A Day at the Museum

The wife and I made an impromptu trip to the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk today.  A fun time was had and I got some good pics.
Being as obsessed with RPGs as I am, I thought I would share some of the pics that might be used for inspiration for games.

First let me present several ideas for potion bottles.

Pretty cool stuff. No plain glass vials here.

Here is a glass sculpture titled "Map". Could you imagine a treasure map made of glass?

Here we have some miniature metal figurines. They kind of reminded me of the ones from the original Clash of the Titans movie. The tallest was maybe four inches.

Now some unusual sculptural items. The first is a modern reproduction of an Egyptian canopic jar. Could be used in a mummy adventure.

Next is a beautiful pitcher with some sort of gryphon depicted on it.

Here are a couple pics of a "grotesque" door knob. Perhaps it could be enchanted with a magic mouth or some kind of alarm spell.

And here's a lady carrying a giant shrimp on her back. Not sure what to say about this one.

A sarcophagus and a large statue of Bastet that could serve as golems or living statues. Egyptian art always looks so fantastic, it doesn't take much imagination to see it in magical settings.

I believe the description said that this is a painting of one of the last emperors of Rome. The detail and realism of the painting are amazing. The boy looks like he is actually getting ready to say something.

And here we have what appears to be a saint on a cellphone.

Finally, depicted here is one of the earliest known paintings of a gamer showing off his character sheet.
Or maybe it's the personification of arithmetic.

I survived the OSR Challenge: A September of Short Adventures

The September of Short Adventures challenge is over. I only finished three of the proposed twenty to twenty-five adventures. I am a little disappointed by that but at the same time not really discouraged.
I recieved some positive feedback on the ideas I had, so at least they were inspiring or at least entertaining to someone. That's all I really want from my blog.

So I'm going to put the mustache-Dragon somewhere over there on the right. >>>>>>
It will serve as a reminder to work harder on future challenges and eventually as a link to an index of the adventures written by participants in the challenge.

Challenge conceived and hosted by: Asshat Paladins . Thank you.
Here are the links to the other blogs that participated.

[OSR Challenge Adventure #3] Desperate Measurements

Desperate Measurements
An adventure idea for the Weird West Roleplaying Game. See the Strange Magic blog for more information on this great game.
This is my attempt to write a mystery scenario. I apologize for not setting up a bunch of red herrings and plot twists, but hopefully it's enough to get started.

Get Ready: Things have settled down in Silver Gulch in the past year or so. But for a struggling undertaker, the good life can be bad for the death business.

Get Set: About a year ago people got so peaceable that the local undertaker was losing a lot of business. Deciding to take matters into his own hands he started setting up accidents, secretly goading men into duels with ugly rumors and occasionally poisoning folks. The undertaker is getting greedy. People start dropping like flies and the Sheriff is starting to smell low down dirty skunk, or some such wild west term.

Go!: Okay, this is where my idea gets sketchy. Sorry. Some clues:
1. The deceased mainly come from rich families who would spend the most on a fancy casket and funeral.
2. Physical evidence at the scene of the crime such as pinewood saw dust, a handkerchief reeking of formaldehyde or a particular brand of cigar butt stamped out.
3. The undertaker is known to be a high stakes gambler. It's rumored he owes some mighty dangerous people a heap of money.
4. The local doctor gets suspicious when he finds out the undertaker is ordering poisonous chemicals through the general store.
5. In his final act before trying to escape town, the undertaker is starting to kill anyone whom he thinks is romantic competition for the attentions of a local schoolmarm. If he realizes his crimes are close to being solved he will kidnap her and hit the trail. While twisting his pencil-thin black mustache.

Notable NPCs: Undertaker, sheriff, doctor, schoolmarm, townsfolk.

[OSR Challenge Adventure #2] The Sheriff of Naught in Ham

The Sheriff of Naught in Ham
A short low level adventure idea for AD&D or other fantasy game.


Get Ready:  Times are tough and the characters take a job in the vermin extermination industry. Little do the suspect they may be hunting someone's pets.


Get Set:What's an adventurer got to do to get a bowel of gruel around here? The adventurers are stopped on the road to the Hamlet of Ham by a man claiming to be the local sheriff. He tells them they must help them hunt down two bears before they will be allowed to enter the hamlet. The man is actually a poacher who wants the adventurers to do the dangerous work of killing someone's pets for their valuable skins. The two bears are actually pets of a local magic user.


Go!: Little clues may tip off the players about the poacher's scheme. He doesn't know anything about law. He seems a bit too adamant about not letting them go into the hamlet before the job is done. He will avoid other people on the road. When they get to the cave where the bears live, the bears are collared and chained to stakes in the rock. The poacher will make up some far out story about subduing them earlier that day. The bears are actually quite docile. The poacher will brag that they are cowed by his presence.
The bears are actually pets of a local magic user. Their collars give them an AC bonus making them hard to hit. If the PCs don't figure out the poacher is a fake and start attacking the bears, the magic user will arrive with a couple hirelings to feed the bears. (No, he's not feeding the hirelings to the bears.)
He will of course try to put a stop to the situation. The poacher will attempt to flee. If the characters stick around and don't put up a fight, the magic user will cast detect lies to figure out what's really going on. The magic user, in his wizardly wisdom, will forgive the characters but won't be very friendly with them in future encounters.


Notable NPCs: Fake sheriff/shady poacher, two semi-tame bears, a local magic user, two hirelings.

[OSR Challenge Adventure #1] Alice Down the Rat Hole

A September of Short Adventures at Asshat Paladins
Alice Down the Rat Hole
A short adventure idea for AD&D or other fantasy game.


Get Ready: Times are tough and the characters take a job in the food preparation industry. Little do they suspect they may be on someone else's menu.


Get Set: Debts need paid and stomachs need filled. Unfortunately there seems to be no oppurtunities at the moment for brave adventurers. So they take a job in a large kitchen that caters to the king/mayor/warlord/someone important.
A pack of wererats and their pet giant rats have been stealing food and local livestock.
The princess (or daughter of the important NPC), Alice, has fallen in love with one of the wererats in his human form. She doesn't know he's a wererat or that he's also courting other women in the city. Many other women.


Go!: The characters must find a way to warn the princess or her father of the danger and prevent the princess from being turned into a wererat. They must be delicate about this or they may be accused of actually helping the wererats. Or the princess could say that the characters are actually making it up to further some scheme. And of course if the characters cause too much of a stir they could lose their jobs and desperately needed income.


Notable NPCs: A King or Mayor, his daughter, a cook or two, some wererats, a wererat Don Juan, jealous women, giant rats.

PS: A very special thank you to Blogger for constantly screwing up the spacing on my posts. Thanks!

Gamma World Scenario: The Temple of Visions

This is my entry into the Loviatar Contest that Matt Jackson has been kind enough to sponsor on his blog, Lapsus Calumni.

The Temple of Visions
This short scenario is intended for play with Gamma World 4th edition and could easily be used with other post apocalypse or science fiction games.

Background: After the cataclysm that nearly destroyed humanity, society sank to ignorance and barbarism. Governments collapsed and most populations were ruled by the strongest. Out of this chaos were born the cryptic alliances. These secret or exclusive groups intend to recreate the world around them according their own, sometimes twisted, ideals.

The Teller of Visions is one such cryptic alliance.  The group was formed by those who found and repaired ancient televisions, which they call the Teller of Visions.  They seek out any kind of movies on disk, tape or any format to add to their libraries.  Some realize that the movies were just a form of entertainment or education to the ancients.  Others are convinced that the Teller of Visions shows how the ancients must have truly lived and try to imitate the characters and situations of the movies.
They believe everything they see on TV.

Getting The Characters Involved:
~ Strangers are seen about buying or stealing electronics and discs or tapes. Everyone else thinks the items are junk. Why are they so important to these people?
~ A traveling troupe of entertainers seems to have knowledge of ancient life and times.  The characters have followed them to their hideout to find out more.
~ "Talent agents" of the Teller of Visions want to cast the characters in one of their reenactments based on some movie.  They kidnap the PCs and take them to the temple.

The Temple of Visions

Map Details: All interior areas have no lighting unless otherwise noted.If any NPCs encountered feel threatened or decieved they will most likely try to escape and alert others nearby they are being attacked.

1. Main Entrance. Stone steps lead up to a platform and a corroded metal door leading inside. Two large statues have been placed here to frighten away more primitive or superstitious creatures.

Outside the Temple

2. Lobby. This room has a high ceiling and is lit by dozens of candles in a large chandelier. The floor is covered in the mouldy remains of what was once a lush red carpet.  Double doors of clear duraplas lead to the next room. Two small mutant rats sit on stools on either side of the entrance. They demand money from anyone who wishes to continue further into the temple. If the characters pay, the rats tell them "Make sure and get peppy before you enter the main temple." If anyone refuses to pay or the rats are threatened, they will pull a bell rope that will alert Bart-Arnie in room 6 to come to their aid.
Mutant Rats(2): AC 12; MD 10; HP 4, 3; THAC +1; #AT 1; Dmg 1d2(bite); Spd 6; Per 17; St +6; RU +10; XP 15; Mutations/Abilities: +3 bonus for climbing.

3. Dead End?  At the end of this passageway is an ancient vending machine in remarkably great condition. The large sign on the front and the vending buttons flicker and flash sporadically, casting weird shadows about. Every minute or so a distorted digital voice slowly drones some random commercial slogan such as "Number one in taste.", "Choose wisely. Choose Peppy Cola!", or "Now with more sugar!".
To get past, the characters must insert some coins or domar cards into the machine and press the Peppy Cola button. The machine will then roll into a recess into the north wall allowing passage.

Choose wisely. Choose Peppy!

4. Passageway. This is a dark four-way passage. All of the doors are closed but unlocked. Mumbling can be heard from the northern door. The smell of fire wafts from around the eastern door. The southern door seems featureless.

5. Concession Room. A gust of warm air and light smoke rolls out of this room as the door opens. Hot coals fill two fire pits dug into the dirt floor. Jury-rigged duct work vents most of the smoke through holes in the roof.
A popping sound can be heard from kettles placed on grates over the coals.
A mutant boar is scooping hot popcorn out of the kettles into small baskets. This is Missy the Pig. She has a very bad temper. If the characters don't have a very good reason to be there, she will become quite irate.
 Missy the Pig, Mutant Boar: AC 13; MD 13; HP 27; THAC +3; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6(tusk), charge with +2 THAC for 1d6+2(tusk); Spd 17; Per 15; St -1; RU +4; XP 175.

Missy the Pig

6. False Altar. This square shaped room is littered with decrepit chairs, stools and other small furniture. Large candles scattered about the floor provide dim lighting. A curtain on the eastern wall covers a passage to room 7. On the northern wall the  gutted frame of a large television sits on a wide platfrom.
An orlen named Bart-Arnie can be seen on the platform, acting like he is part of a program on the television, even though there is no way it could function. Bart-Arnie is not the brightest bulb and is definately not as peaceful as other orlens. Both of his heads will eventually start arguing with each other and the characters as well.
Bart-Arnie, Childish Orlen: AC 14; MD 17; HP 63; THAC +7; #AT 2; Dmg by weapon; Spd 14; Per 15; St +2; RU +2; XP 4000; Mutations/Abilities: Multiple limbs, dual brain, telekinesis, telepathy, will force, periodic amnesia, seizures.

Bart-Arnie

7. Library. Several lanterns light this room. Pages from ancient magazines are pasted across the walls, making a crazy quilt of celebrity faces and movie scenes. Three large bookshelves sit on a rug in the center of the room. Stacked on the shelves are dozens of old books, video discs and data tapes.
Fuzzy, a mutated brown bear, is sorting through the stacks looking for a movie to watch.
If Fuzzy hears a disturbance from room 6, he may just go to the curtain and observe. He doesn't like Bart-Arnie all that much and wouldn't help him in a fight unless he was mortally wounded.
Fuzzy fancies himself a comedian. He will try to use puns and cliched jokes to get laughs from the characters. If they don't find him funny, he will resort to slapstick and pratfalls with the charcters as the butt of the jokes to get a reaction out of them. If they are still not laughing, fuzzy gets angry and actually starts shoving them around.
Fuzzy, Mutant Brown Bear: AC 14; MD 14; HP 54; THAC +6; #AT 3; Dmg 1d8/1d8(claws), 1d6(bite); Spd 15; Per 13; St -1; RU -2; XP 650; Mutations/Abilities: Heightened smell.

Fuzzy the Bear

8. Theater. In this huge room the cryptic alliance reenacts scenes form the movies they have. Six metal oil drums are spaced evenly in the center of the room. There are wooden double doors leading west. There is a concealed door on the east wall. Debris and crude props are scattered around two holes busted in the south wall.
A feral mutated human is chained to a ring in the south wall. His chain only reaches as far as the perimeter of the barrels.
When the characters enter, he will be hiding in one of the holes. If they get close to a barrel he will charge out and either attack or start banging on a barrel to alert the others of intruders.
Feral Humanoid: AC 10; MD 17; HP 16; THAC +2; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6(wrench); Spd 12; Per 14; St +1; RU +1; XP 65

Feral Human

9. Green Room. This room is dimly lit by several candles sitting on a tall dressing room mirror. Random costumes and props are scattered about or hanging on metal racks.
Gurmit the bullyfrog is using his chameleon ability to hide behind one of the racks. If the characters appear dangerous or they start stealing anything, he will attempt to sneak out and unchain the feral human in room 8 and then run for more help.
Gurmit the Bullyfrog: AC 14; MD 11; HP 21; THAC +1; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4(bite); Spd 12; Per 15; St +2; RU +2; XP 65; Mutations/Abilities: Chameleon power, heightened speed, hop attack.

Gurmit the Bullyfrog

10. The Teller of Visions. This room is lit only by the flickering static of a functional big-screen television. The device is powered by batteries that will last several days. A couple dozen video discs are stacked neatly near a DVD player. Altogether this collection of artifacts is worth a small fortune and can provide invaluable historical insight into the lives of the ancients.