Babylon RPG Blitz of Reviews

Tags seem to vanish off my blog posts while working on them and I cant cut and paste tag lists in from other posts with same tags - thanks google apes

I was madly running 4 Mesopotamian BRP games and more recently my Exilon setting (here) and adventures (Patreon) an I thought I might be involved in one. Suddenly lots of RPG floodgates are opening. I always dreamed of doing a BRP or Gurps one but like most stupid dreams I didn't. Even as an editor or reviewer or consultant sniff. One of my right-hand links goes to my posts on this theme including comprehensive image dumps to help players visualise the era mostly focused on Iraq and other nearby places. 

So after hearing of a new one and getting It I hunted for hours through LuLu where I had seen one only to discover same was a PDF of drive-through with a new colour cover. So anyway here are some links to some more which I have added to my Mesopotamian Adventures. Here I am reviewing BFJB and Into the Bronze. There was a sorta biblical series of ancient near east harbacks in d20 days but it had this biblical veneer and some mythic touches I disliked but I would nab it in a flash If I saw it around. I have reviewed Ankur and Blood & Bronze before. And then there is Puerta De Ishtar in Spanish which looks amazing, sounds cool and I wish I knew Spanish...or is it Catalonian?

As I'm a bit of a fan with 40kilos of books on the subject next to me, I do like to see this stuff used well or interestingly and slide away from pop cliches or through a lens of Christians looking through a lens of the old testament and people many time removed. Pazzuzu is a-ok demon yet Hollywood and gamers make him a non-useful demon. I got the Cthulhu Britanica: The Curse in Nineveh and I was miffy because they made Nabu into Yog Sothoth and then act out of character to me when Nabu is Thoth Hermes so other mythos gods a better fit. Possibly Bast is over used by HPL fandom too.

One of my other interests is sceptical archaeology so lots of the UFO ancient astronaut stuff I see that it causes actual harm on evidence and to current occupants so I am running out of being able to enjoy all the products based on this premise now. At least HPL declared he wrote non fiction, unlike Zechariah Sitchin who proclaimed it was the truth. Then there is that great Essay on how Von Daniken ripped of HPL methodology and writing style.

Blood & Bronze RPG

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/9554/Cyclopean-Games
Some crew here worked on some similar themes in their retro and clones
Into The Bronze RPG
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/14593/Lantern039s-Faun
Babylon on which fame and jubilation are bestowed
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/10533/Shukamu-Press
i presume is older version i spent hours looking for
https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/g-p-davis/babylon-on-which-fame-and-jubilation-are-bestowed/paperback/product-15emjekm.html
Design Mechanism Promise a book for this line...
http://thedesignmechanism.com/Mythic-Earth.php
Ankur (all this + Aliens and UFO Cult Dogma)
If i had to pick a game of ancient aliens based on mad racist Zechariah Sitchin
Though for superheroes to visit or an alt timeline I guess Its cool and has lasers
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/214737/Ankur-Kingdom-of-the-Gods

So I am going to get hard copies of Into the Bronze and BFJB. Latter I have looked over the old version PDF and gosh I like it.

Babylon on which fame and jubilation are bestowed (old pdf LuLu version)
It has some impressive research, campaign info and use of authentic language (+just read the kings laws for game seeds). Plus It has and like spells and other mechanics which lots of the 250 pages in the earlier part are character generation. As I know the history here I'm pretty impressed mostly. They do slap in elves and make dwarves Sumerians and end races which I would just drop possibly. Several other games have gone this way and Egyptian ones to put in their tolkien races in other settings. Lots of setting stuff is in the mechanics and detail in the skills that is quite intense. So based on simple and but it has skills and lots of other add sons. The magic associated with gods was not quite what I would do but is very fun and interesting to link spells to gods as they do. As someone writing my own retro-clone I appreciate lots of thought here and was surprised I liked lots of the mechanical ideas which I don't feel often.

There are so many good things about this I'm jealous and even though I ran the same period for years there Is a lot in here setting wise I really like/ Especially for character cultures and home cities. Unlike lots of games, this has some good city details. I look forward to the newer edition and will post it here when I get it. It is good to see a book full of stuff you meant to do in a long term campaign detail wise. So interesting for the history, setting and as a retro-clone that is thorough. 388 pages - older B&W PDF cheaper I'm getting a new book later

As for my own take in things, I guess I syncretized the crap out of the religion to make a consistent pantheon which barely happened sort of cos the real ancient world was local and diverse in styles. I guess I did It for similar reasons that empires did for easier paperwork. I guess I used are and maps and historic texts and miniature to convey lots of detail visually when I run these. 

Into The Bronze RPG

It is a simple and pretty RPG pdf, more minimal and about graphic design. Lighter, more wire space and lots of historic clip art. Some though is thousands of years later than the era depicted here. Instead of detailed setting lore, you have lots of tables for adventures and hex crawl. It talks about Sumerian and shows what I think Is Brugel and mentions the surviving religions as a source which I am not hot on. Once again The first part of the book looks great. The random map I found was a bit ugly but they for making a hexcrawl on the flyover detail and simulation of history. The last section has some monsters and more art that while is well used as design is more off theme. I don't think this game teaches as much about history or is for a long game. Id rates it highly as an art-game though. To be honest get only a vague sense of middle eastern history here or even any distinctively Sumerian. 60pages.

I rate highly for the look and feels and for sandbox improv tool and pretty utility tables. but I'm more likely to use it to add detail to another more detailed game. Comparing one of these books to the other Into The Bronze makes me think of splash spreads of design first and BFJB I think of as lots of mechanical goodies and some history and sensitivity to the culture.

I guess having done 2300BC and 1800BC and 700BC games I see differences some don't and as an image researcher, I know where most come from (and more nobody else has used). My more recent Exilon being more DnD was less historical more fantasy and intended to be easier to run by not being as intimidating as history can. Filling in some gaps with other tropes like Robert E Howard seems a popular approach too as three games claim to do it but all different. Anyway looking forward to some hard copies and for what Mythras will do as they do some good history gaming.

Bubonica
A 25 page pdf zine? Describing a diseased chaos cult with monsters, spells, mini-dungeon and lots of goodies and nice art. I kinda wish it had a few more pages to print it easily. A timely snippet of chaos fouldom. Entertaining waxing poetical on a needed topic.

Book Of Lairs vol 1&2

I recently struggled through these old classics. Potentially useful to drop-in games and for a novice npc describe monsters tactics in an environment. Each has a few hooks to get players on board. Lots of variety of monsters. Vol2 get more Oriental content, more guest star writers and possibly some of the more interesting ones. So do players really go about killing animals that much in DnD? A good mix of level stuff for lots of settings.

Some problems include often overwritten in some cases like a spread on an encounter I've had in dozens of games and most people just improvise it the same. Alot of these are just killing animals all who are extra cunning in many cases and won't fall for obvious stuff. Quite a few good monsters to hurt too which I have never killed with any but I had slept with a silver dragon in Dragonlance. Lots of these are controlled or duped or wrong or just too demanding. A few monsters take a while of being stubborn before you kill them so I guess its their fault. I like one good magic monster was just hard of hearing and easily confused but it suggests you give xp for not murdering the critter. There is one halfling weirdo who sounds like a modern kidnapper maniac but he only torments and verbally abuses victims for months before scrubbing their minds and releasing when bored. This guy is kinda the creepiest nothing villains on any official module. I like the idea of this as a one-page dungeon thing but Maps and bullet points would beat text in a few cases. The writing style varies from concise to somnambulistic. 

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More stuff coming In

Dreamlands

Dreamlands are interesting to explore in many settings. In my fantasy game characters would occasionally enter dreamlands of a ruin they explored making it seem pristine or in the past. A world inside a painting or a strange manor place. Dreamlands can be chaotic places that spawn strange creatures or nightmare monsters. You can enter dreamlands that are echoes of a lost mythic past or prehuman times. You could enter the collective dream of a kingdom or place. Meditation, those born with talent or drugs are used most frequently. Magic may allow goods and creatures to pass through releasing magic and demons into the world. There is a bit of this style going at Through Ultan's Door and a few retroclone products.

Other settings like modern or SF have their place also and Call of Cthulhu has HPL's Dreamlands but there are lots of opportunities in horror for other dreamlands. Visiting Mars and then contacting the ancient martian prehuman dreamlands and even their god. Flashbacks to past disasters or warp accidents might affect the waking world. Robert Holdstock Mythago woods is a good example of an sf mechanic of a dreamlike reality of ancient myths and modern humans who deal with it. WW1 nomans land as a dreamland with haunting effects for poor bastards caught inside. Wizards might travel to and through these worlds. A dreamland might operate like cyberspace or shaman trips to the spirit world.

I've used dreamlands encounter in sf Horror and superhero games. Several characters had dreamlands based abilities like a pocket nightmare kingdom populated by imps or another who conjured animals and fire and things but they came from another dimension. When he went there it was the start of him getting dreamlands powers and conjuring nightmare monsters from enemies dreams.

The overlap of the dreamland might vary triggering minor phenomena, supernatural events or encounters. Might be interesting. The hyper reality of both might disrupt mobile phones and signals or make people vanish temporarily. Ghost like haunting effects might increase also and possibly won't be recorded on cameras. Stranger Things upside down world might be a nightmare world. Robert Holdstock Mythago Woods series is great with a machine to simulate human interaction with the other world. Faerie stories might have similar properties. Even echoes of hell or other planes might be possible through dreamlands.

The intruding reality has a kind of super intelligence but not a human one. There are patterns within that behave like intelligent beings but actually are trapped in loops of limited behaviour. Death is not a problem in such a world as you might return again but will be part of the dream reality or just awaken. Some extraordinary intelligence wants to break through to the waking world and create or occupy a body. It might be possible to create things and bring them back for an experienced wizard.

Cyclopedia and later dnd had mention of nightmare land in several monster descriptions and in the illusionist school in Glantri lets mighty illusionists just move to dreamlands to create their own reality and create dream monsters. So in old basic dnd has hints of a nightmare land of monsters with reality warping weirdness that is much stranger than Ravenloft but it could overlap. You could do a weird dnd modern and mythic reality setting using this stuff.

There are many dreamlands many nightmare lands. Like All have the illusion of being complete universes fully populated mostly form as needed. Time doesn't flow the same here either but past civilisations or eras might still exist. It is a good alternative to time travel or gates. Sometimes the waking world and other worlds are overlapping allowing strange things to enter the world, unreal phenomena or cosmetic changes in the area. Some haunted houses might be especially affected. Certain places might let you interact with dream versions of gods (use deities and demigods stats right so you can kill that form). Temples might also overlap with dreamland or graveyards.

Will try to formalise a bunch of this into some mechanics

Dreamlands - borders with waking world, bright faerieland, giantland, positive material plane, arcadia. paradise, heavens. Worlds are fanciful, whimsical, mythic, heroic

Nightmare kingdom - borders with waking world, shadow plane, dark faerieland, negative plane, the void, underworld, hell, abyss. Worlds are desolate, dystopian, horrible, in decay  

I have a bunch of dream spells in my setting but a few extra ones might be handy. I really like the ideas in Glantri sourcebook for basic dnd on dream magic too.

d12 Common Intruding Dream Realities
1 Faerieland bright or dark
2 Giant Land
3 Arcadia
4 Abyss
5 Hell
6 Outer void
7 Shadow world
8 Spiritworld
9 Cloud Land
10 Underworld
11 Mythic Epoch
12 Primordial Past

d12 Gateways Locations
1 Mirror
2 Wardrobe
3 Doorway
4 Crack in a rock you can squeeze through
5 Hole in a wall
6 Well
7 Haunted house or ruin
8 A crumbling old archway
9 Between trees or branches
10 Barrel or container
11 Between stone pillars
12 Under the surface of water from lake to puddle

d12 Signs
1 Locals saw strange creatures
2 Stories of a hero killing a monster
3 Stories of creature chasing someone
4 Stories of someone fleeing haunted place
5 Locals say beware strange voices
6 Lights seen from here once
7 Horrible massacre was here once
8 Burial ground or temple here once
9 Cult used to visit here till exposed
10 Great tragedy happened here
11 Some primordial being strode here once
12 Children in area know a creepy rhyme about strange sightings

d6 World Link
1 Worlds separate unless ritual performed
2 Worlds separate unless planar entity has been here recently
3 Sleeping, meditating or abusing drugs here opens the veil
4 Worlds subtly overlap, certain stars make links stronger
5 Worlds frequently cross over allowing passage to another world
6 Gate open freely but changes where it links to

Faerielands have thriving life, magic animals, faerie folk might be present, everything glistens, dark faerie favour fungus and darkness and ore creepy. Vegetation, magic animals and servitors are encounter first like sprites or goblins or birds. Elves are the most militant defenders and frequently enslave humans coming here

Giantlands is the mythic dreamworld of the giants with fuses into the infinite ruins of a sprawling giant city. Humanoids and orcs come to plunder these places for magic and secrets but some wizards and human giant worshippers might come too. Ruins and creeping vine begin to over take it too. Includes area of the great fallen troll civilisation before the mindless cancerous man eaters we know now

Arcadia is a mythical abundant wilderness with plenty of food and wine for all, vines and vegetation appear first like grapevines then nymphs, satyrs and centaurs and magic animals appear even revellers in praise of certain pleasure gods. Minor nature divinities and animal spirits live here in between incarnations. The ruins of the tower of heaven are remaining on some planes of arcadia

Abyssal planes vary but most are harsh, unpleasant and difficult to survive on. Toxic odours take over and scream and explosions and storms can be heard. Each fragment of the abyss is a leftover fragment from creation occupied by demons eager to have land and power and dominion here. Some evil wizards and chaos champions might hold one for a demon who holds many. Demons keen to torment and abuse dwell here but some are mindless. They enjoy contact with the world for real or through dreams. Mostly they are concerned with own power and cruelty but some do mercenary work for hell like getting escapees or those avoiding death.

Hell is a series of linked planes a great prison where gods decree sinners go to be tormented and possibly might rise to become devils. Demons are failed unlawful devils who cannot abide by rules. Devils have treaties with demons and angels and devas and archons. A hellish stench comes through first with imps and damned souls moaning to follow. Hell houses, in particular, have diabolic decor that becomes more extreme and animated.

Outer Void is a universe existing before and outside of reality, it is the emptiness reality occupies and is hostile to the nature of reality. Entities that live here are alien and mostly hostile to life. When you can see the beings of the great beyond the first ones are small, glassy fish like creatures. Serene at first they often become hostile and attack when they sense flesh or souls.  The larger ones are tentacled or wormlike or like deep sea creatures or cave dwelling horrors with alien intellect and some are wizards. 

Shadow Wold is a shadow of the reality, a black and white world, a noir land of smoke, mirrors and darkness. Shadow beings here hunger for life energy and are attracted to gates or living. Creatures here shun light and lurk in edges of darkness. Echoes of normal life and places but twisted into a twilight world of hunger and madness. Everything becomes increasingly abstract and nightmarish and you might meet your own shadow self seeking to replace you.

Spirit World is a domain of spirits living close to the waking world often affiliated with nature, gardens, temples, graveyards, hills, trees, forests, bodies of water, artworks and other sites. Spirits in cities are very different to ones on farms or wilderness. Some spirits are friendly some are not, many are witnesses and know local information. As spirit world overlaps mist often forms.

Cloudland is a series of other worlds in clouds reachable through tallest mountains or trees or other means. The lands vary quite a bit many are quite sweet and attractive worlds of child like simplicity, giants, goblins, faeiries, spirits, talking animals and golems living together. Walking into such a world can take you far away as the cloud moves from its location around the world. Some humans used this to explore the world. Children have had adventures here or some worlds might change humans into children.

Underworld a gloomy afterlife place where the souls of the dead eat dust and excrement forever unless their kin sacrifice to them. The better class souls and shades here dwell in cities in comfort but without sacrifices, they might be cast into the gutter if their line dies out. Spirits and shades from the underworld are often hungry and can be distracted with blood or wine poured for them on the ground. Deaths reapers and devils and undead roam here frequently. Some come to save loved ones or plunder treasure. Some caves operate as gateways.

Mythic Epochs are alive and well in dreamlands and can be visited such as when giants and gods waged war or the monster kings ruled or the fist city states of bronze. Some of these replay certain events and some are allegorical or seen as modern peoples saw past not as it was and other distortions. Often overlapping worlds makes things look more old fashioned as they were in that era.

Primordial Times when life first walked on the surface, when various alien beings walked the wastes of the earth in darkness. Gibbering alien titans of the void walked the world. When primordial dragons created first gods and giants and beast lords then tried to gobble them up, when creation began and the later generations of gods were just born. Certain beings in these times do not sense time normally and my hunt you and follow you home to eat your soul.

I did a game where most magic and weird stuff happened in a mist-shrouded dream world by night that overlapped in some places like ruins or graveyards. Faerieland was like this too in wilderness mostly. Caves had own dream underland. This let game be gritty and historical then do moments with magic more possible.

Decor in Weird Manor

d10 Decor Types

01 Furniture

02 Ornament

03 Floor covering

04 Paintings

05 Statues

06 Lighting features

07 Water features

08 Wall decoration

09 Mirrors

10 Bookshelves

d100 Decor objects in the Weird Manor
01 Footstool carved with occult sigil, contains a imprisoned lesser demon

02 Chair with ornate carvings of snakes, enfolds and traps anyone sits for one round

03 Ivory throne anyone sits in it save or possessed by a angry ancient ribal chief

04 Ornamental table if surface touched contents of a secret compartment opens onto centre or table. Snakes are a popular choice or scorpions

05 Ornate gilded chair gives seated telepathy and ESP once each per day

06 Sofa can fly for one turn a day seat 2-3

07 Table of feasting summons a large luxury meal for 12 once per week

08 Bed is heated and plays music and chamber puts in cupboards are magically emtied

09 Dressing table of dark elves with erotic carvings, mirror makes looker +3 CHA to reflection

10 Chair of dreams sitter after one turn has fantastic visions of adventures in dreamland that seem to last days but only last hours

11 Idol of the Frog, golden frog figurine that at night makes sound of chirping frogs

12 Vase with animated scenes of a hero battling dragons wrapped around vessel

13 Clock which if dial manipulated slows time inside so a round seems like ten minutes

14 Music box with animated figurines misx of harp and flute and chimes plays on command

15 Table with two chairs and a chess set that can play against one player

16 Cabinet with gate inside to a secret door in a kobold dungeon maze

17 Cabinet of shrunken heads, if held you can commune with heads spirit, save vs possession

18 Writing desk that can take dictation and write letters, produces sheet of paper every 2 hours

19 Huge urn with stopper, if oppened a ogre magi or rakasha comes out and is displeased

20 Plinth if anything is placed on ot then removed the plinth rings a alarm for ten minutes

21 Hypnosis rug, save or stare at it until vision blocked or dragged away
22 Kidnappers carpet, if anyone stands on for a round save or rolled up tight a prisoner
23 Wolf skin rug if walked over turns into a living were wolf, when killed it returns to wolf skin form and can be returned to guard. Lion, zebra and tiger ones exist too
24 Carpet with magical binding symbol, anyone crossing symbol releases a demon or elemental
25 Carpet covered in eyes follow intruders and send a vision to the carpet owner (if any alive)
26 Reed spirit mat from a far off land undead cannot cross it, often at a door
27 Magical straw stays fresh and any vomit or faeces or dropped food vanish overnight
28 Pile of scented huge cushions that stay clean and smell like roses
29 Carpet with scene of explorers arriving and starting a colony
30 Flayed skin of a planar unrecognisable beast, under moonlight dream or nightmare creatures enter and exit but only if someone sleeps in area
31 Portraits with staring eyes used as part of a surveillance network used by local wizard who has special stereoscopic goggles that control the view
32  Portrait of soldiers that summon 2d6 warrior spectral minions
33 Portrait of a wizard who attacks through small portal in his book in another reality, will demand bribes as he attacks, he can close gate if feels pressured
34 Portrait of a armoured knight that if looked at summons a death knight, it wont attack anyone presenting a holy symbol with sincerity and eventually goes back in, rarely leaving its room
35 Portrait of a evil warlord, if anyone murdered in front of it the murderer swaps place with the warlord. The warlord is also a might wizard and seeks to conquer all
36 Painting of a huge fat cow, summons a d4 minotaurs if crossed without saying "moo!"
37 Painting of a creepy house or castle, if studied you are trapped in the painting with other prisoners and some beast that haunts it and kills some guests

38 Painting of the beast, once seen it will appear through the dreams of any who fail to save vs magic
39 Painting of the weeping widow, if crossed without muttering a prayer the gate opens revealing she is a screaming banshee
40 Painting of a dinosaur in front of a black pyramid in a jungle, can open a gate to a prehistoric lost pocket world once used by a cult to contact primordial wizards
41 Statue of a satyr with pan pipes, will come to life if passed without nodding to it. It wants to charm some humans for a orgy
42 Statue of a naked nymph with a stag, if praise not given to hunting goddess they come to life and the nymphs nudity can kill men who see her, the stag just attacks. If enemies flee return to statue form
43 Statue of a owl, can talk and direct you towards best books in area
44 Talking bust of a farmhouse explorer or artist or bard can recant facts about their life
45 Suits of armour animated and will attack intruders
46 Gargoyles in ceiling watching doors
47 Row of living statues of clan founders
48 Golem standing against wall
49 Idol is actually a imp pretending to be a savage tribal fetish
50 Creepy doll golem with real brains inside, delights in stabbing people in a cabinet

51 Large ships lantern hanging from roof, magically lights area and exposes invisible things

52 Candelabra inhabited by tiny fairies, they are mostly rude pranksters but can be befriended 

53 Magical candles burn forever and release scent of violets, rosemary or lavender 

54 Candle holder if anyone touches after dark shoots a burning hands, looks gold with gems 

55 Grinning goblin face lantern, if not addressed anyone passes it floods area with fog

56 Gloomy magic lamp which calls illusions to delay and occupy anyone entering room 

57 Painted glass lamp if lit it rotates and and projects a horse race that always ends differently 

58 Strange green glass lamp with octopus design, if lit it projects the face of elder octopoid sea demon which can telepathically communicate with you

59 A glowing chunk of red yellow or blue crystal held from roof by a chain lights area

60 Bottle of green glowing pulsing slime sealed in a bottle suspended by a chain from ceiling
61 Stone basin with a water weird inside
62 Fountain with a urinating cherub but wine instead of water

63 Fountain with leaping fish with actual fish and slime inside, eating a fish grants you knowledge of a 1st level spell to use once. 3d4 fish

64 Fountain with live goddess spraying water from her nipples, heal a d4 damage once per day per person
65 Dragon fighting a knight fountain which distils spirits while spraying water if organic matter put in hopper, water in fountain is warm and bubbly for bathing in
66 Fountain featuring death with a scythe, if you drink you get a vision of your afterlife based on your current alignment
67 Grinning gargoyle fountain with a stone trough, water cures disease if drunk from here
68 Fountain of a minotaur with a club standing in a large pool, anyone drinking here and gets in a fight in the next turn goes berserk for a turn
69 A stone pond with attractive magical frogs 2d4 living inside, pond feeds them and runs the fountain and keeps plants thriving, anyone dropping in a copper coin gets a bless spell for one hour70 Stone pool decorated with d6 lotus flowers and a d6 lotus seeds in rotting pots in bottom  

71 Tapestries of knight galloping, one will leap from the artwork on horse ready for battle
82 Huge cave bear fur comes off the wall and turns into a angry bear but honey will placate it
73 Several dozen macrame owls with beads and wool and sticks, if called on the owls with give you personal advice
74 Bones of monks worked into a artwork hanging on wall, if prayer not given to them 2d6 skeletons jump out for battle
75 A magical food platter that lets you snack with illusionary treats
76 Basilisks head mounted, if walked under without name of the wizard who made it it comes to life, growls and gazes at them with petrifying rays
77 Rack of cursed weapons, lots of them
78 Mural scene of nobles having a feast, if you look at it you can join in for a few hours if you fail a save
79 Mosaic of some colossal beast destroying a city and words of a prophecy
80 Display cabinet of stuffed bugs or birds or other museum collectables
81 Face mirror with demon frame, once a week commune with a demon noble for 3 questions
82 Full body mirror, reflection doppelganger steps out to fight intruders
83 Wide wall mirror with phantoms on other side in the void hoping to break through, if broken 2d4 shadows come out
84 Scrying mirror shows scenes of your loved ones or kin far away a round a day per person
85 Mirror is a gateway to a mirror maze in a pocket dimension with invisible stalkers hunting visitors to guard a treasure
86 Mirror is gateway to the nightmare dimension one way if frame touched
87 Mirror conjures a undead version from another universe through whoever looks and reads text on frame "the mirror that flatters not"
88 Mirror can contact a fire giant imprisoned in underworld who will talk a bit especially if you help him get free
89 Mirror can turn into a map of the world showing the current location when frame touched
90 Mirror if gazed at shows a medusa face turning all to stone who don't save
91 Book case with general knowledge collection of history and geography, if a encyclopedia type subject is mentioned a book partly slides out
92 Book case of evil books, one is a imp offers a soul contract, several have necromancy spells others describe great artefacts and their locations
93 Book rack has each book wizard locked in place. You can read one at a time. Has a wizards spells and research and some recipes whole thing weighs a ton
94 Shelves of books illustration and describing the clan history back to implausible ancient times. Extra text appears as it happens
95 Book case with a door that gates to the infernal black school of wizards connected to hell with devil and changeling teachers
96 Book case if certain books pulled out partly opens a secret door with a stash of potions, drugs, a hookah and wine bottles
97 Book case that can read aloud any books kept in the shelf and can translate it to modern common
98 Book case with many popular books of knowledge that are illustrated with programmed illusions made by an illusionist with a good imagination who read lots
99 Collection of books about wizard crime and punishment of which clan who built house feature in lots. Lots of good tips for witch hunting and smashing cults
100 Research shelves used by a powerful wizard for research with several almost complete high level spells

bonus: Goat legged chair can carry a rider at walking pace for 8 hours

A Lotus For All Seasons

Lotus Flowers were one of the main currencies of the old monster kings as popular as gold or silver and for it's ability to control addicts. Ancient barges crossed the world selling drugs. Certain drugs are now found on certain continents. The Black Lotus Emperor rules much of the west through these drugs from his secret underground city. Black lotus because wizards and sorcerers crave it world wide is the most well known. Many lands ban lotus resin and some have become dependant on the criminal smugglers and pedlars who lend nobles money for influence.

This is how the Emperor spreads his influence. The drugs were commonly used as alternate spell components in the prehuman monster ruled age. Some say the emperor is a immortal deity from beyond. Many alien wizards are users also. Some areas there are lotus cults who use it in secret rituals and cover up failures. Some of these cults might have own strains. Some say lotus grew in conditions where outer gods were slain from their brain matter. The art of growing them requires a hard gardening roll to cultivate seeds and another to have them grow seeds. Cults might operate a secret garden. Some states operate gardens for nobility and royalty or only allow priests to use it. Natural animals, beast folk and barbarians and many tribal peoples shun them. Wherever you go people have strong opinions for against it. 

D12 Lotus Types
1 Pink Lotus

2 Ivory Lotus

3 Golden Lotus

4 Silver Lotus

5 Scarlet Lotus

6 Grey Lotus

7 White Lotus

8 Jade Lotus

9 Amber Lotus

10 Violet Lotus

11 Blue Lotus

12 Black Lotus

Dosage Effect if Save Effect if fail Cost
Mild Dose Mild Effect (d4 hours) Fail + sick for d4 rounds 10sp dose
Pure Dose Strong Effect Fail + save vs addiction + Mild Effect 40gp dose

Flower Extracts in wine or made into resin for pure doses
Fresh flowers in wine dissolve the narcotic and mixes with wine
Resin keeps for years and comes in pellets or blocks often with a guild symbol in gold
Rest of flower and stems make tea or smokes with only minor effects
Pipes across the world feature dragon designs
Most of these types are rare and seldom would you ever see all of them unless in the stash tin of a god or elf king. Any one big trade city might have 3 available.Some wizards tried to cross breed other types but most are fake

1 Pink Lotus
Fail – grow hideous wattles and dulaps like a turkey, more drugs worse they get
Mild Effect – euphoric, aroused, more sociable and charming +1CHA
Strong Effect – develop a petty mutation, hallucinate being one with all flesh through Xor

2 Ivory Lotus
Fail – when you die you arise as a skeletal undead, more drugs more powerful
Mild Effect – icy logic, fearless, analytical, good for research, hear whispers of dead +1INT
Strong Effect – immune to fear and charm magic, seem dead, commune with death d10 hours

3 Golden Lotus
Fail – body smoulders on first contact with sunlight losing a d4 HP, effect stronger with more drugs
Mild Effect – confident, warm and powerful feelings +1WIS
Strong Effect – immune to level or attribute drain from negative energy for hour

4 Silver Lotus
Fail – go into deep trance for day, second time week, then month then coma
Mild Effect – objectivity, calm, emotionless +1INT
Strong Effect - temporary psionic ability or petty mental mutation

5 Scarlet Lotus
Fail – become angry and violent, go on troublesome rampage for hour, temper gets worse over time
Mild Effect – aggressive, confidant, energetic will go berserk if fight starts in next turn
Strong Effect – heart stops, visions of souls destiny, first aid can revive you

6 Grey Lotus
Fail – drool like a idiot, reduced to infant state for d4 weeks, longer each time
Mild Effect – cold detachment, good for analytical skills, limited vision of own past +1WIS
Strong Effect – witness maddening things in past epochs then void hounds persue you

7 White Lotus
Fail – temporary blindness, eventually eyes become white, giggling addicts tear out own eyes

Mild Effect – heal 1HP
Strong Effect - see in dark, perceive squirming alien beings from beyond everywhere d4 hours

8 Jade Lotus
Fail – develop slimy skin and webbing, eventually turn into frog folk hybrid
Mild Effect – euphoric, gregarious, hungry, elaborate speculation and theories +1WIS
Strong Effect – Visions of frog gods and ancient rites dedicated to them for d12 hours

9 Amber Lotus
Fail – ephoric memory loss as long as keep smoking daily, slavers use this to dominate victims
Mild Effect – visions of some other worldly court drama you don't understand  +1CHA
Strong Effect – communicate directly with the unspeakable outsider god, the lord of madness for 3d10 hours

10 Violet Lotus
Fail – develop a minor mutation, eventually after too much they evolve into a horrible beast
Mild Effect – sense magic in 30 foot
Strong Effect – see magic and identify spells and magical effects on sight d6 hours

11 Blue Lotus
Fail – giggle like a idiot and become very compliant
Mild Effect – numbness, flushes, mild visual distortions  +1DEX
Strong Effect – cosmic visions of all reality, immune to illusions d6 hours

12 Black Lotus
Fail – haunted by maddening occult dreams, join a cult or several
Mild Effect – incredible dreams of alien realities, disorientation, ranting, foaming at the mouth, recover one spell or spell energy level, mostly used by power level magicians
Strong Effect – communicate with alien wizards beyond time and space for d4 hours

Silverton Sprawl Celebrities

So this is significant players in the Silverton area formerly the southern most part of Broken Hill now occupied by the Warlord, settlers and allied gangs. Silver City covers several fortified blocks with a larger area, the sprawl covered by watch towers, trenches, barbed wire and mines. The ruins describes the greater broken hill area to the north.

A bit on the Warlord's domain:
The warlord taxes found technology, vehicles, power cells, ancient meds, ammo, fuel, food and water. In case of tech items taken will be exchanged for a lower value item, food or other services from the warlord's business dealings in brothels, inns, bars, medics and repair shops. Common scrap is untaxed. Those operating in the Silver City sprawl are taxed 50% and many move to the ruins instead. Defence is the main service of the Warlord. Those serving the warlord or in his favour have reduced taxes of 30% or even 10% but still enforces trade of desirable special tech items for inferior ones.

Within the walled central part of silver city the population is dense and the law strict. The rest of Silveton is a semi cleared ruin where settlers are starting farms. Regular patrols, irrigation and monster hunters keep area safe but locals complain of the cost. They all fear living without the warlords army.

In the ruins of the city all kinds of monsters, maniacs and mutants roam. Settlers here tend to focus on heavy defences or secrecy like roof gardens with limited access. Silver city rangers defend any decent looking folk or innocents. The warlords army in the ruins mostly fight gangs and monsters but tolerate adventurers.

1sp to enter the gates plus submit to a tax man search 1in4 times if not citizen
Citizens pay 100sp for a year or 100gp for life with a card issued and names kept on record
Silver class citizens searched 1in6 by taxmen and are considered second class
Gold class citizens searched 1in10 by taxmen and are considered solid locals
-evaluated for citizenship over d4 weeks and awarded citizen papers by the Warlord

Laws and authorities treat visitors, silver and gold differently with unfair fines biased to the rich. A visitor harming a gold citizen will probably be executed on the spot while a gold citizen can kill a visitor. Long serving officials and veterans are rewarded with silver or gold status. Women in the town have many positions of high status and various women led groups support the warlord for this versus the wasteland scum. Many amazons serve the warlord directly.

d10 Quick Types
01 Warlord's Elite
02 Merchants
03 Community
04 Mutants
05 Factions
06 Cults
07 Criminals
08 Popular
09 Downtrodden
10 Ambassadors

d100 Title
01 Gideon Pile - The Wasteland Warlord, leader of Silver City and the region by strength of his gang
02 Mavis Crow - the iron maiden, leader of the warlords amazon bodyguards
03 Lord Amok - commander of the warlords army, masked mutant maniac
04 Selene Black 045 - warlords secret police chief, former bunker dweller security chief 
05 Dr Susan Vortis - warlords science adviser, doctor and interrogator 
06 Camden Birdman - organises, regulates and taxes food production in warlord area 
07 Bazza McCready - runs the scavengers, a mob of jobless poor and convicts who salvage scrap systematically from ruins for gruel
08 Norman Beardley - treasurer of the warlord who administers cash and storage of treasure and artefacts. The best are in a museum and well guarded
09 Breaker Fortynine - runs the mechanised infantry and vehicle corps responsible for fighting vehicular road gangs
10 Bonnie Breaker - runs gladiator fighting pits, prisons and regulates the slave trade
11 Elon Bonito - the Scrap King, sells scrap parts and various junk from towns largest scrap shop, employs lots of mutant labourers and offers work to the needy
12 Laura Silver - banker and in charge of the cities silver mint, loves luxury and status
13 Barney Ghekko - leader of mercenaries company the silver spears who provide caravan guards mostly, former tribal and knows the wastes, tribes and gangs well
14 Doc Harper - treats all comers wounds fast and willing to conduct cyborging and other mods frowned on by healer cults, employs a few helpers and might heal needy in return for scavenging ruins for meds or ingredients of drugs
15 Molly Rocksov - runs biggest brothel and vice pit catering to soldiers and mercenaries plus a VIP bar for merchants
16 Patty Mummer - feed market owner, supplies animal fodder and buys exotic creature meat and skins from the ruins, pluss sells live creatures and waggons ans operates a stable service
17 Donny Prescott - slave trader, buying and selling mostly used humans , deals with lots of gang and scum but only buys citizens of Silver City if debtors for limited contracts for a few years
18 Glinda Goldgrub - runs a casino, pawnshop and loan shark emporium, she is very greedy and employs all kinds of scum for many reasons
19 Lowdry Chowder - of the Cabbagelander trading caravan that moves food and settlers from east in return for scrap and silver
20 Corby Fliechman - from southern ruins of Madlay Torrenz Traderz company, brings in scrap, food and slaves and often take mercenaries back
21 Brick Rathmore - leader of the miners brotherhood causes trouble with warlord often but only so far as they need protection. Includes silver miners and scrap prospectors
22 Betty Green - leader of the united farmers movement, always demanding water and protection and better prices and less tax 
23 Sister Mary Grey - healer priestess who runs charity hospital
24 Alex Thoth - publisher of printed illustrated news tabloid and believes in the supernatural
25 Corman Drudge - leader of the workers party, protect common labourers and organises strikes, barley tolerated by officials who know the damage the party can cause
26 Billy Jackthorn - prospectors guild leader who runs a underground par and several secret safe houses for members in ruins, don't include silver miners and often avoid taxes
27 Old Grandma Poss - possum abhuman leads animal folk in the sprawl who are often treated poorly
28 Mandy Kane - leader of Silver City rangers a vigilante organisation tolerated by warlord who act as a militia, bounty hunters and lawmen in the sprawl and ruins. They predate the warlord who has a non interference deal with him. They wear distinct uniforms, hats and badges and are expert sharp shooters and trackers 
29 Lord Stumpy - leader of the beggers guild and the shanty towns just outside the city sprawl who are not permitted entry but beg visitors to pay entry fees. Most members quit if the make any money
30 Geezer B Goode - leader of feral settlers who grow fuel and drug crops and hold parties, increasing wealth has attracted interests of crime and the Warlord
31 Seleez Gorax - leader of the mutant brotherhood who protects mutant villagers and  workers from anti mutant factions and gangs or mistreatment
32 Brother Piebald - mutant cult priest dispeces charity and aid to opressed mutants
33 Arlexak - chimeric shape shifting serial killer lives in sewers and murders daily
34 Mother White Eye - mutant gifted with foresight and locals fear her
35 Silverado Fantang - leader of mutant bandit leader raids settlers and helps mutants escape
36 Caleb - leader of mutant workers performing menial jobs and farm labour and dwell in sewers under the sprawl and ruins
37 Thulen Fire Lance - anti human mutant terrorist wanted for spreading contaminants in water
38 Zora Cephal - mutant leader gathering the most powerful mutants into a vigilante org to protect mutants and settlers who help mutants, many fear their strange powers
39 Brother Deadhead - a necromutant leader of banished necrovirus plague carriers that actually include many undead, locals scare children with stories of them. They act in secret in the sprawl40 Xanthos Quark - a blue morlock dwarf cannibal cult leader who burrows into the sprawl for victims to eat. The gang have a secret ruin stronghold and several tube station bases
41 Mullaway Black Emu - tribal chief
42 Dr Morgana Greywitch - restorer of ancient tech and collector of artefacts, while not a fan of the warlord he is the provider of stability. Her subterranean lair is a museum temple and school
43 Buggsy Fantasm - mutant herder of giant insects who is teaching other farmers about bugs
44 Una Petersen - hates robots, AI, androids and blames apocalypse and human fall on them. Often preaches about them infiltrating community 
45 Old Murdoch - postmaster general who trains orphans as messengers and is in contact with far off cities by the postal cult
46 Mona Clarion - leads the water bearer sect who run irrigation and wells and dole out water rations in droughts. She has workers building a great underground cistern
47 Floyd Redhand - preaches formation of a democratic state mostly seen as a curiosity and potential troublemaker
48 Pasco One - tags name all over sprawl ans sometimes ruins, wanted by the law for slandering the warlord
49 Brother Astelin - tech shunning farmer leads a sect refusing tech above basic gunpowder 
50 Mother Hubbard - cares for orphans and protects them from slavers, helps them get legit jobs
51 Malaras Liceworm - priest of the atom cult, filthy and hated by most, offers to take anyone to the contaminated holy places
52 Red Annie - preaches comunism to poor and mutants and is hated by most well off persons
53 Guyan Tor - leads an apocalypse cult seeking the doomsday weapons to unmake the world and serve evil military AI's that might give them nukes. Has contact with gangs in ruins and seeks recruits
54 Sister Maynard - scholar of ancient texts who pays for old documents and data files and knows ancient lore, archivist cult leader
55 Brother Harlon White - preaches peace and love, people like to listen to him and he can calm mobs and rioters but many of his followeres are murdered each year
56 Sir Erebus Prime - purist templar leader urges all to kill mutants, barley tolerated and occasionally leads a mob, avoided five assassination attempts. Has a small bodyguard of armoured men and serve as anti mutant mercenaries, some settlers want mutant land and favour him
57 Master Talmain Gorgoroth - demon worshipper encourages decedent selfish sadists to abuse those outside the town sprawl. More about drinking than ceremonies but has links to worse cults in sprawl 
58 Scruffy Baggersly - drug dealer with his ambulent drug crops, popular at parties and always hungry with his dingo Dooby 
59 Blarney Phingers - a romantic collector of ancient pop culture and trhe deep religios wisdom of the ancients it conceals
60 Zebidy Husk - well known farmer sacrifices victims in secret with his inbred redneck family to blood thirsty mobile corn plants to keep them from wandering
61 Gabby Ratshank - runs the biggest juve gang in the sprawl making younger members pass increasingly hard tests some which are fatal. Many parents want her dead, others bribe her because better the devil you know
62 Carlos Grizzleby - smuggler, former merc has multiple secret tunnels into the sprawl to avoid tax evasion
63 Orla Fang - runs a gang of thugs who prey on explorers returning from the ruins
64 William Bilby - runs a gang with animal abhumans and mutants who lease out services to other gangs or legit people wanting someone beaten up. Debt collecting most common work
65 Hillson Cray - conman selling fake ruin maps and also sets up explorers into ambushes or monster lairs so he share can loot of dead. Knows gangs and monsters
66 Vinny Calzone - old man from east came as farmer turned mob boss now retired. He does consult for anyone needing info on crime, gangs or finding stolen goods. Has four large sons and their dingo abhuman pal. Always eating pasta and family all names after items on Italian restaurant menu
67 Grink Filborn - assassin for hire runs a knife sharpening shop and sells weed killer and poison bait for pesky animals
68 Topaz Topper - leader of thieves guild tolerated by warlord and pays her taxes, rents out her people as scouts and spies and sends lesser ones scavenging in sprawl and ruins
69 Garrick Fudge - sells and buys dodgy goods stolen, dangerous, defective or that the warlord would usually take
70 Black Eagle - tribal man deals with tribes for criminals often use for smuggling or even murder
71 Alan Countdown - bard sings the top ten songs of the town about drought, bandits, cannibals, mining, saucy mutants and more but keen to learn new songs. Mostly blues or folk or bush ballads, plays lots of instruments
72 Oaty Bigmouth - town crier, knows recent news, local history, who's who and 
73 Shiela Criminy - former drover, truck driver now barmaid, veteran of the wastes and hero in the Canetoad wars, knows everyone, strong as a cow
74 Mindy Silvermoon - exotic dancer popular with mercs and miners who throw silver coins on her stage to get her attention, friend of the warlord and has guards and maids and gimps who carry her in a palanquin about town 
75 Outback Jack - old man in safari suit with huge beard tells tall tales of survival and mutant monsters, catches snakes and giant bugs menacing folk in sprawl he sells or releases
76 Skip - lady kangaroo abhuman saved many children and outwitted dozens of crims. She is also a mechanic and bomb expert, sometimes drives her GEV jet hovercar
77 Miss Chin Lee - Chinese chef runs her Golden Scorpion restaurant and cooks up strange monsters from the ruins 
78 Old Orung - exile from the Orungutang empire up north, very wise, knowledgeable about terrible ancient secrets and can build up to 1950s technology of his homeland. Can be reluctant to change local civilization
79 Toadflap - prisoner from the Canetoad invasion forces he runs a alleyway grog shop selling rum and drugs. He is only canetoad allowed to live in town and knows the warlord
80 Nanny Gobbler - goat abhuman doe, likes to eat all kinds in normally inedible things to determine their properties or contamination. She often acts a a food taster or 
81 Lil Milton - pathetic mutant urchin begs by gates, mutations change every time you see him
82 Ols Suzie - old woman catches rats and vermin she sells cooked on sticks
83 Crazy Sam - old mad prospector tells wild stories of life in rubble
84 Billy Cripplelegs - old miner lives in a box has wheeled box for legs after landmines found, begs for money and booze, knows mining and ghost stories
85 Weeping Widow - in rags sobbing for family lost in the wasteland
86 Minky Bauble - village idiot, drooling friendly fool says hello or goodbye to everyone coming in and out, sees more than people think, loved by locals
87 Shifty Pete - offers help finding local vice hotspots  and where to find any depravity for a few coins, offers things you wish you had never heard of
88 Emil Minty - a feral kid who steals food scraps and hangs round, warlord insists he be let in
89 Sick Vinny - drunken street dwelling sadist, coward and trouble maker, cons visitors and leads to doom with gang buddies, preys on week and gullible, steals children 
90 Cappy Blackbeard - old former gang leader actually still in contact with various gangs and acts as a spy for a rival warlord of the wastes to the north
91 Duke Greenwart - a recent arrival from the the Canetoad Empire, he is establishing the embassy and is granting gifts to people of influence. Many hate canetoad abhumans and few are ever welcome in the city. Hopes to buy silver and slaves
92 Count Orange - orung abhuman from the advanced jet age empire of islands above Oz. The count is here to be friendly and show advanced tech from his homeland including a long range, airships and jets. In future their ambitions will change will sell bolt action rifles and revolvers, motorbikes and scooters and jeeps
93 Peter Peanut - from farmers of bannanaland always paranoid about canetoads invading and trades in fruit, sugar and rum
94 Lady Tiger Tannako, ambassador from the Empire from the sun most advanced peoples with ambitious interests beyond their maritime empire. They have traded portable transistor radios and helped local radio stations. She is wary of Orungs and caetoads but friendly to others. They like to buy ancient tech and robots and operate a free cinema with subtitled films
95 Samantha Light - ambassador from crow eaters at war with various wasteland raiders and rabbit abhumans. Brings in food often recruits labour and mercenaries and on good terms with amazons
96 Clifford Wallaby - represents bigger tribal groups who trade food and furs for weapons and medical treatment but are notoriously hard to deal with. Provides barers and guides and negotiates for passage through tribal land. Warlord keeps on good terms with them and they inform him of gangs and travellers by smoke signals
97 Homer Phillips - old farmer ambassador from Sapsucker lands who provide many settlers and agricultural knowhow. The warlord has sent busloads of troops to support their wars with rat abhumans and zombies
98 Rahmid Pandu - from cornlands comes to trade food and seeks aid but hostile to Bannanalanders, Cabbagelanders and Gumsuckers. Works to supplant other powers
99 Grace Filpatrick - noble from cabbageland trades food for aid against zombieland, serious and operates mission providing medical aid to settlers
100 Kakala Khan - reptile abhuman agent of the reptilian alliance who believe they ruled before humans erroneously. Provide troops for the warlords campaign