It's that time of year again. The leaves are falling, the wind is whispering through the bare branches, the pumpkins are putting on their grins, and home decor is going on sale again. Yes, Halloween is just around the corner, and for most of us that means it's time to dip our toes back into the darker end of the gaming table and indulge something on the scary side.
But what, you might be asking? Well, if you're looking for inspiration don't fret! I've been working the grindstone pretty hard, and I've got some things that I'd like to suggest for all those seeking a ghoulish gaming experience.
Time to get spooky. |
Before I launch into the list for this week, though, I do have a brief favor to ask. If you haven't signed up yet, join my newsletter to make sure you get all the updates for what I'm working on, and what's coming out. I put out one every Sunday/Monday, and you'll never miss a new release of mine again!
Also, I recently wrote a piece for a Halloween contest over on Vocal. So whether you're a film buff, or just looking for a recommendation for what you should watch this Halloween season give my entry Candyman: A Horror Film That Haunts Us Decades Later a read... especially if you're from the Chicagoland area!
Lastly, if you want to keep things casual this year, check out my older piece 5 Horror Board Games You Should Have on Your Shelf!
Horror One-Shots!
Beware the trolls... and the toads! |
While I've talked about them a great deal in the past, I do still have three one-shot modules out from Total Party Kill Games for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition that are available right now! False Valor is about solving a murder mystery, and it delves into regional politics, but the other two... well, they were written specifically with the Halloween season in mind.
The Curse of Sapphire Lake (pictured above) is what you get when Beowulf collides with a slasher movie. The town of Kingsbridge is cursed, or so they say, and there is a figure in the mist... accidents keep happening, and bodies keep turning up. Will the party manage to pry the icy fingers of death from around this place's throat, or will it once more fade into shadows and obscurity?
The final release in the series, The Ghosts of Sorrow Marsh also provides an eerie, atmospheric adventure. The town of Bracken has been all but cut off, and dangers haunt the road at night. Something lurks in the marsh, and there are tales of strange figures and odd whispers. Supplies are running low, and the town's citizens are at the breaking point. Can the heroes dispel the darkness lurking in the marsh, or will it swallow them up like it has so many who have come before it?
If you're one of the many groups out there who likes to play something short and spooky during the reap times, then either of these should scratch that particular itch for you!
World Building and Inspiration
Because sometimes you just need a couple of bricks... |
If you're one of those DMs who prefer to make things yourself, don't worry, I've got stuff for you, too.
For example, 13 Fiends: A Baker's Dozen of Devils is filled with unique fiends that are much more ground-level and accessible than a lot of devils tend to be. Each devil also comes with rituals unique to them, areas of influence, and cults that tend to make pacts with them. Whether you're looking for warlock patrons, antagonists for your party, or a particular rite to act as the center piece of a session, this collection has you covered!
And speaking of cults, a solid companion piece to it is 100 Cults to Encounter. Perhaps the best selling supplement of mine for the entire year, this one gives you snapshots of cults from every walk of life, often providing hooks and rumors to easily slot them into your game as antagonists... and potentially as allies depending on your party. Speaking of potential allies in the shadows, I'd also recommend checking out 100 Secret Societies if you need a little extra juice when it comes to filling out the darker corners of your horror games this year.
Also, there's this! |
Also, for my World of Darkness lovers out there, I recently put the finishing touches on my 100 kinfolk project, and it's now available as a bundle! That's 13 tribes, and a total of 1,400 kinfolk NPCs usable either in a Werewolf: The Apocalypse game, or in a general WoD game where you need NPCs in a hurry. For more on the project, and what it's about (as well as a full list of the independent tribes in it), check out 100 Kinfolk: A Werewolf The Apocalypse Project.
Character Conversions
While I spent most of last year shuffling content and moving articles from one archive to another, a lot of folks forget that my Character Conversions Page has more than superheroes and Game of Thrones builds on it. In addition to 50 some-odd other characters I also have classic Pathfinder guides for:
- Michael Myers (Halloween)
- Pinhead (Hellraiser)
- Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th)
Though I'm still sharing around all the old guides that have been updated to account for new mechanics, items, and classes that were released since I first wrote them, this is a section I'm contemplating coming back to for a few, additional names. Jigsaw? Chucky? Maybe Leatherface? Who do you think should be here... keeping in mind these guides are primarily for players, not for DMs (though they can use them, too).
Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!
That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!
Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!
To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!
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