How to: make a Pringles can scroll case

A simple cardboard tube scroll case

As I explained in an earlier post, I'm going to be running a scenario which involves the PCs having a message delivered to them in a scroll case and it needs a prop, so i'll show you how to make one.

You will need:

• A "Pringles" can or similar stiff cardboard tube.  Ok, so I used a poster tube, but the concept's the same.
  
• Faux leather or other material to cover the tube.  Cheap to buy in any haberdasher.
  
• Spray-on glue, make sure to check the can to make sure it doesn't contain a solvent which will melt the vinyl.
  
• A permanent marker or "Sharpie"

The Instructions:

Mark your start point then roll - Step 1 Cut out a rectangle - Step 1 Mark out an end cap - Step 3 Roll and glue end cap body - Step 4 Mark and slash end cap body - Step 5 Fit end cap covers - Step 6

1. Place your material on a flat surface and place your cardboard tube on top. Use the marker to draw a line on the edge of the tube at both ends where it meets the material. Roll the tube along 1 revolution until the line on the tube meets the material and mark again. Join up the marks to make a rectangle.  Add a little extra on one long edge and one short edge. Cut section out with a sharp pair of scissors or a very sharp craft knife, be careful not to snag the backing as vinyl leather has a tendency to stretch rather than tear.
   
   
2. Spray the glue onto the material (check the can, as you may have to leave it a few minutes to activate, make sure you do it in a well ventilated room as this stuff can be smelly if not downright hazardous if you inhale the fumes) then carefully line up the tube on one edge and roll along the material making sure that you apply even pressure to prevent any wrinkling, then leave to dry.
   
   
3. Follow the same process you used in Step 1 to mark out another rectangle, this will become an end cap.  Mark out a glue tab and mask off with some newspaper, so when you spray on the glue you don't get any on the inside of the cap.  Optional: The vinyl is pretty thin so if you want a more sturdy cap wrap a piece of thin card around the tube a couple of times to create a sleeve.  Then mark up the rectangle around this sleeve.
   
   
4. Place your covered tube on the unglued part of the tube and roll it up.  It's a good idea to make this part a bit loose to make it easy to get the cap on and off, leave it to dry.
   
   
5. If your tube had a plastic cap use this to mark out two circles of material to cap off each end.  Cut these out and leave to one side.  In order to fix these to the ends of the tube and cap you'll need to cut slashes in the overhang you created.  On the long tube this is simple, on the cap you'll need to slide the cap over the end to create a decent sized flap to glue the end cap covers.
   
   
6. Now comes the tricky bit... Spray glue on an end cap cover (you'll need to do this bit one at a time as it's fiddley) and leave for a couple of minutes to go tacky.  Then carefully attach the circular cover bending and sticking each flap as you go, leave to dry before repeating the process at the other end.  Optional: If you followed the optional instruction in step 3 you'll want to reinforce the end cap with a disc of stiff cardboard like artists mounting board.
   
   
7. Eh Voila! you have a basic scroll case.  You can embelish it with stitching made from string, piping or brocade to cover up the seam lines.

If you make a scroll case using these instructions please comment and include a picture link, I'd love to see how you got on.

Next project: How to make an "antique" paper scrolls.

Old Skool Accessory: The Fighting Wheel

It sounds like some really cool martial arts weapon, or a futuristic Armoured Fighting Vehicle...

Nope it's a circular dial which helps you calculate your favourite weapon's Damage, Space Required, #Attacks, THAC0 and AC target number.

Obverse (Front): Battleaxe to Footman's Pick

How the heck do you use it? I hear you cry. 

You find your weapon of choice around the rim (all the weapons are there, some on the front and some on the back) and then dial in your level using the inner wheel. When your level and weapon are aligned your AC bonuses appear in the middle window. Simples...

Reverse (Back): Horsema's Pick to Voulge and Missile Weapons

How to make your own Fantasy Googlemap with MapLib without needing to be a code monkey

NB: I've since written an update to this article which details my thoughts about MapLib 6 Months into a mapping project of my own.

I've seen a couple of campaign world maps which use the googlemaps api and wondered how easy is it to make your own.  The answer very hard if you're not a bonafide javascript code monkey.  I then came across www.MapLib.net, a free service which allows you to build your own maps with custom overlays.  This is far too useful to keep to myself so here goes:

You'll Need:

• A JPG, PNG or GIF of your campaign world.
• A MapLib account (they're free)
• Plenty of patience

Add your map to MapLib.net

Once you're logged in, go to the "My Pictures" section and upload an image. If you want a 4:3 ratio map use the settings below.  Place a map pin to define a location and type in it's name in the pop-up box.  You can add descriptions (see the example below) to the pins and include hyperlinks.  If you have them upload your own custom icons (or use the ones that other users have uploaded) and attach them instead of the bog standard pin.  If you've got lots of pins to manage you can create categories for Capitals, Cities, Towns or what ever takes your fancy. If you need to mark out an area or a line use the polygon or line tool.

Embedding Tips

Make your iframe at least 500px wide so your users can close any map pin pop-ups you create.

After much trial and error I came up with these settings for my 4:3 ratio (2046 x 1536 pixels) map:

Zoom Level 7

IFRAME SETTINGS:

WIDTH: 512px, HEIGHT: 409px, LAT: -53.750, LNG: 36.558, Z: 7

Zoom Level 8

IFRAME SETTINGS:

WIDTH: 512px, HEIGHT: 409px, LAT: -53.750, LNG: 36.558, Z: 8

Zoom Level 8

IFRAME SETTINGS:

WIDTH: 512px, HEIGHT: 409px, LAT: -53.750, LNG: 36.558, Z: 9

Dragonmeet 2010

This post comes to you live from Dragonmeet 2010.

10:00 - And it's the usual mad dash to the sign-ups table for the morning session.

10:30 - Playing Dead of Night, and being DM'd by one of it's authors Scott Dorward.

13:15 - Just finished Dead of Night, an excellent horror scenario set in an abandoned church in 1920's Islington, London.  I loved the "Tension" mechanic, a sort of timer which advances when PCs spend survival points to affect the plot, I can see this being used in my SBA games.  We all had a lot of fun, great job Scott.  Now off to buy C&C at the trade stands.

14:00 - Sadly no luck picking up C&C will have to look online.  Spot of lunch required.  Missed out on sign-ups for afternoon RPG session.

Leo Marshall

15:00 - Back gaming in the main hall.  Playing Le Cardo with it's author Leo Marshall, a fun little crossword card game with lots of replay factor.  Enjoyed it so much I had to buy it.  Thanks Leo.

15:30 - Playing Pitch-car in the foyer

16:00 - Goodbye Dragonmeet see you next year.

+++ VIDEO UPDATE +++

Here's a short clip of the Trade Hall full of gamers.

Castles and Crusades: What do I NEED to buy?

I'm at a nexus.  My mac had an update crisis at the weekend and ate my campaign world.  After a little bit of a cry, I came to the thinking that within this dark cloud lies the silver lining of opportunity.  I've been dissapointed with my experiences of DM'ing my campaign world with D&D 3.5 for a while so I'm off to Dragonmeet 2010 to buy Castles and Crusades.  I know I'll need the Players Handbook and probably Monsters and Treasure but is there anything else out there for C&C that I should definitely buy?  

Troll Hunter

Caught this movie trailer on The Book of Worlds.  

Released in Norway on 29 Oct 2010, but so far no details on when it will be scheduled for release in the UK, I expect it will be straight to DVD.  Enjoy...



I can see this having lots of potential for a modern horror scenario, perhaps Cthulhu Now, Delta Green or Conspiracy X. How about mixing in a bit of Kaiju, Godzilla vs Grimetosser perhaps?

Update: This film was fantastic and everyone should see it.

Tintin and Lovecraft Cover Art

I stumbled across these wonderful Lovecraft inspired imaginary Tintin covers by Murray Groat this morning thanks to BoingBoing and needed to share them.  I think this would be a great crossover genre with little or no modification.  In fact I think my next CoC character should be a boy detective.

Sin? or is it just Karma

Thanks to Jeff Rients for his thought provoking post Sin and Sin Points draft as I've been struggling with a way to explain how my Evil races exist.

Back in the day I playtested a friend's game about fairies (it was self published and even though I'm a credited playtester, I can't remember the name of the system... Answers on a postcard to the usual address please) which utilised a Karma system to manage Alignment.

The fun thing about the Karma system was that if you were essentially Good and did bad things you became Evil and vice versa. The whole game was wrapped around this concept.. The scenarios were based around the eternal struggle between the Good and Evil Fairies, Brownies, Redcaps, Pixies and Unicorns of Englis folklore. The task of the PCs was to convert the Evil fairies by not just foiling their plans but making them do Good things and making them gradually less Evil.

One of the most fun aspects of this Whenever you lost Karma (or gained it) your physical appearance would gradually change until you eventually changed into your Evil variant. This led to a little subterfuge on the players parts as the GM might make you grow a wart, one of your eyes would change colour or you'd get Evil eyebrows overnight!!

I thought that this physical change might work in my world so thinking cap on, my thoughts are thus:

Every race has it's Evil counter-race. Except Humans, 'cause every rule has to have an exception, each Race's diametrically opposed race is the antithesis of the Good. So for Elves who are very cultured and graceful it would have to be Goblins, who are crude, vulgar ugly creatures. This could take some time to put together but once the different factors are weighed up I should be able to come up with some nice transitions for the 6 or so common PC Races and the more common evil monsters.

The Alignment wheel has potential. As a mechanism to gauge the transitions from Good to Evil it's crude so maybe sub divide it a little to make the shift more gradual and give the player time to repent.

My pantheon needs more Evil Gods - I've always thought that my campaign world's Pantheon was a bit loaded towards the Neutral or Good sides. It will force me to be a bit creative and there's more opportunity for plots which take place in my teutonic setting of Wulfschlossen where the boy King's army is led by a bunch of Bishop Generals.

It would give the Paladins a bit more colour. I've always thought that they were a bit too shiny and needed a few shades of bent copper added to the mix. Historically the Templars became tarnished when Pope Clement V abolished the order claiming that they were not Holy Defenders but Heretics.

Death is not the answer. However, when a PC gets to zero hit points and falls unconcious they should have a near death experience. As a result they could come back with a slight Alignment shift towards the darkside and maybe that wart or slightly greener shade of skin.

or I might be completely bonkers. You decide...

There's a rat in me kitchen what am I gonna do?

Well, over here in Blighty the nights are drawing in and the temperature has dropped, consequently I am now sharing my home with at least one field mouse.

I have to admit that, when we came face to nose, I did go a bit girly and shriek like Mammy Two Shoes when she sees Jerry the mouse.

It got me thinking about the classic movie scene when the heroes are going through a tunnel or sewer and a horde of rats comes writhing towards them and how whenever I've set the same scene in my game my players never react like I did when I saw the mouse?  The D20 SRD says that a rat swarm will cause

"Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a swarm in its square must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based."

The problem with this is that I want the players to suffer the effects before they are in the swarm and I want a fear condition not nausea.  Fear also escalates with exposure so a character who fails a fear check (Will save) is Shaken, fail twice and they're Frightened, fail three times and they're Panicked.  I just want 1 roll so I'm going to try:

• Fail by 1-3: Shaken
• Fail by 4-6: Frightened
• Fail by 7 or more: Panicked

This should prove entertaining...

Dragonmeet 2010

Anyone going to Dragonmeet 2010 this year?  I know I am and will definitely blogging about my favourite UK Con on here.  Maybe I'll even meet a few fellow bloggers on the day (look on the con message board), maybe I'll blog at the con.

For those of you who don't know Dragonmeet 2010 takes place on Saturday 27th November at Kensington Town Hall, doors open at 10:00am.

Whilst I'm there I'll also be:

• looking to pick up copies of D&D Essentials map tiles The Dungeon and The City after seeing Thaseus C's wonderful unboxing video on his blog "This is My Game".
  
  
• playing a few con games (lots of choice for morning and afternoon RPG game sessions are scheduled)
  
  
• supporting the traders by buying Castles & Crusades rulebooks to use as the system for my upcoming The Lands of Dual campaign

Hello Whirled! ...grr... Hello World!

Just had my case for membership of the rpgbloggers.com network approved, so woot! is me.  Sadly the first of my posts which was visible was an abortive mobile blogging attempt via BlogWritter app on my 3GS.  Damn unintuitive GUI!! I've just worked out that if you're in the "New Post" screen you can save a post in draft format just by tapping "Back".  Lesson learned...

"What was your first post then!" you ask

It was an instructable on how to make a scroll case from a Pringles can.

Let me explain, I'm looking through my old copies of Dungeon to get a few scenarios to link together to form a new plotline for my campaign world The Lands of Dual and I came across the scenario "A Race Against Time" (Issue 81 Jul/Aug 2000).  The scenario features a nice 3 hour timed plotline which calls for the delivery of a message in a scroll case delivered via juvenile winged snake courier.  The message is the cornerstone of the scenario and will be poured over ad-infitum by the players, so I thought it would be nice to give them a nice handout to look at.  The theatrics are very important for the message's punchline so I need to make a scroll case to hold the message.  The campaign starts in Jan 2011 so watch-out for more posts about the make and a session report.

I Want... Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency for Xmas

Stephen Mangan

Sadly there will be no new adaptation of a Terry Pratchett novel on the telly this Christmas.  Instead I'll have to enjoy the BBC's adaptation of Douglas Adams Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency...yes!!

Scheduled air date is 11 December 2010 on BBC 4 and stars Stephen Mangan as Dirk Gently and is directed by directed by Damon Thomas who directed the excellent BBC 4 adaptation of HG Wells' "The First Men In the Moon".  Rumour has it that if this pilot episode is well received it may become a series.

What's in your DM's bag?

Whilst writing the article Trouble with Torchlight I thought it would be neat to share pictures or descriptions of the contents of your DM'S bag.  Bags can be SPECIFIC (the one you use for your favourite game or the one you're currently using, GENERIC (containing all the things a DM just can't be without) or FANTASY (a bag you wish you owned or could even exist in this dimension)

In my GENERIC DM's Bag I have:

• Dice - I've forgotten these and then borrowed a players dice and blamed them for lucky monster successes.
• Munchies - gotta keep the DM awake somehow.
• Grid Paper - for drawing off the cuff maps when you're too lazy to
• Note Paper - for writing secret notes when you're too lazy to take the player out of the room.
• Adventure - yes once or twice I've forgotten to pack this, with hilarious consequences.
• Character Sheets - Some players don't like giving back their characters at the end of the night, but I find it makes it easier to cope I have to NPC a player's character in their stead when they can't make it to a session.
• Pens, Pencils and Markers - At my regular Friday night game we have a box of club resources such as dice and stationery.  We also use club battle mats (kitchen lino) so OHP pens come in handy for drawing walls and doors etc.
• Beverage - My beverage of choice is mineral water.  It doesn't exacerabate the sugar rush of the munchies and keeps me alert and hydrated.

Trouble with Torchlight - Part 1: Ideas

A session of a recent Diamond Throne game I played involved a short dungeon crawl.  The age old problem of lighting for the non infravision equipped players reared it's ugly head.  This got me thinking about ways to show the limit of torchlight in different ways, without turning this into a massive maker project.  I thought I'd brainstorm the options and jot them down here and then produce a few prototypes and document how each one works in a game.

2D Templates

The simplest (and perhaps most obvious) of options to make is a flat template:

Pros & Cons:

• flat and therefore easy to transport in a flap or a pocket in a ringbinder.
• easy to make, print on OHP (Over-Head Projector) film and cut out.
• cheap.
• can't simulate the height of anything

Idea 1: Single Zone - this template is the simplest to make, just use a compass to scribe a circle of the appropriate diameter on a sheet of stiff transparent plastic.  A good source for the plastic is packaging windows, you know the ones, the boxes from those toys you bought for Christmas with the big plastic windows so you can see what you're buying yourself.  There's no need to print anything on, but if you make lots of different ones for different effects you might need to write effect names on them with Permanent Marker. 

Idea 2: Multiple Zones - Slightly harder to make, and you might need to design something on the computer and then print it out onto OHP film.  Another way is to stack them on top of one another, pin or fix together with glue to show different effect zones.  If you can't get hold of coloured transparency film then colour with careful use of permanent marker.  The zones don't even have to be for the same game, the possibilities are up to you.

A 2D Multi Zone template

3D Templates

Same as 2D but with the added dimension of ... height. 

Pros & Cons:

• They're 3D so probably won't fold and therefore difficult to transport
• Harder to make or find suitable component
• More expensive
• Bulkier in play, do they interfere with other miniatures, move them

Idea 1: The Dome or Tub - Finding suitable components for this will be tricky but I should have at least 1 by the time I write Part 3.  Some options are plastic soft drink bottles, CD drums, caps from Frappucchino or smoothie cups.

Idea 2: The Ring - a simple ring of stiff transparent plastic which stands on it's rim.   This I will definitely try to make.  A more advanced design would be adjustable like a belt so you can expand the ring for different sized zones.  The width of the ring can be made to simulate the height of an effect.  I'll make the belt style and try it out.

A Ring

Idea 3: The Cone - A cone of transparent plastic which can be placed over a miniature.  Cones stack inside each other for transport.  They can also be made out of a flat sheet of stiff transparent plastic like OHP film.

A Cone

Idea 4: The Cube - a transparent box which can be be created from flat sheets of stiff transparent plastic.  Sounds like papercraft to me, let me at it.

The Weird & Bizarre

A combination of 2D templates with a stand or something totally different.

Pros & Cons:

• clumsy to use in play
• expensive
• hard to make
• hard to store

Idea1: Tripod & Torch - Use a length of stiff wire or a wire coathanger and a pare of wire cutters to make a rudimetary tripod and a ring over which you can hang a small torch.  If the torch has a beam focus you could use it to give different size effect areas.

Idea 2: Tack and String - Less of a template and more of a measuring device.  Push a pin into the base of a plastic miniature then knot lengths of string to the pin.  Trim the string to the appropriate length or if making a multipurpose string add coloured tabs to the string.  Each miniature then has a handy radius measure

Idea 3: Radius rod.  Using a thin brass rod, dowel or heavy gauge wire.  Thread a 2D template onto the rod through a hole in it's centre.  A step or a blob of glue can be used to stop the template falling off the rod during use.  Templates can be removed for storage.  I'll have a go at this one.

If you've got some ideas that you want me to explore in prototype, feel free to comment below and if they pique my creativity I might just make them.  If you've got any prototype pics you've made yourself feel free to add links.

Old School Accessories: Story Path Cards

This is the first in a series of posts where I dig out all my old school accessories, game aids etc and try to explain how they work in a game session.

STORY PATH CARDS

Designed by Mark Rein Hagen and originally published by Lion Rampant as "Whimsy Cards" before being republished as "Story Path Cards" by White Wolf in 1990. There were 2 decks available: "The Path of Horror" and "The Path of Intrigue", both containing 24 tarot sized cards.

The cards feature a number from 1 to 7 and are played by either players or DM, in sequence starting with #1, a "Theme Card" which sets the overall tone, then 2, 3 and so on until a "Climax Card" is played. Playing cards allows players to influence the direction of the storyline or to gain extra insight into NPC motivations or find out rumours. Players are given cards by the DM either as rewards for good roleplay or heroic actions and can be played at any time, the DM being the final judge of the ultimate effect of any card. The DM can also use the cards to randomly generate an adventure or story path.

Big thanks to +Reuben Beattie and  +Regis Bacquet for providing the text for the missing cards.

THE PATH OF HORROR
SER	PATH #	CARD TITLE	CARD TEXT
1	1	Hint of Madness	Theme Card: The hideous wails of a thousand sorrows rise from the pit, slowly growing into a crescendo of madness.  This Path explores that aspect of reality, or lack of it, which deals with life on the edge.
2	1	Lost Cause	Theme Card:All efforts and ambitions are doomed to failure and defeat.  Ultimately, everything that the characters attempt will fail - they are on a lost cause.  There may be a way out, but only after this streak of misfortune plays itself out
3	1	Sense of Foreboding	Theme Card: The apprehension of danger foreshadows great peril.  Something in the air portends calamity, misfortune and death.  What is going to happen to you, or rather - when is it?  The horror of anticipation should permeate this Path
4	1	Vast Unknown	Theme Card:The universe is broad and contains much within it that is unknown, and ultimately, unknowable.  Mysteries, secrets, hidden terrors, dark horrors, and all that lurks beyond our sight can be a part of this Path
5	2	Eerie Sounds	Describe a strange, nearly unidentifiable sound resounding from the depths of the night - cackling laughter, God-foresaken howling, whispering voices, or a cry in the dark.  "What was that!  Did you hear something?"
6	2	Sickly Stench	Describe a horrible, nauseating smell of unidentifiable origin.  The smell might be of import to someone, a clue to what they are searching for.  "Its stench is like a cross between burning rubber and milk that's been left out for a month."
7	2	Unnatural Silence	Where there was once sound, noise, life, now there is only stark brutal silence.  Inexplicable and sudden, the absence of noise makes the heart grow cold.  The clutch of fear grasps all with this somehow sinister change in events.
8	2	Unnerving Premonitions	Describe to a single character a dark but uncertain vision of what may await them if they persevere in what they are doing.  Make it as sinister, malignant and apocalyptic as you desire - perhaps it really is only a vision.
9	3	Fleeting Glimpse	Through the trees, out od the darkness or from the shadows, the characters catch sight of something horrible or strange that fills their hearts with terror.  Describe in detail what they see, but who or what it really is might not be known for some time.
10	3	Ominous Omen	Introduce an enigmatic omen of peril into the story - a black cat crosses the rod or the characters discouver the moldering corpses of a previous expedition.  Something suggests future evil, but the significance of an omen is always uncertain.
11	3	Strange Apparition	Describe the appearance of a phantom, haunt, spectre, marsh-fire, will-o-wisp or even a delusion.  Something that is conjured out of the fog or supposedly seen in the shadows.  Whether real or hallucination will be discovered soon enough.
12	3	Suspicious Stranger	Introduce a stranger to the story - a cloaked wanderer, a sly guttersnipe, or a brutal bounty hunter.  Someone of a sinister nature that suggests, rightly or wrongly, of future peril - an outsider in your midst.
13	3	Remembered Dream	A relevant dream is recalled by a character. Describe the specifics of a nightmare, daydream or vision in an evocative and compelling manner, in a way that relates to the character's personality. What the character makes of it, however, is up to him. (Missing Card Text Supplied by: Regis Bacquet)
14	4	Hapless Victim	An innocent is harmed, sacrificed, or oppressed.  Perhaps they are hoodwinked, duped, tortured, or brutalized.  Describe the appearances of the situation, but leave the specifics to the GM.
15	4	Open Assault	Climax Card: The anticipation is over and the horror finally emerges in its full splendor - there is no need of dread, for terror will do.  Describe an attack of some sort upon a character or characters by an agent of the horror.
16	4	Something's Missing	Describe the loss of an object, person or animal which might have been important to a character, and explain why it might be missing (it had better make sense).  Whether it's really gone or not, or if the character is just imagining things, is up to the GM.
17	4	Unknown Lurker	Describe to a character the sensation that someone or something is lurking near them, just outside the periphery of their vision.  Identify how evidence of this fiendish prowler was obtained: tracks, sounds or maybe a confrontation.
18	5	Horrifying Discovery	Discoveries are not always heroic, they are often horrific.  Describe a discovery by a character in a way that will appall and frighten the players.  The close presence of such perversity is startling even to the most jaded.
19	5	Sudden Panic	Describe the frenzied emergence of dread and horror in a character or characters, or its residual effects.  It could  be just a false alarm, or they might have seen, heard or sensed something.
20	5	Unforseen Calamity	Climax Card: Because of what was overlooked and misunderstood, a great tragedy occurs, and something of consequence to the characters involved.  What appears to happen is up to you - what actually occurs is up to the GM.
21	6	Abduction	Climax Card: Someone or something is taken away, kidnapped or stolen - or an attempt is made to do so (perhaps just the results of such could be discovered).  Describe what is seen, but leave the results to the GM
22	6	Disfigurement	Something or someone has been marred or had their aesthetic value reduced, creating something of unpleasant and perhaps horrific countenance.  Describe what is seen in as much gruesome detail as you can.
23	6	Misguided Hope	It is hope that leads us onward into the future, and sometimes it is only hope that that keeps us going.  But sometimes hope proves to be misguided.  How was the hope misguided and what is likely to result because of it?
24	7	New Found Escape	Climax Card: Describe a potential way out of the situation, an escape which will take a character or characters out of harm's way.  It must make sense and fit the story, otherwise it's going to be Vetoed out from under you.

THE PATH OF INTRIGUE
SER	PATH #	CARD TITLE	CARD TEXT
1	1	Animosity	Theme Card: Hostility is prevalent and open, and hate affects everything in this Path, tainting and corrupting even the player characters.  This ill will may be openly expressed or harboured secretly in the heart, waiting to reupt at a later time.
2	1	Betrayal	Theme Card: All is deception and treachery.  You can trust nothing and no one.  This Path explores the double-crosses, faithlessness, and betrayals of a story of intrigue.  All cards played in this Path should relate to this theme of betrayal.
3	1	Things are Not as They Seem	Theme Card:What seems to be one thing is actually another.  What was once certain is now unknown.  This Path explores the confusion and mutability of what is thought to be known - the reality behind the veil of "truth."
4	1	Vengence	Theme Card: The sweet fulfillment of righteous revenge is a driving force.  It directs, mutates and consumes all that it touches.  The effects of someone's avenging nature must touch every card that is played along this Path.
5	2	Lasting Impression	An impression is made or an old one is reborn.  Perhaps the emotional effects of a forgotten experience reawakens within the character's mind, which may be of some import to the current situation.  Perhaps something occurs which will never be forgotten.
6	2	Meaningful Glance	The observation of a meaningful glance between two characters might illuminate the mysteries and secrets of the intrigues that are involved.  What really is seen and what it signifies are determined by the GM.
7	2	Mysterious Stranger	Introduce the appearance of a new and strange character into the story.  This individual forbodes an uncertain and mysterious future.  This card also allows you to describe in more detail anyone the GM has mentioned in passing.
8	2	Overheard Conversation	Relate to a character or characters a conversation overheard, making sure to describe how they happen to be within hearing distance.  You should only describe the situation and let the GM relate the details of the conversation.
9	2	Taint of Corruption	The stench is everywhere and unavoidable, whether it be political, social or animal.  It corrupts everything it touches, and always leaves its residue behind.  Describe what type of corruption it is and what type of mark it leaves behind.
10	3	Convincing Argument	A character is convinced, either enthusiastically or reluctantly, of the validity of another point of view.  They are swayed by the words and logic of another's argument.  Whether they are pretending, confused, or truly convinced is up to the GM.
11	3	Hidden Weapon	Describe how a weapon of some sort is being carried secretly by a character, giving another character a chance to spot it.  This could be a physical tool of destruction, or something less substantial, more subtle, nd far more dangerous.
12	3	Veiled Threat	A threat is made, though not in direct terms, for a degree of subtly is employed.  While the magnitude of the threat may not be fully understood and the characters are unsure of what was said, the overall meaning is quite clear, "… or else."
13	3	Ulterior Motive	Describe the covert intentions of a character, motives that a character may have besides those already known. This ulterior motive may have been discovered by a character, or it could be something shared by the players (at least at first). (Missing Card Text Supplied by: Reuben Beattie)
14	4	Double Cross	Climax Card: After a deal or understanding has been reached, a betrayal is made which could drive a character into ruin.  Describe the moment when the character first realizes something is amiss, but leave the details up to the GM.
15	4	Malicious Intent	A character does not mean well for those who oppose him, and concocts an evil plan.  The full nature of the enemy's design and what may later befall his enemies is likely to be unknown.
16	4	Secret Message	A message or a letter was either seen being passed along, or was somehow intercepted.  Describe the details behind the observation or the interception.  The GM will determine the contents of the message, if it can be understood at all.
17	4	False Accusations	An attempt is made to bring suspicion upon a character, through gossip, innuendo, or open accusation. Describe the details behind the accusation, but if it will substantially alter the plot, you'd better speak with the GM first. (Missing Card Text Supplied by: Reuben Beattie)
18	5	Impasse	A deadlock is reached from which there seems to be no escape.  Opinions and positions are entrenched and no one's giving an inch.  It does not seem as if the dispute can be amicably settled and a more extreme stage of conflict might soon be reached.
19	5	Mistaken Identity	Someone or something is taken for something else.  Embarrassment and even injury may result because of it.  Describe how the blunder was made, and the GM will decide how it will be concluded.
20	5	Uncovered Weakness	Climax Card: A situation may reverse itself as a weakness in the opponents' defenses is uncovered.  Secrets are revealed, new information surfaces, or the missing scale on a dragon is spotted.  Victory may soon be possible.
21	6	Inopportune Arrival	They arrived just in time - just in time, that is, to screw things up.  Something or someone just arrived to the chagrin or disadvantage of someone.  Unwelcome relatives, hated rivals, or perhaps the police.
22	6	Startling Discovery	Climax Card: What has been found is a surprise to all, giving great insight into what is being investigated or pursued.  Though not all may be made clear, much is revealed by the discovery (as described by GM).
23	6	Unwelcome Visitor	Someone or something appears in the scene that does not belong, yet is not necessarily an enemy or a danger.  They may complicate matters with their presence, but could actually be of some value later on.
24	7	Unexplained Aid	Climax Card: The cavalry comes to the rescue, bringing unanticipated help.  The rescue, however, may not be without its price.  Describe the aid as it is first perceived but leave the details to the GM.

Imagining D&D

Thanks to James Maliszewski at Grognardia for posing the question: "When you think about Dungeons & Dragons, the cover of what product comes first to mind?"

1e AD&D PHB

GW Blue Book D&D

9th Print 1e AD&D DMG

Well, for me it's gotta be the first edition AD&D PHB, and yet I never owned, played or DM'd this version of AD&D.  This cover is deceptively simple and features no heroic action unlike other covers, yet manages to capture essentially what happens in every dungeon crawl.  The Rogues engage in a little post fight thievery whilst the Fighters argue over which way to go next and the magic user leans on his staff exhausted after blowing the last of his spells on a mid dungeon minion.  You can also buy this iconic statue as a dungeon feature for your own games from Otherworld Miniatures.

The first version of D&D I owned was the 1e Blue Book produced by Games Workshop.  Sadly I was too young to really appreciate it, but it did start me out in this wonderful hobby.  Looking at the artwork, although a beautiful piece of pen and ink, it's not exactly evocative of the game contained within and harks back to the artwork of "The Hobbit" with it's  Beardsleyesque detail.

The version that I most fondly remember having spent hours pouring over almost sucking the content dry was the 9th print version of 1e AD&D DMG.  The artwork is quite powerful, suggesting that great secrets lie within and to get to them you must best the sinister figure standing between the doors.  One of Jeff Easley's finest and subtlest works.

Old Skool: The view from the UK

I read with interest many of the blogs from the otherside of the Atlantic and get a very different view of Roleplaying as a hobby.  There seems to be much more of a focus on playing commercial modules, and less about creating your own worlds and adventures.  How an industry which creates a rules system which offers you the opportunity to create your own world full only limited by your imagination manages to sell more product has always puzzled me.  Once I've bought the core rulebooks for a system I've usually written my own scenarios and source material (with the exception of Cyberpunk which I just loved).

Also the con scene is quite different in the UK.  Single day events being the norm and sharing fans across the gaming spectrum including wargamers, boardgamers and the odd sci-fi con.

The most startling difference is in my experience of how gaming groups are formed.  I've always gamed in large groups of between 10 to 20, congregating in public spaces such as church halls, libraries, community centres and even the odd public house (aka a bar).  I've hosted games at my home but these have always been as an extra to my regular weekly game session as part of an organised club.

I can guess at one or two of the reasons, America is a much bigger country with a lower population density than the UK, but this doesn't explain everything.  If you're reading this from the US (or any other part of the world) please feel free to set me straight.

Where's the gateway game for the tweenies?

A few new members have joined my regular game group over the past year and very few of them are younger than thirty, which got me thinking are roleplayers an ageing breed, are there young players out there? Casting my mind back to my impressionable youth I remember the gateway games which drew me into this amazing hobby, the Fighting Fantasy gamebook, the primitive computer text adventure games.  Which then set me wondering what is today's gateway game?

The console game world is littered with fantasy and sci-fi adventure games and first person shooters where the action is visceral and immersive.  With literacy levels dropping throughout the first world are kids really going to want to get into a hobby where it requires effort to read and to visualize for themselves?

I've dabbled in the CCG world with games such as Magic, but they always left me feeling a little bewildered and frustrated as excercises in strategy and lack any opportunity for imagination or storytelling.

The gamebook is still there but has expanded into newer titles such as the popular "Doctor Who: Decide Your Destiny series" or the classic Choose Your Own Adventure Series which is available as an app or an ebook (depending on your taste in tech).  The big difference now is that you'll never bump into a copy of D&D (or in my case T&T) by browsing the shelves of the app store.

There are lots of big box adventure boardgames such as DOOM, Descent, Talisman, Runebound, World of Warcraft and now the Ravenloft Boardgame.  But are these gateway games to RPGs or Boardgames?

Warhammer is still alive and kicking, but with the Rogue Trader and WHFRPS being being sold off to other publishers do the kids ever get exposed to these titles when they walk into their local Games Workshop store?

The future is pretty uncertain for RPGs (I doubt we will ever have an influx of youth again like we did in the 70s and 80s) unless technology changes our hobby into something that young people want to consume.

Digital Comic Museum

Today I discovered an amazing resource.  The Digital Comic Museum is an archive of titles from the golden age of comics between the late 30s and the early 50s.  All the content is guaranteed to be public domain and copyright free.  You'll need to register to gain access to the downloads but it's well worth it, particularly if you're in need of some inspiration for your next pulp adventure.

Scenario Timelines serious plot tool or DMs curse?

As a DM I've tried a number of different approaches to both writing and running adventures, but they've always fallen into one of two camps, the LINEAR or the TIMELINE based adventure.

Linear Plots

In a linear plot the PCs go from location to location (or scene to scene), the events happen solely within their timeline.  This is how most dungeon crawls are written, the party blunder into room 5 and trigger the goblin attack which they either deal with or don't, then it's off to the next room or location and so on until they end up defeating the evil archmage and rescuing the princess / orb of jozitzky (delete as applicable).  

From a DMs perspective these are easy to write and to run as the PCs don't do much choosing which path through the adventure they take.  However, depending on how immersed they are in the adventure, the PCs can sometimes detect the guiding hand of the DM which often led to player apathy and sometimes even rebellion.  They can also feel a little formulaic (not that there's anything wrong with dungeon bashing) if that's all the DM has in their arsenal.

 

Timeline Plots

In a timeline adventure the PCs wander from location to location but the events have a life of their own and can be triggered by the PCs, NPCs, the villain or even other events.  Often these are decided by an overarching game timeline, for example; at noon a fight breaks out in the marketplace, by 1pm the marketplace is cordoned off by the local sheriff, by 1:30 the aggrieved parties have been carted off to the local gaol, by dawn they are all executed.  

As DM you need to be aware of where the PCs are in relation to the EVENTS and any travelling time it might take them to get there, the time it takes for players to deal with an EVENT and argue about what to do next etc.  These are, on the whole, much more of a challenge to write and to DM but often more rewarding for players and DM alike for a number of reasons.

I find that some settings naturally lend themselves to timelines.  Of particular note are Judge Dredd and Cyberpunk, both of which are set in an urban sprawl:

Judge Dredd: The adventure timeline is usually crafted around a single perp's attempts at either committing a number of minor crimes escalating in scale and severity which (if the PCs follow the clues) will end up in a final showdown or one big crime and then the perp tries to cover their tracks.  

When I write my own adventures I pepper the timeline with lots of other events so the players have to decide which crimes are linked together in order to decide what to react to and which ones are set fressing or red herrings.  

The fact that the PCs are often street judges on patrol (but in constant communication with Justice Central) helps with the planning the events in a more linear way and allows you to communicate alerts and demand responses from the PCs to things that they hear on their radios.

Cyberpunk: The adventure timeline is usually crafted around the nefarious actions of a corporation or some other organisation.  The PCs interact with these events through various intermediaries or connections and may end up either working for or against the organisation at the heart of the plot. 

PCs are usually updated throughout the game with regular screamsheets and media broadcasts giving the players a sense of their insignificance in the world and (as I like to do) coverage of the effects of their actions from the opposite perspective.  The job for the PCs is to work out where they fit into all this and if they can or even should put a stop to it.

Communication is Key

One of the keys to running a timeline scenario is that the players need to be regularly made aware of events outside their immediate sphere.  In modern or sci-fi games this is usually not a problem as PCs usually have access to mobile phones or similar which you can use to appraise them of things happening in other locations.

In fantasy games this can be tricky as long distance communication is usually impossible unless the PCs have access to a magical artifact, spell or reliant on messenger birds.  In a city setting this is much easier due to the shorter distances involved.  You might get word of something happening on the other side of the city passed by word of mouth but this could suffer from Chinese Whispers and the actual details of the message get corrupted.  Alternatively you could have a fixer or a patron act as the party messenger using runners to get information to the PCs as swiftly and reliably as possible. 

Papercraft: Cart Horses

Following up from my post yesterday about techniques for making Paper Miniatures (and to accompany the Adventurers Cart I posted a few weeks ago), here's a PDF with some Cart Horse miniatures.

• Cart Horse (PDF)

Paper Miniatures

I read with interest the detailed instructions in NewbieDM's Tutorial – Counters, Tokens, or Pogs and thought about sharing some of the techniques I've used for creating paper minis over the years.

Standee Styles

There are a couple different styles of standee that I've made over the years most are either:

• A-Frame where the assembled miniature when viewed from the side resembles a letter A. The base ends either lock into each other or are glued together to form a square base.
  
  
• T-Shape where the assembled miniature resembles an inverted letter T.  I find this type most useful as they fold flat, take up less storage space and stand vertical.

Source your Images

I use a variety of sources for images Googleing works well, but my favourite (particularly) for PC and NPCs is the HeroMachine.

Build your Standee Template

In your favourite image editing package (Photoshop, GIMP) build a template for each standee using guides.  I usually use a scale of 1" = 5' so each humanoid standee base is either 1" square or round.  Mounted or monster miniatures will of couse be much larger.  Make sure everything is merged into 1 layer and then duplicate that layer to make a whole bunch of standees.

Add your images

Once you've chosen your images paste them into your template on a new layer and scale them to fit your template.  Make sure to proportionally scale the images otherwise your elf may look more like a dwarf and vice versa.

Once the frontside image is in place, duplicate that layer and flip it upside down, this becomes the back of the figure, move this backside layer so it is vertically above the frontside.  I then turn this into a sillhouette by changing the hue/saturation until the figure is all black.

Repeat this for each backside image and add a little text to number each miniature and you should get something resembling this:

Cut, Fold and Glue

All you need to do now is cut fold and glue the miniatures together and hey presto... your own zombie army!!

Plastic Bases

There are a few manufacturers out there who make an assortment of bases for use in boardgames and can be picked up very cheaply (£1 for 20).  These minis tend to be a little more economical as you don't need to waste as much paper and ink printing out the bases.  Just leave yourself a little rectangle of paper at the bottom of each mini to slot into each base.

Character Archetypes?

I was asked to create a filler game at short notice this week and wanted to try out a new character creation concept (well new to me anyway), character archetypes.  It's a halfway house between letting your players roll up their own characters or presenting them with fully written characters.

The archetypes are printed onto small pieces of card in the form of a TITLE, PRIMARY STAT & SKILL (or in the case of SBA a Primary Skill (at Superb +5) and a Stunt) and a BACKGROUND SENTENCE to provoke the players into writing their own background.  For example:

THE DASHING ARMY CAPTAIN

RAPPORT / Intergalactic Ladies Man

"Last one to rescue a young lady is a rotten egg"

or

THE YOUNG PLANETARY SCIENTIST

SCIENCE / Scientific Genius

"Those fools at the Royal Society don't appreciate the possibilities of my discovery"

I used this method because:

• I didn't have the time to pre-gen a bunch of characters for the game and write the scenario.
  
• The players were relatively unfamiliar with the system (Starblazer Adventures) and the genre (Victorian Sci-Fi).
  
• I find that players are less reckless with characters they've had a hand in creating rather than ones they're just given and this results in better roleplay.

So how did it work out?

I was quite pleased with the results.  I gave the players a few minutes to digest their choice and then did a small piece of 1 to 1 roleplay with each player to introduce their character into the game and to discuss some options which they might consider.  Each player then spent about 10 minutes or so fleshing out their character before we began with the opening scene.  I'll certainly be using it again and might consider it for other systems.

Papercraft Obelisks

Sersa V at Save Verus Death posted some nice papercraft obelisks which I had to build.   Perhaps this will be all the encouragement I need to run the Desert of Desolation again.  Here's a pic of how they turned out:

Cliche avoidance... or 4 ways I've put a party together through enforced captivity.

I know I've been guilty of using the "Bar Brawl" or the "Adventurer's Noticeboard" cliche's every once in a while but here are a few of the other ways I've brought a party of PCs together:

"It's a lovely summers day and the grass is even tastier than it was yesterday."

This was the opening line in a Justifiers RPG scenario where the PCs were all beta-humanoid sheep. They had been on a mission, to investigate the dissappearance of a fellow Justifier team, which had gone horribly wrong and they began the adventure in a pasture having been subjected to a neural wipe without any memory of themselves, their past or their species. Over a couple of sessions they gradually discovered their identities and skills as the neural wipe wore off.

"The guy in the unseasonal outfit seems to have wires running from his sleeve to something in his hand..."

In this Squadron UK scenario (see Project Daedalus postings) the PCs are the only survivors of a terrorist dirty bomb in Trafalgar Square.  The bomb awakens their latent superpowers (the genetic legacy of their grandparents) and during their recuperation in a secret government facility they get to know one another and explore their new found powers.

"You notice that the ship's motley crew are carrying short lengths of chain with manacles at each end.  Something tells you that you should start running..."

I started one of my The Lands of Dual fantasy campaigns by collecting together each of the players from their respective homelands with a slave pirate ship.  It's amazing how quickly a party bond with each other when they're chained together rowing for 18 hours a day!!

"You best be getting up to the Castle before the Siege starts..."

In this campaign opener the PCs were press ganged into becoming siege defenders by the Baron of a coastal town.  The PCs were unaware that the Baron was being controlled by the forces of darkness and that the King's forces, massing on the hills outside of town, were being led by a particularly devout Warrior Priest with strict instructions to erase the castle and it's inhabitants from history.

Papercraft: Adventurer's Cart

Something I've been meaning to put together for a while and with the help of Sketchup and the Unfold plugin (see my previous post for details) here it is...

The Adventurers Cart!!

Every party needs a cart to get from Town A to Village B and when you've slain the Dragon you need something to haul away it's horde.  For DM's sometimes it's just nice to make the PCs have a good old punch-up around a few wagons.

• The Adventurer's Cart (PDF)
• Cart Accessories (PDF)

Build instructions:

Normal rules apply; cut along solid lines, score along dashed lines, put tab A into slot A etc. 
I used chopped down cocktail sticks to secure the optional roof.

Enjoy

Iron Sky

After scanning the interweb for Nazi UFO pics I stumbled across some teaser posters for IRON SKY currently slated for a 2011 release.

The basic premise is that in 1945 the Nazis landed on the moon and set up a secret base where they have hiden out.  Cut to 2018 when the Nazi's try to invade Earth in their huge flying saucers and impose a Fourth Reich.  I hope the film turns out as good as some of these images:

More info on IMDB.  Oh those crazy Finns!!

Project Daedalus: Pt 4 - The return of "D Platoon"

Once the PCs have managed to locate the Nazi research facility they mount an infiltration attempt.  Inside they discover a large hanger equipped with two UFO's, an airstrip, factory complex, drawing office, barracks and a prison.  Inside the prison are the remaining members of "D Platoon".

The PCs must gather as much evidence of the Nazi UFO Research and return to their own time.  The question the PCs must answer is do they attempt to release their own grandparents from the clutches of the evil Nazis and in doing so change their own futures?...

Project Daedalus: Pt 3 - Behind Enemy Lines

Two days later the PC's are briefed about a new mission.  The body of the German has been examined and it is in fact that of David Williams (code name D4) of the original "D Platoon", disguised as an SS guard.  In his jacket pocket was a scrap of paper with a grid reference scrawled on it  which corresponds to a location in the Bavarian Mountains North of ingolstatt.  During 1944 this was a suspected Nazi research facility.

The Nazi UFO is also being examined, early indications suggest that it is equipped with a primitive antigravity engine which the scientists predict would have had a strange effect on space time.

The PCs embark on a short helicopter ride to a rusting metal structure in the sea off the coast of England.  Inside are obvious scenes of repair and a clean up operation cables are strewn everywhere and the atmosphere is charged with electricity.

For more info: check out Maunsell Army Sea Forts at www.ecastles.co.uk

The head scientist is a chap called professor Jennings he explains that this site is a relic from the British attempts to recreate the American Philadelphia Experiment, inadvertently greating some sort of temporal vortex.  The scientists are confident that they can send the PCs back to the right time but they are having difficult focusing the other end of the temporal vortex.

The entry point for the vortex is below the main gantry of the central tower the PCs dropping through into it.  They black-out as soon as  they jump into the vortex, when they come to they are falling through the roof of a barn into a haystack.

The barn is approximately 1 mile from the site of the Nazi research facility in the foothills of the Bavarian mountains.

Project Daedalus Part 4 - The return of D Platoon

Project Daedalus: Pt 2 - UFO from the Past

A UFO has been spotted entering UK airspace and has crashed into the sea off the South coast and the PCs are mobilised to investigate.  The craft is submerged in a few feet of water, our heroes are required to don Scuba gear to swim to the craft. 

In the murky and silty waters they locate a disc shaped craft carrying WWII markings.  Once inside they discover the body of a German soldier (not a pilot) slumped over the controls of the craft, he is dead, his body is riddled with bullet holes and his fresh blood covers the instruments and controls.  In his jacket pocket is a scrap of paper with a grid reference scrawled on it.  When the PCs report back a salvage operation is launched and the craft recovered for further investigation.

Project Daedalus Part 3 - Behind Enemy Lines

This scenario was inspired by Kaptain Kobold's HOTT Nazi UFO Christmas Cracker Gift (Thanks Alan)

Project Daedalus: Pt 1 - Beginnings

Before the outbreak of WW2 both Axis and Ally powers were involved in a scientific arms race to produce super-soldiers.  The most famous of these being Captain America.  The British attempt, code name "Project Daedalus" produced 5 superheroes members of the elite unit "D Platoon" who were lost in 1944 whilst carrying out a covert operation behind enemy lines.

D1 - Frank Jacobs (psychic), D2 - Michael Green (pyro-kinetic), D3 - Peter Rogers (strength), D4 - David Williams (energy blast), D5 - Steven Collins (flight). 

Unbeknownst to the British Government, their genetic secret lies dormant in the DNA of their illegitimate grandchildren, the PCs.

The PCs powers are awakened when they are irradiated by a dirty bomb set off by a terrorist in an attack on a famous London landmark.  They are the only survivors of the incident and are immediately isolated in a government facility whilst their powers slowly emerge...

Project Daedalus Part 2 - UFO from the Past

Papercraft: Sketchup and Unfold

Installed the fantastic Unfold plugin for Google Sketchup the other day which makes the job of unfolding your sketchup designs into flat planes ready for papercrafting.  Here's a skyscraper I made to demonstrate the end result (it took no more than 30 minutes from start to finish).

Papercraft: Gaming Sci-Fi vehicles and Terrain

Those of you who have met me in meatspace, I'm a tight-fisted Northerner, and love to make my mini's and scenery rather than buy them.  I'm always on the look out for nice papercraft models to jazz up my Tapletop or RPG games.

Here are some lovely papercrafts from a very talented designer at www.topsolitario.com, of particular note are:

	Samsara Awheeled APC with numerous cockpit, body and turret options to keep you occupied.
	UHV200 Walrus A hover APC with lots of body options to make ambulances, trucks or more offensive attack craft.
	El O-12 ISO-CONTAINER M.A.S.H A Mobile Hospital made from ISO Containers with additional airlocks.  The model can be modded with magnets to quickly snap it together in different configurations and keep it there.

Hex Mapping Made Easy

Hexographer is a fantastic free application which helps those of us who are cartographically challenged create our own hex maps.  It's cross platform and runs in the browser, there's also an installable Pro version which adds more map styles and symbols.  Good enough for two Honourable Mentions at the 2010 Ennie Awards.

Purity Test

The PCs are sent to a location by their corporation on the pretext of a mission when they intercept an SOS message from an unknown source.  Locating the source of the SOS the PCs discover that it has been sent by a group of ex-corporate troubleshooters who famously bought out their respective corporations contracts. These NPCs are the rolemodels the PCs look up to in their respective fields. The NPCs tell them that their former corporations want them dead... or worse.

The quandry for the PC's is do they join forces with these dissidents and face the wrath of the corporation or do they turn them in?

The scenario is in fact a corporate purity test and the PC's will be "retrained" if they support the refugees rather than alerting the corporation to their whereabouts.

Suitable Game Systems

Anything with a heavy corporate setting: CYBERPUNK / JUSTIFIERS RPG / PARANOIA

Valley Forge

60 years ago an eccentric Billionaire tired of the dog eat dog existence of Mega City 1 started a "simple living" commune known only as The Valley. The residents of The Valley think that they are on a colony spacecraft to a distant planet. They have been living in isolation from other citizens of Mega City 1 for their entire lives. All is well until one of their number finds out the truth and commits suicide by throwing himself out of an airlock.
Phillipe Stark Towers is a 2000m tall luxy block the top 900m or so which are the property of the walker foundation. Entering at any of the pedways or blockparks below 1150m, the PCs will find that the elevators do not have buttons for the remaining penthouse levels. They will need to hotwire an elevator, Barney will be too busy to override an elevator (The control panel is voice activated and will not allow any unauthorised access to or from the upper levels.

The upper levels house The Valley Forge commune, the brainchild of eccentric multi-trillionaire Findus Walker. A commune in which the inhabitants have no knowledge of the existence of Mega City 1, it is an elaborate 60 year psychological experiment to test the theory that the psychological stress of inhabiting a Mega City is the cause of the anti-social behaviour demonstrated by it's residents.

The experiment has been the life work of Findus Smith-Walker who has undergone many bodyswap's in order to witness the result of the experiment at first hand he is currently residing in the body of a 12 year old girl. The residents of the commune live under the pretense that their accommodation is in fact a space colony seed ship destined for a remote corner of the galaxy on a one hundred year long voyage. Many of the original inhabitants who were specially selected for the voyage have since died and their descendants currently inhabit the "space craft".

Oh and just in case you thought the judges were getting off lightly Smith-Walker uses a private army of War-droids (dressed in Judge uniforms) which the residents know only as "space pirates" to keep them under control and at a stable population density.

Suitable Game Systems

Originally written for JUDGE DREDD RPG, but would work in any city based sci-fi setting with heavy corporate overtones such as CYBERPUNK / JUSTIFIERS / PARANOIA / SLA INDUSTRIES with some minor tweaks.