Amazing Adventures is a d20 game of modern adventure. Amazing Adventures uses familiar old school rules but keeps the roll high vision of later editions. This month continues building a 1930s world of player characters armed with guns and fists facing off against the cultists and monsters of the Cthulhu Mythos as well as other foes. Foes like vampires and werewolves.
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The Monsters
Lovecraft has plenty to add to a 1930s pulp horror game. The ongoing war between Mi-Go and Byakhee is an ongoing danger looming large in the world. But darkness wears not only the cloak of the Cthulhu Mythos but is also garbed in older and more visceral myths. Vampires and werewolves as two examples. In addition to gothic monsters, weird vermin came up in a recent adventure as well. A bit of detail is included for those as well.
Vampires
Vampires are detailed in the Manual of Monsters. No real surprises.
Romania in the 1930s is full of intrigue and infighting, and Transylvania is a great location for a bloodsucker lair. The Iron Cross is a mystical organization whose beliefs may not completely align with the PCs but whose help could be invaluable in tracking down vampires.
The adventure, Halls of the Blood King for Old-School Essentials, could easily be converted. In this adventure, a castle full of vampires appears and disappears across time. Options other than level drain would easily port over.
There are also other monsters in the halls that could serve as a surprise or possible allies. One example: opposing the vampires is an alien fungus. This enemy of my enemy could ally with the PCs against the undead. What happens to the alliance if the PCs and the alien win will be another challenge the PCs face. And, of course, to stay in constant communication with the fungus requires a PC to accept being infected by fungi.
Blood Spiders and Their Queen
The Halls of the Blood King are also haunted not just by vampires, but also by blood spiders and their queen. The blood spiders are medium spiders and the queen is a large spider. These hideous beasts attack like normal spiders but have an additional option:
BLOOD DRAIN: On a natural 20 (19 or 20 for the blood spider queen) the spider attaches to the victim, draining their blood, healing an equal amount, and automatically hitting every round while attached.
Vampire Dentures
This item would be entertaining to add as well. A set of fake (or real?!) vampire teeth that when worn give the wearer vampire powers for one combat once a day but only at night or underground. The powers include: Blood Drain, Children of the Night, Dominate, Create Spawn, Energy Drain, Alternate Form, Gaseous Form, Entourage, Electrical Resistance (half), and Spider Climb per the vampire entry in the Manual of Monsters. There may be drawbacks like a craving for blood or possibly even a backlash that drains 1d4 Constitution until the next rest unless a Constitution save is made.
Werewolves
Another standby found in the Manual of Monsters. A lonely farmhouse in the mountains of Appalachia seems like the perfect location for these beasts. A clan of shapeshifters hidden in the mountains who come into conflict with the PCs is full of potential mayhem.
Troll Lord Games just released a brand new adventure, The Ruins of Ends Meet. This adventure crosses fantasy with the more modern world and could be used to expand the world the GM is building. I could see werewolves possibly preying on those trying to reach this town, or better yet, the PCs winning a conflict against werewolves reveals the town of Ends Meet to the PCs and gives them a solid reason to travel there.
Squealers and Sword Beetles
Inspired by Gamma World, these animals are large and mutated and deadly violent. Perfect creatures to be lurking in a cursed abode abandoned by a wizard. Squealers collect shiny trinkets, some of which may be valuable or even magical. Sword beetle mandibles can be harvested and used as +2 swords. Both of these beasts are great to bolster attacks by giant rats or giant insects and provide a leader animal.
SQUEALERS
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1d8
SIZE: Medium
SAVES: M
HD: 3d8 (14 hp)
INT: High
MOVE: 40 ft.
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
AC: 16
TYPE: Magical Beast
ATTACKS: 2 Claws (1d4 each) and 1 Bite (1d6), Sonic Blast (3d6; special, see below)
XP: 80+18
SPECIAL: Sonic Blast
Grossly overgrown rust-colored rats with tumorous growths on the head. Make shrill shrieking cries that quickly turn into a deadly sonic blast. But they sneak up first, and the shrill shriek may be the last thing a victim hears.
SONIC BLAST: 30’ cone, Constitution save for half damage..
SWORD BEETLE
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1d4
SIZE: Large
SAVES: P
HD: 6d8 (27 hp)
INT: Average
MOVE: 20 ft. (fly 60 ft.)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
AC: 15
TYPE: Beast
ATTACKS: 2 Mandibles (2d8 each; see Mandibles and Rend below)
XP: 80+18
SPECIAL: Mandibles, Rend
Massive with steel gray carapaces, these beetles use antennae to detect heat and electrical components. Once prey is spotted, they fly forward to do battle. Massive gnashing mandibles sizzling with acidic extractions hungrily snap and burn to break bones so the marrow can be extracted.
MANDIBLES: Laced with acidic extractions, these mandibles can tear through steel. Sword beetles can take out tires and open vehicles, peeling away the metal like opening a can.
The mandibles of a slain sword beetle can be made into melee weapons. Each is +2 to hit and damage and inflicts 1d8 points of damage. Anyone strong enough to wield both who strikes with both in combat inflicts an extra 1d8+2 points of damage.
REND: If both mandible attacks hit, rend for an additional 2d8 damage.
Next Steps
Amazing Adventures has plenty of support to get started. And as this month shows, plenty of options can be added to aid in worldbuilding. A GM can easily adapt adventures from other RPGs to the setting and Troll Lord Games continues to provide new adventures as well.
Picture credit: Pixabay
