Time to look through some more random PDFs in my unsorted, messed up RPG folder.
Strike the Sandwhich by L.L. Blumire is 7 pages PDF in which exactly 1 page is content. I mean, it has a cover, which is cool. So we'll say 2 pages of content, counting the cover. So there are 5 other pages... some blank, some with legal mumbo jumbo. I'm not sure why on earth you'd do a PDF like that. Seriously... this entire thing could have been 1 page sans legal or 2 pages if you just want to include the OGL bit.
But ok, what is the content? It's an alternate hit roll system for Old School Essentials or any OSR type game. The idea is that you have an alternate AC method and a new "hit class" number. To hit your target, roll anywhere between those two numbers.
I mean... ok. But why? I don't want to be harsh to small publishers (I'm one of you), but I just don't know why this is needed. Or even desirable. It just feels like something you cook up as "you COULD do it this way" without much concern for why the hell would you. But you know... it's a simple enough system and I'm sure it works just fine. I just can't imagine why you would want to introduce another complication to solve a problem that kinda isn't a problem.
If I'm just not getting it because I'm possibly dense, feel free to comment and clarify.
Spell: the RPG by Taylor Smith seems to be a whimsical RPG (it's in the title) about casting spells. I have not read this, only skimmed it. I love the look and feel. I believe this is a game in which your actual words maybe determine what kinds of magic you can create, perhaps similar to The World Tree. I'm not sure though. Will have to read up.
Skimming it... looks like you use letter tiles, ala Scrabble, to build spells. I mean this sounds pretty dope*.
A criticism is that there's no table of contents. You just drop right into the book. And there's no index. For a 64 page game book to have no contents page and no index seems like a huge oversight. You can't just skim 64 pages and find stuff easily. You need some guidance.
*Can I say "dope"? I'm a middle aged white guy in Kentucky. Oh well.
Invasion of the Tuber Dudes by Ahimsa Kerp is a first level Old School Essentials adventure. I haven't read it yet but I'm adding it to this post because the title is funny and page 11 (12 of the PDF) features a new class: the skellington.
Skellingtons are great. They enter the adventure because PCs that drink from or fall into a certain clear river have a high chance of turning into a skellington. The immediate effect is they instantly become skeletal and gain 2d10 hit points. There's a funny bit that if there is a cleric present, they are immune to that cleric's turn undead ability... but only that cleric. So after this point the PC is dual classed as a skellington. They never again advance in their original class and only advance as a skellington. I mean... I love the shit out of this.
This one is worth it for the skellington class if nothing else. I'm a huge fan of adventure perils that utterly transform PCs. In campaigns I have ran, PCs have been turned into cyorgs on numerous occasions and a monkey at least once. The best part is that when given the chance to reverse the monkey transformation, the player said no. He liked it.
"The best part is that when given the chance to reverse the monkey transformation, the player said no. He liked it."
ReplyDeleteThis is the single greatest thing I have ever read.
Yeah! That character started as a DCC Thief, was then transformed into a Ninja, and became a monkey while he was a Ninja. So when the campaign went on hiatus he was a monkey Ninja. Who would want to change that??
DeleteI love Tuber Dudes! Terrific little bit of game!
ReplyDeleteI say dope, you can say dope. We were alive in the 80's and we're grandfathered in.
ReplyDeleteWe're also offered the chance to make Tuber Dudes a very short lived player character class/race. Apparently they only live about a year. I would add the possibility of extending that if someone takes their head/greens off and suspends them in a bucket of freshwater for a month's time. They'd retain their memories ancestorally. I know for a fact that if I gave my players the chance to play Groot as a carrot or a potato that one of them would want to.
ReplyDeleteHell yes. That would actually make a terrific motif within a long campaign. Each time the Tuber Dude goes through the death-rebirth cycle could be a time of drama.
DeleteI just bumped into this review, but thanks for taking a look at Tuber Dudes. I'm really glad you liked the Skellington class. And I love Judge Joe Kilmartin's idea of extending Tuber Dude life. If I ever do another edition, that will be canon.
ReplyDeleteYeah it's a great little adventure and clearly I'm a fan of skellingtons.
DeleteHaha, me too. Unfortunately all three times I've run it, none of the players have taken the bait.
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