Contact Information:

jay@vanishingtowerpress.com

Wednesday, February 28

Anthropomorphic USR POD, Almost

Nothing more exciting than a mail call with your latest POD game book!

My proof of Anthropomorphic USR arrived and while it has some graphic errors which need to be fixed I am pleased with Vanishing Tower Press' third POD title. 

This is a revamped version of my old PDF file with a rewrite of the healing rules. I also improved the layout for the introductory adventure "The Terror of Central". All in all Anthro USR contains character creation rules specific for playing talking superpowered animals, super cool equipment rules, simple vehicle combat mechanics, Game Keeper campaign notepad and custom character sheet. Did I also say it comes with an intro adventure!

I even went for color printing. There is not a lot of full color art but the splashes of colored graphics in the pages makes it a more enjoyable rule book overall. 

It is in an A5 size format, the same as Wormskin. I want to increase the inside "gutter" as well so you don't have to bend at the spine so much. The column text just ends up being too close to the center and detracts from the overall look. Hopefully I will be able to do this without reformatting the entire freaking document. The formatting issues with some of the graphics should be easy to fix. It does point out I need to check all these embedded files before I order my proof. Not having a properly format graphic kicks back a general public release like another two weeks, sad.

It will be up for sale on Drive Thru for $5.99 and this price includes the PDF too. The PDF is currently available if you can't wait. It doesn't have the graphic fails. But I find having hard copies of DIY game books one of the coolest things to happen in role playing games since their inception so the best bargain is to wait to order when the POD becomes available. 

Here is a photo giving an example of image fixes I need to make.


The most egregious flaw is in the adventure. I have a two page color spread with the stats for Mindless Clones and Security Robots. The center spread image came out, but the boxed stats of the NPC's is blacked out. Not cool. Once again, the PDF doesn't have these flaws if you want to start playing today!

Saturday, February 24

Traveling Circus of Classic Traveller: Obligatory Session Report #1

So there is this gang of Travellers. Rough sort. Gun toting heavies in the galactic backwater where corporations are the law and colonists try and pursue a better life.

Life is cheap and air, water and artificial sweetener are costly. Out of this Major Schmidt has managed to carve out a better deal than most on Skalvil. He's done this by providing a no questions asked security force for Omni Sun overseeing the peace and prosperity of Colonial Dome One.



Chief radioed in from HQ, his heavy joweled face speaking through the vid.

Omni Horron Research Facility has been incommunicado. Missed a twenty four hour relay to Kazawan City. That and its pump facility appears to be off. Don't know for how long. The colonists are pissed of course. They pay a lot of credits for clean water. I want you out there ASAP. Find out why the facility isn't communicating and get the damn water turned back on.”

Schmidt knew it didn't help that OHRF (O-Rif) was three years behind on delivering the modified crops which can grow in Skalvil's thin, tainted air. The colonists complained it was all a scam to keep soaking them for clean water and indoor grows.

Chief heaved like a beached whale in the screen as he scanned reports Schmidt couldn't see. “Vanders Labor Group is already out there pounding at the gates looking for their water.”

Chief seemed pretty concerned about the situation. Before Schmidt had signed off the Chief had thrown in a 50 pound bag of Zucor on top of his regular pay to get it done. Schmidt never knew the Chief of being magnanimous.

That meant Hernandez was going to have to fly one of those retro-fitted aircraft used to get around Skalvil quickly. The air is really thin so fixed wing just doesn't get it done. With the tech Omni has at its disposal a standard grav shuttle is the way to go, but oh no, not when a few credits can be saved. Omni, in their infinite wisdom, instead elected to re-purpose regular VTOL craft used on the mining platforms on Xxcarvis with decommissioned grav engines. Dam tricky to fly and each Skalvil mechanic has their own ideas on how to keep them running. Schmidt would rather take an ATV, but that would take eight hours minimum to drive around the Skalvil Sea when the plane can have him on site in a half hour. Better take Pavlov too. Hernandez can't find the wet spot without Pavlov checking the charts. Jones and Saar would round out the squad. If the colonists started getting lippy the two ex-army hands tended to shoot real straight.

Schmidt, Pavlov, and Saar clambered aboard with their gear and filter masks while Jones put the last of the fusion tape on his repair work. Hernandez went through the final check and with a course laid in lifted off and out of the dome. It was a typical Skalvil morning. Driving acid rain obscuring the blood purple sky and the brown rugged landscape of the defile spread out into nothing. The black Skalvil “sea” below let Schmidt know they were on course and shortly they were over the prominent outcropping on the far eastern shore where OHRF sat. OHRF's control tower was broadcasting its regular warnings; “Entering restricted air space. Property of Omni Sun. Trespassing prohibited. Unauthorized landings will result in arrest, etc.” Circling the facility all the lights were on. The tower's beam sweeping the premise regularly. Why wasn't anyone home? Just as the chief said a contingent of colonists in their homemade enviro suits were demonstrating at the front gate. Schmidt quickly calculated they couldn't stay out their all day. Oxygen was expensive. The colonists would have to get satisfaction soon or they would need to head back to the dome or a nearby underground farm.

Bring us down inside, right in front of the gate”, ordered Schmidt. “I want to let the dirt farmers know someone is in charge around here”. Hernandez brought the VTOL smartly down on the concrete pad inside the electrified fence and everyone piled out.

Bargas is with them Major.” said Pavlov. Pavlov grew up in the dome and he recognized the union boss among the colonists. A tall man, his patchwork “skins” were well known to security personal. Bargas was tough, smart and the Skalvil dirt farmers loved him. The labor leader was calling out loudly to the squad.

Ask him what he thinks he is going to accomplish out here.” Schmidt replied. “Don't forget to tell him the electrical fence is still live.” Pavlov didn't like to handle heavy firepower like Saar and Jones. With a body pistol tucked away he was the least intimidating looking of the bunch. His mesh security jacket swallowed up his narrow frame making him look like an overgrown child as he walked through the rain to the gate.

What do you want Bargas?” Pavlov asked, looking through the ten foot high chain link fence.



What do you think? I want my damn water! We're all paid up. Omni try to break our back, well, we won't let that happen.” Pavlov, unsurprised, could now see some rifles and other side arms being carried by some of the men. The twenty something colonists came packing.

Well don't worry, that's why we're here. We'll get this all sorted.”

You got four hours.”

Four hours? You're kidding me, right? Something must be wrong with the pumps. If it was an easy fix it would've been done by now.”

Bullshit. Omni's jerking our chain. You got four hours or we go in and fix it ourselves.” It was next to impossible to read Bargas' expression through the thick lenses and rubbery, articulating respirator, but his harsh voice was sounding desperate.

Look, if you want it fixed that fast you are going to have to show me some love. You come up with some of your boys monthly dues and I'll see what I can make happen.”

You do that Pavlov you got a deal. Don't forget I know where you live.”

Pavlov double timed it back to Schmidt and the rest of the squad standing under the shelter of the VTOL. “He says get the water flowing again in four hours and there won't be any trouble. I got him to agree to a piece of the labor coffers for the heavy lift.”

Schmidt gave a derisive snort and ordered the squad to the front door. Jones started whistling, “Love me some chedder, when Omni don't know even better.” He couldn't sing, but he knew Saar hated him singing so it was always worth it.

Major, the access code doesn't work. What gives?” Saar looked over his shoulder at Schmidt. He had taken off his gloves and was punching in the code another time.

Is it broken?” Schmidt asked.

No, everything's powered up. It just keeps telling me invalid access code.”

We don't have time for this Saar, take it apart and get the door open.”

Saar broke out his electronic tool kit, punched out the thick stainless screws and went to work on the wiring being the screen. With the hand-held running diagnostics Saar noticed it wasn't just an unauthorized code change. It seemed the code function was blanked out entirely. Regardless the magnetic locks released under his direction and one of the sturdy metal doors slid back. The soft, yellow glow of the recessed interior lighting was on. The reception area was only unusual by the lack of staff at the front desk. Jones swept the nearby rest rooms while Saar started punching the comm at the front desk calling out for personal.

The plumbing works!” Jones smiled, hitching up his pants as he exited the Men's Room.

That should mean there is only a problem with the pump,” concluded Schmidt. “Let's find access to the lower level. The filter and pump equipment should be there.”

Which way,” asked Hernandez?

That would be restricted information Hernandez,” replied Schmidt. “But there should be a lift near the center. We'll take the corridor straight ahead. Any luck raising the Director or any staff Saar?”

Saar just shook his head, “Everything is working fine Major. There's just no one answering.”

This is strange.” said Jones.

The squad stalked the hall to the door at the end. Saar had to hack the electronic door lock just like the entry. On the other side the passage split three ways. Left, right and straight ahead. To the left down the corridor could be seen a sign for the computer room, to the right at the end of the hall a door to the communications center. Saar, with his electronic hand-held still out begged to check out the computer room.

Let's go, we'll check it out.” said the Major. Saar once again had to hack the door, but by now he had figured out the programming and it took less then ten seconds with the hand-held. Banks of computer tapes hummed in the servers, uploading data which constantly streamed from the facilities different equipment.

I won't be able to decode anything right now Major, but I can download the recent logs. Should be a lot of information what's been going on the last few days.”

Do it” Schmidt knew Saar was more keen on downloading anything he could sell on the black market, but it still was a sensible move. It took ten minutes before Saar called it quits. His data storage drive stuffed with who knows what.

I want to check out the comm room before we head to the pumps. I want to find some staff real soon.” Ordered Schmidt. Saar knew what to do so the squad gave him room and kept their weapons unslung. This time though instead of green lights and releasing mag locks Saar watched the hand-held pop and a violent surge of electricity coursed his arms. He yelled in pain and dropped the slagged electronic tool.

Effing thing was rigged to do that!” Saar complained. He held his scorched hands between his legs rocking back in forth in pain.

That door isn't opening now,” Jones stated the obvious, “but hey Saars, your in luck here is Medical.” Jones was grinning. The dangerous electrical short, while frying the mag locks on the communications door, released the door to the sick bay right near by.

Fracking great!” hissed Saar.

Check it out Jones, weapons ready.” ordered the Major. A quick sweep of the room found it empty besides being a functioning medical unit. Pavlov located a first aid kit and started treating Saar's burnt hands. That's how Pavlov noticed some of the cabinets had been rifled through. Chemical and drug testing equipment was scattered over the counter. Closer inspection showed someone had been testing Zucor, the hard to get and much desired sweetener the wealthy corporates had to have.

Major, why would anyone be needing to test Zucor?” Pavlov pointed to the counter.

I am sure I have no idea.” Schmidt replied. “Are you two done playing paddy-cake? Let's move.”



Pavlov took the lead and the squad exited out Medical into another long hall running left and right. The squad headed right towards the center of the complex and the elevator they could see. The Major brought up the rear while Hernandez hung back in Medical. The pilot wasn't the type to take the lead when the Major and his boys unslung their guns.

Schmidt felt like a flat-footed fool when at either end of the long corridor the electronic doors slid open revealing a pair of armed men leaning in with aimed carbines. It didn't stop him from charging the nearest attacker shotgun blazing. Jones and Saar followed their commander's lead like they've done hundreds of times before; shoot first, then again and again. Armed only with a pistol Pavlov hurled himself at the nearby elevator door hoping it was still active. The shotgun blast was deafening in the metal corridor. Saar's submachine gun barked and sprayed lead like rain drops on a tin roof and the crack of rifle and carbine fire lashed out. The trained army soldiers took down their opponents. Either sloppy in their execution or overly confident in getting the drop on the squad the work clad strangers wearing opaque filter masks lay groaning or unmoving on the floor. They had managed to tag Saar. He was bleeding badly. Schmidt quickly kicked the attacker's carbines away while Jones covered the other two shot at the other end of the hall. He noticed Pavlov had made the elevator in the mayhem and was descending to the second floor. Hernandez stuck his head out from Medical.

We good?”



Tuesday, February 20

Classic Traveller: Returning to the ETU-A1215 Subsector

Wow, I cannot believe two years have passed since I took my first crack at running a game of Classic Traveller (link to private community but I'll let you in if your curious).

It would have continued to languish I'm sure, but Calvin & Hobbs, I mean Gobs & Hoblins, no that's not right; +Jason Hobbs of Hobbs & Friends of the OSR started whining like a teen about wanting to try more OSR games he never played before, including Traveller. Perfect, he would never know if I'm running it wrong. Seriously though, I once knew how he feels. I had my experience. Here was an opportunity to pass it on.

The initial adventure arc finished with a single survivor from a party of four experienced Traveller grognards. I asked this lone survivor if he was down for continuing and like all CT junkies  he was in. Hobbs is dragging some other OSR devotees along and it is now time to pick up where The Monolith from Beyond Space & Time last left us. 

So I start to hyperventilate a bit. The setting felt nice and containable two years ago because I knew what I was going to do; sci-fi horror. Players encounter a dangerous anomaly and let the carnage flow. No need to think about greater campaign implications cause most likely everyone will die. See that label "Ahenti" in the upper left of the subsector map? I have know idea what that means. I just wrote it cause I liked it when it popped into my mind two years ago. 

But now the chickens are coming home to roost. Now I have to maintain the weird horror science fiction role play with the same level of coolness that tMfBS&T infused. Can I still rely on the LBB's of CT to fuel another satisfying adventure arc filled with close, personal action against the backdrop of a galactic setting?

The Traveller Out of the Box series over at the Tales to Astound blog got me straight on Classic Traveller is not the Third Imperium. Classic Traveller is not an implied setting. Classic Traveller is about making the action where the PC's are and be about what they are doing. Those attractive thin black books sit mutely promising... what? The LBB's deliver on a core OSR concepts which TSR summed up nicely; "Tools for the Imagination!" Don't let us do your imagining for you I think they also said. This is your deal. This is your show. You have to bring it. I have a couple of days now to marinade my mind with all my favorite messed up sci-fi stuff. Then I have to laser focus all the star-spanning ideas into a tightly packaged shit show. 

The suggestion box is now open.


Saturday, February 17

$200 Adventure Writing Contest!

I am offering a $200.00 prize for a 1,000 word adventure which will be included in Deluxe USR Sword & Sorcery.

Here is the pitch; Race of Sorrows, a "Faction Kit" adventure culminating in a championship horse race. The text should focus on the various NPC's scheming to win. The "best" rider is a poor peasant underdog now kidnapped by an alchemist. The alchemist has a process to steal the rider's skill and transfer their abilities into the alchemist's own jockey.


The adventure should facilitate the Crypt Keeper in allowing the PC's to involve themselves in the adventure in any way they see fit. I'm looking at +Zzarchov Kowolski 's Scenic Dunnsmouth as an example of what I have in mind. This would allow the PC's to champion the underdog, scheme with any of the cheating factions or just straight up try to uncover who the fix is on and bet accordingly. 

There is one site location which needs to be considered; the alchemist's abode, but how this is presented is up to your interpretation. 

Don't worry about game stats or anything about pari-mutuel wagering. I've spent way too much time at the track so I have payout resolution covered. 

The race should be a procedural "saving throw" to achieve a winner.

Submission deadline is March 16, 2018 so four weeks. Winning criteria is completely subjective; it will be what I like best. At a thousand words this works out to twenty cents a word. Going over the word count is okay, but does not increase my stake. But a thousand is minimum for consideration. Unless you are absolutely genius and your submission stands head and shoulders above the rest!

Who wants the bloody crown of victory and skin me out of my jaw teeth!


Submissions can be sent to me here on G+ or jay@vanishingtowerpress.com.

Wednesday, February 14

USR Sword & Sorcery spotted in the wild!

+Brian Isikoff flashed on Google+ he was considering USR Sword & Sorcery for running +Mike Evans Ennie Award Winning setting Hubris!



That. Is. So. Cool!

Sunday, January 28

Norton & Goodman together again…

One of my regular players could not make last weeks regularly scheduled game. Going on over two years of online play he has never missed a session so he is involved in like everything which has happened to date. During the previous session when the good Dr. Thomas Norton last played he ended up getting separated from the party so being absent didn't force any hand-waving to explain his absence. Still, with vacation coming up here at the end of the week another regularly scheduled session was going to be scratched leaving the next live session not until February 18. Damn, just too darn long for my tastes. What to do, what to do…


I decided on an off week bonus game session. It would focus on the activities of the Dr. until he was able to rejoin the party proper. This would also give me a chance to let a previous regular player jump in for a session since, no fault of his own, he had to change his schedule like last year and could no longer make the live sessions.

Without going into a detailed session report, okay, a mildly detailed session report, I have to say I really like splitting the party and having action happen “off-screen” to the rest of the party. Time commitments are the only thing holding me back from doing this ongoing, but getting in another session covering mushrooming campaign action was a blast. First, I get a bigger game world with multiple courses of action occurring. Second, it gives me practice towards accomplishing my ultimate role-playing goal. I'm sure this has been done before, but I would like to have different campaigns with different players meet up in special cross-over sessions much like Elric would run into manifestations of himself in the multiverse. This means I would have tangential relations to the major world changing effects/enemies in each of the different campaign worlds and players who previously didn't know anything about the other game would find themselves face to face with PC's they've never encountered before, even possibly playing a completely different game system then the other party. Something uniquely doable with online play.

But on this night of January 19, 1646 in Great Yarmouth the gasping, spent Dr. is urged on by his old Puritan soldiering grognard companion Saul Goodman coming out of the gloom. Recently returned from a secret mission on Zeal's behalf he immediately searched for Dr. Thomas Norton when finished debriefing. Norton had split from his badly wounded companions in the hopes of keeping the escaping Xaxus/Martyn, the current villainous threat, and his loaded wagon in sight.

Random rolls established how long before the pair located the now abandoned wagon and we got underway. This is where I hoped to channel some of those great city pursuit adventures. A bit of Carlito's Way, The Matrix Reloaded, Collateral, Bourne Identity, etc. was what I had in mind for the session, but this is 1646. What kind of sexy, neo-noir, dangerous urban challenges does a cold night in the golden age of dysentery have to offer our ruthless duo? What would actually be interesting to encounter but not seem like utter rubbish? Going to the historical record has been really useful for my game prep. One, I know “bollocks” about this period of time, and two, +James Raggi has built his successful line of game adventures on this time period so this tells me there are plenty of real horrible tales to be told from such a record. Still the question stands, what is their to do in a town like Great Yarmouth when street lights haven't even been invented yet?

The abandoned wagon provided a rather staid opening for session start. I spiced it up with some hanger-ons drinking and fornicating among the ransacked goods. This gave the PC's their first chance to pick up the trail. Their target left with one of the locals and they got a direction. The next possible encounter was a Puritan mass for some of the destitute locals. While there target was not here I provided another clue from a parishioner. What made it interesting? I poached descriptions from the beginning of Moby Dick. Ishmael's night wanderings in Nantucket can provide great sights, sounds and smells of an active fishing town. Sexy? In the eye of the beholder. But its Melville, the guy can write. You would have to be one of Dr. Norton's patients not to respond somehow to what he is laying down. So this encounter gets the PC's some more concrete location information and they make their move. I couldn't find any “historical” record of my next location, I made it up, but it was time to put out my 1646 disco ball! An illicit “tea” shop serving up the new rage from the New World; coffee and cocaine! Complete with a tuned-up accordion player and upscale clientele. I'm a big fan of random encounters and I rolled a Doctor, a Dr. Howy Brass, as the random NPC the villain would encounter here. I rolled this ahead of time during my session prep. This gives me time to ask myself the usual questions; "Why would Xaxus find this person interesting/useful?", "What would such an encounter lead to?". This would be my plot hook to hang my alien god on so I wanted it to be satisfying, make sense and offer opportunities to kill PC's. Back to historical research. What fucked up things could your average Paracelsan physician get up into? I came away from google with Distillation Furnaces and Boyle's Law. Click, click, click. So we have coked out monied gentleman, one experimenting with purifying the mind of ill-humors and a desperate alien entity looking to convert as many people as possible to his cause as willing slaves, hmm….

I won't bore you with any more details. Suffice to say this provided plenty of activity and action for the PC's to engage with and let the bloody chips fall where they may. And it left me feeling, split the party? Hell yeah!

Friday, January 26

Assassin's Guild Random Name Generator

Scott Malthouse posted a quick table which will give you one hundred random names for your Assassin's Guild. Here is the text thrown together for your very own one-click generator;