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

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

The spooky season is here. Finally.

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

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

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

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

Let's Start With The Traditional Fantasy Stuff!

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

So what do I have for you?

Well I'm glad you asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

"The Complete Windrow-Ravenswood Deck" is an Adventure in Tarot Storytelling

It's been a while since I've boosted a signal for some fellow creators here in a Monday slot, but since it's the Halloween season I wanted to shine a spotlight on a recent release from Dee Arbacauskas. If that name sounds familiar, she's the mind (and hands) behind Tormented Artifacts, and I talked about some of her leather work a while back in Get Your Hands on Some Tormented Artifacts! (Especially if You're a LARPer). However, while you should definitely take a look at her practical, wearable art, this week I want to talk about a different, unique piece of work... namely, the Windrow-Ravenswood deck.

Because it's more than just a deck of cards.

Before we get into that, though, wanted to remind folks that I have a newsletter now! So if you don't want to miss any of my weekly releases, make sure you sign up today!

All right, now, let's get into this lovely little bundle, shall we?

The Dual Story of The Windrow-Ravenswood Deck

First, let's start off with the really real story of the deck as it's told by the creator. We'll move into the juicy framing device later.

The origin of the Windrow-Ravenswood poker deck came to the creator as part of an art challenge that went more than a little out-of-control. To paraphrase her introduction, the ideas were coming to her almost faster than he could get them down on the page. While the flurry of activity resulted in some beautiful rough work, getting them cleaned up, organized, and available for purchase took time. The first run of the deck caught a lot of attention (and for good reason), and that drove further work to expand on it, and to fill in the gaps.

For example, expanding the deck by creating the Lost Arcana allowed the poker deck to transition into a full and proper tarot card deck. You can get all of this as a bundle on Drive Thru RPG, by the by. At just under $20 it is a hell of a steal!

But what's the second story?

The second story is in the Complete Windrow-Ravenswood Guidebook (not to be confused with the 2-page guide currently available for using the deck). Because in addition to being a guide to this unique tarot, offering both interpretations and translations for those familiar with more traditional decks, the book also presents us a framing for the deck's so-called founding. It paints a picture of a shadowy institute, a bizarre family lineage, and it chronicles the journey of the deck down the years. There are even several winks to the Cthulhu mythos, for those who enjoy the occasional Easter egg. Told primarily through the communiques and letters sent by "The Archivist," the book intermingles the practical aspects of using the deck with a surprisingly captivating story about the deeper, darker world from whence it hails.

 

While the full and complete guidebook is not currently available, it should be out in early November. Prices, according to the author, will be $11.99 for a digital copy, and $29.99 for the standard color hardback edition.

EDIT: The book is out! Take a look at The Windrow-Ravenswood Deck Guidebook!

So How Can You Use This Deck?

As everyone here knows, this is a gaming blog where I talk about RPGs. Interesting as this deck is, what does it have to do with a roleplaying games? Well, the answer is going to depend entirely on you, the games you play, and your imagination.

There are so damn many possibilities...

The first use for the deck is as a practical game piece. If you're a Chronicles of Darkness LARPer, for example, then these decks would make an ideal stack to draw from while players determine success or failure for their actions. Particularly for a Mage game, though they'd fit well enough in Vampire, Changeling, or others as well. For those who enjoy games like Savage Worlds Deluxe, this deck would be a handsome addition to the initiative pull. Especially if you're playing a game like Rippers, and you want a little extra ambiance.

Even if you're not using the deck itself as a game piece, it makes a lovely prop. Whether you're a Malkavian who believes the cards talk to them, or you want to use the cards as something left behind by a serial killer, they're something that can be interacted with. They can add an extra layer of fun to the game... especially if the players can pass them around and admire them for their beauty, and creeping dread.

The last use, and one I would suggest for any burgeoning storytellers out there who are looking for a solid world to base a Chronicles of Darkness: Mortals game or a Call of Cthulhu game in, is to adapt the cards, the setting, and the story as part of your campaign's bible going forward. While the setup could be a cousin to the SCP Foundation and other, similar creepy pastas, it's much narrower in scope, and allows you to keep things a little bit more grounded. And there are just enough references to the timeline, as well as to the sights that the Archivist witnessed, that you could attempt to ascertain what dire deeds Ravenswood committed in his pact to make this deck.

At the end of the day, it's a fun, handsome creation with unique art. Whether you use it as the basis for an entire campaign, or you just pull it out for Halloween poker nights, I seriously suggest giving the full Windrow-Ravenswood deck bundle a look, and staying tuned for when the final guidebook drops here in a few weeks!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

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

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

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

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

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

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

Death Comes For Us All (In Order of Initiative)

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

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

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

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

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

- Craft knife

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

- Thin wooden dowel rod

- Clothespins

- Marker

And that's it!

So What Do You Do?

Trust me, this is a piece of cake.

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

Come on... look at this damn thing!

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

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

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

Add The Final Details

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

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

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

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

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

- Organize Your Spell Cards With a Portable Spellbook!

- Need Cheap Minis? SCS Direct Has You Covered!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

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

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!