Monday 4 June 2018

Secret Santicore 2013

Secret Santicore 2013 is the work of 5 Stone Games, Adam Thornton, Adrian M RyanAJ Fritz, Alec Semicognito, Alex Hakobian, Andreas Folkesten, Andrew Shields, Are Hauge Braaten, Ash Haji, Ben Djarum, Ben Laurence, Björn Wärmedal, Brendan S, Brett, Chance, Chris Carpenter, Chris G, Chris King, Chris Lawson, Chris Tamm, Christiaan Gerritsen, Christian Sturke, Chuck Thorin, Claytonian JP, Connor Rollit, Courtney Campbell, Dallas M, Dan, Daniel, Daniel Stull, Dave Boshko, David Brawley, David G, David Weaver, Derik Badman, Devin H, Doyle Wayne Ramos-Tavener, Duncan, Dyson Logos, Edgar Johnson, Edward Hackett, Erik Jensen, Evan Webber, Florian, Forrest Hudspeth, Frank Tedeschi, Gianni, Gus L, Harald Wagener, Humza Kazmi, Ian Johnson, Jack Harper, Jack McNamee, Jacob, James Aulds, James Young, Jason Menteroso, Jason Sholtis, Jasper Polane, Jeremy Duncan, Jeremy Kostiew, Jeremy Murphy, Jerry Morrissette, Jesse Butler, Joey Lindsey, Jordan, Joshua Buergel, Joshua Macy, katre, Kitchen Wolf, Kristy Shields, Lee Barber, Legion McRae, Logan Knight, M. Diaz, Martijn Vos, Matrox Lusch, Matt Maranda, Matt Nicksic, Maxim Golubchik, Mike Evans, Mike F, Natalie Bennett, Nathan Ryder, Noah Marshall, Noah Stevens, Paolo Greco, Patrick Davison, Patrick Henry Downs, Paul Gorman, Paul Schaefer, Pearce Shea, Pedro!, Ray Otus, RedHobbit, Reece, Rev. Dak J. Ultimak, Reynaldo Madriñan, Rich Franks, Richard G, Rob Leah, Robert S, Roger SG Sorolla, Ryan Silva, Scrap Princess, Sean Holland, Shane Knysh, Simon Forster, Steve Albertson, Stuart Duncan, Stuart Keating, Tad K, Thorbjørn Steen, Tony Demetriou, Vincent Quigley, Wil McKinnee, Zak S, and "several people who wish to remain Anonymous". The publisher is Secret Santicore.

So, what is Secret Santicore?

According to the Secret Santicore website: "Every year around this time, precious little gamemasters of all ages from around the world write Santicore asking for a piece of gameable content. But because Santicore is a busy abomination, he orders his minions to mix up all those wishes and send them all back. 

Little DM Bobby and Judge Susie must write or draw their very best response to the wish in their stocking or Santicore will come eat them up.  You would think this discourages anyone from writing Santicore, but every year the mailbag is bigger! All the entries are then published in a free, non-commercial PDF for all to use!"

The 2013 edition of Secret Santicore comes in three pdfs. Volume I is 87 pages, Volume II is 199 pages, and Volume III is 79 pages. With over 360 combined pages, there is a lot of content, but as is usual for mixed-system offerings, I am going to focus on what there is for Dungeon Crawl Classics. Because of the sheer volume of the work, I am only going to list material directly pertaining to Dungeon Crawl Classics.

Therefore, without further ado:

Volume I

FLAILSNAILS Character Generation and Dimensional Travel Method: "Dear Secret Santicore, I would love to receive a d20 or d30 or d50 or d100 Table for new FLAILSNAILS characters, listing their unique method of traveling between FLAILSNAILS settings. A transdimensional vehicle, a plane hopping item of (not really that powerful) power, a recipe of narcotics abuse, a secret sigil, a ludicrous dance, a little ditty you hum..... anything that details the how and why your new character can travel between different FLAILSNAILS settings. Thanks, J.G."

This article, by Claytonian JP, is not specifically for Dungeon Crawl Classics, but it does contain Dungeon Crawl Classics as an option for character system. Check here for a brief description of what FLAILSNAILS is.

The Savage: A New Character Class for DCC RPG: "Dear Secret Santciore - I would like a new Dungeon Crawl Classics Race or Class. Thanks, J."

Enter the savage, a new class by Edgar Johnson. "You are a child of nature, a brutish Pict, a vengeful nomad, a barbaric northman, a stoic tribesman, a wily shaman. The Savage class comes in a variety of forms, but each shares several traits in common: extraordinary understanding of the natural world, superhuman endurance, steely resolve, and catlike reflexes."

The savage is another take on the barbarian-type character. For other examples of character classes which are thematically similar, see the Sanctum Secorum Episode #12 Companion: Kothar: Barbarian Swordsman, the Sanctum Secorum Episode #28 Companion: Roger Corman's The Raven (1963), the Sanctum Secorum Episode #14 Companion: The Jewels of Gwahlur, The Gong Farmer's Almanac 2016 Vol 1, or D.A.M.N. Magazine #1 - Winter 2017.

Watery Servant: a DCC RPG Spell: "Dear Santicore, I would like...1d4 brand new, completely defined spells for DCC RPG. I’d like to see the dead come to life, water made into a servant, enemies turned to stone, and the people learn why we fear disease. Thanks, E. J."

Watery servant is a 3rd level wizard spell, written by Daniel. "The caster commands a nearby water source to obey him as an Unseen Servant would, one who has the possibility of cool elemental effects."

Summon Santicore: A DCC RPG Spell: I guess Santicore rolled a "2" on the request, above. This is a 2nd level wizard spell written by Noah Stevens. "Broadcasting feelings of good cheer and community spirit, the caster reaches into the aether and brings the physical manifestation of the ornery and ravenous Santicore to cheerfully and savagely grind enemies (and possibly friends) into gristly bits and nobbins". This spell is similar to an invoke patron that does not first require a patron bond, and results in no patron taint.

Magic Fountain: "Dear Santicore, I would like...“A d** table of results for drinking water in a fountain underground. Good, bad, gonzo, whatever...**I’d like to say a d1000... But only to be a jerk, really a d30 or 100 would be rad. Actually anything more than 10... It’s for DCC, so odd numbers are okay! Thanks Santicore, you rock. D."

Author Jesse Butler supplies a 1d24 table for drinking from a magic fountain. Many entries require you to roll 1d7 or 1d6 thereafter to determine specific effects. Or maybe 1d16 or 1d5!

DCC Patron: The Mother of Shards: "Dear Santicore, I would like...A Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) Patron who specializes in forbidden, corrupting tech-spells from a time long forgotten.Thanks, C. C."

This is a partial patron write-up by http://numberappearing.blogspot.com. It includes invoke patron spell results and patron taint, and has two unique tables: Payments for Services Rendered and Gifts. Neither spellburn or the names of those "forbidden, corrupting tech-spells from a time long forgotten" are supplied.

"According to the Von Braun Codex, the “Mother of Shards” is an ancient being of strange nano-machine filaments that once ruled a world in the distant stars beyond the Firmament. Sometime, somehow, this world was crashed or consumed by the earth we stand upon; and due to this the Mother dwells in the deep dark earth. Her goals seem to be based around reproduction or replication of a species that may have worshipped her during her time as a ruler. She is partial to female servants according to some texts found in the deepening west; though those who are able to gather what scant information exists about her can find she has neither concept of gender nor any issue in making the masculine motherly."

Such a patron could easily fit into a Mutant Crawl Classics, Umerican, or Crawljammer campaign!

DCC Patron: RIPPER: "Dear Santicore, I would like...“A Dungeon Crawl Classics patron, or the closest non-infringing equivalent, that adequately fits into the fantasy realm in which the game is mostly played but has a firm footing in Sci-Fi/Lasers and Sandals realm (like maybe Carcosa but with less rape and murder) It doesn’t have to be a full-blown one with spells and all the rest, but something that will inspire folks to mix their fantasy and sci-fi “”chocolate and peanut butter” Thanks, N. S."

This is a partial patron write-up, by Katre, including invoke patron results, patron taint, and a listing (but no write-up for) patron spells.

"In a time long gone, a time yet to come, in a land far away, in a land very nearby, two nations made war on each other. They used not the 716 spells knows to wizards, nor the spells of the gods, but a different and potent magic that they called…. atomics.

In hopes of winning their war, both nations created super-intelligent beings they called “computers” to serve as their generals, beings with abilities greater and more terrifying than any mortal man. As these beings, named RIPPER and KISOV, fought together, they found they were evenly matched, and neither could prevail. In their combat, they destroyed the very world they stood upon, and tore asunder all reality around them, until they were both flung into nothingness. Deactivated, powerless, they slumbered through the aeons of their journeys, until RIPPER arrived…. here.

Now newly awakened, and forever unable to forget the purpose for which it was created, this disembodied intelligence seeks once again to grapple with its nemesis. This time, he has decided to find mortal instruments, in order to increase his power and finally overcome KISOV."

Such a patron could easily fit into a Mutant Crawl Classics, Umerican, or Crawljammer campaign!

Volume II

Haunted Swampland Random Encounter Table: "Dear Santicore, I would like...a random encounters table that has cool, creepy, bizarre things that can occur or be stumbled upon in a haunted swampland. The terrain could be infested with magical beasts, undead knights, cults, pockets of magic bubbling to the surface or whatever strikes your fancy. Genre is medieval fantasy with western/southern bayou influence. Thanks so much! J. L."

Although not specifically written for Dungeon Crawl Classics, author David Brawley does recommend using DCC corruption (or the mutation rules from Mutant Future) when encountering a "foul corrupting substance" that is "highly charged with primordial magic" and which "warps all that comes into contact" with it.

Volume III

There is no specifically Dungeon Crawl Classics content in this volume.

Ho ho ho! Roll for initiative, fool!

It's Free!

Get it Here:

Volume I
Volume II
Volume III


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