Chimerical Realm

Now that I've got a rough idea on my setting, Cresthaven , I need to get some more details in place for it.   First, I've been thinking a bit more about Mardok's Rangers. The "mercenary takeover" idea is a decent one, but their sheer size and power is a bit alarming. What if they're not a merc force, but instead the military forces of a more established power. Perhaps their a forward force of Free Quebec, or the dreaded Splugorth Slavers (servants of the Lovecraftian entity that rules Atlantis), or a band from the Federation of Magic or something else? Are they a Mercenary Band? (50/50 | 6[d10]) Yes, but... But, they have a secret of some sort, something else going on with them. I make a note of this, but decide not to explore it further--something to discover in game. Now, let's look at the questions I had from last time: * Who was the Protector? * What are the "dangers" around Cresthaven, and why is Mardok so unconcerned about them? *...

I feel like I haven't been gaming as much as I would like lately. Part of this is just the time of year, as life and work tend to become quite hectic around now. But, it's also a matter of focus. I've been doing a few games here and there, but each has ended with the rather unceremonious death of the PC. Well, I want to get going again, but this time I want to approach things a little bit different than I normally do. In most of my Solo games, I've started with the PC first, and then tried to build the story and the world around them. Or, I've started with a module or something like that. For this game, I want to try building up a setting first, give it some degree of detail and conflict, and then create a character to part of this world. If they die, perhaps the setting will outlive them, and the initial PC's death will simply become part of the background. Of course, not everything will be "known" right from the start. What details I create are int...

Fislet dropped the Men off within an alcove on the Western side of the peninsula and continued on her way. This area is entirely made up of a quarry, for the most part inactive. It's pock-marked with caves and alcoves wherein hides the less fortunate of society. Deirik, Eirik, Ygvard, Boldulf, Kiro, and Sergei use this to their advantage and attempt to blend in. They make their way to the South, where the quarry meets the open plains and Sergei, the horse-sized wolf, is encouraged to run off and hide in the area nearby. Boldulf, speaking in the wolf tongue, reassures Sergei that they will come retrieve him whenever they leave the city. Sergei huffs, then turns and lopes away. They also find a place nearby to hide their weapons and armor since they're about to walk into the city, and holding such would surely get them arrested or worse.

Owls Go Hollywood Penthouse Blitz The Owlmandos have entered the air duct from the roof, ready to wreck SoloChem’s nefarious plans. The narrow, twisting air ducts empty into a cramped, two foot high crawlspace that stretches out on all sides for as far as you can see in the dim light. The crawlspace floor is made of flimsy tiles suspended from the ceiling with metal struts. The area is filled with electrical wiring, plumbing, sprinkler system machinery, and ventilation shafts. You hear murmuring voices directly below you, and thin streams of light shine up from cracks in the flimsy tiles below your feet. You suddenly realize that you are in the drop ceiling above the labs. The crawlspace “floor” is made of lightweight ceiling tiles suspended below the roof of the building. The two foot gap between the real ceiling and the drop ceiling is just enough room…to travel freely. Tristan gently lifts one of the tiles and the owls crowd together to peer inside. They see a nu...

Owls Go Hollywood On Silent Wings Over the towering skyscrapers of New York, three silent figures glide overhead. Slowly, they approach the waterfront, wings gently flapping, as they cross the roofs of crumbling old word buildings. Then, a towering, high tech fortress looms over the water like a sullen giant. The Owlmandos are approaching the headquarters of SoloChem , a violent crime cartel. Over the past few weeks, an instantly addictive designer drug called “Blue Ice” has been hitting the streets. Det. “Bulldog” Payne, their liaison with the New York Police, has traced its manufacture to the top floors of this very respectable-looking, though heavily fortified, building. Mass shipments are due to leave tomorrow for destinations around the country, where they will be given away as “free samples,” creating hordes of instant addicts.  Bribes from SoloChem boss Fred Porcelain have kept the cops away, but the Owlmandos have no such restrictions. They have been charge...

Created by the eccentric and brilliant billionaire Doctor Thurston Rheinhart, these avian heroes were raised to protect and cherish humanity. Working with Detective Jack “Bulldog” Payne and his elite Special Investigation Squad, they take to the night to battle those threats too strange, too bizarre, and too dangerous for the NYPD. Threats only the Owlmando’s can handle! Or, at least, that’s what they were raised to believe. In truth, Jack Payne is a disgraced EX cop, drummed out for corruption. He and Doctor Rheinhart are employees of The Syndicate , a ruthless criminal organization bent on running the streets. Their arch-foes are the Shadow , a criminal Ninja clan. Unable to defeat these feared master assassins on their own terms, the Syndicate created the Owlmando’s as their very own “heroes.” Since their debut a few months ago, the Owlmando’s have become a popular “urban legend” around New York, and have successfully thwarted The Shadow numerous times. Now they are focu...

I’m starting up a new series of Solo play, for “Solo A Module Month.” In this event, Solo gamers take a crack at playing a traditional party-based module and playing it Solo. My attempt last year fizzled out for me, but I’m eager to give it another go. After quite a bit of sifting, I’ve decided to go with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness (TMNT) by Palladium Books . This game is currently Out of Print, unfortunately, but I still have my copy sitting on a shelf, and I haven’t had a chance to play it in years. The basic system is the Palladium (or ”Megaversal”) system. Combat is essentially d20 based, while its Skills are Percentile. Nothing too radical, and its clearly an “Old School” system. Given that it is a somewhat quirky system, I’ll be including quite a bit of the mechanics of the game as they come up. I’ve done a previous series using the Palladium system, the Metal Angel series was based off of the Heroes Unlimited game, which is, in many ways, ...