Old Skulling

Artwork by Louis Glanzman How about the starship's weapons you ask? Weapons Vehicles and starships can sport a great arsenal of weapons. Some of them have heavy machine guns, missile launchers, flamethrowers and some even have laser guns, blaster cannons and even somo more arcane armaments the Overlord can come up with. In game terms, vehicle’s weapons work just like character weapons, although the Overlord must pay attention to the Scale in which they are being used.

So 2017 is reaching the end of its life. It has been a good year, I think. At least in the gaming department. I like to keep good memories and forget the bad stuff anyways. So what 10 cool gaming products have I found in 2017 (not necessarily released in 2017, tough)? Let’s take a look! Zweinhander : A reinterpretation of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying 1st and 2nd edition, compiled in one sigle massive book with all you need to play and a lot of inspiration for Grim and Perilous gaming! Great stuff! Beautiful art! I can’t wait for their future releases! FrontierSpace: Do you remember Star Frontiers from TSR? FrontierSpace takes the agile, flexible and easy to use % system of BareBones Fantasy and make a exploration of the frontier science fantasy game with it, full of resources to fuel your imagination! Great acquisition and a great game! I just wish it had more artwork on it.

Artwork by Lucas Bigorenski Let's continue, shall we? Before they blast us away from the vacuum of space. Hull As characters have Vitality points, vehicles and starships possess Hull points. This measures how much damage they can suffer before falling apart. Bigger ships have more Hull points than smaller ones, but they tend to have a lower Maneuverability . As long as a vehicle or starship still has Hull points, they work just as fine, unless they are hit by a Critical Hit . When a Critical Hit is suffered, the attacker rolls 1d6 on the table below and the vehicle or starship acquires a Destruction score of 1 (and it increases by one by each additional Critical Hit suffered).

Artwork by Louis Glanzman Time to take a look on how Armor and Shields work on our starships! I will explain a bit about Scale later! Armor Vehicles and starships have are made of resistant materials naturally, but the weapons they used also sport very damaging attacks. As such, they also have armor which provides Damage Reduction just like the armor used by characters. However, it’s important to note that there is a difference in Scale (which will be dealt with below). Even though a starship’s light armor will only absorb 1 point of damage from the laser cannon fired at it by another ship, it will absorb much more damage points if the weapon used was of a smaller Scale .

In all respects, except the ones on which we elucidate in this section, combat with vehicles and starships work the same way as combat between characters. The Overlord will adjudicate any Surprise situation, Initiative will be resolved normally, attacks will be made and damage will be taken. But some details are slightly adjusted by the following rules. Maneuverability Some vehicles and starships are capable of sharp turns, and daring maneuvers with little effort. Others, however, are sluggish and take some time to change its direction, even under heavy fire. In game terms, this is represented by a vehicle's or starship’s Maneuverability .

Want to win free copies of those books? Keep reading! A few months ago I asked on Google+ if people would be interested in participating on a small giveaway of printed SS&SS books, where participants would use the Adventure Idea Generator and the Adventure Title Generator from Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells - Core Book and Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells - Addendum , respectively, to write a quick Adventure Outline. The response was impressively good, so here it is!

Let's get over with the history classes, shall we? Last part of the history section of the universe with more job tables! The Age of Galactic Overlords After the Cleansing Wars that devastated the universe and erased many cultures from existence, the Galactic Overlords came to power. They divided the sectors between them based on their individual powers and origins. Some of them were not happy with their lot and infighting happens till this day. Some small sectors and regions, although nominally within the domains of the Galactic Overlords, are actually ruled by an ally or lieutenant of them. Others, still, are so remote or protected by some barrier or obstacles that make them independent, like the Outer Regions and the Ghost Sector. Thar, however, don’t prevent an occasional attack by a furious Galactic Overlord once in awhile. Today, these sorcerous tyrants conspire against each other in the shadows, always vying for more power and influence. Officially, they have a tr...

The Void has come, and it changed to universe forever with its agents, the Galactic Overlords. The Cleansing Wars It didn’t take long before the growing animosities turned into a great war that raged throughout the whole universe. Lead by the First Sorcery, a score of powerful servants of the Void lead a great contingent of humans to believe they were the heirs of the universe, and that all other sentients should kneel before their superiority. This immediately lead others species to elect strong leaders, and even their own sorcerer warlords to fight their enemies. Many now believe these were also trained by the First Sorcerer in disguise, manipulating the whole universe as his playthings. These forces battled for centuries, and the forces of the Galactic Overlords were on the brink of victory when they discovered the plans of the First Sorcery. He intended to dispose all of them of their powers as soon as the war was won. That’s what turned the tide of war, as the Galactic O...

Artwork by Louis Glanzman Behind any light, there is always a shadow, growing darker and darker... The Coming of The Void This era marks the decadence of the Empire. As it reached unparalleled levels of development and excellence in all areas, the Council was given more and more power and leeway. However, as it is said, power can corrupt the noblest of souls, and some of the members began to abuse their subordinates and take advantage of their position for their own good. Some claim it was the influence of the Void, slowly seeping through the cracks of reality that were opening. Others just believe that everyone has a dark side, and it’s only a matter of time before it reveals itself to the world. As such, discontent grew among the many systems and sectors, and animosity was rediscovered by the sentient species. Talk about leaving the empire and independence started to spread. And some within the Council backed this alternative. This is the time the First Sorcerer reveal...

After the age of barbarism, comes the age of elightment, where the civilizations reached their peak! The Age of Enlightenment The age when the battles between barbarian civilizations ended and a great empire was forged. It was created to bring peace and enlightenment to all species across the galaxies, respecting their differences and each one's individuality. A strong a wise council of sentients was formed to govern the empire, deciding on the best course of action to benefit the majority of all species. For many generations lasting thousands or maybe hundreds of thousands of years, civilization prospered like no other time. Science, technology, medicine, robotics, arts, literature, everything that could improve the life of sentients and bring joy to their lives was reaching new heights under the gentle guidance of the Empire. But it wouldn’t last forever.

For the first part of this series about the history of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells universe, go here . The Barbaric Age After the development of the first civilizations and the discovery of space travel, sentients took to the stars, to spread their domains, acquire resources and put their mark in the universe. This put strange and unknown species in contact with each other. And as it’s usually the case, what’s different and alien causes fear, and fear leads to hate. Wars raged amongst the stars. Some civilizations were completely wiped out. Others had to flee to survive, and some had to ally with their former e enemies against a bigger threat. This era is marked by the constant bickering among species, and the always shifting spheres of influence. The initial efforts to reach peace and prosperity with the union of all sentients are also born here, but it’s also harshly persecuted.

As was established, the universe is old, but it’s history is lost. Some may claim to know what really happened in past eras, the Galactic Overlords included, but the truth is that no one alive really knows. Or, at least, not anyone you can conceivably contact easily. Therefore, it would be pointless to make a detailed recount of the history of the universe, since it would hardly have any impact in the game (and no one wants to memorize dozens and dozens of facts that doesn’t have nothing to do with the actual adventures they are having). Instead, we will present brief descriptions of what is generally believed to have happened in the past and a table with rumors and legends that can be heard about these periods (and that can be developed by Overlords into actual game elements if he so chooses). What is actually true or just speculation will be decided by Overlord himself.

Ok, let's finish this series! The last 3 of the 10 characteristics of the setting of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells ! The Unknown Surrounds Everything As knowledge and technology were lost, much that was once known is now a mystery. Whole sectors of the universe are beyond the knowledge of anyone, save some of the Galactic Overlords. Knowledge is power, and they intend to keep it all for themselves. The influence of the Void has also greatly affected the universe, and its effects are unknown even to the most versed in these supernatural phenomena. Strange portals and effects are changing planets. Artifacts with astonishing powers but with great costs are seducing and corrupting sentients from all walks of life. And no one knows why. Not everything the adventurers will encounter will be known to them. Strange places, unknown planets, never before seen creatures and monsters. All of this can and should be part of their journeys through the stars.

Creative Common Vector Image Let's continue with more elements of the setting in Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells , and a few tables to help Overlords represent them in the game? Civilization is Decadent Civilization reached its brightest moment thousands of years ago, before the coming of the Galactic Overlords. Sentients from all species cooperated to create art, technology and many advancements in science. The old Empire prosperity is legendary. But all of that is lost now. After the Cleansing Wars, civilization was cast in ruins, almost to a barbaric stage. It took centuries to anything resembling a cohesive society to form again, and this happened mostly where the Galactic Overlords imposed their own order to the population. Outside their domains, societies took a while to organize, and most of the time it needed a strong authority behind it. Either way, civilization in the current era is only a shadow of its former self. No art is produced, no scientific study p...

Artwork by Louis Glanzman Let's check out a bit more of the 10 characteristics of the setting of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells ? It’s a Brutal Universe Even though the Cleansing Wars ended, the Galactic Overlords maintain their power through the use of force and fear. The armies of these tyrants keep the people of their domains in a state of constant fear and submission. Signs of independent thoughts are treated with immediate violence, and rebels are executed in public spectacles. Even outside of the Galactic Overlords domains, brutality has a strong hold. Without a strong force to keep peace, and the scarcity of resources all around, many believe it’s within their right to take what they want from others. In the whole universe, people have to choose between living in the oppressive safety under the rule of Galactic Overlords, or the perilous freedom of trying to survive outside their influence.

These images are licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License The universe of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells is a perilous one, full of dangers, enemies and terrible places. But it is also a universe of exotic and breathtaking vistas, of exciting adventure, and resourceful people. The Cleansing Wars shaped the galaxies in such a way that entire cultures were changed, and some even erased from existence. The Galactic Overlords rule their domains with an iron hand. While their allies enjoy freedom and can have their own regions to administer, most of the universe population live under the boot of these sorcerous tyrants. This game was created with the purpose of supporting adventures in the style of sword and sorcery tales but in a science fiction background. We can create adventures in which barbarians from the Outer Regions can go on a spaceship, together with a alien sorcerer and a robotic mechanic, to hunt for treasures of an older age of enlightenment, while a...

Well, this is the last preview of the combat chapter of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells . Next we will start to see some previews of the setting toolbox chapter, and then some starship and vehicles rules! Poison Old as time, the use of poison is still quite populated in the Universe of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells , especially among the petty servants of the Galactic Overlords vying for their favors. Poisons vary greatly, but for ease of use, they all have an intensity score (which determines the Difficulty in an Attribute Test to resist its effects) and an effect. Most common poisons inflict a d6 of damage per intensity point, but some rarer substances can make the victim fall asleep for a number of hours equal to the intensity value, paralyze the victim for a number of turns equal to its intensity , and so on. Overlords can exercise their cruel imaginations and come up with a varying array of poison with strange and sadistic effects. Below we provide a few exemplar...

Artwork by Louis Glanzman Okay, we are at the end of the Combat chapter of the book, and it's time to check out some other dangers the characters might have to face in the perilous universe of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells . Let's see some of them? Hazards and Other Dangers Although deadly enough, adventurers face many other dangers besides swords and firearms across the Universe. Falling from high platforms, being exposed to high levels of radiation, being burned in a incendiary attack, being electrified by a security trap. All of these and more could end the life of a player character, so we took the time to prepare a quick guide on how to handle these situations in game.