The Vornheim Hardcover is Too Pretty...

..as in, similar to certain records with especial packaging, I'm afraid to handle it with my biological meat-hands, feeling as if I should don nirtile gloves before leafing through the pages (It's a good thing I already have my print shop digest sized "beater copy" from the PDF). It looks especially stark w/o the cover-sheet, like a Man Is The Bastard Record. I dig how the map looks like my imagination pictures a medieval manuscript map.

I mean this in the best possible way, but it does not at all even vaguely look like a RPG book. It also smells "really book-ish", like a new encyclopedia or something; no other OSR product I own is even close as book smelling as it. I guess it's an effect of being printing by Finland's oldest bookbindery; authentic old-tyme book smell?

I dig the small, thin hardcover format, and it makes me thing of the unique intersection of durability and creativity that occurs with many childrens books. I'm even more looking forward to the new edition of Exquisite Corpses after handling Vornheim.

Gharhions, Pulvi and Shereshi - Algol Reskins of LOTFP Demi-humans

As I'm using the LOTFPWFRPG rules for my second Planet Algol game, I thought it would be an interesting experiment to "reskin" the LOTFP demi-humans into Algol-appropriate beings.

GHARHIONS
A variety of vat-grown synthetic humanoid engineered by one of the Ancients' civilization for demanding subterranean labour on such projects as mining, construction and the like. Gharhions are man-sized, but broad, massy and flabby, possessing over-large hands and feet. Their skin is dead white and bears a film of protective fluids; their appear to have no necks, with their large head sitting directly on the shoulders; they are hairless with large, solid black orbs for eyes.
Gharhions are treated as Dwarfs from the LOTFPWFRPG.

PULVI
An inhuman race of small wasteland scavengers, most do not know what the Pulvi look like due to their habit of being constantly garbed in robes of drab colours with their cowls over their heads.
If disrobed (something they will never consent to around non-Pulvi) they are revealed as long-limbed slender beings with shaggy, matted gray fur that has oily iridescent highlights of purples, greens and blues. Their fur conceals most of their features aside from several (four to seven) spherical orange eyes irregularly spaced about the front if their heads. They speak a high-pitched, chittering language.
Pulvi are treated as Halflings from the LOTFPWFRPG.

SHERESHI
Rumoured to be an unnatural hybrid of some Elder Race with Man, the Shereshi are a somewhat man-like race with hairless, finely scaled green skin; six fingers and toes; no external ears; fine white hooked fangs in their lipless mouths: vertical slits for nostrils; a narrow, pointed skull; narrow, black, slit-pupiled eyes with golden irises; and a third eye in the middle of their foreheads. They have a thin, transparent green slime for their bodily fluids. The Shereshi possess a natural affinity for sorcery. Some claim that they are related to the Yilim; although they share certain physical characteristics, Shereshi bristle at such suggestions.
Shereshi are treated as Elves from the LOTFPWFRPG.

[NSFW] An Erotically Charged Scene From The Algol Adventures...

Another awesome R. Ruddock masterwork, this one illustrating a scene from The Planet Algol Playtest Campaign, Chapter 14, Part II. (I'm not letting JamesLOTFP be the only one posting boob artwork this week!)

"...As Buzz is sneaking through passages of red stone, cunningly avoiding the guards, he spots Radar and beckons the youth to join him. They come to a door of red metal and after listening at it and hearing nothing but a gentle burbling of water they cautiously open it.

Inside is a luxurious bath-chamber with several pools of different kinds of perfumed and heated water as well as a rack of expensive liquors. The two Earth Men hoot and holler in joy before stripping down and plunging into the baths. Buzz jumps into a tub of hot, swirling water while Radar dives into a pool of scented bubbles.

As the two begin vigourously scrubbing the adventuring filth off of their bodies they hear a husky female voice exclaim "Who is this in my bathing chamber?..."

"They look up and see a tall, stunning female, completely nude and Scarlet everywhere aside for her black pupils, standing in a doorway. Radar blushes and begins trying to sneak to his clothing while Buzz saunters up and says "Do not worry my lady, I am no threat...unless you'd like it that way"

Dripping soapy suds, Radar the Earth Boy grabs his clothing and dashes out the door he entered. As the embarrassed, naive youth dressed himself he hears moans of passion emanating from the bath chamber while he feels a strange stirring in his heart. He realizes that in the brief seconds he saw her that he has fallen in love with the Scarlet Lady..."


Please check out R. Ruddock's artwork blog "Fantasy Obscure" and let him know what you think about his excellent artwork!