Looking To Add Some Spook To Your Games? I've Got You Covered!

Now that summer is drawing to a close, that time of year is upon us once again. That time when the leaves change colors, when the night wind grows teeth, and when the pumpkins beg for our knives to reveal their true, horrifying faces. That time when we itch to dress in the skins of monsters and myths, and when candy tempts us from every shelf in every store. It is a time when the spiders come out to play, the witches cackle, and the ghouls run amok.

The spooky season is here. Finally.

Light the candles, and wake the ghosts... Autumn is here again!

For those of us who enjoy our regular flights of fancy, this is the time we usually reach outside our norm. When our minds turn to darker plots, scarier settings, and where we break out those books we usually keep on our bottom shelves. You know the ones I mean. It's that time of year where we try out short campaigns and one shots, and where we dip our toes into the darker tales we may normally avoid.

And if you're looking for some support for those sharp, Autumn delights, never you fear, I'm here to help.

As always, if you want to stay on top of all my latest releases, make sure you sign up for my weekly newsletter. And if you want to help me keep the wheels turning so that I can keep bringing fresh content right to your eyeballs, consider becoming a Patreon patron. Even a little donation every month can go a long way!

Let's Start With The Traditional Fantasy Stuff!

For those who don't know, most of my content is for traditional fantasy games. And for a lot of us out there those are still the settings we want to play with when this time of year comes around... we just want to give them an edge. Something darker, and more terrifying than our usual run-of-the-mill dungeon with a dragon lurking in the middle.

So what do I have for you?

Well I'm glad you asked.

I've been elbow-deep in some fresh modules, but those aren't available yet. However, if you're a DND 5th Edition player looking for some scary stories then I'd highly recommend checking out both The Curse of Sapphire Lake, as well as The Ghosts of Sorrow Marsh. The former is kind of a bastard child between Friday the 13th and Beowulf in both theme and tone, whereas the latter is a grim tale of a town beset by horrors that come out at night to ravage the one road in or out of Bracken. Both of them are tense adventures filled with monsters and dangers told in a way that will keep players' hearts pounding, and their imaginations feverish.

But what about Pathfinder players? Don't worry, folks, I've got some goodies for you as well. As long as you're still playing the first edition, that is. Because whether you're a GM looking for an appropriately horrific threat, or you're a player looking to do something ghastly in a horror game, you should check out some of my older character conversion guides for some of the bloodier horror movie monsters. I've covered the cenobite Pinhead from Hellraiser, Michael Myers from the original Halloween, as well as my personal favorite, Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th... well, all the films after the first one, anyway.

In addition to all of that, I have a couple of spooky supplements that might have slipped under your radar if you weren't paying particularly close attention to my release schedule. For example, 13 Fiends: A Baker's Dozen of Devils is full of unique outsiders with their own histories, worship, rites, and implications. Each entry is detailed enough to work as its own story nugget, or to build an entire campaign around a rite, but it still hasn't even reached Copper sales yet. That one dovetails nicely with 100 Cults to Encounter, which has all sorts of bizarre religions and esoteric orders that could be used to send a chill up your players' collective spines. Lastly, though not strictly a horror supplement, there's a lot of potentially useful content in 100 Secret Societies as well... whether you need heroes, villains, or a bit of both.

And If You're Taking The Plunge Into a World of Darkness...

There are going to be some players out there for whom a darker take on traditional fantasy isn't going to scratch that Halloween itch. Folks for whom a true horror story is going to be required... because during the Fall times, that's when more of us crack the covers on World of Darkness and Chronicles of Darkness books than probably any other time of the year. You've got those friends you used to play Werewolf with, and they want to get the band back together. Your friend and her girlfriend have wanted to try out Vampire, but the time never felt right. You've wanted to get people into Changeling for a long time, but they never seemed as receptive as they do right now.

Well, I can still give you a helping hand if that's the case.

There's even more coming your way, with this one.

Let's start with the big one, shall we? Because if you're going to put together a Werewolf: The Apocalypse game, you're going to be in need of kinfolk. My "100 Kinfolk" project put together 100 kinfolk NPCs for every core tribe, as well as the Black Spiral Dancers. So whether you just want to grab specific tribes, or get all 1,400 NPCs, take a look at the bundle! And in case that wasn't enough, there's also the 100 Stargazer Kinfolk, for those who enjoy that particular tribe. I'm also going to have a shiny supplement that's all about Pentex and their grubby minions coming out next month, so keep your eyes peeled for that one!

As for Vampire, I had a similar project come out with my "100 Ghouls" installments. Those are (at time of writing, at least), New World Nights (100 ghouls for the Camarilla in America), Children of The Night (100 animal ghouls), and New World Shadows (100 ghouls for the Sabbat in America). While that's nowhere near as many as my Werewolf project, 300 NPCs is nothing to sneeze at... especially when these supplements are useful for players and STs alike!

Lastly, my personal favorite are the supplements I've been putting out for Changeling: The Lost. The first one that dropped, 100 Mourning Cant Dialects, Phrases, and Meanings was specifically for all the folks out there who love the Winter Court, but who just cannot come up with meaningful-sounding double-talk and spy slang on the fly. There's also 100 (Mostly) Harmless Goblin Fruits and Oddments To Find in The Hedge, which expounds on the weird and wild grandeur of the between-realm, giving players and STs alike a slew of strange and bizarre items to incorporate in both 1st or 2nd edition. And the newest supplement, which just dropped this past weekend, is 100 Strange Sights to See in The Hedge. Because the Hedge is supposed to be a realm of infinite danger and deceit, filled with bizarre sights and nightmare monsters, but it's tough to come up with that out of thin air when you're an ST... so I thought I'd provide a little help.

And If You're Just Looking For Scary Stories...

As a bit of a bonus, if you're just looking for some scary stories to help get you in the proper mindset for some horror, might I suggest taking a look at 50 Two-Sentence Horror Stories? Or perhaps check out my short story collection The Rejects, which is fully of short horror pieces like Dressing The Flesh, read below!

As always, everyone have a safe and scary holidays! And if you end up using any of my supplements, I want to hear stories of how things turned out, so drop them in the comments, or find me on social media!

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, its sequel Painted Cats, 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!

Looking For Some Spooky Gaming This Halloween Season? Don't Worry, I've Got You Covered

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

 

It's that time of year again.

 

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!

A Spooky DIY Initiative Tracker (Just in Time For Halloween)

Before we get started with this Monday's entry, I'd like to let readers know that I've finally taken a suggestion on something I've ignored for a long time... I'm starting a newsletter for all of my content! If you don't want algorithms to let my updates slip through the cracks, subscribe to my newsletter and you'll get updates every Monday on what's going down. Newsletters will keep you abreast of what's going on here at Improved Initiative, but you'll also get updates from The Literary Mercenary, my latest Vocal articles, book releases, new gaming supplements, news on what events I'll be attending (when that's a thing again), and more!

Additionally, if the subscribe link here gives you a hard time, scroll down to the bottom of the page and sign up there instead. The first newsletter should be going out this coming Monday, so make sure you're on the list!

Now then, for something fun, crafty, and just a little spooky. And to give credit where it's due, I stumbled across this idea from Geek and Sundry.

Death Comes For Us All (In Order of Initiative)

Well would you look at that? Bad guys go first.

Initiative is one of the tensest moments of combat. Everyone is readying themselves and hoping they can get into the fray and strike the first blow, while also hoping to evade the worst their enemies have to offer. While a lot of DMs out there simply make due with some scrap notebook paper (or with a cheap LCD tablet, if you're a futuristic kind of dungeon master), that's one more thing to juggle behind your screen. Even magnetic initiative trackers like the official Pathfinder Combat Pad from Paizo don't solve this problem.

But what if you could make a simple, vertical initiative tracker that made the combat order obvious for everyone at the table, while also adding a hint of spook to your games? Well, here's how you can do just that with a couple of bucks, and less than an hour of actual crafting time. All you're going to need for this is:

- Container (coffee mug, skull of your enemy, etc.)

- Floral foam (pool foam will work in a pinch)

- Craft knife

- Terrain piece (extra dice or stones work fine, too)

- Thin wooden dowel rod

- Clothespins

- Marker

And that's it!

So What Do You Do?

Trust me, this is a piece of cake.

First things first, you want to identify your ideal container to use as the base. Right now we're in the middle of Halloween decor season, which means there are all kinds of skull cups and mugs out there. You want something that's got a bit of heft to it so it won't topple over unexpectedly, but you also want to make sure it isn't going to take up too much space on the table. Something like this skull pen holder, for example.

Come on... look at this damn thing!

Once you have your base, take your craft knife and your floral foam, and use the former to shape the latter to fit. You want a steady base that doesn't wiggle, if at all possible. Ideally the floral foam should sit a little way below the rim of your cup, as well.

After the foam is situated, take your small wooden dowel and push it down through the middle of the foam. You should now have a small pole sticking up from the foam. All you have to do at this point is open up your clothespins, and write the names of the PCs (or the names of the players, if your group is always the same), and then label one as Bad Guys. Perhaps a second for BBEG, when there's going to be a powerful bad guy and then all the lesser bad guys after them. Write the names along the legs of the clips, and ensure the can be read from both sides.

When you first set the initiative order you clip the clothespins near the top of the dowel, going in descending order from first to last. Then, once someone has taken their turn, you rotate their clothespin to the other side. This shows the initiative changing, and since the names are on both sides, you can just flip then back to their initial position as you go through the next round!

Add The Final Details

Once you've checked to make sure your clothespins hold and spin properly, all you have left to add are the fine details. Stuff to take your new initiative tracker from functional, to finished!

If you want your dowel to be extra secure, consider using some glue to hold it in place. Don't soak it to the point that the foam is glued into the cup, but be generous. Once you have the dowel where you want it, add in some terrain along the top of the foam (moss and soil, fake grass, small rocks to form a bier, a pile of small skulls, or even just a handful of spare dice) to camouflage the top of the foam.

Also, if you want to go the extra mile, you can stain the dowel so it's nice and dark. You could give your clothespins the same treatment, but keep in mind the names on them need to be legible.

Once you've done all of that, you've got a handy, vertical initiative tracker that's attractive, economical, and which adds a little spook to your table!

Also, if you're looking for some more handy things to try for your game, make sure you also take a moment to read through:

- Organize Your Spell Cards With a Portable Spellbook!

- Need Cheap Minis? SCS Direct Has You Covered!

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 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!