Back On The Road With My Latest Supplement Release! (Which is ALMOST To Copper Already)

It's been a... rough couple of months for me professionally. Trying to guess what it is players and Game Masters will actually check out is a roll of fate's dice at the best of times, and just like when I'm at the table on Thursday nights, I seem to have been hitting all low numbers. So I thought it was time to get back to basics... and it seems that for once my instincts were on the money!

At least for how the market is going in today's gaming economy...

Seriously... come check it out if you haven't yet!

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!

Filling in Those Empty Places On The Map

For folks who weren't there at the start of my career as a TTRPG writer, the supplement 100 Random Encounters For On The Road Or In The Wilderness was one of the first things I wrote for Azukail Games. In addition to the game-neutral version, the supplement has a version for Pathfinder, Dungeons and Dragons 5E, Castles and Crusades (OSR), and Savage Worlds, and most of them have earned at least a few metal levels on Drive Thru RPG. And though I've written probably a hundred or so supplements since this one left my desk (and likely more, if I stopped and took the time to count), it's one of my bestsellers that folks still pick up from time to time.

So, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, I figured I'd try an experiment and write something of a companion piece for this older, still-popular supplement. And that is why I put together 100 NPCs To Meet On The Road Or In The Wilderness!

You never know who you'll run into out here...

The idea behind this supplement was to give Game Masters all sorts of folks to populate the highways, byways, and trackless wilds with so that you don't just have a whole bunch of nothing happening between towns, villages, dungeons, and ruins. From bandits and bounty hunters to merchants, rangers, farmers, and even a ghost or two, these NPCs come with their own descriptions, possible plot hooks, and the sorts of places you're most likely to find them. And while you can use them as agents of your plot, you can just as easily sprinkle them in for background flavor to make the world feel more organic.

My goal was simply to save all the Game Masters out there a little time and energy, and to make a fresh tool that could be combined with an older one that would help the folks running games save their creative energies for where it's really needed!

If this seems like the sort of thing you'd find particularly useful, then grab a copy of one (or both) of these supplements today! And if you have a particular edition you'd like to see this one translated to, make sure you leave that in the comments down below.

Additional Supplement Recommendations

So, I took a break from writing NPC lists for a while, but if this supplement is something you think you'll get some use out of, I'd suggest checking out some of the other so-called "blue book" supplements I've put out that cover other, similar lists. Supplements like:

- 100 Helpful Hirelings: Folks that you can bring with on your journey, or who can provide additional services.

- 100 Town Guards: The watchmen who guard the walls, and arrest adventurers when they get a little out of hand.

- 100 Merchants to Encounter: The people who sell the things adventurers need, this list will help you make quicker work of any shopping trip.

- 100 Prisoners For A Fantasy Jail: The best and the brightest of the bottom of the barrel, there are all kinds of dangerous persons in this supplement for allies, enemies, and everything in between!

- 100 Random Bandits To Meet: Much the same as the above supplement, but these folk are still at-large (and might be found out in the wilderness, as well).

- 100 Nobles To Encounter: From useless fops, to cunning patrons, to dangerous enemies, nobles come in many forms. All of them can be found in this supplement!

- 100 NPCs You Might Meet At The Tavern: My bestselling supplement of all-time (I'm pretty sure, at least), this one went Platinum for a reason!

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!

World's Oldest Profession- Salacious Sales in The TTRPG Space?

For folks who don't keep a close eye on my releases, I recently had an impressive showing with my new supplement. World's Oldest Profession: 100 Courtesans and Concubines managed to do something that very few of my supplements have managed, which was to hit Copper status on its first day of release! Not only that, but it also hit Silver status by the end of 48 hours, which is something that's only happened a handful of times in the past for something I've made.

Oddly enough, the last time this happened was with the original supplement that led to this project, World's Oldest Profession: A Baker's Dozen of Brothels... a supplement which is now sitting at Electrum status, and still rising!

If something happens one time, it could be a fluke. Twice could be a coincidence. But three times? Well that just might be a trend...

Do you want to see more entries in this series?

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!

Does Salacious Content Generate Sales?

We've all heard the phrase sex sells, and even if we haven't heard it before we've all seen those commercials filled with bikini-clad supermodels, and voice overs from sultry performers trying to reach in through your ear to your wallet. And we've had our share of questionable covers of Dragon magazine, and occasional tables, monsters, and even asides in adventure paths, but outside of tomes like The Book of Erotic Fantasy (yes it's real, don't try to check it out if you're not of age) we don't have a lot of major examples of books predicated entirely on the selling power of adult (or at least mature) content.

Don't get me wrong, we have a lot of examples of this kind of content (such as the entire catalog of Lewd Dungeon Adventures), but it's usually been something we keep in the background, and which only bubbles to the surface from time to time.

And I'll be the first one to say that neither of my World's Oldest Profession supplements is particularly lewd. The first installment details brothels, as well as those who staff them, but there's nothing explicit in that supplement. The second installment is also more suggestive than anything else, with a lot of nodding and winking among the list of 100 prostitutes, but there's nothing in it that would prompt more than a PG-13 rating. At best.

Despite that, though, both of these supplements have sold like gangbusters!

What conclusions can I draw from this? Well, first and foremost, the price point for NPC and locations lists continues to be important for supplements I write. Secondly, cover art is also pretty important, and this particular piece by Dara Williamson is definitely eye-catching. However, the content is definitely responsible for both the initial sales, as well as the long-term viability of the supplement. And even with the age restriction on these supplements, they still outsell well over 95% of the stuff I produce.

Are the folks who buy either A Baker's Dozen of Brothels or 100 Courtesans and Concubines suddenly going to have uniquely spicy locations and NPCs in their games once they buy them? Probably not... but they at least have the opportunity, if that's what they and their players want to do!

A Final Note

As I so often say when I talk about the business side of TTRPGs, you have to follow the money. And while are all kinds of things I could work on (and things I definitely want to work on), this pattern has definitely drawn both my attention, as well as my publisher's attention.

So I wanted to ask... would folks like to see this become a longer-running series? Whether it's making sci-fi versions of these two supplements, or adding to them with other, similarly bawdy titles (things like 100 Laws Regarding Prostitution, 100 Slang Terms For Sultry Activities, A Baker's Dozen of Flesh Trade Guilds, etc.)?

I've got ideas... the question is, what would you all like to see going forward?

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 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!

Which Sci-Fi Supplements Would You Like To See Next?

Folks who've been watching my release stream of late have likely noticed a trend where I'll put out a fantasy RPG supplement one month, and then half a dozen months or a year later a sci-fi version of that same supplement comes out. In case you were wondering, you're not imagining things... but even better, now you can weigh in on the process to get the supplements you want to see next!

Supplements like this one, if you haven't gotten your copy yet!

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!

To Boldly Go Into New Genres To Reinvent Our Ideas!

I talked about this a while back in General Use RPG Products Hedge Your Bets (And Overall Sell Better), but I figured I'd restate it for folks who didn't catch that post. In short, if you want to make a living creating RPG supplements, you have a better chance of selling larger numbers with content that can be used across different games, and which never goes out of style, than you do making content that is specific to a particular game, a particular setting, a particular edition, and so on.

However, even if you make something that can be used in different games, you're usually bound by genre conventions. Which is where my notion of re-visiting older supplements of mine and shifting their genre came about.

That cluster looks like it needs some exploring!

Regular readers have no doubt noticed some of this happening, but if you haven't, here's a brief list of some of the projects that have gotten a dual-genre release so far you should check out:

- 100 Superstitions For a Fantasy Setting and 100 Spacer Superstitions

- 100 Random Mercenary Companies and 100 Sci-Fi Mercenary Companies

- 100 Gangs For Your Urban Campaigns and 100 Sci-Fi Gangs

- 100 Fantasy Foods and 100 Sci Fi Foods

You get the idea, I'm sure.

Why do things this way, I'm sure some folks are wondering. Well, generally speaking, it's because if a fantasy supplement covers a particular niche that seems popular or in-demand then there's a strong correlation to a sci-fi supplement doing comparably well. The sci-fi one usually does a little less in terms of numbers and sales, but that can be at least partially chalked up to the fact that on the whole fantasy RPGs are a great deal more common that science fiction ones in the market.

There's one more reason, though... sometimes I need a month of slightly less-intensive projects so that my brain can recover. Because going deep into Sundara stuff, or writing module content, really takes it out of me.

So I'd like to ask folks to check out this pinboard for my RPG supplements, and cast their vote for which fantasy supplements they think should have a sci-fi counterpart that hasn't been covered yet. Should I make a sci-fi collection of bands to find in the cantina inspired by my 100 Fantasy Bands? What if I delved into the madness that lurked in the deep black and put together some terrifying cults as a sister supplement for my 100 Cults to Encounter? Or should I put together some unions and guilds that manage things out among the stars as a more expansive version of my 100 Fantasy Guilds supplement?

Just leave a comment below, or if you saw this post on social media toss it in the comments to be sure I see it! I'm going to be putting in fresh proposals for new projects soon, and I like to at least try to give my readers what they like.

Speaking of New Sci-Fi Projects...

Another fun thing for all my science fiction lovers out there before you go! I recently dramatized my 50 Two-Sentence Horror Stories, Warhammer 40K Edition over on my Daily Motion channel... even better, I figured out how to turn off the Auto Play option for when I share things on this blog. The sound effects alone took me like 6 hours to edit in and balance just right, so consider stopping by, giving it a listen, and if you enjoy it sharing the video around on your socials!

I'd like to keep making stuff like this, but I need the viewer numbers to make it happen.

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!

A List of Ways To Become Immune to Fear in Pathfinder

There are few things as frustrating as fear effects in Pathfinder. While being shaken is irritating, if you get the frightened or panicked condition, all of a sudden your hulking brute or lifelong mercenary just tucks tail and runs from the fight. Most players I've shared a table with would rather have their characters bleeding out and dying than being forced to flee, because at least then getting sidelined would mean they went out fighting. And fear effects are just littered throughout the game, coming in the form of auras, monster powers, spells, and more, so this is something you're going to have to deal with a lot in basically every campaign you play.

And while there are plenty of ways you can get a boost to saves against fear effects, there's a 1 on every die. So if you're looking for some unique ways to get your next character completely immune to fear, I'd recommend trying out some of the following tricks.

Yes, yes, Aura of Dread, all that. We doing this or not?

For folks who are wondering, this may or may not have been part of the research for the guide that will be the follow up to my Imperial Commissar conversion that I posted a few weeks back. If you want to make sure you don't miss out on all that nonsense, the consider signing up for my weekly newsletter to ensure all my freshest releases go straight to your email!

Lastly, I'm sure this is far from a complete list given the amount of content out there. So if I missed something, make sure you toss it in the comments!

Class Features

The most common way for characters to gain immunity to fear is with 3 paladin levels. However, that class is by no means a universal fit for folks who don't want to deal with fear effects, but who may not necessarily want to maintain that LG alignment requirement. Or play a partial caster.

The land and title is nice, but I'm really here to face my fears.

For those who want to stay away from a lawful alignment, the barbarian has the rage power fearless rage, which does just what it says on the tin. Sadly it requires you to be level 12. However, for earlier levels you could take the feat Bear's Balance. This allows you to start raging whenever you'd fail a save against a fear effect, essentially allowing you to hold it at bay as long as you've still got Rage rounds left to burn, which is a pretty snazzy trick.

There are also a few options in the cavalier class. The ghost rider (an archetype that gets to summon its own phantom mount as well as a gaze attack, making it my basis for my Ghost Rider character conversion) gains immunity to fear at 3rd level, which is on par with the paladin. There's also the standard bearer archetype, whose banner grants everyone fear immunity... but at level 20. Sadly that's probably never going to really come up as most games don't even go that high.

And for those who want to try out an inquisitor, the Valor inquisition gives you fear immunity at 8th level. Still a bit of a wait, but definitely early enough to still have plenty of juice left in it.

If your GM allows you to bring 3rd party stuff to the table, you could try out the knight from Adventuring Classes: A Fistful of Denarii. It gets fear immunity at level one, which is all kinds of sexy. There's also the Order of The Flagon for cavaliers in Flaming Crab's Cavalier Orders, which gains immunity to fear whenever the cavalier issues a Challenge.

Alternatively, if you look at my own supplement Cities of Sundara: Moüd you'll find the Deathstalker archetype for slayers, which also grants immunity to fear at level one. Just something to think about if you're looking for another reason to check out my Sundara setting!

Magical Solutions

While I came across a lot of magical options that granted bonuses against fear, or which did things when you succeeded on a fear effect, there weren't that many that actually flat out gave you immunity. However, the ones I did manage to find are as follows.

I know, I figured there would have been more, too.

The grim helm, found in The Dead Roads, is one of the main ways I found to give one immunity to fear. It has the negative that you can't gain morale bonuses as long as you wear it, but it can also suck the morale bonuses out of people near you, so that's an added plus. It does cost a whopping 48k gold, though, so it may not be worth all that effort.

In addition, the spell Blessing of Luck and Resolve, taken out of the Advanced Race Guide, grants a +2 bonus on saves against fear, or makes you immune to fear if you already possess the fearless trait (read: you are a halfling). Another option, for those who didn't opt for the small sized race, is Litany of Defense out of Ultimate Combat. This spell doubles any enhancement bonus on your armor, and renders you immune to fear. If you're not a paladin, antipaladin, or inquisitor, though, you'll probably need to get it in a wand.

There's also, as one reader pointed out, greater heroism. Not sure how I missed that one, but it's one of the "easier" methods to get... it is a 5th or 6th-level spell slot, though, so keep that in mind when you prepare it. You could also grab the Padma Blossom (another suggestion by a reader), which costs 8k gold, but honestly is pretty great. Bonuses to concentration, twice per day cast calm emotions, and it suppresses a bunch of effects in addition to fear.

Miscellaneous Solutions

There are two other solutions I've come across for the problem of fear, and rendering it a moot point. The first, and arguably the one that will be the hardest to get most GMs to agree to, is to let you play an android. Fear is one of the many things they just don't have to deal with. At all.

What... is... fear?

The other useful option I found is the feat Stoic. While not a perfect solution, since it forces you to make the initial save against fear, it states that you are immune to any other fear effect from that source for 24 hours after making that initial save. So, while useful against things like auras that require you to make constant saves, this feat isn't a very useful solution when it comes to things like a one-time spell effect. Still, it's a +1 bonus in addition to the post-save immunity, so it's not going to be wasted if you think you're going to be in a lot of situations where you're going to have to cope with things that require you to keep your cool.

Another interesting combo a reader shared was by combining the feats Nameless One and Masked by Fear. It's a pricey combo, and doesn't technically make you immune to fear, but it means you can only be shaken rather than frightened or panicked, and that's good enough for my purposes! Especially since this is the trick I opted to use in my Death Korps of Krieg character conversion for Warhammer 40k!

Like, Share, and Follow For More!

That's all for this week's Crunch topic! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio! Or if you'd like to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well! And if you'd like 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 bit of help can go a long way, trust me on that one.

Some of The Best Magic Tattoos in Pathfinder

 I've been holding off a little while on this entry, but I figured this week would be an appropriate time for it since my supplement 100 Fantasy Tattoos (And The Meaning Behind Them) just dropped from Azukail Games! So this week I thought I'd talk about the unique mechanic of magic tattoos in Pathfinder, and which ones I think you should consider checking out.

And remember, when it comes to tattoos, you get what you pay for.

While the following entries will be wondrous items, feats, and spells, I won't be including class feature magic tattoos in this list. Though if folks like this initial step into this under-utilized mechanic, I might write a follow-up for some of those as well.

Lastly, if I missed some of your favorites, make sure to leave it in the comments along with why you think that particular magic tattoo is so good!

#1: Potion Tattoo

Pick your poison!

Speaking of spells that give you tattoos, this one out of Inner Sea Magic has some serious strategic implications. This spell, available to alchemists, sorcerers, wizards, witches, and bards, allows you to mix special inks into a potion, and drink it. Once you've drunk it, the potion appears on your chest as a tattoo, ready to be used.

What makes this spell so useful is that the potion is there permanently. While it could be dispelled, it can't be stolen, you don't have to spend an action to draw it, and enemies can't take an attack of opportunity to slap it out of your hand. It's a little pricey at 500 gold for the components, and you can only have one at a time, but it's a nice little ace in the hole.

#2: Runeward Tattoo

Little protection never hurt anybody.

Found in the supplement Magical Marketplace, Runeward tattoos seem pretty blase on their face. Each of these tattoos is geared toward a particular school of magic, and they give you the ability to use detect magic at-will for that school of magic. The helpful thing, though, is that they give you a +1 bonus to saves against spells and spell-like abilities of that school, and you always know when a spell of that type is cast within 60 feet of you.

These tattoos are fairly cheap, at only 1k (assuming you don't take Inscribe Magic Tattoo and do it yourself), and if you're going to be facing a particular type of magic fairly often then this is going to be a godsend. Whether it's keeping the fighter from falling under enchantment effects, or so that you always know when someone casts an illusion spell in your vicinity, it can be a lovely heads-up warning that won't break your budget.

#3: Animal Totem Tattoo

Deadly ink!

Another feat, this one also found in Magical Marketplace, animal totem tattoo grants the bearer the 5th-level totem transformation ability of the appropriate animal shaman druid type. Which, for those who select bat, dragon, or eagle, means you have a fly speed for 5 minutes per day that goes everywhere with you! The other animal types offer other benefits, of course, but for my money flight trumps them every time.

It's pretty expensive at 12k, but if you have someone in the party who's taken the Inscribe Magic Tattoo feat then 6k and a lot of nights spent with your shirt off by the campfire is not a bad price to pay for something that can come in quite handy.

#4: Tattoo Transformation

Open your mind... absorb my power!

Another feat worth considering is Tattoo Transformation, out of the Monster Summoner's Handbook. This feat requires you to first take Tattoo Attunement, which allows you to absorb creatures you've summoned into your body as tattoos. This suspends their duration, keeping them present for a number of hours equal to your caster level. It's a standard action to release them, and the idea is that this allows you to get full use out of your summon monster spells.

Tattoo Transformation, however, allows you to absorb some of the summoned creature's protections. If they have energy resistance, you can make use of it as if it was yours (though you only get 1 category if they have multiple resistances). If the creature has an energy immunity, you gain a resistance of 20 in that category. If you're going to be summoning monsters anyway, this is a great way to keep a menagerie up your sleeve, and help stop yourself from getting blasted by an evoker while you're at it.

#5: Weapon Tattoo

Where was I keeping that? Wouldn't you like to know.

 

Found in the Dirty Tactics Toolbox, this unique tattoo allows someone to store a single weapon sized for them in a magical space on one forearm (though the tattoo prevents the other forearm from being used as a space, even though it only stores one weapon). When stored, the weapon appears sheathed on the forearm, and it can be drawn as a swift action, appearing in the hand it's tattooed near. It takes a full-round action to put away, of course, but it's the ultimate in clandestine armaments and back-up weapons for the adventurer who doesn't want to appear strapped.

It is extremely expensive, at 10k gold pieces, but again if you've got someone in the party crafting it for you 5k isn't too bad for a weapon that goes wherever you go. Especially since this is a tattoo that can be used all the time, and it's ideal for those sneaky, undercover missions where you can't go in armed to the teeth.

Like, Share, and Follow For More!

That's all for this week's Crunch topic! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio! Or if you'd like to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well! And if you'd like 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 bit of help can go a long way, trust me on that one.

100 Kinfolk: A Werewolf The Apocalypse Project

If you've ever played Werewolf the Apocalypse, then you know there is a lot to take in when it comes to that game and its setting. There's the centuries-spanning lore of the world, hundreds of monsters of flesh and spirit alike, factions, camps, allies, threats, and all of the dark nooks and crannies of the World of Darkness that always seem to hide another rabbit hole for you to fall down.

One of the more interesting elements of the game that often gets overlooked, though, are kinfolk. The little brothers and sisters of the garou, these humans and wolves help pass on the potential to become a shapeshifter to their children, but they also act as the support staff (and in many cases the backbone) of the nation. They're the ones that run the guns, stamp the papers, move the supplies, and clean up the messes left behind by werewolf packs, and it's a largely thankless job.

Garou are the rock stars, but kinfolk are roadies, stage hands, mixers... you get the idea.

Something I noticed, as well, was that a lot of storytellers (and players if I'm honest) sort of forget that kinfolk are even there, except as a nebulous force that can sometimes help out. Like shoemaker elves. And even when people do try to include kinfolk, they can often feel at a loss as to where to begin with them. Who are they supposed to be, what are they supposed to do, and how is it supposed to help the nation?

Well, hopefully I've got some answers for you.

The 100 Kinfolk Project

I've been writing storyteller supplements for a few years now, and of all the disparate project I've put out, I noticed that the most popular ones were always lists of background characters. Characters the storyteller doesn't really plan for, because they aren't an important part of the current campaign, nor do they function as a set piece. Collections like 100 NPCs You Might Meet at The Tavern, along with 100 Merchants to Encounter, for example, are the ones that have some of the biggest consistent sales.

You see a man sitting at a table. What's he look like? Ugh... he's... smoking...

Since I wanted to stretch my wings a bit, I thought I'd put together something that took that basic premise, but extended it into Werewolf. The idea was to create 100 unique kinfolk for every werewolf tribe, thereby ensuring that no matter who was at your table, or where your campaign was taking place, that there would be a list you could draw some background characters from. I reached out to High Level Games, pitched this project, and we got cracking on making some kinfolk!

So far the completed tribe lists includes:

- Get of Fenris

- Black Furies

- Glass Walkers

- Bone Gnawers
- Silver Fangs
- Red Talons
- Fianna

- Children of Gaia
- Shadow Lords
- Uktena
- Silent Striders
- Wendigo

- Black Spiral Dancers

At time of writing I'm elbow-deep in the Silver Fangs, and already making notes on the Shadow Lords. Additionally, if you don't see your favorite tribe up right now, check back later, as I'll be updating this list whenever a new collection comes out!

What Makes These Collections Useful?

When I first started writing NPC collections, I wanted to make sure they were more than just a general collection of names and descriptions; I required them to be useful in some way to the people who were bringing them to the table.

In my fantasy gaming collections that meant including characters with knowledge about the local area, who could lay out rumors, identify magic items, sell the party sundries, or who might be hired to tail a notable NPC. Some of them were meant to act as security, and a few of them were just for local color, but the majority had some purpose they fulfilled, and some use they could be turned to in order to help you keep the story moving forward.

I wanted to do the same thing with my kinfolk collections.

Sometimes you just need the right cog to keep your machine ticking away.

The kinfolk in these lists aren't here just for set dressing. From private detectives and tech gurus, to police officers, snipers, soldiers, and nurses, they're here to help make sure that any pack has support in its endeavors to fight the Wyrm. You'll find investigative journalists, stock brokers with insider information on enemy organizations like Pentex, and even models, entertainers, and diplomats who can all ease the red tape associated with getting into places that could otherwise prove to be quite a chore. Some of them can wield gnosis, and some of them are expert crafters, capable of furnishing garou with items they wouldn't be able to find anywhere else.

And since many werewolves started their lives as just kinfolk before their first changes, these lists can also act as inspiration for people who aren't sure who their character should be.

What You Won't Find In These Collections

The World of Darkness is a horror setting. Full stop, no questions asked. It is a crumbling world where the shadows are deeper, the mean grow cruel, and where suffering has teeth. It's a world of blood and guts, where even a moment's distraction could send you howling into a blood frenzy, corrupting your soul in ways that will haunt you for the rest of your days.

However, those who read through these kinfolk collections will notice a decided lack of those kinds of themes. Instead you're more likely to find characters with tight communal relationships, who have living spouses, children they care about, and a decided lack of self-destructive coping mechanisms (for the most part, there are a few stand outs). You'll also find that, contrary to a lot of World of Darkness supplements out there, that characters in these collections are not shunned for their ethnicity, or punished for their identity. Nor will you find problematic allies of the sort who support atrocious causes or espouse hateful ideologies, expecting you to tacitly put up with them if you expect their help.

And you lost me...

Why do that, you might ask? Doesn't that seem like it would be the opposite of a supplement that would fit a horror game?

Well, there are two reasons.

The first, and most important, is that kinfolk still have the blood of the garou running through their veins. They are communal people (and animals), and what makes them different from normal people brings them together. They are part of a great secret, and that can be binding. They are tribal, and that means you defend your own. Especially when you're a rare resource that's precious for the continued existence of the garou nation as a whole. There are mechanisms in place to help kinfolk resolve their differences that aren't available to normal people, as well, ranging from mediation by garou, to bringing their troubles before their community elders. So while there are certainly resentments, frustrations, differences of opinion, and the occasional grudge, the kinfolk presented here are much more like average people who are banded together in a common cause.

The second is that kinfolk need to have something that's actually at risk to make it matter when they're in danger. If a character's entire life has been one long tragedy after another, and they've been kicked down the stairs at every turn, then it just isn't going to have any real impact when yet another terrible thing happens to them. That's true with PCs who try (often unsuccessfully) to walk that grimdark edge, and it's especially true for the supporting characters along the way. You want players to care about these NPCs, to want to protect them, and to feel responsible for them. Which is why a majority of them tend to be likable, willing to help (if not always eager), and why most of them are busy living lives filled with goals, drives, and plans.

Because cutting all of that short is a much bigger fall, and your players will feel a much heavier impact if the hammer comes down.

Also, while we're on the topic of World of Darkness stuff in general, and Werewolf in particular, you might find the following posts quite useful for your upcoming games:

- Have You Tried Using "Spiritual Bleed" in Your RPG?

- Want To Run Better World of Darkness Games? Then Watch John Wick!

- The Best Idea White Wolf Ever Had (Villain Design 101)

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That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you do check out any of my guides, please leave a review once you've had a look!

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