Someone Needs to Stat These Guys Up For Encounter Critical...

By DEATH METAL ARTIST Dusty Peterson, check out his site for a horde of lurid, gory monstrosities!

PS. Apologies for the lack of activities on the blog, I attribute it to several factors: summer vibes; being busy with my other hobby, playing "Kill Your Mother Music"; and smoking waaaay less pot, the last of which has the counter-intuitive effect of making me lazy/under-motivated! I'm still working on the Planet Algol booklet (as well as waiting on a stack of awesome artwork!) as well as another very cool, "Cthonic" project...

Awesome Sci-Fi OD&D Supplement - Terminal Space!

The Polish gentleman necro_cyber dropped me a line to let me know that his science fiction/science fantasy supplement for OD&D, Terminal Space, was available for download (the sidebar-widget pdf thing on the right-hand side).

Just a quick first-impression review. It unabashedly proclaims itself a "...supplement for Dungeons & Dragon Original Edition."; it contains lots of genuinely cool/good original art (Spaceman vs. Beholders!); it was originally in Polish, the translation is charmingly clunky but completely clear; it has a d% Deep Space Encounter Table!; solar system, Moon! and planet generation tables; spacecraft rules; pilot, technician and scientist character class; tables for the pilot%, repair% and science% skills for OD&D classes!; a tech level Ability Score!; and a bunch of other wacky, sci-fi OD&D goodness.

I will definitely be printing this out in digest-format and using it in my campaign, and I strongly recommend this to those of like (weird/sci-fi/sci-fantasy) interests!

Inspiring New Abscess Album Cover!

When I showed my better half the cover for the new Abscess album "The Dawn of Inhumanity," she replied with "That looks like something from your D&D game!" I've been thinking about eyeballs and Agol a lot lately, the above artwork doesn't help!

Steve Zieser Subject of Successful Cloning Program...

...and by that I mean that I get a creepy deja vu when looking at this recent example of Fat Cotton's Artwork, I would have sworn it was a piece by Steve Zieser!

American Barbarica is a pretty Awesome-Stupid blog, and as a fan of Character Portraits-Regardless of Artistic Merit, I am thinking that we all can use more Cellphone Pictures of Character Sheet Portraits.

Although I'm all about "Weridsciencefantasyplanet" right now, there's a couple of blogs that have been doing Yee Olde Traditionyl Phantasie Lande style stuff with an approach I find fresh and exciting. I love the Scurrilous Dung Ages vibe of what I've been seeing of Middenmurk, which achieves the miracle of Making Me Like Halflings. I also adore Ancient Vaults and Eldritch Secrets, which always makes me think of old disney movies on acid! And as a former victim of the "Making the Perfect Fantasy Earth Campaign Setting" obession/madness, it's great seeing that the Tao of D&D is doing exactly that with proper obsessiveness.

Also, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who already misses Chgowiz's big shiny head. There was a lot of practical oldschool D&D advice/theory on his blog which will be sorely missed...

Design Goals - Multiple Interpretations of Planet Algol

Gene Wolfe On One Shoulder, Encounter Critical On The Other

A Short List of Influences Upon Planet Algol
Clark Ashton Smith
Lin Carter, especially The World's End Series
Jack Vance, especially The Dying Earth and the Demon Princes series
Moebius
Richard Corben
HP Lovecraft, especially The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath and At The Mountains of Madness
Leigh Brackett's Eric John Stark stories
China Mieville's Bas-Lag series
Robert Heinlein
Fritz Lieber
Michael Moorcock
Sterling Lanier's Hiero novels
Star Man's Sun by Andre Norton
RE Howard
Abraham Merrit
HG Welles
The Book of the New Sun series by Gene Wolfe
Dune by Frank Herbert
Edgar Rice Burroughs especially Barsoom
William S Burroughs
Star Trek, the original series
The Warlord comics by Mike Grell
Encounter Critical
Metamorphosis Alpha
Gamma World
Theosophy and similar movements
The Lords of Light by Robert Zelazny
Carcosa!
Fomalhaut and Kard & Magica
Heavy Metal magazine
Flash Gordon, the movies
Mysterious Planet
Planetary romance
Lots of science fiction

Currently there's several Planet Algols in existence. There's the AD&D Planet Algol campaign that I DM every second sunday or so in Vancouver. There's the generic oldschool D&D Planet Algol booklet I'm working on that's based on and written for my AD&D campaign. There's also Sean Will's Planet Algol campaign in the UK that was originally Swords & Wizardry/Savage Swords of Athanor but is now a Barbarians of Lemuria game, and is also more gonzo than my own campaign. And than there's my own gonzo ideas which surface on this blog, such as Kurt Russel related magic items and Blue Oyster Cult based campaign elements.

One of the design goals with booklet is to facilitate usage with a wide range of game styles and interpretations of the setting. I want this to be a campaign setting that you could use for a "serious high science fantasy" game in the spirit of Urth or Tekumel. Or you could use it for a Mutant Future or Encounter Critical campaign. Likewise you could strip away the science fiction elements and use it as a swords & sorcery setting, such as a distant exotic land in your own "normal" campaign world. You could also use it as a strange planet for a Traveller campaign. Making an Encounter Critical stats & conversion document after publishing the initial Planet Algol booklet is one of my goals...

Hopefully the resources contained within, such as sword generators, NPC generators, encounter tables, technological items, monsters, locations, magic item generators, mini-dungeons, etc. will make the booklet useful resource for all sorts of non-Planet Algol games as well.

The Planet Algol booklet is being designed as an orthodox sandbox/random table campaign setting. However, while musing on the "idea campaign setting," I thought it would be pretty neat for a campaign setting to have a complete sandbox while also including the information needed to run an adventure path style campaign in it. As I'm intending for it to contain several detailed lairs, locations, ruins, mini dungeons, and the like it wouldn't be terrible offensive to include a few pages with a simple campaign outline utilizing said elements as the stops on a "soft railroad." That way, regardless of which playstyle your group prefers, you can have a campaign practically "straight out of the box."

All of this means that I'm taking my own dang time putting it out. I do want this booklet to be as awesome, versatile and useful as I can make it.

"... must infiltrate a wealthy banker in a castle, but have to contend with robot psychology, and opposition from clones trying to murder settlers..."

Age of Fable Plot Generator

It might as well have been designed for Encounter Critical and it seems very useful for those of us who run "gonzo/weird" games!

"No Gandalfs!"

The following consists of excerpts from emails I've sent to the artists who have been producing Planet Algol artwork. I'm laughing at what a control freak I am in these, but I've had my fill of tattooed mohawked ninja-hookers with 4-bladed battle-axes. Feel free to laugh at me as well!

"Planet Algol is Not Extreme! No modern or even anachronistic "extreme" imagery
- no mohawks or punk hairstyles
- no punk rock anything
- no "hot rod" flames
- no tattoos or piercings
- no warhammer/games workshop extreme spiky imagery
- no oversized weapons
- no ridiculous "rock shop/bong store/klingon" style weapons...no triple bladed axes or nunchuck swords or even any martial arts weapons
- no overmuscled, over-the-top steroid case musculature
- no hooker clothing
- no punk/metal style spikes or studs (a tasteful spike on top of a dome or helmet is good, a spiked collar or jacket is bad!)
- avoid overuse of skull imagery, with appropriate exceptions for "The Monolith of Skulls" or "Pile of Skulls Monster"
- avoid real-life historical, religious, occult, political, etc. symbols. No pentagrams or fleur du lies!

Planet Algol is Not Medieval or Even Earth
- see later section regarding earth men
- no weapons, armor, clothing or architecture that looks overtly medieval, viking, renaissance, etc.
- however, weapons, armor, clothing or architecture that appear vaguely "ancient", east indian, mesoamerican, middle-eastern, southeast asian, or mesopotamian can be acceptable, but avoid copying actual historical styles. likewise clothing that appears vaguely napoleonic or victorian is good, as long as it is alien!
- avoid doing traditional fantasy subjects; however traditional "pulp swords & sorcery" subjects are good!

What Does Planet Algol Look Like?
- classic rpg illustrator Erol Otus
- contemporary rpg illustrator Peter Mullen
- European cartoonist Moebius
- classic sixties "Star Trek" alien cultures/planets
- "The Warlord" comic book published by DC in the eighties
- anything Flash Gordon
- illustrations for Edgar Rice Burrough's "Mars/Barsoom" series
- legendary comic artist Jack Kirby
- classic Marvel Conan comics
- classic cartoonist Richard Corben
- "Tekumel," (google it)
- the sixties Spider-Man cartoons
- art neuveau & art deco

Algol Men
- are anatomically identical to standard humans, aside from whatever specific details are in their description
- no pointed ears, weird eyes, star trek alien facial prothesis, etc.
- if a race has scales they are small/fine and consistent in texture over the entire body
- algol people should ideally be of ambiguous race/ethnicity compared to earth men
- avoid identifying algol men, cultures, etc. with real life/historical cultures, races, ethnicities
- however, weapons, armor, clothing or architecture that appear vaguely "ancient", east indian, mesoamerican, middle-eastern, southeast asian, or mesopotamian can be acceptable, but avoid copying actual historical styles. likewise clothing that appears vaguely napoleonic or victorian is good, as long as it is alien

Algol Technology
- should be rare
- contemporary Algol Man technology is rare and looks art neuvau/art deco/baroque
- contemporary algol man energy weapons should look like baroque flinlock/musket/black powder firearms, but without the serpentine/hammer/flint&firing pan
- ancient algol technology looks saucer man/over the top with fins, crystals, vanes, cones, prisms. Jack Kirby, Moebius, Erol Otus

Earth Men
- look like "pulp adventure characters," imagine the illustration on the cover of a lurid men's adventure magazine in the 1930s'
- Most Earth Men are from Rocketship expeditions to Planet Algol from earth
- These Earth Men's clothing and technology looks vaguely 1940s-1950s but slightly futuristic (as that era viewed futuristic)
- Their firearms should look like world war ii era, but no automatic weapons/machine guns. firearms should also be sparse!
- pistols look like classic six-shooters, Colt Model 1911 automatics, broom-handle mausers, lugers
- rifles should be bolt action or level action. if they have a clip/magazine it should be small like a M1 carbine. no assault rifles, etc.
- things like flap-top holsters, old western ammunition bandoleers, and the like are good
- no grenades, bazookas, flamethrowers and other military armament
- weapons like WWII combat knives, bayonets, machetes, cavalry sabers, nightsticks, hatchets, and the like are good for earth men. imagine pulp adventure heros.
- earth man technology looks like a 1940/50s' futuristic version of ww2 era technology.
- some earth men are time/space travelers that have fallen through some sort of spacetime rift and ended up on planet algol. they can be from any eara/background (including children) but please keep them sparse, in the spirit of the style guide, and try to avoid fantasy cliches like viking warriors and the like.

Vegetation
- generally sparse, the only non-arid areas in the currently known region is the moss steppes, the forbidden mist valley, the slime lands and the adjacent jungles
- should look prehistoric, alien, mutated, pulp adventure tropical
- no pine trees

Nudity & taste
- keep it PG-13. I may have to deal with some licensing and distributing issues down the line
- tasteful cheesecake is good, but avoid pin-up art style stuff
- many Algol Men wear loincloths/breechclouts, loincloths with weapon harnesses, breechclouts with capes
- no ninjas

Further Suggested Artists
- classic sci-fi paperback cover artist Jack Gaughan

Further Taste Guidelines
- no gandalfs
- sorcerers in star patterned robes and conical hats are acceptable however

Also, check the following out for inspiration:
http://monsterbrains.blogspot.com/2009/12/perry-rhodan-sci-fi-covers.html
http://monsterbrains.blogspot.com/2009/12/more-perry-rhodan-sci-fi-covers.html
http://monsterbrains.blogspot.com/2009/12/even-more-perry-rhodan-covers.html

Algol Melee Weapons

Axe, Battle - Dane Axe, Long Bearded Axe
Axe, Hand - cane knife, francisca mak 1 2 Fishtail Knife 3 4 5 6
Dagger - Pugio, Seax 1 Jambiya Koumiya 1 Tetela Knife
Mace, Any - Scorpion Macehead, Narmer Macehead 1 2 (middle two)
Mace, Heavy - Kanabo
Mace, Light - 1
Morningstar - Morningstar 1
Picks - 1 (bottom one)
Spears 1 2 3 4
Sword, Broad - Dao, Spatha, Takouba, Bolo, Makhaira Falchion Khanda 1 Qama 2
Sword, Long - Flyssa, Kampilan, Jian 1 Walloon Mortuary Sword Backsword Yang Sabre Qi Jian Khyber Mexican Sabre
Sword, Scimitar - Yataghan, Kilji, Saif, Nimcha, Shotel, Falcata, Talibong (three leftmost) Pirate Cutlass Tulwar Hanger Dha Cutlass
Sword, Short - Kukri, Gladius Hispania, Parang, Golok, Kopis, Bronze Age Sword (disregard khopesh), Bronze Age Rapier, this bayonet Cinqueda Seax Choora Gunong Talibon 1
Sword, Two-Handed - Dadao (tastefully..no giant swords) Zhanmadao Executioners Sword (again...not huge) Greatsword
Trident - Tripula

Algol Energy Weapons (without the huge bulge at the handle end of some pistols or the lever/hammer mechanism)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

"Alien" Guns

Pistol
1 2 3 4

Rifles
1 2 3

Earth Man Guns
1

Automatic Pistols
1 2 (without stock) 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Revolvers
1 (disregard the zigzags) 2 3 4 5 6 7

Rifles
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 (with shorter magazine) 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 (with shorter magazine) 19 20"

ZAP!!

By George Barr

Watch out Zap Johnson, that's actually a shapechanging salt-vampire...

Shoot, now I need AD&D statistics for classic Star Trek creatures... (Stares at the Internet Hard)

Eighties Cartoon - Blackstar

I love the basic premise and that dragon-horse thing is awesome but seriously, fuck those trobbits! Any of my characters worth their salt would sell those disgusting magenta gnomes into slavery, preferably to the purchaser with most evil and cruel plans for them. Hopefully they'd be useful as "purple man sacrifices" on Carcosa...

The Nyiragongo Lava Lake

Usually on Repeat During Combat...

Perhaps the best fighting music ever and so appropriate for Planet Algol. I love the alien worlds of the original Star Trek and much of Algol's landscape look the same.

Just in Case You Missed This Classic

I Just wanted to share this inspirational piece of artwork by the great Frank Frazetta. Apparently it was commissioned by the producers of the original Battlestar Galactica series, I wish they had followed through with with particular vision.

Algol Architechture - Torre Agbar

A picture of Torre Agbar in Barcelona, Spain. A sterling example of a well-preserved remnant of the Aeon of the Ancients; perhaps even a grounded starship.

Are the fusion engines still operational?

Stone Golem, Deodand and Sorcerers

More pictures, from Toonzone.com, of Ralph Bakshi period Spiderman cartoons.

Twisted Worlds of Ralph Bakshi

Some pictures of the sixties Rocket Robin Hood/Spider Man cartoon, and Planet Algol inspiration fodder, from Toonzone.com. You can see Ralph Bakshi's hand in this work, I love the lurid psychedelic skies of those old Spiderman cartoons, many of the skies on Algol look like that...