Tuesday, April 21, 2015

R is for Reefer King

Reefer King [first appeared in Dynamic Comics #16, 1945]


Art by Gus Ricca

Jack "Reefer" King was a drug dealer who operated a large marijuana farm on the outskirts of Guardian City from 1933 to 1945. A botanist by education, he was cultivating his own special brand of more powerful pot before it was commonplace, rolling his own reefer cigarettes and selling them to musicians and artists in the area. In some users, Reefer's special pot caused violent episodes or even permanent psychosis. Reefer's strain of marijuana was also more addictive than others, causing his customers to become devoted "regulars."

During World War II and the cigarette shortages caused by rationing, Reefer hit upon the idea of distributing his wares through tobacconists and drug stores throughout the city. After a dozen or so less-than-scrupulous retailers took on his wares, drug-addled teens and adults triggered a crimewave across the city. Teenaged superhero Yankee Boy began investigating. Although Reefer tried to hid his tracks by murdering shopkeepers who had carried his cigarettes, Yankee Boy traced Reefer to his farm and brought him to justice.


REEFER KING (Male)
Brawn 13, Body 12, Brains 4
   Traits: Coldhearted
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Dodge, Double Strike, Murderous Mitts,
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Pistol (Small Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage that ignore armor). Sickle (Medium Melee Weapon, deals 3 points of damage).
 

Monday, April 20, 2015

Q is for Quino

Quino [First Appeared in Wham Comics #2, 1940]


Art and Writing by Frank Thomas

Quino is literally the Father of Saturnian civilization. He is a scientific genius who was an advisor to the last of the Sorcerer Kings of Atlantis. As the ancient gods began to turn against the Atlanteans, Quino devised scientific means to save the continent and its people from their wrath. The king feared Quino would anger the gods further, and he wove a powerful spell that transported Quino and all his inventions to Saturn where he expected Quino to perish.

Instead, Quino used his science to survive. The same means that he had intended to use to save Atlantis allowed him to create a safe zone in which he could live. An unexpected side effect of this artificial environment was that it slowed his body's aging process to a near standstill, extending his already long Atlantean lifespan from two centuries to several millennia.
   To keep himself busy, he devised a means to extend his life-supporting environment to a series of interlinked valleys in one of Saturn's mountain ranges. Longing for company, he then applied a combination of magic and super-science to create a race of humanoids that over the millennia he guided into a peaceful civilization that rivaled Atlantis in greatness.

Eventually, Quino became a little homesick for Earth, but the Sorcerer King's magic still barred him from ever returning there. He created the Master Viscope and X-Rayscopes and beginning in 1812 A.D,, he devoted much of his time to studying Earth and the civilizations that currently existed on it. He was saddened that his own people appeared to have been entirely wiped from existence, but it troubled him even more that there seemed to be even more unhappiness on the planet then ever before. As he watched, humanity developed greater and greater capacity for harming each other, and he decided he would intervene.

He chose one of his best and brightest assistants, Solarman, to travel to Earth and mitigate some of the suffering there. Using Quino's Vacuum Ray Projector, Solarman traveled back and forth between Saturn and Earth, making his first trip in 1940. Quino mostly had Solarman intervene on relatively small scales, fearing that the ancient gods might otherwise notice that an Atlantean still lived and come after him and the race he had created. Solarman assisted the people of Earth until 1983 A/D., after which he retired to focus on his own growing family on Saturn.

By the late 23rd century A.D, Quino's people were contacted by explorers from Earth. Few Saturnians had any interest in the universe outside their own planet, but a few joined in humanity's exploratory efforts... and the overall peaceful and intellectual nature of their civilization came to influence many leading scholars on Earth.

Quino continues to guide his people, and he ocassionally shares his super-science with the people of Earth, Mars, Venus, and other major cultures in the solar system and beyond. He remains fearful of the gods, however, sensing that they are still out there and that they may yet return.

Aside from Solarman, the most famous of all Saturnians is Dork. In the 26th century A.D., he befriends the mysterious spacefarer known as Spacehawk. When Dork , Spacehawk and other allies are thrown back in time to the year 1941 A.D., Dork seeks out Quino. The scientist subjects the time-lost heroes to the same treatment that slowed his own aging process, so they too could enjoy near-immortality... and possibly survive long enough to see their homes and loved ones again.

QUINO (Male)
Brawn 11, Body 13, Brains 8
   Traits: Improv Master, Jolly, Speller, Irrepressible Optimist
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Disarm, Dodge, Infectious Good Cheer, Run Away!, Spelling (You'll Only Hurt Yourself), Walk and Chew Gum.
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Atlantean-style Robes (Armor, absorbs 3 points of damage).

Special Note: Quino was featured in Solarman's one and only appearance in Wham Comics #2. Aside from the detail that he's from an advanced and peaceful civilization on Saturn, and that he sent Solarman to Earth, everything else in this article is the invention of Steve Miller.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

N is for Nang Tu

Nang Tu [First appeared in National Comics #13]
Nang Tu has lived for so long that she has no clear memory of her childhood, or the time before she gained what is essentially immortality. For untold centuries, she guarded the isolated Temple of the Man-Eating Spider and the magical All Seeing Eye that was embedded in the forehead of the giant Khotan Buddah statue in the temple's inner sanctum. She also served as the high priestess for the cult devoted to the Man-Eating Spider god.
   In 1941, playboy adventurer, sorcerer, psychopath, and superhero Merlin the Magician (aka Jock Kellog) came to Nang Tu's temple, intent on stealing the All Seeing Eye. In the process, he killed all the priests in the temple, including Nang Tu, and destroyed the structure with a magical explosion. However, since she was unable to die, Nang Tu spent decades of suffering, impaled on a spear and buried under the ruins of the temple--reviving and then being painfully killed by the spear Merlin drove through her body and the crushing weight of the rubble, over and over.
   In 2002, explorers in the employ of the Parker Foundation came to the isolated valley where the temple had once stood. While searching the ruins, they came upon Nang Tu and brought her back to their headquarters in the United States. Here, she was nursed back to health, with her body recovering faster than her mind, as she had been left deranged by sixty years of torture. When she regained control of her mental faculties, she swore her alleigance to the Foundation and her rescuers... but she is secretly investigating Jock Kellog's fate and family. She intends to avenge the destruction of the temple and religion she served for so long by ending Kellog's bloodline in as brutal a fashion as possible.


New Material for d20 SUPERS (an ongoing project at NUELOW Games)
The following feats and talent trees are possessed by Nang Tu (10th level Dedicated Hero/10th level Charismatic Hero). In addition, she has access to magic, as described in NUELOW's Feats of Mysticism & Magic.
   Everything from this point forward in this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it. Copyright 2015 Steve Miller.


NEW MINOR POWER: FAST HEALING
You heal more quickly than the normal person.
   Benefit: Regain 1d6 hit points per hour of rest, 1d3 if you are active.
   Special: If you have the Immortal talent, this feat stacks with the hit point regeneration.

NEW MINOR POWER: VENOM ATTACK
When dealing unarmed damage  to a foe, either through a scratch or a bite, you poison your foe.
   Benefit: If you successfully hit and inflict at least 1 point of unarmed damage on a living foe, you poison your target. You determine the effect of the poison when you choose this feat. In all cases, the target may roll a Fort save (DC12+1/2 your level (round down)+your Constitution bonus) to negate the effects. A new save must be rolled each time you score a hit.
   Lethal: The target suffers 2d4 hit points of damage every minute until the venom is neutralized, until he or she dies, or until the venom runs its course. The effect lasts a number of minutes equal to your Constitution bonus.
   Paralyzing: The target cannot move for a number of minutes equal to your Constitution bonus.
   Weakening: At the end of the round upon which you first struck, the target's Strength and Constitution attribute scores are reduced by a number of points equal to your Constitution bonus. The reduction is temporary and lasts a number of minutes equal to your Constitution bonus.

NEW TALENT TREE: UNSTOPPABLE
You are immortal, either in appearance or in fact.
   Unaging: You remain the age you are when you select this talent. You can still be aged by extraordinary, magical or supernatural effects. Further, you no longer need food or drink to survive, although you still feel hunger and thirst.
   Immunity: Select a type of damage from the following list. You are immune to all damage of that type. Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, Piercing, Poison/Venom, Magic.
   This talent can be selected more than once. Each time it is chosen, a different immunity must be specified.
   Prerequisite: Fast Healing, one other Minor Power Feat. One talent from the Invulnerable talent tree.
   Immortality: If you are are reduced below -10 hit points (dead), and your body would still be able to function save for the wounds, you immediately begin to recover hit points at the rate of 1 point per minute. You remain unconscious until you are restored to +1 hit point. Wounds to not heal, and if the damage is from an ongoing source (such as a spear lodged in your body, or a rock crushing parts of it), the damage that originally brought you below -10 hit points must be re-rolled). Immortality in such a circumstance can be more of a curse than a blessing.
   Prerequisite: Immunity
 

Saturday, April 11, 2015

J is for Jay Brooks

Jay Brooks [first appeared in Sparkling Stars #29, 1947]


Jason "Jay" Brooks was a hardboiled social worker who took on worked with teens who were slipping into lives of crime. He charged for his services, but would often waive his fees for cases he found particularly interesting, or for families who were in dire financial straits. He was also something
   Before serving in WW2, Brooks had been a vice detective in Empire City. Upon returning home in 1945, he set his mind to rescuing those who might be tempted into lives of crime instead of incarcerating them once they were already corrupted. He ran his freelance "social work" business until 1954, occasionally teaming up with the likes of Jill Trent and the King of Darkness. He was eventually forced out of business when a boy he had been trying to help was killed by gangsters and his parents filed suit against him.
   Brooks did not give up his crusade to make the world a better place, however. He relocated to Los Angeles where he adopted the costumed identity of White Flash. He had several team-ups with Black Cat until an injury forced him to retired from the superhero business in 1958. He then went back to school, got a social works degree, and picked up where he had left off. He worked for L.A. Youth Services until his retirement in 1972--with the reputation of being the toughest social worker to ever walk the mean streets of South Central.


JASON "JAY" BROOKS (Male)
Brawn 20, Body 13 (includes +1 Hat Bonus), Brains 5
   Traits: Hard to Kill, Irrepressible Optimist
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Disarm, Debate Philosophy, Dodge, Murderous Mitts
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Pistol (Small Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage that ignore armor). Fedora (Hat, +2 to Body while worn).
  

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

G is for the Green Lizard

Green Lizard [first appeared in Smash Comics #8, 1940]

Art by Arthur Pinajian
When Gregory Winters' family lost its fortune during the stock market crash of 1929, the teenager when from riches to rags almost over night. He soon turned to a life of crime with a speciality in robbing the homes of the rich, since he knew their schedules and habits and was able to hit houses while they were away. He would often find incriminating or embarrassing documents and photos while on these raids, so blackmail became an increasing part of his business.

By 1940, he was at the head of a small gang, operating secretly under the codename Green Lizard. In the spring of that year, he embarked on a new and daring venture: The kidnapping of wealthy men and extorting their friends and families for money in exchange for their safe return. He chose his targets by working as a manservant for millionaire John Blaine, whom he had targeted as the final payday in this venture. (Winters was smart enough to know that something this aggressive would attract too much attention from law enforcement, so he had set himself a limit of five victims.)

Unfortunately for Winters, Blaine was a personal friend of the superhero known as Invisible Hood--and Winters' grand plan came to a premature end.

GREGORY WINTERS (Male)
Brawn 22 (includes +1 Hat Bonus), Body 13, Brains 5
  Traits: Coldhearted, Dead-Eye
  Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Disarm, Double Strike, Murderous Mitts, Withering Wit
  Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Nice Suit (Clothes), Green Mask (Hat, adds +1 to Brawn when worn). Pistol (Small Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage that ignore armor).

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

F is for Flor

Flor [first appearance Jet #3, 1951]
Art by Al Williamson
Flor was born to laborers in the colony of Titan, destined for a life of backbreaking work in the mines feeding the hungry industries of Earth. Her natural beauty attracted the attention of the colony's governor who brought her to his palace as a concubine. Here, Flor met Della May, and together they plotted to gain their liberty by first killing the governor and his wife and then joining Titan's flourishing criminal underworld.
   The young women grew close as they gradually became important and feared criminal masterminds, going from partners to friends to lovers. Together, they wove a network of smugglers and pirates that was a challenge to the system's oppressive Earth-based government and a rival to the somewhat less-violent Venus-based smuggling ring known as the Brotherhood of Space.
Art by Al Williamson
   Flor had the reputation for being able to acquire anything and kill anyone if the price was right. She took personal delight in torturing to death anyone who failed or offended her. One survivor of her wrath told a tale of how Flor and Della once made love as the blood of prisoners who were being sliced to death by robots rained down upon them.
   Flor hated the Earth government and all its functionaries, and whenever it didn't interfer with her business she would lend support to rebels who opposed it. She had an even stronger hatred for the bounty hunter nicknamed Space Ace, as he foiled more than one of her schemes... but she hated the crew of the Space Rover and their captain Tara even more. Not only had Tara and her crew assisted the Brotherhood of Space in stopping Flor from gaining a foothold on Venus, but Della once expressed the opinion that Tara was "sexy in that little uniform she wears."

FLOR (Female)
Brawn 23, Body 17. Brains 11
   Traits: Coldblooded, Nimble, Same-Sex Preference
   Combat Manuevers: Basic Attack, Castrate, Disarm, Disembowel, Dodge, Double Strike, Murderous Mitts, Seduce, Strike Pose, The Look, The Walk,
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Ray Gun (Ranged Weapon, deals 3 points of damage that ignore armor). Whip (Melee Weapon, deals 2 points of damage that tear away clothes. After 10 points dealt, a character who is wearing Clothes (not Armor) is dressed in tatters that barely cover nakedness).

Special Note: L.L. Hundal, co-creator of the ROLF! game system contributed to this entry. For more on Flor's enemy Tara, see NUELOW Games' Tara, Marauder of the Spacelanes.

Monday, April 6, 2015

E is for Eve Adams

Eve Adams [first appearance School-Day Romances #1, 1950]

Eve Adams' parents were killed when she was 14, and she went to live with her aunt Aunt, Adeline Adams, in Peoria, IL. Adeline was a rich heiress who spent her time traveling the globe, so Eve was raised primarily by the servants at her aunt's lavish home.
   When Eve graduated from high school (a year early), Adeline told the girl to delay entry into college and instead join her on her trips to the far corners of the globe. Adeline would occasionally arrange for Eve to take a class or two in the world's great universities, but they rarely spent more than three months in one place. Adeline referred to Eve as an "exchange student" wherever they went.
   Despite her frumpish appearance and seemingly conservative attitudes, Eve noticed that her aunt frequently showed surprising liberal--and even libertine--attitudes on more than one occasion.  Aunt Adeline also seemed to be equally at ease in high society and in hives of scum and villainy... and she seemed to know people at all levels of society.
   On her 19th birthday, Eve learned the truth about Aunt Adeline and the globe-trotting she engaged in. Eve was on a date in Melbourne, Australia, when the charming young man she was with attempted to kill her. She barely escaped with her life, and she found her aunt just in time for an entire team of assassin to descend upon them. Adeline dispatched the assassins with shocking ease--and then revealed to Eve that she was an agent of an all-woman, U.N.-sponsored intelligence organization that she was hoping to induct Eve into--and that the world travel was part of that process. She revealed to Eve that she had been doing missions at each of their stops during the past few years, and that now that her cover had been blown, they would be returning to New York City and the group's headquarters so Eve could begin her real training.
   Within the year, Eve left her aunt's tutelage and assumed her role as a hunter of international war criminals and evil masterminds while masquerading as an early member of the jet-set. During the 15 years she was an active agent, she crossed paths with the likes of Kismet the Man of Fate, Princess Pantha, Lady Satan, and even the immortal guardian of justice Spacehawk. She later became one of the chief instructors of female agents who kept the world safe during the 1970s and 1980s.


EVE ADAMS (Female)
Brawn 22, Body 18, Brains 6
   Traits: Improv Master, Nimble
   Combat Maneuvers:  Basic Attack, Castrate, Dodge, Murderous Mitts, Seduce, Strike Pose
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Hi-Tech Body Suit (Armor, absorbs 2 points of damage) OR High Fashion, suitable for the place and climate she is presently in (Clothes). Small Knife (Melee Weapon, deals 1 point of damage). Small Pistol (Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage that ignore armor).

 Special Note: Eve Adams and Aunt Adeline were featured in early issues of School-Day Romances and Popular Teen-Agers from Star Publications. The revelation of Adeline's connection to a secret U.N. department, Eve's tragic past and exciting life as a spy herself weren't revealed in the series. They are the invention of Steve Miller.

Are you ready for some baseball?!

The baseball season has started in the United States, so this seems like a perfect time to mention the NUELOW Baseball Special!


The Baseball Special contains d20 rules for bringing baseball into your OGL Modern games, a baseball-themed ROLF! Battle Scenario that pits Super-Fan vs. Team Mascot. The booklet also includes the comic strip "L.L. Hundal's Guide to Baseball for Europeans," with art by Samm Schwartz. It's everything immigrants and those who are just-barely American (like Hundal & Miller, respectively) need to understand the Great American Pastime! (Well... at least we think it's all you'll need.)

Click here to see previews of the NUELOW Baseball Special, or to get your own copy for a fraction of what it costs to even get to a ballpark these days.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

D is for Dana Eerie

Dana Eerie (fist appearance [sort of] Eerie #5, 1952)
Dana Eerie is the only child of famous stage magician Jonathan Eerie. Her mother died giving birth to her, and her father raised her alone. By her mid-teens, she was his chief assistant and preparing to become a magician in her own right when he retired. But on a windy October afternoon, her life changed forever when her father insulted a genuine witch by doubting her powers and accusing her of being fraud. The witch, in turn, placed a curse on the person Jonathan loved the most--Dana.
    Since that day, Dana's life has been filled with all manner of monsters. No matter where she goes, or what she tries to do, she is either pursued by or comes into contact with undead creatures, demons, and psychopathic killers.
   Shortly after casting the curse, the witch made it clear to Dana that if the girl ever in the same room as her father while she is under the curse, he will be drawn into hell itself, Only the witch can lift the curse, but she refused to do so until Dana's father admits that supernatural forces exist in the universe.
   Now, Dana travels the world, fighting the monsters she is constantly beset by while searching for the witch so that she may force her to lift the curse. She is also staying one step ahead of her father, who is trying to find her, so that he can see that she receives treatment for what he believes is a mental disorder.

DANA EERIE (Female)
Brawn 20, Body 17, Brains 5
   Traits: Improv Master, Nimble, Same Sex Preference
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Castrate, Dodge, Double Strike, Run Away!, Strike Pose,
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Various talismans to protect herself from evil spirits (Stuff). Pistol (Small Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage that ignore armor). Silver Dagger (Small Melee Weapon, deals 1 point of damage).

Special Note: Dana Eerie is an original character inspired by a fact mentioned by an editor at the Public Domain Superheroes Wikia. He or she pointed out that the same drawing of a frightened woman (originally by Sid Check) was used on thee different covers. The editor further pointed out that all issues of Eerie, save two, featured a young woman being menaced by monsters. When A to Z April is over, I'll be posting some notes for Dana Eerie adventures inspired by those covers.

Friday, April 3, 2015

C is for Caleb Ketchum

This character write-up is being posted as part of the A to Z April Blogging Challenge. The RPG stats are for ROLF!: The Rollplaying Game.

Caleb Ketchum (first appearance: American's Best Comics #26)



Caleb Ketchum was a university chemistry professor who developed a compound that was generally safe for the environment, birds, and mammals, but deadly to most insects. It could paralyze humans and other mammals for brief periods if they were exposed to extreme doses, but otherwise it had no effect on them.
   Ketchum dreamed of making millions in his own pest extermination business, but business was slow and his compound was expensive to produce, as it used the expensive chemical cacobane as its main ingredient). Not wanting to be branded a failure. he joined forces with gangster Dan Haley and they used his compound for a variety of robberies by rendering guards unconscious. Ketchum and all of Haley's gang were eventually brought to justice by the superhero Black Terror.
   Ketchum died in prison in 1954, but his daughter Dorothy discovered his the formula for his compound while going through his personal effects, as well as research notes that indicated it would cause insects to grow to gigantic size if it was used upon them without the presence of cacobane in the mixture. She used the formula in an attempt to avenge her father's death by unleashing a hoard of giant insects on Salt Lake City, Utah in 1955. Her insect army was defeated by Fire-Man, and she was killed in the battle.
   Sixty years later, in 2014, a masked crimefighter using paralyzing gas and calling himself the Exterminator emerged on the scene in Guardian City. This man is secretly Hyrum Wallace, the great-grandson of Caleb Ketchum. After finding Ketchum's formula in a trunk of effects that once belonged to his notorious grandmother, he decided to use it for good.

CALEB KETCHUM (Male)
Brawn 14, Body 12, Brains 5
   Traits: Coldblooded
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Disarm, Dodge, Run Away!, Strategic Bleeding
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Cacobane Gas Gun (Ranged Weapon, no damage but forces up to 2 opponents to make Brawn ATT checks. If the check fails, they lose all actions are are completely defenseless for 2d6 rounds)


Thursday, April 2, 2015

B is for Bill Foster

Bill Foster (first appeared in Wonder Comics #1, 1944)
Bill Foster was a mechanical genius and pioneering computer engineer who invented the first true artificial intelligence. In 1944, he was abducted by Nazis and brought to Germany where, under duress, he perfected a robot he had been designing. His creation, named Mekano, was primarily remote controlled by an operator, but Foster also equipped it with an advanced, self-learning computer that quickly developed self-awareness and a loyalty to its creator. Together with Mekano, Foster rescued himself, his assistant Tommy, and investigative reporter Sandra Kent, from the Nazis.
   Foster went onto developing advanced weaponry for the U.S. War Department (including "smart bombs" that recognized exact targets before detonating). By 1960, he left government work and entered the private sector. He became one of the leading developers at the Toybox, a Parker Foundation-funded hi-tech firm providing technology for superheroes and extra-government organizations.

Art by Bob Oksner

BILL FOSTER (Male)
Brawn 21, Body 15, Brains 7
   Traits: Dead-Eye, Improv Master, Mad Scientist, Nimble
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Bitch Slap, Dodge, Knock Out, Murderous Mitts, Run Away!, Walk and Chew Gum
   Important Stuff/Worn Wielded: Ray Gun (Small Ranged Weapon, six shot, deals 5 points of damage that ignore armor).

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

A is for Atoma

This year's A To Z April here at NUELOW Games once again focuses on obscure public domain characters. We're going even more obscure this year, as we (well, probably mostly me, Steve Miller) will be giving NUELOW bios and ROLF!: The Rollplaying Game stats for sidekicks, love interests, and Frienemies of the characters we either described last year or are considering producing collections for in the future. First up...

ATOMA (first appearance Joe Palooka #15, 1947)
Atoma was a historian and rebel from the 25th century. She spent her childhood under the oppressive regime of the Mighty Chief, studying the ancient history of the United States of America, Denmark, Norway, Great Britain, and other of the world's great democracies, dreaming of some day living in such freedom. When she came across the memoirs of 20th century chemist and inventor Dr. Dusty Rhodes, she recognized herself within its pages and resolved to make sure events recorded in the book came to pass. She further decided that she would make sure that the Mighty Chief's government fell in the process, to be replaced with a society where all lived equal and free.

Atoma illustrated by her creator, Bob Powell

ATOMA (Female)
Brawn 29, Body 15, Brains 7
   Traits: Coldblooded, Martial Artist
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Dodge, Fly (only when wearing her flight suit), Murderous Mitts, Seduce, Strike Pose, Withering Insult.
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: High-tech Flight Suit (Armor, absorbs 3 points of damage. Grants Fly Combat Manuever while worn). Atomic Ray Gun (Small Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage that ignore armor).

NUELOW Games titles are on sale at the usual outlets!

In observation of April Fools Day, all NUELOW Games releases are on sale at the usual outlets. Now is the perfect day to get that book or game supplement you've been on the fence about.

At RPGNow -- all of our listings are on sale!
Just one of the titles that are available!

At Wargame Vault -- all of our listings are on sale!
Just one of the titles that are available!

At DriveThru Comics -- all of our listings are on sale!
Just one of the titles that are available!


At DriveThru Fiction -- all of our listings are on sale!
Just one of the titles that are available!

At DriveThruRPG -- all of our listings are on sale!
Just one of the titles that are available!

After Midnight tonight, it won't be April 1st anymore, so don't delay! Get your NUELOW Games purchases now!

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Wild Bill Clanton vs. Steve Costigan

In our latest release, The Conquests of Wild Bill Clanton, we present the best of Robert E. Howard's "adult" short stories featuring the nasty character mentioned in the title. The book also contains game material for the OGL d20 System, some of it new, some of it revised from some of our previous releases, but all of it geared toward capturing the feel of Howard's "spicy" Wild Bill stories.

Art by Warren King
Wild Bill Clanton is like a dark reflection of Howard's Steve Costigan. They are both sailors with a knack for getting into trouble, they both are hard drinkers, they both have strong sexual appetites... but Clanton is a self-centered brute and a rapist while Costigan, for all his rough edges, is ultimately motivated by chivalrous and gentlemanly impulses when it comes to the "fairer sex."

While we included OGL d20 material in The Conquests of Wild Bill Clanton, we used the ROLF! game system to bring Steve Costigan to the gaming table in Fists of Foolishness, Shanghaied Mitts, ROLF!: Hammerin' Tongs, and ROLF!: The Tornado vs. Steve Costigan. However, since Wild Bill is the sort of person that Steve Costigan is likely to beat the living hell out of if the two ever cross paths, L.L Hundal & Steve Miller present this ROLF! battle scenario featuring both of Robert E. Howard's battling sailors.

The following text is Copyright 2015 by Steve Miller, but permission is granted to copy and print for personal use if you want to play the battle scenario.



WHEN STEVE MET BILL
Writing by Steve Miller * Editing by L.L. Hundal
(A ROLF! Battle Scenario featuring characters created by Robert E. Howard)

From the Adventures of Steve Costigan, as transcribed by R.E. Howard:
  I was on my way back to the Sea Gal after Lo Tan's wedding when I came across this little white gal, curled up in a ball at the mouth of a filthy alley, crying. It stabbed me in the heart to see such a pretty little thing, with beautiful red hair and freckled white skin, in such a state. Especially after I'd just spent the day surrounded by such happiness. I asked her what'd happened and when she looked at me, I saw that her face was swollen and bruised. I helped her to feet and saw that her dress was so shredded that it barely qualified as clothes anymore.
   I let her wrap herself in my jacket, and my sympathetic feelings turned to anger as she described how she'd been robbed and abused by a lout who'd promised to get her on a ship out of Shanghai. He'd beaten her--and worse--and then thrown her into the alley like so much garbage.
   I demanded to know where this felon could be found, and she pointed me to a door down the alley. "But he's dangerous," she said. "You've heard of Wild Bill Clanton, right? He kills people who cross him."
   "Not me," I told her. "I've never heard of him, and he won't have a chance to kill me, because I knock the blocks off of folks like him. I'll get you your money back, and I'll get you out of Shanghai."
   I marched down the alley to the door indicated with the shivering little woman following a few feet behind. "Be careful! Please be careful," she was saying. I paid her no mind and kicked down the door she'd indicated. Inside, in a small room, was one of the ugliest cusses I'd ever laid eyes on. But he was big, almost as big as any man I'd fought. And he he leapt to his feet and took a stance that told me he was a fighting man. He gritted his teeth and glared at me with fiery eyes. He was aiming a pistol at me. I can't say I blame him; I had just kicked down his door.
   "Are you Clanton," I demanded.
   "I am!" said he,  "Who the !#$% are you?!"
   "They call me Costigan," I told him and asked, "Did you hit a young lady and take advantage of her in her time of need?"
   "Probably, but I don't meet many ladies around here."
   I felt my blood getting hotter. Here was a guy that needed some serious whopping. But I've learned the hard way not to jump to conclusions just because some pretty girl says she's in trouble. I probably will never be able to go back to Okinawa due to a situation just like this one. But this Clanton fellow seemed like he was on the up-and-up--or, more accurately, like he was a low-down creep.
    So I said, "Did you hurt a little redheaded girl today? Did you rob her?"
    Clanton roared with laughter. "That slag? She's no lady! I don't know what she told you, but she had it coming. And I tell you, she enjoyed every--"
   That's when I lost my temper and charged him. Gun or no gun, I was going to knock some decency into him. No matter what a man thinks a woman may have done, he never he never has any justification for laying a hand on her. And he sure as hell doesn't force himself on her in any way whatsoever.

The Battle Scenario
The scenario is for two players and it uses the pre-generated characters detailed below. One player controls Steve Costigan, the other Wild Bill Clanton. The fight starts at Ranged distance and continues until either Costigan and Yvette or Clanton is defeated.
   If Costigan is defeated, Yvette leaps into the fray the following round, attacking Clanton. If she is also defeated... well, then we know why NUELOW Games isn't releasing anymore books or ROLF! supplements starring Steve Costigan.
   If Clanton is beaten, either Yvette or Costigan goes through his pockets and takes all his money. Costigan, if defeated, regains consciousness and takes Yvette to his ship, the Sea Gal, where she gets passage to its next port of call. Happy endings all around, except for Wild Bill Clanton.
 
   
Pre-Generated Characters
STEVE COSTIGAN (Male)
Brawn 33; Body 11; Brains 5
   Traits: Egomaniac, Short-tempered, Too Sexy for My Shirt.
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Disarm, Dodge, Knock Out, Murderous Mitts.
   Important Stuff Wielded/Worn: His Best Suit (Clothes).
   Special Note: Costigan is almost always in the company of Mike the White Bulldog. On the second round of a fight involving Costigan anywhere but in a boxing ring, Mike attacks the opponent with the lowest Body score, dealing 2 points of damage. Mike’s attacks are reduced by Armor or can be avoided with the Dodge Combat Maneuver. Mike attacks once each subsequent round, always targeting the character with the lowest Body score (other than Costigan). Mike fights for two rounds after Costigan goes down.

WILD BILL CLANTON (Male)
Brawn 30, Body 12, Brains 5
   Traits: Coldhearted, Egomaniac, Short-tempered
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Disembowel, Knock Out, Murderous Mitts, Run Away,
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Pistol (Small Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage that ignore armor). Knife ( Small Melee Weapon, deals 2 points of damage).

YVETTE FREISE (Female)
Brawn 21, Body 15, Brains 5
   Traits: Improv Master, Nimble, Too Sexy for My Shirt
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Castrate, Dodge, Double Strike, Strike Pose,
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Tattered Dress (Clothes, barely covers nakedness)

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Wardrobe Malfunctions

She squealed as a rat ran across her foot, and jumped back against the wall, bruising her hip and tearing her panties on a broken plank.
--From the "Dragon of Koa Tsu" by Robert E. Howard (writing as Sam Walser)

In some of the sleazier action/adventure fiction, clothes get torn off characters during fights or while they are moving through harsh wildernesses. This also seems to happen in standard jungle adventures where clothes seem to get tattered and torn at an amazing rate.

The following game mechanics bring this trend to roleplaying games set in a pulp fiction environment, or other setting where armor is uncommon. (This material is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright Steve Miller 2015.)

THE RULES
Whenever the character suffers melee damage in combat, fails a Reflex save, Dexterity check, or some other roll intended to avoid damage, the character's clothes are torn. They are ripped during combat, snagged on a piece of wood, or through some other environmental effect. Roll on the following table to determine what part of the character's clothes are damage.

Table 1: Damage to Clothes
1. Pants leg/skirt, lower (1-3 left side. 5-6 right side).
2. Pants leg/skirt, upper (1-3 left side, 5-6 right side).
4. Top front
5. Top back
6. No damage.

Each tear in the article of clothing either reveals undergarments or bare skin. After three tears, the article of clothing is in tatters and reveals more than it covers. The d6 rolls are then applied to any undergarments.

This system does not track damage to characters--that's what the normal combat system does. It merely disrobes them as action unfolds.

From "The Origin of Rulah" by Matt Baker
(and she may or may not be the subject of a NUELOW collection some day)

If you find the above mechanics useful/amusing, you may also like Feats of an Adult Nature and Feats of Seduction and Subterfuge, both for OGL d20  game systems.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

It's World Book Day!

It's World Book Day today, March 5. To celebrate, NUELOW Games is has reduced the prices on all our comics/rpg hybrid books and fiction collections 20, 30, or 50 percent, depending on the title -- with the majority being 30 or 50 percent off.



For example, Oriental Tales Vol. 1, which contains some of Robert E. Howard's finest writing, is 50 percent off its regular price.

Art by Margaret Brundage

And then there's The Werewolf Hunter #1, which contains never-before-reprinted comics starring Prof. Armand Broussard--the titular werewolf hunter--and fiction by Steve Miller that tells the never-before-revealed story behind how Nazi hunter Lady Satan became a powerful mystic and set out to hunt werewolves... not to mention fiction from Robert E. Howard and even more comics by the great Lee Elias.

Art by Margaret Brundage

There's also Complete Golden Age Oddballs: Angela & Miss Espionage. This book collects for the first time ever, all published Angela and Miss Espionage stories. The two characters are woven together in a short story by Steve Miller that expands Miss Espionage's background and makes Angela more than just another smart teenager.

Art by Ruth Atkinson
Click to check out the full selection of titles on sale at DriveThruComics and/or DriveThruFiction.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Now available -- 'Tara: Marauder of the Spacelanes'!

Check out retro sci-fi comics (with a touch of Good Girl Art) at their finest in Tara: Marauder of the Spacelanes--new from NUELOW Games!

Cover art by Alex Schomburg
Join Tara and her loyal companions Robin and Malo, as they fight against corrupt governments and evil alien invaders in four of their greatest adventures, penciled by the great Gene Fawcette. Also included, published here for the first time ever, is the story of how Tara and her crew first met, as well as all-new rules material for the OGL d20, OpenD6, and ROLF! game systems.

Click here to see previews of Tara: Marauder of the Spacelanes, or to get your own copy.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

The Atom Sword: Tara's Weapon of Choice

Another little preview item from NUELOW Games' forthcoming Tara: Marauder of the Spacelanes book. OGL d20 and OpenD6 stats for Atom Swords.

Tara gives an alien the business end of her Atomic Sword.
Art by Alex Schomburg


ATOM SWORD
The Atom Sword was developed 200 years ago during the Sol Unification War as a sidearm for the officers of the Earth Space Defense Corps, After the ESDC was reorganized as the  Star Patrol, the Atomic Sword was abandoned. However, it became a popular PT item at schools that catered to the families of Earth-based militias and paramilitary forces such as the Starport Security and Customs Inspection Beurea.  Such weapons, and others like them in civilian hands generally are only capable of delivering nonlethal stun damage. A techician of superior skill with access to the right parts and tools, however, can restore the deadly nature of an Atom Sword. Performing the modification is highly illegal, as is possessing such modified swords. The minimum sentence for either crime is five years hard labor, but since the Atom Sword has become closely associated with the infamous outlaws Captain Robin and Tara, the Earth Senate has made three attempts to up the maximum peanlty for possessing or modifying one to 25 years of hard labor.

Game Statisitcs
The Atom Sword is powered by a tiny fusion battery that causes the blade to be energized with either a lethal or stun charge. The lethality of the weapon can be adjusted with a switch on the hilt. The weapon functions as a melee weapon and a ranged weapon. If used up to six times as a ranged weapon within one hour, the fusion battery is drained and requires 24 hours to recharge. During this period, an Atomic Sword is as lethal as a dull rapier with a round tip.

OGL d20 Statistics
Damage 2d8+2 (Melee, energy damage) or 2d6 (Ranged, energy damage) or 1d4 (Melee, blunt damage)
Critical 19-20/x2
Range Inrement 20 ft.
Weight 1 kg
Stun Damage/Fort DC 18
Type Energy
Size Medium
Group Exotic/ Characters who don't possess the Exotic Weapon Proficience (Atomic Sword) feat suffer a -4 penalty when wielding an Atomic Sword.
  Note: Modern Atom Swords are built to only deliver stun damage (or blunt damage when not powered). If a character wants to convert one to deliver lethal damage, specialized tools and parts must be used, together with a Repair skill check (DC25). The conversion takes 1d3 hours to complete. If the skill check fails, the Atomic Sword is rendered permanently inoperable (although its parts could be used to repair another Atomic Sword.)

OpenD6 Statistics
Character Skill: Melee Weapon, Damage 5D (Melee), 3D (Ranged), 2D+STR (Melee when not powered). Range: 3-10/20/30. Size Medium. Weight 1 kg.
  Note: Modern Atom Swords are built to only deliver stun damage (or blunt damage when not powered). If a character wants to convert one to deliver lethal damage, specialized tools and parts must be used, together with a Repair skill check with a difficulty target of 20. The conversion takes 1d3 hours to complete. If the skill check fails, the Atomic Sword is rendered permanently inoperable (although its parts could be used to repair another Atomic Sword.)


Thursday, February 19, 2015

Please donate to the Hero Initiative!

For the past two years, our release schedule has been dominated by collections of comics that L.L. Hundal and Steve Miller have unearthed from the dusty, forgotten corners of the Golden Age of Comics. Many of them were written, drawn, and published by men and women who,mostly labored in anonymity and faded into obscurity even more total than that which befell their creations. Some died impoverished and alone.

The Hero Initiative is a charity devoted to providing a safety net to comics creators and put an end to the tragic tales of brilliantly creative people ending up in squalor and misery due to health issues. When we were asked to contribute a book to a fundraising bundle being produced by DriveThruComics, we naturally jumped at the chance. We have derived endless pleasure and inspiration (and even a little gas money, through the collections we publish) off the comics from yesteryear that we should do our part to give back to the comic book creators who find themselves in need.

The We Love Comic Creators Bundle contains comics from more than 50 publishers, including Science Sleuths #3 from NUELOW Games. You get over $125 worth of fantastic comics for a donation of $20. It's a fantastic deal and to the benefit of a fantastic charity.

Click here to see everything that the We Love Comic Creators has to offer. and to get it all for a donation of just $20.



Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Tara: Marauder of the Spacelanes!

Among the projects we have in the works is a collection of "Tara" sci-fi adventure stories, retrieved from the pages of Wonder Comics. The book will include an all new "origin story" (as one has never before been published) and RPG character and equipment stats for use with ROLF! and d20 OGL Modern.

By way of a preview, here's the art by Alex "Xela" Schomburg that will appear on the cover (before masthead and text is applied). Tara is shown rescuing her friend Robin... because it's not always the damsel that gets tied up. Also, below are ROLF! stats for Robin and Tara, so you can start using them in your Battle Scenarios even before our comics/rpg hybrid book is out!


ROBIN (Male)
Brawn 28, Body 17, Brains 5
   Traits: Driver, Too Sexy For My Shirt, Honorable
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Disarm, Dodge, Signature Move, Strike Pose
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Space Pirate Boots (Armor AND Leggings, absorbs 1 point of damage). Atomic Sword (Melee AND Ranged Weapon, deals 3 points of damage).

TARA (Female)
Brawn 25, Body 18, Brains 11
   Traits: Driver, Honorable, Nimble
   Combat Maneuvers: Backflip, Basic Attack, Bitchslap, Disarm, Disembowel, Dodge, Double Strike, Hypnotize, Murderous Mitts, Seduce, The Look
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Space Dress (Clothes/Armor, absorbs 1 point of damage). Space Pirate Boots (Armor AND Leggings, absorbs 1 point of damage). Atomic Sword (Melee AND Ranged Weapon, deals 3 points of damage),

(Tara: Marauder of the Spacelanes will be NUELOW Games' second collection of classic sci-fi comics. The first was Spacehawk: Lone Wolf of the Void. Click here to see previews of that book.)


Monday, February 16, 2015

Happy President's Day!

President's Day is one of the most confusing Federal holidays on the calendar. Some people will tell you it's in honor of George Washington's birthday. Others will tell you it's in honor of Abraham Lincoln's birthday. Yet others will INSIST that it's in honor of both Washington and Lincoln's birthday. A rare few will tell you tht it's not President's Day but Presidents' Day and that it is there to honor ALL U.S. presidents. The truth is that it celebrates George Washington's birthday. Period. End of story. There has NEVER been a federal holiday recognizing Lincoln or any president other than Washington. And it's President's Day, not Presidents' Day.

At NUELOW Games, in order to sow confusion, we are taking today to recognize ALL U.S. presidents by spotlighting the various ROLF! titles we've released that feature them as characters you can play. In all cases, click on the links in the titles to be taken the title's listing for further previews.


 
 


First up, there's The Associated Shades of Hades ROLF! adaptation. It contains stats for George Washington, but we haven't actually used him in a Battle Scenario. We will have to rectify that situation one of these days.




Dead Presidents, the perfect battle scenario for those who want to honor Lincoln on President's Day. It pits the spirits of two of America's greatest presidents against the nefarious spirits of Adolf Hitler and Kim Jong Il.




We have two Battle Scenarios featuring America's horniest president -- Bill Clinton Meets a Girl Scout and Bill Clinton and the Secret City of Women. Join Bill as he bravely chases skirts where no president has chased skirts before, all while avoiding the wrath of his wife and trying to outsmart his rival Anthony Weiner.
 


We have also released several Battle Scenarios involving the current U.S. President, Barack Obama. He's a Peace Prize Winner who has restored America's reputation in the world. He also stopped the seas from rising! In the Breast Hope for Peace, he teams up with other world leaders to stop a terrorist attack and battle Martians; in Dragon vs. Tiger, he joins with Tiger Woods to stop terrorism on the golf course; and in Super Muslim Bros., we reveal how he saved Egypt from being overrun by mummies.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

OGL d20 Safety Dance Feats!

Who in their right mind would adapt a music video to the OGL d20 game system? No one, which is why Steve Miller of NUELOW Games did just that.

The following two feats were inspired by the video for the great pop tune "Safety Dance" from Men Without Hats. We naturally lay no claim to the song or the video, but the following rules text is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it. OGL Safety Dance Feats! Copyright Steve Miller 2015.


OGL SAFETY DANCE FEATS!
By Steve Miller


HALFLING SIDEKICK [Bard]
   Prerequisite: Bard lv. 3
   Benefit: You gain a 1st level halfling bard as your follower. This NPC gains a level for every 2 levels you gain. The GM generates the initial stats (with the halfling having at least two ranks in Perform (dance), Perform (sing) and Perform (string instrument), but the player is otherwise responsible for tracking the character's development. Any rules that exist in the campaign for followers apply to this character, except as noted above.

THE SAFETY DANCE [Bard]
   Prerequisite: Bard lv. 8, Perform (dance) 6 ranks, perform (sing) 6 ranks, ability to cast the Irresistible Dance spell
   Benefit: You cast Irresistible Dance. For each following round, a number of characters equal to your Charisma bonus within 30 ft and line of sight. of the initial target must roll Will save at a -4 penalty. Each character who fails the saving throw also begins to dance. You can choose to lead dancing characters in a procession of dancers if you choose--they will follow you, mimicking your dance move for as long as the Irresistible Dance effect lasts.
   Special: The maximum duration of the effect on all dancing characters is 2d4+2 rounds from the point Irresistible Dance is cast. If you stop leading the dancers, they continue to dance in place until the duration is over. If any one of them is attacked or injured while dancing, all dancers receive individual Will saves. Those who succeed stop dancing and can act normally.


Valentine's Day Deals for a Special Few!

If you're coming to the NUELOW Games blog, we assume you love us... that you really, really love us! (And don't say you're just here because of a false Google hit. Don't shatter our illusions!)

We're offering a lucky few of our most loyal fans a Valentine's Day deal on two of our most romantic releases! The links below are good for the first seven people who use them. They allow you to get downloads of the respective comics/rpg hybrid books for half off the usual price ($0.99 each).




NUELOW Valentine's Day Special: Romantic tales from the minds and pens of Joe Kubert, Steve Ditko, Alex Toth, Samm Schwartz, Dan DeCarlo, and more! Also includes an all-new Battle Scenario where six great lovers must duke it out after being trapped in a maze by Cupid.




NUELOW Summer Special: Fun and romance in the sun, as Kathy tries to keep boyfriend's attention; Corliss tries to score with a hunky lifeguard and grease the wheels of romance for a librarian; and Candy tries to improve a friend's love-life by helping her lose weight. The book is rounded out by Kathy's return in another ROLF! battle scenario in which a romantic rendezvous in a scenic graveyard ends up pitting her against a necromancer and his ghostly minions.


As mentioned above, the discounts available through those links are good only for the first SEVEN of our most beloved fans who get copies of the books. After thatm they links will stop working. So...don't hesitate. Just admit you love us and that you'll be our Valentine.

In addition to those limited offers, we're also offering the Romantic ROLF! bundle. It contains seven of our most heartwarming ROLF! battle scenarios, as well as the collection of Kathy comics by Frank Frazetta & Ralph Mayo (which also includes a ROLF! scenario by Hundal & Miller. We also threw in ROLF!: The Rollplaying Game of Big Dumb Fighters for those who as of yet haven't checked out the best rollplaying game ever published. When getting these books bundled together , you'll save 50% off the cost of getting them separately. This bundle will be available through Monday, 2/16, and you can check it out by clicking here. (BTW, the ROLF! battle scenario in the Summer Special book was inspired by the cover of the Kathy book. Yet that's not where we published it, because... well. we wouldn't be NUELOW Games if we had.

Thank you all for being loyal readers and players of our whacky releases. We love you all, whether you get lucky with our discount links or not!






Wednesday, February 11, 2015

ROLF!: Cupid

We're putting the final touches on a Valentine's Day Special... with the cover and the actual title of the thing being the as-of-yet unresolved issues. (It's not like it's anything important....)

Meanwhile, here's Cupid as he appears in the ROLF! battle scenario included in the book (along with the non-core rules used to create him).

CUPID (Male)
Brawn: 10; Body: 14; Brains: 4
   Traits: Agent of the Divine, Dead-Eye, Wings
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Dodge, Fly, Spelling (Arrow of Love)
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Bow (Medium Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage).

NEW TRAITS
Agent of the Divine: The player may re-roll a number of failed ATT checks for this character per battle equal to his or her Brain ATT. The character with this trait always takes 2 points less damage, no matter what the source (minimum 0 points).
   Dead-Eye: When rolling an ATT check with a ranged weapon, the result is reduced by 4.
   Wings: The character has wings and is able to fly under his or her own power. (A character must have the Agent of the Divine or Mutant trait to have this one.)

NEW COMBAT MANUEVERS
Fly: Upon making a successful Body ATT check, the character can move from melee to ranged combat distance immediately. The character can then choose to use another Combat Maneuver. (Characters must have the Wings Trait in order to use Fly.) ATT Body

NEW SPELLING
   Arrow of Love: While wielding a bow, the character makes a Brawn check. If it is successful, the target is struck by a magic arrow that causes him or her to fall in love with the character nearest to him or her. (The target immediately stops fighting, and tries to use the Strike Pose and Seduce Combat Maneuvers on the target, if he or she has them. If the object of the target's love attacks him or her for two rounds, the effect of this Spelling wears off.)

Monday, February 9, 2015

ANT MUSIC!! (Adam Ant comes to ROLF!)

Although NUELOW Games has never been what even the most generous observers would describe as successful, we continue to hope we'll have a hit some day. Because, in the immortal words of Adam Ant there's always room at the top (and because we've got 18th century brains in 21st century heads)!



"Room at the Top," both the song and video, has been a favorite of the NUELOW Games crew (Steve Miller & L.L. Hundal for newcomers out there) for 25 years now. In fact, we've been big fans of Adam Ant since we were kids. (And if you ask us, any decent, pure-hearted Child of the '80s shares that love!)

Our hands-down favorite Adam Ant song and video remains "Puss 'n Boots," the lead track from Adam Ant's second solo album Strip, A great song with a really fun video. If you ever run into Hundal, ask her to do the "Puss in Boot Dance." She had it down perfectly in 1983... and it's been reported that she can do it to this very day. (However, when I asked her to do it, all she did was make a face at me.)




And, of course, there's "Stand and Deliver." It was perhaps Adam Ant's greatest hit, and it's cool in every way. Like "Room at the Top," it's also a song that speaks to the spirit that animates many of NUELOW Games' products, especially those bearing the ROLF! masthead.




Another song that thematically captures the spirit of NUELOW is "Friend or Foe." The refrain of this song could easily be the NUELOW Games slogan. It could even be my personal creed: "I want those who get to know me/To become my admirers or my enemies."




And here's the Ant Man himself, as viewed through the lens of ROLF!

ADAM ANT (Male)
Brawn 19, Body 17, Brains 6
   Traits: Improv Master, Nimble
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Dance Move, Dodge, Seduce, Strike Pose, Yodel
Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Microphone Stand (Large Melee Weapon, deals 3 points of damage).


Just to bring the post full circle, here's the extended dance version of "Room at the Top." It's Music to Play ROLF! By!




(By the way, Adam Ant and his representatives do not endorse NUELOW Games in any way, shape, or form. We, however, endorse Adam Ant in a major way!)