Swords & Stitchery

 A Leigh Brackett-style Mars campaign for an Old-School Renaissance (OSR) game moves away from the "superheroic" feel of John Carter and toward a gritty, "Sword & Science" noir. Her Mars is a dying, dusty world where ancient civilizations are being encroached upon by cynical Earth corporations and hard-boiled mercenaries.This blog entry picks right up from OSR Mars Campaign Update :Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 Thirteen Parsecs: Beyond the Solar Frontier is a toolkit-style science fiction tabletop RPG designed by Jason Vey and published by Elf Lair Games. Released in 2024, it is the third pillar in their "trilogy" of core games, following Night Shift (modern horror) and Wasted Lands (fantasy).+1

 Mixing the "Raygun Gothic" surrealism of C.L. Moore’s North West of Earth with the grimy, claustrophobic body horror of The Red Room and The New Flesh creates a campaign setting that is essentially "Cyberpunk at the Edge of Cosmic Madness."In this world, the frontier of space isn't a high-tech utopia; it’s a decaying, visceral nightmare where the laws of physics are as fragile as the human Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 Ah, the Pre-Cataclysmic Age. Before the oceans drank Atlantis, and before the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of—and a king named Kull. This blog entry picks right up from Kull era Serpent Men Relics & Treasures Table For a Sword & Sorcery Castles & Crusades rpg CampaignTo capture the specific vibe of Robert E. Howard’s Valusia, you need more than justNeedleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 This campaign for Castles & Crusades uses the "Conquistadors of Mictlan" line by Antediluvian Miniatures to create a "Lost World" pulp-fantasy setting. This 'Lost World' Pulp setting has become an Inner Earth level. We replaced our party's numbers who had been killed last game with several explorers.  This leg of the campaign picks right up from Aethel, the Sunken Core Inner Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 The MADOX-01 (Metal Armor Differential-Operational Experiment) is the quintessential "heavy metal" power suit. In the context of the Hostile RPG (which uses the 2D6 Cepheus Engine/Traveller framework), the MADOX-01 functions as a prototype Heavy Powered Armor unit designed for urban pacification and anti-tank roles.

 Combining the "Big Three" of planetary romance—Burroughs, Brackett, and Moore—creates a Mars (or Barsoom, or Ma'adim) that is a haunting, neon-and-dust graveyard of a world. In an OSR (Old School Essentials, Dungeon World, or Worlds Without Number) context, this is a "Science-Fantasy" setting where the "dungeons" are decaying crystal cities and the "dragons" are multi-legged predators or Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

Wandering a sun-scorched wasteland shouldn't just be about thirst and exhaustion—it’s about the bizarre, the ancient, and the deadly. Here is a D100 table designed for a gritty Sword & Sorcery setting (think Conan, John Carter, or Dark Sun). This blog post picks right up here from Kull era Serpent Men Relics & Treasures Table For a Sword & Sorcery Castles & Crusades rpg Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 Combining Hostile (a gritty, industrial sci-fi setting) with Alien and The Bio Booster Armor Guyver creates a terrifying "Bio-Industrial Horror" aesthetic. In this world, the "Company" isn't just looking for a biological weapon—they are looking for a way to merge human consciousness with ancient, god-like weaponry. This blog entry picks right up right from The Mission Encounter: The Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 Combining the high-octane, neon-noir espionage of Agents of W.R.E.T.C.H. with the visceral, body-horror evolution of New Flesh creates a campaign setting that is equal parts James Bond, Akira, and The Fly.In this world, the Cold War never ended; it just moved inside the human genome. This adventure picks up two years after events at the last session. T.H.E. Cat calls in the party who have Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 In the Thurian Age of King Kull, the Serpent Men are not merely monsters; they are the remnants of a pre-human empire built on alchemy, sorcery, and the worship of the Great Serpent. Their treasures reflect a civilization that was ancient when the first humans were still shivering in caves.This blog entry picks right up from D100 Conan era Eldritch Spirits & Forbidden Rituals Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 The mission seemed simple, go into the borderlands and retrieve the Duke's son from the Black Martians. Things went sideways as our party hit the gates and encountered our first tripod! Tripods and in Barrows and Borderlands are a bit different. Here's some of the campaign notes.  We crossed into the Martian Gate and found the ruins of the Tripod where the Duke's son was held in a Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 Combining the lush, decadent planetary horror of C.L. Moore’s Northwest Smith with the industrial, claustrophobic grit of The Red Room’s Orbital Decay creates a unique subgenre: Grime-Pulp Cosmic Horror.In this mashup, the "Old Solar System" (breathable Mars, jungle Venus) is replaced by the decaying, corporate-owned vacuum of Orbital Decay, but the threats are no longer just malfunctioningNeedleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 You’re blending the "Lost World" Victorian pulp of the 1978 film Warlords of Atlantis with the gritty, modern-supernatural edge of Night Shift and the streamlined OSR feel of Castles & Crusades. This leg of the campaign picks right up from here on the blog.Aethel, the Sunken Core Inner Earth Sword & Sorcery Campaign Adventure Using both Castles & Crusades (C&C) and Night Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 In the Hyborian Age, treasure is rarely just "gold." It is often heavy with history, stained by blood, or humming with an unsettling, pre-human energy. This blog entry picks right up from OSR Sword & Sorcery Undead Encounter Tables with Rumors, Relics and Boss Monsters For Especially Castles & Crusades & Other Old School GamesHere is a d100 table of abandoned relics and Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 Yes, The Invisible College (by RPGPundit/Well of Urd Press) is not only playable with the Wretchedverse, but there is actually official crossover material designed specifically for this combination. This blog entry picks right up from here on the blog. Because both games are built on OSR (Old-School Essentials/D20-adjacent) foundations, they share a mechanical DNA that makes them Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 The Alphyn is one of those classic, heraldic-inspired monsters that fits perfectly into the old-school aesthetic of Castles & Crusades. While it looks like a relative of the Griffin or the Manticore, it has its own unique, bizarre flair. This blog post picks right up from here on the blog.Here is a breakdown of how the Alphyn typically functions within the C&C framework.The CreatureNeedleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 To incorporate Troll Lord Games’ Tainted Lands into your campaign, you have to lean into its "heavy metal horror" vibe. It isn’t just a setting; it’s a mechanical and thematic overlay designed by Jim Ward to turn a standard Castles & Crusades (or OSR) game into a desperate fight for survival against a landscape that is actively trying to corrupt the players.Here is how to weave these Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 It’s a fascinating combination! The short answer is yes, they can certainly be played together, but they require a bit of "mechanical bridge-building" because they approach the Victorian era from very different angles.Here is how you can blend Troll Lord Games’ Victorious (a superhero/steampunk RPG based on the Castles & Crusades system) with The Red Room’s Bella Époque (a darker, more Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 In the world of Castles & Crusades, the Calygreyhound is a creature drawn directly from medieval heraldry. While many fantasy monsters strive for a shred of biological realism, the Calygreyhound is proudly "impossible"—a chimeric beast that symbolizes absolute speed and supernatural swiftness.Physical DescriptionThe Calygreyhound is a bizarre amalgamation of several creatures. In the Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0