Dying Hard on Hardlight Station (2021) combines the DNA of three filmic mainstays. The first is obvious: there is much love here for Die Hard (the station administrator Takako McClane, who works for a company called Nakatomi Solutions). It is also a zombie movie wrapped in the sci-fi horror trappings of the Alien films. That might seem like a lot, but it all comes together rather elegantly. It’s a nice third-party effort and another example of the high quality the Mothership community brings to its projects.
The source of the problem is that McClane will rent space on the station to anyone, including shady scientific outfits. On Christmas Eve (of course) the station enters lockdown. McClane bunkers. The head of the science guys disappears. Mercs start rounding up civies. The pressure cooker is set and, before too much longer, all hell breaks loose. What happens at that point is entirely up to the players. Getting the hell off the station (my choice) is just as viable as playing hero and saving…whoever — the innocent civilians, the rich and powerful McClane, whatever floats your (probably greedy) boat.
There is a bit less station detail than A Pound of Flesh, but that’s OK, the intent isn’t for you to be there long. There are lots of fun tables, though, my favorite being “D10 Things You’d Find at a Christmas Party in Space.” An optional appendix adds hidden agendas, a la the Alien RPG. There is also a short, horrible dungeon crawl built around a mining project. It’s actually so good that the brevity of it annoys me — I’d’ve bought a full zine of this!
An artist named Vil provides the illustrations. I’ve never heard of them, but they are definitely on my radar now. Nice detail work, effectively creepy.
Black Pyramid (2020) is a great example of a third-party Mothership zine and how well the game is suited for this sort of product and expansion. It is weird as hell, uses the Mothership rules well and stands entirely on its own as a one-shot while also tapping all the things that Tuesday Knight has mapped out for what a Mothership experience should feel like.
The pitch is simple: a giant black pyramid shows up near Mars and the players make up most of the team sent to investigate it. There are periodic waves of distortion or some weird energy that make a strange situation stranger. Some people’s faces are gonna fall off and probably everyone dies at the end! Some of that (faces falling off, everyone dying) feels like Mothership, some of it doesn’t (ancient Egyptian astronauts, our solar system), and that subtle blend creates the pleasing surprise that is the experience.
The concept is great, it works as a fab one-shot and Skull Dixon’s art is perfect for his scenario. Snag it, play it.
So, if Dead Planet is an adventure and A Pound of Flesh a campaign hub, then Gradient Descent is a stab at a Mothership Megadungeon. That is as horrible and punishing as you think!
Like, regular D&D megadungeons are awful places, you know Mothership is going to make it even more so. The idea here is that there is a massive, abandoned android factory at the edge of known space. The facility is under blockade — the corporations don’t want anyone going in. But people do — Divers — looking for valuable salvage (of which there is plenty). Plenty of danger, too, in the form of blockade enforcement teams that regularly kill everything they encounter, a rogue artificial intelligence with diabolical plans and the Bends, a psychosis in which humans begin to think they are androids. Diving into the the Deep is going to almost always result in death, madness and maybe, on occasion, a tidy profit.
It’s absolutely every bit as punishing and disturbing as you likely expect. A lot of this is artist Nick Tofani’s fault. I hate (by which I mean, love) his horrible drawings. They have a squishy sense of corruption that reminds me a lot of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark illustrator Stephen Gammell.
I will say that Gradient Descent is a bit punishing to read as well. The text is small, the layout…aggressive. Gradient Descent probably represents the saturation point for how much information you can cram into a 64-page zine. I wouldn’t mind getting this reissued in a roomier version, even if the claustrophobia of the layout lends something to the atmosphere of the adventure.
This bard subclass is all about using your bardic magic to make your adventure more tropey than ever before! You'll be able to cast your allies as cliché characters, change the scenery to match the party's mood and even throw in some storytelling faux-pas to add to the narrative. After all, why improve a story after the fact when you could just make it more entertaining while it unfolds?
Here's the link to my patreon if you want to see more of my content or want to support me in making it.
[ID: Two tweets by Mor the Book Dragon (@ MorTheBookWyrm) that read: Disabled MCs are NOT hard to sell, you’re just bad at writing us.
Ash Williams (Evil Dead) is disabled
Imperator Furiosa (Max Max) is disabled
Kaz Brekker (Six of Crows) is disabled
Cinder (Lunar Chronicles) is disabled
Long John Silver (Treasure Island) is disabled
And you know what, they’re literally just five I rattled off the top of my head. There are loads of us. You just no longer consider us disabled if we’re accomplished. You think that “disabled” is a euphemism for “failure” or “useless” when is really, really isn’t. We’re awesome.
End ID]
They really don’t connect disability with accomplishments. Remember that one post that was like “how is Ed Elric disabled” when he is literally missing an arm and leg!?
I’ve been playtesting this! Some changes I’m considering:
-Remove “being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with (your boomstick).” This way, players have more of an incentive to use their chainsaw in melee.
-Give your chainsaw the versatile property, dealing 3d4 slashing damage if wielded with two hands.
-Revise the wording of the mechanical hand benefit to resemble other, published prosthesis options.
-You can detach your mechanical hand and replace it with your chainsaw (or vice versa) as part of any other action, rather than as a bonus action.
-Your boomstick can be used as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells. One playtester is a Fiend warlock. He loves using his boomstick for spells like fireball and scorching ray. It’s so fucking badass.
-Write an otherworldly patron to complement Pact of the Boomstick. Who would that patron be you ask? Who else? THE NECRONOMICON.
What do you think of the above revisions? Have you used Pact of the Boomstick at your table? What changes do you recommend? Lemme know!
Having just binged Ash Vs The Evil Dead, would absolutely play a Pact of The Boomstick.
Suggestions for flavor
- Immunity to poison or bonus to attack/spell rolls when under the influence ; Ash gets nasty stuff all over him and drinks, smokes, consumes copious amounts of drugs that actually seem to enhance his combat
- pay an artificer to make different replaceable hands that have different functions; Ash upgrades from boring wooden hand to Swiss army robo hand which makes for awesome possibilities.
- variant: El Brujo Especial. See through the eyes of the necronomicon, walk in between the land of the living & dead (create portals to the afterlife, or death save advantage), use your skin as a spell book, carved glyph that wards against evil
I’ve been playtesting this! Some changes I’m considering:
-Remove “being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with (your boomstick).” This way, players have more of an incentive to use their chainsaw in melee.
-Give your chainsaw the versatile property, dealing 3d4 slashing damage if wielded with two hands.
-Revise the wording of the mechanical hand benefit to resemble other, published prosthesis options.
-You can detach your mechanical hand and replace it with your chainsaw (or vice versa) as part of any other action, rather than as a bonus action.
-Your boomstick can be used as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells. One playtester is a Fiend warlock. He loves using his boomstick for spells like fireball and scorching ray. It’s so fucking badass.
-Write an otherworldly patron to complement Pact of the Boomstick. Who would that patron be you ask? Who else? THE NECRONOMICON.
What do you think of the above revisions? Have you used Pact of the Boomstick at your table? What changes do you recommend? Lemme know!
soooo I might have just spent the entire evening writing basic spell descriptions for all of these:
soothing hail – Grants the caster 1 temporary hit point for every creature that takes 1d8 bludgeoning + 1d8 cold damage from this 30ft cone of hail
immobilizing sizzle - A searing attack that deals 4d6 fire damage and, on a failed save, stuns the target for one round
cabbage monument - This totem of spectral cabbages appears for 1d8 rounds, granting allies within 30ft the ability to re-roll any one roll. Once the spell ends, the caster must make a wisdom saving throw to avoid falling to their knees, distraught and unable to take any action for one round
misplace carcass – Teleports the corpse of one dead creature to a random unoccupied square within 120ft (does not affect unconscious or undead creatures)
redirect dew - As a reaction, siphon off a tiny bit of a potion being used within 10 ft of you to gain the full effects for one round
[keep reading]
invoke jumble - On a failed save, target has 50% miss chance on all attacks for the next 1d4 rounds
dark whisk - Draws shadows around the target, granting a +10 stealth bonus for one minute
injuring vulture - Conjures a spectral vulture which will attack one target until it either lands a hit for 2d6 slashing damage or the target dies (whichever comes first)
throttling hate - Target adds an extra 1d8 damage to all unarmed attacks for the next round
obstruct retriever - Consumes a 100gp golden chain to permanently prevent one object from being moved with Mage Hand
sandblast supreme -This pinch of sand does 2d6 fire damage. On a failed save, target is blinded for one round
antique ouch - Rapidly ages a wound, leaving visible scarring, but preventing any further bleeding or risk of disease
reallocate swamp- For one minute, turns up to 60ft of ground (in consecutive 5ft squares) into swampy, difficult terrain or into dry, normal terrain
subdivide guilt - Shares one condition with a target, lessening it by one level for both parties
infect igloo- Encases the target’s feet in firmly packed snow which reduces their speed to 0ft and deals 1d4 cold damage until freed using a full-round action.
lava passage - Consumes 500gp worth of fire opal to temporarily cool up to 100ft (in consecutive 5ft squares) of lava, allowing safe passage across for 1 minute
mortifying grasp - After touching the target, the caster is aware of their hit points, ailments, and conditions for one round per caster level
comprehend vertebra - Reveals what creature any single bone belongs to, even if the creature is extinct or the caster has never personally encountered it before
blue bombard - A bombardment of spectral blue energy engulfs the target from all sides, dealing 4d6 bludgeoning damage
satirizing smasher - A witty one-liner accompanied by a successful charisma check grants the target advantage on their next melee attack and damage roll
petrify opening - Solidifies the opening of any tunnel or passageway up to 20ft deep
eclipsing unresponsiveness - The target is unable to speak for 2d4 rounds on a failed save, or half on a successful save
tearing numbus - Erases all visible clouds in the sky for one minute per caster level
humiliating angst - Regardless of cultural background, on a failed save, the target envisions themself on a stage, expected to speak before a crowd without any preparation, and immediately suffers 1d10 psychic damage which bypasses any resistances and has no saving throw
split tyrannosaurus- For one round, the caster chooses to either give the target large, sharp teeth that can be used to deal 4d4 piercing damage, or teeny-tiny arms incapable of making a melee attack
unraveling hideousness - On a failed save, the illusion of the caster’s face unraveling to reveal a supernaturally hideous face underneath causes enemies within 15ft to become frightened of them
decimating shimmy- On a failed save, this strange dance distracts the target, granting advantage on any attacks against them for the next round
scrutinize particle - Safely identifies the effect of any potion with ten minute’s study
dirtied cry – A caster can broadcast their location via an unnaturally loud cry that can be heard up to 400ft in all directions with this spell that does not require any of the usual spell components but can only be used when underground or underwater
exhuming vine - Vines emerge from the ground, tearing up the earth and creating difficult terrain in a 30ft cone
corrupt deepening - On a failed save, all target’s conditions grow one level more severe
anesthetized galaxy - Twinkling stars appear at the edges of the target’s vision for one round per caster level. Target loses 1d6 non-lethal hit points per round on a failed save, or half on a successful save
unknowable boredom - On a failed save, target does not act or move for one round
...
hurl tetanus - A shower of twisted, rusted nails causes 1d10 damage
amputating symbolism - A successful check consumes 100gp of rubber-gum to destroy a single magic rune or symbol beyond use or recovery
vitriol grotto - The target is plagued by resounding cries of anger and hatred that no one else can hear and, on a failed save, deal 2d8 psychic damage
frost weeping - Target starts weeping icy tears that deal 1d4 cold damage for one round per caster level
kindled pestilence - When this mockery of incense is ignited, all creatures within 30ft must make a constitution saving throw to resist being sickened for 1d8 rounds. On a natural one, a creature becomes diseased
coyote stigmata - Deals 3d6 slashing damage to a target, with wounds in the pattern of coyote’s claws
disarray cone - Casts a 30ft cone in which all spells have a 25% chance of failure while still expending spell slots
consecrating hoof - A targeted animal is provided magical sustenance for the next 24 hours
dappling cloak - For a minute per caster level, the shifting patterns of this illusory cloak provide a +5 stealth bonus even in the middle of the day
profaning thicket - A 30ft cone of barbed, tangled vines deals 2d8 piercing damage, doubled to any creatures with an alignment opposite to the caster’s
enveloping trickery - Target gains +2 to deception and bluff for one minute per caster level
spew butterfly - A vomited 10ft swarm of beautiful butterflies deals no damage but causes all enemies within their space to become distracted
scuttling jinx - On a failed save, this jinx imposes disadvantage on the target’s next roll and automatically advances to the next enemy. On a successful save, there is no effect and the spell ends
paw transplanting - As a reaction, swap places with any animal within 30ft
induced frolic - On a failed save, the target spends their entire turn wearing an expression of childlike wonder while skipping and dancing within their square
shredding surgery - Heals the target by transferring up to 1d6 per caster level of damage evenly to all other creatures within 30ft (including allies)
dribbling neutering - The next time the target takes damage, they also feel like they’ve been kicked between the legs for an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage that has a 50% of stunning them for one round
secrete stew - Any touched solid surface will produce enough stew to feed one person per caster level and heals one hit point to anyone brave enough to actually eat it
mortal clamoring - Causes target to be physically hurt by the sounds of battle, dealing 4d6 damage
doom netting - A 30ft cone imposes a -1 penalty on all enemies (for either attack rolls, damage rolls, or saving throws)
squirming gust - Casts an unnaturally swirling gust of wind that grants all allies within 30ft the boost of an extra 5ft move speed for one round per caster level
depraving swagger - (evil only) Gives the target +2 to all charisma based checks for one minute per caster level
ultra modesty - Deals 1d10 psychic damage on anyone who attempts to hit on or flirt with the target for one hour per caster level
groaning crayon - Flawlessly copies text from one non-magical page onto a blank sheet of paper per round, for up to one round per caster level. For each round that passes, there is a 5% increase in the chance that the crayon’s unnatural groaning will alert others within a 40ft radius
calcified darkening - Condenses up to a 20ft radius of supernatural darkness into a jar of dark salts that can be smashed to release it again for 1d4 rounds
continued strangulation - Target is unable to breathe or speak, and takes 1d4 force damage for 1d4 rounds
transmute menstruation - Transforms any blood on the target into a jagged knife that deals 1d10 piercing damage before dissipating
grotesque superstructure - Creates an illusion of carnage, destruction, or desolation large enough to cover one building, no matter the size, for one hour per caster level
godly brine - Transforms enough salt water for one person per caster level to safely drink and be healed for 2d12+2 hit points
boniest discomfort - Target’s bones begin to ache and shift inside them, causing 1d12 damage for two rounds
nude hobgoblin - Teleports a random hobgoblin (without any clothes or items) to an unoccupied square of your choice within 30ft. This hobgoblin is not beholden to you in any way, and will act accordingly
omnipotence trombone - (bard only) Any instrument used to cast this spell will sound like a trombone and will grant the target an auto-crit on their next successful hit
misunderstand canine - On a failed save, will immediately make any one canine creature friendly toward you, even if they had previously been hostile. However, there is only a 20% chance they will correctly interpret any of your commands
sedative coupon - Target adds 1d12 non-lethal damage to their next successful attack
unfriendly stillness - On a successful save, target is stunned for one round. On a failed save, target is also blind, deaf, and dumb
synthesize wolf - Creates a wolf construct from surrounding inorganic materials, which can attack for 4d6 piercing damage for 1 round per 2 caster levels
nameless eggplant - Creates 1d20 eggplants of a variety that’s not naturally occurring anywhere in the world, but is otherwise perfectly normal
redoubled gun - Causes bullets to do as much damage exiting as they did entering, doubling the damage for the target's next round
revered burning - Burns the target with a holy fire that lights them up from the inside out and deals 4d12 damage, or half on a successful save
sacred repulsion - (divine spellcasters only) On a failed save, causes all creatures with an alignment opposite of yours to move 10ft away from you, still triggering any potential attacks of opportunity
unhinged decay - A touched target’s skin begins to rot and decay, dealing 2d4 damage for every round of sustained contact. On a failed save, target becomes sickened
purging maul - Gives the target an immediate extra opportunity to save against possession (with advantage) if they are hit by a melee attack within the next round
aggravating shower - Creates an individually-sized storm cloud over the target’s head that follows them as they move and imposes disadvantage on every roll for 1d4 rounds
disquieting bleeding - (evil only) Opens a wound that causes 1 point of bleed damage per round and cannot be healed by divine magic
pervading agony - For one minute, target takes 1d6 psychic damage for each round they do not take any other form of damage
downgraded potato - Creates enough potato-like foodstuffs to feed 1d12 people per caster level per day. These subpar potatoes disappoint everyone who eats them but last for a week and provide all necessary nutrients for a creature to live on
theartofmadeline
germansingergirl
kaledo-art
dailybridgerton
gummygunk
blakekathryn
snowghoul
origamiaround
dededos
