Black Powder, Black Magic Vol. 3

Disclaimer: I wrote a Varmints! entry for this volume.

Volume 3 of Black Powder, Black Magic is written by Carl Bussler and Eric Hoffman, with contributions by Daniel J. Bishop and Noah Stevens, and is published by Stormlord Publishing. This volume continues where the second one left off, providing the judge and players with useful stuff for a weird western setting.

First off, there is an article on Fumbles in Black Powder, Black Magic, which provides unique fumble tables for era-appropriate firearms.

The Kung Fu Monk allows players to run characters similar to David Carradine's character in 1972-75's Kung Fu. This is a pretty welcome addition, indeed!

Spellburning with Demon Ore is exactly what it sounds like, although a bit more complicated than the title implies.

Strange Loot is a list of 30 unusual items you might recover in the Weird West of the Dark Territories. It is followed by The Red Duke, a full patron write-up for the titular being first encountered in Volume 1.

It's Explosive: Black Powder is the first in a series of articles about explosives. In this case, black powder.

Next is Varmints! The Malcupine, which I wrote. This is sort of a malevolent cross between a large porcupine and a centaur, that can turn folks into their willing slaves. As with all Varmints! columns, there is both folklore and an adventure hook to help you use the critters. Noah Stevens' Black Tommy: A Really Hateful Engine, provides a second Varmint! which is nothing more or less than a demonic train engine that doesn't need to stay on the tracks. Folklore and an adventure hook make Black Tommy useful from the outset, though your players will hope to stick to the folklore until they get a bit stronger....

Finally, Noah Stevens supplies The Indigo Signalman's Lantern, one of the many strange items one might someday encounter in Brimstone or beyond.

If it seems to you that this is a full issue, that's because it is.

Black Powder, Black Magic #4

Black Powder, Black Magic Volume 4 was written by Carl Bussler, with additional writing by Anne Hunter. Art is by Todd McGowan. The publisher is Stormlord Publishing.

This issue revolves around "The Maw", a hex-based procedural megadungeon that is central to the frontier town of Brimstone. Let's take a look inside.

The Legend of Brimstone: A faux Sioux legend about how the Maw first appeared. Within the Weird West of Black Powder, Black Magic, the legend may actually be true. This is a short piece that lays the groundwork for Brimstone's legendary under-reaches.

Entering the Mines: "Everyone refers to the unexplored tunnels, caverns, and chasms beneath Brimstone as ‘the mines’, but this term also includes the actual mines secured by various companies."

This article tells you about the lifts, what it costs to be an independent explorer if a mining faction or business doesn't hire you.

Level Names, Dweomers: "All the explorable areas beneath Brimstone are affected by the taint of demon ore, and each level has earned a nickname, derived from the permeating dweomers that affect them, and the creatures that live there."

This article gives a very concise overview of the ten levels of the mines. Each listing includes the "Featured Monsters" found on that level. In most, but not all, cases these are creatures found in the core rulebook.

Hexploration Rules: The rules for procedural exploration of the hex-based megadungeon are detailed in this article. Specifically, movement, forced movement, and camping are covered.

Hex Generation Tables: Each judge's version of the mines is going to be different, and this article gives you the tables needed to create your own unique take on what waits for the PCs below the earth. Tables are supplied for passages, features, complications, and treasures. Some of the complications are hazards that can be found in the mines.

Mine Hazards: This article describes natural (and supernatural) hazards to be found in the mines. The section on ley line nodes is particularly interesting. The original text cites Wisdom checks, an artifact of years of Dungeons & Dragons terminology creeping in. I am told that the pdf version will eventually be corrected, although print versions have already gone out. Wisdom would actually have been the perfect stat to use here, and this is the first time that I actually feel the loss of it in Dungeon Crawl Classics. I am torn between the use of Intelligence or Luck as a substitute.

Demon Shrines: Are there shrines devoted to demons in the underworld of the mines? Of course there are! They are used by cultists and wizards alike. They can offer you some potential reward, if you are willing to meet their price. Also of note are rules or suggestions for attempts to destroy a demon shrine, using them to introduce rare opportunities, and a rundown of the demons of Brimstone.

Wisdom is again referenced in this article, and again it is not easy to determine what should replace it. Since it is a bonus for rapid aging, I would perhaps consider a permanent +1 bonus to Will saves instead?

Hex Map and Hexploration Sheets: Sheets to record your version of the mines.

Faction Encounter List, Levels 1-3: Because there are various individuals, companies, institutions, and cults interested in the mines, you need a d12 table to determine a random faction.

Equipment Prices: In US dollars of the time.

Familiars of the Dark Territories: Written by Anne Hunter, this article supplies 20 types of familiars for each alignment. Some of these might be usable in any setting, and some of them are definitely setting-specific....for example, a mysterious fey figure dressed in gunfighter’s outfit whose mouth is covered by a bandanna, and who never speaks.

Varmints!: This issue introduces the Ore Hound, Pack Goat and Canary Lizard on the useful side, and Old Mac and Clara, his Demon Chicken, on the somewhat less than useful side. Of course, I mean useful for PCs exploring the mines, as opposed to useful for the judge to oppose those PCs.

All in all, this is another excellent issue, and one which makes the Weird West of Black Powder, Black Magic eminently usable in long-term play.

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Black Powder, Black Magic Vol. 2

Black Power, Black Magic Volume 2 (by Eric Hoffman and Carl Bussler for Stormlord Publishing), takes over right where the first volume leaves off. You have 1^st level characters and now you need to do something with them.

First off, there is an article on Armor and Armor Class in the Weird West of Brimstone and the Dark Territories. Characters in Westerns seldom wear armor, and the good people at Stormlord Publishing have taken this into account.

An article modifies each of the core human classes to fit into the setting. It also introduces the Gambler and the Prospector as new character classes. One interesting thing to note is that Cleric options include Catholic Priests and Protestant Preachers, as well as Native Shamans, bringing the option of using real spiritual beliefs into the game. This may delight you or not, depending upon how you view these sorts of things. Each has a separate list of Unholy Creatures.

John Henry is fully described as a patron, and is completely appropriate to the setting.

Finally, the Mine Wight is described in a new column, Varmints!, which describes creatures of the Dark Territories.  This column includes an adventure hook that could be used to give your newly leveled PCs a quick adventure near Brimstone.

Overall, the second installment of Black Powder, Black Magic gives you exactly what you need to continue your PCs from the first volume. 

Black Powder, Black Magic Vol. 1

Black Powder, Black Magic Volume 1 (a zine of six-guns and sorcery) was written by Carl Bussler and Eric Hoffman for Stormlord Publishing.  It is the first volume in a series bringing Weird Western fiction to the Dungeon Crawl Classics multiverse.  The authors wisely choose to make the first volume about introducing the setting – largely through introducing the zero-level schlubs who will seek their fortunes in Brimstone, and then giving them a chance to do so.

It should be noted that this is not the historical Wild West, but rather an altered version where the Dark Territories of the United States of America form the primary arena for play. A map on page 3 shows the relationship between the States, the Dark Territories, the Native Nations of the Navajo and the Lakota, and the Republic of California. The year is 1880.

The product is broken into several sections.

Introduction

This is a nice bit of fiction that the judge can read aloud to the players, and which prompts several steps in the creation of newly-minted 0-level adventurers. For obvious reasons, it references later sections in the zine. It also adds a nice bit of flavor, bringing the setting to life in a way that no textbook-style entry could.

Timeline of Events

A listing of major events from the start of the California Gold Rush in 1848 to the Southern Dakota Railroad being completed in 1880. The events chosen are significant, but the details are left for the judge to fill in.

Starting at the Bottom

Rules for creating 0-level characters suitable for Brimstone and other regions in the Weird Western setting. This includes sections for appropriate Occupations, Tokens of the Past, Motivations for Heading West, and Common Names in Brimstone.  Tokens of the Past replace random equipment, and include items like a ticket to the Ford Theater and a human scalp. Motivations for Heading West give your starting PCs reasons for leaving the greener lands to the East. Common names prevent a gaggle of PCs called Conan or Elric taking away the feel of the setting. They are also an excellent resource for the judge when naming NPCs.

Rules for Firearms

You can hardly run a Western setting without rules for pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Volume 1 includes all of these, as well as cannons, Gatling guns, and even elephant guns. This section includes information about firearms manufacturers and a Mighty Deed of Arms for fanning the hammer of a revolver.

Demon Ore and Hellstones

In the Weird West of Brimstone, a ritual called The Soul Rending resulted in a new twist in the wars of Hell: A demon slain on its home plan explodes upward in a scatter of metal fragments that finds its way into mortal realms. Depending upon its quality, the ore can be used for various purposes, and all of it is valuable.

The Devil’s Cauldron

A level-0 funnel by Eric Hoffman, which is more than suitable for the setting. This also includes The Red Duke, a potential patron who is not developed in this volume.

A Little Black Book

A spot of fiction by Carl Bussler which takes place in 1878 (according to the Timeline of Events on page 3). This short bit of Weird Western fiction puts the events in The Devil’s Cauldron into their proper perspective…the judge may wish to read it aloud after the adventure is done. Since the issue starts with a pit of fiction in the form of the Introduction, this is a fitting conclusion to the first volume.

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Maiden Voyage of the Colossus

Maiden Voyage of the Colossus was written by Perry Fehr. It is a "dual-game adventure for OGL adventures in Porphyra and Dungeon Crawl Classics" - 2nd level for Dungeon Crawl Classics. Artwork is by Gray Dupuis, Rick Hershey (cover), Malcolm McClinton, Matt Morrow, Brett Neufeld, Ryan Rhodes, and Michael Scotta. Cartography is by  Kristian Richards. The publisher is Purple Duck Games.

Disclosure: I am listed as a DCC Playtester. I was involved with converting the original statistics to Dungeon Crawl Classics, more on which below.

“The Colossus! Next wonder of this world, a grand ship of luxurious proportions, carrying goods and good people through the sky to exotic locales without the danger of stormy seas and pirates, or tedious land travel and bandits, and all in style and comfort! The Colossus, built by Gearswave, Inc., is completely safe, unreachable in the sky, moved by the power of controlled wind and gear power! Forget sea travel and grubby caravans, airship transport aboard the mighty Colossus is the only way to go!”

This adventure was written and playtested at the 2015 Iron GM competition at the Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous, where it took Third Place. Contestant GMs get one hour to draft an adventure using three theme phrases (in this case, Airship, Hidden Agenda, and The Clockmaker). After a four-hour play session, the GMs are evaluated by their players.

This adventure is set in the Purple Duck setting, Porphyra, and is actually best if set in that world. When I ran it, I had the PCs summoned to the Gearswave complex on Porphyra, where they were awakened much as described in the adventure start. The major difference was that they were in a summoning circle, were considered "demons" from "a lower world", and had to verbally accept the terms of a contract before being let out.

The adventure then ran much as written. Once the Colossus had been saved, the PCs discovered that their initial contact had been assassinated. "And which lower world do you belong to, exactly?" This gave me a chance to drop them into another adventure setting before sending them home.

Although I did a thorough Dungeon Crawl Classics reskinning of the adventure - it is my opinion that Dungeon Crawl Classics allows for the unexpected and just plain weird far better than 3rd edition D&D-based games - some of these changes were not adopted for the dual-stat format. I suspect that, if you achieve Third Place in a difficult contest, you would prefer not to have your material altered too much. Another part of me suspects that it is difficult to put two or more sets of statistics together in one product, with one product having more bells and whistles than the other.

When I was working on this, I was under the impression that it would be like the tête-bêche dual sci-fi novels or the old Traveller double adventures that were designed to mimic them. Not so!

By putting the material effectively side-by-side, you can see that, while Dungeon Crawl Classics information needs to be supplied for all fourteen creatures encountered in the adventure, and d20 statistics need to be supplied for only four, those d20 statistics take up more space. I can sort of understand not wanting to add insult to injury by giving the villain death throes only in one version.

The Endzeitgeist review of this product was particularly harsh:

Well, this may sound harsh, but the book is utterly delusional regarding its compatibility with DCC. I’m sorry to say it, but apart from DCC-rules being here, this pdf has NOTHING that even remotely pertains DCC’s aesthetics. DCC’s general assumption is that magic’s weird, uncontrollable and volatile; its whole premise is grittier, darker and the whole depiction is radically different, with the emphasis on patrons etc. On the other hand, Pathfinder features reliable magic and is geared significantly more towards high fantasy gameplay. 

I think that a lot of these problems go away if the judge adopts the framing that I used. Being called into a world with industry - whether magical industry or otherwise - is not unknown in Appendix N. The reliable magic in Maiden Voyage of the Colossus should not be construed as a problem if the players themselves are not able to rely on it. For this adventure, presentation is key.

I had a lot of fun running this adventure. Using the right framing narrative, you should be able to do the same. They key is to ensure that you are not implying that airships or magic-as-technology are going to be rife on your world. I could easily see the Colossus coming to a setting like Black Powder, Black Magic, Dark Trails Weird Frontiers, or Mutant Crawl Classics from another dimension. Sabotage does not need to occur on the actual maiden voyage. Likewise, a setting like Trench Crawl Classics, Drongo, Madkeen, or Pandemonium might be able to use the material with very few changes. In Trench Crawl Classics, for instance, the Colossus may be an American zeppelin that the PCs are trying to save from German spies.

While the adventure might seem like a strange fit for Dungeon Crawl Classics, the fact that it is a strange fit can be used as a strength.

The consortium that employs the PCs, Gearswave, Inc., is described as a patron with check results for invoke patron.

An urgent summons in the middle of the night, a hasty boarding in secret, a mysterious agenda… Brave adventurers find themselves on board the maiden voyage of a new flying wonder- the Colossus, a flying airship meant to revolutionize travel!  But not all are happy with this innovation, and it is up to the party to stop the sinister plans of The Clockmaster!

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Crawljammer #5

Crawljammer #5 is written by Tim Callahan and Sean Ellis, and published by Moon Dice Games. This issue focuses on the gods of the Crawljammer setting. Within, we find:

Welcome to the New Space Gods

Following up on his article about the Metaphysics of the Crawljammer setting in Issue #4, Tim Callahan now supplies a brief introduction to the new space gods, including their apotheosis from adventurers, and a note on the first and second generations of elder space gods.

Sister Ultiva, Goddess of Vengeance

This is the first of the new space gods, written by Tim Callahan, and given the full patron treatment. All of the new space gods in this issue are completely kitted out as patrons, ready for your technomancers to bond with.

This almost guarantees that the material will see use in play - if your PCs don't care about the God of Scientific Slaughter, their foes might! In addition, there is a class in this issue that makes use of the full patron format.

"Once the romantic partner of the thief Sperato, Sister Ultiva ascended to godhood over a thousand years ago after fulfilling a pact with both the god of light Hyperlux and the god of darkness Atronox. Some say she braved the depths of the Abyss itself to retrieve the Heart of the Forgotten Sun, while others say she foiled a potentially cataclysmic uprising of lizardmen alchemists on Jupiter who had attempted to overthrow the natural order of the universe. In her final days as a human, Sister Ultiva was cursed by the warlocks of Zeddix and turned into an abominable creature with four arms. As a goddess, she embraces her multi-armed form and seeks vengeance against those who betray their sworn duties."

As the excerpted bit shows, there is a fair amount of both flavor and useful information in the write-ups. A cleric dedicated to Sister Ultiva not only has some history to reference, but knows that the warlocks of Zeddix are her enemies, and that the lizardmen of Jupiter might take a disliking to those wearing her holy symbol. Her relationship to some of the other gods is made clear, as is the importance of sworn duties to her and her followers. There is plenty here to offer the prospective judge or a player hooks for role-playing.

Sperato, God of Hope

"Known formerly as Sperato the delver, Sperato the shadow-hidden, and Sperato of the twenty-seven mysteries, this diminutive thief turned-diety was betrayed by his beloved Sister Ultiva on the steps of the Ossuary of Zeddix and left to die. But the plucky Sperato survived, nursed back to health over twelve long months by the troglodytic fungoids of the bone forest, and this mischievous former adventurer dedicated his remaining years to teaching the primitives of the misbegotten lands, where he developed a massive following of the unloved, the deformed, and the abandoned."

Written by Tim Callahan.

Garun, God of Scientific Slaughter

"Ten millennia ago, war was a straightforward matter: tribes would clash and the strongest survived. As war continued, complex technologies and strategies emerged as a deciding factor. Wars evolved to the point that they could be won from distant shores with unmanned craft and remotely-guided artifacts destroying an enemy that the victor would never actually face. This method of efficient slaughter is the love of Garun, the commander, the warrior king of ancient Mars. Though his pantheon may sound murderous, he also represents a desire to protect one’s own people from the weapons of the enemy."

Although his back story offers few hooks, this deity by Sean Ellis is very likely to see use in Crawljammer campaigns. I am reminded somewhat of The Sword of Rhiannon by Leigh Brackett, although I doubt that this was a direct influence. Needless to say, a truly warlike wizard or technomancer would do well with Garun as her patron.

Ars-Eleeta, Goddess of Technology

"Of the Goddess in the Machine, it is said that Ars-Eleeta gained cosmic consciousness as man first rubbed sticks together to make fire. Others who have studied the divine texts more closely say that she was the one of the first technomancers to upgrade herself into almost complete cybernetic form when the divine spark of the universe was still fresh. Regardless of her true  origins, she acknowledges no morality: Ars-Eleeta’s mission is to always grow, improve, and innovate."

The combined work of Sean Ellis and Tim Callahan, Ars-Eleeta, along with Garun, truly demonstrates that Crawljammer is really a "science fantasy" (rather than a "fantasy in space") setting.

Although, as a writer, I predominantly comment on the words, I would also like to point out how artists Matt Hildebrand and Fred Dailey really capture almost a Jack Kirby-esque vibe with the illustrations...in particular, Hildebrand's illustration of Ars-Eleeta brings me back to a time when comics had a real "Wow!" factor.

It is interesting to compare the new space gods with the Umerican pantheon found in Crawling Under a Broken Moon Issue #11 and Buddy O'Burger in Issue #12. In the post-Apocalyptic milieu of Crawling Under a Broken Moon, the artifacts, myths, and celebrities of pre-Apocalyptic America have become gods. This is entirely appropriate to the setting. Who can forget, in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, how the mutated descendants of modern humans worshiped - and detonated! - an atomic bomb?

In the science fantasy environment of Crawljammer, the gods are mostly former adventurers who took the mantle of godhood upon themselves. In Crawling Under a Broken Moon, you might aspire to survive, or become a local warlord, but in Crawljammer you can aspire to become a god.

This isn't a criticism of either setting, or extolling either setting above the other. Rather, this shows that taking a different approach changes the way that the players and judge use the materials. You could compare these to the religions of Black Powder, Black Magic (where analogues of real religions are used) or the core Dungeon Crawl Classics rulebook (where most gods are remote beings which do not act as patrons to mortals). My own Kala Môr from The Crimson Void (and its classification scheme for various Deities and Powers) may offer yet another approach.

I think it isn't too much of a stretch to suggest that many games may benefit from examining multiple approaches, as would happen if a game was set in a Crawljammer milieu with Earth being the Umerica of Crawling Under a Broken Moon, for example, or the alternate history of Black Powder, Black Magic.

The Ecclesiast: A Divine Character Class

Wayne Snyder provides the art for the final article, another class by Tim Callahan. Space is vast, as has been mentioned, and humans are not the only creatures who worship strange gods. The ecclesiast is neither a cleric or a wizard, but something between which is a little of both without being all of either.

Unlike other classes, any race can become an ecclesiast. This last is probably necessary when faring among so many strange beings that are not automatically meant to be killed. This class is meant to be used with gods that are fully statted out as patrons - like the new space gods! - so its utility in other settings is limited to those gods that are either set up as patrons, or whom the judge feels like statting out.

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The Gong Farmer's Almanac 2016 Vol 8

The 2016 Gongfarmer’s Almanac: Volume 7: Tables & Tools Part I is a Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG Zine written, illustrated, and produced by the DCC RPG G+ community under the creative vision and direction of Doug Kovacs, Harley Stroh, Jon Hershberger, Marc Bruner, Matt Hildebrand, and Michael Jones, under the rubric of the Gongfarmer's Local #282.

This volume was written by bygrinstow, Keith Garrett, Jon Hershberger, James Pozenel, and Ron Tilton. Art is by Doug Kovacs, Marc Radle, Todd McGowan, Aileen Snyder, and William McAusland.

Disclosure: I am credited as an editor.

Let's look inside!

d50 Names for your Zero-Level Characters: Stuck for a name? Here is "Yet MORE randomization for your Zero-Level character creation!" Author bygrinstow supplies 50 names based off the iconic list of authors in Appendix N.

d50 Cursed Magic Trinkets: All that is gold does not glitter, and not all that is magic is safe to touch. Jon Hershberger supplies 50 unsafe magical trinkets for your Dungeon Crawl Classics campaign. Originally published in Fifty Fantastic Functions for the D50. Actually, much of what appears in this volume and Volume 7 may have been initially written for that product!

d50 Fantasy Foods: Keith A. Garrett offers a table of weird food items, such as "all-you-can-eat troll loin" and "mermaid roe".

d50 Memorable Personality Quirks: A quick and easy table by R.S. Tilton to make any NPC memorable, based on traits that should seem to be oxymoronic or mutually exclusive, but which we all know exist from real life (or social media).

d50 Smells: James A. Pozenel, Jr. offers 50 fragrances that might come from that potion vial.

d50 Tavern Names and Their Crusty Crotchety Proprietors: Exactly what it claims to be. By Jon Hershberger. Also originally published in Fifty Fantastic Functions for the D50.

d50 Treacherous Temple Name Generator: Also originally printed in Fifty Fantastic Functions for the D50, this is Jon Hershberger's temple-generator. Roll 1d50 for each of the five columns, creating more temples than you are likely to need in a lifetime of gaming.

DCC RPG Master ‘Zine Index: Finally, the volume ends with an index of the Dungeon Crawl Classics zines, updated through July 2016. Although attribution is not given, I believe this to be the extraordinary work of Jon Hershberger. The index covers Black Powder, Black Magic; The Cities of Zorathi; Crawl!; Crawling Under a Broken Moon; Crawljammer; D.A.M.N.!; Dungeon Lord; The Gongfarmer’s Almanac; The Metal Gods of Ur-Hadad; Myassari; Prayers of the Forgotten; and the Sanctum Secorum Companion.

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The Gong Farmer's Almanac 2017 Vol 8

The 2017 Gongfarmer’s Almanac Volume 8: 2017 Master Zine Index, was written by Jon Hershberger. Artwork is by Doug Kovacs, Marc Radle, William McAusland, and Maciej Zagorski. The publisher is the Gongfarmer's Local #282.

Unlike previous years' Gongfarmer's Almanacs, five volumes of the 2017 edition have an overarching theme - the roiling, ever-changing plane of Pandemonium. Volume 8 does not follow this theme, but rather contains a Master Index of the contents of existing DCC RPG-related zines, similar to what we've seen in previous years.

We are, as a community, extremely lucky to have Jon Hershberger, who is not only one of the driving forces behind the Gongfarmer's Almanac, but who has, for years now, helped us keep track of what is in the smaller publications. The author writes:

"The number of ‘zines currently available stands at thirteen, and includes the following: Black Powder Black Magic, The Cities of Zorathi, CRAWL!, Crawling Under a Broken Moon, Crawljammer, D.A.M.N.!, Dungeon Lord, The Metal Gods of Ur-Hadad, Myassari, Prayers of the Forgotten, Sanctum Secorum, the 2016 Doug Kovacs Sketch Book, and The Gongfarmer’s Almanac itself!"

I do have some questions about that. Why, for instance, is a product like Myassari or Prayers of the Forgotten, both of which are intended as far as I can tell as a one-shot product, listed as a zine, but Vault of the Dragonslayer and The Phlogiston Books are not? Why is the 2016 Doug Kovacs Sketch Book included but not The Devil's Chapbook or Scrivener of Strange Wor(l)ds? I am guessing that this is an artifact of the Index being a one-man project. Really, there's only so much one can do. It also suggests that, if you are making a zine, you should perhaps let Jon Hershberger know...possibly even create a list of index entries for him.

A few minor errors have crept in. Paul Wolfe's "Reptile Ghuls" from D.A.M.N. #1 are listed as "Reptile Ghouls", for instance, and the Magic Wand spell I wrote for Crawl #3 is listed under Magic Items rather than Rituals & Spells.

Still, these are (at best) minor quibbles when you consider the massive, unpaid, undertaking that Jon Hershberger has provided the community. Consider this rather a call to other publishers: Lighten the load by providing entries that only need to be collated into the Master Index. Perhaps consider providing a complimentary copy to Mr. Hershberger as well, because when someone is looking for chainsaw stats, information on Zin’s Wizard Staff, or wants to learn more about Clara the Demon Chicken, they will be checking this index, and it may well drive sales your way!

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The Gong Farmer’s Almanac Vol 5

The Gongfarmer’s Almanac: Volume 5: Rules & Campaign Miscellany - Part 2 is a Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG Zine written, illustrated, and produced by the DCC RPG G+ community under the creative vision and direction of Doug Kovacs, Harley Stroh, Doyle Wayne Ramos-Tavener, and Jon Hershberger.

This volume was written by Bruce Clark, Claytonian, Michael Jones, Paul LoCastro, Doyle Wayne Ramos-Tavener, Christopher Wood, and Jon Hershberger. Illustrations were provided by Doug Kovacs, Marc Radle, William McAusland, Todd McGowan, Aileen Snyder, and Carla Stroh.

Disclosure: I am listed as a proofreader on this volume.

Although listed as "Volume 5 of Five Booklets", there are actually six volumes in the 2015 release of The Gongfarmer's Almanac.

This volume is comprised of two longer pieces. Let's look inside.

The Gongfarmer’s Almanac: This article, by Doyle Wayne Ramos-Tavener, provides a calendar for use with your Dungeon Crawl Classics campaign. But that is not all, because both Wizard and Cleric spell checks can be affected by the days upon which the spells are cast. This "reflects the favorable (or unfavorable) position of the stars vis-à-vis the use of magic." Omens, stellar events, and holidays or listed, and the judge may award modifications based on birth augurs and the position of the stars. Even if you choose not to use it as-is, it offers an excellent template for a campaign milieu calendar of your own design!

Master Zine Index: This is a listing of every adventure, gadget, magic item, monster, NPC, Patron, PC class or race, ritual, spell, and more in the Dungeon Crawl Classics zines available at the time of publication: Black Powder, Black Magic; Crawl!; Crawling Under a Broken Moon; Crawljammer; D.A.M.N.!, Dungeon Lord; The Gongfarmer's Almanac; Metal Gods of Ur-Hadad; and Prayers of the Forgotten. The Weird Worm-Ways of Saturn was also included in this mighty undertaking!

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50 Fantastic Functions For The D50

Described as “A book of random tables and inspiration for fantasy and sci-fi gamers who love cool dice!”, this Goodman Games product is obviously best used with a d50. In a pinch, you could use a d5 for the 10s place and a d10 for the 1s place. Or you could use d% divided by 2.

Full disclosure: I am one of several authors, along with Steven Bean, Jobe Bittman, Tim Callahan, Michael Curtis, Tom Denmark, Jon Hershenberger, Jon Hook, Edgar Johnson, Doug Kovacs, Brendan LaSalle, Brad McDevitt, Peter Mullen, Stephen Newton, Terry Olson, Stefan Poag, Harley Stroh, Jim Wampler, James M. Ward, and Colonel Lou Zocchi. Just looking at that list of names, you have to know that there is something here for everyone. But this blog is about products for the Dungeon Crawl Classics role-playing game, so I am going to focus on the book from the point-of-view of the harried DCC judge.  There are 112 pages of content, and tables on the inside of both front and back covers, so even doing that is going to be necessarily brief.

What I Worked On

50 Minor Mishaps and Windfalls: I suggested the table, which others completed. In DCC, you are encouraged to ask for Luck checks periodically to determine random bits of good and bad fortune. Here you have a table that allows for these effects to come into play. May in encourage you to expand for additional effects, and local effects.

What has it got in its pockets? 50 Pickpocketing results: Many of these are not earth-shattering, because generally people do not carry Rings of Power in their pockets. This is useful for just random trolling by the thieves in your group, because you know they are going to try their luck. You can never have too many pickpocketing results tables.

D50 Venomous Creatures: A no-brainer, really. This expands the list of poisons from Appendix P to include real-world animals. I tried to put real-world effects into game terms, using the Appendix P samples as a guideline. In real life, you won’t survive as easily as your PCs do, so do not take this as a guide for what to keep as a pet!

50 Fantastic Faeries & Nature Spirits: I was going to give them full DCC statblocks, but no one wanted a single table to take up 10 pages of the book. It isn’t a monster manual. These might give the aspiring judge a place to start from in creating fey-type encounters, though!

Best of the Best

If you are like me, you are wondering, “Will this book improve my DCC game?” The answer is yes. I am going to give you five reasons why. These are not the only reasons, and others might choose different “Best of the Best” lists. As I said, there is a lot of material here.

50 Minor Mercurial Effects for DCC (Brendan J. LaSalle): Did your wizard roll a 41-60 on his Mercurial Magic result? Why should she be left out of the fun?!? Here is a d50 table to replace that “No change” result. These are very minor changes to the way a given spell works, for the most part, but some of them are pretty cool. We just started using this in my home game last week, and it has proven itself popular.

d50 Potent Poisons (Tim Callahan): Whether you intend on using them directly, or to inspire your own twisted creations, this table offers fifty baleful substances which show how creative the poisoner’s art can be. Not only are the effects cool, but the names are evocative. Good luck looting your friends after they succumb to the Seventh Pokeberry of Cryax!

Fifty Community Customs: Quaint, Cute, and Occasionally Creepy (Bradley K. McDevitt): There are a lot of great d50 tables in the book to help you flesh out characters, adventures, and locations. I picked this one because it is often difficult to make towns and villages stand out. Or it is difficult to remember to do so. This table will help.

50 Antique and Modern Handguns (Jim Ward): The core rules for Dungeon Crawl Classics encourage you to consider time travel. Several modules and settings allow for the use of firearms – Transylvanian Adventures, Crawjammer, Crawling Under a Broken Moon, and Black Powder, Black Magic at the very least. I will be shocked if there are no firearms in Mutant Crawl Classics. What about Frozen in Time or Beyond the Silver Scream? Whether you are considering a duelling pistol or a Ruger LRC, a black ray revolver, a derringer, or a hand crossbow, this table has you covered. Caution: Some of these weapons are too deadly for general use in the average campaign!

d50-Fueled Ultra-Quick Stat Block Generator (Terry Olson): Generate a creature statblock in a single d50 roll. Why? Because coming up with unique opponents is a staple of Dungeon Crawl Classics, and this gives you basic stats, forcing you to decide what they mean. And it’s fun. You can spend an afternoon using this method to devise distinctive monstrosities to throw at your players. You can also use it to generate monsters on the fly, if you must.

A Note on Drop Tables

This book contains two “drop tables”, where the page location and orientation of a dropped die are used to determine some random information. The binding on the book, however, does not make it easy to lay it flat. My completely unofficial and unendorsed suggestion is to photocopy these pages (or print them from the pdf), in one case onto 11 x 17 paper. If you wish, laminating the copied/printed page will make it last a lot longer.

Stefan Poag’s Faces in the Crowd drop table will certainly be a staple resource in urban adventures for years to come.

Conclusion

The tables I already discussed make this work valuable beyond its cover price, but there are a lot more in here, and many of them excellent. Did I mention 50 Eldritch Gateways (Jon Hook)? Did I mention Harley Stroh’s d50 Assassin or Eldritch Tower Generators? I did not. But I could have, because if you get this book, you are likely to use them. And you are going to wonder why I didn’t mention some other table, which will be among your personal favourites.

Finally, don’t imagine that, just because a table is designed for Metamorphosis Alpha that it can’t be used with Dungeon Crawl Classics.

It can be. It will be.

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Peril on the Purple Planet

DCC #84: Peril on the Purple Planet is a 4th level adventure written by Harley Stroh. Art is by Doug Kovacs (including cover and cartography) and Stefan Poag. The publisher is Goodman Games.

DCC #84: Peril on the Purple Planet was published as a boxed set containing several other booklets and materials that could be used to bring the Purple Planet setting alive. These include:

#84A: Lost Tombs of the Ancients: More Purple Planet Adventures (Writers: Daniel J. Bishop, Tim Callahan, Edgar D. Johnson III, and Terry Olson. Art and cartography by Doug Kovacs.)

#84B: Purple Planet Companion: A Purple Planet Sourcebook (Writers: Daniel J. Bishop, Tim Callahan, Edgar Johnson, Terry Olson, and Harley Stroh. Art by Doug Kovacs [including cover], William McAusland, and Stefan Poag.)

#84C: Escape from the Purple Planet: A Level 0 Adventure (Writer: Harley Stroh. Art by Doug Kovacs [cover and cartography] and Michael Wilson.)

The Kith Critical Hit Chart

Peril on the Purple Planet Player's Guide

Purple Planet Book of Handouts

Purple Planet Judge Screen

In addition, “Author’s edition” boxed set came with a section of the Glossography of Ythoth, by Harley Stroh. You can read a discussion of it here on the Goodman Games forums.

Disclosure: I am the Daniel J. Bishop that wrote for #84A: Lost Tombs of the Ancients and #84B: Purple Planet Companion: A Purple Planet Sourcebook.

This adventure, and its additional contents, was the result of a very successful Kickstarter campaign. Author Harley Stroh discussed the campaign on Spellburn, which you can listen to here.

At the time of this writing, the Purple Planet is Goodman Games' best supported setting for Dungeon Crawl Classics. It has spawned three sequel adventures (The Rock Awakens, Synthetic Swordsmen of the Purple Planet, and Sky Masters of the Purple Planet) and has been linked to other adventures, such as Neon Knights. Given the amount of material in the box, and the level of support Goodman Games (and others) have given the setting, it should be no surprise that this will be a long listing.

In order to make the material more accessible, I am going to discuss each piece separately, below.

DCC #84: Peril on the Purple Planet

"In Peril on the Purple Planet, the characters are cast across the cosmos to a foreign world. Left to die beneath a weirdling sun, the PCs’ survival depends as much upon their quick wit as a quick blade, as even the finest chain hauberk must fail beneath the crush of an alien horde."

This is an epic adventure reminiscent of the Barsoom novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, or any of the many imitators they spawned (including work by Robert E. Howard, Leigh Brackett, and Michael Moorcock!). PCs have to survive the conditions of their arrival, learn how to live upon a harsh world, and then find their way home...or attempt to master the Purple Planet itself!

The base adventure is part hexcrawl, part quest, and all learning how to survive. Harley Stroh came up with some incredible locations. Area C makes me wonder whether or not he is a Doctor Who fan. Like Gamma World before it, and Mutant Crawl Classics after, the adventure also deals with strange new devices, and PCs figuring out how to use them!

#84A: Lost Tombs of the Ancients: More Purple Planet Adventures

There are already suggestions in the basic adventure for creating ancient cairns and tombs on the Purple Planet (see pages 19-21). If you are going to run Peril on the Purple Planet in a campaign, though, or spend longer than a single adventure there, more is better. This booklet provides for this.

The adventures are:

• The Tomb of Sotark the Destroyer: Awaken a sleeping bioweapon, and perhaps regret it. By Daniel J. Bishop. Notes: Sotark is named for Leigh Brackett's Eric John Stark, and the artifacts you may win are based on a well-known figure whose name is an anagram for Vance.

• The Tomb of the Immortal Kahl: Speaking of John Eric Stark, this adventure shares some thematic ties with The Secret of Sinharat. Only the Immortal Kahl isn't Kynon, and this is no charade. By Terry Olson.

• The Tomb of Dust: Solve a series of encounters to uncover a lost archive. This adventure can test the players as well as the characters, depending upon how you run the final test. By Edgar Johnson III.

• The Bunker: Find a way to traverse two hexes while travelling underground. Notes are provided for creating other ancient Kith bunkers. By Daniel J. Bishop.

• The Tomb of the Organon Magisteros: Explore an ancient air skiff platform, now overrun by insect-men. Discover an unexpected being trapped at its core. By Tim Callahan.

#84B: Purple Planet Companion: A Purple Planet Sourcebook

This supplement was written by Daniel J. Bishop, Tim Callahan, Edgar Johnson, Terry Olson, and Harley Stroh. Art is by Doug Kovacs (including cover), William McAusland, and Stefan Poag.

Within you will find:

• Mysteries of the Purple Planet: Seventy-four mysteries to be used "as random encounters, encounter seeds, or the start of a new adventure."

• The Ecology of the Kith: Everything you wanted to know about the kith but were afraid to ask.

• Kith as Player Characters: Full race-class, including a d24 Occupations table.

• Additional Kith Resources: A Random Kith Warband Generator and Fumbles Against Kith Hordes (because when you fumble facing a Kith horde, things are just not the same!).

• Lost Tech of the Ancients: More relics to be found on the Purple Planet. Includes a Mood Ring. Some of these items might be mined for ideas when Crawling Under a Broken Moon or exploring the Terra A.D. of Mutant Crawl Classics.

• Bestiary of the Purple Planet: Twenty-four new entries for your Purple Planet encounters.

• Magic on the Purple Planet: Page 358 of the DCC core rulebook has a section entitled "Magic Here and Magic There". The Purple Planet doubles down on this advice...everything changes! Notes are given for all the patrons in the core rulebook, for casting spells in different geographical areas, Mercurial Magic that affects all casters, Purple Planet-specific corruption, how specific spells are changed, how clerics connection to their gods are affected, and more. The section on Techno-Magic might be particularly useful when running Crawljammer, Umerican, or Mutant Crawl Classics/Dungeon Crawl Classics crossovers.

• The Purple Under-Planet: "The weirdling sun is a persistent obstacle on the Purple Planet’s surface, and PCs, like generations of ancient kith before them, may seek shelter deep below ground. This is the Purple Underplanet. Here lie ancient civilizations, some altered unrecognizably from their origins, others cloned to perfection. Sentient beings continental in scope vie for dominance." This section includes everything you need to create new adventures in depths beneath the Purple Planet. The less said here the better, as this should be Terra incognita to those venturing below.

#84C: Escape from the Purple Planet: A Level 0 Adventure

Written by Harley Stroh. Art by Doug Kovacs (cover and cartography) and Michael Wilson.

A 0-level adventure that allows you to start a campaign on the Purple Planet. The possibility of an all-kith party, a party from a typical DCC campaign world, or a party from our world, are considered. Appendix I: Interplanetary Heroes considers the possibility of modern heroes a bit more, but doesn't supply an occupation chart.

Possible modern, near-modern, or similar type characters might be gleaned from 50 ‘80s Teens for “Old School” Adventuring (in 50 Fantastic Functions for the D50); Beyond the Silver Scream; Black Powder, Black Magic Vol. 1 (Western); Crawling Under A Broken Moon fanzine #3 (post-Apocalyptic); Dark Seas (in The Gong Farmer's Almanac 2017 Vol 4), The Devil's Chapbook (discusses punks and vikings); Dinosaur Crawl Classics (in the Goodman Games Gen Con 2017 Program Book); Drongo: Ruins of the Witch Kingdoms; Not in Kansas Anymore (in the Goodman Games Gen Con 2016 Program Book); Null Singularity (because why not use Voidants?); Outlive, Outsmart, Outkill!; Rock God Death-Fugue (because, again, why not?); Transylvanian Adventures; Trench Crawl Classics (in  The Gong Farmer's Almanac 2017 Vol 7), or The Umerican Survival Guide (post-Apocalyptic).

The Kith Critical Hit Chart

Exactly what it says on the tin. This does not show up on the RPG Now link, but it is listed. I have sent an email to Joseph Goodman to see if it can be corrected.

Peril on the Purple Planet Player's Guide

A small booklet containing character sheets, a relic runes handout, a mostly-blank map handout, and places to keep notes on relics, mushrooms, creatures, and other things the PCs might encounter.

I am personally of two minds about this sort of thing. Blank maps (with high ground marked) and character sheets are fine. The other items - even the rune graphic - might be better to only make available as things are encountered. On the other hand, foreshadowing of some of the monster/relic images might be fun. Also, the Player's Guide might steer the PCs towards interacting with the mushrooms they encounter, which is fairly important.

Purple Planet Book of Handouts

A 12 page book containing 11 illustrations, one of which is of various kith, and another of which contains several kith standards. These, and an illustration of various relics the PCs might encounter, could be printed out (or copied) and then cut up to show the players only what they need to know. There is some duplication with the Player's Guide.

Purple Planet Judge Screen

Reproduces some charts you might want to keep handy. Having these printed out so that you can handle them as needed is actually more beneficial, in my opinion, then having them on a screen. If you have a physical copy, though, the screen can help to hide maps and notes.

Conclusion

In addition to the materials listed here:

• The Gong Farmer's Almanac 2016 Vol 3 contains a big-mouthed alien who wanders the Purple Planet as the last of his kind as part of the Gazette-Fear (based on art by Doug Kovacs).

• The Gong Farmer's Almanac 2016 Vol 4 contains The Orm Lies Down on Punjar. This is a Terry Olson adventure wherein the PCs somehow gain hold of a bottle of Purple Rhost (from Harley Stroh's Purple Planet).

• The Goodman Games Gen Con 2015 Program Book contains Appendix F: The Ythoth Raider, an expansion of the Purple Planet Author’s Edition Glossography: This is the Ythoth Raider class by Harley Stroh, creator of the Purple Planet.

• The Goodman Games Gen Con 2016 Program Book contains Appendix D: Ythothian Liche Kings, another expansion of the Purple Planet Author's Edition Glossography by Harley Stroh.

• Neon Knights (by Brendan LaSalle) is also connected to the Purple Planet.

The Purple Planet: Where tribes of man-beasts wage an endless war beneath a dying sun. Where mighty death orms rule the wastes, befouled winds whistle through ancient crypts, and forests of fungi flourish in the weirdling light. Where ancient technologies offer life ... or a quick death.

Bereft of patron, friend or god, your survival depends on quick wits and a strong blade. Will you and your companions stand as conquerers atop this alien land? Or will you fall beneath the blast of an ink-black death rays, just another corpse left to litter the wastes of the Purple Planet?

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The Children of the Sun

The Children of the Sun: An Umerican Gazetteer was written by Sean Ellis, with art by Nate Marcel. The publisher is Shield of Faith Studios.

Disclosure: I backed the Umerican Survival Guide kickstarter.

This is an add-on for the successful Umerican Survival Guide kickstarter, a sourcebook for characters and adventures from and in the Kingdom of the Sun, a warped future version of Mexico that exists Under a Broken Moon. As such, it has potential use not only in an Umerican campaign, but as a sourcebook for any Western-themed game (such as Dark Trails Weird Frontiers or Black Powder, Black Magic) or post-Apocalyptic game (such as Mutant Crawl Classics). 

In fact, if you want to add a little Meso-American flavor to your regular Dungeon Crawl Classics campaign, there is a lot of material here you can use. If you are running the Memories of the Toad God series of adventures, this supplement can help you flesh out the Xilonoc people of that series' jungle setting.

Let's look inside:

The People: A rundown on the history of Mexico, which acknowledges not only the Forgotten Wars of the Un Men as a factor in Mexico's descent, but goes back to the Spanish invasion and the American drug wars.

The people of the Kingdom of the Sun are well described, with both cultural differences that are certain to come up in play. Enough information is given to handle PCs from the Kingdom, or to describe the area to outsiders seeking (probably fatally) to despoil the region.

New Classes: In addition to Thieves, Warriors, and Wizards from the core rulebook, the People of the Sun may be Barbarians (as described in D.A.M.N. #1), Psions (as described in Mind Games), Mutants (from the Umerican Survival Guide), of one of two new classes:

• Half-Bloods are strange, almost-fey creatures with human parents. They have a random group of special abilities, including some otherwise restricted to Clerics of the Wasteland, as befits spirit-creatures sent by the Plumed Dragon,

• Jaguar Knights are stealthy warriors capable of taking the form of jaguars.

Goods of Atlan: Weapons, armor, and coinage of the Kingdom.

Magic and Psionics: Includes rules for running Ulli matches, "a game played between two teams with an equal number of players who attempt to throw a psychically charged ball through a vertically hanging hoop."

The Kingdom of the Sun: Describes the difficulties facing life in the Valley of Mexico's polluted environs. Includes rules for spontaneously having your DNA unravel (becoming a mutant), starvation and dehydration, and carnivorous flora.

Patrons and Religion: Everything you need to know, as a judge or player, about worship in the Kingdom of the Sun.

The People of the Sun believe in daily offerings of blood and pain to their gods as payment for continued life. They sacrifice a captured warrior or volunteer at complex ceremonies that occur monthly, and use knives or plant spines to draw blood from their tongue, earlobes, or genitals and sprinkle the resulting “Wine of Life” as a daily offering, sometimes even hourly!

Enjoy your visit!

New Patron: Huitzilopochtli: Imagine the Aztec God of War (and the Sun) given new life through a famous drug kingpin from before the Apocalypse. Complete patron information is provided, including three new patron spells.

Monsters Under the Sun: According to the author:

The monsters native to the Valley of the Sun are generally one of three types. Tech creatures are the result of high technology: artifacts that have survived 21st century man or the Un Men of the Forgotten Wars. Mystic monsters have their origin in the redirected soul energy from Hernan’s overloaded mystic web. His memories and imagination were suddenly given life: most are remnants of Mexica folklore… the gods and monsters of the so-called Aztecs. The polluted environment has created its own share of monsters: Mutations have sprung up from the original denizens of the area.

These three types of beasts are not strict delineations. In fact, it is actually possible for a monster to be all three. But these guidelines may help in the brainstorming and creations of your own Monsters of the Sun.

Sean Ellis provides you with a dozen monsters to get you started. They are: Armor Goblin (Tzipitio), Blood Golem (Ezzo Atlacatl), Bonelord (Omiteuctli), Famished Beheader (Pistaku), Filth Eater (Tlahēlcuāni), Giant Rubber Grasshopper (Olchapoli), Hairy Skull (Cucuy), Itzpapalotl (Clawed Butterfly), Monstrous Caiman (Cipactli), Night Axe (Ceyo Itztopilli), Scaled Man (Xincayotli), and the Spiny Water Thing (Ahuitzotl).

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Crawl-thulhu Issue 1

Crawl-thulhu: A Two-Fisted Zine of Lovecraftian Horror Issue 1 was written by John Potts and illustrated by Todd McGowan. The publisher is Discerning Dhole Productions.

This is the first issue of a zine seeking to combine the Lovecraftian Mythos and two-fisted pulp action in a 1920s milieu...which means that you might even survive with most of your sanity intact! Not that you should count on it in this issue, wherein you create 0-level characters and go through a funnel adventure.

Let's look inside.

Introduction: Standard fare.

Pulp Action in the 1920s: Because this zine is focused on Dungeon Crawl Classics-based play, your PCs may survive.

New Rules: There are some new rules that bring the flavor of the Mythos and the era to the table. These are:

• Luck is for the Sane: You have Sanity instead of Luck. After 0-level, there are ways to restore Sanity. When you run into Mythos creatures, or catch glimpses of the true nature of the world, you make a Sanity Check and might go insane. Going insane doesn't end the game for you, though, except in extreme cases. When you fail a Sanity Check, you roll an Insanity Die of various sizes to determine what happens to you.

• Firearms: It's the 1920s. They have guns. You can have guns, too.

Fight Against Impossible Odds: This is a section on how to create 0-level characters for the Crawl-thulhu setting. There is a section on Common Names in the 1920s, which adds to the flavor of the game, Occupations, and Celestial Alignment. Celestial Alignment replaces a normal DCC character's Lucky Sign, and can not only modify certain preset rolls, but results in a +1d Action Die shift on rolls against creatures related to the indicated planet/star regardless of your actual Sanity. Otherwise, the modifiers are based on your current, not your initial, Sanity.

A Horrible Day at the Dunwich Fair: What is a new Dungeon Crawl Classics milieu without a funnel adventure to start you off in? This adventure is an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror (which the judge should read), and sees the titular creature rampage across Dunwich.

Commune with Yog-Sothoth: The first spell that the PCs come across, and it reveals how casting will work in the Crawl-thulhu milieu. Casting it requires a Sanity test (check), as one might expect. A natural "1" causes you to lose the spell and your mind (all Sanity). Failure causes Sanity loss, and the spell is lost for a whole month rather than for a single day. The Insanity Die size is the Crawl-thulhu version of spell level.

Next Issue: Slated to contain six classes, skills, magic, and information for setting up Crawl-thulhu campaigns. That's pretty ambitious for a second issue, and I would not be surprised if part of that appears in a third (or even a fourth!) issue instead.

A Crawl-thulhu character sheet is also provided.

Okay, with that out of the way, let's talk about this product in relationship to existing Dungeon Crawl Classics materials. Could you run a Crawl-thulhu scenario using Transylvanian Adventures, Dark Trails Weird Frontiers, or Black Powder, Black Magic as an engine? Every indication suggests that you can. You could even mix and match the rules you prefer.

The funnel, A Horrible Day at the Dunwich Fair, has a lot in common with The Arwich Grinder, which is also based heavily on H.P. Lovecraft's work. You could easily run the funnels together as part of a larger scenario, if you liked, either converting the Crawl-thulhu materials to standard Dungeon Crawl Classics or vice versa.

There are quite a few other Lovecraftian resources for Dungeon Crawl Classics that might be usable with Crawl-thulhu. Probably the most apropos of these are Lovercraftian Monsters for Dungeon Crawl Classics and The Thing That Should Not Be, both by Jon Hook, and both in the Goodman Games Gen Con 2017 Program Book.

Welcome to Crawl-thulhu, where you will scour quaint, corrupt towns and forgotten catacomb for cults and monsters bent on the downfall of humanity; sacrifice your sanity to cast reality-bending spells that your mind was never meant to know; travel to strange, alien dimensions and planets; and put your body, mind, and very soul on the line to keep the Great Old Ones’ plans on hold so mankind can live another day. Crawl-thulhu requires ownership of the Dungeon Crawl Classics rulebook.

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The Gong Farmer’s Almanac Vol 1

The Gongfarmer’s Almanac: Volume 1: Men & Magic is a Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG Zine written, illustrated, and produced by the DCC RPG G+ community under the creative vision and Direction of Doug Kovacs, Harley Stroh, Doyle Wayne Ramos-Tavener, and Jon Hershberger.

This volume was written by David Baity, Julian Bernick, Gabriel Pérez Gallardi, Reece Carter, Chris Fassano, Reid San Filippo, Terra Frank, Edgar Johnson, Billy Longino, Terry Olson, Doyle Wayne Ramos-Tavener, and Jon Wilson. Art is by Craig Brasco, Jeff Griffith, Doug Kovacs, Todd McGowan, Sean Poppe, Claytonian JP, Revturkey, Mario Torres, Frank Turfler, Jon Wilson, William McAusland, Carla Stroh, and Marc Radle.

Disclosure: I am listed as a proofreader on this volume.

Although listed as "Volume 1 of Five Booklets", there are actually six volumes in the 2015 release of The Gongfarmer's Almanac. Strictly speaking, this material isn't necessary for running a Dungeon Crawl Classics game. Do you need an assassin that isn't a thief following the Path of the Assassin? Probably not. But it's nice to have the option, the material is cool, and the pdf is free.

The volume is split into two sections: PC Classes and Rituals & Spells. Let's look inside.

PC Classes

• Assassin: This "lawless angel of death" is by Julian Bernick. Assassins have a "poison die" that works similar to a Deed Die in some ways - it gives a bonus to attack roll and damage. On a successful attack, the victim must save against the total attack value or be poisoned (with seven possible results, based on a roll). They also can assassinate a totally surprised opponent, which is a hefty ability. Level titles are given for all ten levels.

• Dervish: Edgar Johnson provides a holy warrior class that is a little bit warrior, a little bit paladin, a little bit ranger, and a little bit monk. It's an interesting and flavorful class, with some variation in terms of thief skills. I could see this class existing in most Dungeon Crawl Classics campaign milieus.

• Gold & Glory from Beyond the Grave: Terra Frank offers what might be the most surprising, and interesting, group of classes in the volume: Rules to play as a ghost, skeleton warrior, or vampire. Rules are not given for converting recently-slain characters to these classes (unfortunately!), but the judge can use the multiclassing rules from Raven Crowking's Nest or Crawl! #10 as a basis for doing so.

• Luchador: Reid “Reidzilla” San Filippo provides a "mystical, bravado-fueled, unarmed warrior from the southern reaches of post-apocalyptic Umerica" for your pleasure. "Blessed by the Bueno-god El Santo, patron of all monster slaying wrestlers, Luchadores channel the hope of their peoples and their indomitable will through outlandish mystical masks to empower their ancient unarmed fighting techniques." Fun? Yes. Appropriate to all settings? Probably not as written, though reskinning the class shouldn't be that hard. One can imagine a Trumphammer 2K scenario where luchadors have to cross the border wall between Mexico and the United States. Likewise, a luchador might fit into a scenario inspired by Michael Curtis' Secret Antiquities. Given that Mexican wrestling (lucha libre) dates back to 1863, the class might also appear in Black Powder, Black Magic's Brimstone of the Weird West of Dark Trails Weird Frontiers.

• Martial Grandmaster: Surely not everybody was Kung-Fu fighting, but this guy was. This is not a class, but a "monster" write-up by bygrinstow. And, yes, with a +8 bonus to initiative, this cat is as fast as lightning. With four Action Dice (1d24, 1d20, 1d16, and 1d14) as well as his "badass" ability, he certainly is more than a little bit frightening.

• Sword Monger: If you've ever seen The Highlander, then you know where David Baity got his inspiration for this class. These are extremely powerful characters, and are very likely to dominate group play. The author notes that "Judges are encouraged to place a fellow sword monger into game play irregularly to keep the class balanced", but it has to be noted that this form of balance is going to skew play towards the sword monger PC even more: He survives almost anything you can throw at him, except special scenarios where the big threat is all about him and his physical stats increase 1/4 of the time. If you've only got one PC, though, the class is almost perfect. (Okay, I do have one other complaint. The name "sword monger" implies that the character sells swords. A "monger" is "a dealer or trader in a specified commodity", like a costermonger sells fruits and vegetables.)

Rituals & Spells

• Blood Splash: This is a 1st level wizard spell, by Reece Carter, where the caster cuts himself and uses his own blood as a weapon.

• Healing Spellburn: Author Gabriel Pérez Gallardi provides a mechanic whereby clerics may heal their wizardly comrades of damage caused by Spellburn. There are, of course, consequences of so doing. Overall, the mechanic is fairly well balanced and has inherent limitations that should prevent its overuse.

• Sacrifice: A 1st level cleric spell by Doyle Wayne Ramos-Tavener where a sacrifice can be made to achieve a certain benefit, either for the caster or for another, and which requires a sacrifice either by the cleric or another. That the ritual can only be performed in a place holy to the caster's deity, there is an inherent limit in the spell.

• Temporary Creation: This is a 1st level cleric spell by Terry Olson that creates some mundane item for a short period of time. The item is considered a manifestation of the god's power, and it is sinful to misuse it.

• Vacuity: This is a 3rd level wizard spell by Chris Fassano that "Expels oxygen from lungs or area of effect; drains life force and thoughts from creatures; and can create a black hole, potentially transporting objects randomly across the universe or crushing everything in reach to an infinitely small point in space." Have fun with it!

Finally, the volume is finished with a 0-Level Player Character Record Sheet created by Billy Longino.

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