Common Place Magic, and Everyday Alchemy in High Fantasy Games

In some game settings magic is a truly rare thing. Sometimes it’s because it takes a lifetime of mastery, or it is particularly resource-intensive, and thus it is only something that can be called on by the elite of a society. Other times magic is unpredictable, making it unreliable at best and outright dangerous at worst. And in some systems magic is tainted, its powers a gateway for dread powers and forces that should not be named.

All power comes at a price, after all.

However, in high magic games, magic is everywhere. Whether it’s in the inborn abilities of particular species of creatures, the commonality of spellcasting classes, or just in how readily-available items like healing potions, magic wands, alchemical charms and unguents, etc., are. And while there are always GMs who want to dismiss that commonality, you really do get a lot more creativity out of embracing the sheer ridiculousness that can come with magic being something most people have at least heard of, even if they don’t use it on a daily basis themselves.

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How Does This Change and Shape Your Setting?

Consider, for just a moment, the availability of alchemy in a high-fantasy setting.

Now we’re not just talking alchemist PCs; we’re talking anyone with a formula book who can make a particular recipe to create a usable item with extraordinary properties. If you're in a high fantasy game, alchemist is likely a necessary profession in your setting; it might even have its own guild, like the Ingeneurs in my splat book Silkgift: City of Sails (available for PFClassic and DND 5E). Not only that, but since every fantasy RPG has ships sailing and merchant caravans traveling, these items could easily find their way into people’s lives and homes the world over. And the easier something is to make in a particular region, the more commonly available it's likely to be.

Got a new shipment of them just today.

But take a moment to ask yourself what alchemists, or just those who raise and care for magical beasts, could make out of the astonishing materials in your average high fantasy setting, or accomplish with the help of these unique creatures. Just off the top of my head you might find:

- A poultice made with troll’s blood, though it stings like mad, can help quickly stop bleeding, minimizing scarring, and leading to rapid recovery from even wounds. Something that was once dismissed as a swamp remedy that’s now standard practice.

- Cockatrice venom, when applied to darts, can allow for safe capture of dangerous animals and people alike. A common trick used by bounty hunters, city watch, and game wardens alike.

- Cinder lizards are practically immune to the effects of fire and smoke, making them ideal beasts of burden for assisting in large-scale foundries and forges, or for riding across deserts.

From creating new forms of smokeless lamp oil using slow-burning drake bile, to inventing a hard-drying masonry with the addition of unique components into the mixture, to coming up with an explosive mixture of powdered dragon horn and rendered animal fat used for blasting tunnels through mountains, there are hundreds of little ways people’s lives might be changed just with a little applied cleverness. Even the regular presence of healing potions and their equivalent could drastically alter how long people live, and what’s considered a death sentence in the setting.

Not only that, but the entire culture of an area might shift because of the possibilities of a single invention, or the application of particular creatures. Dwarves are always associated with mining, for example, but why not orcs, as they’re strong, tough, and can see in the dark as well as any dwarf? Or tieflings, for that matter? Even if these are just small, regional changes or local shifts in the ways we think of certain species, consider how it might change the setting in big ways and small alike.

And Then There’s Magic

Magic is, in many ways, the icing on the cake. Because in a high magic setting it’s going to be pretty commonly available. There are colleges that train new magic users every year, spellcasters are often found in specialist positions in armies or in mercenary companies, and there are usually entire guilds dedicated to the preservation and teaching of the magical arts.

And this is when things can get a little on the bonkers side.

Now, on the big end you could have places like Moüd, City of Bones (available in Pathfinder Classic or DND 5E), where the city is run by a guild of necromancers, and it is kept intact by a workforce made up of the risen dead. They clean the streets, keep the highways from being covered in sand, repair buildings, tend the orchards, and hundreds of other tasks that would be extremely demanding from a workforce that had to eat, drink, breathe, and rest in the middle of the desert. You might have a natural city where the trees have come together to form shelters, watched over and tended by a cult of druids whose animal companions and spells allow them to do seemingly impossible tasks. There might even be cities tended to by bound djinn, devils, or worse, using their powers on behalf of conjurers to create miracles for the people who live there.

Just sign on the dotted line, here. And here.

But let’s wind that back a touch.

Because even if magic is taught on a fairly wide scale across a setting, not all who study it will excel. Some may reach a certain point and simply no longer be able to proceed. Others may only learn a few minor spells, and be unable to master more than that… but even minor magics, spread wide, can change the face of a setting.

As an example, take prestidigitation. Put into a wand, it could be a method of cleaning one’s home, doing laundry, or tidying up a kitchen that can be done with a flick of the wrist. Whether used on clients’ clothes, or the streets of a city, this one cantrip if known by enough people, could alter communal cleanliness. Everburning torches, which are made with a simple spell, can light homes, streets, vehicles, and more, which is something those of us in the modern-day often forget was a colossal leap forward. Even a simple spell like mount would allow someone to get onto a ghostly horse that needs no food, leaves no waste, doesn’t have to be stabled, and which vanishes once the rider reaches their destination. The ability to cast create water to make clean, drinkable water anywhere could allow farms to avoid drought, would ensure city cisterns are filled, and so on, and so forth, eliminating a massive problem that could befall any nation.

Though it’s true that big, impressive spells could drastically alter the lives and expectations of those in a fantasy setting (teleporting goods and people across continents, shaping raw stone into huge buildings in a matter of hours instead of years, enchanting golems or elementals to act as the brute muscle in any kind of industry, etc.), even little things if commonly available can alter the world in big ways. So even if the magic available is just the ability to preserve meat on long journeys with something like gentle repose, take a moment and ask yourself who is going to use that magic, and what they might use it for.

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

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

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

Tonal Dissonance, Demon, and The God Machine (Chronicles of Darkness)

As regular readers know, I am an avid fan of the World of Darkness. I've made about half a ton of content for it over the years, and I've got several more projects floating around in my mind for it that I'm putting proposals together for. And while I don't like a lot of the changes made for the Chronicles of Darkness releases, mechanically, most of what I liked about the games' original incarnations survived intact.

Except for Demon. And while I can acknowledge that what was tried wasn't inherently bad, I've been chewing over the God Machine for a while now, and I wanted to try to put into words why I think it didn't really work as an addition to the setting.

And then the Blue Screen awoke, and the universe ceased to be.

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!

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Demons, Angels, and Clark's Third Law

In the long ago and far away, I devoured a friend's copy of Demon: The Fallen. While I would be the first to admit it was far from perfect in a mechanical sense, it had such a feeling of gothic depravity that fit neatly into the darker corners of the setting that I couldn't help but be intrigued by it. Though I made several characters for the game, every new chronicle I tried to join fell through before we could really get going. So when I heard that Demon was going to get a Chronicles of Darkness release, my ears perked up and I paid attention.

Demon: The Descent is not what I expected... and not really what I wanted.

Tonally, the two games are similar enough that they're clearly related. In presentation, though, they're worlds apart. In Fallen you have the setup that most players think of from an RPG titled Demon, in that you play a Demon who has broken loose from their nether realm, found their way to Earth, and they are laying the groundwork for their own plans. They're rebels, and while some may be here merely as agents of chaos to watch the world burn, others are attempting to lay more subtle plans, or merely to ensure their own, selfish ends.

Descent, though... well, it feels like the Matrix.

These were not the demons I was looking for.

The reason for this is the setup of the literal plot device of the God Machine.

The clue here is in the tagline on the cover; a storytelling game of techgnostic espionage. If that sounds like technobabble, let me break it down. Gnosticism is a spiritual practice whereby individuals believe that the material world around them is an illusion; a lie generated by a demi-godlike entity to imprison the minds and spiritual power of humans. It is only by subverting this lie, and acknowledging the truth of the universe, that one can escape the prison built by this demiurge.

If that sounds familiar, it's the same inspiration for both versions of Mage. But whereas Mage keeps the mystical angle (at least according to all the reading I've done so far), Descent leans into the technological. The God Machine is a literal alien machine that is infinitely more complex than merely mortal minds can conceive of. This intelligence understands far more than anyone possibly could, and it is ancient beyond knowing. And, as Clark's Third Law states, any technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic.

So you have a game where a vast, cosmic horror computer spans the cosmos, and several of its programs (the titular demons) have gone rogue. Is that a playable game? Sure. Is it a horror game? You could make it one, if you wanted to. Gnosticism is, after all, pretty damn terrifying as an idea.

But does it jive with the rest of the Chronicles of Darkness setting?

Monsters and Computers Create Tonal Dissonance

One of the major, appealing factors of the Chronicles of Darkness setting (and the World of Darkness before that) is it's all meant to fit together. Sure, you can play a chronicle that's just about vampires, just about werewolves, or just about mages, changelings, or prometheans... but you can also play a chronicle where all of those things (as well as the communities they inhabit) overlap with one another. It creates a richer tapestry, and populates the shadows with all kinds of horrors and wonders just waiting to be discovered.

This is where the God Machine trips and falls on its face, in my opinion. Because it really doesn't feel like it belongs with the rest of the setting.

Vampires and werewolves are purely supernatural creatures, and have always had an air of dark mysticism to them. Changelings and the fae are capricious creatures from out of our folklore. Mages, though they use a similar framing device to Demon, fit much more firmly within the mystical than they do the technological. Even Promethean, based on the pseudo-science of alchemy, feels more magical than it does academic.

Then along comes the God Machine. While there's a lot of hemming and hawing in the text about how it is actually far more complex than presented in the rules, it's still broken down in a way that reflects on computers and technology that a modern audience will understand... and that really makes it feel like a dark sci-fi game, rather than a supernatural horror game. While that's not inherently an issue (magic and technology co-existing and mutating together have been themes of a lot of WoD content in the past), it feels like a square-peg-round-hole scenario.

And honestly, I feel like most of it is in the presentation.

Consider a different take. Think of the lost and buried places among the world. Forgotten ziggurats carved with long-dead languages where abominable deeds were done. Lost empires frozen in the polar regions that still teem with creatures that would drive one mad. Star-bound entities to whom humanity is a mere curiosity, and things with black wings who soar on the solar winds of the void. Beings who are built on ritual, on names, and on formulas.

What I just described is the Cthulhu Mythos, but that feeling could have been used to give Descent a sheen of the mystical, the weird, and the supernatural. Especially since as Lovecraft often said, the beings of the mythos are only gods to humanity, and their rites, rituals, and devices are simply so far beyond us that we can no more comprehend them than an ant might understand calculus.

This would, I think, have been a far better framing device for maintaining the consistent tone of the setting, and getting players onboard with the game as a whole. It could have maintained that air of ignorance versus knowledge, and given players the chance to inhabit truly alien mindsets. That's not what happened, of course, but I think it would have prevented a lot of players from straight-up walking away from this game because it was so distant from the supernatural angels and demons they expected, and which the setting would more easily support.

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!

Want Players to Stop Using Guns in Your World of Darkness Game? Play an Earlier Era!

It feels like I've written about guns in RPGs a lot over the past several years, but it's typically articles like 5 Tips For Playing Better Gunslingers for more traditional fantasy games where you've got flying lead alongside lightning bolts and dragons. But this resistance to high-caliber solutions isn't limited to Pathfinder, Dungeons and Dragons, and their kin... you also find it among World of Darkness and Chronicles of Darkness storytellers.

I'll take a pack of pencils, then,

Since this is something that seems to bother a lot of folks, I figured I'd get into the details of it, and my proposed solution for it, this week. As always, if you want to stay on top of all my latest releases make sure you sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates sent right to your inbox! Also, if you want to help me keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron... every little bit really does help.

Why So Many STs Seem To Object To High-Caliber Solutions

The World of Darkness, as well as the Chronicles of Darkness, are modern settings. Even if you run a WoD game in the era it was written for, it's still being run in the 90s. So unlike traditional fantasy games, where guns are often viewed as a new invention that's recently been introduced to the setting, they've been around for literal centuries. Not only that, but one of the more persuasive reasons for the supernatural world to keep its head down is that enough mortals armed with machine guns, flamethrowers, high-powered explosives, etc. could wipe them out without breaking too much of a sweat if they were all discovered and the Masquerade broken.

It's one reason why Armory and Armory: Reloaded are two of my favorite books for Chronicles of Darkness, as they offer some pretty persuasive arguments why you should not start trouble with the mortal world.

Despite this, there are a lot of Storytellers out there who get their back up when someone attempts to use a mundane technological solution over a supernatural one, particularly when it comes to the more nitty gritty aspects of the game. Because while it's possible to create an enchanted thunder maul that strikes like lightning and can be thrown a dozen yards in combat with unerring accuracy, a fully-automatic, drum-fed riot shotgun with incendiary rounds deals exactly as much damage to a target without the need to entreat the spirits, prove your worth, or conduct a full-moon ritual sacrifice. You just need to put in a call to Paul, the balding nerd with the weird gun fetish, and spend the necessary cash to get it in your hands.

No parley? Shame... shame...

The argument, in this case, is startlingly similar to what you'll see in a DND or Pathfinder game. Storytellers, when I've managed to nail down definite, specific answers, always bristle that there's a completely mundane tool, weapon, or solution that's as powerful as magical ones, but which don't have the same limitations and controls as the magical ones do. You just need the proper Resources or Allies to get your guns from the black market, and all of a sudden you can punch way outside your weight class regarding the kind of foes you can take on.

While that is true in some respects, there are two salient points that need to be made here that I think a lot of STs overlook, or forget about.

First, big, powerful guns tend to be tough to hide both during transportation, and during use. Because while the weapon described above might tear through the ranks of fomori, it's not something you can just hide under a coat. And when you hold down that trigger, it's likely going to break windows at 10 yards just from the sound alone. So even if a player has access to these weapons, they aren't going to be able to use them cavalierly unless you're constantly attacking them in either the middle of nowhere, or in the unique pocket realm that it seems every sphere has one of.

Secondly, because these tools are completely mundane, they're going to be investigated and noticed by the mundane world. If a PC runs amok with their mini-Mjolnir cracking skulls and casting lightning bolts, mortal investigators aren't going to be able to make heads or tales of the evidence without concocting some bizarre story. No one is going to put out an APB for a man carrying a magic hammer. By contrast, black market firearms are going to get noticed by local cops, and possibly by the ATF, which means players need to be extra careful with when they choose to cut loose, and when they use a quieter solution. Even legal, commercially-available firearms require permits, and using them in public can lead to a lot of nosy questions from the authorities if players aren't very careful with how they do things.

Don't Want Modern Solutions, Don't Run a Modern Game

There are other advantages to guns in the World of Darkness as well. They allow you to attack multiple targets in a single blast, their ammunition can be modified to take advantage of enemy weaknesses, and in the Chronicles of Darkness they ignore defense and can only be countered by armor and cover. So if you're going to be running a game with a lot of combat in it, then it just makes sense that at least some folks are going to gravitate toward the most dangerous tools to ensure they come out ahead when all is said and done.

Choose your next words carefully, I've got silver loaded in here.

However, the solution is not to simply tell your players they can't have guns. With so many ways to get your hands on these tools (especially if your game is set anywhere in North America) it breaks immersion really fast that someone with underworld contacts, a lot of money in the bank, or just the ability to machine and tool their own parts and pieces cannot acquire these weapons. They're a ubiquitous part of the modern world, and telling players they can't have or use them would be no different than making them write letters and send telegrams instead of making a phone call.

This extends to basically any other form of modern technology, too. Whether it's STs tired of hackers destroying an area's security system, or players using vehicular combat as a way to turn a dump truck into a battering ram, if you don't want players to use modern solutions, then don't run a modern game.

Instead, run something in the past. Period, full stop.

I Guarantee You'll Have Just as Much Interest

On the one hand, running a game set in the past is more difficult than one set in the present. The cast of current NPCs running things is different (for those who use the existing lore), certain major events may not yet have occurred, and then there's the matter of making sure you have a firm grip on actual world history so that you can convey the proper setting and tone for your players.

With all of that said, though, this is one of the most organic ways of rewinding the progression on technology that also creates an utterly unique experience that your players are not likely to forget anytime soon.

We're going werewolf hunting, you in?

Whether you want to go full Van Helsing in the 1800s for a Hunter game, you want to run Mage set in the dying days of the Roman empire, or you want to play a Vampire game during the Black Death while the Inquisition is hunting the supernatural community, this one change is going to create one hell of a game. Even if it's something short-lived, like participating in the hunt for the Beast of Gevaudan in Werewolf, or a short arc for Changeling set during the spiritualism craze of the Victorian era in London, changing the era gets you what you want (removing the smorgasbord of modern-day technologies that can feel ubiquitous), while also giving your players a unique experience (an entire period of history they've likely never gotten to play in).

While it might seem like a lot of work (and it is, don't mistake me on that), I guarantee this approach would go over a lot better than just handing your players a list of tools and tech they're not allowed to use, or which you're going to restrict because you feel it isn't fair to the more spiritually-inclined players to have their magic eclipsed by the latest from Smith and Wesson.

Hell, there's even an entire Dark Ages series you can use! If this is something you haven't considered before, then check out the following titles to get your brain wheels turning:

- Dark Eras (Chronicles of Darkness)

- Dark Ages: Vampire

- Dark Ages: Werewolf

- Dark Ages: Mage

- Dark Ages: Fae

- Dark Ages: Inquisitor

- Dark Ages: Blood and Silk

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!

What is "Sundara: Dawn of a New Age" All About?

All the folks who keep a sharp eye on my latest additions and updates probably saw Cities of Sundara: Ironfire last week. This supplement is all about Ironfire: The City of Steel; a full-fledged industrial fantasy city built atop the volcanic forge established by an alchemist who figured out the formula to mass-produce dragon steel. The supplement provides a history of the city itself, insight into the culture that grew up around it over the past century or so, and it also gives you a map, as well as a district-by-district break down of what's in the city. There's a slew of NPCs, unique locations, and rumors you can use as jumping-off points for your game in there, too. Lastly I provided rules for using dragon steel equipment, stats for playing volcanically-adapted Cinderscale lizardfolk, stat blocks for dragonsbreath salamanders (the huge riding lizards native to the region), as well as unique background features for veterans of the city's mercenary trade.

Seriously, go get a copy!

This particular supplement is available both for Pathfinder Classic (or first edition for those who insist on the name), as well as for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition.

However, while Ironfire can technically be used all on its own (either as the main location for a campaign or folded into your existing campaign world), it is merely the first installment of a much larger setting that I've been hammering on since the end of 2020. And since there are several new installments coming down the pike, I wanted to take this week to let people know what they can expect from Sundara: Dawn of a New Age.

And if you want to make sure you don't miss any updates on Sundara (or any of my other projects) then sign up for my weekly newsletter today!

What Is "Sundara: Dawn of a New Age"?

Several months ago I had an exchange with my contact at Azukail Games, and he suggested that we break some fresh ground by providing unique locations for GMs to use in their games. It was a deviation from the huge lists of NPCs, gear, random encounters, etc. that we'd done in the past, and I figured it would be a nice change of pace where we could see what the audience thought.

The first part of this project, 10 Fantasy Villages, went Copper in less than a week... so you could say we'd stumbled across something folks were definitely interested in seeing more of.

It really does have a lot of stuff crammed into it. Go on, get one for yourself!

One idea for a follow-up was to expand on the initial concept, and to do a collection of 10 fantasy cities. After all, urban games are tough on a lot of GMs, and you can never have too much content to draw on when setting a scene or making a unique location. For folks who are good at pattern recognition, though, you'll know that cities are my jam, so I didn't just want to do a shallow dive on a bunch of places that had the potential to become so much more.

And that was the inspiration for a whole new fantasy RPG setting which has become Sundara.

There are a lot of factors that make Sundara: Dawn of a New Age so unique, in my opinion. The first is, as the name implies, the setting is striding out toward progress, change, and finding new solutions to the problems people within it face. Unlike so many fantasy settings that can trace their roots back to the works of Tolkien, the world of Sundara is meant to feel rich, varied, and full of strange discoveries waiting to be made. It's got its share of old ruins, abandoned tombs, and lost places, but the idea is that people are looking forward to make new things, rather than trying to reclaim ancient relics of the past simply because they represent some lost time of glory or achievement.

What better way to represent that, we thought, than to start with a series of supplements that showcase some of the cities across the face of this new world? Places that have developed their own unique industry, and which make a statement about the sort of things that are possible during this, the dawn of a new age?

Not High Tech (Technically Speaking)

One misconception a lot of folks have when I have talked about Sundara so far is to just assume that it's a high-tech fantasy world, or that it's a magitech setting. And while there are definitely going to be pockets of such things in the world (freshly-discovered methods, or jealously guarded secrets protected by engineering guilds), that's not the thrust of what is going on.

Rather, what I want to do with Sundara is to introduce (for lack of a better term) "period" technology, combined with all the bizarre elements that are available in RPGs filled with monsters and magic.

Just as an example...

Getting back to Ironfire for a moment, the city was founded on the volcanic forge that produces reliable, high-quality dragon steel. While the location and method of power is very fantastical, the item being produced is pattern-welded crucible steel... what most of us think of as Damascus steel. This steel was regularly used for swords at least as far back as 800 a.d. in our real history, and techniques for producing crucible steel in the Middle East and India go back to the third century or so.

That is, in a nutshell, the sort of thing you're going to see all over Sundara as the setting expands.

Because our real history is full of wide-sweeping industries, feats of amazing engineering, and achievements that astonish us even to this day. From the highway system and shopping malls of ancient Rome that I mentioned in Introduce Some "Period" Technology In Your Game, to the industrial levels of soap production during the Middle Ages (as well as the enduring legacy of communal bath houses held over from the Roman era), history is a strange and undiscovered country. And that's before we add in things like celebrity advertising (how gladiators often shilled for particular products), or the attempts to keep products legitimate through maker's marks and guild seals like I mentioned in Who Are The Famous Brand Names and Merchants in Your Setting?

And those are the things I'm adding in to give Sundara its unique flair as a setting. It's a world that is full of odd quirks and strange resources, bizarre industries and curious crafters who are all trying to explore and expand on the resources of this unusual world they all live in. And that's in addition to the wide array of fantastical beasts, bizarre species, and competing ideologies that will likely span the width and breadth of the setting.

What Else About It Is Different?

In addition to the theme of moving forward into discovery rather than attempting to reach into the past, Sundara is going to have a variety of other elements about it that won't conform to what folks who play Pathfinder or DND 5E are likely to expect. While I'll be going into some of these in greater detail in future releases, I figured I'd provide a short list of some of the bigger ones here.

- Sundara does not use the alignment system. This will require a lot of changes both thematically and structurally for Pathfinder players, which will be addressed in upcoming supplements.

- I'm also nixing the multiplanar setting we've grown used to, with three-dozen or so different planes to explore. Sundara has only two realms; the material plane, and the Prim, the place where magic is born, and where the gods dwell.

- For the foreseeable future, Sundara is probably going to drop in separate splat books and expansions, rather than a single, unified rulebook/setting guide.

There's more, but I think this is enough to chew on for a bit.

For the first point on this list, alignment is one of the most contentious points for many Pathfinder players because it's such a huge part of the game as it's written. And like I said in Alignment's Roots Go Deeper Than We Might Think (How Much Stuff Do You Lose Pulling It Out?), you basically have to tear down the old cosmos, re-write a lot of spells, and either eliminate or greatly alter a lot of classes in order to adjust for a game that doesn't use it. And since I'm creating a whole new cosmos from the ground up, I figured that I would purposefully provide a setting where not using alignment was intended right from the get go.

As far as the cosmos, boiling it all the way down is meant to do a couple of things. One, it deals with eliminating so many planes tied to alignment (no devils, no angels, no demons, and so on, and so forth), and it allows the GM to keep gods and their desires more varied and mysterious. I'll go into greater depth on this in Gods of Sundara, which I hope to start soon, and hopefully you can all see where I'm going with this one.

Lastly, though, Sundara's books will (for the foreseeable future, at least) keep coming out in what amounts to splat books. And I want to talk about my reasons for that.

There is method in my madness, I assure you.

First things first, part of the reason for this decision is because this is a one-man show at time of writing. I can only produce content so fast, and while I can put out one Sundara supplement a month without straining too hard, a big RPG book could take a year or more to complete. A year or more of not getting paid at all, and the book could flop utterly after all that time and effort, leaving me nothing to show for it.

This setting is still in its infancy, and I'm trying to build up a fan base for it that wants to see new, fresh content. It's a lot easier to convince a publisher to put out a city guide, or a supplement for discussing gods and the nature of the divine, than it is to get someone to commit to a hefty tome that lays the groundwork for a whole new setting. And it's not just getting the project greenlit, either; it's also a lot easier to convince players (many of whom may have setting fatigue) to just try a bite of something new than it is to get them to fork over a big chunk of change for a massive book with an equally massive price tag.

Lastly, I want these early supplements to be flexible enough that players and GMs can have fun at their tables without needing to use the whole of Sundara to do it if they don't want to. If someone thinks Ironfire is neat, or they want to use Moüd: The City of Bones (this month's supplement, so keep your eyes peeled for this necromantic nonsense) as a central hub of a dungeon crawl game, they should be able to do that. The mechanical goodies that I'm loading into every supplement are meant to be used, as well. Even if someone opts not to play with them with the location I'm tying them to, I want people to use these tools to enhance their games.

What's Coming Up Next?

Well, in addition to Moüd (an ancient city that's been brought back from the graveyard of history by a guild of necromancers), and a supplement discussing Sundara's gods and magic, there's been a lot of talk about where this setting could expand if folks decide they want more. At present, the goal is to put out several more city supplements, and some more general supplements expanding the map and mechanics, and then to delve into providing more hands-on adventures. Species of Sundara is on the list, as well, for providing a varied, alternate take on the creatures players can take control of, ranging from the usual elves, dwarves, and orcs, to goblins, gnomes, and others.

Other potential projects include adventure modules, and if players respond well to these shorter stories it's definitely possible that bigger campaign books (with additional details, NPCs, and extra gaming goodies) will be produced as well. So if this is something you want to see more of, please boost the signal by sharing the links around, leaving positive reviews, and of course getting a copy of Cities of Sundara: Ironfire for yourself if you haven't done so yet!

Oh, There's Also Easter Eggs!

For folks who've enjoyed all the other supplements I've released over the past few years, there's going to be several Easter eggs for you to spot in the upcoming books.

As an example, all of the mercenary companies in Ironfire, from the Scarlet Company to the Bloody Fools, are taken right out of my supplement 100 Random Mercenary Companies. Additionally, the dragonsbreath salamander was a creature that I invented because of the salamander steaks entry that I talked about in 100 Fantasy Foods where I mentioned the meat had to be eaten raw, or acid seared, because of the creatures' resistance to fire. And for the upcoming City of Bones, the Silver Wraiths were one of the early entries in my 100 Fantasy Guilds supplement, and they are the backbone (pun very much intended) of the necropolis turned metropolis.

If you've been following all my past work, there's going to be a lot of call backs as I expand on Sundara... so keep your eyes peeled!

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!

Stop Marking On Your Character Sheet (Seriously, There Are Better Ways)

When you first fill out your character sheet, it looks pristine. The sheet, like your PC, is newly-minted, as yet unscarred by the ravages of goblin blades, or the crippling touch of a shadow. But once you've gone up a few levels, you start to notice the dark marks, and ragged edges. The places where your damage isn't quite erasing the way you want, or how your stats are progressively tougher to read thanks to the ravages of ghouls, succubi, vampires, and other awful creatures you've had the misfortune to encounter.

Look at it. So neat. So clean. If only it could last...

Of course, you can just get a fresh character sheet and re-write the whole thing every couple of levels, if that's your bag. Or you can keep a digital character sheet, if you're willing to fully embrace the age of digital gaming. But for those of us who like to have the same sheet for an entire campaign, there is something to be said for keeping your shifting tallies somewhere other than on your permanent record. And in today's day and age, there's a unique way to do that.

Scratch Paper in The Digital Age

This is going to sound obvious to most players, but it didn't occur to me until recently that just because there's a space for damage, spell slots, etc. on your sheet, that doesn't mean you need to use it. Especially if it means you're going to constantly be marking and erasing, possibly several times a session. That's just how most groups I've played with rolled, and it didn't occur to me to change it up until one of my DMs got a thank you present from his job. At first I thought it was just a clipboard, but when he took out the stylus and started jotting the initiative order, NPC notes, and other things on it, I realized it was actually an electronic notepad.

Basically, this thing.

This LCD writing tablet is simple, durable, and it's got some serious staying power since it runs off of a basic watch battery. It's great for tracking damage, stat boosts/hindrances, pools of points that constantly shift (looking at you, swashbucklers and gunslingers), and most importantly keeping track of what spells or spell-like abilities you've used that day. Best of all, there's no worries about keeping it charged, and needing to get it prepped before game night; it uses so little power that a single watch battery can keep it running for years of gaming without incident.

On the one hand, it can be argued that this tablet doesn't do anything that a simple piece of paper doesn't do. And if you have a pad of scratch paper on-hand (as any good gamer should, really), then you can basically keep track of everything in a small notebook. I'm not denying that, as I basically have small pads of paper I keep in my character folders for exactly this reason... however, the tablet has one major advantage; it saves serious travel space.

And if you're a player who is going to someone else's house, or a DM who's running in an organized play style setting, that can be a serious advantage. Especially if you just want to leave said tablet in your bug-out bag so that you've always got it ready to record the results of the latest carnage.

Also, if keeping yourself organized at the table is your thing, you might also want to check out my previous post Organize Your Spell Cards With A Portable Spellbook!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

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, 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!

Introduce Some "Period" Technology In Your Game

Despite the fact that fantasy RPGs don't take place in the real world (or, at least, most of them don't), players and dungeon masters the world over get their knickers in a twist if you introduce elements that aren't period into their games. Period, in this case, referring to a very wide definition of medieval to mid-Renaissance, depending on how fine the hairs you want to split are. Now, on the one hand, I am the first to point out that as soon as we agree that this game does not take place on Earth, then any argument using Earth history as its foundation is pretty well invalidated. On the other hand, I do think that it's a good idea for us to take fun ideas and inspiration from our actual history, and ask what would happen if we introduced it into our game worlds.

You know, like what if an alchemist guild invented soda? Or the kingdom ran a Dragon's Lottery as a way to make money without raising tax revenue? Or if there were huge billboards advertising the upcoming title fight in this year's Sand and Blood tournament?

The Iron Stallion takes on the Crimson Cad! A battle for the ages!

While that might sound sort of facetious, there is a nugget of honesty in these ideas. Because while we might think of all the comforts and technology that we enjoy today as being thoroughly modern, our ancestors were rocking a lot of the same conveniences we have, and they didn't have electricity or magic!

Cool Ancient Technologies To Make Your Game Unique

If you've never read 7 Modern Conveniences That Are Way Older Than You Think, or 30 Modern Things That Are Way Older Than You Think, you owe it to your creativity to go take a look. Because while we might be used to how we do it these days, our ancestors were no slouches when it came to luxury, convenience, or making money.

Out of these two articles, I have a few favorites.

My first favorite is the ancient Persian air conditioning system. Using the simple science of air flow, underground water, and strategic digging, the empire that went to war with Sparta could build comfortable, temperature-controlled mansions, taverns, or public buildings in the middle of the desert. The same technology was also used to create chill houses where, even in the hottest summers, the empire could store ice and food.

The places even looked like upside-down ice cream cones.

In addition to giving us continent-spanning roads, and bridges that still hold up to this day, Rome also had shopping malls as far back as 113 A.D., and they came complete with fast food joints, clothing stores, jewelry, and all the other vendor trash we're used to seeing when we go to the mall. There were probably stores that sold pipes right alongside swords that were meant more for decoration than for use in the field, too. Not only that, but about 2000 years ago, Hero of Alexandria invented a primitive version of the vending machine to dispense holy water at shrines. Add in the wishing wells that were all over most Roman cities, and you have a place that really doesn't look that different from some of our modern small towns.

Of course, there is nothing that says a DM has to do anything with this knowledge. It's just fun, and interesting, to see the looks on people's faces when they realize that it's perfectly possible to recreate modern comforts using ancient technology, if one is determined to do so. And if you live in a country where magic (even low-level magic) is commonly available... well, there's no limit to the directions you could go, if you were of a mind to do so.

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday post. Hopefully it gets the wheels turning, and leads to some interesting additions to your future games. If you'd like to see more of my gaming content, take a few minutes to check out my Gamers archive. To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, and if you want to support Improved Initiative, head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! All it takes is $1 a month to make a difference, so please, consider tossing a little change in my cup so I can keep the content flowing.