Survival!

 Just spotted this fun video from last year.  https://youtu.be/dv7RZ3EVCwg

Surviving on a gallon of water and a pound of food a day...  that would be grim after a couple days.  People are mammals and omnivores as a real rough rule we need to consume our body weight in mixed food over the course of a month, the more calorie dense foods you eat the less this total weight will actually be.   

When figuring out survival in the wild for games don't forget the rule of 3, that works out to you needing 3 quarts of water a day (just for drinking everyone forgets you need more water if yuo are also cookign food), 3 pounds of food each day (mostly but not all vegetables), you can likely make it 3 weeks without food but you will suffer, 3 days without water kills most of us (it would sure kill me) and if you go for 3 minutes without air you will most certainly die. 

Be careful, drink your water (you always seem to need more water than you think you will while hiking, camping, or working) and don't plan of "dieting" while doing anything physically challenging.

Old-School High Gargaxian Weaponator Weapon List

A little tongue in cheek but hopefully useable list of weapons for old-school fantasy adventure campaigns.  Currently the weaponator generates weapons that are most likely a two-handed weapon.

Dmg: is damage dice against small-medium foes/ larger foes

WS: is weapon speed

Cost: is given in classical GP value

notes to apply damage or hit modification vs armor worn by foes completes the entry (if any)

Old-School High Gargaxian Weaponator Weapon List

=========================================================================

 1. Footman's Hammer-Halberd  Dmg:1d8+1/1d12;WS: 3,Enc: 55,Cost: 230 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Scale or worse

 2. Bill-Giserne  Dmg:1d8/3d4;WS: 4,Enc: 45,Cost: 140 gp, +2 to hit vs Full Plate or worse

 3. Bludgeon-Sparr  Dmg:1d4+1/3d4;WS: 7,Enc: 55,Cost: 370 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Leather

 4. Cold-Iron Awl-Maul  Dmg:1d6/1d4+1;WS: 6,Enc: 55,Cost: 84 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Studded

 5. Slasher-Lance  Dmg:1d8/1d8+1;WS: 6,Enc: 60,Cost: 30 gp, -1 damage vs Full Plate or better

 6. Giserne-Bill  Dmg:1d8/1d8;WS: 3,Enc: 30,Cost: 30 gp, -1 to hit vs Full Plate

 7. Pike-Axe  Dmg:1d4+1/2d4+1;WS: 2,Enc: 50,Cost: 27 gp, -1 to hit vs Chain or worse

 8. Bardiche-Spetum  Dmg:1d4+1/3d4;WS: 3,Enc: 55,Cost: 410 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Plate or worse

 9. Trollish Lochaber-Fauchard  Dmg:1d6/1d4+1;WS: 5,Enc: 130,Cost: 80 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Plate

10. Giserne-Bar  Dmg:1d6/1d6+1d4;WS: 4,Enc: 50,Cost: 150 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Studded or worse

11. Footman's Lochaber-Hook  Dmg:2d4/1d4+1;WS: 2,Enc: 50,Cost: 25 gp, -1 to hit vs Studded

12. Awl-Hook  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6+1;WS: 4,Enc: 65,Cost: 160 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Leather or worse

13. Brandistock-Pick  Dmg:1d6+1/1d10;WS: 3,Enc: 30,Cost: 30 gp, -2 to hit vs Ring

14. Slasher-Brandistock  Dmg:1d4+1/1d10;WS: 4,Enc: 65,Cost: 90 gp, +2 to hit vs Full Plate

15. Falx-Scythe  Dmg:1d6+1/3d4;WS: 6,Enc: 45,Cost: 21 gp, 1/2 damage vs Leather or better

16. Halberd-Sparth  Dmg:1d6/1d6+1;WS: 7,Enc: 50,Cost: 15 gp, -1 to hit vs Ring or better

17. Giant's Lance-Sword  Dmg:1d4+1/2d4+1;WS: 5,Enc: 90,Cost: 220 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Scale or better

18. Amazonian Mattock-Sparr  Dmg:1d6+1/3d4;WS: 6,Enc: 110,Cost: 14 gp, 1/2 damage vs Studded

19. Silver Fauchard-Flail  Dmg:1d6/1d10+1;WS: 5,Enc: 55,Cost: 300 gp, -2 to hit vs Scale

20. Hook-Fauchard  Dmg:1d8/1d8+1;WS: 5,Enc: 45,Cost: 90 gp, +2 to hit vs Full Plate

21. Partisan-Impaler  Dmg:1d6/2d4;WS: 2,Enc: 30,Cost: 22 gp, +1 to hit vs Ring

22. Pike-Spike  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6+1d4;WS: 5,Enc: 40,Cost: 13 gp, 1/2 damage vs Studded

23. Chain-Brandistock  Dmg:1d6+1/2d4;WS: 4,Enc: 50,Cost: 450 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Leather or better

24. Maiden's Giserne-Corbin  Dmg:1d8/1d4+1;WS: 8,Enc: 65,Cost: 15 gp, +1 to hit vs Chain

25. War Bardiche-Dagger  Dmg:2d4/1d4+1;WS: 3,Enc: 60,Cost: 25 gp, +1 to hit vs Leather

26. Dwarven Squire's Maul-Spike  Dmg:1d4+1/1d8;WS: 7,Enc: 90,Cost: 15 gp, +1 to hit vs Studded

27. Gaff-Gisarme  Dmg:1d8/2d4;WS: 6,Enc: 50,Cost: 40 gp, +2 to hit vs Chain or worse

28. Cold-Iron Flail-Axe  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6;WS: 6,Enc: 45,Cost: 2 gp, 1/2 damage vs Ring or worse

29. Lady's Dagger-Sparth  Dmg:1d6+1/2d4+1;WS: 8,Enc: 45,Cost: 80 gp, +2 to hit vs Scale

30. Bardiche-Bar  Dmg:1d6/1d6+1d4;WS: 7,Enc: 50,Cost: 9 gp, 1/2 damage vs Leather

31. Dwarven Flail-Fauchard  Dmg:1d6+1d4/1d8;WS: 6,Enc: 50,Cost: 35 gp, -1 to hit vs Plate

32. Cavalry Spetum-Earspoon  Dmg:1d8/2d6;WS: 4,Enc: 55,Cost: 60 gp, -1 to hit vs Padded

33. Bisarme-Stick  Dmg:1d8/1d10;WS: 6,Enc: 40,Cost: 40 gp, -1 damage vs Ring or better

34. Flail-Bludgeon  Dmg:1d8/1d6+1d8;WS: 5,Enc: 50,Cost: 240 gp, +2 to hit vs Padded or better

35. Orcish Bludgeon-Brandistock  Dmg:2d4+1/1d10+1;WS: 6,Enc: 70,Cost: 10 gp, 1/2 damage vs Ring or worse

36. Giant's Hook-Spetum  Dmg:2d4+1/1d6;WS: 4,Enc: 70,Cost: 33 gp, -2 to hit vs Leather

37. Slasher-Sparr  Dmg:2d4/1d6+1;WS: 5,Enc: 40,Cost: 240 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Chain

38. Brandistock-Sparr  Dmg:1d6+1/1d8+1;WS: 5,Enc: 60,Cost: 130 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Banded

39. Guisarme-Staff  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6+1;WS: 5,Enc: 55,Cost: 3 gp, 1/2 damage vs Studded or worse

40. Herald's Gisarme-Partisan  Dmg:1d4+1/3d4;WS: 8,Enc: 55,Cost: 30 gp, -1 damage vs Chain

41. Hook-Scythe  Dmg:1d6/2d4;WS: 5,Enc: 50,Cost: 180 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Leather

42. Goblin Pick-Corbin  Dmg:1d6/1d6+1;WS: 4,Enc: 35,Cost: 33 gp, +2 to hit vs Padded or worse

43. Corbin-Impaler  Dmg:2d4/1d4+1;WS: 6,Enc: 40,Cost: 25 gp, -1 to hit vs Padded or better

44. Sword-Pole  Dmg:1d6/1d8;WS: 7,Enc: 45,Cost: 4 gp, 1/2 damage vs Plate

45. Cavalry Bludgeon-Mattock  Dmg:1d8/2d4+1;WS: 7,Enc: 55,Cost: 220 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Chain or worse

46. Spetum-Scythe  Dmg:1d4+1/1d6+1d4;WS: 6,Enc: 45,Cost: 22 gp, -1 damage vs Ring or worse

47. Hook-Fauchard  Dmg:1d6/1d8;WS: 7,Enc: 60,Cost: 36 gp, +2 to hit vs Plate

48. Harpy Fauchard-Gisarme  Dmg:1d6/1d6+1;WS: 3,Enc: 90,Cost: 22 gp, -1 to hit vs Leather or better

49. Squire's Staff-Lochaber  Dmg:1d4+1/1d10+1;WS: 4,Enc: 65,Cost: 40 gp, -2 to hit vs Chain

50. Ritter Bisarme-Impaler  Dmg:1d4+1/3d4;WS: 7,Enc: 25,Cost: 160 gp, +2 to hit vs Plate or better

51. Gaff-Lance  Dmg:1d6/2d4;WS: 3,Enc: 50,Cost: 60 gp, +2 to hit vs Splint

52. Miliatry Spike-Corbin  Dmg:1d8+1/1d6+1;WS: 7,Enc: 60,Cost: 220 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Chain

53. Amazonian Lady's Bar-Hook  Dmg:1d10/1d10;WS: 6,Enc: 60,Cost: 35 gp, -2 to hit vs Banded

54. Axe-Scythe  Dmg:1d6+1/1d10;WS: 6,Enc: 30,Cost: 370 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Ring or better

55. Goblin Awl-Pike  Dmg:1d6+1/1d4+1;WS: 3,Enc: 50,Cost: 80 gp, +2 to hit vs Splint or better

56. Falx-Spetum  Dmg:1d6/2d4+1;WS: 3,Enc: 55,Cost: 10 gp, 1/2 damage vs Studded

57. Earspoon-Spike  Dmg:1d8/2d6;WS: 7,Enc: 55,Cost: 90 gp, +2 to hit vs Scale or worse

58. Sidhe Sparth-Staff  Dmg:1d6/1d6;WS: 4,Enc: 70,Cost: 4 gp, -1 to hit vs Banded or worse

59. Harpy Bec de-Staff  Dmg:1d10+1/3d4;WS: 4,Enc: 110,Cost: 80 gp, +1 to hit vs Chain

60. Bec de-Pole  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6+1d4;WS: 8,Enc: 50,Cost: 11 gp, 1/2 damage vs Plate

61. Chain-Ranseur  Dmg:2d4/1d6;WS: 7,Enc: 45,Cost: 150 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Plate

62. Sickle-Awl  Dmg:1d4+1/1d12;WS: 2,Enc: 35,Cost: 40 gp, -2 to hit vs Ring

63. Slasher-Pike  Dmg:1d6/1d10;WS: 4,Enc: 45,Cost: 40 gp, -1 damage vs Splint or better

64. Glaive-Pick  Dmg:1d8/1d6+1d8;WS: 6,Enc: 40,Cost: 40 gp, -1 damage vs Plate

65. Slasher-Glaive  Dmg:1d6/1d8+1;WS: 4,Enc: 50,Cost: 120 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Padded

66. Chain-Slasher  Dmg:1d6+1/2d4;WS: 5,Enc: 50,Cost: 18 gp, -2 to hit vs Studded or worse

67. Dagger-Earspoon  Dmg:1d6/1d6;WS: 5,Enc: 50,Cost: 6 gp, -1 to hit vs Ring

68. Dagger-Harpoon  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6+1d8;WS: 7,Enc: 40,Cost: 40 gp, -1 to hit vs Full Plate

69. Slasher-Barb  Dmg:1d6/1d4+1;WS: 3,Enc: 55,Cost: 100 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Studded

70. Harpy Glaive-Axe  Dmg:2d4/2d4+1;WS: 6,Enc: 80,Cost: 32 gp, -1 to hit vs Leather

71. Elven Spike-Cleaver  Dmg:1d10/1d6+1d4;WS: 4,Enc: 60,Cost: 310 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Full Plate

72. Chain-Fauchard  Dmg:2d4/1d6;WS: 4,Enc: 45,Cost: 220 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Full Plate

73. Lance-Gisarme  Dmg:1d6/2d4+1;WS: 5,Enc: 35,Cost: 8 gp, 1/2 damage vs Padded

74. Harpy Gaff-Axe  Dmg:1d8/2d4+1;WS: 5,Enc: 70,Cost: 180 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Scale

75. Pike-Maul  Dmg:1d6/1d12;WS: 2,Enc: 50,Cost: 40 gp, -1 to hit vs Ring

76. Knight's Bardiche-Guisarme  Dmg:1d6+1/1d8+1;WS: 8,Enc: 45,Cost: 22 gp, -1 to hit vs Banded

77. Hook-Lochaber  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6+1d8;WS: 4,Enc: 45,Cost: 90 gp, -1 to hit vs Full Plate or better

78. Stick-Barb  Dmg:1d4+1/1d10;WS: 2,Enc: 50,Cost: 7 gp, 1/2 damage vs Banded or worse

79. Bardiche-Bisarme  Dmg:1d4+1/1d4+1;WS: 4,Enc: 40,Cost: 33 gp, +2 to hit vs Ring or worse

80. Goblin Maul-Earspoon  Dmg:1d6/3d4;WS: 8,Enc: 40,Cost: 130 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Studded or worse

81. Dagger-Guisarme  Dmg:1d8/1d10+1;WS: 5,Enc: 50,Cost: 28 gp, -2 to hit vs Scale or worse

82. Glaive-Gisarme  Dmg:1d4+1/1d4+1;WS: 7,Enc: 35,Cost: 70 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Padded or worse

83. Glaive-Chain  Dmg:1d8/1d6+1;WS: 7,Enc: 40,Cost: 120 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Padded or better

84. Axe-Glaive  Dmg:1d6/1d6;WS: 3,Enc: 45,Cost: 10 gp, -1 to hit vs Studded or better

85. Barb-Slasher  Dmg:1d6+1/3d4;WS: 6,Enc: 55,Cost: 60 gp, -1 to hit vs Studded or better

86. Pike-Bludgeon  Dmg:1d6/1d4+1;WS: 6,Enc: 45,Cost: 26 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Padded or worse

87. Brandistock-Dagger  Dmg:1d4+1/2d6;WS: 5,Enc: 45,Cost: 40 gp, -1 damage vs Leather

88. Lochaber-Corbin  Dmg:1d4+1/1d12;WS: 6,Enc: 50,Cost: 480 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Chain or better

89. Gisarme-Bec deGiserne  Dmg:1d8/1d10+1;WS: 6,Enc: 70,Cost: 8 gp, 1/2 damage vs Plate or worse

90. Axe-Corbin  Dmg:1d4+1/1d4+1;WS: 6,Enc: 35,Cost: 3 gp, 1/2 damage vs Banded

91. Bludgeon-Fauchard  Dmg:1d8/1d6+1d4;WS: 5,Enc: 35,Cost: 14 gp, 1/2 damage vs Chain

92. Brandistock-Guisarme  Dmg:1d6+1/1d12;WS: 6,Enc: 45,Cost: 50 gp, -1 damage vs Leather or better

93. Falx-Maul  Dmg:1d4+1/1d10+1;WS: 5,Enc: 40,Cost: 24 gp, -1 damage vs Plate or worse

94. Cavalry Spetum-Fork  Dmg:1d4+1/1d6+1d8;WS: 5,Enc: 50,Cost: 360 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Studded or worse

95. Pole-Pick  Dmg:1d6+1/2d4;WS: 6,Enc: 35,Cost: 30 gp, -1 to hit vs Studded or better

96. Hook-Impaler  Dmg:2d4/1d6+1;WS: 7,Enc: 45,Cost: 40 gp, +2 to hit vs Scale or worse

97. Fork-Partisan  Dmg:1d6+1/2d4;WS: 6,Enc: 55,Cost: 15 gp, -1 damage vs Chain or worse

98. Spetum-Bardiche  Dmg:1d6+1/2d6;WS: 5,Enc: 35,Cost: 60 gp, -1 to hit vs Banded or better

99. Orcish Pick-Falx  Dmg:2d4/1d12;WS: 5,Enc: 90,Cost: 360 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Ring or worse

100. Page's Fork-Pole  Dmg:1d6/1d8+1;WS: 8,Enc: 55,Cost: 50 gp, +2 to hit vs Leather

Scenario setup charts

Every now and again a campaign needs a scenario that isn't a conventional dungeon adventure so here is a set of charts to generate a scenario for a fantasy campaign. Characters will either be bystanders, wrongly accused, employed to remedy the situation, or employed to complete the plot. 

Plot

1. Robbery

2. Assault

3. Kidnapping

4. Vandalism

5. Smuggling

6. Extortion

7. Fraud

8. Conquest

9. Curse

10.Ritual

Offenders

1.  Rapscallions- youths, drunkards, or beggars

2.  Nobles-  plotting local noble , annoying fops, or drunken noble youths on a rand.

3.  Bandit- highwaymen, bushwackers and such, often desperate peasants

4.  Thieves- professional thieves

5.  Cultists- a secret heretic cult, a hidden local order, or followers of a new prophet

6.  Brigands- Organized criminal militants

7.  Goblins- kobolds, gremkins, hobgoblins, boggarts, or boggles

8.  Fey- Brownies, Pixies, or Leves

9.  Giant- Ogres, Trolls, or True Giants

10. Dragon

11. Undead- ghosts, ghouls, vampires, or conjured minions

12. Mage - a mad wizard, plotting necromancer, wicked witch, or dark druid

13. Gargoyles/Harpies

14. Beastmen/Talking Animal- troublesome beastmen, talkign animals, or chimera

15. Demonic- evil/chaotic fiends form the lower planes

16. Lycanthropes

17. Constructs/Conjurations- fabricated foes either mechanical or crafted with magic

18. Invaders- foreign invaders

19. Dwarves- Either Petty Dwarves, Deep Dwarves, or stubborn members of a dwarven hold.

20. Merchants- businessmen are not always completely legit

Victim

1. Freeholder- a local free-farmer or woodsman

2. Village- a whole village is targtetted

3. Local Noble/Government Official

4. Local Church/Temple

5. Artisan

6. Guild- an entire guild is targeted

7. Castle- a castle and all it's inhabitants are threatened.

8. Town

9. Widow

10.Children

Sometimes there is a secret patron of the offenders

1. Noble

2. Abbot- the head of a local monastery or temple is behind the whole thing

3. Local Hero- shockingly a local hero is behind the whole thing

4. Local Villain- no one is surpsied this cad is up to no good again

5. Guildmaster

6. Mage

7. Religious Order

8. Mercenary Commader

9. Monster

10.Outlaw

11.Undead

12.Godling

Sometimes the Patron or the Offenders have a Hideout

1. Abandoned Farm

2. Lonely Tower

3. Cave

4. Tomb/Catacomb

5. Castle

6. Secret Camp

Now and again A Complication arises

1.  Tournament

2.  Fair/Feast

3.  Wedding

4.  Funeral

5.  Competition

6.  Hostage

7.  Weather

8.  Fire!

9.  Sickness/Famine

10. Omen

11. Monster

12. Duel

Comments On Simulation Rules We Could Actually Do Today

 In this day and age we don't leverage the tools we have on hand. Computers offer an excellent way to track, verify, and manipulate data but we use surprisingly little of that in traditional table-top roleplaying.  One area that is interesting is with that with these added capabilities we are also ignoring having rules in our game that would be a nightmare without computer management but trivial with it.

Equipment Condition: yeah your game might have rules for it and they are ignored 90% of the time.

Encumbrance: mostly ignored.

Lighting: mostly ignored or workarounds are made so ridiculously easy that it becomes a non-issue outside of special situations.

Fighting Stance: mostly ignored, some games approach this a bit but most really ignore it.

Footing: yeah this sounds picky but the course of entire nations and all the history that followed for hundreds of years was tied to who had better shoes (or took them off) at a particular battleground.

Food and Drink: this is usually just an encumbrance tax and as such gets ignored about as much as encumbrance does.

Fear and Courage: some games express this really well, but many don't remotely come close. Player agency... blah blah blah. History and fiction is full of people discovering they are much braver or far less brave than they imagined they were, why not roleplaying games?

Weather: unless the scenario is trying to freeze you or possibly fry you it's always relatively pleasant weather....boring.

Alchemy: is it really hard to catalog and track magical substances and how they react to each other? No, but we generally just don't.

History: you don't need a boring document drop to establish a campaigns history but shouldn't it be possible to answer things like "Who's the King's Heir?" and "Who was the King when you were young Grandpa?"? This is just keeping records, records we mostly ignore.

Campaign Calendars: almost nothing on this ever gets done, really easy to track with computer assistance. "Oh it's the 5th of Dragon Nock that means the folks in Menlo Valley will be preparing for the feast of Saint Dobbie"...that's the sort of throw away line that calendar keeping allows a GM to use that will add so much to campaign verisimilitude and setting development that again doesn't require a huge document drop.  

Clothing: yes characters in a campaign are often wearing clothing and outside of buying them on the equipment lost this is ignored most of the time.  Would you really go to the library in July wearing your flak-jacket, underwear and riding boots?  Clothing has been used to define people as long as we have had people in fiction and real life... what people wear has a lot to do with who they are in pseudo-historical societies, and we ignore it way too often.

Different Coins: I hate generic coins , I understand why a rule set may have to be generic but it's an area of world-building and simulation that gets ignored an awful lot. Yes it may be a tad cumbersome to keep track of the value 30 Minosaxian Gildenmarks compared to 22 Pineland Royales... unless you had ready access to a machine that keeps track of data and does speedy calculations.

Do all these ideas have a place in every fantasy roleplaying campaign? NO. But is every fantasy roleplaying game identical? NO.

We have computers in our pockets, hands, or at arms reach most of the day and yet our games seldom take advantage of these devices.  Old School or New School the advantages computers and their cousins offer for record keeping and game play are often ignored. We should step up our game and really leverage these tools.

AI Generated OSR Gamebook Covers.

 

I'm sure most people are aware there are AI engines out there that will create "original" works of art the picture here was created with the following text prompt:   

Gamebook Cover for indie OSR tabletop roleplaying game. Indie publishing. Old School Roleplaying. Game Book.

The settings were all pretty much minimal and the results not bad at all from 6 or 7 feet away.  The closer you look the worse they look BUT the AI art generators are producing better and better results. What impresses me are the compositions and general layouts. How the AI deals with text is always "interesting".

AI generated art horrifies and delights me as it is a tool with a lot of promise and is clearly evolving but it creates a "threat" to artists and originality. A skilled artist can surely do better than what was generated here but I worry for a day when there are very few professional artists and a graphic designer becomes someone who just fiddles with entering data into an AI image generator.

1d30 Random Post-Apocalyptic Shacks.

 A random selection of 30 randomly shacks to dress up the wastelands of a postapocalyptic setting.

1.  A large teepee. Inside are Doc Smith lives here and maintains a makeshift clinic. Stashed here is Antique Musket.

2.  An old work-site manager's shelter. With A rabbit hutch. Stashed here is Inline Musket.

3.  A tipped-over porta-john, clearly in recent use due to the not quite dry run-off. Leads to A one-room vintage camper.

4.  A ancient wooden barn. With A plot of dirt charitably described as a garden. Inside are Remnants of a military regiment have holed up here for a while.

5.  A slightly new hand-written sign 'Danger Minefield'. Leads to A cheap prefab cottage. With An old empty in-ground pool. Inside are A happy Puritan family.

6.  A recently repaired greenhouse with steamy windows. Leads to A log cabin. With Rows of stacked firewood. Inside are A trio of happy hippies. Stashed here is Butcher's block with over a half a dozen sharp knives.

7.  A line of heads set on 2 meter long wooden spikes. Leads to A concrete walled bunker. Inside are A pair of runaway tweens that nobody is really trying to find. Stashed here is An intact Auto-Doc. No power.

8.  Over an acre of fairly well-tended garden plot. Leads to A repurposed grain-silo. With A few well-maintained fruit trees stand here. Inside are Remnants of a military regiment have holed up here for a while. Stashed here is A large baroque machine. Inspection shows it to be the workings of a damaged mind. Some parts still good salvage.

9.  A half-buried Earth-lodge with a plastic tarp roof. With A haphazard tire barrier. Inside are An infant in a crib.... It's a traaaap! Stashed here is Functional alcohol still.

10.  A semi-permanent butchering station with chains, tackle, buckets, and benches. Leads to A branch hut covered in plastic-sheeting. With A sturdy tire-wall. Stashed here is Functional DVD player.

11.  A pair of impaled corpses, one sporting a sign reading 'THEEEF'. Leads to A log cabin. With A watchtower big enough for 3 maybe 4 people. Inside are A honeypot trap with bandits lurking nearby. Stashed here is Inline Musket.

12.  An ancient shipping container. Inside are A limbless person tied to a board, the other occupants are out. Stashed here is Functional BetaMax.

13.  An exposed basement covered in plastic tarp. Inside are Doc Smith lives here and maintains a makeshift clinic. Stashed here is A murderous Auto-Doc.

14.  A concrete walled bunker. Stashed here is Functional alcohol still.

15.  A big box of moldy boxes and empty jars with a weather sign reading 'Take what you need, leave what you can spare.' Leads to A tarp roof and packing crate wall to one side of a wheel-less conversion van. With A cleaned and swept hard-topped lot. Inside are A corpse in a bed. Stashed here is Antique Musket.

16.  A fairly fresh latrine trench. Leads to An old work-site manager's shelter. With A watchtower big enough for 3 maybe 4 people. Inside are A pair of runaway tweens that nobody is really trying to find. Stashed here is 0.5 kg of trade powder. (low grade black-powder)

17.  A pair of big plastic barrels that look to have been recently dug up out of an adjacent hole. Leads to A converted chicken-coup. Stashed here is A large baroque machine, A functional but unpowered teleport-chamber.

18.  A poorly plowed and unplanted field. Leads to An old work-site manager's shelter. With A large picnic-table with the tattered remnants of a feast. Inside are A family of Wreckers looking for a new Maw for Paw. Stashed here is Electric Dehydrator.

19.  A line of bodies in a trench dug in the past few days. Spent casings litter the ground. Leads to A half-buried Earth-lodge with a plastic tarp roof. Inside is A lost child. Stashed here is Inline Musket.

20.  A fairly fresh latrine trench. Leads to A repurposed grain-silo. With A plot of dirt charitably described as a garden. Inside are A crazy old coot taking a bath.

21.  A multi-chambered family tent. With An obvious minefield. Inside are A family of frail squatters.

22.  An old bus stop with debris pilled all along it's wall to block the view. With A pig pen. Inside are A pair of lumberjacks gathering wood for a larger community not too far away.

23.  An exposed and recently emptied tin of sardines laying in a shallow recently dug hole. Leads to An exposed basement covered in plastic tarp. With A ratty garden. Inside are an old fashioned nuclear family. Stashed here is Electric Chainsaw.

24.  A fairly recent corpse half buried in a small pit next to a trail. Leads to A pool-house. Stashed here is Electric Chainsaw.

25.  A big box of moldy boxes and empty jars with a weather sign reading 'Take what you need, leave what you can spare.' Leads to A tarp roof and packing crate wall to one side of a wheel-less conversion van. Inside are A family of cannibals recently surprised by a Cyber Commando. Stashed here is Portable Microwave.

26.  A semi-permanent butchering station with chains, tackle, buckets, and benches. Leads to A debris hut. With Rows of stacked firewood. Inside are A concealed entrance to a multi-level apocalypse bunker. Stashed here is Several dozen Ready-Logs.

27.  A poorly plowed and unplanted field. Leads to A cheap pre-fab cottage. With A circle of shallow trenches lined with filth coated stakes.

28.  A recently repaired greenhouse with steamy windows. Leads to A pavilion tent. With A haphazard tire barrier. Stashed here is 0.5 kg of trade powder. (low grade black-powder)

29.  A pool-house. Inside are An old fashioned nuclear family. Stashed here is Pounds of smoked meat.

30.  An open plot full of little wire stakes planted in the ground with tattered orange ribbons tied to them. Leads to A burnt out old house with a debris hut built against the only remaining wall. With A dog house. Inside are A pack of dogs and their 5 year old feral-queen.

MENACE

Menaxe

 A variant to morale and fear for old-school fantasy adventure games,

Menace:  How fierce and horrible a monster appears to be.  Reality and genre fiction is full of horrible menacing monsters that make all but the most stalwart or foolhardy shake in their boots. Fear effects and fear attacks have been with the games for years but oddly limiting. Here is a take on spreading the fear.

Dealing with Menace.

NPCs are forced to make morale checks when facing monsters with menace scores. This check must be made when the Monster makes it's presence known or NPCs could possibly act against or expose themself to the wrath of the Menacing Monster.

 Should this check fail consult the NPC Menace Reaction Table.

NPC MENACE REACTION TABLE

Menace 

morale 11 to 14 15 to 17 18 to 20 21+

-----              --------        --------          -------- ------

10 or more D/F F/B F/C B/W

6 to 9 F/B F/C B/W C/P

5 or less C/T W/T R/T P/T

#1- fail/ #2 fail with a roll of doubles. Letter matches the first level of the reactions listed here.

Desperate-    +2 to attack but defenses ARE AT -2.

Forlorn- all defenses are at -2, no benefits to attacks.

Balk- Can't advance this round.

Cower- Can't advance, if pressed must check again at -2, can reroll next round as normal. Actually +2 to defense and saves while cowering.

Withdraw- moves at least half a move away, if pressed must check again at -4

Retreat-      must move away, will be able to defend self but all actions at -2 until away from foe for 3 or more rounds or until rallied

Panic-     must move away, will be able to defend itself but is -4 until away from foe for 3 minutes or                     more minutes until rallied.

Terrified-    must move away, will not be able to defend itself. Will retreat for 30 minutes or go deep into hiding if possible. May not be rallied in under 10 minutes.

PC MENACE REACTION TABLE (PC's do not have to check against menace if they have 3 or more levels above the monster's HD)

PC's make a Menace save. On a roll of 1d20+WISbonus+1/2 level.

If the Menace roll is beat they are unaffected and act as normal.

If the roll is equal to the Menace score the character is Forlorn

If the roll fails the character will Cower.

     If the roll fails by 10 or more the character will Panic.

Assigning a Menace score:

Take the Monster's HD and add it's 2d6 Morale score. If they have a particular reputation for ferocity increase this by 3. If they have a fear attack or special ability add 5. This is the Menace score. If the score is 10 or less ignore the score it doesn't create Menace worthy of distinction, standard Morale rules apply. If the creature is known to be timid or friendly it will not have a menace score. Adjust to taste of course.

Rallying the Troops!

PCs, Military Commanders, and Nobles can attempt to rally others to gird themselves vs the threat or to halt retreats. Resolve this as a reaction roll.