State of the Blog 2019

Hi folks!

2018 was a good year for the blog. A tough year, but one that saw the Alphabet of Outer Beings go from idea, to concept, to 27 blog posts and a physical handout I brought to Gary Con. The Alphabet, when taken as a whole, is easily the largest thing I've ever written. It's also something that I'm actually willing to pretty up and ask people to pay me for in either a collected digital or a physical form of unknown fanciness. I've never really self-published before though. As a result 2019 is looking a bit scary.

This is the first post I've written since mid-December, and that kinda feels good as well. I'm going to be taking a different approach to the blog this year. Namely, I'm going to skip weeks. My goal is still a post a week, but I'm not going to kill myself to do it. I've got a lot going on at work, and frankly I don't know what kind of effort will be needed for the Alphabet, so I'm going to write when I can, post when I can, and when I cannot, there will be no posts. That sucks, I know, especially since with G+ dying I want people to be able to come here regularly and find new stuff, but I only have so much time and energy. I'd rather deliver occasional good stuff than routine average stuff.

Thanks for reading.

Nuts & Bolts #155 - MCC Genotype table

I have been playing MCC for over a year now, and as a group we've lost a lot of PCs. So much so that I finally took the game off the rails. I wanted to take a look at how compatible MCC really is with the other "DCC family" products and see if classes from Lankhmar, Umerica, fanzines, etc. could roll along with the DCC & MCC classes. I realized that there was need for a larger table for generating Genotype under these circumstances. So I created this with the intent of using it for my "MCC Unchained" campaign rolling forward.

Genotype Table (roll 1d10)

• 1-2: Homo Sapiens - The legacy of the ancients. The homo sapiens has been one of the dominant species on Terra since well before the Great Disaster. Homo Sapiens is split into 2 sub-species. Roll 1d6.
• 1-3: Homo Sapiens Firmum - These are an offshoot of the ancient who have evolved a robust genetic code that resists mutation due to environmental factors. Use MCC Pure Strain Human classes.
• 4-6: Home Sapiens Sapiens - These genetic throwbacks are born to mutants (homo mutaris) infrequently (roughly 1% of births).  These humans are lacking the genetic hard coding of Firmum, and can develop mutations over time. Use human classes from DCC, DCC Lankhmar, & The Umerican Survival Guide.
• 3-4: Homo Mutaris - Many are the descendants of humanity who have gained mutations both grotesque and wonderful. Though homo mutaris is a separate species it is fully capable of interbreeding with homo sapiens. Roll 1d6.
• 1-3: Homo Mutaris Multis - The common mutant, these genetically unstable offshoots of humanity exhibit any number of strange defects and amazing powers. Use the MCC or Umerican Survival Guide mutant classes.
• 4: Homo Mutaris Dryadalis - Also occasionally known as Elfs, these mutants breed mostly true with a delicate visage, a painful allergy for iron, and a natural affinity for manipulating strange energies that even the ancients did not fully understand. Use the DCC Elf class, or other derivations.
• 5: Homo Mutaris Pumilus - Sometimes called Dwarfs, these mutants mostly breed true with a short stocky visage and a strange ability to smell precious metals and other minerals. Dwarfs have a seemingly racial talent for martial endeavours. See the DCC Dwarf class and its derivatives. 
• 6: Homo Mutaris Nanus - These tiny mutations are occasionally called Halflings. They exhibit the a form of Darwinian Luck similar to the Homo Sapiens Firmum. Use the DCC halfling class and its derivatives.
• 5-6: Animalis Sapiens - The animal kingdom saw its fair share of mutations after the Great Disaster, and many of those mutants gained sentience. Some even evolved humanoid form. Roll 1d6.
• 1-3: Animalis Sapiens Multis - The common manimal. This represents not a true species but instead a broad category of mutant animals with human form and extraordinary abilities that are similar to those of the Homo Mutaris Multis. Use the MCC manimal class.
• 4-6: Animalis Sapiens Primalis - Another broad characterization of mutated animals. The Primals have a more stable genetic structure compared to manimals, and some among them even have an innate connection to the strange forces of magic. See Primal Tales #1.
• 7-8: Planta Sapiens - Though less common among the plant kingdom, mutations that resulted in a strange sort of sentience and some form of human-adjacent body structure have occurred. All such plantients exhibit varying physical mutations and powers as well as an odd ability to affect themselves and others via olfactory detectible secretions. Use the MCC plantient. 
• 9: Boletus Sapiens - Commonly known as Shroomers these highly intelligent fungi are rare and all seem to share a devotion to some higher intelligence. Gifted with immense mental powers the shroomers are one of the more physically stable mutants of Terra A.D. (find the class here)
• 10: Xenos - Aliens from other worlds visit Terra A.D. on occasion. Though rare, these alien species occasionally find themselves stranded, or take up a long term goal that requires they interact with the locals. Use the Gray class from The Umerican Survival Guide, or see Star Crawl for a multitude of Xenos options.

Holiday Interlude 2018 #3 - Candy Caine

Image Source: https://www.deviantart.com/leagueof1/art/EVIL-DEAD-FAIRY-TALES-GINGERBREAD-MAN-370551895

At last the true villain of Holidayland is revealed!

Previous Holiday Interludes

• 2014
• #1 - Gingerbread Dragon
• #2 - Gingerbread Ninjas
• 2015 
• #1 - Octoclaus the Santapus
• #2 - The Ginger-mech Man
• #3 - Krampus
• 2016
• #1 - Frostborn Snowmen
• #2 - Reindeer
• 2017
• #1 - Turkeysaurus Rex
• #2 - Father Time
• 2018
• #1 - Headless Horsemen
• #2 - Gobbler Golem

Candy Caine 

Candy Caine is the first of the candy-based residents of Holidayland to kill another. He and and his brother Chew Able were the last two cookies left in the tin, and Candy Caine knew that they were both going stale. Unwilling to accept that one of them might get eaten and enjoyed while the other, too stale to be consumed, might be thrown away (or worse, fed to the dog) Candy Caine slew his brother in what he saw as a mercy killing. This clearly evil act committed with ostensibly charitable intent broke Candy Caine's mind, and in his insanity he fled into the bitter cold of Holidayland's wintery night. There he became frosted and bitter, soon forming plans to throw down the Holidayland leaders, and especially Santa himself.

DCC/MCC

Init +5; Atk Peppermint Nunchaku +5 melee (1d8+3), Marzipan Shuriken +4 ranged (1d4+3); AC 16; HD 5d10; MV 40’; Act 3d20; SP vulnerable to milk; Immune to Good Cheer; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +3; AL C.

Cypher System

Level: 7 (TN 21)
Health: 30 • Armor: 2
Damage: 8 (get it?)
Movement: Short
Modifications: Level 8 speed defense due to confectionary ninjutsu. Level 8 for stealth tasks for all senses but smell; level 5 to detect by smell. Candy Caine is especially weak against milk based attacks, and is level 5 to defend against them. His overall leave will also be decreased by 1 after each time he is successfully attacked with a milk based attack.
Combat: In combat Candy Caine deals 8 damage from unarmed and weapon attacks.  Alternately he can grapple with a target and hold them (giving the target an inability in speed defense) and inflicting 8 damage per round. Targets can break free with an action and a successful might based roll to escape.
Interaction: Candy Caine is a bitter and crusty old gingerbread man. He hates the holidays and the Holidayland "Patriarchy" (specifically Santa, though he claims the Easter Bunny is a "monster" as well). If convinced that the players are looking out for the betterment of the gingerbread masses he may entreat with them.
Use:  Candy Caine routinely leads legions of his faithful gingerbread ninjas to attack Santa during his yearly voyage; the PCs may find Jolly Ol' St. Nick in dire need of some defense from their sweet assassination attempts.
Loot: If slaine, Candy Caine will leave behind only crumbs. Bah, Humbug!
GM Intrusion: Candy Caine may summon up to his level in gingerbread ninjas to his aid, and even has the ability to call upon Krampus, Frostborn Snowmen, and Ginger-Mech Men.