Modern Day Retroclone?

My son said the other day, "Wouldn't it be fun if there was a D&D set in modern times? You could take on a dragon a lot sooner with guns." I thought it would be fun. Though I contend that any dragons left around would be even more cunning and powerful in order to survive modern weapons.

This got me thinking about retroclones. We enjoy Labyrinth Lord and I know there are at least two science fiction retroclones (pseudoclones?) as well as one set in a post-apocolypse world but I've have yet to run across one set in contemporary times. I've done a few searches and haven't found one. Does such a thing exist?

Zarand Zin

Zarand Zin was born to a poor family struggling to get by in the big city of Parsool. His parents died of a plague when he was eight and his hardscrabble life became even more difficult. He came to resent the mockery and disdain of those with money and leisure and became angry at the great disparities of wealth that manifested itself in Parsool He tried to support himself through odd jobs and begging but on many occasions had to resort to thievery. He became adept at sleight of hand and misdirection and became an accomplished pick-pocket. As a result, he came to the attention of an elderly street magician who saw in Zarand the potential for a great entertainer. This made life slighty better but again entertainers aren’t held in the highest esteem in Parsool. The old fellow taught Zarand a few minor magical tricks as part of his training, which he used to enhance his stage show. One night Zarand nearly burned down the hovel he lived in while practicing the torch lighting trick he had learned. Instead of producing a small flame as usually happened, a sheet of flames erupted from his fingers. The accompanying surge of power he felt opened a new world for him. He knew now that he could work powerful magics and that, with the right training, he could change his station in life. And for Zarand, there was only one place to reach his full potential: The Isle of Thule where the dark magicians practiced their arts. The resentment that was always bubbling under the surface finally burst forth. He sought out the first rich person he could find in the gathering darkness and attempted to cut his purse. However, the nobleman noticed and called for his bodyguard. Zarand, desperate, slipped the knife into the man’s ribs and fled into the alleys with the money. He had never resorted to violence in a robbery attempt before. He immediately bought himself passage to Thule.

Now, fifteen years later, Zarand Zin has reappeared. His dark masters have sent him on a mission to recover an artifact of great power. What it is and where it is located nobody knows. But the one thing that is apparent is that Zarand Zin is a changed man. He is dressed in the finest of silks and travels with servants who do his every bidding. His equipment is abundant and is of the finest quality. It is also easy to see that the darkness in his soul has consumed him and an unholy fire burns in his eye. Zarand Zin is now a force to be reckoned with and the world had better beware.

Zarand Zin

Attributes

Strength 0
Agility 1
Mind 3
Appeal 0

Combat
Brawl 1
Melee 0
Ranged 0
Defence 3

Careers
Begger 0
Entertainer 1
Magician 2
Thief 0

Lifeblood 10
Hero Points 5

Weapons
Dagger

Languages
Lemurian (Literate)
Sorceric
Sorceric (Written)
Ygddari (Literate)

Boons
Carouser

Flaws
City Dweller
Unsettling

The Unholy Greyl - A BoL Adventure

The Unholy Greyl is a Barbarians of Lemuria adventure by a fellow called G-Man that is being hosted over at Strange Stones. It runs 9 pages and is filled with BoL goodness. The Unholy Greyl has all the classic sword & sorcery qualities and as a result it hits all the right notes for me. It is atmospheric, set in a strange, mysterious locale, there is a lost and degenerate race, greed, slavery, and sorcery strange. The adventure has a definite terminus but the author also gives the GM a lot of flexibility and room to customize or randomize aspects of the scenario. It also includes an adventure seed that could lead the players further into the dar forest.

I don't want to give much more away, so suffice it to say that if you are a fan of BoL then I think you will like this adventure. Oh, and it's free!

Impulse Buys

I purchased two games today on a whim. I am now the proud owner of Tombs & Terrors and G-Core. I got both from DriveThruRpg in PDF.

I'm a big fan of Simon Washbourne's work so I couldn't pass on Tombs & Terrors. I appears to be his contribution to the world of retro-clones.

G-Core is an update and simplification of the FASERIP system. No chart, apparently. The core rules are superhero focused but there are supplements that expand play into other genres. When I get to reading them I'll pass on what I think.

Oh. Total cost: $5.00

Pyramids

I got a chuckle out of this...

Ranks of Bronze

I read many of David Drake’s stories in my youth and they had an effect on me in the realm of gaming. They fired my imagination and made me want to play in one of his worlds. I would like to highlight a couple of these stories in a series of posts over the next several weeks.

First up: “Ranks of Bronze”

“Ranks of Bronze” is a serious contender for the top spot on my list of favorite short stories of all time. It is the story of the tribune Gaius Vibulenus and the other legionary survivors of Crassus’ disastrous war against Parthia. After the legions were destroyed the Parthians sold the survivors into slavery. The buyers, however, were not of this Earth. The galactic Federation has laws against using advanced technology against the indigenous people of the planets the merchants want to exploit. That’s where the legionaries come into it. They are the ones sent down to the surface and kick the locals’ butts so the merchants can make a buck.

“Ranks of Bronze” was first published in magazine form in 1975 and I first read it in a short story collection in the early ‘80s. It isn’t a very long story, only taking up about 14 pages in paperback form. And the story only covers the events of one battle. To top it off it isn’t a completely original idea. Andre Norton wrote Star Guard a considerable time before “Ranks of Bronze” saw print. And it is written in present tense, which I despise. The story so grips me and my imagination that it doesn’t matter.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who really like the story. Jim Baen eventually persuaded Drake to write a novel expanding the story of the legionaries. I read this in the mid-80s but I don’t remember being particularly impressed by it.

Fast forward another 15 years and the demand for stories set in the Ranks of Bronze universe continued. Baen kept pressing for a sequel to the novel but Drake kept resisting. As something of a compromise, Drake agreed to contribute a story to a collection of stories written by others. Thus was born Foreign Legions. It contains the original short story in addition to five new ones. This is a volume I also enjoy very much. The tales within don’t elicit the same wonder in me as the original story but they are very entertaining and in some ways wrap up the loose ends of the universe. Not only that but David Weber took his short story “Sir George and the Dragon” and expanded it into a novel called The Excalibur Alternative. This I haven’t read.

So, if nothing else I suggest you track down the original short story. It is a good read. I’ll continue dreaming of the day I can be a player in a game based in this universe.

Powers

Me and my oldest managed to play a bit of Super!. Currently, the super-villains in the Stronghold are attempting a mass breakout and all the heroes in Supersville are trying to contain it, including my character Concrete. If I may say, Concrete is kicking some villain rear.

But that is not what I want to write about. Someday I would really like to play in a dark, gritty campaign. Something like Powers. Powers was created and is produced by Brian Michael

Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming. It is the story of Christian Walker, a detective with a special

homicide unit that deals with the murder of powers. Powers are the super-powered individuals of the world. (Really? You must be kidding!) Be they hero or villain, their deaths must be investigated. This is a dark world. Gangsters with powers, morally ambiguous heroes with

powers and so forth. The issues are filled with graphic violence, foul language and sex. I don't like some of the plot twists that have been introduced but that is a personal preference, not a reflection on the quality of the work. I've only read the collections, which start with Who Killed Retro Girl?, so that might contribute to my confusion.

If you like your comics rougher than your average fare, give Powers a try.