Tuesday, January 6, 2026

That Blog, Over There - These Old Games

 


It's that time of the week again. Where I try to point your attention over to another blog that out there on the net which I think deserves some attention. I mean, I prefer blogs over videos, guess I'm just old fashioned. 

This time it's the blog These Old Games which is ran by Phil Viverito. Lot's of old school material here to dig through. Plenty of descriptions, pictures, and all that good stuff. Some really quality material here. So please go check it out and let em know Peter Amthor sent you. 

As usual, if you know of any blogs I should check out please drop a link in the comments. 


Monday, January 5, 2026

Grave Robbers Inc

 


Grave Robbers Inc


Sometimes there are jobs that are necessary but are considered to unsavory for most people to do. One such job is exhuming the dead. Now there may be all sorts of reasons why you need a body dug up, ritual components, resurrection, feeding, whatever... but it's a dirty backbreaking job that just seems to have a bad taint about it. But there is a demand, so of course there are those willing to do the work. That's just what this little posse of losers has done. After being outcasts in a niche of society that is pretty much composed of outcasts these folks got together and carved out their own little pocket by doing what nobody else will do. No questions asked. For the right price.

Of course their prices aren't cheap but what's the alternative, doing it yourself? Nobody wants to do that. So as a base rate to pull a fresh body out of the ground and have it picked up at a location of their choosing you will pay an easy five grand. Add another grand for every week it's been buried. Add a grand if the customer chooses the pick up location. Tag on another two if they have to move the body from the transport and into a location. Just need specific parts of a body? Well that's a grand each.

These guys don't take plastic so be ready to pay cash in hand or bitcoin. On a very rare occasion they have been willing to do the deed for a trade. But whatever you are offering it had better be pretty valuable AND be something they really want.

One thing though, getting in touch with them isn't that tough. If you ask around the various occult circles enough you will hear about them and somebody will hand you a phone number. On the other end of that number will be the sweetest voice you’ve ever heard.


Significant NPC's


Tim Price, aka The Boss

Tim is from a long family line of morticians. He has all the education and apprenticeship necessary to follow that path as well. But he decided to spend some more time in college while chasing after lost bits of occult knowledge. While he possesses no magical or supernatural abilities himself he does know a great deal more than most others and has a nearly photographic memory to boot.

He's the one who started Grave Robbers Inc up. Having the know how and access to the equipment needed for the job put him in the position of being in charge.

Chrissy, aka The Voice

When you need to meet GRI to discuss business this is who you will talk to. All of five feet tall, dressed in black from head to toe with combat boots, she is the stereotype appearance of modern goth. Until she speaks. Her tone and inflection are perfect and anyone listening to her feels immediately at ease, calm and don't have an angry bone in their body. Some say she from a bloodline of muses, but nobody knows for sure. She may not even know herself.

Other members of the crew tend to vary. From a few outcasts just looking to earn some money on the side to jocks from the local college hoping to impress Chrissy. Just disposable guys to work the shovels and do the dirty work.


Artifacts of Note


Privacy Lantern. This appears to be an old turn of the century railway oil lantern. Very worn, dinged up and dented but still functional. When filled with oil, lit and a bit of magic is used it creates an optical illusion. Anything activity within the circle of light is rendered invisible from outside viewing. Used while digging up a grave so that casual passer by or a police patrol can't see the activity happening. This illusion is broken if the lantern is moved more than a few inches.

Piece of your Mind Pipe. This appears to be a long smoking pipe made to resemble a Native American 'peace pipe' or at least what they looked like on television. This is activated when a person loads the pipe up and lights then takes a puff while spending a bit of magic. Then when they hand it off to another and they take a hit that’s when the person who lit the thing says out a number of a days and the person will pass out. When they wake back up they will have forgotten most of the specified number of days. Only some very foggy and faint images will remain.


Story hooks.


If you have a group with player characters who are down on their luck and needing money well here is an option. Tim is always looking for a few good folks to do the heavy lifting. The more they know about the occult and supernatural goings on the more he’ll like them. So time to see if your players can handle a bit of graveyard desecration.

The Graverobbers have dug up the remains of somebody very important. Now there is a price on their head until the body is returned preferably intact. Maybe your group will be the ones hunting them down. Or maybe GRI is paying the characters to get the body back from the people who had them dig it up in the first place. Maybe they didn’t even dig it up in the first place and they are being framed.




Friday, January 2, 2026

Replicant Society Stress Triggers (old post)

 


How about a way back post. This is something that I originally posted fourteen years ago. Was working on a Blade Runner type of game called Replicant Society where the PC's where the replicants trying to survive and hide among the human population. I think somebody has already done something like that since then.

But still some of the ideas I had for stress triggers make me want to try and actually make a little mini game. Really rules light, more about handling stress and surviving in plain sight. Maybe one day. Anyways here's my original thoughts on the matter.

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Been hashing out some ideas for a game based on Blade Runner and the novel it was adapted from 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep'. Currently it's called Replicant Society and the players will be the Androids. This first little bit I posted over on my G+ stream. Might as well do a repost here.

Here are some quick ideas on stress triggers and android model types. This is all just ideas I've been writing down over the last couple of days.

One thing that androids do not have is a lifetime of experience. This is especially true in the area of the minds ability to handle stressful situations. Thus it become necessary to track the various types of stress that they are especially vulnerable to. Now some model types are more resistant to various types of stress than others. Now let's look at the four key stress triggers.

Socialization – This is the ability to handle constant social interaction with a variety of people in multiple situations.

Sexual Contact – The intimacy of sexual contact with a living being.

Combat – This is one stress trigger that androids tend to share with their human counterparts.

Emotional Crests – Intense amounts of any specific emotion. Be it fear, happiness, love.

Now the various model types are listed below. Each has specific triggers that they are more resistant while others they seem more susceptible to.

Administration – Resistant to Socialization.
Pleasure – Resistant to Sexual Contact and Socialization. Susceptible to Combat.
Combat – Resistant to Combat and Emotional Crests. Susceptible to Sexual Contact and Socialization.
Caregiver – Resistant to Emotional Crests and Socialization. Susceptible to Combat.
Labor – Neutral regard with all triggers.
Entertainment – Resistant to Socialization. Susceptible to Combat.



Thursday, January 1, 2026

Cyberpunk - Nano Handkerchief

 


Today I have a seemingly simple item that most higher up corporate folks wouldn't mind having in their pockets. It's always nice to have a health checkup whenever you need it. 


The Nano Handkerchief

Really a corpo things, most base level runners couldn’t afford it or wouldn’t bother paying for something like this. It appears to be a regular cloth handkerchief with a variety of possible of fabric types or designs on it. But it’s laced through with nano sized scanners that are linked back to a network.


Whenever it comes into contact with bodily fluids like spit or phlegm (or whatever others) the nano goes to work analyzing it. Searching for germs, viruses, signs of sickness and all that. The result are then fed back to the network and then passed on to the owner. All within a few seconds. Giving them a possible heads up on an oncoming illness, or even toxic exposure.


At the end of each day they are placed in a ‘cleaner box’. It’s a flat thin box made in the dimensions of the handkerchief so that it can be laid out flat inside. Then it safely removes all contaminants overnight without damaging the nanotech laced into the fabric.




Wednesday, December 31, 2025

2026 Gaming Resolutions

 


Once again it's that time of the year. My new years gaming resolutions presented in six pack formula.

First lets look at last year (you can see the post HERE).

1 - Achieved although it morphed. See this years number 2. 

2 - Achieved. 

3 - Not so much. Got one thing out and just barely. And no playtesting on my own games. It stays the number 3 for this year.

4 - Didn't really happen. Had opportunity but other issues made it not happen.

5 - Achieved. Continuing that course.

6 - Somewhat achieved. Had off and on moments that's for sure. It's going to number 1 this year.


While I did decent with last years I didn't manage them all. But that's okay, it did help motivate me to get some stuff done. Here we are with the gaming resolutions for the new year. 


1 - Keep updating my blog on a regular basis. At least two posts a week of some sort. Just sometimes hitting that wall really knocks me down. But this is what's helping me keep my mind off the dumpster fire of a world that is happening around me so I can have a few moments to breathe. 

2 - My Tuesday night group fell apart when the time frame was no longer viable for me and a couple other players. But now a Sunday midday group has formed to take it's place. So I want to keep that going just like before. Currently I swap out GM duties with a friend each week. 

3 - More releases for my Truly Rural Productions stuff on DrivethruRPG. I'm especially motivated to do this after getting my first medal for "Be A Better Player Vol One". Most will be collected material from my blog. Going to keep pushing it on Ko-Fi and itch as well even though nobody seems to buy my stuff from there. I'm also eyeballing the Year Zero Engine for doing a full game release at some point, but likely not in 2026. Of course this means facing my imposter syndrome head on more than ever before.

4 - Run a few other games than normal. First up is Vaesen at some point. Got everything I need but just need to get my butt in gear and do it. Really enjoyed playing it at DieCon this year and love the whole premise. Then I also want to run 1st ed Vampire the Masquerade, but I'm not sure everyone in my current group would like it.

5 - Continue building the little webpage I have going for the Sunday group. If it gets decent enough maybe I'll share it outside my little group of players. Maybe slowly work towards my friends homebrew system getting published at some point.

6 - Cull some of my gaming collection down. I really need to focus on what I am going to use, things with memories attached and stuff like that. So much of what is on my shelf will never be used nor do I have any really attachment to. Time to clear out some stuff and focus. 

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

That Blog Over There - Psionic Cyclops

 


It's Tuesday once again. So that means it's time for me to point you over towards another blog or site that is worth checking out. The time it's Psionic Cyclops.

Once again this is a very old school style focus of games. But this is also a new blog. With some in depth world building articles, various musing on new zines, play reports. It looks like a blog that is really off to a good start. Hoping the person behind it can keep things going as we need more good blogs like this around. 

See who else I've made a Tuesday Promo post about trying to give them a bit of notice.

Know of another blog or site that you think could use a little promotion? Drop a message and a link in the comment section. Sometimes we can only find out about new places if someone points them out.