To July, Goodbye June

Welcome Summer (at least here in the Northern hemisphere) though things have been hot and rainy here sinceall June.   July was named after that all around interesting Roman, Julius Caesar in the re-formalization of the Roman Calendar creating the Julian Calendar (which, as you no doubt guessed, is named for him too).  So, in honor of Caesar, we shall be looking at governments, organization and people of ambition here in the Sea of Stars journal.  As usual, if there is a particular subject you would like to know more about or see more of, please let me know.

I have also started work on a secret project that I look forward to sharing with you when I can.

Looking back over June, 2017, it was a fairly light month for posting but did see the following:

Shadowrun Campaign Update and new Seattle Scream (#52) prop

If it seems like a while since I did one of these, it is because it has been (October, in fact, here).  But Shadowrun continues apace with monthly open games held at Tyche’s Games and occasional other games scattered almost randomly.  Though the PinkCat/NorCal game is also going strong having racked up more than thirty sessions at this point (most recent here).

I have been using Shadowfist cards to randomly generate adventure ideas which has been working out really well.  One of the character was almost eaten by ghouls in the last adventure (see the Cannibal Army card which inspired their inclusion) which was great fun for me, maybe not so much for the player and character!

Playing again this coming Saturday and felt it was past time for a new Seattle Scream, so here you go, Issue 52 (July 2073).

 

Tuesday Magic Item – The Three Brothers’ Swords

“Watching the conflicts between our leaders, I am put to mind of the legend of the three brothers who all went to the same court wizard to get magic swords forged to allow them to seize the throne,” said Gollaon pouring himself another goblet of wine.

“That’s no legend,” replied Voddick after a drink of ale, “my great-uncle forged the swords that were used.  They all ended up cursed by the brothers fratricidal ambitions.”

“And these swords, the resembled each other, yes?”

“Yes.  Three identical blades except for the gems set in the hilts. “

“Not ruby, sapphire and emerald?”

“Yes, why?” Voddick glanced over at the senior captain’s sword.  “Ah.  This is not going to end well.”

The Three Brothers’ Swords

These fine swords were forged for a trio of royal brothers, each of whom thought that only he was the proper successor to the reigning monarch.  Each, separately, approached the court wizard for a weapon to make them king, the wizard agreed to all of their requests giving each an identical sword, except for the gems decorating the hilt.  The three brothers, as the wizard had hoped, ended up killing each other off allowing the lone daughter to inherit.  But the swords retain both the ambition and hatred of the others that led to them being made.

Review – Shadowrun: Forbidden Arcana

Shadowrun: Forbidden Arcana will be on the list to acquire for anyone GMing a magic heavy Shadowrun campaign, both for useful background information on what is happening with magic and new things to play with. For players, sightly less useful but there is still a lot of good information and interesting options for characters here. Overall, one of the more solid works to come out of for Shadowrun lately.

Shadowrun: Forbidden Arcana are the Advanced Magic Rules for the 5th edition of Shadowrun, expanding on the earlier rules presented in the Street Grimoire (which is required to use several sections of this work).

The book begins with one of the ubiquitous fiction sections, then it begins with a section called Seeing the Invisible World which talks about how non-magical people perceive magic with a variety of (in game) first hand accounts of encounters with magic. This is useful for both for players and GMs when describing magical effects to characters who cannot directly see magic.

PinkCat: Running in the Shade “Things Go Wrong” (A different sort of SR campaign report)

To understand what is going on here, you had best read the first PinkCat: Running in the Shade post, but short summary, this is a campaign report for our Shadowrun campaign set in NorCal through the filter of a cartoon made by one of the team members.

Episode Twenty Nine: Things go Wrong

Guest Starring: Clawz, DD, Double Up, Jove and Toru.

Pink and the crew are hired to steal a new energy drink recipe from MaXPwRDrink.  It seems like an easy run, just get in, grab the data and go.  But of course, nothing is every that easy.

Sneaking in as product testers, the team get split up.   Communication is scrambled, by a turtle technomancer, isolating the team into scattered pockets.  Double Up and Clawz decide that the right tactic is to attack the guards.  A crazy comic combat ensures while the rest of the team is chased by security drone that look like robots from the 1950s.

The whole sequence ends with DD and Toru grabbing the recipe and Jove and Glitter overloading one of the mixing vats leading to the entire team being washed out of the building on a wave of brightly colored energy drinks.

What really happened:

Tuesday Magic Item – Zarya Cloak

“It seems a dangerous plan to cross this ancient battlefield,” said Voddick, glancing around his crossbow ready, “especially at night.”

“What could go wrong?” asked Gollaon, hand resting on his sword hilt.  “Besides the obvious of course.”

“Well, I am glad the sun priestess is with us,” added Voddick.  “Such people always have useful tricks if we met ghosts or ghoulies.”

“Agreed.”

Zarya Cloak

These fine cloaks have an outer layer of deep midnight blue while the interior lining is the graduated colors of the dawn.  The cloak clasp incorporates a sun disk and silver stars set with crystals.

Tuesday Magic Item – Gambara’s Desk and Seals

“It is not like you to be so excited about a simple courier job,” said Voddick as he adjusted the saddle.

“It is not the job, it is who we are delivering the letters to,” said Gollaon who was already mounted and ready to ride.

Voddick pulled himself up.  “Yes?  Who?”

“The incompatible Duchess Veronika, poet, politician and patron.”

“Ah, sounds like a charming woman,” nodded Voddick.

Gambara’s Desk and Seals

These portable writing desks, if the set is intact, have inkwells, pen knifes, quills and pens, sand for blotting, paper and six seals.  It also has a fine lock.

Tuesday Magic Item – Imago Amulet

Voddick threw a casual salute to the passing guard. Gollaon did the same a bit more slowly, a puzzled expression on his face.

“What is it my friend?” asked Voddick.

“Did we not just see that fellow entering the stores tent?”

Voddick paused and looked back after the guard.  “I fear you are right.”

Gollaon was already turning and launching into a run.  “Come on!”

Imago Amulet

These amulets are intaglio of a bust carved on semi-precious stone usually set in silver or rarely more valuable metals.  They are valuable but not too valuable in appearance.