New Big Dragon Games Unlimited's Creature Cache is Now Available as Print on Demand and PDF

I know that Erik is rather forgiving with me here at the Tavern and I don't shill here too often, but when a friend comes out with something cool, I'm going to shill. Hell this time I even have a special mention on the project because the author is not just a friend, but my GM.......so I kind of helped playtest this thing.*

I'm certain everyone here will be relieved to know that my PC survived, thanks for thinking of him/me.

If you were a participant last year at NTRPG you might have seen the three-volume Creature Cache set that Richard LeBlanc Jr. had put out special for the con. If you weren't a participant Bad Mike *may* have some copies available for a future auction if you have to have the special edition pre-release.

Again, if you were at NTRPG you'd have gotten the spiel from one of the folks thanked in the book (Richard was largely missing from the con due to a surgery) that there was a 4th volume coming. Well it has come, but not as a separate volume. Instead Richard and New Big Dragon Games Unlimited (say that five times fast!) complied all four volumes into a single book, available as a softcover, hardcover, and (now) PDF (Lulu link for the printed books and DriveThruRPG for the PDF).

Now I'm a fan of the digest-sized (ok, 6x9 so US Trade?) hardcover myself, but folks seemed to prefer the softcover. I know if I asked Richard really nice he'd gift me the PDF, but I'm not a big asker, so I went ahead and used this PDF link and a virtual Alexander Hamilton to get it off of DTRPG. Well I had to make sure the link worked anyway.....

So if you've picked up the Creature Compendium 1, which is free/PWYW on DTRG by the way, you know what you're in for and this is a no-brainer. Now CC2 (which is the Creature Cache) is a little different, largely because while every monster still has a pic, Richard didn't do all the art (actually any of the art) himself. Instead he combed through a bunch of old pulp comics and magazines and used art that is now public-domain.

I did something similar once myself when I found and old book of western Folk-lore creatures.....yeah not as easy as it sounds, well it wasn't for me. Richard does a good job and who doesn't want a bunch (200ish) new monsters for their OSR campaign?

Highly recommended and something I'm willing to spend my money on.......and I'm willing to bet more than a few folks here would be interested in this as well.

*See?

Tenkar's Terrible Theurgy - Blood Pudding for Swords & Wizardry

Art by Gary Dupuis
Used under license

Blood Pudding
Hit Dice: 8
Armor Class: 5 [14]
Attacks: Attacks 1 to 6 attacks per round at (1d6) damage per attack
Saving Throw: 7
Special: Piercing attacks may cause blood spray. Heal damage by absorbing the recently killed
Move: 3
Alignment: Neutrality
Challenge Level/XP: 10/1,400

Blood Puddings are a disgusting magical construct created by draining the lifeblood of over a dozen sentient creatures. The detailed tome to create such a creature is held close by the Heretics of Dumas and is never willingly shared with outsiders.

Created with the blood and life energies of living creatures, Blood Pudding will reveal some of their histories when they attack. Humanoid heads, monstrous claws, spiked tails and more have been known to form and strike at opponents, before being absorbed back into the pudding, only to have a different number and appearance of appendages striking out on the following round.

Piercing weapons do normal damage but may do a "blood spray" (50% chance). Opponents within 20 feet must save or be blinded for 1d6 rounds as they wipe the blood from their face and eyes.

Blood Puddings can heal themselves by absorbing the blood of a recent kill. This takes 2 rounds and heals 2d6 Hit Points. The pudding may still attack during this period of time but may not move.

OGL

I meant to complete this over the weekend, but alas, life had its own ideas on that ;) Tenkar

Review - Treat N Ink Issue #7 - Kreature Kompendium

A couple of weeks ago, Jethro Wall, the main man behind the Threat N Ink zine reached out to me and asked if I'd be interested in reading a copy of the most recent issue. Figuring I'd be getting a PDF, I readily said "Yes!" and forwarded my email address. I was corrected and my snail mail address was requested. Never having heard of Threat N Ink prior, I was intrigued and Jethro mailed me a copy.

100 of 100. Damn!

Then it arrived. Holy crap, its digest zine sized in diameters but not in page count. 84 pages. Its a hefty tome.

My first impression was that the Kreature Kompendium was reminiscent of the original Fiend Folio. Having read it, cover to cover, it replaces the Fiend Folio in my mind. Monsters across the board, strange, bizarre and some from delightfully damaged minds.

Its Old School without a set format for stats. It varies from author to author and while for some that may be distracting, I find it to be part of the charm.

Even more enjoyable is the art. I love it with all the styles across the board. Nearly 30 artists with email addresses. So if you are a publisher, big or small, this is an excellent sampling of artists and their contact info.

The Kreature Kompendium sits on my desk these days. Don't tell my players, but the KK has sat on my desk the past few Saturday Nights, waiting for an opportunity to drop something into The Lost City of Baracus. Because surprises are the spice of successful gaming ;)

Want a copy? Reach out to Jethro. Each issue has its own theme. They are NOT all gaming / rpgs / OSR. That being said, if the quality falls in line with issue #7 (note, issue #7 is a double sized issue) I may need to pick up the previous six - because no matter the theme, art is the key, and Threat N Ink is strongly about the art.

jethrobot.com  wemakezines.ning.com/profile/jethro +jethro wall +threat nink

or snailmail at Threat N Ink PO Box 12556 Costa Mesa, CA 92627

Remember, this is a print zine and well worth the 10 bucks in my opinion.

Have a Coot, Don't Pollute! (The Coot for Swords & Wizardry)

+Jim Magnusson supplied this awesome drawing of a Coot after I suggested he refer to classic RuneQuest Ducks for inspiration. I love what Jim came up with, and I have lots of plans for The Coot, but firsts things first. Jim wants some OSR stats for The Coot as an OSR creature (I'll add T&T, Far Away Land and a PC race write up in the coming week or so.)

So, what's a Coot anyway?

Coots have their roots in a the magical experiments of a long since lost cabal of magic users. As such, they have little history of their own and no great civilizations to speak of.

Most Coots live in small, nomadic tribes. They are hunters and gatherers, and rarely stay at one location for longer than a few weeks. They make enclosed nests of branches and leaves, which are often found abandoned and are occasionally used by other travellers for shelter and night or as protection from storms.

Some Coots do live a more civilized life and settle down in an urban environment. The are regarded as outcasts and quite possibly insane by their more traditional brethren. Perhaps this is why those Coots that are drawn to adventuring invariably come from towns and cities. Adventuring Coots can be fighters, clerics and thieves. Rangers and druids have been identified among the nomadic tribes and often fill leadership roles.


Coot
Hit Dice: 2
AC: 8(13) or by armor worn
Attacks: By weapon plus beak (1d4)
Move: 12" / Can fly (jump) 15' forward or 10' up if lightly encumbered
Alignment: Neutral
Challenge: 2