This is the official NUELOW Games blog... and we forget to announce releases!

As a reminder of how badly we SUCK at promotion, we completely failed to mention two releases here on our very own blog! Well--we're fixing that problem now. (Interestingly, both of the "overlooked" releases have covers that are mostly yellow. Maybe we subconsciously didn't want to be associated with cowardice?

Art by Richard Case & W.B. Hovious. On Sale Now!

First, there's The Three Lives of Fantomah: Book Two, the second in our series presenting the very best stories starring comicdom's first female superhero. In this book, Richard Case spearheads Fantomah's transformation from a wild spirit of vengeance something resembling a "jungle girl." This change was a reflection of genre boundaries starting to solidify and the comic book medium came into its own, and of the departure of the series creator, Fletcher Hanks. The book offers six rarely collected Fantomah stories, an all-new spell casting system for use with d20 OGL Modern. and a short piece of new fiction that back-fills a story reason for Fantomah's change, as well as setting up the further transformation that's coming in Book Three.

The Three Lives of Fantomah: Book Two is on sale at a reduced introductory price through 11/7 2014. Click here to see previews or to get your own copy.

Art by A.C. Hollingsworth (?). Available Now!

Next up, there's Devils in Petticoats. This book publishes two "true crime" stories, from two different publishers, with very similar titles, opening lines, and subject matter -- murderous women. These two stories--from two different publishers roughly a year apart--even have very similar opening lines. Whether they had the same writer (possibly Manny Stallman), whether someone really liked the first story, or if it's just coincidence we'll never know... but NUELOW's lead editor L.L. Hundal thought collecting them in one place for the first time would make for interesting reading. It also gave us cause to publish some d20 OGL Modern rules for playing femme fatale characters.

Click here to see previews or to get your own copy of Devils in Petticoats.

Election Day 2014... with Dynamic Boy!

It's election day in the U.S. The main people involved at NUELOW Games are a first generation American and an immigrant, so we take our participation in the democratic process here seriously. We hope you do as well.

However, after you've voted, we hope you'll enjoy a free comic book on us. (And if you aren't eligible to vote, or aren't even American, you're welcome to it as well.)

Free Comics!

We hope your you don't have any local politicians like the ones Dynamic Boy has to contend with in his origin story. In addition to the Dynamic Boy story, the Dynamic Boy Election Day Special features stats for use with the ROLF! RPG.

Click here to get your copy.

And just because we love this song and video (and because we like to imagine they're playing ROLF!: The Rollplaying Game at one point) here's "Election Day" by Arcadia.

A Magic Item: The Cat's Shade

Although designed for use with OGL Modern (the OGL d20 variant that NUELOW Games produces most of its OGL support for), and appearing in the forthcoming The Three Lives of Fantomah: Book Two, this magical item could be used in any roleplaying game or setting where magic is present. (Text in this post is released under the Open Game License, which means it can be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2014 Steve Miller.)

The Cat's Shade
The Cat's Shade is a magical potion that is created from the blood of a cat sacrificed during an evil ritual. When consumed, the user is transformed into a cat identical to the one killed. He or she has all the usual game statistics and abilities of the appropriate type of cat with the following adjustments:
   * Can only be harmed by spells, enchanted weapons, or cats.
   * The transformed character retains his regular Intelligence and Wisdom scores.
   * The character retains all his usual skills and spellcasting abilites. although the cat form may limit the use of them.
   The transformation lasts until the next sunrise after the potion was consumed, or until the user wills the transformation to end, or he or she is killed.
   A sacrificed cat yields five potions. They are sometimes found among the belongings of evil shamans or leaders of demonic cults. There will be 1d3 of such potions present, and the lot transforms the imbiber into one of the follow cats (roll 1d6 to determine which):

   1. Domestic House Cat
   2. Lion(ess)
   3. Tiger
   4. Panther
   5. Leopard
   6. Cheetah

These potions are never available for sale. They can be "commissioned" from shamans or cultists with the knowledge of how they are created, and the price is always performing a service for whatever dark faith they serve. (The time to perform the ritual is three days, which includes capturing the cat, sacrificing it, and creating the potion.)

The Three Lives of Fantomah: Book One is currently on sale. Click here to see previews, or to get your own copy.

The Throw Halfling Feat

Because dwarf tossing jokes never get old...

Throw Halfling [Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger]
Using a full-round attack action, you may throw a willing gnome or halfling at a target within 20+1 ft per Strength bonus. Your BAB is used to modify the roll. If your attack is successful, the target suffers 1d6 points of damage from the impact. If the thrown gnome or halfling makes a successful Fort save (DC15), he or she may immediately perform melee attacks as normal. If the save fails, the gnome or halfling loses attacks for the round. The following round, the gnome or halfling must roll initiative to see when they attack in the initiative order.
   Special: If the thrown character has a Dexterity of 18 or better, his or her Dex bonus is added to the initial damage.
(This feat is presented under the Open Game License. Copyright NUELOW Games and Steve Miller 2014)

Cartoon by Aimo. (Proof great minds think alike.)

A big bundle of NUELOW horror!

Get yourself a last minute Halloween treat with a collection of 20 horror-themed books from NUELOW Games. There are comics, fiction, RPG material... everything you need for a bone-chillingly good time.

Art by Warren Kremer

The products in the bundle feature work by such great talents as Robert E. Howard, Steve Ditko, Joe Kubert, Dick Briefer, Lily Renee, Bill Madden... and many more. NUELOW Games' own Steve Miller either edited or contributed to all the products featured... and as a former key contributor to the Ravenloft horror setting, he knows scary!

The collection is available for $13, which is roughly half off the full retail price of the individual books. So, at least for now, 13 can be your lucky number!

Click here to download NUELOW's A Bundle of Horror, or to read details about each included book.

Coming soon: A baseball-based product by people who know nothing about baseball

"The Royals are going to the World Series!" someone stated.

"Really?" I thought. "All of them, or just Queen Elizabeth?"

The person was, of course, referring to the Kansas City Royals who are going to the World Series for the first time since 1980s. However, I don't usually associate baseball and "Royals," since I wasn't raised in the States. My partner in Things NUELOW, L.L. Hundal, knows even less about baseball than I do. Therefore, we decided that it was time to do a baseball-themed NUELOW Games product. We've already put our ignorance about politics, social justice, and good manners on display, so why not add sports to the list?

Here is a draft of the cover. The product will contain a ROLF! battle scenario, a OGL d20 Modern rules for making a baseball player PC, and an illustrated guide to help those who, like us, don't know a damn thing about baseball. Art will be by Samm Schwartz. We hope to finish and release the booklet in the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, if you feel like checking out some of our other offerings, you can click here to see previews of them all.

Do you need some horror art for Halloween?

Look no further than NUELOW Games' royalty-free art packs for your horror art needs! Each contains a variety of color and black-and-white line art that was adapted from Golden Age comic books. They are released under a flexible license that gives you pretty much permission to use these illustrations in whatever manner you want -- be it to spruce up your website with spooktacular art, or to illustrate that chilling ebook you're releasing.

Stock Art Collection: Cruise of the Dead

Most of the illustrations are provided at a resolutions only fit for digital use. However, they are generally provided in large enough size that if you are a wizard with Photoshop, you may be able to squeeze 300dpi out of them. Each collection features dozens of illustrations (except for "The Mystic" and "Cruise of the Dead" which is are special sets presenting high resolution art by Alex Schomburg and Tony Mortarello respectively). Click here to see the entire selection of NUELOW Games art packs, or click on the individual titles below for details on each set.

Stock Art Collection #2: Dames, Danger & Death

Stock Art Collection #3: Beauties and the Beasts

Stock Art Collection #5: Visions of Beauty and Nightmares

Stock Art Collection: The Mystic

The Spear and Magic Helmet!

Just for fun, here are a couple magic items for use with OGL d20 games (and a host of other RPGs). This text is presented under the Open Game License. Copyright Steve Miller 2014.

The Spear 

This enchanted weapon gives its wielder a+1 bonus to attack and damage.

   Special: The character gains +1 to all Perform (singing) checks when weapon is wielded.

Magic Helmet
This enchanted helmet gives its wearer +2 bonus to all saving throws
   Special: The character gains +2 to all Perform (singing) checks when the Magic Helmet is worn.

The Spear and Magic Helmet
If the character uses both the Spear and Magic Helmet at the same time, he or she has an additional +2 bonus to all Charisma-related skill checks for a total of +5 on Perform (singing) checks.
  Also, once per day, the character can summon ominous storm clouds and cause a lightning bolt to strike and reduce a single non-living small or medium-sized object to ash. The lightning bolt cannot harm living creatures or magically animated constructs.

'The Three Lives of Fantomah: Book One'

NUELOW Games launches a new series with The Three Lives of Fantomah. This three volume series will present the best from the 49-episode run (in Jungle Comics #2 - #51) of a character that started out as the first female superhero in comics, transformed into a standard "jungle girl," and ultimately became the ruler of a "lost civilization."

The cover for The Three Lives of Fantomah: Book One

The book features four stories by the character's creator Fletcher Hanks (known for ultra-powered heroes who kill evil-doers in creative ways) and the first by "W.B. Hovious," a pen-name that various writers and artists produced the series under after Hanks' departure. In addition, it contains some d20 System/OGL Modern rules that are designed to capture Fantomah's unusual nature and development as the series unfolded. If you liked the quirkiness of the Modern Advances and Modern Basics series of products, you want to check this one out, as it makes unusual use (perhaps even abuse) of the d20 System's magic, level, and XP systems.

Click here to see previews or to download your own copy of the book. You can see further previews of the series at the Shades of Gray blog by clicking here.

The roots of ROLF!

NUELOW's ROLF! game began its life as a parody of RPGs. One of the first battle scenarios (which has since been lost to time) that was played using a draft of the game that was little more than three paragraphs, involved two male models beating each other up during a fashion show, and the winner then having to face off against a child model (which may or may not have been skinny little Milla Jovovich--neither L.L. Hundal nor I remember for certain if that was the case... but our Jovovich obsession does go way, WAY back).

But we both recall that the one thing that was present in the game from the earliest draft was a battle maneuver (that later became a trait) called Too Sexy For My Shirt. And it was there because that very first battle scenario was inspired by Right Said Fred's song and video "I'm Too Sexy."

That song remains part of ROLF!'s DNA even now, some 20 years later. Check it out below.

  

They're too sexy for their shirts: Right Said Fred

Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger!

September 18 is National Cheeseburger Day! In celebration, we're offering a quick battle scenario! (If you want to play it while chowing down on celebratory cheeseburgers, you are welcome to copy-and-paste the text so you can print it out.)

Battle Scenario for Two Players: Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger!
By L.L. Hundal

Background
After  hard day of mugging at the camera, flipping their hair, and otherwise strutting their stuff, two bulimic models visit the crafts services table. All that's left are speedballs and a single cheeseburger. Drugs they don't care about... but that cheeseburger is worth fighting to the death over. And they do.

The Battle
This is a straight-forward fight, with one model hell-bent on killing the other. The fight continues until one is victorious.

The Pre-generated Models
Battle Maneuvers not featured in the core ROLF! rules are found in ROLF!: Supermodel Slap-fest.

Sally-Mae Hackett
Brawn 14, Body 20, Brains 5
  Traits: Coldhearted, Nimble, Too Sexy for My Shirt
  Battle Maneuvers: Backflip, Disembowel, The Look, The Walk, Strike Pose,
  Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Monokini (barely covers nakedness)

Wendy Lawford
Brawn 14, Body 20, Brains 6
  Traits: Ego-Maniac, Nimble, Too Sexy for My Shirt
  Battle Maneuvers: Backflip, Kung Fu Face, Signature Move, The Walk, Strategic Bleeding, Strike Pose
Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Bikini (barely covers nakedness)

Meet Brandy Flippe -- Notorious Jewel Thief!

Here's a pair of ROLF! characters inspired in part by the Sherry Flippe comics. The Battle Scenario is references characters featured in the Battle Scenario contained in the book.

MEET BRANDY FLIPPE
The Wide-Awake Detective Agency isn't known for taking down criminal masterminds--in fact, they generally try to avoid such cases. Lost kittens, figuring out where the car keys (and the pants they were in) were left during a night of drunken fun, and baby-sitting unruly celebrities is more their line. Agency-owner Mr. Gribbitts and his best (only) employee Sherry Flippe make an exception for Nightshade, a notorious jewel thief who is secretly Sherry's sister, Brandy.

Brandy and Sherry were both wild teenagers, but where Sherry channeled her love of adventure into the USO followed by becoming a private detective, Brandy fell in with a rough crowd, became the apprentice of the original Nightshade and stepped into his black stealth suit when he "retired."

Now, whenever Mr. Gribbitts and Sherry get a tip that Brandy may be scheming a heist, they rush to attempt to apprehend her. Brandy always gets away, but they usually end up uncovering some other crime or criminal enterprise in the process.

Unbeknownst to anyone but a few members of the Secret Service, Brandy, and the original Nightshade, the pair of jewel thieves are actually working for the Secret Service. Nightshade was captured shortly after he took Brandy under his wing, and he made a deal with the government to keep them both out of jail. Now, they target wealthy men and women who are secretly criminals, agents of foreign powers, or leaders of secret societies that are enemies of America and freedom, breaking into their homes and lairs to uncover the evidence Uncle Sam needs to bring them down.

NIGHTSHADE #2 (Female)
(aka Brandy Flippe)
Brawn 16, Body 18, Brains 7
  Traits: Irrepressible Optimist, Nimble
  Combat Maneuvers: Backflip, Basic Attack, Disarm, Kung Fu Face, Murderous Mitts, Run Away!, Seduction, Strike Pose.
  Imporrtant Stuff Worn/Wielded: Form-fitting sneak-thief suit (Armor, absorbs 1 point of damage) OR Fashionable ensemble (Clothes). Lockpicks and compact thief toolkit (One-shot melee weapon, deals 2 points, then breaks).

NIGHTSHADE #1 (Male)
(aka James "Jim" Nightshade)
Brawn 20, Body 15, Brains 6
  Traits: Honorable, Nimble, Too Sexy for My Shirt
  Combat Maneuvers: Backflip, Basic Attack, Dodge, Double Strike, Run Away!, Seduction.
  Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Expensive suit and tie Clothes) OR Form-fitting sneak-thief suit (Armor, absorbs 1 point of damage).

BATTLE SCENARIO
The Battle Scenario is for two players. One player controls Brandy and the other the two cultists. (Stats for the mummy cultists can be found either in Sherry Flippe or ROLF!: The Mummy's Tune. Gary Crant is a character who appears in the Battle Scenario featured in Sherry Flippe.

BACKGROUND
The Secret Service suspects actor Gary Crant of being involved with a secret society with ties to an Egyptian group that wants to see Nazi Germany rise from the ashes. One night, as he is slated to attend a gala function, Brandy breaks into his house to secure evidence of his nefarious contacts... and to steal is collection of gem-crusted stick-pins.
  Once inside, she finds documents that show Crant is not only involved with Nazis that fled to Egypt following the fall of Hitler, but with some sort of mummy-worshiping cult. She gathers up the evidence and the gems (along with a few Egyptian antiques) and turns to leave. But she finds her path blocked by two cultists.

THE BATTLE
The fight begins at Melee range and continues until Brandy or the cultists are defeated or use Run Away! to escape the battle. If Brandy should fall while both cultists are still active, Jim Nightshade enters the fight on the following round. He was supposed to be watching Gary Crant at the gala, but he had a hunch Brandy was in trouble.

The cover for Sherry Flippe, by Tony Di Preta

Now appearing in the center ring -- PRINCESS PANTHA!

In 1946, the world-famous circus performer and animal trainer Princess Pantha vanished while on safari in Africa. NUELOW Games proudly brings you the story of what happened next.

By Art Saaf

Princess Pantha: The Hunt for M'Gana is the first of two books collecting the best of this foray by Nedor/Standard into the "jungle girl" genre during the 1ate 1940s. If you like jungle action and strong female characters, you'll like Princess Pantha, because she may lost in the jungle when we first meet her, but she ends up rescuing her "savior" more than he ends up rescuing her.

In addition to some fun comics classics (by Art Saaf and Ralph Mayo, the main talents behind NUELOW's Judy of the Jungle series), The Hunt for M'Gana contains new feats and talent trees so gamers playing d20 System games (such as OGL or d20 Modern or Pathfinder) can create their own heroes with animal training skills that rival those of Pantha. game section also features the stars of the series, Princess Pantha and Dane Hunter, written up as d20 Modern characters.

Click here to see previews of Princess Pantha: The Hunt for M'Gana, or to download your own copy.

The Big Labor Day Weekend Sale!

All NUELOW Games fiction anthologies, comics/rpg hybrid books, core rulebooks, art packs, and selected other products are on sale this Labor Day Weekend for just $0.99! The special prices are good through September 1.

Treat yourself to some fun games and great games and reading material!

Click here to see the full listings!

Now available -- the latest ;'Complete Golden Age Oddballs' book!

The Complete Golden Age Oddballs series brings long-forgotten comic book characters to 21st century readers by collecting every one of their appearances original appearances in books with all-new roleplaying game material and fiction that unites them in a single universe.

Art by Ruth Atkinson and Rudy Palias

The latest entry in the series, Complete Golden Age Oddballs: Angela & Miss Espionage, brings together high school comedy, international intrigue, and Nazi clone program weirdness together in a stew that only NUELOW Games could cook up. Featuring rarely seen artwork by pioneering comic book artist Ruth Atkinson--all collected in one place for the first time--this is at once our most noteworthy and quirky entry in the series so far).

It addition to the rare and classic comics, the Complete Golden Age Oddballs: Angela & Miss Espionage contains support for d20 OGL Modern (by way of 13 feats suitable for sultry spies and sneaky high-schoolers) and ROLF!: The Rollplaying Game (by way of traits, combat maneuvers, four pre-generated characters, and a battle scenario). The book also features brief biographies of the comics creators, as well as original fiction the reveals the dark secret that binds the International Woman of Mystery known as Miss Espionage to the high school hellion known as Angela. (It also ties these characters to Red Robin, the Editor, and other figures and organizations in the NUELOW Games universe.)

Complete Golden Age Oddballs: Angela & Miss Espionage is available at your favorite Onebookshelf site (DriveThru Comics, DriveThru Fiction, DriveThru RPG, or RPGNow). Click to see previews or to dowload your very own copy.

Princess Pantha ala ROLF!

NUELOW will soon be releasing the first in a series of books featuring Princess Pantha, a "jungle girl" action/adventure series by Ralph Mayo and Art Saaf, the main artists behind Judy of the Jungle.

Meet Princess Pantha and her boyfriend Dean Hunter.

Art by Alex Schomburg

Princess Pantha was an animal trainer and star circus attraction who was challenged by her agent to go on an African safari to capture the legendary giant ape M'Gana. When she vanished in the deep jungle, travel writer and adventurer Dane Hunter was hired to rescue her, or, at worst, learn her fate.

When Dane caught up with Pantha, she had been surviving on her own in the jungle for months, after a cult that worshiped M'Gana had murdered everyone else in her party. She had shed her western clothes in favor of a fur bikini. Over Dane's objections continued to hunt and capture M'Gana, so he joined her since it was the only way he would be able to "rescue" her.

Pantha eventually returned to circus performing, but she continued to don her fur bikini and go on adventures in jungles around the world. Dane joined her on most of them.

DANE HUNTER (Male)
Real Name: Dane Hunter
Brawn 29, Body 18, Brains 7
  Traits: Egomaniac, Improv Master
  Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Debate Philosophy, Disarm, Dodge, Murderous Mitts, Run Away!, Withering Insult
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Pistol (Small Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage that ignore armor).

PRINCESS PANTHA (Female)
Real Name: Esti Pantera
Brawn 30, Body 17, Brains 6
  Traits: Hard to Kill, Improv Master, Nimble
  Combat Maneuvers: Backflip, Basic Attack, Dodge, Double Strike, Signature Move, Strike Pose
  Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Fur Bikini (barely covers nakedness), Knife (small melee weapon, deals 1 point of damage).

Look for Princess Pantha: The Hunt for M'Gana -- coming soon from NUELOW Games!

Ancient evils sleep beneath the Egyptian sands...

... and the six tales within the pages of NUELOW Games' latest comics/rpg hybrid book reveal what happens when they are awakened!

Horrors of Egypt present spine-tingling tales of terror from the Golden Age of Comics by great talents like Joe Kubert, Al Camy, and "Barclay Flagg." These classic tales can be enjoyed on their own, or they can serve as inspiration for GMs and players who want to use the new OGL Modern rules by Steve Miller (contributor to the Ravenloft gothic horror fantasy setting) to bring the mysteries of ancient Egypt to life at the gaming table.

Click here for more information, to see previews, and to get your own copy of Horrors of Egypt. And please let us know if you enjoyed the book, either with comments here or at the listings page.

Bronze Terror ala d6xd6 CORE

As I post this, there are roughly nine hours left before the d6xd6 CORE Roleplaying Game Kickstarter ends. The book will contain at least 20 settings, and all backers who pledge more than $21 will receive complimentary copies of Judy of the Jungle: Death Goes Native and Newshounds #1 from NUELOW Games (in addition to an already generous assortment of goodies). These are the first published products to feature support for d6xd6 CORE.

There will also be a countdown party during the final couple of hours at this link. I hope to pop in for a few minutes, but it's not a sure thing for me, as I have a prior engagement. However, I am putting up one more character adapted to the d6xd6 CORE RPG system -- the Bronze Terror, the first Native American superhero to grace the pages of comic books. (The Masked Avengers setting that I was slated to write is not going to be come to pass, as the pledges did not support it. That is the usual outcome for any Kickstarter that I am part, however... which is among the reasons I've never tried to do one on my own. I'm just not talented enough nor famous enough to produce anything that there's enough interest in.)

Art by Dick Briefer

THE BRONZE TERROR
Legendary spirit of justice, fighting for Native Americans in modern times.
Real Name: Jeff Dixon • Gender: Male • Age: 30
Attributes 
   Focused: Brawn
   Unfocused: Will, Wits
   Unknown: Grace
Occupation: Counselor (Attorney-at-Law)
Focused Skills: Bargain (Occupation Bonus), Athletics, Persuasion
Unfocused Skills: Navigation, Ride Animal, Shooting
Focus Rating: 3

You can read four "Bronze Terror" stories in NUELOW Games' Real American #1, which includes ROLF! game stats and a battle scenario. I've also concocted an original back-story for Bronze Terror, which will probably show up here on the blog some day.

For more information on the d6xd6 CORE RPG, check out this site where designer Lester Smith has made a draft of the rules public.

Ace and Foggy ala d6xd6 CORE

There's a Kickstarter for a very cool game with some very generous rewards for backers in its final few days. It's Lester Smith's d6xd6 CORE Roleplaying Game. It's a slick, rules-light multi-genre system that I think will take a place among your favorites once you play it.

As of this writing, the funding level is such that the book will be published in electronic and hard-copy formats and it will include the core game and 12 different settings written by (among others) Douglas Niles, Bruce Heard, Timothy Brown, Matt Forbeck, and Lester Smith himself. For me, one of the main attractions is the World of Dragon Dice as an RPG setting.

Additional backers can bring additional settings to the book, however. If an additional $12,000 gets raised over the next five days, I will get to contribute a setting, as Im in the wings as a Stretch Goal. Click here to read more about the d6xd6 CORE RPG Kickstarter and where it presently stands.

Lester Smith has posted a preview of the d6xd6 CORE system here. NUELOW Games published the first supplement to the game (even before it was officially published, which won't happen until December 2014) in Judy of the Jungle: Murder Goes Native, because that's just how excited we are about it.

Here on the NUELOW blog, I also wrote up the Black Cat and Zaza the Mystic using d6xd6 CORE by way of further previewing the system. Now, here's news photographer Ace Williams and his assistant Foggy (stars of the upcoming NUELOW book Newshounds #1) to the d6xd6 CORE character line-up. I've also included a new occupation and a couple new skills.

Ace Williams and Jessica "Foggy" Gibbons. Art by Matt Baker.

ACE WILLIAMS ("The Ace of the Newsreels")
Globetrotting news photographer who always gets to the truth and brings home the shot.
Real Name: Ace Williams • Gender: Male • Age: 31
Attributes
   Focused: Will
   Unfocused: Brawn, Wits
   Unknown: Grace
Occupation: Reporter (Photojournalist)
Focused Skills: Photography (Occupation Bonus), Navigation, Persuasion, Sneaking, Tracking
Unfocused Skills: Athletics, Bargain, Writing
Focus Rating: 5

FOGGY
Former Olympic athlete turned Girl Friday.
Real Name: Jessica Frances Gibbons • Gender: Female • Age: 26
Attributes
   Focused: Grace
   Unfocused: Brawn, Will
   Unknown: Wits
Occupation: Servant (Girl Friday)
Focused Skills: Bargain (Occupation Bonus), Driving, Swimming
Unfocused Skills: Athletics, Photography, Writing
Focus Rating: 3

NEW d6xd6 CORE OCCUPATION
   Reporter: You are dedicated to bringing the truth to the public, whether those in power (or even the public) want it or not. Alternatively, you are bring the world news about the lighter side of life, such as covering high society functions, reporting on the latest plays or movies in theaters, and so on. You could be on-staff with a newspaper, television station, or major online news website, or you could be a roving freelancer, covering whatever stories you feel are important. Bonus skills for this occupation can be Photography, Sneaking, Tracking, and Writing.

NEW d6xd6 CORE SKILLS
   Photography: You can capture the mood and reality of a moment with a click of your camera... or you can create the reality of a moment by properly framing an image. You can also make the ugliest baby look cute, and most disastrous wedding look romantic. (Artisans and Reporters might select this as their Occupation bonus skill.)
   Writing: While a picture may be worth a thousand words, the right words can change the world. You are skilled at choosing those words and putting them in fixed form.

Zaza the Mystic ala d6xd6 CORE

One of the characters that we have tapped for the NUELOW Games comics/rpg hybrid treatment is Zaza the Mystic. We haven't quite scheduled her yet, but we will be making the decision as to when one of these days. We find her interesting, because she has all the skills of a con-artist spiritualist, but she uses her "powers for good" by busting phony mystics and exposing other crimes.

While we decide how and when to present some of her best adventures, here she is as seen through the lense of Lester Smith's d6xd6 CORE RPG.

ZAZA THE MYSTIC, GYPSY DETECTIVE
Name: Zaza the Mystic (Zaza Kamlo) • Gender: Female • Age: 27
Attributes   Focused: Wits
   Unfocused: Grace, Will
   Unknown: Brawn
Occupation: Performer (Fortune Teller/Con Artist)
Focused Skills: Persuasion (Occupation Bonus), Pickpocketing, Sneaking, Swimming
Unfocused Skills: Bargain, First Aid, Lockpicking
Focus Rating: 4

Steve Miller is slated to write one of the stretch-goal expansions if it reaches high enough of a funding level. (He comes into play at the $18K funding level... and we're hoping that Lester will be able to put him to work. We're tired of watching him with his feet up, watching episodes of the 1960s Batman show on DVD.)

Click here to read more about the d6xd6 CORE RPG Kickstarter. You can pledge as little as $1 to get a PDF copy of the game and four settings. All the rewards past the $25 pledge level are insanely generous if you want our opinion. (But seriously... we need this one to get to the $18K. We are sick and tired of hearing  Steve sing NANANANANANANANANA--BATMAN! offkey every 25 minutes of so.

A new comics/rpg hybrid for 'new comics day'!

Comic readers all across the land know that Wednesday is tthe day new comics arrive at the store. Well, we actually got our act together here at NUELOW Games, and we've released a new comic book on New Comics Day!

Feary Tales is our latest addition to our line-up of comics/rpg hybrid books. It contains six short horror stories, all twisted adaptations of fairy tales, and most of them from the brilliant mind of Steve Ditko (in his pre-Marvel Comics days).

For RPG gamers, it presents an all-new race of monsters--the Faery Ghouls. They can be dropped into pretty much any d20 System game you like, although, like most NUELOW OLG material, they are designed foremost for OGL Modern. The book also contains Tom Thumb is lost, a single-player mini-game.

Feary Tales is available at all the usual outlets. You can click here to see previews, or to get your own copy. It is presently on sale for 25 percent off the usual price, as part of the ongoing Christmas in July celebration! (The discounted price is good until August 1.)

The 'official' OGL d20 Feather Charms is now out

Regular readers of the blog have already seen the content of this product, but if you would like a copy of it nicely typeset and illustrated, you can download OGL d20: Feather Charms from RPGNow.com for next to nothing.

For more Native American-inspired OGL d20 material, you can also check out Warrior Maiden Starlight. The book features the complete "Starlight" series by Ann Adams and Ralph Mayo, collected in one book for the first time, as well as notes and rules for running a d20 System game drawing inspiration from pre-European contact Native American civilizations.

It's Christmas in July!

It's the annual celebration of the halfway point between last Christmas and the next Christmas at the various Onebookshelf.com websites that carry NUELOW Games releases! As in past years, our entire selection of titles is 25 percent off! Take a look! Find a new favorite!

The sale runs this whole week!

Black Cat ala d6xd6 CORE

A new love here at NUELOW Games HQ is Lester Smith's d6xd6 CORE RPG. This slick, infinitely pliable game system may well become a regular element of our comics projects going forward, appearing along-side ROLF! and d20 OGL Modern.

I'm also hoping that the current Kickstarter to fund the Popcorn Press release of the game picks up some steam, because I'm is slated to present the superhero setting that's been coming together in our books over the past year using the d6xd6 CORE system. That's assuming the project reaches a funding level of $17,500, as my contribution is part of the Pulp Adventure bonus pack that gets added to the line-up at that point.

Meanwhile, and in the hopes of inspiring you to go take a look at the Kickstarter and maybe contribute--every reward for the pledge level beyond $24 is very, very cool in my opinion. And well worth the money--is NUELOW Games' favorite woman of mystery, Black Cat, presented via dt6xd6 CORE.

BLACK CAT, HOLLYWOOD'S MOST GLAMOROUS DETECTIVE

Name: Black Cat (Linda Turner) • Gender: Female • Age: 23

Attributes

  Focused: Grace

  Unfocused: Brawn, Wits

  Unknown: Will

Occupation: Performer (Actress)

Focused Skills: Athletics (Occupation Bonus), Martial Arts, Motorcycle, Persuasion, Ride Animal, Sneaking, Swimming

Unfocused Skills: Lock Picking, Throwing, Tracking

Focus Rating: 7

The book and a total of 12 settings have already funded, so you really can't lose even if you contribute just $1, as it will get your the core book and four settings. The rewards for supporters in this Kickstarter are all extremely generous! There are two weeks left on the Kickstarter window. Won't you help get it to $17.5K, so Black Cat can offically join the d6xd6 Core line-up of characters?

Get the Complete NUELOW 'Judy of the Jungle'

One of the more popular offerings from NUELOW Games has been our "Judy of the Jungle" series. It presents the best stories of a girl who, after being raised by her misanthropic father to feel more kinship with nature and animals than other humans, becomes a self-appointed guardian of justice in the wilds of Africa.

Along side the reprints of classic pulp adventure comics illustrated by Ralph Mayo, the Judy series offers OGL d20-compatible and d6xd6 CORE roleplaying game rules for use in creating your own jungle adventures with your game group. The books also feature Judy of the Jungle short stories, and the classic landmark comic book tales from Matt Baker "Voodah" and "South Sea Girl," which star rare non-white jungle heroes.

Art by Alex Schomburg

We have recently released the third and final volume in the series -- Judy of the Jungle: Murder Goes Native. It's getting good reviews, and fans are picking it up... but to make life easy for those who have come late to the party, we are offering it and the other Judy books in a one-stop download as The Complete NUELOW Judy of the Jungle bundle.

In addition to the three Judy of the Jungle books -- Judy of the Jungle: The Lords of Memnon, Judy of the Jungle: Warriors of the Laughing Hyena, and Judy of the Jungle: Murder Goes Native -- the bundle contains The Revenge of Santos: A ROLF! Christmas Special, the product that introduce Judy to the NUELOW audience.

Art by Alex Schomburg

If you're a newcomer to the adventures of Judy, the bundle has everything... and if you've been with us since the beginning, I really encourage you to grab a copy of Murder Goes Native, as not only does it contain some of the best work of the legendary Matt Baker, but it's a good introduction to the d6xd6 CORE Roleplaying Game. (And it also has some systemless adventure generating tools that are useful for any RPG set in a pulp fiction jungle environment.)

A Kickstarter -- d6xd6 CORE RPG by Lester Smith

Lester Smith, veteran game designer, has launched a Kickstarter to publish a slick new rules-light RPG d6xd6 CORE. Character creation is quick and easy, skill resolution is elegant, and the combat system can be as tactical or as story-oriented as the GM and players prefer. In addition to Lester's sharp skills as both a designer and world-builder, the game will feature settings and adventures for use with the game created by great writers such as Douglas Niles, Steve Winter, James Lowder, Bruce Heard, Scott Hungerford, Angela ScottWilliam Massa... and yours truly, NUELOW Games' own Steve Miller. 

Over 30 different writers are lined up to contribute settings to the final product, and more are joining every day. As with all Kickstarters, however, the number of them that actually end up contributing to the final book depends on the level of support from the audience by way of funding.

I am thrilled that Lester chose to make me part of the d6xd6 CORE RPG Kickstarter project. I will be providing a pulp superhero setting titled Masked Avengers that will feature some of the characters that have appeared in NUELOW's comics projects over the past year, gathered together in a single universe. You've seen this universe hinted at in numerous books, and it will come into sharper focus when my settings chapter d6xd6 CORE RPG book is released.

Assuming it is released. You see, my chapter is part of a "stretch goal"--additional content that gets added to the book as various funding levels are reached. It's part of a secret stretch goal, no less, that will be revealed as the project is funded. 

Click here to see some of the stuff that will be in the d6xd6 CORE RPG book and to see that the Kickstarter is already well underway. The basic book with four settings, including the Dragon Dice world as an RPG environment--finally!--is already happening. Now, there just needs to be enough support to bring all the settings into play.

Lester will be unveiling more exciting announcements as funding goals are approached and exceeded. Take a look at the pledge levels and the rewards. Consider chipping in. Personally, having had the priveledge of gaming with Lester several years ago, I wish I had at least $1.666 to contribute so he could come out to WA and run for my game group. The $24 and $99 pledge rewards are pretty sweet, too. 

I hope you'll consider supporting this very worthy Kickstarter. As little as $1 can be pledged!

New OGL d20 rules: Feather Charms

This entire post is presented under the Open Game License. It may be reproduced under the terms described here. Copyright Steve Miller 2014.

OGL d20: FEATHER CHARMS

Game Design: Steve Miller 

Copyright Steve Miller 2014

Introduction
When we published Warrior Maiden Starlight, I wanted to include some Native American themed OGL d20 rules in the book... but no ideas I came up with felt right, or even worked. Eventually, I gave the impatient editor something I felt was worth publishing and we released the book. I continued to mull over ideas... and then it struck me: Feathers!
   The symbolism of feathers is central to many traditional Native American cultural beliefs and practices, and they are referred to in Warrior Maiden Starlight several times as valued badges of honor and symbols of accomplishment. Incorporating feathers as magic items and as part of the awards system seemed like a fine idea for some game rules. After a little tinkering and back-andf-forth with Hundal, it still seemed like a good idea, so here it is, presented for your consideration. (Feedback is welcomed... that's why there's an email address listed at the bottom of the page and why there is a comments section.)

OGL d20: Feather Charms
These rules are loosely inspired by traditional Native American belief systems, in which birds are generally viewed as messengers from the spirits, bringers of change, and symbols of freedom. Feathers are also important symbols, and they are worn as badges of honor by warriors and leaders who have defeated foes through strength or cleverness, and who have been of great service to their people.


General Information About Feather Charms
A feather charm never detects as magical, nor do they grant any benefit for anyone but the character to whom it was awarded. Feather charms looted from dead foes are little more than cool looking headdresses and armbands.
   Feather charms can be used by members of any class.
   When interacting with members from a culture who recognize the inherent authority of the powerful beings who grant feather charms, wearers of feather charms have instant status and respect. For each feather charm worn, the hero gains a +1 bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks, up to a maximum of +8, directed at these people. For allies, he also enjoys a one-step positive reaction adjustment. See "Using Feather Charms" for additional details.
   Feather charms must be attached to armbands, boot cuffs, headgear (such as bonnets, helmets, or masks) melee weapons, polearms, or staves. An unlimited number of feather charms can be worn or displayed on a hero's melee weapons at any time, but their game effect is limited.
   The bonus granted by feather charms varies with the type of feather. They follow regular stacking rules. See "Using Feather Charms" for details.

Gaining Feather Charms
Feather charms are not made using magic item creation rules--they are granted by the spirits and the gods. PCs acquire them as rewards at the end of adventures or key encounters, either from an NPC or directly from the GM with the feather falling to the ground near the player it is being rewarded to.
   They can replace any +1 magic item in a treasure reward, or they can be given in addition to listed items. The feather rewarded should always related to something exceptional or impactful that the PC did during the adventure or encounter.

Starlight earns her first feather in a scene from Warrior Maiden Starlight.
(Script by Ann Adams. Art by Ralph Mayo)

Using Feather Charms
Feather charms must be worn openly by the hero to whom they were granted for the benefits to be enjoyed. When not worn, the feather charms must be carefully placed in some open area where they can be viewed by all; the hero will continue to gain the benefits from them so long as he is within line-of-sight of the feather charms. If they are ever placed in a chest or a closet or otherwise locked away in a small and confined space by their owner, all magic is permanently drained from them.
   If NPCs have reasons to think a hero is wearing or displaying a feather charm that he did not earn, they may demand the character tell the tale of how it was awarded to him. The hero gains a +1 bonus to the appropriate skill check when relating his deeds, and if the check is successful, he gains the full Charisma benefit going forward.
 
Specific Feather Charms
Here are the specific feather charms and the bonus they grant. Similar feathers stack with other feathers to a maximum of +5. If two feathers give bonuses to the same skills, their effects stacks.
   Crow Feather: Represents skill and cunning. Grants a +1 bonus to Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Search, and Sense Motive skill checks.
   Dove Feather: Represents the more gentle side of humanity, such as love, kindness, and nurturing.  Love and gentleness. Grants a +1 bonus to Animal Handling, Diplomacy, and Treat Injury (Heal in some OGL d20 versions).
   Eagle Feather: Represents bravery and strength of will. Grants a +1 bonus to Will saving throws, as well as a +1 bonus to Diplomacy skill checks.
   Falcon Feather: Represents speed and agility. Grants a +1 bonus to Reflex saving throws, as well as a +1 bonus to Tumble skill checks.
   Hawk Feather: Represents strength and protection through force. Grants a +1 bonus to Fortitude saving throws, as well as a +1 bonus to Intimidate skill checks.
   Heron Feather: Represents grace and confidence . Grants a +1 bonus to all Perform skill checks, as well as a +1 bonus to Concentration and Disable Device skill checks.
   Owl Feather: Represents a mind capable of keen insights and the ability to see things as they truly are. Grants low-light vision of 12 feet (increases 10 feet for each Owl feather, up to a maximum of distance of 60 feet at five feathers possessed), as well a +1 bonus to Search, Sense Motive, and Spot skill checks.
   Raven Feather: Represents creativity and knowledge. Grants a +1 bonus to all Knowledge and Craft skill checks.

A 4th of July Safety Tip from the Fighting Yank (plus a d20 Modern Talent Tree)

Listen to the wise words of the Fighting Yank. And remember, the phrases "Hey, watch this!" and "Hold my beer!" should never be uttered when you are setting off fireworks.

From Fighting Yank #29. Art by Mort Meskin

Here's a talent tree (designed by Steve Miller, from a suggestion by L.L. Hundal) that numerous people probably will wish could apply to real life come July 5. (Everything in this post past this sentence is Open Game Content. It may be reproduced under the terms of this license. Copyright Steve Miller 2014.)

TOO DUMB TO DIE TALENT TREE
This talent tree is available for Charismatic Heroes, Fast Heroes, Strong, Heroes, and Tough Heroes,or other classes that have access to their talent trees. Whenever the character may select talent, they may choose one from this tree instead of those featured in the rules for their class.
   Feel the Burn: Damage from acid electricity, and fire is reduced by 2d6 points after all other modifiers have been applied, to a mimimum of 1 point of damage.
   Prerequisite: Intelligence or Wisdom score 8 or less. If the hero should later increase the attribute score, they retain the benefit of this talent.
   Gravity-shmavity: Falling damage is reduced by 2d6+2 points after all other modfiers have been applied, to a minimum of 1 point of damage.
   Prerequisite: Intelligence or Wisdom score 8 or less. If the character should later increase the attribute score, they retain the benefit of this talent.
   Just Drive She Said: Impact damage suffered while in a crashing vehicle, or upon being hit by a vehicle, is halved after all other modifiers have been applied, to a minimum of 1 point of damage.
   Prerequisite: Intelligence or Wisdom score 8 or less. If the character should later increase the attribute score, they retain the benefit of this talent.
   That Blowed Up Real Good: Concussion damage and other damage suffered from explosions and devices or magical spells that cause area of effect damage is reduced by 2d6+2 points of damage after all other modifiers have been applied, to a minimum of 0. The reduction applies only to the hero with this talent,
   Prerequisite: Feel the Burn, Intelligence or Wisdom score 8 or less. If the character should later increase the attribute score, they retain the benefit of this talent.
   Watch This!: Whenever the hero fails a Acrobatics skill check, Climb skill check, Disable Device skill check, or Demolitions skill check, any damage he suffers is reduced by half before any other modifiers are applied.
   Prerequisite: One other talent from the Too Dumb to Die Talent Tree.

Celebrate Independence Day weekend with Pat Patriot!

With Pat Patriot, NUELOW Games shines a spotlight on one of comicdom's earliest female costumed comic characters, as well as being one of the first and most sincerely patriotic series. Debuting in June of 1941, the series predates Wonder Woman and only slightly trails Captain America.

In addition to the four best Pat Patriot stories, the book features a complete ROLF! supplement that in which Pat meets the Bronze Terror and battles the nefarious Mayflower Man. Click here to see previews or to get your own copy.

You can see more previews of Pat Patriot at our sister blog Shades of Gray by clicking here.

NUELOW Games is observing Ramadan

It has come to our attention that we've done Christmas Specials, Barak Obama Birthday Specials, and Chinese New Year Specials, but we've never done anything to mark a time honored by billions and billions of people.

Well, before we re publicly shamed for our lack of inclusiveness, we're fixing that by offering the Ramadan Collection!

The NUELOW Games Ramadan Collection contains historical fiction set during the Crusades; comics featuring Kismet ( the Nazi-busting first Muslim superhero), and lots and lots of ROLF! rollplaying game material--including the core rulebook! It's a total of eight products--including four of our best-sellers!--for just $5 (55% off full retail price).

Click here to check out the content of the Ramadan Collection, or to get your very own copy. It's available through July 30 (or until GB joins the just-declared Califate).

It's a Party in the CIA with Madam Zero!

Some parody songs are more amusing and entertaining than the source they are based on. A perfect example of that is Weird Al's "Party in the CIA." It's got better lyrics than the original and its video even makes more sense.



It's a favorite of the NUELOW Gang, even if L.L. Hundal's Significant Other has banned it from their home, because Hundal would play it over and over while singing along as she searched through comics for us to republish.

I'm bringing it up here, because it also seems like a perfect theme song for the most recent release for ROLF!: The Rollplaying Game of Big Dumb Fighters...

ROLF!: Zero vs. One is a full-fledged ROLF! supplement with two battle scenarios, four pre-generated characters, and a number of new Battle Maneuvers and Traits. In addition, it features the complete run of Madam Zero, an obscure back-up series from Fiction House's Fight Comics that featured one of comicdom's most mysterious heroines. And Madam Zero is exactly the sort of character that "Party in the CIA" is about.

Click here to see previews of ROLF!: Zero vs. One, or to get your own copy.

It's the First Day of Summer AND Free RPG Day!

To celebrate the first day of summer and Free RPG Day, we're offering three of our roleplaying games for free!

Until Midnight when June 21st turns into June 22nd, you can download Fists of Foolishness, which contains The Violent Worlds of Robert E. Howard RPG and a dozen short stories to get you the proper mood to run adventures with it; You vs. Me, a  crazy two-player, GM-less RPG by L.L. Hundal;; and Dyvil: First Edition by the legendary game designer and author Jeff Grubb, free of charge!

Additionally, the NUELOW Games Summer Special is still on sale at a reduced price. In addition to half a dozen summer-themed comics, it features a scenario compatible with both The Violent Worlds of Robert E. Howard and You vs. Me.

Check out the free games and summer deals before they are gone!

Planning a trip to the Underdark?

You're going to need some maps... and the NUELOW Map Pack #2: Underdark has just what you need!

Cover by Andrew Pavlides & Lee Elias

This new set of maps by Andrew Pavlides includes six different maps of tunnels and cavern systems. They can be used individually or joined at the edges as player characters move through the monster-infested underground. All the maps are indexed in an easy-to-reference PDF booklet and presented in both color and printer-friendly black-and-white formats.

As a special treat, we've included some drawings next to the maps in the index book to help give you some inspiration about what players may encounter in that area.

Click here to see previews or NUELOW Map Pack #2: Underdark, or do download your own copy (And, as always, we invite your feedback!)