2023 Retrospective

    I thought it would be neat if I recapped my year on my blog. I know people probably won’t read it, but I endeavor to do it nonetheless. This list isn’t in any particular chronological order.

This year I...

Watched A D&D Movie

    And it was pretty good! I thought it had some good “player characters” that retained the quirkiness usually found through play and although the plot wasn’t necessarily unique, I thought it was archetypal in a good way.

Discovered A Wicked City

Joel Heard

    I took this page and read every single link on it, revealing to me a foreign land of taigas and vast deserts, clockwork machines and cloud spirits, deep-seated corruption and hope. I really appreciated a setting that drew upon a different mythology! If I had to select my favorite non-basic articles of Against the Wicked City, I’d pick the Unkindness class, the Crimson Lake, the Children of the Pines, the wrestling rules, and the Dahākans. Of course I think you should read all of it, but those are my personal favorites.

Tried Being A Cultist

Weather Factory

    Don’t worry, I failed miserably. I am not one to usually play video games but I managed to push through my normal languor and really tried my hand at Cultist Simulator. It was a pleasant surprise not due to the mechanics (which are not really my style) but the lore. By the g_ds, the lore. I have spent a dozen hours on Cultist Simulator, and probably a fourth of that on the Secret Histories wiki researching the game’s esoterica and symbolisms. That’s not cheating, you’re cheating.

Read A D&D Comic

Stephanie Hans

    DIE is an amazing comic. It blends traditional fantasy, D&D meta humor, emotional horror, and some breathtaking art all in one amazing package. If asked to describe it in one sentence, I’d say “traumatic D&D Jumanji”. I also recently received a physical copy of the DIE RPG and am very excited to look through its pages. Shall I run a game? Perhaps, perhaps not…

Started Jujutsu Kaisen

Kariyen

    It’s good! Not Chainsaw Man good, but I’ve only gotten through volumes 1 through 7 so far, so I’ve got a long way to go. Akutami is very good at succinct, flavorful characterization and has developed an engrossing power system.

Learned About Radical Catgirl Anarchists

avvart

    No, this isn’t particularly relevant or important, but I thought it’d be funny to include anyway. In mid-November I clicked on CHASE THE BLACK RABBIT by Throne of Salt. I was then swiftly whisked away to an oneiric realm of internet links and hyper-focus. An eternity later I emerged a (not so) changed man, but it was still an entertaining ride. I read this and this an this, and one of my goals for 2024 is to read through the Stealing Solidarity series.

Played In An Open Table

sackcloth and ashes

    I both played and ran games in the Shattered Coast GLOG server, as referenced here and here. It was quite a fun time with lots of chaos, adventure, and growing pains. Most of the time I played Alexander, Warmind B, but near the end of my stint there I played Alice Gardener (whose picture you can see above), a PALADIN. She was present for one adventure which was never really completed, and ended her career with a sum total of 0 XP, but she was a blast to play and has officially taken up residence in my brainspace.

    I also met a lot of new people through Shattered Coast who I now talk to semi-frequently! Shoutout to the esteemed personages Gorinich, Vivanter, and the ever-elusive Abyssin.

Got A New Best Friend

    By which I mean dog. Readers of my blog, meet Copper, a very good boy. He loves to go on walks but the rest of the time is a very dedicated couch potato.

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    There you have it, the highlights of my year. I wish the readers of this blog a peaceful and successful 2024.

Live By Them, Die By Them

MyCKs

    The tengu is a wild spirit of violence and death, preferring isolation and hermitage in hidden mountaintop monasteries and secluded, mist-covered valleys. Their appearance varies: most of the time they are flightless bird-like humanoids, but they also come in dog-like and flighted bird-like variants. They are universally master swordsmen, able to perform supernatural feats of blade work, and are thus regarded as some of the best teachers of the fighting disciplines.

    Those who would seek one out should be wary, however. It is known that if you fail a tengu’s test of strength (usually made up on the spot), you shall be forever turned away, or, more likely, sliced into teeny, tiny pieces.

TENGU

HD: 4 (22 HP)

AC: 14 (warrior reflex)

Attacks: two +3 sword attacks OR 2x +1 unarmed attack 1d4

Move: 40' normal, 35% chance of having a flying speed of 20'

Inventory: 1d4 swords of varying make (see below), fearsome battle mask.

Mien: vain, viciously cunning, wise.

Goal: to kill the weak and train the strong, to be alone.

Parry: A tengu may parry an incoming melee attack as a reaction once per round, reducing incoming damage by 3.

Killer of Cowards: Tengus disdain the use of magic and refuse to use it. They have a +2 on Saves versus Magic, and have an additional +1 to hit full casters.

Kensei: Once per day, a tengu may turn swords. Treat the HD of the wielder as the HD of the sword for purposes of the turning attempt. Magic swords may have bonus HD. Swords with HD fewer than 3 are turned, while swords with HD fewer than 1 are destroyed.

cobaltplasma

On a Tengu's Tools

    Tengus love swords. They like to meticulously explain every single detail of a particular blade right before killing someone with it. They are collectors and connoisseurs, snatching them from the corpses of prospective students.  Folklore also mentions that a few tengu (maybe a 10% chance) will trade a free apprenticeship for a particularly rare sword, though mentioning this upfront to a tengu is likely to get you screeched at and stabbed.

    A tengu starts with 1d4 swords. For each sword, roll type and material.

1d6 Sword Types

1. Katana. A medium blade that lets you add your initiative bonus to your first attack's to-hit and damage.
2. Wakizashi. A small blade typically used by a samurai as a secondary weapon or status symbol.
3. Nodachi. A heavy blade.
4. Naginata. A medium blade that has the properties of a spear, if that matters in your system.
5. Longsword. A medium blade from a faraway land.
6. THREE WORD SWORD. A sentient blade with varying properties.

1d10 Sword Materials

1. Steel. Functions as normal.
2. Bronze. Easy to repair when broken.
3. Silver. Can hurt ethereal creatures and reverts shapeshifters to their true forms.
4. Obsidian. Breaks on a roll of minimum or maximum damage.
5. Chardun. Described here.
6. Meteoric Iron. If broken, randomly teleports the user 60'.
7. Ossgold. Described here.
8. Titanium. A purified version of iron. Destroys the souls of its victims.
9. Adamant. Described here.
10. Roll twice and combine the two.

Anato Finnstark

On a Tengu's Students

    If you can get past all its trials and challenges, a tengu is a valuable teacher. If you train with a tengu for a season, you may choose one of the following: gain +1 to-hit with swords, or, if you have enough XP, gain a template in your local Fighter class. Regardless of what you pick, you also gain a cool scar (describe its location and the story behind it) and now know 1d4-1 fellow students of the tengu. Use this generator to ascertain their details.

My Sky My Hour My Night

    In this post I steal from my betters, namely RowanAMon of The Bottomless Sarcophagus. I highly recommend you check out his two posts on the White and Red forms of elves to read about his unique take on a classic fantasy species.

    All art in this post is by hoooook.

A White Elf.

White Elves

    As a White Elf, you get a +1 bonus to your Intelligence score (or +2 SKLL if you're playing G20) at character creation. Additionally, you may speak and write Elvish, a highly complex language with several layers of symbolic meaning hidden in every word. Most mortals will have no idea what you are saying, but other elves and spirits might.

    Your outdated immune system means that you suffer a -4 penalty to saves versus disease, infection, and mutation.

An elf in their terrible Red form.

Red Elves

    You get a +1 bonus to your Charisma score (or +2 SAVE) if you are a Red Elf. As a tough and sexy bastard, you start with an additional +2 HP (or the equivalent in a different system).

    Red Elves are flighty and violent creatures, however. Whenever you are disrespected or slighted by someone new, save versus animalistic rage. The GM may also call for you to save versus rage if you are grievously insulted, even if it's by someone you already know.

The Red Queen, the goddess who both saved
and cursed the elven species.

The Sea Hag

    A patron for your necromancer character, a local source of dead or lost knowledge, a creepy encounter, etc.

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SunderedWorldDM

    She lives on a small rocky islet off the eastern coast. There, in a half-ruined tower of shattered glass and rusted steel, she practices some of the last remaining magic in the world. The journey is difficult, but you manage to finally reach her wretched abode.

Who are you?

1. A Zouave with a haunted, bloody past. You seek the shade of your murdered loved one, to learn who killed them so that you may enact vengeance.
2. A Hedge-Knight desperate for wealth and glory. You seek a legendary magic sword said to be hidden in the witch's lair.
3. An ambitious, arrogant Sword King. You seek a dead king's crown to cement your rule.
4. A Divided who seeks to learn the dread art of raising the dead. Army of zombies, anyone?

Silviu Sadoschi

    You trudge through the murky, knee-high water within the witch’s tower. Various corpses, all without arms, are strewn about the muck. You had heard from the townspeople of the neighboring village that she wears masks to commune with the shades of the dead, and to let them communicate through her.

    It isn’t until you see her, shrieking to herself on her throne of dead, waterlogged hands, that you truly believe them.

What mask is the witch wearing when you meet her?

1. The white mask of the child. While wearing this mask, she is eager and curious about the outside world and will not initiate violence.
2. The black mask of the skull. While wearing this mask, she speaks in an aggressive, guttural voice. She really wants to kill you.
3. The purple mask of the elder. While wearing this mask, she speaks in an old woman’s voice, and is far more willing to talk and negotiate.
4. The yellow mask of the serpent. While wearing this mask, she hisses wordlessly like a snake. She is hungry, so hungry.

Wizards of the Coast, idk

    You ask the masked witch to give you what you seek. The hag is not known for giving out things for free, however.

What does she want?

1. The skull of another witch. You don't want to know.
2. Your voice in a jar. Lose your ability to vocalize and 1 point of CHA.
3. A hulking creature of bone and muscle is lurking in the wilderness on the island. Destroy it.
4. A rare book or text in a dead language.

---

    Wait, you want to fight her? Well, in that case, she has 4 HD, natural armor as leather, claw attacks twice, each as a dagger. She also has 2 points of damage reduction against spells, 3 MD, and access to any necromancy spell you deem necessary. The goal of killing her is made harder by the fact that she has hundreds of undead hands in her tower that she can animate with a thought.

    Perhaps you'd like to hire some strangers to help you with the task?

GLOGtober '23

    Oh g_ds, it’s that time again. The gretchlings are released.

    The rules for GLOGtober ‘23 are the same as last time, but I will repeat them here:

• The prompt list (this post) will be released in September, giving time for people to write their content to post in October.
• There are seven d6 tables, each containing potential prompts. These d6 tables were created by some of the top contributors to GLOGtober ‘22. Each “challenge” you roll a d6; this is your prompt. If you don’t like it, I dunno, just pick something I guess.
• Even though the title references the GLOG, your contributions don’t necessarily have to be related to the GLOG. If you want to write a MÖRK BORG background or Troika! adventure based on one of the prompts, go for it. The point of GLOGtober is that you’re making RPG material.

Challenge 1 (PRIMEUMATON)

1. Failed Gods and their consequences.

2. The deep ocean, and the things that survive in its crushing pressure and frigid darkness.

3. Atlantis-type situation but in reverse. It goes up instead of down.

4. Magic items that are unintentionally also magic weapons.

5. Cool things to replace your eyes, teeth, and fingernails with.

6. Parables and proverbs with weird morals.

Challenge 2 (Locheil)

1. Three options for a class that has options (i.e., three Duelist styles, three Saintmaker saints, and so on).

2. A short history of a mad king and the things he did.

3. Random encounters on an ancient road.

4. Information about a small, local god.

5. A glance at a city that should never have been built.

6. Notes about a family of gods.

Challenge 3 (semiurge)

1. Modern horror shotgun scenario.

2. Something about formal violence - duels, gladiators, John Wick-style assassins, etc.

3. Animal-people, for an animal you've never seen made into animal-people before.

4. A list of or generator for cursed items that are more interesting than a -1 sword.

5. Adventure, location, character, item, class, or whatever else based on the name of your blog.

6. Come up with a grimoire with some unique spells, a story behind it, perhaps some trap or riddle to figuring it out, etc.

Challenge 4 (SunderedWorldDM)

1. Masks, mosques, or musks.

2. Potions and how to brew them.

3. An adventure with only one monster, one you made up.

4. An adventure keyed only in haiku.

5. Content for someone else's hack/class.

6. Essential, non-RPG reading for any GM.

Challenge 5 (xaosseed)

1. Treasure routes & vessels.

2. Unusual corpse preservation methods.

3. Not intentional traps, just very unsafe.

4. Cultural gathering places for nonhuman fantasy folk.

5. Minor planar conduits and planar backwaters.

6. Famed sites of disastrous battles of the Blood War.

Challenge 6 (metalsnail)

1. Paper minis.

2. Lairs.

3. Airships.

4. Gardening.

5. Puzzle boxes.

6. Fairy tales.

Challenge 7 (CatDragon)

1. Take an old post of yours that you don't like and renovate it.

2. Dwarves.

3. Anime-inspired content.

4. A cryptic lorepost.

5. A post about a weird train.

6. Vampires.

Four Strangers

     Four strangers to interact with in the city and/or hire as expendable bodies.

1. Aega

Roman Kupriianov

    A young blond woman with a lot of physical energy and verbal tics. Aega is anxious, inexperienced, and secretive about her past. She pursues a goal determined by the Aega’s Secret table.

    Stats. Using The Monster Overhaul, Aega has the stats of a Mercenary (pg. 24) and can perform two Feats of Strength (pg. 17) per day.

Aega's Secret (1d4)

1. She's a Fleshgod Inheritor. Her unnatural strength comes from her body adapting to the fleshgod skin she ate. Her goal is to seek out more godflesh and secure her Cosmic Cyst.
2. She's a runaway witch desperate to escape coven life. Her goal is to avoid the coven's agents and make enough money adventuring to be set for life.
3. She's a mutant who was banished from her rural-living, superstitious family. Her goal is to fix herself so that her family will love her.
4. She's a cultist who worships an entity of changing flesh and primal violence. She was sent out into the wide world to serve as a secret agent. Her goal is to recover one of the cult's sacred items from a guarded location.

2. Baron

FabianMonk

    An old man whose body is lean with well-earned scar and muscle. Baron is serious and quietly cruel. He has formed a habit of taking psychedelics after adventures. His goal is to become strong enough to get revenge against a person in power who killed his family.

    Stats. Baron is a 3 HD Rotless B with Feats of Agility and the Hammer Fists technique. He has leather armor, a sword, a greatsword, and ALL TOWERS FALL, a +1 magic longsword of meteoric iron decorated in bloody hieroglyphics. It is intelligent, tending towards violent nihilism.

Baron's Target (1d4)

1. Lord Sebastian Thorngale, an insane aristocrat who killed Baron's family in a fit of uncaring madness. He lives in a haunted woodland manor a few days travel away from the city.
2. Lord Tarrigan-on-Burl, an all but confirmed practitioner of dread necromancy. He uses his massive wealth and influence to cover up his crimes.
3. Dame Roalda, a knight with a dark reputation for slaughter and pillaging.
4. A mysterious Rotless swordswoman. She is trying to cultivate Baron into a worthy opponent, and started his journey by killing his family.

3. Wickedness Upon The Earth

The Nothic's Eye

    A tall, imposing woman who rarely speaks. Wickedness is violent, fond of baking, and very spiritual. She grew up as one of the only children in a remote monastery and isn't very good at picking up common social cues. Her goal is to find a sacred artifact (determined by the Sacred Artifact table) and take it to her monastery.

    Stats. Wickedness is a 1 HD Wizened Paladin A with good physical stats and absolutely terrible WIS.

Sacred Artifact (1d4)

1. The Dream Nail. Lost in the currents of history.
2. The Crow Idol. A foot-tall idol of onyx stone with two citrine eyes. Blood appears to be dripping from its eyes. It’s shaped like a crow. Legend states that a spirit is trapped in the Crow Idol. Currently in the hands of Caligula, a nasty ogre.
3. EMPTY THRONE MILLENIUM. Currently in the hands of a heretical mage at the bottom of a very, very deep well.
4. GNAW ON STONES. Currently volunteering at a museum.

4. Moneybag Emoji

needlesslycryptic

    A handsome man of indeterminate age dressed in a fashionable black suit. His eyes glow faintly red, blazing crimson in times of high stress. Moneybag is charming, manipulative, and always willing to make a deal. His goal is simple: make a profit. Anything or anyone who stands in the way of that is an obstacle to be eliminated.

    Stats. Moneybag Emoji is a 2 HD "human" skilled in law, rhetoric, astrology, and music.

What is Moneybag Emoji? (1d4)

1. Moneybag is just a really bad person, obviously. He provides crooked counsel to help himself first, you fourth or fifth.
2. Moneybag is a devil, obviously. He is weakened, having been chased out of Hell for a minor contractual breach. Even though he is an expatriate, Moneybag still hungers for souls...
3. Moneybag is a wizard, obviously. Wizards are always doing weird shit, no explanation needed.
4. Moneybag is a puppet body being controlled by a magical cat, obviously. The felines of the Chamber need an agent in place to make local events go their way.

Right for the Wrong Reasons

Locheil

    Inspired by Archon, I have written up several connected session reports for Right for the Wrong Reasons (also known as R4WR), a domain game with around 20 players run by deus ex parabola.

    R4WR is set in the Unfinished World in early modern Arel, a cold southern land plagued by undead and Democracy. The princes there compete for the supreme power of elected dictatorship.

THE TOMB

This particular group of reports follows Amia, Prince of Langueforche, a mountainous Yellow Mask monastery founded by Saint Medusa.

Langueforche Summer Fun – some tomb-robbing.

Battle Beneath the Mountain – the dead gather beneath the mountain...

The Diamond Abbot – a conversation with a spirit.

THE WARLORD

These reports follow Enoch, Prince of Tendu, and his warmongering activities.

War Crimes Against Monkeys – a prince decides to subjugate a Monkey mafia town.

Go Team Evil! – subjugation again but this time cowboys instead of Monkeys.

Guido Reni

ASSORTED TALES

Disconnected smaller stories.

A Fun Time in Fear – a dungeon delve where everything goes according to plan.

Wizard King - Shadoom

    The latest in a inter-blog series on wizard-kings. Mainly inspired by this post.

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Kei-suwabe

Shadoom, Goblin King, the Fleshcrafter, Master of Blood and Bone

    Shadoom was the original biomancer and one of the greatest wizard-kings in known history. It was in his occultum pot that the first goblins were created. It was his abominations who struck down Guiying, his greatest arcane rival, in the Forever War. And, if the legends are true, it was Shadoom who created Tarrasque, the mythic apocalypse that will end the world.

    According to the Church of the Authority, Shadoom is a neutralized threat. Although he terrorized the world for three centuries, he died his seventh and final death to a goblin with a rusty shiv. His many stolen souls were either destroyed in Church ritual or trapped in hidden fortresses to be guarded by paladins until the end of the world.

    Domain - the Blue Forest. A vast wood of blue trees that was permanently altered by Shadoom's frequent biomantic rituals. The soil here is supernaturally nourishing, and the trees unusually sentient. Inhabited by Shadoom's bestial creations, long free from their cages.

    Army - basically all goblins, who worship Shadoom as a divine entity. Biomancy comes naturally to them, as it was coded into their genes by the Goblin King. With it, they breed goblin-dogs, goblin-toads, goblin-bats, etc.

    Castle - Bloody Eye Castle. While it appears to be a bog standard castle of stone and wood, Bloody Eye Castle is actually a sentient living thing. All attempts by the Church to enter the castle have been met by violent flesh golems and crushing walls.

    Monster - most famously goblins, but also doom maggots and gretchlings.

    Spells - Ooze Clone, Acid Arrow, Baleful Form.

Lightning Deep in My Bones (Class: Deku)

I dunno, just wanted to feel productive. I also liked the idea of character-as-class, so here's one about Deku from My Hero Academia.

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cherrybombs4567
Starts like this.

Character-as-Class: Izuku Midoriya

Inventory: Hero costume (as leather). Reinforced gloves (as daggers, but can't really manipulate anything). Burning, self-destructive desire to be a hero (+3 bonus on mental saves).

Skill: 1) Persuasion 2) Pain Tolerance 3) Power Analysis.

+1 to-hit every odd template, +10' of movement every even template.

A: One For All, There Is Another

B: Steel Gaze

C: Channeling

D: Full Power Smash

One For All

    A Quirk of unimaginable power flows through your veins, letting you vastly increase your bodily toughness and might. You have [templates + 1] OFA points. You can spend a point to critically succeed on a STR or CON check, or enter Full Cowl mode for the duration of a combat encounter. When in Full Cowl, you take half damage from all attacks and must attack someone each round. If the closest target is an ally, you may Save to end Full Cowl early.

    You can regain an OFA point by having a major celebration with friends or by staying up all night training/brooding on your many enemies.

There Is Another

    You have many enemies, but this one stands above the rest. A Nemesis, great in both power and potential, opposes you and your disgusting Heroism. You will meet, eventually. Fate demands it. The tracker for your meeting begins at 1-in-100.

    Add +1 each in-game day after the initial session, +1 every time you spend a OFA point, and +5 when you defeat a significant villain. Every session, roll 1d100. If under the current number, the Nemesis knows of your location and will be upon you in 1d10 in-game days.

    No matter when you meet them, your Nemesis is always the same level as you and specifically out to end you.

Steel Gaze

    You can project an aura of intimidating determination at will. While active, nameless mooks and dumb animals will avoid initiating conflict with you, and any Villain who cares to look at you will instantly know you are a Hero to be reckoned with.

Channeling

    You body has managed to acclimate itself fully to One For All, letting you use some of its power without entering Full Cowl. You unarmed attacks deal 1d6 damage instead of 1 damage.

Full Power Smash

    If a great deed of Heroism is needed, you will rise to the occasion. You may wreck one of your non-necessary limbs (one of your arms or one of your legs) to gain a +10 bonus to an attack. On a hit, the attack deals an additional 10 damage.

    Without healing magic or modern medical technology, your limbs are wrecked and unusable. If you have access to either of the above, healing takes about two weeks. With access to powerful healing magic or advanced medical technology, the healing still takes at least 2d6 hours.

HEXAMENDLE
Ends like this.

The First Hero

    Long ago, when the earth was young and vibrant and the sun was not dimmed by the imperfections of age, there was a man. He was a farmer, average in all matters except one: ambition.

    He was gripped with the ravenous desire for money, sex, fame, and power. Against the wishes of his family, he dropped his tools and picked up a sword.

    And so the first adventurer was born.

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Dominik Mayer
Shining as bright as the morning stars

---

    The cultists of the Red God have a mantra:

What is power but burning fire

Destroying, illuminating, all-consuming

And if fire is power

What greater king than the sun?

    You know better.

---

    Eternal Uruk's walls are all but dust, and its king reduced to presiding over a phantom court. However, great power is still held in the king's timeless grasp. You could do well to serve him.

    If a character has the proper means and intent, they can make a pact with The First Hero. The character disappears into the ethereal planes for a season, swapping their highest template for template A in a new gold-based caster class. Personally, I would alter the already-made Plutocrat class.

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Alexandre Chaudret
A servant of the king of kings

---

    His personal name is Gilgamesh and he appears as a specter of handsome golden light. He is arrogant, seductive, and confident. As a Binder's spirit, he functions as a Great Beauty and a Millionaire. He has the unique ability to conjure a +1 sword into existence as a major favor. At template C, this changes to a +2 sword.

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A. Shipwright
You are brighter than the sun

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Inspirations for this post:

• Gilgamesh from the Fate franchise, who happens to be one of my favorite characters in fiction.
• The deadly sin of pride.
• Dragons are murderhobos by TheFirstGokun.
• My players, who are constantly thirsty for blood and grasping for gold.

Best GLoG Posts of 2022

    And another year has passed in the glogosphere. I took the time to read basically all of the GLoG server's 2022 posts, and here are my favorites.

    Each image is from its respected blogpost.

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BEST ADVENTURE: The Merchant Campaign by Hilander
  

    Did I cheat by recommending a campaign structure instead of a full adventure? No. You should know better than to question my opinions. And anyway, this is more original than most adventures! Instead of playing the mercenaries working for the unscrupulous merchant, you are the unscrupulous merchant. Go waste your cash on elephants! Order a clandestine hit on a rival merchant! Gossip! With some simple rules that leave a lot of room for the imagination, the Merchant Campaign wins due to its unique premise.

BEST MECHANIC: Pain by shifty

    Hit points are traditional in OSR systems and most mechanics that try to replace them are not to my taste. Not so with Pain, by shifty. The system is explained in-depth in the post, but it basically boils down to this: all creatures have a pain threshold from 1 to 5. If you are hit by a significant attack, roll a d6. If the roll exceeds your threshold, you die. You may use items, blessings, abilities, etc. as Wards, which you may wager instead of your life. A neat idea with neat mechanics.

BEST SYSTEM: A WEARY WORK TO DO by SunderedWorldDM

    Weird fantasy all the way with this one. The rules are very good at building a tone and make you want to know more about the world. Played in a small, three-session (?) campaign with the system, so it's tested, if you like that sort of thing. Also there are flyting rules that I suck at. Shoutout to FifthDragon, who has saved me many times with his battle-poetry skills. Not much to say here. I just like it, I guess. Check it out.

BEST SETTING: An Encounter Table for a Weird Napoleonic War Zone by deus ex parabola

    This post is an interesting piece of historical fantasy written by deus ex parabola. Napoleon's undying armies march on the kingdoms of Europe, who turn to fairy deals and strange magics to resist the Forever-Emperor. There are three 2d6 tables of decent encounters that, with a little reworking, can be slotted into any generic fantasy setting. This post raises several unanswered questions. Who won the Great War? What the hell is a monkey elemental? How has the war in Europe effected the Americas? Go read it and puzzle out the answers for yourself.

BEST CASTER CLASS: The Heartless by Locheil

    I like Howl's Moving Castle, and here's a post based on that movie. It's a beast too: a class, four delta templates, and a few campaign notes at the end. Oh, wait, and 72 spells. That's a lot. My favorite features of this class have to be Transformation and Fog. It's neat that I can transform into a dragon at level 1. Gives a taste of power before I overuse it, become a NPC monster, and am shot to death by several cannons.

    About the campaign notes, I would love to see a hypercompetent spirit butler class. And a Heartless Campaign? Loch, bro. I will conquer Outshire. This post wins due to its interesting ability and the sheer amount of spells it provides.

BEST CLASS WITH UNIQUE MECHANICS: The Binder by Phlox

    Ah, the Binder. Controlling spirits and shades is a classic concept in fantasy gaming. This is Phlox's swing at the class. Make sure to read the fine print! Binder's have another Ability Score (Decency) that degrades over time due to contact with demons and various shades. I like the idea of venturing around and adding famous spirits to my collection. This class wins because of its presentation and concept.

BEST NON-CASTER CLASS: The Behemoth by Locheil

    Loch created a new setting this year, Qal Ashen, a Mesopotamian world infected by a curse that transforms living things into mindless monsters. The only safe place is Qal Ashen, the city of the death god. Many Qal Ashen classes were released, but the Behemoth is the best of the bunch. The ability "The Self Remade" continues its evolution, reaching an even greater state than before. It lets you customize your character with various monstrous features by losing inventory slots. The Behemoth wins due to the versatility of its abilities.

BEST FLAVORFUL CLASS: The Hedge Knight by Locheil

    What can I say, Loch has put out consistently good content. The Hedge Knight is a class for FIRMAMENT, a setting described by its creator as an "early-modern setting inspired by Arthuriana, the English Civil War, and the ancient concepts of alchemy, the cosmos, and the divine right of kings." The class is very Arthurian in tone, with great quests and squires and such. The class contains some spells reworked as great deeds performed by five legendary knights. This class wins because I like knights and for general quality.