Thursday 31 December 2020

Shears of the Stitcher Queen



Shears of the Stitcher Queen
is an adventure by Terry Olson for use with the Age of Undying. Layout is by D. Jarrod Shaw. The publisher is Mythoard.

Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of this product by the author. The author also made a better image available at my request! (The original had been taken on my cell phone of the physical product.)
  
This is an extra bit related to Age of Undying, and created for Mythoard in 2016. It is just two pages long, does not have a PC level listed, and doesn't actually tell me who did the art and cartography. The basis of the adventure is that, due to a number of possible complications from Age of Undying, the PCs leap aboard a soulnado ("a spinning mass of phlogiston-bound corpses powered by soul plasma") to present their case to the Stitcher Queen.

Certainly a Quest For It moment, and an awesome play session or two in a campaign where the Age of Undying is occurring. No one who plays it will ever forget the experience of crawling though a whirling mass of corpses 40 feet deep or the dangerous center of this particular phenomenon.

"Shears of the Stitcher Queen,
Look for the sky that's green.
Home of the corpses that blow,
Wear all the blades and you'll know."

Sadly, there is nowhere to obtain this gem that I am aware of.

The Shambling Un-dead

RC#3: The Shambling Un-dead is a 0-level tournament funnel written by the Dungeon Crawl Cabal (Jim Wampler, Bob Brinkman, David Baity, Stephen Newton, Jeffrey Tadlock, and Daniel J. Bishop). Art is by James V. West (including cover and cartography). The publisher is Goodman Games.

Disclosure: I am one of the writers.

This was one of three tournament funnels produced by the Dungeon Crawl Cabal for Goodman Games. The other two were The Hypercube of Myt and Death By Nexus. As with the previous two entries, if you are unfamiliar with the concept of tournament funnels, you can listen to this Spellburn podcast, or read this article on the Spellburn website.

These tournament funnels were created by each of the writers creating a single area, which Jim Wampler then had to work into a cohesive whole. The basic premise is familiar to anyone who has ever watched Night of the Living Dead or The Walking Dead - a bunch of dead things start eating people, and regular folks have to find a way to deal with it!

While the previous two tournament funnels were restricted by their location, The Shambling Un-dead assumes that the PCs are peasants living in a large medieval port village, which meant that Jim Wampler had to devise rules for what happens when the PCs are not heading toward the major encounter areas. He also devised rules for improvised weapons, fully aware that 0-level peasants would look around for something - anything! - that might increase their damage potential!

The areas you get to explore are:
  • You Only Moved the Headstones: The New Market in the central part of town, which borders  the New Cemetery.
  • Wormtooth Abbey
  • The Bloated Dead: The waterfront is, if anything, more dangerous than the village streets!
  • A Walk in the Park
  • The Sinking Sewers
I am responsible for the sewers, so if your PCs died or found glory there, you can blame me! The real reason I chose the sewers was that it is easy to connect sewers to anywhere you like. I hoped that this would make Jim Wampler's job a little easier!

Of all the tournament funnels, I think that this one would work best in regular game play, with challenges appropriate for 1st or even 2nd-level characters. It would be fun to set a campaign in Cowlinsport, beginning with some other funnel, and allowing the players to become somewhat familiar with the layout, the places, and even some of the (now un-dead) people that they are going to meet. Perhaps they even ship with Captain Fulton to explore the mysteries of The Haunting of Larvik Island?

If you go this route, you may wish to include some means to end the plague of un-dead. Or you may wish to transit into the Age of Undying before the PCs can finally resolve the problem with Death!

After a night of fitful sleep and fevered dreams, you awaken and step outside your thatched cottage to greet the coming day, an apocalypse greets you eyes instead. You quickly discover that the dirt streets and back alleyways of your village are now overrun with hordes of the shambling un-dead. Quickly glancing to the scattered few friends that you see standing about equally shocked, you grab the nearest crude implement that you can find and form a circle standing back-to-back — desperately hoping that there is somewhere to run and hide, and that things don’t get even worse. Is that a vampire out in broad daylight?

The Shambling Un-Dead is a Level 0 tournament funnel, and includes rules and advice on how to conduct a DCC RPG tournament funnel for a nigh-unlimited number of players.

It's free.

Monday 28 December 2020

Cyclops Con Virtual Swag Monsters

Cyclops Con Virtual Swag Monsters was written by Daniel J. Bishop with art by Elias Scorsone. The publisher is Crowking Press.

Disclaimer: I am the author and publisher.

For Cyclops Con, I was able to commission four illustrations of cyclopean creatures from Elias Scorsone, who is a regular player in my games. As a point of fact, the descriptions proceed from the illustrations, not the other way around! If it were not for the artist, no PC would ever have been plagued by Floating-Eye Phil, which I sincerely hope has happened in your games.

The four beings are:

Vecnoid: These horrid creatures seems to be all hands and teeth, with a single burning eye and a pulsating, partially exposed green‐grey brain. It stands 12’ high and is roughly 20’ in diameter.  They are rare even in the Terra A.D. of Mutant Crawl Classics, but have ranged into the depths of space and into more fantastic worlds.  

Whether they are the creation of the mad science of the Ancients of the flesh‐vats of immortality‐seeking wizards, they are intelligent and dangerous.

Floating-Eye Phil: Monsters don’t follow the rules in Dungeon Crawl Classics, and neither do NPC spellcasters. Floating‐Eye Phil is an alien wizard hailing from a distant star, who travels the planes in search of something he calls “the transdimensional box of azure hue,” and the chirurgeon who travels within it, to treat his contra‐temporal rash.

Slugclops: This disgusting creature is something like a massive quadruped slug with a single eye on a long stalk. Its mouth opens up on its back, unfolding like a flower...and then the tentacles lash out!

Mordant: The primal cyclops known as Mordant traffics with ghosts primarily when he creates them. Truly, Mordant follows the philosophy of “slay first and question later”. Like other cyclopses, his eyesight extends onto multiple planes of existence, but his sight includes seeing into potential futures, which is represented by a higher initiative and Reflex save bonus than a creature of his size could usually obtain.

Mordant can also see into the astral and ethereal planes, invisible creatures, and the true nature of illusions, as do his lesser kin. Mordant needs no sack of variegated eyeballs to perform these tricks!

Although a known man‐eater of legendary hunger equal to his vast proportions, Mordant’s island keep is still sought out by adventurous wayfarers. Some of these seek the answers to questions, or lost spell knowledge. Still others wish to have lost vitality returned to them.  

It's free!

Get It Here!


Illuminael, Angel of Light

 

Illuminael, Angel of Light was written by Daniel J. Bishop, with public domain illustrations by J. M. W. Turner, William Blake, and Giusto de' Menabuoi. The publisher is Crowking Press.

Disclaimer: I am the author and publisher.

Most years, the limitations of travel prevent me from going to little more than Gary Con, with the occasional convention in Ontario or abroad if I am travelling. In 2020, however, every convention was perforce a virtual convention, and I ended up running games are far more of them than usual. This was produced as a virtual swag item for the first DCC Days Online convention.

When Angels, Daemons, & Beings Between was first being outlined, I had intended to create three angels for the product. Lavarial, Angel of the Temple, was the first of these, and she made it into the book. The other two I had intended to create were Michuval, Angel of War, and Illuminael, Angel of Light. In both of thee later cases, a full patron is provided with the exception of detailed patron spells. And, in both cases, when I was looking for material I could quickly turn into virtual swag, they were at hand. The original idea, of course, was to show that the forces of Law could be as varied and interesting as the forces of Chaos!

In any event, these three angels are now available for your campaigns.

Sometimes known as the Dancer at Dawn, Illuminael appears as a genderless being of softly glowing bluish-red light, not unlike the colours of a soft sunrise. The angel is humanoid in form, with soft features only the hint of wings that seem to be made of faded sunlight. This angel is a staunch ally of those of good will, and a foe of the un-dead. Illuminael favours peaceful resolutions to problems whenever possible, and this is reflected in the angel’s invoke patron results, patron taint, and spellburn.

It's free.

Get It Here!


Lichenthrope

Lichenthrope was written by Daniel J. Bishop with modified Creative Commons art by Björn S. The publisher is Crowking Press.

Disclaimer: I am the author and publisher.

This was a virtual swag item created for Gary Con XII. Like many others, I had been planning on going to a physical convention. My plans had included giving away several duplicated DCC products I had acquired as well some Appendix N fiction I had managed to buy additional copies of through the regressing memory of the aged.

As with so many others, the advent of Covid-19 forced me to alter my plans. Suddenly, the physical swag I thought I would be giving away would have to wait. So I quickly wrote this critter up, inspired by a pun my brother-in-law, James Ripley, had made. He really deserves the credit for the name, not I!

Another source of inspiration came from the many volumes of lumberjack tall tales and lore I had devoured as a child. The Lichenthrope could, therefore, fit easily into a Shudder Mountains campaign!

In any event, may this creature plague your players whenever their characters venture into the deep woods!

In deep forests, where moss and lichen lies thick upon trees and standing stones – there lurks the lichenthrope. This is a large creature, perhaps a denizen of Elfland, which takes the form of an ogre-sized flattened humanoid shape made entirely of moss and lichen, its eyes mere wells of darkness. Lichenthropes protect old growth forests and ancient menhirs. They are difficult to spot against moss or lichen, preferring to attack targets with surprise from behind. 

It's free!

Get It Here!


Silent Nightfall

CE 5: Silent Nightfall is a part of the Campaign Elements series designed to challenge 2nd level or higher characters. It was written by Daniel J. Bishop with art by Jacob Blackmon and Tim Hartin (cartography). The publisher is Purple Duck Games.

Disclosure: I am the author.

Before there was Mutant Crawl Classics, Silent Nightfall provided a quick way to create mutant critters. Before there was Blessings of the Vile Brotherhood, Silent Nightfall provided details on the Radiant Brotherhood. Before there was DCC Empire of the East, Silent Nightfall introduced a demon who was the result of a contained nuclear explosion.

All this and more because Silent Nightfall is, in part, an homage to The Changeling Earth and Hiero's Journey

Those quick mutation rules, by the way, are still usable in games such as Mutant Crawl Classics. In addition, you gain rules for demi-patrons and learning new languages through game play. Did I mention that statistics for tetanus are also included?

Silent Nightfall has come up on the Sanctum Secorum podcast several times - most notably when it was chosen as the featured product when discussing Changeling Earth. It also came up in Episodes 2 (The Last Castle), 9 (H.P. Lovecraft), 10 (The Maker of Gargoyles), and 20 (The Dying Earth). It was discussed on Spellburn in Episodes 55 (DCC Fan Favorites) and 87 (Upon Further Reviews).

I have discussed this adventure several times in Raven Crowking's Nest, including a run through with 8th level PCs. For examples, see this post, or this post, or this series of three posts. I have also run this adventure at a variety of cons, both online and in person. Overall, I think that it has aged well, and I am always surprised by how the adventure ends - explosively or otherwise - and what steps PCs are able to take to avoid their own destruction. 

When I proposed the CE Series, I asked Tim Hartin to draw a number of small maps with which to spark ideas. The purpose of the CE Series is to provide the judge with world-building materials, small areas that can potentially be explored in a single session (when all the regulars are unavailable) and materials that can continue to be of use throughout a campaign. By those measures, I believe Silent Nightfall succeeds. 

There are often periods of greater or lesser magical influence in the world. Millennia ago, during a period of reduced magical activity, there was a nuclear power station at this location. When magical influences began to spread once more, the nuclear core became unstable, and began to develop a form of malevolent sentience. The ancients placed the core in a shaft three miles deep, the last 500 feet of which were filled with heavy water. This shaft, and its attendant control center, were given the codename “Silent Nightfall”.

In the ages since, much of the complex has collapsed or ceased to function, but the main shaft still remains, going three miles deep into the ground. The rooms that remain have undergone great changes, having been used for many different purposes and by many different creatures over the centuries. As a result, the original purpose of the shaft, rooms, and corridors has become obscured.

One of those who used the area was the wizard Mortmallion the Pale, who stole the Whispering Stone from Elfland. He hid himself and the stone in the Silent Nightfall complex, but the weird energies coming up from below changed him. Mortmallion can still be found, deep below, as the shaft crawler. Over time, the Whispering Stone became confused with the area where it is now found, and some texts refer to it as “Silent Nightfall” without making it clear why the stone has this name.

Currently, they are used as the nesting ground of owl-like humanoids that call themselves the grallistrix. Incubating their eggs in the Silent Nightfall complex has changed them, and they have become dangerous nocturnal predators in the region. The grallistrix hunt in triads, and locate prey by an extraordinary sense of hearing. As a result, communities nearby observe unexpected quiet at night – there are no late night gatherings. Inns and taverns close their doors with the fall of night.

Finally, the nuclear core itself has gained sentience and a malevolent, demonic intelligence. Imprisoned at the bottom of the shaft, it knows no other name than Silent Nightfall. So long as the demon remains bound, it is no great threat to the PCs or their world. In fact, they may be able to deal with it in order to gain magical aid.

In this way, the term “Silent Nightfall” has come to mean the following within the context of this location – the remains of the nuclear complex, the practice of avoiding loud noises after dark, the Whispering Stone, and the great demon imprisoned at the bottom of the shaft. This gives the judge many ways to lead the PCs into this material. It also allows the judge to make finding information difficult, as the many uses of “Silent Nightfall” spill into each other.



Sunday 27 December 2020

The Class Alphabet for DCC RPG

The Class Alphabet for DCC RPG was written by James V. West, Stephen Murrish, Anne Hunter, Victor Garrison, Jarrett Crader, David Baity, Julian Bernick, R.S. Tilton, Wayne Snyder, Claytonian, Diogo Nogueira, Noah Stevens, Jose SeldanaDavid Coppoletti, Jeff Goad, Jon Wilson, Reid San Filippo, Justin IsaacForrest Aguirre, Terra Fox, Anna Costa, and Rick Kammer. Art is by Danny Prescott, James V. West, Davey Parrott, Jane Elisabeth Thomas, David Coppoletti, Evlyn Moreau, Jon Wilson, R.S. Tilton, Claytonian, Diogo Nogueria, KJ O'Brien, David Lewis Johnson, Ray Otus, Karl Stjernberg, Anna Costa, and Rick Kammer. The publisher is Dungeon Remixer.

Disclaimer: I was given a free pdf from the publisher, in hopes that I would write about this product (which I would have anyway). As a result I noticed a few small edits prior to publication, which resulted in my being given a credit as an editor. My blog, Raven Crowking's Nest, is listed in Appendix III of this work.

This book, not surprisingly, contains an Introduction and a "How to use this book" section. Each is a single page long. Not all of the classes herein are going to fit well into every campaign. With 26 classes to choose from, the odds are that something will fit into any given milieu. None of these classes, however, is simply a Ranger or Paladin variant. Well, there is the Zealot....

For some reason, the publisher decided to make the pdf not only automatically default to a two-page spread, but treated those spreads as single pages. This is not ideal. Obviously, the two-page spread looks good - most pages are designed to take advantage of how one would see the pages in print - but it does make reading the pdf harder than it needs to be. At the point of this writing, a print version is not available.

Let's take closer a look at each of these classes, shall we?

A is for APE ASCENDANT: You are an ape. You are a very smart ape. You are a smart ape with primal strength and rage. You are a very smart ape with primal strength and rage that can deliver powerful psionic blasts. If you wanted to play an analogue of Gorilla Grodd, this is your chance. This is a relatively simple class to understand, taking only a single page of the book.

This class would fit into any tropical milieu with a bit of gonzo, but the PC might have a harder time visiting a tavern. This could also stand in for a yeti-type character, or a subset of Ith’n Ya’roo.

B is for BLACK CAT: Literally a magical black cat, this is nonetheless a fairly complex class which takes a full 12 pages to describe fully. The Black Cat gains spells, its own unique critical hit table, and a full patron write-up for Shammat, Lady of Cats. 

Most campaign milieus will include cats, and most societies are not at all surprised to see cats hanging around where people are. This class could gain wide usage as a result. Shammat might be an interesting patron for wizards and elves.

C is for CYBER-ZOMBIE: This class represents a dead body reanimated and upgraded with technology. Characters have to die in order to become Cyber Zombies, and not every dead character can be revived as such.

This is a complex character class that requires 7 pages to describe, including upgrades that the character might gain. In a milieu similar to Umerica or Mutant Crawl Classics, this class could fit right in. The class might be the result of PC action, or the result of technological processes beyond the characters' control - in this way, an adventure location could create Cyber Zombies as unique PCs even in a nominally medieval setting.

D is for DRUG USER: I am still amazed that Joseph Goodman let this one into the book.

A complex class taking 10 pages to describe, "You sacrifice your sanity to forces from beyond the cosmic veil in exchange for powers unknown in your birth universe. You walk a tightrope between controlling your environment and controlling yourself. If you let your guard down for just one unwary moment, or pursue an ecstatic experience just a little too far, you risk being invaded and ultimately consumed by Transdimensional Cognitive Parasites who skitter around the periphery of your reality, looking for a portal into a host consciousness in your dimension".

Ostensibly, this class could fit into almost any game setting, but including it will definitely change the tone of a campaign. Sadly, there is no mention of taduki.

E is for EDITOR: Taking up two pages, this class is designed with meta-gaming in mind. Serious meta-gaming. As in looking at the judge's notes and reporting back to the party meta-gaming. This might be fun in a one-shot, but I would have a hard time using it in an extended campaign. What else should one expect from "Jarrett Crader & accomplices"?

F is for FLESH-FORGED: This is a two-page re-imagining of Frankenstein's Monster, with an awareness that all of its parts might not actually be human. The class is relatively straight-forward and could fit into almost any milieu. With a little bit of disguise work, it might even be welcome in a tavern. I would limit the use of the class to prevent it from losing its impact.

G is for GOBLIN GANG: Another two-page class, you are literally a gang of small, imp- or gremlin-like goblins. Effectively, this is role-playing a swarm. Does it work? Well, the class is not difficult to understand, but it would have a hard time interacting with the mundane folk of your average village.

It would be easy to reskin this class to fit into almost any campaign milieu, although if the game is strongly human-centric it will not fit. They could be some form of collective intelligence in Star Crawl, Crawljammer, or Phantasmagoria. In Umerica or Mutant Crawl Classics, they would fit right in. In a game based around the Shudder MountainsDark Trails Weird Frontiers, or Transylvanian Adventures this class could represent an opponent, but probably will not be a comrade-in-arms.

H is for HELLFONT: Why allow wizards to have all the fun of demonic patrons and corruption? Now your Warrior-type character can have them too! Although not a complicated class, it does take 4 pages to also document the powers and corruptions you might have. I picture this class as being inspired by Venger from the old Dungeons & Dragons cartoon, but I could certainly be wrong.

If there are demonic patrons in your milieu, this class will fit. You might have trouble mingling with other folk, however,

I is for INTELLIGENT WEAPON: Here is an interesting idea: your PC is an intelligent weapon. This also means that you need a thrall...some feckless would-be adventurer that you can control and act through. It is a neat idea, taking three pages to detail, and is not overly complicated. Although a magical sword, axe, or hammer might be the go-to ideas that come to the average player, it would be easy to use this class in Mutant Crawl Classics, Star Crawl, or Umerica with a more technological base. Not every magical ability is easily converted to a technological ability, but transition should go smoothly with a little judicious interpretation.

J is for JOCKEY: This is a one-page class for those who might wish to ride some form of critter. It isn't complicated and, for the most part, it should translate easily to almost any game milieu. If  the idea of a PC mounted on an umber hulk is too gonzo for you, use sparingly!

K is for KNAVE: This is possibly the most complex class created for Dungeon Crawl Classics at the time of this writing. It is not surprising, then, that it takes a full 30 pages to fully describe. 

"Knaves are selfish in the extreme. They take what they want, and live off other people’s labor. Knaves take the largest slice of pie; they drink the whole pail of water. Knaves want the biggest and the best, the first pick, the choicest cut. They demand service and servitude, and anyone who stands against them gets beaten down full sore. Knaves blackmail and ambush, they burgle and break, they wheedle, they scheme, and they’ll fight to the death – but never lift a finger to do an honest day’s work."

What sets them apart, though, is service to the Arcana. The Knave has a mystical relationship to the tarot deck, They have a suit chosen from those of standard playing cards - Clubs, Spades, Diamonds, and Hearts - that helps to define their powers. In short, once more, they are complicated. Flavorful, but complicated. You will want to have this section printed out at the table if you play a Knave or have one in your game. 

Depending upon how your magic is styled, this class may or may not fit into your milieu. It would be perfect in a game inspired by Faerie Tales from Unlit Shores, but might seem out of place on the Purple Planet. Or not. It's your game.

L is for LEMURIAN: Another ape-themed class, this one being a man-ape with ancient memories but no overt psionics. Well, the picture shows a man-ape, but this could just as easily describe Brule the Spear-Slayer from Robert E. Howard's Kull stories, or some of the heroes of Lin Carter's more tongue-in-cheek Lemurian Cycle. The class is not complicated, clocking in at three pages. If your milieu includes ancient peoples in a primordial world, the Lemurians may do nicely.

M is for MONSTER TRAINER: Clearly inspired by Pokémon, this somewhat complicated class only takes three pages to describe. Unfortunately, the sample monsters from the Working Class Alphabet are not reproduced (so you had better get that as well...) but, then, anyone travelling in a DCC milieu is bound to encounter something worth catching.

Because of the obvious source of inspiration, this class might not fit into all milieus. However, the writing is good, and the class could fit into almost any game. 

N is for NINJA VAMPIRE: You are a ninja. You are a vampire. It takes two pages to describe what this means, because, after all, "Ninja Vampire" is not a hard concept to grasp. Whether or not your character fits into a particular campaign milieu is another matter. This class is particularly appropriate appearing in the ruins of Seattle in an Umerican campaign.

O is for OGRE: You are an ogre. It isn't that complicated. Your class takes three pages to describe because you get your own special crit table. You get that table because you are big and you like to bite things. There are probably a lot of campaign milieus where you can't get seated in a tavern.

P is for PUPPET MASTER: This class casts spells and controls puppets, which makes it rather like the villain of A. Merritt's Burn, Witch, Burn! This is not very complicated, but takes 3 pages to describe because the puppets themselves must be described. This class could fit into most settings.

Q is for QUANTUM WANDERER: "You are misplaced in time and space — lost, marooned, or simply not where you started — but in any case, you come from a world very different to the primitive one you find yourself on now. Though it must be said these primitives do keep finding ways to surprise you with their inventiveness. You may be moving on as soon as your etheric beam emitter is working again and your towel is dry, or perhaps this is where you’ve decided to settle long term. Or you may be searching this world high and low, in hopes of finding a way back to where you belong..."

This class takes three pages to describe and assumes that the PC comes from an advanced future. Appendix N fiction is filled with modern people become embroiled in other worlds, be they the past of their own world, or other worlds such as Mars or Venus. Here we are more into Kang the Conqueror or Booster Gold territory.

R is for RO-BARD: This is a robot entertainer. Although the class uses standard DCC class metrics, this is clearly a class that would fit well into the Umerican setting. It might also fit well in Star Crawl, Phantasmagoria, or Crawljammer. Not overly complicated, the class takes 3 pages to describe.

S is for SLIMENOID: A simple, single-page class that is also not likely to be welcome in the average tavern. "Mucal invader, is there no end to your oozing?!" Strangely, though, I could see this class working in most campaign milieus. In some, the Slimenoid would be an anomaly, but in a Mutant Crawl Classics game? Slime on!

T is for TENACIOUS D-FENDER: This is a three-page class dedicated to Tenacious D - effectively a parody of a parody. Nonetheless, it is a playable class...although playing one will very likely affect the tone of the game.

U is for UBIQUARIAN: "Everyone has wished they could be in two places at once, but the ubiquarian actually can—and some can even be in up to sixteen places at once!" It's an interesting idea for a class, and one that could fit into a great many campaign milieus. The class is not overly complex, and takes up three pages including a table for Astral Mishaps. Probably more importantly, the rules allow the class to do some unique things - including providing advanced scouting - but it should not overwhelm the table.

V is for VELOCIRAPTOR: A two-page description of a Velociraptor class. For other takes on similar classes see The Goodman Games 2017 Gen Con Program Book, Crawling Under a Broken Moon #14, Hubris, and Tales of the Fallen Empire. DCC players seem to have a thing for playing saurians. They are even part of Primal Tales.

W is for WOLF GIRL: "Bristling with primal energy, finely tuned to her territory, thriving on self-governance—the Wolf Girl is an unapologetic autarch, motivated by razor sharp instincts and a ferocious drive to survive. Her prevailing ideology is essentially solipsistic: preservation of self, and of the environs that sustain her. Threats to this paradigm are dispatched with swift brutality. Depending on her natural empathy, a Wolf Girl’s sense of self can expand to include friends and causes, which she will defend with exceptional displays of courage and sacrifice.

Wolf Girl has an inner wolf; she is a shifter, dominated by mood swings, focused anger, and unresolved trauma. Residing in the wild, she and her lupine companion are self-possessed, meditative, and stunningly savage. 

A Wolf Girl might use her connection with the earth to craft potent medicines, bezoars, and alchemical components. She might also be a master of her physical reality: platforming buildings, deflecting gunfire, and lancing targets from hundreds of yards away. Wolf Girl’s origins and motivations differ as well. The Wolf Girl is a paragon of natural balance."

This is a magical female Mowgli which takes two pages to describe. The Wolf Girl would fit into most campaign milieus, but would excel at outdoor adventuring away from the confines of both the city and the dungeon.  

X is for XENOCYTE: A two-page class that seems a bit Alien. There are game milieus into which this would fit (Star Crawl springs to mind), but I have a hard time imagining Xenocytes mingling in the tavern after an adventure, or carousing on the streets of Lankhmar.

Y is for YOUTHFUL MUSICIAN: "In every age, in every land, there have been those good souls who travel amongst the needy and who work to undo the machinations of evil. There is something about youth, exuberance, and transgressive music that stirs adolescence and young adults into travel and the championing of all that is good and right. Often, these foolhardy souls simply strive to right the wrongs caused by petty men and women against their neighbors, but every now and then they stymie the efforts of galaxy-spanning cults, supernatural beings, and weird entities from beyond the stars. They fight the good fight for the sheer reward of it, asking no recompense and wandering here and there living where the needs of Law might take them. They tend to attract weirdness of all kinds, and are frequently accompanied by talking animals, beneficent spirits, barmy obsolete robots, and all manner of other companions. Playing music is something of a side gig, or perhaps solving mysteries is the side gig - often there is no way to tell..."

This two-page class is inspired by Jeff Quick’s game Hijinx, appearing in Polyhedron #158. It is a joke class, like the Hot Dog Suit, which will definitely alter the tone of whatever game it appears in.

Z is for ZEALOT: The last class in the book is a two-page divine champion which is definitely promoting a single god. This should fit easily into most campaigns.

Appendices: The book also includes three appendixes. The first deals with esoteric rules and frequently asked questions. The second breaks down the classes into the in-game roles they fill. A discerning judge might reproduce the list from this chart to indicate which options are available in their game. An even more discerning judge might allow certain classes to become available as rewards for meeting certain Quest For It goals, or for playing through specific adventures. Finally, there is an appendix of resources, including an Alphabet of Game Worlds.

The Class Alphabet for DCC RPG introduces 26 NEW classes to your game. Each is fully playable from level 1 to 10, and there's a class for every letter of the alphabet! Within this book you will find a mythic proportion of options for any variety of game setting or playstyle. Every class has been lovingly handcrafted and lavishly illustrated by a team of gongfarming gamers from every corner of the globe. These classes will not only elevate your game to new heights of gonzo-infused frenzy, but will also inspire a multitude of ideas to help judges and players develop their own unique content.

Apes, robotic bards, quantum vagrants, shadow manipulators, monster trainers, puppet masters, ogres, dinosaurs, hellbound warriors, tenacious d-fenders, and gangs of goblins are JUST A FEW of the madcap character classes you'll discover inside. All completely illustrated with accompanying spells, crit tables, powers, and other bizarre tables of options.

Strap in, because your game is about to experience a paradigm shift and things may never again be the same!

Get It Here!