Another Dip Back Into Changeling: The Lost (Since Folks Asked For It)

While a majority of the gaming supplements I've written over the years have been for general RPG genres, a not-inconsiderable amount of my work has gone into the Storyteller's Vault platform. The simple reason why is that I love the World & Chronicles of Darkness games, and I want to leave my own little mark on them. And while I had taken a break for financial reasons, I've been dipping a toe back into the platform to see how viable a return might be... and this time around I decided to write a companion piece to an older supplement of mine that was based on reader requests.

In case folks out there wondered, I do listen, and I do take feedback into account for my writing schedule.

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

New Changeling (And Potential Future Additions)

For folks who missed the announcement, the supplement that dropped this past weekend was 100 Unusual Things To Find At A Goblin Market. This list includes bizarre items from Arcadia and the Hedge, unsettling things like a sealed jar of baby teeth, as well as physical embodiments of unusual emotions, or whimsical proverbs that have become actual merchandise (since any Changeling game is made better by the inclusion of a few puns). This was a topic that was oft-requested over on the Reddit forums, and it dovetails perfectly with one of my earlier supplements Buyer Beware: 10 Goblin Markets.

Seriously, go pick yours up today if you haven't yet!

In addition to being my favorite game in the Chronicles of Darkness (though Hunter is earning a lot of points with me, which is why I recently put out The Blade Itself for the new Corrupt Equipment mechanic), Changeling also has the second-largest number of supplements I've written for a single game line coming in at 11. And while I do have a few more rounds in the magazine as far as my ideas go, neither the current supplement, nor the previous book Like A Good Neighbor - Portraying True Fae in Your Chronicle have been burning up the charts of-late. There's some sales here and there, don't get me wrong, but it's definitely more of a trickle than it is a flood.

And while I've explained this in earlier posts, as well as in the video linked above, I'll restate it for folks who don't know. When I write Storyteller's Vault supplements I take a 50% reduction in up-front payment from my publisher. Given the word count for some of these, that's not a small sacrifice. To make up some of that amount in sales, I'd need to move at least 100 copies every time something new drops... and most of my supplements have struggled to even cross the 50 sale line to make it to Copper metal status of-late.

So, if you are someone who enjoys my Storyteller's Vault supplements in general, and my Changeling: The Lost work in particular, please take a moment to consider supporting me by doing the following:

- Buy any supplements that appeal to you.

- Leave reviews on the supplements you have (even just 5 stars and a "Good Job!" goes a long way).

- Leave comments on the video I linked telling me what Changeling supplements you'd like to see in the future.

As always, if buying new stuff isn't in your budget, I completely understand. But watching through the Discussions of Darkness series I have over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel is also a handy way to show your support, and to make sure that both my publisher and myself are hearing what you want!

Requests For A Changeling Story (And The A.L.I.C.E. Files)

On a final note for this week's update, I've recently launched a new audio drama channel on YouTube in partnership with Alice Liddell, and it's called The A.L.I.C.E. Files. I talked about the show more in-depth in the recent post The A.L.I.C.E. Files Is Here (And Will Soon Be Featuring Various Audio Dramas), but the short version is that the channel has an overarching story about the mysterious Carroll Institute, but a bunch of mini-stories about the different dimensions its agents have visited. A lot of those mini stories will be set in worlds that are inspired by (or come directly from) various tabletop RPGs.

I bring this up because one of the channel's big supporters, Sam Furlano, has specifically requested a Changeling story to be found in the files. Given that this falls under the Dark Pack agreement, this is absolutely something I could do... the question I have is whether it's something my readers/listeners out there want me to do?

So, if you'd like to have one (or maybe several) stories from the Chronicles of Darkness turn up in The A.L.I.C.E. files, here's how you can make your voices heard:

- Subscribe to The A.L.I.C.E. Files on YouTube.

- In the comments section for the Trailer, tell us which Chronicles of Darkness setting you'd like to see stories from (preferably with 7 words or more, just to kick the algorithm into gear).

- Watch the rest of the videos, and upvote the ones you like!

It's still a new channel, so if there's any spike in activity we are going to notice it. And if there's enough folks to get us up to the 3,000 watch hours and 500 subscribers we need to hit our next goal? Well... then whatever it is you all ask for, I can promise you we're going to try to deliver on it!

(Lastly, if you've been waiting for updates on Windy City Shadows, I assure you have neither forgotten about it, nor abandoned the project. But there are only so many hours in a day, and I'm trying to free up as much time and energy as I can to complete as many projects as possible. Stay tuned for updates on that podcast as they develop!)

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my additional audio dramas over on The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and 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 Blue Sky, 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!

What Made Your Changeling What They Are? (Changeling: The Lost)

"You ever wonder about us?" Killian asked. The hulking wolf's nose leather twitched as he sniffed, and he idly drummed his claws on the bench's metal supports.

"No," David grunted, pushing the bar up inch after trembling inch. The ogre sucked a breath over his jutting lower jaw, and lowered the weight one more time.

"Seriously, though," Killian asked, his golden eyes falling to David's elbows as he placed his own furry hands just below the bar. "We were taken on the same day, kept by the same Keeper, treated almost the same... why are we so different?"

David snarled, shoving the weight up, and slamming it into the rack hard enough to make the plates bounce. He sat up, snatched his towel, and wiped at his face. He stood, blotting out most of the light on that side of the room as he did so.

"Almost ain't the same," David said, pointing at the bench. "Your turn. Twelve reps."

We are what we are made to be.

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Nature Versus Nurture

While I took a bit of a break from the Chronicles of Darkness, I did have a Changeling: The Lost release a little while back with Like A Good Neighbor - Portraying True Fae in Your Chronicle. However, that dip back into the waters got the gears in my head turning, and it made me ruminate on something that I feel a lot of players overlook when it comes to their character's Seeming in these games.

Because yes, mechanically, you choose a Seeming that gives you access to the powers and abilities you most want for your character. However, what turns a human into a particular kind of changeling isn't just about who they are as a person, and what is revealed about them by fae magic and the Wyrd; it's also (at least in part) dependent on their treatment at the hands of their Keepers.

You merely carve away everything that isn't the statue inside the marble.

For example, say a Gentry has two people who are very alike before them; socially adept humans who are good at making friends, each of which has a force of personality all their own. One of them, as expected, ends up as a Fairest... but the other doesn't. The other finds themselves becoming a beautiful Beast. While it might be due to an inherent difference in the two people (the former attempted to be an equal participant in conversations and riddle games, while the latter merely fawned over the Keeper to try to keep themselves safe), it could also be the way the Gentry treated the two of them. The former's behavior meant the True Fae was intrigued and engaged, verbally sparring with the mortal, the conversations rubbing off on them. The latter, though, was merely giving passive attention, and treated more like a yapping dog than they were someone deserving of the Gentry's attention and respect, minor though it is.

Say the Gentry punished two of its kept humans. They were very similar, but one was punished for actions they actually committed, making it clear they were being trained for a purpose. That leads them to become a hound; strong and fierce, but reacting without thought to commands that have been drilled into them. The second person, though, is punished cruelly, or even unnecessarily, twisting the knife in their wound. That hatred, that malignance, leads them to become an ogre, instead.

And even if a True Fae is purposefully reducing different people into the same kind of changeling, who is to say the methods and treatment don't produce different results? Like how you might take two ingots of the same raw material, but turn them into radically different alloys? Even a pair of twins, put into different scenarios and situations, would end up with utterly unique fates. For example, the True Fae might take one brother, and keep him on a mountaintop where the wind eventually blows him away one layer at a time, until wind is all he is, turning him into a gusting gale. The other brother, just as stubborn and just as willful, might be buried deep beneath the earth. And the longer he pits his will against the rock and mud, the more he becomes a part of the earth, until his skin becomes craggy, and his blood slows to thick, pumping clay.

Thematic Interactions Are What Make Changelings Unique

While it's perfectly within the bounds of the game to have a character who just doesn't remember how they became what they are, or to have someone who was simply cursed or changed by a True Fae into the form they have now, digging a little deeper into why and how your character became what they are can add extra elements to their story. Did the Gentry merely reveal their true nature, imbuing it with magic, making this form an even truer version of who the changeling was in their soul? Were they twisted out of true as the Gentry attempted to force them into a shape and being that didn't fit them? Or did they, through their own actions and behaviors, end up sealing their fate?

Again, these aren't necessary parts of a character... but they can act as seeds that will grow throughout a chronicle, giving you deeper interactions, and more impactful story!

And, lastly, I'd recommend picking up your own copy of Like A Good Neighbor, as well as one of my older supplements 100 Frailties to help you build these necessary weaknesses into your player characters and antagonists alike!

I would also recommend checking out the following free articles about this game:

- The Chessboard Motley

- A Little Taste of Glamour

- 5 Tips For Running a Changeling: The Lost Chronicle

- 5 Questions Every Changeling: The Lost Player Should Ask (About Their Characters)

- 5 Films You Should Watch To "Get" Changeling: The Lost

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post. 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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and 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 Blue Sky, 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!

"Down and Dirty" Combat Doesn't Get Enough Love in The Chronicles of Darkness

Combat is the main event in a lot of roleplaying games, but there are times where a fight just feels inconsequential for the player characters, or it's just going to eat up a massive amount of the time you had planned for the story that night. This can be an issue in games that take a more cinematic approach to combat, such as the Chronicles of Darkness, but the Down and Dirty Combat mechanic that's listed on page 87 can solve this problem neatly and elegantly for those who want to go to narration for those fights that might be necessary, but which aren't super important.

You got this kid! Come on, one roll, and this bum's going down!

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Not Every Fight Is Supposed To Be Do-Or-Die

I've made the comparison before, but consider the first John Wick film. The scene where Vigo tasks a crew of assassins to go kill John before he can come after Iosef to get revenge. There's 11 or so assassins in black suits and ski masks, making them literal faceless goons who are all dispatched to our main character's house. John, of course, kills them all with the only damage being to his house, and his composure, just to let the audience know the kind of badass we're dealing with.

This is what I mean when I talk about thinking of combat cinematically. I'm not just talking about what it would look like, and the ebb and flow of a brawl or a shoot out. But ask where it fits in the narrative arc you're telling, and if this is an important, meaningful fight that should be slugged out round-for-round and pound-for-pound, or is this an interim fight with goons who aren't important in the grand scheme of things?

Because if you're running a Hunter game, and your cell of trigger-happy monster hunters are going after a vampire, then absolutely that fight in the vampire's lair should be a pulse-pounding scene where you dedicate a lot of screen time to the action, and you pull out all the weird powers and hail-Mary weapons for your mortals to try to eke out a victory. However, you probably don't want to dedicate that same time and attention to the fight with some club bouncers that are guarding the first layer of access to that vampire's lair, three sub-basements below The Red Circle.

You want to fight the counter guy who got your order wrong? Fine, but this is the last time...

The way this simple mechanic works is that you, as the ST, offer the chance to the players to run this with Down and Dirty rules. Because it should always be their choice. After all, regular combat mechanics and Down and Dirty mechanics both offer risks. If the players say yes, they want the D&D rules, it's fairly simple.

First, you determine which characters have what goals in this scene. For example, your bruiser might be trying to beat a combination to a locked door out of a flunky, while the shooter is just picking off as many other targets as she can. If there are distinct, different goals at-work, then these characters each make separate rolls. However, if multiple characters are all in sync with their goals (say all four members of a cell are rushing the two guards on a door, and looking to pummel them into submission), then they can use the Teamwork mechanic in order to combine their efforts together for a better chance of success.

Once you know who is trying to do what, you put together the combat pool for the player characters (Strength or Dexterity + Brawl, Firearms, or Weaponry), and then the NPCs will either roll that same pool if they're opposing the PCs, or they'll roll something like (Strength or Dexterity + Athletics) if they're trying to get away. Once both sides have rolled, count the successes, and the difference between them.

If the players get an exceptional success (5 or more on their side) they achieve their goal, and get a point of Willpower from the rush. A regular success (1-4 more on their side) and they achieve their stated goal, dealing damage equal to their weapon modifier + successes, killing enemies if that was the goal. If they fail then the opponent deals them damage equal to the number of successes they achieved over the PCs, and they escape unless they want to press things. Dramatic failure is the same as a regular failure, except the PCs are Stunned as a result of how badly things went.

Just be careful who you start a fight with... it might go badly for you.

This mechanic does a lot of heavy lifting for you as a Storyteller. On the one hand, it allows player characters who are built for fights to still contribute to the story and the game, but you don't have to eat up half (or more) of a given session making sure they get their fights in. On the other hand, it puts control into your players' hands, so they can decide what they think an important fight is, versus one they're willing to let a single roll of the dice settle.

With that said, though, as a Storyteller you should consider a couple of things before allowing the Down and Dirty rules to resolve a given combat.

- Should This Be Do Or Die? - The Chronicles of Darkness is a vicious system when it comes to combat, and the more combatants and weapons involved only ups that ante. If you want to avoid a serious risk of PC death, then this is a good time for the D&D option.

- Are These Combatants Named? - Think of your chronicle as if it were a movie. Are the people your characters fighting Named Characters, like the current villain, their lieutenant, or important characters to the plot? Or are they Gangster #1, #2, and #3? Even if you gave them names, histories, and personalities in your notes, ask if they are Important. If not, D&D is probably an acceptable way to solve things.

These two questions make a great guide as to when these rules should be invoked. Because once you have the necessary results, you can narrate what happened, and dictate what the fight accomplished, or what resources it used (how many rounds did they fire, did they manage to keep things quiet, and so on) without interrupting the flow of the current arc too much.

And if things go REALLY terribly, you can always invoke the Chase rules... but I think I'll talk about those next time if folks are interested in hearing more about this setting?

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Crunch post! 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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and 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 Blue Sky, 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!

Do We, As Players, Own The World/Chronicles of Darkness Now?

Folks who keep up with me as a creator are aware that I've put a lot of supplements out for the World and Chronicles of Darkness over the years. Last time I ran the numbers, it made up roughly 25% of my total title count. However, I had to step away for a year and a half or so because Storyteller's Vault was just too big of a hurdle for me to overcome, financially.

But 2025 has seen my name returning to these dark and dreary streets. First I released Dark Reflections: 50 Sights To See in The Penumbra for Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and then Night Horrors: Primordial Peerage dropped for Beast: The Primordial (I was a small part of this project, but it was enjoyable to work on). And then this past weekend my latest piece for Changeling: The Lost dropped... Like A Good Neighbor: Portraying The True Fae in Your Chronicle!

I noticed an unusual refrain as I was going around and trying to do my part to promote these titles, though... players, reviewers, and commenters keep saying that "we" own the World and Chronicles of Darkness now. And while this is absolutely NOT a statement on the legal rights and intellectual property of the setting, it does seem to be true in the sense of the new releases we're getting... or, more accurately, not getting.

Hand over the monsters. Slowly.

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Who Is Still Lurking in The Shadows?

Back in the 1990s, the World of Darkness was once called the DND Killer. Vampire, Werewolf, and the other bruisers were everywhere, and sucking up the oxygen in the room. Players were wearing their sunglasses inside, dressing in black leather, playing club music, and doing their best rendition of a modern day (and edgier) Dark Shadows. It held steady, and even into the 2000s it was doing strong numbers. It eventually started flagging, which led to the re-invention into the New World of Darkness, which eventually became the second edition known as the Chronicles of Darkness.

And even though the setting is a shadow of its former self, there is still a dark power to it. There is something about it that captures the imagination, and leads one down a dark alley to show them the broken glass of shattered dreams, and to whisper to them that monsters are real.

However, Onyx Path Publishing seems to be focusing on the other games it's publishing these days. Curseborne is (or at least was) the new hotness for a while, but there's focus on the Trinity Continuum, as well as on up-and-coming projects like Monster Kingdoms, and a slew of other games and settings that already exist.

But the World of Darkness, and the Chronicles of Darkness, seem to be largely abandoned by the company and their official releases. It seems like nothing really new has come out for even the most popular spheres of the game, and there isn't any buzz about up-and-coming projects players should look forward to. Now, there's still a huge amount of stuff already out there... but new supplements and books don't seem to be coming through official channels...

... they're coming from the community.

The call... it's inside the house.

With releases like Book of Lineages for Promethean: The Created, Book of Courts for Changeling: The Lost, or something like Dark Eras: A New Origin, there's clearly a lot of interest still going on in these settings... it's just that the designers aren't currently part of the Onyx Path/Paradox/etc. stable (anymore, at least, as I've heard there are several former designers who are trying to shoot adrenaline into the setting by lending their talents to community releases). So, that puts us all in something of a unique position.

On the one hand, Storyteller's Vault lays out clear rules and requirements we have to follow to make products for these settings... but on the other hand, if the company isn't planning to keep the games we love going, then why shouldn't we, as a community, pour that love into them (along with some other dark, alchemical fluids)? For all the flaws, missteps, and problems in the games we love, why shouldn't we keep doing our best to refine them, to offer fresh perspectives and ideas, and build them that much bigger, better, and darker?

I say this as someone who has designed my fair share of WoD/CoD supplements, and who still has a slew of projects I'd like to put up... if you want to see these games keep going, then make sure you're supporting the community creators as best you can. Check out new releases, leave ratings and reviews, and help us spread the word so that we can defray our costs, and pay our bills, while putting out fresh stuff for everyone out there who isn't ready to leave the shadows behind just yet.

Also, if you're someone who enjoys the World and Chronicles of Darkness, but you haven't yet checked out Discussions of Darkness, consider giving the series a look over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel!

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and 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 Blue Sky, 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!

What Would You Like To See Next? Hunter? Beast? Something Else?

Folks who know my work know that I have a deep and abiding love for the World/Chronicles of Darkness. For several years of my career, in fact, I would release a supplement every month, or every other month, for one of the games in these settings. About two years ago I stopped, though, because it just wasn't financially feasible for me to continue... however, variety is the spice of life, and it seems there are still folks who really want me to come back to these games.

So I wanted to ask folks again... what games would you like to see me come back to?

Speak, and perhaps you shall receive.

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

My Next Destination... The Vigil? The Primordial?

Back in March, I made an episode of Discussions of Darkness asking viewers what they would like to see me put together for future World/Chronicles of Darkness content. The two games I proposed were Werewolf: The Apocalypse and Changeling: The Lost, since those are the two games I've written the largest number of supplements for over the years.

I started with Dark Reflections: 50 Sights To See in The Penumbra for Werewolf, and yesterday I cracked the seal on my next Changeling project, which deals with the Gentry, and will dovetail very nicely with 7 True Fae in Arcadia for folks who picked up a copy of that supplement from Lily Lessard. However, I'm laying out plans for what I want to start on this fall, and I wanted to touch base with all my readers out there...

First and foremost, I was recently part of the supplement Night Horrors: Primordial Peerage, which is a hefty book for Beast: The Primordial that deals with a lot of extra lore, character archetypes, etc. to flesh out the setting. I had fun with my part of the game, but I was a little surprised by the size of the response from folks. Apparently Beast is quite a popular game, and there are a lot of folks who are hungry for more... so would you like to see me put out some supplements for this game as well? And if so, what sort of things would you like to see added into the mix?

However, I've also picked up Hunter: The Vigil, and I'm working my way through it. I can honestly say I haven't looked at Vigil since I took part in the initial playtest for it, but I'm trying to read a few dozen pages a night before bed. While I'm doing the work for a chronicle I plan on running for my own group, I have several ideas of things I'd like to organize and arrange into supplements based on the material I'm making... particularly since the game I'm writing is set during Prohibition!

So this week, I wanted to check in with you all as my readers... do either of these proposals sound interesting to you? And if so, which one would you prefer to see?

Place your vote in the comments below, and leave it on social media for extra points to be sure I see it! Additionally, check out the 39 supplements I've written in my World/Chronicles of Darkness pinboard so you can see everything I've already put together for this setting!

Also, if you haven't checked out my latest Changeling: The Lost video essay which introduces the host for my upcoming podcast Windy City Shadows, then give this video a look see, as well!

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and 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 Blue Sky, 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!

Would You Like To Hear Broadcasts From Mr. Nowhere? (Changeling: The Lost Updates)

As most of my regular readers know, I'm currently elbow-deep in working on a fiction podcast for the Chronicles of Darkness setting. This will be a continuation of many of the short fiction pieces that have already appeared on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and there will be returning voices (as well as returning characters) from some of those stories!

However, the host of the show is someone a lot of you may have missed. The faceless, enigmatic voice on the airwaves, Mr. Nowhere. While there's little enough known about this elusive Winter Courtier, Mr. Nowhere could be making an appearance in other videos quite soon... assuming, of course, regular readers are interested to hear what he has to say.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Where You Could Hear Mr. Nowhere (Cast Your Vote Today!)

While Mr. Nowhere is going to be the voice of the intro and outro of each episode (as well as the commercial break in the middle of each episode, assuming we can find ourselves some proper sponsors!), this podcast is going to take a lot of behind-the-scenes work and time to pull together. As I mentioned in previous updates, it's likely going to take me months just to finish writing all the scripts, firming up the details, etc., before I can start getting people together to record.

But to sort of warm up the crowd and get people interested, I had a couple of smaller videos I'd like to make. My hope is that they'll catch some people's attention, and get more folks to tune-in when the full podcast starts dropping episodes.

One of my first thoughts is to put together a second video essay for Changeling: The Lost that's all about Radio Free Fae. This Winter Court organization is used to broadcast coded messages, and to share information among the Lost in ways that can be vital to the community... and Mr. Nowhere is a member of this particular organization, covering the Windy City as well as the greater Chicagoland area with his broadcasts. As such, this video essay would have a much more meta tone than previous ones have, allowing a character from the setting to give the audience the run down of who he is, and what the organization he represents does.

However, that's just one possibility for where folks may hear Mr. Nowhere next!

In addition to that video essay, I was also thinking of providing some short character bios in order to give listeners insight to season 1. These might be particularly useful for those who are not Changeling: The Lost players, and who would like a brief cliff notes dossier so they aren't left scrambling to pick up context of what's happening when the show starts. From discussions of major players in the seasonal courts that make up the changeling power structure in the city, to persons of note, to insights into recent events for the main cast, I figure this might work as a gentler introduction to the upcoming story.

Lastly, Mr. Nowhere is likely to be heard on the official trailers I want to make for season 1 of Windy City Shadows. I'm planning on making somewhere between 1 and 3 of these videos which will be short little samples of what's to come that will (fingers crossed) get more listeners interested in the show as we get closer to its official debut.

What Is Something You'd Like To Hear Next?

So, out of all those options, what is something that appeals to you most?

Would you like:

#1: At least one video essay voiced by Mr. Nowhere as he leads us deeper into the Chronicles of Darkness setting, and Changeling: The Lost in particular?

#2: Character bios as Mr. Nowhere gives new readers and listeners a cliff notes version of the setting of Windy City Shadows?

#3: Trailers for Windy City Shadows to draw folks into the setting?

Now, it's likely that all three of these projects are going to happen at some point. However, where I put my energy and time will be determined by you, the readers and listeners! So if one of these categories has a distinct lead over the others, that is the one that's going to go at the top of the to-do list when I manage to free up time in the production schedule.

So please, leave your vote down in the comments below, on social media where you came across this page, and in the comments section of The Liminal Horror of Changeling: The Lost so that I and my publisher can see them, count them, and tally them! And if you want to help push projects like this up in the algorithm, and make it easier for me to keep getting ideas like this greenlit, subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and hit that little bell to get all of our updates while you're at it!

Lastly, if you enjoy the little samples you've seen of Mr. Nowhere and you'd like to grab a few supplements I've released that have featured sneaky references to him or his activities, you could also grab these supplements I've written for Storyteller's Vault!

- 100 Mourning Cant Dialects, Phrases, and Meanings: Delving into the secretive communication styles of the Winter Court, this supplement helps you really take on the feel of clandestine operatives.

- 100 Strange Sights To See In The Hedge: The Hedge is a bizarre place full of impossible creatures and landscapes... and if you look closely, you might catch sight of a signal tower, swallowed in the greenery.

- 100 Rumors To Hear At The Freehold: Whispers are as deadly as daggers among the paranoid Lost... and very few people can collect more rumors than Winter.

What's Next on Table Talk?

That's it for this installment of Table Talk! What would you like to see next? I'm listening for your comments and votes!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archives, as well as the YouTube channel for Azukail Games. Or, to check out books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, my hard-boiled noir series featuring the street beasts of NYC in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, or my recent short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Bue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, as well as on Pinterest where I'm building all sorts of boards dedicated to my books, RPG supplements, and greatest hits. Lastly, to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little donation can have a big impact.

I'm Not Just The President, I'm Also a Client (Using My Own TTRPG Supplements in My Games)

My fellow kids who were born in the 80s will likely remember the Hair Club For Men commercials. These things were geared toward middle aged guys who were losing their hair, and they wanted to recapture their vigor and vitality by regrowing it. The man talking to the camera was a fellow named Sy Sperling, and he assured everyone that not only was he the president of this company, but that it was through the products he was offering that he had regrown his own thick, lush mane of hair.

I find myself thinking about those commercials whenever I end up as the Game Master. Because when I sit down to work on a supplement, the question that I usually ask myself is, "If I were running a game, what heavy lifting would I want already done for me?"

The files get a little bigger every month, after all.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Being A Game Master is Hard Enough As It Is

I've been in the game for a while (pun very much intended), and there's an attitude that I've run into a lot when it comes to TTRPG supplements. Namely, there is a portion of the population that believes if you don't make everything yourself from the ground up (the RPG equivalent of homemade cooking versus a boxed mix) then you aren't a real Game Master.

I've gone on the record with this, but I feel like Game Masters should be given all the help they can get. They're already expected to craft a plot, keep track of an entire party worth of backstories and motivations, and keep the world all around the PCs spinning without letting things topple off the cliff... if they want a handy chart of random rumors, odd encounters, or just NPCs to meet at the bar, they shouldn't feel any shame whatsoever about GMing smarter instead of harder.

I sure as hell don't.

As a lot of my regular readers/viewers may have seen, I was planning a Changeling: The Lost LARP right around when Covid hit. I shelved my plans for it at the time, but I kept tinkering with the ideas I'd had, and the elements I'd already worked out for it. It was a lot of labor for a game I wouldn't be able to run till after the end of a global pandemic, so I decided the best thing to do for now would be to publish some of the better ideas I'd had, and to put the supplements out there for folks to use.

And now that my game is running, I'm really glad for all the pregaming I did with these supplements, as having them on-hand has saved me so much time, energy, and effort. This is particularly true for Buyer Beware: 10 Goblin Markets, which has the layouts and rules for all the local goblin markets in my game's immediate area, as well as 100 Strange Sights to See in The Hedge, which has helped me keep any journeys into the world next door feeling bizarre, unexpected, and dangerous, rather than letting it turn into just another fantasy forest. My players have also been loving the additions to the setting I put into 100 (Mostly) Harmless Goblin Fruits and Oddments To Find in The Hedge, which is honestly the bestselling thing I've ever written for the World of Darkness at this point.

Of course, I've done this with other systems, too.

Additionally, while modules are some of the toughest products to sell, my Critical Hits series is always good to have on-hand for folks who haven't played before, and who just want a quick introduction to tabletop RPGs. Thus far I've run people through Ghosts of Sorrow Marsh (a creeping dread besieges a marsh town), False Valor (a murder mystery where you get to kick fantasy Proud Boys in the teeth), and The Curse of Sapphire Lake (the hate child of Beowulf and Friday the 13th), and every time I was able to dedicate so much more of my energy to NPCs, scene setting, and facilitating interactions because the bulk of the adventure was already laid out in front of me, requiring no extra effort on my behalf.

I haven't run The Price of Iron (story about dark fey and a warehouse of horror) yet, but it's queued up for the next time my group is champing at the bit for a solid game with a dire threat!

Seriously... Don't Reinvent The Wheel

If you've been raking yourself over the coals as a Game Master because you feel like you don't put in all the work your job requires, or you're letting your players down, just take a deep breath, let it out, and remind yourself that you don't have to do everything for your game. Hell, this is my job, and I still don't force myself to come up with brand new, freshly-made stuff every time I get behind the screen, or put on my ST hat. Whether you're running a fully pre-made campaign arc, using a world built by someone else, or just grabbing a list of sci fi mercenary companies, sights to see in a steampunk city, or just some random prophecies to hear from an oracle, saving yourself processing power can be a life saver when it's time to run a game.

Because while most of us are capable of just making something up on the spot, if you end up doing that over and over again as the night progresses, pretty soon you won't have the necessary grip strength to run the rest of the game. So if you haven't used GM aids and TTRPG supplements at your table, check out some of mine, and maybe give one or two of them a whirl!

I wouldn't recommend them if I didn't use them myself.

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, 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!

Mortals Plus- A World/Chronicles of Darkness Campaign Concept

The World and Chronicles of Darkness setting is filled with possibilities and potentials. From vampires and werewolves, to mages and changelings, to Prometheans, Sin Eaters, and hunters, you could play through dozens and dozens of chronicles before you ever heard the same note repeated.

However, whether you're an old hand for these games looking for some way to spice things up, or you're a newer player looking for a gentler introduction to this setting for yourself and your table, I'd like to suggest something that I call a Mortals+ Chronicle.

Don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! To be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Also, since it keeps getting lost in the shuffle, check out my Vocal archive for more articles about RPGs, character conversions, character concepts, weird history, nerdy topics, and more!

The Support Staff For The Supernatural

While each of the different spheres of the World or Chronicles of Darkness are unique in their own ways, there are a lot of design similarities between the games so that they can be played together as part of the same setting. And one of the big similarities shared by a majority of these supernatural creatures is that they have a slot reserved for mortals who have been let in on the secret, and who usually have some vestige of power of their own as a result.

Yes, Master... I see.

This tradition goes all the way back to the original edition of Vampire: The Masquerade and the idea of ghouls. These characters are mortals who are blood bound to a vampire, and they act as that vampire's agents in the mortal world, much like we see Renfield act in the classic novel Dracula. This role was carried forward with kinfolk in Werewolf: The Apocalypse, allowing for extended families of these shapechangers to provide backup and support, and to avoid/ignore the madness that viewing a werewolf usually brought on. Other examples include ensorcelled mortals for Changeling: The Lost, familiars in Mage: The Awakening, and so on. While not every game in the setting has these roles, it is uncommon for this kind of character to be absent.

They are the characters that a Mortals+ chronicle revolves around.

Normally these enhanced mortals are just thought of as sidekicks to the supernatural creatures of a given game. They're the aides de camp who help with planning, who open the doors, or who handle tasks that are too mundane for the monsters to whom they are bound to bother with. But the chronicle can take on an interesting twist when you shift that narrative, and see these stories from the perspective of these mortal characters.

The first benefit is that this allows you to focus on your character as a person, and figuring out who they are. You then need to ask what brought them under the shadow, and into the truth of the setting. Were they a lost kinfolk who was rediscovered when they saw a garou change forms, and didn't freak out? Were they a private eye tracking down a serial killer, only to find a vampire who offered them a choice between servitude or death? Was this person a student of the occult who stumbled onto a cabal of genuine mages who decided they were too useful to do away with? Or did they make a deal with someone that sounded too good to be true, only to find out they now work for a changeling?

But is it the worst bargain you've ever made?

This idea works best for Storytellers and players who want to stay at a boots-on-the-ground level of the game. Additionally, when you play an enhanced mortal, it gives you a taste of power (usually, anyway), and it gives the Storyteller a simple way of dispatching missions to the PCs. You can complicate this somewhat by giving the PCs different sponsors (say you each serve a different vampire, or you're all connected to different werewolf tribes), but that is a choice that's up to you as the ST.

Another aspect of a Mortals+ game is that, much like the Faces of Death Chronicle idea I shared a while back, there's a chance for players to be upgraded to a full supernatural template. Perhaps the ghouls prove themselves through their service, and their masters embrace them (or they betray their masters, and are embraced by another who promised them power for that betrayal). Your kinfolk might have their first change, your familiars might awaken, and it's possible that your ensorcelled mortals might be dragged away to Arcadia, only to have to claw their way back to the real world as a full changeling. Maybe this is something some characters want, maybe it's something they're forced to endure (because the player wants it to happen, even if the character doesn't), but it can provide an interesting way to continue the chronicle even when the PCs are all upgraded to a full, supernatural sheet.

Or, if you opt not to go that route, they can always make for ideal hunters, since they have a working knowledge of at least one supernatural community, how to navigate it, and how to disrupt it!

Recommended Reading on Enhanced Mortals

I've written up a lot of supplements about characters who fit into the Mortals+ mold. I've listed them below for folks who want to check them out for inspiration, or simply to fill your own World/Chronicles of Darkness game with a more organic cast!

- New World Nights: 100 Ghouls For The American Camarilla (Vampire: The Masquerade)

- New World Shadows: 100 American Ghouls For The Sabbat (Vampire: The Masquerade)

- Children of The Night: 100 Animal Ghouls (Vampire: Requiem or Masquerade)

- 100 Garou Kinfolk Bundle (15 Werewolf: The Apocalypse supplements in one bundle!)

- 100 Ensorcelled Mortals (Changeling: The Lost)

For those who want to see me expand this list of 19 supplements to other games, please consider leaving comments below, sharing the supplements around to help them find fresh eyes, and if you do get copies for yourself, leave a rating and a review to help the project maintain momentum!

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary!. 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!

Geists, Mages, and More, Oh My! (My Latest Steps Into The 'Chronicles of Darkness' Setting)

Around Halloween of 2022 I asked my readers what sort of content they'd like to see from me for the World/Chronicles of Darkness setting (and if you missed it, the entry was What Corner of The World of Darkness Would You Like To See Me Touch on Next?). One particularly vocal direct request was to see some supplements for Geist: The Sin Eaters, and the comments sections on most social media pages were asking for some content for Mage, whichever edition I happened to prefer.

Well, it's been a few months since then, and both 50 Geists and 100 Shadow Names have hit the market!

However, as I'm catching my breath (and finishing off another supplement for Changeling: The Lost), I wanted to ask folks once again if they had any requests... not just for which game in this setting, but also what type of content they'd like to see!

There's more ideas where these two came from, after all.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Ask, And Ye Shall Receive

Regular readers already know this, but for folks who are new on this blog, I like to try to get a sense of what my regulars want. Part of that is just good business (you don't want to spend weeks of effort making a thing nobody is interested in, after all), but the other part of it is that I want people to feel like I'm listening to them. So rather than just seeing what floats to the surface of my imagination, I wanted to ask my readers what kind of products they'd like to see for World/Chronicles of Darkness games in the future.

For instance, would you like to see me continue my Geist and Mage offerings? Or would you like me to go back to Changeling, Vampire, or even Werewolf? Should I continue with the list-based format you see with supplements like 100 Resources and Rumors to Find on SchreckNet and Evil Inc.: 10 Pentex Subsidiaries, or would you like to see me try something different? Perhaps ST guides for pre-made freeholds or territories, or guides for running certain subgenres of horror, like Midwest Gothic or Neo Noir? Or perhaps you'd like to see more fiction, like the collection Tales From The Moot, or the ongoing flash fiction series I've been turning into audio dramas?

All of these are options. And if there's something I didn't think of, feel free to make your pitch and see if it grows wings!

What I Need You To Do

If you want to make your voices heard, there are a lot of things you can do to send a message to both me, and to my publishers. Because, contrary to popular belief, I'm not the one who actually publishes these supplements on Drive Thru RPG and Storyteller's Vault; I work with Azukail Games, High Level Games, and other folks to make these things a reality. So in a lot of cases it's not just about what I want to do, but also about what the other folks involved in the process think is a good idea based on the numbers we're clocking.

Firstly, Things You Can Do For Free:

- Comment: Whether it's on this blog entry, or on social media, the more folks who speak up about what they want, the more likely it is to get made.

- Share: The more folks who see this, the more likely we are to get a lot of people participating in the conversation.

- Subscribe to The Azukail Games Youtube Channel: Admittedly, this is best for helping ensure I make more videos, but if you enjoy either my audio dramas or the Discussions of Darkness series I've been doing on the channel, helping me reach the 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watched content monetization requires would be a big help! I'd like to start doing longer, more involved stories, but I need to prove the audience is present if I'm going to get something like a full-sized podcast greenlit.

Secondly, If You Want To Send a Message With Your Money:

- Get Copies of Supplements You Want To See More Of: All 35 of my WoD/CoD supplements can be found on my World/Chronicles of Darkness pinboard. Whether you want to see more Mage, Geist, Vampire, Changeling, or Werewolf, consider grabbing some copies for yourself. The more copies something moves, the more likely it is that I'll be able to get the publisher to greenlight fresh projects in that setting, and of that type.

- Leave Reviews: If you've already gotten copies of some of my supplements, consider leaving a share on DTRPG and Storyteller's Vault. Star ratings are good, but even short reviews about what you liked about a supplement can make a big difference!

Of Course, If You Want To Help Me Out, I'd Appreciate That, Too

And for folks who just want to do their part to help me make more content, please subscribe/follow me in these locations:

- My Facebook

- My LinkTree

- My Weekly Newsletter

- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)

- My Daily Motion Channel (longer videos that won't show up on YouTube)

And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. 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!