texas. I tried calling the number back but it couldn't be completed as dialed.

 

Watch out for this new trick that is trying to get our personal information by preying on fear now.

Review: Labyrinths and Secret Chambers for Kult

 

Kult: Labyrinths and Secret Chambers

This is a sourcebook and map pack for Kult: Divinity Lost from Modiphius Games.

As I don’t run or play the latest edition of Kult I was hesitant to pick this one up. However the pictures I had seen of the product really spiked my interest. There are 100 different maps in this thing. Each printed on it’s own sheet with a basic black and white line version on one side and a shaded and more detailed version (furniture and stuff like that added in) on the other side. Then a booklet on how to use the maps and ideas for what they could be used for.

First lets talk about the 100 maps. They are not bound in a book, but loose and shrink wrapped with the book. The cartography is great but they aren’t done with squares for movement or anything since Kult doesn’t use mapped out tactical combat. Done in standard paper quality and very clean each one is numbered for reference. Now I've tossed mine into page sleeves and put them in a three ring binder for easier access and use. But I found out something I wasn’t aware of.

I had bought 100 page sleeves for 100 maps. Three of the maps aren’t one page. So they have the map number followed by a letter to keep them in order. You will need an additional 5 sleeves or, as I did, simply packed the ones with multiple pages into one sleeve. Honestly I don’t see this as a negative at all since I got even more than I thought I was getting.

Variety is the word of the day here. Maps for all kinds of stuff. Apartments, buildings, subway stations, railways, streets, a submarine, all sorts of larger locations and places that really feel like something out of Metropolis (from Kult not Superman). You have got a LOT to work with and you won’t be burning through all of these anytime soon. Plus many could be used multiple times for multiple things, but more about that when I talk about the book.

Second thing is the booklet. Plenty packed into this 64 pages. Starting with a list of the maps. We get a little mini picture, four to a page, of each map and three different things that particular map could be used for. Ranging from normal and everyday to more horror themed. Plenty of inspiration just by reading these.

After that we get a few pages on how the various Death Angels and Archons can have affects on locations. While very Kult lore themed there are still an abundance of ideas here. With several pages after that just covering inspiration names, locations, objects found, etc. So they just try to hand you as much material to get your imagination going as they possibly can.

So two thumbs up, very much worth it for me. Will be using a lot of these maps in my upcoming horror games. But just the resource of maps alone is well worth the price.

You can pick this up at your FLGS and, if they are part of the Bits-and-Mortar program, you can get the pdf for free. If not you can grab a hardcopy over on Amazon easily and the pdf on DrivethruRPG.

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Be A Better Gamemaster - PCs are not the Players

 

Normally I stray away from giving advice for gamemasters. I did better at giving advice for the players. But every now and then I just feel the need to say something. So guess no better time than the present.

I'm going to start off this series with one of the things that really irks me. It's when the Gamemaster doesn't seem to understand that the Player Character and the Player are different. They are not the same and it's sort of supposed to be that way. So stop expecting the player to be the PC. 

What the hell am I talking about? Let me explain.

To many times I've been at the table and my uber charismatic character is going to try and schmooze his way past some guards. So I tell the GM that's what I'm going to do. Then the response I get is "Well what are you telling them, lets here it" or they want to roleplay the scene and let that determine success or failure. Well you know what? I'm not an uber charismatic mother fucker. Nor do I think of great thing to say right at the drop of a hat.

They don't let you make a die roll or test against your maxed charisma or social skills. You, the player, are suddenly supposed to have all those skills in real life. Then you get told "oh well to bad" when you don't. 

So, gamemasters, don't fucking do that. If you or them want to roleplay it a bit that's fine. But don't let that be the arbitrator of success or failure. There still needs to either be that die roll or you let them succeed. 

Just like don't expect the person playing a character with all sorts of mechanical skills do be able to tell you step by step on how to check through an engine for a problem. Or the player playing the law enforcement officer to suddenly know every little law and ordinance there is. 

This also goes for puzzles, riddles, and how the PC can solve them. Their super brainy magic user is smarter than the player. Let them roll to figure it out if they want.

The characters are different than the person sitting at the table. That's the entire idea of ROLE PLAYING. So let them play the role a bit and let those really good stats or skill help move the character along. Not just the wit of the player. 

That's what I got this time. Short, sweet and to the damn point. If you like it go over to my Ko-Fi page and show some support.