Review: Wormskin No. 1

Wormskin No. 1 (Autumn 2015)

Author: Norman & Gorgonmilk
System: Labyrinth Lord (or similar)
PDF/Print: $3.00 / $5.75

It has been a solid three months since I last posted anything. Nonetheless, I have been busy on a number of projects, both gaming related and otherwise. It is shaping up to be a good year.

Before Wormskin was released I remember +The Real-ish Greg Gorgonmilk posting some compelling WIP shots of the cover and interior maps. That, combined with the professed tone and inspiration of the work — folklore and the fairy tale — sustained my curiosity. Consequently, when it was released recently as a print-on-demand product I decided to purchase the first issue of the zine.

The back cover of Wormskin ostensibly claims to explore:

"...the mythic forest called Dolmenwood, a setting for use with B/X campaigns or similar tabletop systems. Each issue will look at various elements of this eldritch realm situated on the leafy verges of Faerie, where austere Drunes rub elbows with weird elf-lords and talking beasts, where witches wander skyclad and armed with sinister magicks to bind the spirits of hapless adventurers. Be wary."

While in a very abstract sense this is true, much of the 41 pages are dedicated to two new race-as-classes (Moss Dwarf and Grimalkin), detailing thirty variety of fungi within Dolmenwood, and presenting a new monster. There is a two-page map of the area, but it scarcely describes anything canonical of the actual setting — "Drunes", "weird elf-lords", or indeed anything much about the kingdoms or environs within the setting. Personally I would like to see more of the pages of future issues dedicated to exploring this very thing.

With that quibble confessed let me tell you about the things that Wormskin does well. While the text may not explicitly say a whole lot about the setting of Dolmenwood it does imply a lot through the articles within the zine. Overall I appreciated the mood; it fits well with the assumptions of my own campaign world, and there was enough within its 41 pages that I can borrow or transplant to the gaming table.

The zine is attractively presented; Gorgonmilk (I presume) has managed to curate the content in an attractive and legible manner. The (public domain?) illustrations fit the theme of Dolmenwood and +Matthew Adams provides a number of pieces, quintessential of his offbeat and slightly creepy style. Andrew Walter is credited with a coloured piece of the moss dwarf which I really enjoyed. The whole work is latticed with small decorative flourishes, like pictures of 'shrooms and the occult-inspired title page.

The contents provide a reasonable bang for buck. The moss dwarf is an interesting class; I am unsure whether they would be better suited as an NPC (indeed, the "Moss Dwarf NPCs" table is rather inspired), but I can also imagine them being fun to play in a wilderness campaign. The Grimalkin class is imaginative too. It seems to draw upon a similar mythological antecedence to my own Werecat class, but fits within the implied assumptions of the Dolmenwood campaign very tidily. 

The section on fungi is an entertaining and practical addition because detailing specific flora is something I frequently overlook in my own milieux. Providing a wide selection of edible, poisonous, and psychotropic mushrooms adds a compelling layer of realism and richness to any world, and I will probably use this section more or less verbatim at the table. Within these three articles the reader catches glimpses of Dolmenwood: witches, woodsmen, poisoners, "demi-fey", "dank woods", and a relationship with the ephemeral Otherworld. As noted previously, this is something I would like to have seen developed more explicitly, or most certainly in future issues.

In sum, Wormskin is worth the money. Whether you are picking up the PDF or a physical copy, there will probably be something of interest if you enjoy new rules and a zine whose setting is seeped primarily in folklore and fable. 

OD&D Cacozealot Class

A new class: the Cacozealot. This class was written for OD&D, however it is entirely useable with Labyrinth Lord, or Swords & Wizardry (Moldvay etc.). If you are using Swords & Wizardry's ascending armour class system, simply deduct 1 from the listen armour class values. For example, 11 would be 10. Simple.

This class was developed when one of my players wanted to play a winged demonic fey. He linked me to the 3.5 fey'ri (mixture of elven and demon). He liked the idea of a monkish character also. With these as a guideline I developed the Cacozealot. This class has many Arnesonian (is that right?) features, taken from the Blackmoor supplement. In addition, they have the dark twist of growing leathery wings, claws, or a barbed tail, as their devotion to the fiends of the underworld grows to fruition.

Hope you enjoy.

Note: this has not been playtested yet, so any feedback you have would be valuable. I have considered bumping up the hit dice, but have not made up my mind. 

Download PDF from DropBox

Cacozealot

The putrid blood of the underworld courses through the veins of the Cacozealot. They are offspring, devotees, and dervishes of demons, imps, and other unwholesome beings. Initially, the Cacozealot is weak, but over time their minds and bodies become warped through their chaotic dabbling. Some grow claws, fangs, barbed tails, and even wings. Whether this is genetically endowed, or whether the disciple gains these powers through meticulous dark devotion, depends on the zealot. It is not uncommon for the Cacozealot to be a “half-blood”, born of a malignant spirit’s interference with humanity.

Prime Requisite: Wisdom.

Alignment: Chaotic.

Fighting, Hit Dice, & Saves: The Cacozealot fights and saves as a Cleric of the same level. They progress in hit dice as a Magic-user.

Bonus Experience Points: A Cacozealot with 13+ wisdom receives a 5% bonus to any experience points earned, while those with 15 or above receive a 10% bonus to any experience points earned.

Equipment & Armour: Cacozealots cannot use armour and shields. They may use any weapon. Many choose to fight unarmed however, as they possess an unnatural strength and speed as they gain levels.

During character creation Cacozealots may subtract 2 points of charisma or 1 point of intelligence in exchange for adding 1 extra point to their raw wisdom score. This may be repeated as many times as desired but these lowered scores must not drop below 9.

Experience: The following table illustrates the experience point progression for each level.

Level	Title	Experience Points*	Unarmed Damage**	Damage Reduction	Armour Class	Speed
1	Deviant	0	1d4	1	9 (11)	12” (40’)
2	Scourge	2,500	1d6		8 (12)
3	Fiend	5,000	1d8	2	7 (13)
4	Demonkin	10,000	2d4		6 (14)	15” (50’)
5	Demonologist	25,000	1d10	3	5 (15)
6	Infernalist	50,000	1d12		4 (16)
7	Demonmancer	100,000	2d6	4	3 (17)	18” (60’)
8	Low Cacozealot	200,000	3d4		2 (18)
9	Cacozealot	300,000	2d8	5
10	High Cacozealot	450,000	2d10			21” (80’)

* Each additional level above 10 requires an additional 150,000 xp.

** If playing 3lbbs, use the extra damage rule under “Demonhide” as a replacement for unarmed damage.

Abilities:

Unarmed Damage: The Cacozealot is a weakling, yet over time they may grow very powerful as their soul becomes increasingly corrupted and warped. The table above indicates the damage a Cacozealot will deal if they are using no weapons. “Unarmed” can mean hands, knees, elbows, headbutts, etc. Additionally, if the Cacozealot rolls 18-20 on an unarmed attack roll (unmodified) they have a 50% chance of stunning their victim for 1d4 rounds. If a 20 is rolled on an attack dice (unmodified), there is a 25% chance of killing the victim outright.

Demonhide (Damage Reduction & Armour Class): The Cacozealot’s skin appears sickly and deformed. It may thicken like the hide of a reptile or beast, and they have a preternatural ability to avoid blows. When damage is dealt to the Cacozealot some is absorbed by their grotesque skin, and by the unwholesome fortune of their bloodline. Optionally, if a weapon is being employed (rather than going unarmed), the Cacozealot receives their Damage Reduction in the form of bonus damage (on a successful hit). For example, a 3^rd level Cacozealot (Fiend) would receive a +2 damage bonus on a successful hit.

Skills Chart:

Cacozealots have a preternatural ability to move silently and avoid detection. These abilities are resolved by rolling 1d6. Success is indicated when the number on the dice equals, or is less than, the number listed on the chart below.

Levels	Move Silently	Hide in Shadows
1-3	1	1
4-6	2	2
7-9	4	3
10+	6	5

Bodily Corruption: At 5^th level the Cacozealot’s body becomes even more depraved and mutilated. Roll 1d6 on the table below:

1d6 Result	Corruption	Effect
1-2	Claws	+1 bonus to unarmed damage.
3-4	Barbed Tail	Tail whip deals 1d6 damage.
5-6	Leathery Wings	Cacozealot can fly.

This corruption can be disguised at the whim of the Cacozealot. Only a 10% chance exists for being detected, although magical spells can bypass this deception entirely.

Speed: The Cacozealot is supernaturally fast. Their speed increases as they become more powerful. Winged Cacozealots can fly at their listed movement speed.

Tombstone (Alpha Playtest)

I am proud to announce the Alpha Playtest of Tombstone! Tombstone: Role-Playing In The Wild West, is a rules-lite system, inspired by a combination of TSR's Boot Hill, and B/X D&D. I have attempted at all times to keep the rules as simple as possible, while providing multiple options for the Judge (Game Master).

You can download a FREE PDF from HERE
You can download a physical copy from HERE

Please note the physical booklet is not a refined product, but is designed for playtesting purposes. Purchase at your own risk. 

The "full" version of Tombstone will (hopefully) be appearing later this year. Besides additional content, it will include all of Erik Wilson's fabulous artwork, as well as +Joe Salvador's beautiful maps.

In the meantime, I really hope you enjoy the Alpha version of Tombstone. My gaming group and I have been putting this game through its paces for close to a year, so I can attest that it's easy to play and very easy to run. 

Have fun!

P.S: If you have any suggestions, feedback, critiques, whatever, great! Please hit me up on G+ or email me at coreyrwalden@gmail.com. The purpose of this initial release is to refine the current rules. Don't be shy.

Fever-Dreaming Marlinko: A City Adventure Supplement For Labyrinth Lord

Author: Chris Kutalik
Price: Unreleased

Format: PDF/Print

Page count: 69

System: Hydra Cooperative (Labyrinth Lord)
Year: 2015

NOTE: This review is based upon a pre-release PDF copy Chris sent me. It is without the maps, and I imagine is still subject to some change. 

With vibrancy, imagination and healthy dose of all things phantasmagorical, Chris Kutalik presents Fever-Dreaming Marlinko. Marlinko takes the idea of a traditional city-setting to pseudo-psychedlic realms, while maintaining the common sense and cognition of a living, breathing city.

Having reviewed Slumbering Ursine Dunes only recently, +Chris Kutalik's work has been fresh on my mind of late. And as I mentioned in the SUD review, I really do feel like he brings something pretty unique to the collective OSR feasting hall.

Like its predecessor, prior to reading a single word of Fever-Dreaming Marlinko I knew I needed it. The cover artwork had me wishing I was the one publishing a work with such a poignant cover. It reminds me of a pocket plane where myriad portions of the world's cultures have been vomited into one hazy, kaleidoscopic, psychotropic medley. The flamboyant purloiner bedecked in Shakespearean attire, with one hand grasping voraciously for whatever he can steal, while his fat conniving master 'welcomes' a newbie to Marlinko is perfect. The one-eyed, mutilated, hooded man who has just happened to squeeze his head into the picture reminds me of some sort of medieval photo-bomb: "Aha!" he exclaims, "Here I am! In your picture!" The moustachioed and mohawked gentleman is probably the city's high-priest of the Sun Lord who was just wanting a "nice picture for the Marlinko newsletter, before this goober got in my way."

 Okay...I'm getting a bit carried away here...

Beyond the cover, things continue to provoke one's imagination and shake off the cobwebs of lethargy. The city supplement begins with a tale of one seeking knowledge at the  "Serene Guild of Seers, Augurs, Runescasters and Wainwrights", a guild who, as the tale progresses, appear to be the real-deal albeit prone to rites of asterism, spectacle and a good dash of charlatanism. I found this tale easier to follow than the Slumbering Ursine Dunes equivalent, and like Kutalik's usual tales, this one had me snorting with amusement. It's the sort of thing I inflict on my players as tomfoolery and exaggeration make the best stories. 

Marlinko, a city of 7000 souls, is divided into four quarters or 'contradas', all with their own unique systems of beliefs, mythologies and symbolisms. One event certain to bring the otherwise disparate quarters together is "The Black Race" an annual chariot race of convicts. All four quarters are described within the supplement, and honestly, there is some really useful stuff here. Think of Gary's harlot table, or the more eccentric elements of the AD&D DMG and you're on the right track. It's kind of like a city version of Hommlet but if Gary had been chowing on magic mushies. This particular gem had me literally aghast, before succumbing to an elongated period of laughter...

...and let's be honest: as soon as I read the word "Bathhouses" I knew where this thing was headed.


Alongside the lewd and camp, are some interesting NPCs with varying agendas. Often the random encounters are meaningful, with real consequences should certain people or creatures become affronted or killed. This inclusion should make any party consider their actions, before destroying the 'random encounter' in a blaze of self-righteous murderhoboism - as my players are prone to doing. This is a city where you should probably behave - and indeed it plays out more like an "adventure" than a featureless respite from adventure. In other words, it's a continuation of whatever adventure the party is already engaged with. This is my preference with a town or setting of any description, it should be memorable and actions should mean something.

Important NPCs are described, usually accompanied by an illustration, while a hearty rumour table is provided.

There are two main adventure sites within this supplement: "Lady Szara's Town Manse" and "Catacombs of the Church of the Blood Jesus". Both provide a good source of adventure, and of course the Labyrinth Lord/DM can inject their own adventures within this setting too. Deities and religious organisations are described herein, as is "Crime and Punishment", reminiscent somewhat of the Judges Guild Ready Ref Sheets, though with less complexity involved. An assortment of hooks and further adventure ideas are presented, and finally like Slumbering Ursine Dunes, the Chaos Index is featured. The Chaos Index is basically a cumulative eco-ambience that is effected by party actions and events - used for generating "the ebb and the flow of the Weird".

There is a tidy guide to buying and selling within Marlinko, which includes animals, mundane items, hired help, special drinks, or eliciting the services of spell casters. Speaking of hiring people, there is an excellent mechanic - modified depending on how a party treats their hirelings. Parties who mistreat or abuse those they hire can expect a bad reputation or a shakedown by a "Wobby Giant"! This system, in my opinion, is much more logical than the redshirt mentality sometimes accompanying hirelings*. 

And what city supplement would be complete without a bit of carousing? Luckily Fever-Dreaming Marlinko provides options for all types of revelry, though there can be some very dire consequence when "Losing Your Shit" occurs. "Losing Your Shit" is a clever mechanic that may be used after a night of debauchery. A saving throw is required lest some deleterious event occur - and oh boy, will they occur. Party with caution!

Finally, included within the Fever-Dreaming Marlinko appendix is a Bestiary, a "Tiger Wresting Mini-game", two new classes, common names within Marlinko, and a pronunciation guide.

Final Thoughts
If a wealthy NPC owning an "all-weather tiger pit" appeals to you, and you generally like your games to be loud and chaotic, Fever-Dreaming Marlinko is a must-have. Compelling city supplements are rare like mind flayer's teeth. They're either mundane, or overly lurid in execution - filling the same genre-weary bucket that inevitably gets tossed overboard (I'm looking at you Pathfinder) - or they're just not pragmatic for actual use. 

Fever-Dreaming Marlinko is a very refined piece of Kutalik's, maintaining a level of sophistication and polish that the earlier works lacked. My usual caveat of "it was good, but sometimes hard to digest" need not apply here. Even the Labyrinth Lord/DM possessing no desire to run a game in Marlinko specifically, will unearth ample ideas portable to any town or city. I found it immediately useful. Frequently a published setting holds little interest for me. I typically feel I can do better. In this case however, a full blown Marlinko adventure is concretely appealing. This supplement is a commendable departure from the typical fantasy-city I find so mind-numbingly boring.

My pre-release copy does not have the final maps, though seeing +Luka Rejec's previews, I imagine we're in for a treat. It is preemptive and unsubstantiated to suggest Marlinko will receive the acclaim Vornheim did, though I will confidently say it should at least be a contender. Yes, I found Fever-Dreaming Marlinko to be that interesting. I'm dying for a hardcopy. 

For those of you frowning at your screen, distasteful for my apparent subjectivity I will say this: put simply I enjoyed it immensely, and would certainly recommend it. 


*By that I mean, a hireling should be more than a redshirt or a disposable no-one to be mistreated or abused by the PCs. Well I guess they can be, but like any action, there should be consequences.