assault

Early Medieval Sweden, around the conversion to Christianity, with a dash of the Karolingian Empire without their bloody stupid inheritance laws.

I have a bunch of resources set around 1200 AD, so I'll probably use that time frame. I could do England, but the Holy Roman Empire sounds pretty interesting as well.

And both are special cases of area maps, which in turn are mathematically equivalent to node and edge maps.

Hex grids are just square grids with every other row offset by half a square.

He reminds me of Yosemite Sam when he’s dressed as a knight. 😁

Also, the new queen is from Tasmania.

Well, she did liberate a bunch of stuff from Target.

We're talking about somebody whose headquarters is not just an entire galaxy, but a ring of galaxies?
 
I'm going to go with "Leave him the heck alone."

Huge ancient city found in the Amazon
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67940671

Game Designer Jenell Jaquays Passes

Earlier today I was watching a video comparing hex tiles and square tiles in board games. Since both types build landscapes with either hexes (ex. Archipelago) or squares (ex. Carcassonne), I got this idea:
 
1. Play the board games.
2. Take photos of the completed boards after the games.
3. Integrate the photos into your homebrew rpg campaign.

I have no idea if I ever posted these before, but anyways, enjoy!

Mystery Mustache Monday
The Coverage
[Opening shot of a newsroom, the banner "Breaking News: Mystery Mustache Monday" flashing at the bottom of the screen. Poppy McCauley, a seasoned news anchor with a professional demeanor and bright blonde mustache, sits at the desk. Despite the gravity of her role, there’s a hint of amusement in her eyes as she adjusts the papers in front of her. The camera zooms in.]
Poppy McCauley:
"Good morning, I’m Poppy McCauley, and this is Retropolis Now. In an unprecedented event that has citizens baffled and barbers busy, a mysterious phenomenon has occurred citywide. At precisely 9:03 am today, people across a 25-mile radius found themselves sporting a brand-new mustache. Yes, you heard that right—a mustache. From the young to the old, regardless of gender or previous facial hair proclivities, everyone now has what can only be described as an overnight lip toupee."
[Cut to a series of images showing a diverse array of people, all with mustaches, ranging from the pencil-thin to the full handlebar. Some are laughing, taking selfies; others look bewildered, even annoyed.]
Poppy McCauley:
"Folks on social media have named it #MysteryMustacheMonday, and it's the top trending topic worldwide. Local businesses are seizing the moment, with pop-up mustache grooming stations appearing on street corners and in malls, offering styling, trimming, and, for those not so fond of their new facial accessories, swift removal."
[A video plays showing a queue outside a barber shop, a street vendor selling mustache combs, and a group of teenagers comparing their mustaches and laughing.]
Poppy McCauley:
"While the cause of this follicular phenomenon is currently unknown, Hemlock Creed suggests magical mischief may be afoot. He is urging the public to remain calm and is assuring everyone that he is working tirelessly to uncover the source of this spell—if indeed it is a spell—and how to reverse it."
[The screen splits, showing Poppy on one side and a live feed of Hemlock Creed on the other, surrounded by ancient tomes and magical detectors.]
Hemlock Creed:
"The transmutation of hair across a cityscape is no trivial matter. While some may find humor in the bewilderment of a mustachioed morning, let us not forget the underlying currents of power at play. Such a widespread enchantment speaks to a potent and mischievous source, one that must be approached with caution and a keen understanding of the arcane. Rest assured, the Council and I are delving into the weave of magic that has spun this unexpected tapestry upon the faces of the unsuspecting. We will seek to unravel this spell, ensuring that the personal sovereignty of our citizens remains unviolated by whimsical sorcery."
Poppy McCauley:
"As we continue our coverage, we ask our viewers to share their mustache stories and photos with us. Local heroes are on high alert and investigating the situation. If this is the work of a rogue spellcaster, rest assured, they will face some serious questions, not least of which will be: Why mustaches?"
[Poppy smiles, the broadcast returning to full frame on her.]
Poppy McCauley:
"For now, Retropolis, whether you love your new 'stache or hate it, it seems we're all in this together. We'll keep you updated with any developments. For Retropolis Now, I'm Poppy McCauley. Stay brave, stay bewhiskered, and stay tuned."
[The camera zooms out, fading to a commercial break, leaving the image of Poppy McCauley trying—and failing—to maintain a completely straight face.]
 
The Truth
The Imp casts a spell that causes everyone in a 40km radius to grow a mustache at 9:03 am on a Monday morning. The spell cast by The Imp would result in a cascade of effects across the 25-mile radius, causing widespread astonishment and confusion. Here are some possible outcomes:
Public Reaction: Residents would wake up to find themselves with sudden mustaches, leading to shock and bewilderment. Social media would explode with selfies and videos, and the phenomenon would likely trend globally as #MysteryMustacheMonday.
News Coverage: Local and international news outlets would rush to cover the story, with reporters on the ground interviewing mustached citizens and speculating about the cause of this bizarre event.
Economic Impact: Razor and shaving cream sales could skyrocket as people scramble to remove their unexpected facial hair. Conversely, some might embrace the change, leading to a pop-up industry of mustache grooming products and styling services.
Workplace Disruptions: Offices might encounter a drop in productivity as employees deal with their new facial hair, with some taking the day off due to the distraction or embarrassment. Others might find humor in the situation, leading to a more lighthearted work atmosphere.
Emergency Services: Hospitals and clinics could be overwhelmed with people seeking explanations or solutions. Meanwhile, emergency services would need to ensure that the mustache spell hasn't caused any health issues or accidents due to impaired vision or distraction.
Political and Social Discussions: Debates would arise about personal autonomy and the ethics of widespread magical effects. Activists might protest against unsolicited magical interference, while some political figures could call for regulations on magic use.
Cultural Impact: The event would become part of the cultural lexicon, potentially changing attitudes towards mustaches. It could inspire themed parties, art, and even influence fashion trends.
Scientific Inquiry: Scientists and experts in the supernatural would seek to study the phenomenon, attempting to understand how such a spell was cast and whether it could be replicated or reversed.
Hero Response: Local heroes might attempt to find the source of the spell to prevent further magical mischief. This could lead to an encounter with The Imp, resulting in either a confrontation or a negotiation to end the spell.
Long-Term Effects: Depending on whether the mustaches are permanent or temporary, there could be long-term social effects. Relationships might be tested, individuals might undergo personal growth or crisis, and the collective experience could either bring the community together or sow discord based on the reaction to the change.
 
Mass Mustache
The mustache spell would be remembered as a peculiar but defining moment, illustrating the unpredictable nature of living in a world where characters like The Imp wield their powers with a whimsical touch, challenging the mundane reality of Monday mornings in your Champions campaign. I used it as a slot in her Variable Power Pool. 
 
Mass Mustache:  Cosmetic Transform 8d6 (Clean-shaven person to person with Mustache, Shaving the mustache off), Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +1/4), MegaScale (1m = 10 km; +1 1/4) (60 Active Points) Real Cost: 60

A good excuse for a Rivalry as well.

Yesterday I played a solo session of Basic Fantasy. I had a group of level 1 characters, so I sent them on their first adventure. Unfortunately, it also turned out to be their last. RIP.
 
Today, I found a couple of old calendars from work. 2018 started on a Monday just as this year did (although this year is a leap year), so I decided to use it as my campaign log. The unfortunate band of adventurers are listed on the calendar.
 
While I have a bunch of fantasy maps available, I'm thinking of using old historical maps where California is drawn as an island. I'll have to work on the history, but Emperor Norton I will be part of it.
 
The campaign setting won't be bound by any one game system. I may play HERO one day and Rolemaster another day, but the adventures will take place in the same game world.

I swear I am not doing this to you on purpose, but fantasy, sci-fi, or western?  
 
Yes.  Yes; exactly that.  It is my preferred take in all three of thise genres.
 

Tom Wilkinson dies aged 75. He was the lawyer killed in Michael Clayton and the bad guy in Rush Hour. He was also the crime boss in Batman Begins
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65823240

If you want to see what the BRP system can do, check out Stormbringer and its spinoffs. The earlier versions weren't balanced, but that was intentional. In a word: Elric.
 
For SF, check out Ringworld. Unfortunately it's focused on those specific books, but you could probably run a Known Space game with it. It's a bit more complex than I prefer though.
 
And of course there is Call of Cthulhu. There have been various supplements that could form the basis of an interesting Pulp fantasy game. Clark Ashton Smith? Even Lord Dunsany if you try. C L Moore"s Jirel of Joiry stories would probably work too.
 
To me the main interest of Superworld is its half developed point system. I'd use it as spare parts rather than trying to play it.

The Gaean Reach RPG has a cool setup. Everyone has a reason to want revenge on a particular guy. It's up to the players why in their specific character's case, and it's up to the GM who the guy is. (And obviously "the guy's" gender etc.)
 
It doesn't involve a lot of needless backstory - just a description of the world they are on and place they are in.
 
It still takes a bit of effort getting them in one place and getting them to know each other, but they have a common goal.
 
Shame about the rest of the game.

New one UP before the New Year!
 
https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1294.html

A Terrible Thought: what if there were Cthulhu-oid horrors called the Young Ones? Could you deal with the horror of Rick, Vyvyan, Neil and Mike? (Spelling according to Wikipedia.)

On the level of traditional symbology, there is also a superficial resemblance to the Hanged Man, one of the major arcana of the Tarot:
 

 
 
 
Which Bad Things? That book has a lot of them.

The Young Ones are a pretty good fit for Warhammer's Chaos Gods...

Call of Cthulhu is kind of a beast of its own; the simple system works really well for that setting because its less about mechanics (let's face it you're hopeless in combat anyway) than atmosphere and role play.

A concept I used in a campaign (which ended before the nature of the enemy became completely apparent) is the incursion of old evils (evil gods' cults, archdemon slaves, the less human the better) coming in, not because they were always around, but because the old regime/dynasty/whatever as things were coming apart for them cut deals with whatever they could get to listen to get the magical power they needed to try hanging on to temporal power.  Now, despite the deals (too little, too late) that regime was ended forcefully and rendered fully extinct.  But, since the evil powers had had sense enough to require collateral of actual land, landmarks, neighborhoods, etc. when they made the bargains, those bargains remain valid and the evil things are showing up to collect their payment.
 
So the players (and whatever alliances they form/join) have a multi-level task in front of them.  First, they have to recognize that it's not just one big evil bad guy; it's half a dozen or disparate bad guys, each with their own calling cards, themes, modus operandi, preferred l00tz, etc., despite having crudely similar but completely disparate goals in their incursions.  Then comes something of a desperate hunt through the ruins of the Bad Old Days to see if any records of the old regime's deals still exist, and to make clear that the bad stuff happening now is not just evil entities trying to reestablish the old defunct regime, which is an easy conclusion to jump at.  The campaign got into the transition from the first stage to the second, but broke down before getting further.  The next stage never got underway, which was trying to compose a unified countereffort to stave off the not-actually-united evils trying to break into the realm and consume their own parts of it (parts which, from a purely legal view, they did have a legitimate claim to).
 
That multiple-evil-influences let me grab whatever cool-looking bad stuff I happened to read, and slap it into the campaign without worrying about any integration into a coherent plan: it's just another infernal debt collection coming in and there was no coherence to it.  ("If you have no plot, you can't have plot holes.")
 
How could it all be resolved?  Well, I didn't worry about that too much; the evil creditors varied from pretty punky as cosmic evil things go, up to things that (once fully awakened) could eat entire kingdoms.  I was explicitly hoping for creativity among the players in building solutions to the individual problems.