Where The Hell Is The Savage AfterWorld? (And Downloadable OSR RPG CAH!)

Hey gang!

Eep... It looks like your ol' pal Sniderman has been neglecting his little corner of the Blogoverse as of late. I've always prided myself on regular posts, updates, and general gaming nonsense over the years this blog has been in service, but recent "real life drama" has surfaced to drag me away from All Things Good-Fun.

So I'm popping my head in for a moment to let you know that TSAW hasn't been shut down or abandoned! In fact, here's a quick sampling of posts in-the-work that will be gracing your computer screen in the coming weeks:

• Sniderman's Tips on Running Convention Games -- I'm an old hat at running games at conventions, and I have a bunch of tips and tricks I've accumulated over the years that streamline those 4-hour-block RPG events. This will be a three-part series covering 1. How to write a convention RPG scenario. 2. How to prepare for running a convention RPG scenario. and 3. How to run your convention RPG scenario. This series has been in the works for a while, and I hope folks find some good info in there.
• More Role-playing and Board Game Reviews -- As much as I love to play and run games, I love to review them just as much. From the old classic to the new hotness, I like to give my readers a bit of an inside view of how games play, how fun they are, and if they're worth your hard-earned coins. Some games in the Review Chute include Riders: A Game About Cheating Doomsday; White Lies; and Ghostbusters: The Board Game.
• New Material for Cryptworld (and other games!) -- Of course, The Savage AfterWorld covers more games than just Cryptworld, but I confess this RPG is a bit closer to my monster-hunting heart than others. I have a graveyard full of new THINGs to share with you all, as well as a few new mini-scenarios for Pacesetter's modern-day horror RPG. Also, stay tuned for announcements of new Cryptworld projects that will be clawing out of their tomb soon...
• The Savage AfterWorld's Amazing "Post Number 1,000" Celebration -- The Savage AfterWorld is very, very, veeeeeery close to seeing my 1,000th post! I have big plans to celebrate such a milestone, and I've been stockpiling goodies to give away when that goal is reached. You know how Oprah used to give away Her Favorite Things? Yeah, it'll be a LOT like that.

Ok, I've been justifying my absence as well as my activities "behind the scenes" for far too long. Time to pay my Joesky Tax for this bit of introspection. Several days ago, I asked G+ folks to submit their best "OSR RPG-themed Cards Against Humanity" cards. Got a lot of funny stuff. Well, using the service at Bigger, Blacker Cards, I compiled these suggestions into a mini-set of cards I've dubbed "OSR RPG CAH". Click this link or the image below to download a set. (Print them out and glue them to lame, unfunny CAH cards you may have.)

 

So What's Going On At The Savage AfterWorld In 2015?

Hey gang! Well, I pretty much dropped off the face of the planet over the last few weeks, eh? Admittedly, from mid-December through now, I've been dealing with the holidays, a vacation, two fairly bad illnesses, and the usual real-life stuff that waylays us all from time-to-time. So now I'm picking up the pieces, sorting out where I left off, and getting back on the horse (if I can toss out a few cliches.

Anyway, for this first post of 2015, I figured I'd take inventory of all of the projects I have in the works, and share with you all a "snapshot" of what you can expect to see here at The Savage AfterWorld in the coming months.

** My planned Christmas-themed Cryptworld adventure "Maul Be Home For Christmas" is written, but it never got assembled. But the idea/concept is too good to let stagnate, so you might see it released at some point in the next few weeks, even though the holidays are over. Or I might save it for next Christmas. Or it might appear in a future issue of "Pacesettings." Speaking of which...

** Issue #1 of "Pacesettings", the zine for the Pacesetter Action Table system, is in the works. The first issue will have a historical figure for Timemaster, a couple of magical artifacts for Majus, a new adventure hook/location for Rotworld, and a mini-adventure for Cryptworld. I'm pretty excited about getting this launched, so expect it very soon.

** Also, stay tuned this year as two new supplements for the Cryptworld RPG I had a hand in writing/assembling will (fingers crossed) be released. Text for both is written, edited, and in the can. Expect an announcement about those in the near future.

** And I might just have a Timemaster adventure supplement in the works as well...

** There's also this jiffy-keen fantasy-based card game I've designed that I'm dying to try out at the gaming table. (I teased it here last year.) I have a (very) rough prototype that's been played a few times locally, and now I need to cobble together something a bit more "formal-looking" for further playtesting. I plan to bring this to a convention or two this year to test it out.

** Conventions? Yup, so far, I have plans to attend three conventions in 2015. Gamicon Omega in Iowa City, IA, in February; Nexus Game Fair in Milwaukee in June; and Ohio's Con on the Cob in October. I might try to squeeze one or two more in there, but these are the confirmed events. Be sure to track me down!

** I discovered some old notes from a LARP I used to play back in The Olde Dayes. These texts and manuscripts can be easily converted over to a host of other RPG systems. (I might do a retrospective of the IFGS too, and my experience with the live-action game system.) Thus far, I've discovered a complete adventure I wrote ("Insanityland"), as well as a fully realized religious pantheon for a cleric I played for years. I think The Temple of Divine Sight might be an interesting faith for DCC, in fact.

** Speaking of DCC RPG, I have ideas for two new adventures for Dungeon Crawl Classics. One is a zero-level funnel that places the PCs in the roles of prisoners trying to escape after being wrongfully imprisoned (a jail break!), and the other is a 3rd-level adventure where the Laws of Time have been usurped. The trick is finding time to write these up, but I'm pretty excited about the concepts.

** Here's a list of new creatures of Cryptworld soon to grace this blog: Scarionette; Drauger; Computer Virus; Bloody Bones; Succubus; Shade; Tsukumogami; The Boogeyman; and Cut-Ups.

** And finally, anyone want to take a roadtrip to The Most Haunted Place In America with me? At some point this summer, I plan a roadtrip to Helltown, Ohio. This place has "Cryptworld inspiration" written allllll over it. (Might be cool to write up an adventure placed on a real location!)

So those are the plans and projects for the coming year. Lots to write, lots to share, lots to do. Let's get started, shall we?

Another Page Flutters By...

Final Layout Complete. Release Imminent...

“So, You All Meet In A Tavern…”

The Team Leader stood in front of the tavern’s swinging double doors. He was in need of a stalwart party of adventurers to accompany him on his quest, and he had heard tales that this nondescript bar was where such people gathered and socialized. Steeling up his resolve and squaring his shoulders, he walked in.

The Team Leader blinked a few times and staggered a bit as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. He bumped into a hulking figure in the darkness. The muscular barbarian glared at him, and the Team Leader mumbled an apology and moved further into the establishment. At the bar, he saw a post-apocalyptic “road warrior” chatting with a bored-looking elven magician. Near the fireplace, a femme fatale in mirrored sunglasses and trenchcoat fiddled nervously with a briefcase chained to her wrist. At an adjoining table, an Old West riverboat gambler dealt a hand to a caped superhero, a steampunk inventor, and a cyborg. Meanwhile, in the corner, a futuristic med-bot, a frontier sawbones, and a WWII combat medic discussed surgical techniques from their respective eras.

This was the right place, all right.

The Team Leader loudly and dramatically cleared his throat, and all eyes in the place turned to face him.

“I’m recruiting stalwart adventurers to join me on a quest!” he announced. “I require a warrior, a rogue, a healer, and a sage! So, who’s interested?”

(To Be Continued)

Seen Floating On The Radioactive Winds...

More teasers to come soon...

Sneak Peek At Sniderman's 2014 Convention Game Offerings

I'm getting my events lined up for the 2014 convention season. Here's what's on the docket this year:

The Scourge From Beyond Infinity
Dungeon Crawl Classics
The natural flow of time is running amok across the lands, causing every living thing to spontaneously deteriorate, wither, and die of old age. Even the PCs can feel the icy grip of time sapping their youth and vitality. Immune from the ravages of aging, Hyzelsia the Eternal approaches the group for assistance in dealing with this threat. Is the danger magical or natural…or both?

Three Hours ‘Til Armageddon
Villains & Vigilantes
Twenty-four hours ago, a madman promised to detonate a hidden anti-matter device in Washington D.C. unless his demands were met. The city has been evacuated, and the Guardians superteam has been summoned. In three hours, the nation’s capitol will be reduced to rubble. Can your team locate and neutralize the threat in time? (Note to players: This game will be played in REAL TIME.)

Tangled Threads
Cryptworld
In 1901, the gold-mining boomtown of Weaver, Arizona, was suddenly abandoned by its citizens after a series of unexplained disappearances, and the town was left to crumble in the desert sands. Recently, however, tourists are flocking to the former ghost town, which has been revitalized as a historical attraction. Is history about to repeat itself?

Seen Through Dead Man’s Eyes
All For Me Grog
Avast, ye scurvy hounds! You’ve been summoned before the cap’n of The Midnight Vulture who has need of your particular “talents.” He knows the whereabouts of a vast treasure that he’s willin’ to share with ye, but it’ll take The Dead Man’s Eyes to reveal its final restin’ place. The cap’n’s waitin’ in his quarters to parlay about this task. And bring a shovel, mates!

Ragnarok-a-bye Baby
Ghostbusters
Judgment Day may be at hand! Violent earthquakes have been shaking the area, and an eclipse of the sun has lasted far longer than normal. In the center of all of this chaos and destruction, one place seems untouched – The Wee Tots Nursery School. Could this be the Antichrist’s day care center? The Ghostbusters are mobilized to save the world (and perhaps change a diaper or two)!

Thundarr the Barbarian: “The Wizards’ Graveyard”
Mutant Future
Demon dogs! The evil wizard Thraxx has discovered an Ancient weapon that will allow him to destroy The Cleaved Lands! Thundarr, Ookla, and Princess Ariel must journey to the legendary “Wizard’s Graveyard” where the key to his downfall is said to lie! Lords of Light!

A Cosmic Circus, A Monstrous Game Fair, And A Festival In The Forest In Ohio This Year!

Well, my convention attendance is being a bit curtailed for 2014 due to numerous personal events I must attend that conflict with some of my favorite cons. So no Gary Con this year for Sniderman, nor Gen Con. But I'll be definitely be attending the following Ohio gaming gatherings. Registration is open for all three right now, so I'll see you there!

Origins Game Fair - Columbus, Ohio

 June 11th to 15th

(Website link) (Facebook link)

One of the larger conventions in the U.S., this year's Origins theme is "Monsters." What better place to get some Cryptworld or Rotworld running? It's been a while since I last attended, so I'm really looking forward to my return visit.

Con on the Cob - Hudson, Ohio

October 16th to 19th

(Website link) (Facebook link)

Had a great time at this smaller game convention last year, so I've already registered for my next visit! This year, CotC will be a "Cosmic Circus" so I expect the non-gaming time to be filled with, I dunno, space clowns or something. Andy Hopp runs a great gathering, so get your shiny wazoo there!

The Festival in the Forest - Medina, Ohio

August 22nd to 24th

(Website link) (Facebook link)

Now here's a great idea for a gaming gathering! The North Coast Gamers are organizing a game con in the great outdoors! They have rented the Brooklyn Exchange Cabin in Hinkley Metroparks as well as the camping area surrounding the cabin. Attendees are encouraged to camp there during the weekend (bunks inside the cabin for those who act fast), with the entire convention occurring within and around the cabin. I love to camp during the summer, and being able to attend a convention while I do so? Hot dang! I'm currently putting together a special late night, outdoors Cryptworld game that will take place...in a campground....JUST LIKE THIS ONE. (Mwah-ha-ha-haaaa...)

Cryptworld Things Seen Skulking In The Shadows

In preparation for some Cryptworld projects I have in mind, I've been reading up a bit recently on monsters and creatures from legend and folklore -- both from the U.S. and abroad -- as well as modern urban legends and little-known myths and lore. And several of these creatures have triggered inspiration. So, in the coming days, I'll be statting up and sharing:

• A demonic carnivore that roams the Canadian wilderness...
• A vampiric crone from the American south who peels off and wears your skin...
• An undead from the Philippines that will tear itself in half just to get to you...
• A lumbering humanoid plant creature lurking in the southern U.S. swamps and bayous...
• A Central American tree with prehensile tendrils and an appetite for human flesh...
• A murderous dwarf from the UK who soaks his clothing in the blood of his victims...
• A malevolent ghost who first appears as a duplicate of his future victim...

Stay tuned to The Savage AfterWorld for "A Week of Legendary THINGS" beginning on Thursday!

A New Look, A New Focus -- Welcome To Savage AfterWorld 2.0

Early in 2009, I made two online discoveries: the Mutant Future RPG and the RPG bloggerverse. I knew I wanted to be a part of both, so, on June 17, 2009, I launched The Savage AfterWorld as the foremost site to visit for post-apocalyptic RPG support and discussion. In the last four-plus years, I've made 700 posts focusing on gonzo apocalyptic gaming. I've created and released two Mutant Future supplements (three, if you count the Thundarr the Barbarian sourcebook). Mutants and creatures and adventures and artifacts littered across the Blasted Lands have filled this blog over the years.

However, my interests in gaming encompass far more than just the post-apocalyptic genre. Fantasy and horror and sci fi and western and comedy and board games and card games and yadda yadda yadda. Over the years, I have taken great pains to avoid posting any material to The Savage AfterWorld that was not Armageddon-genre-specific. (I'm kinda compulsive that way.) But it's time to open up this blog to the wide variety of games that are out there. I want The Savage AfterWorld to reflect my interests across the spectrum of gaming. I want to create and share new classes for Labyrinth Lord. New things for Cryptworld. New rules for Dungeon Roll. New options for DCC RPG. New black cards for Cards Against Humanity. Boot Hill and It Came From The Late, Late Show and Toon and Villains and Vigilantes. (And, yes, Mutant Future as well.) Discussions on old games, new games, classic games, obscure games, and everything in-between. And, as I did with Mutant Future, this blog will offer material and content that can be used and implemented in your own games -- not just mindless blather and empty rhetoric.

So, today, the apocalypse ends, and The Savage AfterWorld rises from the ashes. Thank you for your support and patronage over the years. And I hope you'll continue to stop by.

Some Pages Floating On The Radioactive Winds...

Expect an announcement this weekend...

Found In a Pile Of Radioactive Debris

 Coming Fall 2013 from The Savage AfterWorld

Imminent Releases For Majus RPG And Gygax Magazine Issue 2

A few new products are on the horizon that I'm pretty excited about (not Mutant Future-related...sorry). Thought I'd toss up a few shout-outs tonight:

Goblinoid Games has released a new Pacesetter RPG! Written by Michael Curtis, Majus is described as magic noir adventures of supernatural intrigue." Since the dawn of time, various factions have been vying for power in a battle known as the Mehen, and each has its own goals and drives: immortality, ultimate knowledge, power over reality, domination over mankind. It is into this global conflict that the players are thrust. Those who have played WW's Mage, read the exploits of Harry Dresden, or can imagine magic playing a role in a classic film noir have a good idea of the "feel" of Majus. Now then, I was a Kickstarter backer for the game which had a release date of August 2013. And my book arrived in the mail this week. (THAT'S how it's supposed to work, "Other Kickstarters Who Are Weeks, Months, Years Late.")

UPDATE: Majus is now available in PDF format! (Print version available after the Kickstarter backers get their copies.) Click here to go to the Goblinoid Games online shop to get your copy!

The newest issue of Gygax Magazine is at the printers and will be shipped to subscribers next week as well as being for sale at Gen Con! They've released a cover image for issue 2 as well as the Table of Contents for the coming issue:
Tactics in Samurai Battles - Tim Kask
The evolution from wargaming to role-playing - Ernest Gary Gygax Jr.
Hitchhiking in Doctor Who - Jay Libby
Leomund’s Secure Shelter - Len Lakofka
A forgotten grimoire and its curse - Jon Peterson
From one geek to another - Jess Hartley
Building a winning spellbook for Mage Wars - Bryan Pope
Heroes, kings, and champions - Ken St. Andre
The old-school renaissance - Vincent Florio
Weird vibrations - Jeffrey Talanian
The inkubus - Gordon Dritschilo
The hare and the hill giant - Shane Ivey
The Blighted Lands - Luke Gygax
Super-science in fantasy games - Eric Hindley
Dueling through the AGEs - Rodrigo Garcia Carmona
Lost wonders of Caelmarath - Brian Liberge
Full Frontal Nerdity - Aaron Williams
The Order of the Stick - Rich Burlew

Sneak Peek Inside!

Knock on wood, the first Mutant Future supplemental release from The Savage AfterWorld will be ready the first week of September. Stay tuned!

Steve Jackson's Munchkin Apocalypse Coming Fall 2012

For those folks who are fans of Steve Jackson Games' Munchkin card games, prepare for the upcoming End Of The World! Coming in Fall 2012...

More info to come as we approach the release date!

Guess Where I Am?

I'll give you two hints:

I'll post a Day 0 update later this evening...

Another Page Found Drifting On The Toxic Breezes

Another test page -- this one in black and white. Going for a "scrawled-in notebook" look. Art is deliberately rough as well. Thoughts?

A Page Seen Fluttering In The Radioactive Winds...

Would You Be Mine, Could You Be Mine, Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Hello once again genetically altered neighbors. It's been a year since our last visit, and in that time, new citizens have moved into my bombed-out neighborhood. Can you say "toxic-dripping evolutionary freaks?" I knew you could. Sure.

Very soon, you'll meet some of my new neighbors here in the Mutant Future. Some of them are good. Some are bad. Some are just trying to scratch out a living here in the blasted wastelands. Can you say "wastelands?" Of course you can. So be sure to stop back, and we'll visit five of my most interesting neighbors as we return once again to...

Mutant Future Revised Edition Coming In Late December

Goblinoid Games has announced that a revised edition of Mutant Future is coming in just a few short weeks! According to Dan Proctor, Mutant Future co-creator and Goblinoid Games' overlord, the revisions are going to be mostly cosmetic as the stock and public domain artwork is being replaced with shiny new illustrations by Mark Allen and Steve Zieser, although I assume some niggling errors and typos will be tackled as well. The revised edition is being released as a prelude for Mutant Future to enter general distribution! That's right -- spidergoats are about to invade your local Friendly Neighborhood Game Store!

I'll close with a preview of the new cover as drawn and designed by Mark Allen:

Start saving up your plasteel coins!

Lords Of Light! Sorcery & Super-Science RPG Out This Summer

Just caught a blurb over at Green Skeleton Guild about an upcoming post-apocalyptic RPG from Expeditious Retreat Press. The game is called Sorcery & Super Science! and it will be released later this summer. XRP will even run a few games for it at Gen Con in August. Why am I so excited about this game? First, let's read the PR blurb for it:

"After the cracking of the moon and before the rise of Atlantis the world was a place strange to the thoughts of honest men. The death throes of science amid the birth of magic sculpted new generations of conquerors who strode the lands forging civilizations of steel, sinew, and sorcery from the decrepit hulks of the ones that fell before. Tyrannical wizards, amoral super-scientists, charismatic catalysts, and multifarious mutants battled for wealth, power, and honor. It was ten thousand years of barbarity; ten thousand years spent in the shadowy shells of past glories, hiding from horrible creatures that scratched and skittered for blood; ten thousand years of tyranny and injustice, ten thousand years of Sorcery & Super Science!"

This all sounds excitingly familiar, doesn't it? Now let's run through my personal checklist of Thundarr the Barbarian-related iconography:

• A broken moon - CHECK
• Tyrannical wizards - CHECK
• Barbarians, super scientists, and mutants - CHECK
• The phrase "super science and sorcery" right there in Thundarr's intro - CHECK

Even the PR blurb reads like an introduction to the world of Thundarr. The game is obviously inspired by my favorite post-apocalyptic cartoon show (this is a GOOD thing) and I'm super-excited to grab this upon release. So folks who have been clamoring for a Thundarr-related RPG, I think you're about to get your chance.

Here's a preview of the interior art for Sorcery & Super-Science! Start saving your coins!