A cyborg, short for “cybernetic organism,” is a being that combines organic and biomechatronic body parts or possesses a blend of biological and artificial features. This term often refers to a person or creature that has been enhanced with the use of technology or artificial devices, frequently to improve or extend natural abilities. A cyborg can be a human or animal with a small amount of enhancements, or a vast amount. Almost any creature can become a cyborg. It can involve physical enhancements or even neurological enhancements that may very well turn the creature into an entirely different and/or controlled entity.
Here is a sample set of stats:
Cyborg Warrior Stats:
Hit Dice: 6d8+6
Hit Points: 33
AC: 15
Initiative: +2
Enhanced Fists (Primary): +6 (1d6+2)
Other weapons if they can get to the Weapons Locker: +6
When a Cyborg Warriorloses 15 Hit Points all future attacks must be made with disadvantage to reflect injury to the remaining human parts and damage to the cyborg parts.
Cyborg Dog Stats:
Hit Dice: 8d8+5
Hit Points: 41
AC: 15
Initiative: +3
Enhanced Bite: +8 (1d8+1)
When a Cyborg Dog loses 15 Hit Points all future attacks must be made with disadvantage to reflect injury to the remaining dog parts and damage to the cyborg parts.
This adventure is designed to be played with Ancient Elements RPG, but you can use just about any OSR system.
“The Forest God” is intended to be a one shot that lasts about two hours. Although I have attached some pre-generated player characters I do encourage the players to make their own. Part of the fun is making your characters.
“It is a cold early Spring day, and the adventurers approach a small village looking for a few pints of ale and some food, and perhaps a place to stay. However, the village is somber and almost deserted except for a few people with downcast demeanor walking by.”
The Adventure can be downloaded for FREE at Itch.io:
Canisi/Wulfaz (aka Space-Mutts and Space-Werewolves)
A race of intelligent space aliens that have abilities of mimicry and shapeshifting. Some of their main features are:
They are moderate size humanoids ranging from 120 pounds to 150 pounds who have subtle canine characteristics in their normal state.
They can mimic those around them to a remarkable extent. Upon casual observance they can blend in quite well, but upon close examination their form will seem less convincing and somewhat unsettling.
They prefer fresh meat, blood, and bone as their diet, although they will make due with vegetarian fare if that is all they can get. They also prepare a pemmican type preserved meat which they will often carry along with their other equipment.
Normal State: In their normal state, they are moderate size humanoids with subtle canine characteristics. They have a passive and philosophical nature, and enjoy learning about different cultures and species. They are friendly and curious, but also cautious and secretive about their true identity.
Stats for Normal State:
Hit Dice: 2d8+2
Hit Points: 11
AC: 12 + (plus various tech armor)
Initiative: +2
Ray Gun Attack: Two per turn/+3 (2d6)
Laser Rifle: +5 (3d6)
Hand Held Force Field: +3 to AC when activated, otherwise a small canister attached to the utility belt
Utility Belt: (has as many cool things as the GM decides is appropriate)
Mimicry: In normal state the Canisi can disguise themselves to appear as the other humanoids around. This is done partly by clever use of clothing, partly by a chemical they exude that discourages inspection, and partly by physical changes they are able to maintain to their appearance. On close inspection their mimicry can be discovered on a Skill Check DC > 14.
Werewolf State: However, in their werewolf state, they transform into massive beasts with fearsome fangs and claws. They retain their prior mental state and knowledge, but become more aggressive and assertive in character. They require a great deal more food to sustain themselves in this form, and will hunt for prey or scavenge for carrion.
Stats for Werewolf State:
Hit Dice: 3d8+4
Hit Points: 19
AC: 13 +
Initiative: +3
Claw Attack: Two per turn +3 (1d8)
Bite Attack: Once per turn +5 (1d8)
Conversion Process: The conversion process between their normal state and their werewolf state is triggered by either a planned decision or an attack from an enemy. During the conversion process, they are overcome by a primal hunger, and will increase in size and weight by 50% in a process that may appear gruesome and frightening to the uninitiated. They will require huge amounts of food to accomplish this metamorphosis; something they will often acquire by consuming their attackers if under assault. If the conversion is planned, they will have the food prepared and waiting for them. If they are unable to consume the necessary food during metamorphosis, they will fail to change, and revert back to their normal form in a weakened state until they have time to rest and eat.
When they convert back from the werewolf state into their smaller humanoid form, they will expel the surplus flesh and blood in a manner that many will find distasteful. They appear to vomit the substance in a congealed format that is actually a metabolic production that is quite nutritious and highly prized by the Canisi themselves. They call it congelate, and over time it becomes firmer and less pungent. It is also edible by humans, if not terribly palatable by them.
Culture and Name: Although Canisi/Wulfaz familiar with the human legend of the werewolf do not take offense at being referred to as Space-Mutts or Space-Werewolves, they prefer Canisi or Wulfaz depending on their chosen form. They have a rich and diverse culture that values harmony, wisdom, and adaptability. They are often found as explorers, traders, diplomats, or spies among other species.
PS 18 JULY 2023: I have gotten some feedback about the cover art, and some of these comments/criticism seem to involve a misunderstanding of the purpose of the game system. That is of course my fault. Above, I state the purpose as “remove all reference to the OGL 1.0a and any content that falls under it”. In this regard I think I was successful (but again if you see something that could somehow be attacked under copyright or other basis please let me know). However, my ultimate goal was to create an open source set of rules that can be used to play OSR type games by creative GMs looking for something to build adventures upon, and game designers to use to create their own games. So I did not pay a lot of attention to art or imagery. I just punched a few words into an AI art generator and picked the brightest colors available. The fact that some hate the cover art so much as to reject the content is a head scratcher for me, but since I did not intend it for commercial sale… oh well — I never claimed to be a good judge of art or style. Notwithstanding the cover art which many find offensive, I hope you find the rules useful.
The John Carter of Mars Core Rulebook is a tabletop role-playing game based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars series of novels. The game is published by Modiphius Entertainment.
The game uses a pulp-action inspired variant of the 2d20 System. Players can take on the role of heroes such as John Carter, Princess Dejah Thoris, or the Thark warrior Tars Tarkas, or create their own heroes from a variety of options. The game includes detailed chapters on Barsoomian technology, creatures, and cultures, as well as a step-by-step character generation system.
The 2d20 System is a dynamic, narrative system designed to produce varied and interesting results from dramatic and action-packed situations. It is used in several role-playing games published by Modiphius Entertainment, including John Carter of Mars, Mutant Chronicles, Conan Adventures in an Age Undreamed of, and Star Trek Adventures.
In the 2d20 System, characters roll two d20s, attempting to roll as low as possible on each one. The more dice that roll low, the more successes the character scores. The system is designed to emulate and celebrate action-packed, story-driven fiction. It thrives when paired with a setting or theme where competent, determined, often larger-than-life protagonists face tense and perilous situations, and where collaboration and teamwork are vital to success.
John Carter of Mars Core Rulebook does a great job of taking players through the different novels and discussing how the concepts in the books can be turned into gaming content while providing an over-the-top pulpy feel where the characters can confidently take on all challenges.
I recently ‘updated’ my home rules KOOKS system by changing the d20 system to a 2d10 system; along with other small changes. Tonight we did a one shot where the players were given very powerful 5th level Characters with very high level armor. They were to fight against a lot of lower level NPCs and a few higher level NPCs, but none that could be considered equals or superior.
The game was a route. The two high level Player Characters just waded through the masses of low level opposition and demolished them.
Why?
Because the 2d10 system creates a Bell Curve. It is very unlikely that anyone will roll a very high roll or a very low roll within their range of possibilities. With PCs that each had Defense Modifiers of 18+ it was just about impossible for a lower level NPC to hit them.
The first time I experimented with this idea was in a wargame I made called ‘C’est la Guerre‘ where instead of using a 1d6 I used 2d6 creating a bell curve of options. Two infantry units blasting away at each other with musketry were very unlikely to do anything more than cause low level incremental damage. Throw in some artillery and that damage gets higher but not overwhelming. It is at that point that you send in your cavalry to charge or some fresh infantry to do a bayonet attack. That was the only way of breaking those stubborn infantry units.
The two dice versus one changed the dynamic of the game tonight. The two powerful PCs dominated a group of 8 lower level guards and a higher level captain. Then when they confronted three enemies who were close to parity, but not equal, they had a bit of a fight on their hands. But again it was very difficult even for the bosses to hit the two PCs.
If I had wanted to create a real challenge, then I would have needed to add something much more powerful to the mix. Perhaps a ‘boss’ possessed by a high level demonic force? Or perhaps a magic user with access to very high level spells? Or an NPC with a very high level protector?
I have had a copy of The Black Hack bouncing around my hard drive for a long time, but I never got the chance to play it before. I have played hacks of The Black Hack, but never the beast itself!
Now I am happy to say that has been remedied. My Tuesday night ‘lite games’ group has been playing The Black Hack and it is great, particularly on Foundry. At first I didn’t even bother reading the rules since Foundry sort of does all that stuff for you, but I finally broke down and dived in. Here is my review!
The Black Hack 2e is a ttrpg designed to be rules-light and easy to learn. It is an updated version of the original Black Hack game which includes a number of new features and improvements.
One of the most notable aspects of the Black Hack 2e is its simplicity. The game uses a very streamlined set of rules, which allows players to focus on storytelling and roleplaying rather than getting bogged down in complex mechanics. This makes it an ideal game for beginners, or for groups who are looking for a more casual, laid-back experience.
Despite its simplicity, the Black Hack 2e still manages to offer a lot of flexibility and customization options. The game uses the same 6 Attributes that we are used to, and offers 4 different character classes, as well as a wide variety of monsters. This allows for a lot of creativity and variety in gameplay, even within the context of the relatively simple ruleset.
Another strength of the Black Hack 2e is how easy it is to pick up and play, with a minimal amount of setup or preparation required. I would think that this makes it an ideal choice for impromptu gaming sessions, or for groups who don’t have a lot of time to devote to gaming.
Overall, the Black Hack 2e is a great choice for anyone who is looking for a simple, flexible, and accessible tabletop RPG. That’s my .02.
T.W.O. RPG with the completion of the SPELLS & MAGIC ITEMS supplements is now done. The goal was to create a non-OGL set of light rules compatible with 3.5 stuff.
It is published under the most open Creative Commons license, so feel free to use it as you see fit. Comments and suggestions are of course welcome!
Stargazer is a nice little OSR game that I really liked. It is a very Rules-Lite RPG. I like such games, but sometimes they can be too derivative and so ‘lite’ that they are unplayable as written.
This is not the case for Stargazer!
Stargazer is of course a bit derivative since it is OSR, but it is not slavishly so. The structure is similar but not identical. The mechanics are also not just repetition of prior works, and the classes, or in the rules Archetypes, are very different and interesting. But…
The backstory is awesome!!!! The magic of the game is based upon a Vancian world with a dying sun. I normally don’t like the Vancian magic, but in this case it makes sense. At least to me. The author spends a bit of time explaining it, and I appreciate that. There is a Song of Power that rides upon the wind, and infuses the very nature of the Universe (in a somewhat Tolkienian way?). That is where the magic comes from. What I really like is the work that the author puts into suggesting a ‘source’ to gain access to this Song of Power: precious ‘black sound discs’ dredged up from the underworld of the the ancient world containing the works of Ronnie James Dio! Throughout the short rules of the book there are references to Dio and some appropriate snippets of his lyrics.
I hope I can convince my gaming group to play this with me. People get set in their ways and sometimes it is difficult to get folks to try something different. Luckily my group is pretty open to new things as long as I don’t bully them too much…
My only real complaint is that I don’t think the author went far enough into the ‘Song of Power’ and the ‘black sound discs’ as the link between characters and the magic — the amazing music of Ronnie James Dio! If you are going to put that into the backstory why not put it into the rules? Perhaps the Magician must sing certain lyrics linked to certain magic — each spell has its own Dio lyric inspired Incantation that must be successfully performed to release the POWER!? Perhaps the Magician must listen and (re)learn the music and the lyrics before going off on his or her adventures by playing the ‘black sound discs’ in order to gain inspiration, motivation, and the power of the magic itself!?
A Powerful Magician Preparing and Casting Spells!
All in all very interesting. Give it a try. Let me know how it goes. I will try to update this review if I get a chance to play!
I have a problem with rules so bloated that no one can figure out what anything means without a ouija board. I also dislike rules that are so ‘lite’ that they leave out important parts that are required to make the game playable. T.W.O. RPG is intended to be a ‘lite’ yet complete set of rules.
This is just the Rules. I am working on additional sections: Wealth Weapons Equipment, Monsters, and Spells. Coming Soon!
