Pick #98: Wobbly arrows...

For all those of you who ever wondered why a flying arrow from a longbow seems to wobble: it does! And if you're wondering why it hits target, this video by "smarter every day" explains beautifully. And there's a sheriff with longbow skill 10.

I'm not sure whether this knowledge is much good for role playing games, but maybe describing the sight of a snaking arrow coming toward you is kind of scary and cool.

Santiago Joe Adventure RPG

For a limited time, the Santiago Joe Diceless Pulp Adventure game is available again for Pay What You Want. Always wanted to watch and play your own B-Movies, and never have the time to play except during short breaks? This may just be the game for you.

I fashioned the game originally for a 24-hour challenge, because I often want to play a fast game even when I don't have dice ready. I also tried to build a mechanism where you quickly make up the premise and heroes of the adventure together as a group - somewhat like in Fiasco, but again without dice. As players (STARS) and game master (WRITER-DIRECTOR), you take turns adding elements to the title and credit lists of your own movie, and then start playing the acts. Idea is to play fast - and keep the action rolling while ad-libbing the story. Players and game master just describe what they do, building on what's already described. As long as the action is new and fresh, and fits the hero, it succeeds - but the game master can think up a new challenge. Conversely, each time a player (or the game master) falters and hesitates to make up how to win a challenge or solve a conflict, their hero (or the game master's villain) fails in their actions and the opponent wins.

Also, I added the ten commandments of the pulp story game, to keep the action going - and a secret eleventh one for the game master. In the back of the book there are lists of settings and ideas to get you going.


Donations appreciated, and with enough interest I'll do a kickstarter for an extended version with extra adventures, ideas, random lists, and enhanced artwork. Be sure to let me know, and just leave a comment to motivate me ;-)

Eighteen Heroes and an Adventure

My new supplement for The World Beyond is now available in print. The sleek booklet is full color, with 18 ready made heroes which you can play out of the box. Each hero has their own sheet, front and back. I loved doing the artwork on each of the characters, trying to give each of them something special. Hope you will enjoy them too.

After counting pages I figured I had a few pages left, so I added a short adventure. It features a murder mystery on Samaris with a rather... Lovecraftian twist. I playtested the adventure a few times at the Dutch Role Playing Guild, and we had a lot a fun - even with quite large parties.

Each of the heroes is featured with their own three special contacts in the city of Samaris, so they are instantly usable in the Samaris setting. If you don't have the Samaris hardcover (yet), you can use the short descriptions and the extra map I've also included, instead.

Update: You can now order the 48p full color print from DriveThru or RPG Now!

The World Beyond hardcovers published!

Yes, just before the new year, both The World Beyond Basic Game and Samaris Game Companion are now available in full color print and pdf from DriveThruRPG. And at the same time you'll find three 48page full color softcovers with additional material:

- Shadow of the Haunted Keep (a classic adventure),
- Unpleasant Encounters (25 adventure capsules), and
- Eighteen Heroes (full page illustrated prefab heroes for your games, with a full adventure and a Southport map).





If you're still doubting, you can get a full color 48 page sampler - enough to build a hero with and taste the system - for a ridiculously low price. You can also get it in full color print for a bit more.

The forerunner of the World Beyond was Dark Dungeon 2nd edition. All older books have been updated with dozens and dozens of full color illustrations, layout and rules were revised, and for the basic game three short adventures were added.  Even if you are a lucky owner of the older DD2 ruleset, you may love the new expanded full color versions and rules tweaks.


Moreover, you'll find three Sangreal Games card games for print on demand on DriveThru too! And that's including the classic WysaertZ card game and its expansion Destrucktion Decke, fast, funny, silly, ande very addictive. Yes. Really.

Pick #97: four pilots from the makers of "The Gamers"?

Would you like to be part of not just one, nor two, nor three but FOUR new pilots of new series to be made by the makers of "The Gamers"? Then have a look at this kickstarter before the end of the month and decide whether you have some cash to spare.

If you can't remember The Gamers, you've been missing out - have a look at the third Gamer movie online here to see what I mean. Really!

Map South of Holmeston

Update: This Holmeston map is featured in Unpleasant Encounters - with 25+ adventurelets for OSR games, or for The World Beyond.

Original post: Finally, the new color print files have been approved by the printer - proofs are ordered and on the way. Looks like five The World Beyond books (formerly Dark Dungeon) will be available in full color soon!

If you were one of the buyers of a black & white version, you'll receive a free color pdf update.

Meanwhile have a look at the small map South of Holmeston - featured in Unpleasant Encounters. That's one of the books now available, with 48 color pages with 25 miniature adventures in an old school vein.

French Foreign Legion employs Dwarves

Actually, just joking of course... but the resemblance of the ceremonial sapper uniform to that of a steretypical dwarf is striking in my humble opnion.

photo courtesy Wikipedia (sapper)