Urban Decay: Taking A Step Into Zombie Apocalypse Supplements

You've all heard the story. Life was grinding on with everyone paying their bills, their taxes, and as little attention as possible. People got coffee in the morning, takeout in the evening, and just tried to make it one more day... then the dead started walking! Whether it was a curse, a plague, an alien invasion, or something else entirely, the world fell apart, and the survivors now have to make their homes in the ruins of the old world while trying to avoid the shambling, hungry corpses that fill the streets, and wander the countryside.

Whether it's All Flesh Must Be Eaten, AZ: After Zombies, Survive This, or some other game, there are a lot of systems out there that have geared themselves for games set in the zombie apocalypse. However, it's only with this past weekend's release from me, 100 NPCs To Meet In The City After The Zombie Apocalypse, that I've thrown my hat into this particular arena.

My question for you all is should I keep going after this one?

Seriously, give it a look 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 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!

A Slight Change Of Pace (That Could Grow)

I've mentioned a few times on this blog that I need to keep things fresh as a creator, and do my best to actually tread new ground from time to time. Even if something doesn't look like it's going to be a big-time bestseller, sometimes you just need a change of scenery to give your brain a break. Well, since Azukail Games had already released a lot of zombie-related supplements in the past (including pieces like 100 Descriptions For Modern Zombies, What's The Best Weapon For Fighting Zombies, and 100 Rumours To Hear During The Zombie Apocalypse) I figured that I'd see if I could supplement them a bit with my own contribution.

As with a lot of my other recent releases, though, whether this ends up going somewhere is up to all of you!

After all, there's quite a lot to see here!

What else would I add to this list? Well, a few ideas that occurred to me include:

- Concrete Castles: Survivor Communities To Find In The City After The Zombie Apocalypse

- Urban Decay: 100 Sights To See In A Zombie-Choked City

- Rotten Luck: 100 Things That Could Go Wrong After The Zombie Apocalypse

These are just a handful of ideas to get us started! However, I wanted to hear from folks out there about whether this is something they'd like to see more of, or if this is a direction folks aren't really interested in. And, of course, the surest way to make sure that you get more zombie apocalypse supplements is to pick up your copy of 100 NPCs To Meet In The City After The Zombie Apocalypse, and to leave a rating and a review with a comment of something you'd like to see next!

And, of course, you can also leave your comments on this blog, or get hold of me on social media wherever you see this post. Because it was a lovely little break from my usual fare, and I think I'd like to head back down some of those dark and dangerous alleyways... but I can't do that unless at least some of you are coming along for the ride!

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 the ongoing audio drama channel The A.L.I.C.E. Files! 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 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!

An Autopsy On My Recent Deal of The Day

For folks who haven't been keeping an eye on things, I was recently the Deal of The Day over on Drive Thru RPG. My supplement Beyond The Black: 100 Dread Scenarios On Stranded Starships was on-sale for 50% off for 24 hours or so, and I figured I would take a moment to delve into what happened, and to draw a couple of conclusions from the results.

Before we get started, though, if you grabbed a copy during the sale (or really at any time) please take a moment to leave a rating and review. And if you didn't get a copy... well, consider doing so today! The sale was enough to push it from Silver to Electrum, and I'd love to get it up to one of the even rarer metals if I can!

If you run any kind of sci-fi game, I'd highly recommend grabbing this one.

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!

Let's Break Down The Numbers, Shall We?

So, let's break down exactly what all went down for this particular sale, because it was one of the best DoTD sales I've been part of so far!

- 240 sales (at roughly $0.38 per sale)

- Roughly $90 in sales for that singular supplement

- Around 11 additional sales for related sci-fi supplements

- Total cumulative royalties of $100 for all sales during this period

Now, that's just royalties during this period. However, I sold 261 total supplements during this time. And $100 for a single day? Well, that's pretty good money for someone in the small press, digital only side of things, right?

It sure as hell is! However, take a moment to consider that, on average, I sell somewhere between 3 and 15 supplements a day that I have royalties in. Some days are serious outliers, though, and I'll move 20 or even 30 supplements (usually because someone decides to buy an entire series, or a bundle deal gets popular). But consider that difference for a moment. 30 supplements, versus 261 supplements. This sale performed over 8 times my normal outliers. So, one of my really good days, times 8.

That sounds amazing, right? But let's extrapolate.

Let's take a moment and say that I somehow managed to perform at that level all the time. I've got something like 216 unique supplements out there with my name on them that I've written over the past decade and change, so it's not out of the question. Now, let's say I'm making $100 a day. $700 a week. $3,000 a month or so. $36,000 a year (or $36,500 if we want to take a full accounting of the days).

Sounds like a lot, doesn't it?

It's about to get a lot smaller...

 

Unfortunately, this doesn't take into account taxes. And if I somehow managed to make $36K a year in taxes, I'm probably going to have to write a check for around $6-8K or so, depending on exactly how many deductions I can claim. So we'll take the smaller number, and say I still clear $30K in a year in sales. That means I lose my health insurance, and as an independent creator I don't really have options to go get an affordable plan anywhere else. I also lose any eligibility for most government programs (utility assistance, SNAP, etc.), so all those doors are now shut in my face. And yeah, I might have some additional earnings from affiliate sales, royalties for my novels, and up-front costs from freelance RPG work, but that's pennies per word, and I cannot physically churn out that much stuff every year to make a meaningful dent.

And this is something I've been thinking about today. Because even if I somehow managed to multiply my best days 10-fold and to make that my new norm... I would still be financially screwed in this economy we're operating in.

You can't buy a house on $30K a year. Hell, you probably can't even rent a 1-bedroom apartment in any place worth living for that much, while also buying food. You can't get health insurance. You sure as hell can't afford luxuries like going to conventions, or buying a new car when your old one craps out.

 

So what sounds like an impossible fortune (which would honestly be several thousand more than I've ever earned at any job I've ever had in a year) is still just enough to fall short with.

This Is Why Creators Need Your Support

Buying merch from creators is just one form of support. And while buying books, funding us on Patreon, and giving us tips on Ko-Fi certainly help, there are also free things you can do to help us pay our bills, too. Because if you watch our videos on platforms like YouTube, and subscribe, then that means we earn ad revenue. When you read articles on places like Vocal.media, that earns us money. When you share videos, supplements, or just the posts we make on your social media, that gets us an organic reach that we cannot duplicate, and that will help draw other people to the stuff we're making.

If you want to help a particular creator (whether it's me, or someone else entirely) it costs you effort. But putting a playlist on in the background, hitting a few buttons to subscribe, and leaving a review of something you really liked so others will check it out all adds up at the end of the day.

Almost no one who writes RPGs "for a living" makes enough money doing it. So help folks where you can to ensure they can keep putting food on the table, and keeping the utility company happy.

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 the ongoing audio drama channel The A.L.I.C.E. Files! 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 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!

"Sundara: Dawn of a New Age" Is Finally Getting Some Adventure Modules!

It's been several years since my fantasy RPG setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age debuted with the first supplement, Cities of Sundara: Ironfire for Pathfinder. Since then there's been dozens of supplements covering cities, species, gods, cults, mercenary companies, and more, and well over a quarter million words have gone into building up this world (and that's just my contributions). One of the things we haven't released, though, has been adventure modules.

Until today, that is! Which is why I wanted to write this little update to let folks know that Isaiah Burt's module The Invocation of Bael-Kharn is now live on Drive Thru RPG and ready for you to play!

So check it out, and give this setting a look for yourself!

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!

A Call To Adventure in The City of Steel!

To begin at the beginning, this module is for a party of characters ranging from level 6 to level 8, and it uses the Pathfinder Classic system. According to the preview, an elf who has been working for centuries to bring down the vaunted City of Steel may be moving closer to her goal. And while there are enough mercenaries and alchemists in Ironfire to win most wars, all the weapons in the world will do one no good if you can't see the threat coming, and you don't understand where to aim them.

I don't want to give more than that away, because I want as many folks as possible to discover the world of Sundara, and this adventure, as they explore what's been presented. However, with that said, I would recommend checking out some of Isaiah's other contributions to the setting that will be great supplements to have on-hand for this module (at least for the Game Master): Settlements of The Dragonsbreath Mountains, 100 Lizardfolk of Sundara, and his novella Legacy of Flames, all of which provide solid support right alongside the initial Cities of Sundara: Ironfire book, and the companion piece 100 Whispers & Rumors For Ironfire, The City of Steel.

And for folks who want a rapid rundown, I talked about the City of Steel a few years back when I was in exile at a hotel. So consider checking out the video to see if this is something that will perk your interest!

Why Did It Take So Long For Modules To Start Dropping?

Folks have been trying to get me to write modules for Sundara almost since it started releasing going on 3 years ago. So why is this adventure the first one that we're seeing? Well, there are a lot of reasons for that, and I wanted to explain them to folks here so you all know the score.

First and foremost, adventure modules are overall one of the worst-selling types of supplements on the market. There are modules that do well, and there are writers out there who move a lot of copies of them... but that's like saying that because there are a few bestselling novelists that everyone who wrote a book is paying their bills. A lot of GMs outright refuse to use modules, so a majority of them languish, unseen, and unplayed.

Secondly, modules are hard as hell to write. You're basically writing a short story, with math, and you have to try to provide a wide list of things that individual players may choose to do so the GM has alternate paths available to them.

Thirdly, modules require more supplemental material than other kinds of RPG products. There's the interior art, the maps, the covers... all of that adds up over time. And while most writers have the ability or resources to some of the things a module requires, most of us do not have the ability to do all of those things.

And when you spread minuscule profits across a team of people... well...

Now, I will be the first to tell you there is another adventure module for Sundara coming down the pipe from yours truly... however, it comes with a catch. Because the publisher doesn't want to take a loss on producing modules (again, I do not own Azukail Games, they just publish a lot of my work), I'm accepting a smaller, up-front fee to get this thing published. However, if you want to see more modules for Sundara (or just more modules in general from Isaiah and myself), then make sure the numbers are doing some serious talking! Because if these modules sell a hundred copies (or even a few hundred copies) that is saying a lot in the TTRPG world... and a product that has a proven audience is a lot more likely to get approved in the future.

Lastly, if you've already picked up Isaiah's adventure, consider checking out some of the following from myself:

DND 5E Adventures

 

- The Ghosts of Sorrow Marsh - A trudge through a swamp full of terrors to save a small town

- False Valor - A murder mystery where the party must solve a killing to prevent a war

- The Curse of Sapphire Lake - Beowulf meets Friday the 13th in a frontier settlement to the north

- The Price of Iron - A single night watching a warehouse turns deadly when dark fey arrive

Army Men Mission Modules

 

- A Night At Breckon's Beacon - The search for a missing squad gets deadly on a stormy night

- Assault On Outpost 13 - Can the squad keep hold of a prisoner when an entire gang wants him freed?

Victorian Gothic

- Dreadful Tales - A collection of 3 short adventures for this percentile-based system for Victorian horror

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!

Doing Something A Little Different With This Supplement For Arcane Academies

I've been writing TTRPG guides and supplements for quite a while now, and one of the unfortunate necessities of the job is that you need to write to the biggest market you can. After all, tabletop games are a pretty niche market as it is, and you need to command the biggest possible portion of that audience you can reach... which is why a majority of the stuff I've put out has been geared toward generic high fantasy with elves, dwarves, and orcs, or generic sci fi that could run the gamut from Starfinder to Mothership.

 

Sometimes, though, I find a way to step outside the usual boundaries, and to make something that will stretch into some more niche games... which is why I wanted to talk about my latest supplement 100 Sights To See At An Arcane Academy!

 

And if you haven't checked it out yet, you really should!

 

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!

 

Putting A Twist On My Normal Releases

 

First and foremost, it's entirely possible to use this supplement in a high fantasy game, and the sights contained within it could show up in a Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder game, particularly in the worlds/settings that have arcane colleges that train arcane spell casters. However, the mix of the weird, whimsical, and outright dangerous were more meant to evoke the feeling one would find in the great tower in Grimm where kids can learn to become witches and wizards (at great peril to themselves), or in a game like Kids on Brooms. So in the event you're running a more niche game like that where you're going to have a magic school as one of the main locations or themes, I would highly recommend grabbing a copy of this supplement and flipping through it.

 

Also, as an aside, the necromantically-charged dust bunnies are probably one of my favorite pieces in here. Since dust is primarily made from dead, shed skin, the department that deals with darker magics needs to keep a clean house... otherwise they might end up with some truly dangerous dust devils trying to bite their fingers off!

 

Not all bunnies are cute and fluffy.

 While there are the usual sentient suits of armor and odd celestial happenings, this supplement also has angry, sentient mops that will bludgeon someone unconscious if they step on the wet floor, creeping ivy that tends to steal from students who leave the windows open, and even an ominous bell that tolls to warn of coming doom... supposedly, at least. So whether you just need a bit of inspiration for an encounter, you want a touch of mystery and lore to add to your academy, or you just want a couple of organic details floating around in the background, I highly recommend giving this one a look!

 

And if you're one of the folks out there who wished I would do more weird and unusual stuff like this that isn't entirely focused on Pathfinder, Starfinder, Dungeons & Dragons, etc., then the clearest way to send that message is with a purchase and a review. Because the main reason I stick to safer waters is that everything is getting more expensive, and I have to pinch every penny I can.

 

The more niche (or at least niche-usable) supplements sell, though, the more likely it is that Azukail Games is going to be willing to give me more leash to explore with. So help me help you!

 

And speaking of other supplements that are a little off the beaten path that I'd recommend folks check out, take a look at the following if you haven't yet!

- The Blade Itself - Corrupt Equipment For Hunter: The Vigil:  Hunter: The Vigil is a game I feel doesn't get enough love, and my first supplement for it focuses on the idea of Corrupt Equipment; items that are tied to the dark force that creates Slashers and Tainted Places alike!

- Like A Good Neighbor - Portraying The True Fae in Your Chronicle: The True Fae are beings of terrible power and bizarre, inhuman natures. This guide is for Storytellers who are planning to bring them into their Chronicles of Darkness game whether it's as antagonists, "allies," or anything in between.

- 100 Academics, Adventurers, And Information Brokers: While written for the traditional Jazz Age period where many Lovecraft-inspired games take place, this supplement can be used with any pulp adventure supplement... though it does work best for those exploring the horrors of the Mythos.

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!

A Second Supplement Of Anti-Trope Suggestions (With A Snarky Title) Has Dropped!

So, I don't really know how to classify this particular series I've apparently started. Because they aren't limited to only worldbuilding questions, NPCs, lore, or background ideas. They're not primarily for players, or Game Masters. Mostly they're just inspired by seeing a prevalent trope in tabletop RPGs, and providing a list of ideas for folks who don't want to go along with the stereotype at their table, but who could use a bit of inspiration to move in a different direction.

The first supplement was 100 Fantasy Professions (That Aren't "Adventurer"), and it was something folks on both sides of the table could use for inspiration. The second supplement, which came out this past weekend, though, is 100 Ways To Start A Campaign (That Aren't In A Tavern).

And I highly recommend grabbing a copy 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 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!

Which Tropes Should I Tackle Next?

Any time the audience sends me a message with their buying habits, I try to listen. And since 100 Ways To Start A Campaign (That Aren't In A Tavern) hit Copper today, and seems to be well on its way to cresting Silver before it fully runs out of momentum, this seems to be something that readers enjoy! As such, I wanted to tag in my regular readers, and ask you what RPG stereotypes you think deserve their own entry in this series? What would you actually use?

Some examples I've been kicking around include things like:

- 100 Friends and Family Members To Put In Your Backstory

- 100 Rewards (Other Than Gold)

- 100 Quirks For Your Character

 

These are just a couple ideas I've jotted down in my notebook of things to work on in the future, but I wanted to take a moment to see if this is something folks wanted to see more of, and if they'd like more tongue-in-cheek titles which were still offering useful resources to help improve your characters, your campaigns, and even your settings!

 

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!

Should I Make "The Galaxy's Oldest Profession" Series of Supplements Next?

For folks who don't keep an eye on every one of my new releases, you might have missed my latest which dropped this past weekend; World's Oldest Profession: 100 Titillating Titles To Find in a Lewd Library. This is the 4th installment in the World's Oldest Profession series, and while some of the titles have been more popular than others, it seems to have been pretty popular overall.

Which is why I wanted to take this Monday's post to ask folks, should I expand this into another genre? Something like The Galaxy's Oldest Profession, perhaps?

Also, for those who want to check out the older releases, check out:

- World's Oldest Profession: A Baker's Dozen of Brothels

- World's Oldest Profession: 100 Courtesans and Concubines

- World's Oldest Profession: 100 Rumors To Hear At A Brothel

Seriously, pick up the latest 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 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!

For All My Sci Fi Lovers Out There

Folks who've been reading my supplements for a while know this, but in the event you're new here, fantasy supplements are often the testing ground for a new format or idea for me. Fantasy RPGs are everywhere, and they're some of the most dominant choices on the market, so that's where I go to test my ideas. And if something seems to be going well in the fantasy genre, I might take the same concept and switch the genre for folks playing sci fi RPGs.

It's why when 100 Random Mercenary Companies did well, I put together 100 Sci Fi Mercenary Companies. When 100 Cults To Encounter was popular with folks, I came out with 100 Sci Fi Cults as a follow-up. And while the sci fi version often does well, sometimes I'm surprised an it actually does better than the original fantasy version of the supplement!

Which is why I wanted to ask folks this week if this should be a series that gets its own re-imagining into a new genre?

Don't let the Toy Box fool you... the place is a wild time!

If this is something you think I should pursue, please let me know in either the comments, or on my social media linked at the end of this post. However, rather than just a yay or nay, I'd appreciate if you could provide some of the following input:

- Is there a particular sub-genre of sci fi (cyberpunk, starfaring, grimdark, etc.) you want to see?

- Do you want locations, rumors, NPCs, or things to find?

- Would you want it compatible with any particular rule set (Cyberpunk, Starfinder, etc.)?

These three extra pieces of information will help determine where the starting point is for the series, and the amount of replies I receive overall will determine how quickly the project moves up my to-do list.

Lastly, if you've already purchased copies of any of the 4 World's Oldest Profession supplements, please take a moment to rate and review them on Drive Thru RPG. None of them have managed to hit Gold just yet, and I'd have quite a laugh if we could manage to get at least one title to that level by the end of the year. If that happens, I promise to write a Gold-Digger post to commemorate the occasion!

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!

Should I Expand My Monster Hoard Supplement Series?

I tend to be a bit all over the place when it comes to TTRPG supplements because, well, I like variety. That, and because even if I find something that seems to resonate with the audience, I don't want to go back to the same well so much that the novelty and fun wears off. It's why my World's Oldest Profession series only has 3 supplements so far, with a 4th on the way.

And for those who are curious, the three that have been released are A Baker's Dozen of Brothels, 100 Concubines and Courtesans, and finally 100 Rumors to Hear in a Brothel.

However, I recently dropped a supplement that was sort of a soft test for a potential series, depending on how people reacted to it. And while the numbers were all right, it wasn't exactly a ringing cheer from the crowd. So I wanted to ask this Monday... do you think I should follow up 100 Items To Find in a Chromatic Dragon's Hoard?

And, really, if you haven't grabbed a copy, you should consider it!

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!

Do We Need More Monster Hoards?

Generally speaking, we know what the purpose of a monster hoard is in a mechanical sense; it's to give your players loot and magic items that they can then use to buy upgrades to take on the next monsters they face. However, if it just turns into writing down numbers and doing calculations, then players can quickly lose the impact of what it means to be in a monster's den, and to really get a grasp of who the creature is... or was.

And that is where this supplement, and others like it, would come in.

Because it's not just about that glitter.

The items in this supplement aren't statted-out weapons, armor, and so on. They are the sorts of things you would find in a place where a monster lives (or lived), and which are indicative of its history, its personality, and which add flavor to the area. Like a sword that's been bent and charred because a red dragon used it as a toothpick, or a red-stained bathtub that's been pressed into service as a wine goblet. And whether these items are used as set dressing after the fight is said and done in an attempt to ground the scene and remind players of what they just accomplished, or they're used before a fight during an exploration of a lair, it comes in handy both ways.

And that is the purpose of these supplements. As long as the monsters in-question exist in your world and setting, you can use these to add atmosphere and gravitas to these scenes.

Which gets to what I'd like to do going forward. Because the obvious sequel would be 100 Items To Find in a Metallic Dragon's Hoard, so that folks have a nice yin and yang of the two major dragon types. But I could expand the series to other iconic monsters like liches, hags, bugbears, goblins, and more! Whichever monsters get added to the list, the idea is to do more than just provide a list of gold values and magic items, and to help players stay in the scene, and in the story, with a couple of curve balls.

So, if that's something you want to see going forward, here's what I need you to do:

- Get a copy of 100 Items To Find in a Chromatic Dragon's Hoard. If you already have a copy, leave a rating and review on DTRPG so more folks can find it!

- Leave a comment here, or on my social media pages, about which monsters you'd like to see get a list like this going forward.

The more attention a given supplement receives in terms of sales, reviews, reposts, comments, etc., the more likely it is that a creator or publisher will dedicate more time and energy to that project. If we see there's an audience, we're going to do our best to give them what they want... so if this is something you want to see, take a moment and make your voice heard on the subject!

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!

"Ship of Martyrs" Showcases A New Video Format (Should I Keep It?)

As a lot of regular readers here know, I regularly dramatize the introductory short stories from my TTRPG supplements on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and those videos often show up on Drive Thru RPG as well. Recently I've been tinkering with some different effects, and I think I finally managed to really capture the feeling of an old-fashioned video game RPG, which I think really adds some strange elements to the latest story I put together, Ship of Martyrs from my supplement Beyond The Black: 100 Dread Scenarios On Stranded Starships.

My question for you all this week is do you find this format engaging? And if so, is it something you'd like to see me do in future videos?

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!

How You Can Make Your Voice Heard

Generally speaking, when I try something new with a video format, I keep an eye on what the reaction is to that video. So if you're someone who enjoys this look who would like to see me make future videos with this kind of setup (whether you just find it visually more engaging, or you like following along with the dialogue), here are some simple things you can do to make sure that this format sticks around in future videos!

- Watch The Video: Views are hard to come by with YouTube's constant algorithm changes, and even breaking 100 views was tough to manage. Getting it up over 500, or even 1,000, would be a clear message!

- Leave Comments of 7+ Words: The algorithm, for some reason, likes longer comments. But if you want to see more videos like this, then the comments are one of the best ways to help. Also, more comments helps the video get seen by more people, so, bonus!

- Share The Video on Your Social Media Pages: While a lot of people are awed (or annoyed) at my ability to share my work as widely as possible, I really need your help on this one. If you like this video, please share it on your own social media pages so more folks can see it.

- Subscribe To The Channel: Any time there's a big boom in subscriptions, there's often a correlation to the latest video released when they happened. So, if you haven't subscribed yet, then please do so! And mentioning your subscription in the comments will help, too.

I am asking for a lot of feedback in this week's post because this is a format I had to tinker with for a while to get it to look good, and function right. As such, I want to make sure it's something you all enjoy, and that you think is neat, before I roll up my sleeves and put in the work to do it with future videos as well!

And, of course, the more views you all give my work, the more money my publisher makes, and the more they can afford to pay me for future projects... just something to keep in mind!

There Are Actually Two Previous Stories You Should Hear, Too

While Ship of Martyrs is the newest story out, I've actually written stories about Argent, Grady, and their ship's adventures in the black before! The first actually appeared in the supplement 100 Spacer Superstitions, and Voices in The Void deals with the rather rocky relationship the two spacers had with one another when they were first serving on the same crew.

And a follow-up story to the crew of this ice hauler was found in 100 Sci Fi Cults. In Saints Among The Stars, the crew has been boarded by the Star Breakers, a crew of space pirates. All seemed lost, until unexpected aid came from a single member of the Knights of The Void. One of the more popular stories on the channel, it was also the first time I experimented with the audio effects to create a space marine style voice for the crew's savior!

So, if you're looking for the history of Argent and Grady's adventures together, check these supplements and videos out (and leave some comments on them so that I know you found them via this post)! And if you want to see more of the things that lurk out in the black, let me know that too so I can return to these characters, and the things they've had to encounter on their runs through the emptier parts of space.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Table Talk. 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!

Alice Liddell Is Coming Back To RPGs (And You Should Check Out Her Gaming Work!)

I wanted to open this week's Moon Pope Monday post off with a disclaimer. Alice is my partner, and she publishes most of her RPG content through Azukail Games, which is the same publisher I work with for a great deal of my supplements. However, over the past several years these Monday posts have become a place where I like to shout out fellow creators who need eyes on their work, and who are having a tough time reaching an audience who needs what they're creating.

And if I didn't think Alice's work wasn't great I wouldn't be telling all of you to go check it out. All right? All right. Let's get into it!

Seriously... this title alone is the length of a full NOVEL. You get your money's worth.

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!

So Who Is Alice (And What Does She Make)?

For folks who've never seen Alice's name before, she's an author, a Twitch streamer, and a YouTuber. She's got over 30 titles published for her fiction (I'm biased, but I'd absolutely recommend Succumb to Darkness for folks who like gothic vampires and the French Revolution), and you can check out her channels KHR Arts where she primarily hosts her cozy gaming streams, and Alice The Author where she gives folks a peek behind the curtain and explains the business side of being an author.

And as if all of that wasn't enough, she's making a comeback to RPGs in the near future!

You know, in the COPIOUS amounts of free time she had...

While she's got a laundry list of fresh supplements she's currently working on (I don't want to spoil too much before they're ready), I did want to give her previous work a shout-out, and encourage folks to go grab copies of it for their tables. Because she puts a lot of thought and craft into her supplements, and it's hard as hell to reach an audience these days.

So, check out the following if you haven't yet!

- 100 Stat Boost Potion Recipes: Her longest, most intricate title, this alchemical recipe book goes deeper than more RPGs need... but it is great for inspiration, worldbuilding, and just plain fun!

- 100 Dangerous Plants: Alice's bestselling title, which reached Electrum a while back, this is another great thing for GMs to make their worlds (and encounters) a bit more fun!

- 100 Witches: An NPC list that covers witches of all sorts and stripes, there's inspiration for allies, antagonists, and everything in between in this one!

- 100 Flowers and Trees Sure To Boost Your Stats: A perfect companion to the first entry on this list, this supplement is also a less-expensive title if the price tag of the potion recipes makes you balk a bit.

- 100 Avian Beasts: The odd duck out, pun very much intended, this one hit Copper status, but has had trouble climbing higher. I'd recommend checking it out if you're in the market for some inspiration for your bestiary.

That's all that Alice has available for RPG supplements for the time being, but since I have your attention, consider subscribing to her channels, and watching some of her videos. She's been battling the algorithm on YouTube forever, and it would be a huge boon if she could get one (or both) of her channels monetized. And, best of all, the only thing you have to do in order to make that happen is to click a button!

We're all about supporting one another in this community, so please, check out some of Alice's work and help her keep her bills paid while she works on getting some fresh content to the presses!

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!

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!