The Power of the Finger Gun!

They've been suspending kids for making "finger guns" at school. We have the Minor Power feat and talent tree to explain why. (This d20 System material is presented under the Open Game License. Copyright Steve Miller 2018. It was designed by L.L. Hundal & Steve Miller.)

FINGER GUN [Minor Power]
Your imaginary gun is deadly.
Benefit: Make a gun-shape with your hand and point at a living target. Roll a ranged attack as if using a weapon you’re proficient in. If you hit the target, it suffers 1d6+2 points of damage. Making a finger gun is a free action. Using your finger gun is a standard attack action. The range increment is 20 ft.

FINGER GUN TALENT TREE
Your imaginary gun is versatile and potentially very deadly.
   Finger Cannon: Make a gun-shape with your hand and point at a living or inanimate target. Roll a ranged attack as if using a weapon you’re proficient in. If you hit the target, it suffers 2d6+4 points of damage. Making a finger cannon is a free action. Using your finger cannon is a standard attack action. The range increment is 60 ft.
   Prerequisite: Finger Gun Minor Power feat.

   Finger Flame Thrower: Make a gun-shape with your hand and point at a living target. Roll a ranged attack as if using a weapon you’re proficient in. If you hit the target, it must roll a successful Fortitude (DC12+your Will bonus) or momentarily bursts into flame, suffering 2d6+2 points of fire damage. If the save is successful, the target takes half damage. The range increment is 20 ft.
   Prerequisite: Any Minor Power feat.

   Finger Stun Gun: Make a gun-shape with your hand and point at a living target. Roll a ranged attack as if using a weapon you’re proficient in. If you hit the target, it must roll a successful Fortitude (DC12+your Will bonus) or fall unconscious six rounds. If the save is successful, the target is disoriented and loses all actions for the rest of the round and must re-roll initiative with a -2 penalty on the following round.
Making a finger gun is a free action. Using your finger gun is a standard attack action. The range increment is 20 ft.
   Prerequisite: Any Minor Power feat.
  Two-Finger Firing: You attack as described in other Finger Gun feats, but you make gun-shapes with each hand. Gain an extra Finger Gun attack at your full attack bonus.
   Prerequisite: Any one talent from the Finger Gun Talent Tree. 

Who Killed the Ballerina?

World famous ballerina Diana Ashton has been found dead on the very day her latest performance was to premiere. It's up the the player characters to sort through the suspects and find those guilty of ending her life.

We present another randomly generated mystery adventure seed to spur your imagination and set you on the path to an exciting game with your players!

WHO KILLED THE BALLERINA?

WHERE WAS SHE FOUND?
1. On the stage.
2. Above the stage, hanging from the light riggings.
3. Below the stage in a storage area.
4. In her dressing room.
5. In the theatre manager’s office.
6. At home, in her bedroom.
7. At home, in her shower.
8. In the rehearsal studio.
9. In the alley behind the theatre.
10. In the cemetery
11. In the park.
12. In a VIP longue at a nightclub.

HOW WAS SHE KILLED?
1. Drug Overdose.
2. Stabbed.
3. Hanged
4. Garrotted.
5. Suffocated.
6. Strangled.
7. Multiple blows to the head.
8. One blow to the head.
9. Wrists slit, bled to death.
10. Shot once through the back of the head.
11. Shot once in the chest.
12. Shot 1d4+1 times.

WHO KILLED HER? (This is also a list of suspects, .)
1. The Choreographer.
2. The Understudy.
3. Her Husband.
4. Her Male Lover. (Roll an additional 1d12. 1-6 it’s her ex-lover.)
5. Her Female Lover. (Roll an additional 1d12. 1-6 it’s her ex-lover.)
6. Her Twin Sister.
7. Her Father.
8. Her Dance Partner.
9. The Older Ballerina She Replaced.
10. The Drug Dealer to the Rich and Famous.
11. The State Senator.
12. Roll again on this table. The first result is being framed for the murder by the killer; the second result is the actual killer. Ignore repeated numbers, except for #4 or #5. In such cases, it’s either a current or former lover, whatever is the opposite of what was indicated before.

WHY WAS SHE KILLED?
1. So she couldn’t reveal a dark secret to the world. (Roll on WHAT IS THE DARK SECRET table.)
2. To protect the killer’s dark secret. (Roll on WHAT IS THE DARK SECRET table.)
3. To protect a secret organization.
4. To protect a government cover-up.
5. Jealousy.
6. Revenge.
7. Hatred.
8. To destroy the show she was starring in.
9. Because she dared to perform the Dance of the Lost Souls.
10. As a sacrifice to an Elder God.
11. It was a mistake. The murderer was trying to kill 1-4 the Understudy; 5-8 her Female Lover; 9-12 her Twin Sister. Roll on WHAT IS THE DARK SECRET table to determine why the intended victim was a targeted.
12. Roll again on this table. Both reasons apply for why she was killed. Ignore repeated results.


WHAT IS THE DARK SECRET?
1. A child sex trafficking ring is being run out of the theater. Roll on WHO KILLED HER to determine who is in charge of this evil enterprise. If it’s a different person than the killer, both characters are involved in the ring, but the leader might not know who the murderer is.
2. A Satanic cult is operating out the theatre, and the show currently being performed is secretly one big ritual. Roll on WHO KILLED HER to determine who is in charge of this evil enterprise. If it’s a different person than the killer, both characters are involved in the ring, but the leader might not know who the murderer is.
3. A terrorist and kidnapping-for-ransom cell is operating out the theatre. Roll on WHO KILLED HER to determine who is in charge of this evil enterprise. If it’s a different person than the killer, both characters are involved in the ring, but the leader might not know who the murderer is.
4. The theatre is being prepared as the point where an extra-dimensional gate will open and allow aliens to arrive and begin their conquest of Earth. Roll on WHO KILLED HER to determine who is in charge of this evil enterprise. If it’s a different person than the killer, both characters are involved in the ring, but the leader might not know who the murderer is.
5. The State Senator raped and killed a staffer.
6. The main dances in the current performance were stolen… and the original creator has already been murdered to cover it up.
7. She was the heiress to a massive fortune, but was abducted as a young child. Her identity had been traced, and she was killed by those who have been benefitting from what should have been hers.
8. She was a master of black magic, and whenever she danced, she was being paid to cast deadly curses.
10. She was working on a tell-all book that would reveal many, MANY dark secrets gathered by herself and her sister.
11. Her 1-4 Husband, 5-8 Male Lover, 9-12 Female Lover is a Russian assassin, and his or her secret had to be protected.
12. Roll again on this table. The two results are intertwined in one monstrous conspiracy. Ignore repeated results.

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Pho fo' yo'!

There's a Vietnamese eatery not far from NUELOW HQ. It served as the inspiration for these magic soups!

Pic 'borrowed' from GoodyFoodies.

Go Pho
Spend at least 1d6+1 minutes consuming this tasty soup. For the next hour, gain a +1 bonus to all initiative rolls and a 10 percent increase to your base movement rate....

Mo Pho
Spend at least 1d6+1 minutes consuming this bowl of tasty soup. For the next hour, add an additional 1d4 points of damage to any damage-dealing attack.
 
No Pho
Spend at least 1d6+1 minutes consuming this bowl of tasty soup. For the next hour, gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws and skill checks made to avoid damage from attacks.

So Pho
Spend at least 1d6+1 minutes consuming this bowl of mediocre soup. For the next hour, you wish you'd spent the extra money for a better-quality bowl of soup and are distracted, taking a -1 penalty to Initiative rolls, but gaining +1 to damage dealt as the frustration consumes you over your lackluster meal.

(The text is this post is presented under the Open Game License. Copyright Steve Miller 2018.)

Who's Haunting the Old House?

Here's another random adventure idea generator. We hope you enjoy!

THE HAUNTING OF THE OLD HOUSE

Although saddened by the passing of Aunt Millie, the Pleasantons (mother, father, high-school age daughter, grade-school age son, infant son) were thrilled to move into the isolated old house she left them in her will. At least they were until it turned out to be haunted.

Roll 1d8 on the tables to randomly generate a Dark Old House ghostbusting adventure seed and set the PCs about getting to the bottom of it all!

Art by Lee Elias

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE HOUSE? (Roll 1d8)
1. Strange lights and sounds are waking the family up at night.
2. Items are being moved around and drawers are being emptied and the contents scattered.
3. Food in the fridge is spoiling and all liquids in opened containers (such as milk and juice) are evaporating overnight.
4. The baby keeps disappearing from her room, but is always found safely in some bizarre part of the house.
5. The plumbing keeps going haywire with strong blasts of scalding or ice cold water, sinks and tubs backing up and causing flooding, or small fires keep erupting in the living room and bedroom.

6. The daughter keeps feeling a presence near her and she has even caught sight of a dark figure following her home from school. Someone has even torn up her clothes in her closet.

7. All electrical devices suddenly start turning on and off at random and eventually the circuit breakers trip.
8. Roll twice on the table, re-rolling any Eights or repeated numbers.


WHY ARE THE SPIRITS RESTLESS? (Roll 1d8)
1. They aren’t. A greedy real estate developer (and supposed family friend) is trying to scare the family from their home.
2. They aren’t. A crooked antique dealer (and supposed family friend) is sneaking into the house and searching for treasure that, according to old records he found, is hidden in the walls.
3. They aren’t. The angry lover of the husband (1-4)/wife (5-8) has used a magic ritual to bind a minor demon to the house to harass the family.

4. They aren't. A kid from school has become obsessed with the daughter and is stalking her.
5. The daughter and a friend played with a Quija Board and 1d8 poltergeists now inhabit the house.
6. When the old well at the bottom of the backyard was unsealed, elemental and nature spirits were awakened and released.
7. Children playing in the back yard awakened the cursed souls of cultists sacrificed by their leader to appease their dark god (and to prevent his discovery by the authorities).

8. Roll twice on the table, re-rolling any Eights or repeated numbers.

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If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Along the Way, one of our actual releases. Click here to buy a copy, because it will encourage us to make more of the same!

Why does Donald Trump want a Space Force?

Donald Trump is the presidential gift that keeps on giving as far as we here at NUELOW Games is concerned: We've gotten more mileage out of him than we've gotten out of Bill Clinton and Barak Obama combined, and his presidency isn't anywhere near to being over yet!

This time up, we have a random table for you. Admittedly, we're not sure how useful it is, but maybe it can serve as an inspiration for ROLF! battle scenarios that pit Donald Trump against the Commies and/or Girl Scouts from Jupiter.

WHY IS DONALD TRUMP PUSHING FOR A SPACE FORCE? (Roll 1d12)
   1. He's too ill-formed to know that the United States Air Force Space Command already exists.
   2. The alien symbiote that passes for his hair wants to go home, but there are hostile forces between here and there.
   3. The alien symbiote that passes for his hair wants to go to war against the Martians
   4. The alien symbiote that passes for his hair wants to prepare the world for an attack by the Girl Scouts from Jupiter.
   5. He wants his face carved on the moon.
   6. He wants his buttcheeks carved on the moon.
   7. He wants to be a real Space Cadet.
   8. The Decepticons must be stopped!
   9. He knows the truth about the aliens and the Visitors are not our friends!
   10. Flash Gordon has retired and he wants to be the new Savior of the Universe.
   11. He wants to build a moon base to impress his pals Putin, Kim, and Ming the Merciless.
   12. Roll two more times on the table, ignoring other rolls of 12 and repeated numbers. Both results are true.

Who Killed the Father of the Bride?

Here's another randomly generated murder mystery adventure plot!

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It was a gorgeous summer day and it was the perfect backdrop for a wedding, but then the father of the bride turned up dead. Who killed Major Payne?

HOW WAS HE KILLED? (Roll 1d12)
1. Drowned.
2. Poisoned.
3. Stabbed with an antique sword.
4. Garotted.
5. Strangled.
6. Suffocated with pillow.
7. Run over by a car/delivery van.
8. Thrown from a roof top.
9. Electrocuted in his bath.
10. Bludgeoned with a candlestick taken from among the wedding gifts.
11. Stabbed through the eye with a chopstick.
12. Roll twice on the table; he died from a combination of the two.


WHERE WAS HE KILLED? (Roll 1d12)
(If the location doesn't match the method of murder, the body was discovered at the location indicated, and you can pick a logical actual
1. His hotel room.
2. The hotel terrace.
3. The hotel parking garage.
4. In the bridal suite.
5. In a hotel elevator.
6. In the hedge maze behind the hotel.
7. In the hotel pool/spa/gym.
8. In the coat check room.
9. In the bride's home.
10. In the groom's home.
11. In his home.
12. Roll twice on the table. He was killed at the first location, but the body was found at the second.

WHY WAS HE KILLED? (Roll 1d12)
1. Revenge.
2. To protect a government coverup.
3. Jealousy.
4. To protect a spy ring.
5. For the inheritance.
6. To protect the bride's dark secret.
7. To protect the groom's dark secret.
8. To protect a Satanic cult.
9. To keep him from stopping the wedding.
10. To keep him from revealing who are shapeshifting aliens at the top level of government.
11. Hatred.
12. Roll twice on the table. He was killed for both reasons.


WHO DID IT? (Roll 1d12)
1. The bride.
2. The groom.
3. The father of the bride.
4. The mother of the bride.
5. The best man.
6. The maid of honor.
7. The priest.
8. The wedding photographer.
9. The major's gay lover.
10. The bride's lesbian lover.
11. The hotel's owner.
12. Roll twice on the table. The first result is the murderer, and the second result is who he or she is framing for the murder.

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If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Along the Way, one of our actual releases. Click here to buy a copy, because it will encourage us to make more of the same!

Suddenly... Jazz Hands!

Here's a new feat for your  all d20 System games! (The following text is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it. Copyright 2018 Steve Miller.)

JAZZ HANDS! [General]

When your foe least expects it... jazz hands!

   Prerequisite: Perform (dance) 1 rank, Charisma 12

   Benefit: On a round where you are first in the initiative order, as full round action, your character can strike a pose, hold out his or her hands with the palms facing front and fingers splayed, and start to shake them while saying something like "razzamataaz" or "yeeeaaah".

   Foes who are in the character's forward arc, and who witness the display, must roll a successful Will save (DC18+the character's Charisma bonus), or be so startled that they lose all actions for that round. If affected foes who are not attacked during the round, they suffer an initiative penalty equal to the character's Charisma bonus on the following round.
   Special: Jazz Hands can only be used every other round.

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Gun Blessing Day! (An OGL Modern Game Aid)

There's a local pastor (or witch doctor or sorcerer, or druid--whatever fits the setting) who is offering to bless the party's firearms. Roll 1d12 against the chart below to see what benefit is gained, aside from each one blessed becoming an enchanted weapon.

1. +1 bonus to hit.

2. +1 bonus to damage.

3. +1 bonus to hit and damage.

4. Maximum damage against vampires.

5. Maximum damage against werewolves.

6. Maximum damage against dragons.

7. Maximum damage against mummies.

8. Damage dealt is converted to fire damage.

9. Person carrying or wielding the firemarm has a +2 bonus to Hide and Move Silently skill checks.

10. Person weilding the firearm has a -6 penalty to hit unarmed or non-threatening targets.

11. Person wielding the firearm bursts into flames (1d12+2 points of damage per round for 3 rounds) if it used against unarmed or non-threatening targets.

12. +4 to hit and damage against hostile creatures.

OPTIONAL COMPLICATION (Contributed by Craig Dixon)

There is one little problem with these blessed weapons...
   If a person one is reduced to zero or fewer hit points while carrying or firing one of these blessed weapons, they must make an immediate Fort save (DC12) [save versus death in OSR versions of D&D].
   If the saving throw succeeds, proceed with the normal stabalization rules to see if the character lives or dies.
   If the saving throw fails, the character's soul is prevented from moving onto the afterlife. Instead, it is torn from te body and drawn to where the weapon was blessed, together with the magic placed on it, to feed the sponsoring deity. The character's soul is lost forever within 13 hours.

   The weapon reverts to normal at this time and must be returned to the temple to be re-blessed.

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The text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it. Copyright Steve Miller 2018.

If you find this post useful or amusing, reward our efforts by getting one of our actual releases. Click here for the full listing of NUELOW Games products!

A Valentine's Day feat!

A little something in the spirit of Valentine's Day for your d20 System games!

TRUE LOVE [General]
The character has found the love of his or her life. This gives the character something to live for, even when things seem at their most dire and hopeless.
   Benefit: When the character is reduced to less than 10 hit points, a fond memory about his or her beloved flashes into his or her mind. As a free action, you may roll a Will save (DC12). If successful, the character immediately regain 1d10+2 hit points.
   This feat can be used once per game session. You must choose to invoke the feat or not as soon as the character is reduced to less than 10 hit points, and if you choose not to, you may do so again during the following combat round if the character suffers additional damage.
   If a character with this feat is reduced to less than 0 hit points, you may immediately invoke this feat in order to attempt to regain hit points. If the character is returned to above 0 hit points, he or she does not fall unconscious or have to worry about making stabilization rolls.
   Special: If you write a description and a history for your character's true love (who the true love is, how the characters met, and so on), and the GM approves it, your character gains a permanent +1 bonus to Will saves to resist fear and mind-affecting magic and spell-like effects. This bonus increases to +2 if you generate stats for the true love and give the character to the GM for possible use in the game. (The true love must be at least two character levels lower than the lowest-level PC in the campaign, or 1st level.)

Photo by Gavin Hoey

Two Feats of Questionable Quality (but we like 'em!)

We hope these get your February off to a fun start.

BABY ROLL [Combat]
You may use babies as distractions in combat.
   Benefit: When fighting, you may roll or throw a baby per round at opponents with a standard attack action. Any lawful good character must give up a combat action in order to either dodge or attempt to catch the baby by making a Reflex save (DC equals your attack roll). If the target fails to avoid or catch the baby, he or she and the baby both take 1d2 points of damage. If your attack roll misses, the baby still takes 1d2 points of damage.
   Special: If you have the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, you may roll or throw two babies each round.

BAD IDEA [General, Metagame]
You knew it was a bad idea, but you did it anyway.
   Prerequisite: One talent from the Too Dumb to Die tree.
   Benefit: Whenever you fail an attack roll or skill check that had a DC of 22 or higher, the GM must let you roll 2d6 and add the result to your check total. If the new total means a successful check, that's exactly what it is. If it fails, you deserve what you get for being overconfident and stupid.

(This material is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it. Copyright 2018 Steve Miller.)

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Random Adventure Seeds: Are the Kids All Right?

The kids somehow seem off. Why? Are they just kids being kids (and therefore weird) or is there something more sinister going on? That's the question that this latest random adventure seed generator asks--and there may be a problem with the kids that only the player characters in your campaign can solve!

Are the Kids All Right? (Roll 1d8)
   1. Yes. They're fine. They're 1) toddlers; 2-3) tweens; 4-5) teens; 6) college-aged and they should have found jobs and moved the hell out of the house; but they're fine. They'll grow out of it (and into who-knows-what!)
   2. No. They're dabbling in the occult and are planning to sacrifice their parents in dark rituals.
   3. No. They've been replaced with alien replicants.
   4. No. They played in that abandoned house down the street and have been possessed by evil spirits.
   5. No. They've been kidnapped by the Russian Hackers and only the player characters (or perhaps Liam Neeson) can save them.
   6. No. They have become vessels for the 1-2) Norse; 3-4) Babylonian; 5-6) Chinese; 7-8) Greek; gods and are trying to bring about the end of the universe!
   7.  No.. They are experimenting with 1-2) newly found mutant powers; 3-4) a time displacement device they sent to themselves from the future 5-6) a board game that makes them play it out in real life 4) eating Tide pods,
   8. No. They committed a crime and 1-2) they didn't do and now the party must prove their innosence and how it ws committed and who it. 3-4) they were framed by the CIA to recruit the parents. 5-6) were sent to Guantanamo Bay 7-8) are calling for bail money.

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(By Steve Miller, with contributions from Dave Mendez. If you had fun with this, check out one of the NUELOW Games releases that Dave has also contributed to!)

Hardboiled Space Detectives!

Here's a random adventure generator for any sci-fi RPG campaign that features interstellar space travel and hard-talking heroes for hire.

HARDBOILED SPACE DETECTIVES!
What's the latest case? (Roll 1d8 against the following tables to generate it.)

WHO'S THE CLIENT?
1. A grieving Martian Widow
2. A smarmy Venusian businessman
3. A mysterious person in a body- and face-concealing environmental suit.
4. A robot that has gained sentience.
5. An immigrant from the Alpha Centauri system.
6. A high-powered, multi-star system law firm.

7. A government official.

8. An exiled noble from 1. Asgaard, 2. Atlantis, 3. the Catian Dominion, 4. Mars, 5. Venus, 6. an obscure, nearly forgotten Earth colony, 7. an alternate universe, 8. "Does it matter? I'm in exile, but my money's good." (If it matters, roll again on the sub-table.)

WHAT'S THE JOB?
1. Find and ID a killer the police say doesn't exist.
2. Find a missing fortune in Tasari crystals.
3. Prove an accused murderer innocent.
4. Find the missing formula for a new radiation vaccine.
5. Get the client safely to the Alpha Centauri system.

6. Infiltrate a galactic megacorp and find proof of an executive's corruption.

7. Prove that the Ansaati Grays and not the Tugahri were behind a failed abduction.
6. Locate 1. a runaway bride/groom, 2. a runaway teenager, 3. the heir to controlling interest in an intersteallar business combine, 4. a corrupt cop that's gone into hiding, 5. a witness that's gone into hiding, 6. the client's loved one whom everyone believes is dead (except the client), 7-8. the famous Mecurian Deathbat.

WHAT EXOTIC LOCATION WILL THE CASE TAKE THE DETECTIVE TO?
1. The Slave Markets of Jupiter
2. The seedy undercity of New Osaka
3. Moon Colony Theta
4. The exclusive spas at the Martian Hot Springs
5. The Radium Mines of Mercury
6. The penal colony on Jupiter Station VII

7. The fortress of the Tugahri Monarch

8. The Royal Spaceyards of Atlantis

WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON?
1-3. The client is hiring the Hardboiled Space Detectives for exactly the reason stated.
4. The client is fronting for an old enemy of the Hardboiled Space Detectives, and it's all a frame-up!
5. The client intends to murder the Space Detective and eliminate the target once it is located.

6. The client is seeking a cache of treasure and weapons of mass destruction that have remained hidden since the last war between Asgaard and Atlantis.

7. The client is hoping to restore his or her reputation and gain revenge of those who ruined it.
8. The client is a criminal mastermind seeking to eliminate 1. a rival, 2. an ex-lover, 3. the one other person who knows all about the secret criminal empire, 4. the one person who can unravel the interstellar slave trade, 5. the child that's been hidden away by the other parent, 6. a government official who took a bribe but never delivered, 7. a retired law enforcement official, 8. Roll again on "WHO'S THE CLIENT?"

RPG Adventure Seeds--US Government Shutdown!

Use this table to randomly generate how the player characters will be impacted by the US Federal Government Shutdown! (Roll 1d10.)

1. Lax security at Area 51 allows 1d4+2 alien captives to escape, and they come to the PCs for help.
2. North Korean operatives bribe cash-hungry non-essential DoD employees for access to a secret base and take it over.
3. The true nature of the "11 Secret Herbs and Spices" will be revealed when a cash-hungry CIA contractor goes to sell it--unless the PCs stop him!
4. Nicholas Cage resumes his quest to discover secrets hidden within US historical landmarks... and he invites the PCs along to take advantage of the lax security.
5. Nancy Pelosi's true nature as a Reptilian space alien will be revealed... unless the PCs can get her to a special hospital where she can receive treatment for an illnes unique to her species. The medication shipments were delayed due to the postal service shutting down.
6. The Martians resume their stealth invasion.
7. The Secret Werewolf Army move to take over Yosimite National Park.
8. Donald Trump's hair (an alien symbiote) gets tired of the chaos, and it has him declare Martial Law. The campaign transitions into a "Cyberpunk 2020"-type setting.

9. The sonic waves that were keeping Godzilla, Mothra, and Monster dormant in various locations around the world cease when they are shut down due to lack of operators. The monsters begin rampaging!

10. The ectoplasmic containment unit hidden in a disused subway tunnel under Manhattan fails due to lack of maintainace. The thousands of ghosts and evil spirits that have been trapped their over the decades of the secret anti-ghost program are unleashed upon the unsuspecting city.

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If you found this post useful or amusing, please consider picking up one or more of our actual releases. It will encourage us to make more! Click here to visit our "store" at RPGNow.

It's our first release of 2018!

Nothing can throw a campaign off-kilter quicker than a TPK... and that's where the latest release from us here at NUELOW Games comes in!

Cover art by Dick Giordano

Hard to Kill: Feats and Talents for the d20 System provides character abilities and mechanics that will allow PCs to stare Death in the face and laugh. Even if Death shoves that laughter right back down their throats and causes them to explode in a fine mist of gore and bone shards, this booklet provides the means for the character with the right combination of feat to literally come back from the dead.

Hard to Kill contains five feats, four talent trees, and an add-on to the character generation system that gives a newly created character a random reason for why enemies shout, "Why won't you die?!" Although designed with d20 Modern in mind, this material is easily adapted to popular d20 System variants such as StarFinder, or any d20 System variant that uses feats and talents.

As an added bonus for those of you who have been following our comics/rpg hybrid products. Hard to Kill also expands further on the d20 Supers System that was introduced in Madden's Boys. (The material stands perfectly fine on its own, like the various game sections in the aforementioned comics/rpg hybrid books.)

Hard to Kill is available for download at RPGNow and DriveThruRPG.

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Speaking of our comics/rpg hybrid releases, in Ghost Woman... Also Featuring Spooks, we included d20 System rules for keeping a player character active and in the hands of its player even AFTER death. Such a character isn't just hard to kill... because how do you kill someone who's already dead? (The rules also include a way to give a "second life" to a major villain who falls at the hands of the player characters.

Who Killed Buck Robin?

Here's a randomly generated murder mystery adventure outline for your RPG campaigns set in the U.S., ranging from the 1950s to the present day!

WHO KILLED BUCK ROBIN?
Country music and rockabilly sensation Buck Robin has been found murdered in his mansion. Who did it and why? (Roll 1d20 against the tables below to find out which of the suspects did it!)

Who Did It?
1. His Alcoholic Twin Brother
2. His First Ex-Wife
3. His Second Ex-Wife
4. His Current Wife
5. His Lover
6. His Gay Lover
7. His Manager
8. His Manager's Secretary
9. His Lyricist
10. His Protege
11. The Personal Physician
12. The Butler
13. The Cook
14. The Groundskeeper
15. The Groundkeeper's Teenaged Daughter
16. The Crazed Music Critic
17. The Lawyer
18. The Guitar Manufacturer
19. Roll two more times on the table; they worked together on the murder.
20. Buck Robin isn't dead. Roll again on the table to see who he's framed for his murder. If 20 occurs again, roll two more times on the table. The first result is who was being framed, the second result is who took advantage and killed Buck Robin.

How Was He Killed?
1. Shot with a pistol
2. Shot with a rifle
3. Stabbed
4. Clubbed to death (with a weapon)
5. Beaten to death (with bare hands)
6. Pushed out a window
7. Pushed down the stairs
8. Struck with a claw hammer
9. Struck with a bass guitar
10. Struck with a mic stand
11. Garrotted with a guitar string
12. Shoved into a wood chipper
13. Drowned in the pool
14.Drowned in his bath tub
15. Car Crash
16. Burned in a fire
17. Overdose on booze and pills
18. Hanging
19. Poisoning
20. Car bomb

Why Was He Killed?
1. Jealousy
2. To prevent a political scandal
3. To prevent a sexual scandal
4. To protect a loved one
5. To avenge a loved one
6. To cover up embezzlement
7. To cover up theft of a song
8. Revenge for theft of a song
9. Revenge for broken promise
10. Sacrifice in a demonic ritual
11. The KKK wanted to make him pay
12. He discovered the killer's dark secret
13. To collect life insurance money
14. To inherit the estate
15. To stop the spread of evil magic through Buck's songs
16. For the greater good of music-loving humanity
17. Hatred
18. Self Defense
19. To cover up ANOTHER murder
20. Roll twice on the table, rerolling additional results of 20. Both reasons apply.

How is the Vacation in Mexico Going to be Ruined?

Here are adventure seeds for an RPG campaign in a modern setting.

What Ruins the Mexican Vacation?
The player characters are hoping for a nice relaxing vacation in sunny Mexico... but, being that they're player characters, things aren't going to be so relaxing. What harshes their mellow this time? (Roll a d12 against the list below.)

   1. A drug cartel decides to force them into being "mules" and won't take no for an answer.
   2. An old enemy hiding South of the Border recognizes a party member and thinks they're after him or her.
   3. An old enemy who's been hiding South of the Border recognizes the party and approaches them with a request for help against 1-3)slavers posing as 'coyotes', 4-6) a drug cartel that's trying to force him to help them by kidnapping someone he loves, 7-9) the corrupt officials that have been shielding him, but who are now involved in things so horrible he wants no part of it, 10-12)discover what is going on at a secret base in the desert and why the Native Americans living nearby are vanishing.
   4. Space aliens are using the resort the characters are staying at a front for their unholy experiments on humans.
   5. A waiter familiar with the PCs (possibly through an old enemy) approaches them asks them to rescue his sister from a nearby cult compound. The cult is being run by 1-3) rogue CIA operatives conducting mind-control experiments, 4-6) an ancient Olmec vampire, recently awakened and working on restablishing his vampiric powerbase, 7-9) space aliens, who are replacing humans with duplicates in preparation for an invasion, 10-12) a druglord who is testing a new product that has the unfortunate side effect of turning users into werewolves.

   6. Mole People begin their invasion of the surface world at the resort the PCs are saying at (use kobold stats). Naturally, they are led by a sexy human queen (or hunky human king) who takes a fancy to a party member.
   7. Cultists in nearby Mayan ruins are performing a ritual that will summon mighty demons to cleanse Central American of everyone without pure Native American blood.
   8. A friend of the party is abducted and held for ransom by 1-2) a cartel boss, 3-4) an old enemy of the party, 5-6) renegade CIA agents, 7-8) 'coyotes', 9-10) a mad scientist, 11-12) Cultists.
   9. A mad scientist is attempting to create President Trump's border wall with 1-3) strange chemicals in the water supply, 4-6) mind control rays, 7-9) a stolen alien spaceship and its energy shield techology, 10-12) summoning and enslaving the ancient Oltec gods.
   10. Renegade CIA agents want to force the party into taking down 1-3)a terrorist ring, 4-6)a drug cartel, 7-9)corrupt officials coordinating cross-border crime, 10-12)a cult that is infiltrating CIA stations throughout Central and South America.
   11. A local priest approaches the party and asks them to recover a relic that has been stolen from his church by a local drug boss.
   12. Roll two more times, re-rolling duplicate results. Both indicated things ruin the party's vacation.

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A NUELOW Christmas: Magical Mistletoe

It's the time of year when the Spirits of Christmas move across the land, randomly bestowing icons of the holidays with supernatural blessings.

IS THE MISTLETOE MAGICAL?
Roll 1d6 to determine the nature of the mistletoe hung in the doorway.

1. Not magical, but still pretty (and a pretty good excuse for smooching).
2. Vampires may not cross through the doorway in which the mistletoe hangs, they cannot touch it, and anyone on the other side is immune to their mind-effecting powers.
3-4. Unfaithful lovers feel compelled to confess their betrayal while under the mistletoe (Will save DC24 to resist).
5-6. Faithful lovers gain a +4 bonus to all saving skill checks, saving throws, and attack rolls made when fighting together or defending each other for 24 hours after kissing beneath the mistletoe.

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The text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright Steve 2017. (If you found this material useful and/or entertaining, please support our efforts by buying one of our products at RPGNow or DriveThruRPG.)

A NUELOW Christmas: Day Seven

Today, all we have is just a Christmas song and video to help you get in the right mood... as well as a reminder that Santa is always watching!

A NUELOW Christmas: Day Six

Here's a Christmas-flavored adventure idea for a modern setting that contains magic.

THE ELF ON THE SHELF MASSACRES
Someone is murdering the families of witnesses against Papa Jambo, the reputedly magic-using crimelord who is currently on trial for multiple murders. Despite heavy police protection, the assassins are still managing to infiltrate the homes and murder the families in their sleep; in one case, they even killed one of the officers on the protective detail.

After these shadowy assassins kill a pair of evidence technicians at a crime scene, the player characters are called in to help the investigation. Upon inspecting the crime scenes, they find one thing in common: Each home has an Elf on the Shelf doll in it... and at one point, one of the characters is attacked by one of the toys after it animates. (Use Kobold stats, 1d4 points of damage with a knife or some other sharp household object).



With some investigation, the characters discover that the Elf on the Shelf dolls were all sent to the family from the same downtown address, even if the packages all appeared to come from a variety of hard-to-contact relatives.

Upon visiting the warehouse, the party is attacked by 24 murderous Elf on the Shelf dolls. They attack in groups of 1d6+1 until all are destroyed. Further investigation of the warehouse reveals other addresses to which killer dolls were sent that morning, as well as the following (roll 1d4):

   1. That Papa Jambo's apprentice is animating the dolls and that he has moved to a different location with 48 more... which will be sent to judges and other law enforcement officials if he has the chance.
   2. That one of Papa Jambo's rivals are trying to frame him for the murders--and that rival is an even stronger and more evil sorcerer than Jambo.
   3. Family members or loved ones of the player characters have been targeted to recieve killer Elf on the Shelf dolls... and that they may already be in their homes!
   4. The Papa Jambo on trial is a look-a-like impostor and that the real crimelord is at a secret location, plotting a monstrous revenge that will turn Christmas Eve into a bloodbath!

A NUELOW Christmas: Day FiveRobert E Howard--A True Christmas Visionary!

Short story writer and poet Robert E. Howard is best known for creating Conan and Solomon Kane and thus laying the foundation for the Sword & Sorcery genre, but his creative vision was of a far greater scope!

In 1927, in a letter to his friend Clyde Tevis, Robert E. Howard created the Elf on the Shelf, something that would go onto becoming a pop culture Christmas sensation some 70 decades after his premature death!


THE WICKED OLD ELF (By Robert E. Howard)
There once was a wicked old elf
Who sat a girl up on a shelf,
In spite of her aunties,
He took down her panties—
But finish this rhyme for yourself.

For more poetry by Robert E. Howard (mostly of the serious variety), check out this collection from NUELOW Games.

A NUELOW Christmas: Day Four

There exists among us people who are touched by the Spirits of Christmas at birth. As children, they seem extra kind and extra cheerful (especially around the Holidays). When they turn 16, the Spirits visit the individual and offer them a chance to become a Santa's Helper.

SANTA'S HELPER 
(d20 System rules, presented under the Open Game License. Copyright 2017 by Steve Miller)
During character creation, the player can declare that his character chose to become a Santa's Helper when the Spirits came to visit. (This can also be rolled random if the GM prefers; the character is a Santa's Helper on a roll of 001 on percentile dice.)
  In addition to all class abilities and bonus feats, a Santa's Helper gains the following abilities for two days out of the year, December 24 and 25. If Santa requires assistance in delivering gifts to good children, or if there's a particular threat that is stopping him from visiting an area that requires the sort  skills and attention that only a player character can bring to bear, the character is asked to spring into action.
  Joy of Fellowship: The character and his closest allies (other PCs for example) gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws, attack rolls, and skill checks.
  Spellcasting: The character may cast a number of spells from the following list a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom + Charisma bonus. He casts the spell by making a gesture (such as twitching his nose or winking, with no other components required): Animal Friendship, Detect Thoughts, Disguise Self, Fabricate, Knock, Nondetection, Passwall, Telekinesis.
   Bonus Feat: The character adds Naughty or Nice to the selection of available bonus feats. The ability gained from this feat is available all year long.

A Santa's Helper is expected to be kind and helpful, and if he is mean or violent toward an undeserving or harmless target, he instantly loses his mystical status.

A NUELOW Christmas Day 3

The Globe of Snow artifact is given by the Spirit of Christmas as a gift to particularly kind individuals who find themselves missing wintery weather around the time of the holidays.

The Enchanted Snow Globe
This crystal globe is 5 inches in circumference appears to be filled with a milky liquid. When shaken starts to glow softly and a scene of an old-fashioned village with Christmas trees outside every house, or a small snowbound cottage and snow falling appears within it  (random chance for each scene--village on a result of 1-3, cottage on 3-6). When placed upon a flat surface, the globe sits perfectly balanced and does not roll unless pushed. It never rolls further than an edge from which it could fall.
   As a standard action, the person shaking the snow globe can cause snow to fall within a 120-ft radius of his or her location; the snow always falls outside, so if the character is in a spaceship or some other completely enclosed artificial environment, this function of item will not work.
   If the snow globe is thrown on the ground, it explodes and causes a violent, highly localized magical blizzard that 4d6+6 points of cold damage and blinds everyone within a 6-foot radius except the person to whom the globe was given. The blizzard lasts for six rounds. The globe reforms in the person's possession 12 hours later.
   Finally, by concentrating on the scene within the globe for a full round, the person it was gifted to can wish themselves and up to five other individuals into the scene shown within the globe. They find themselves in a comfortable and warm little home where one of the Spirits of Christmas will host them with good cheer. The characters can remain in the home for up to 12 hours, and they may perform any actions they would normally do during rest periods--they can even go outside and play in the snow. During this time, the globe sits invisible, undetectable and undestructable at the location where the characters entered the globe.
   When the globe is gifted, the character has a dream that reveals the items functions to him or her.

A NUELOW Christmas: What's Going Down at Nakatomi Plaza?

Thirty years ago, Hans Gruber staged a robbery in the Nakatomi building during a Christmas party. It ended badly for Gruber and his gang, but nearly every year since around Christmas time, there's been some sort of disaster or crisis there. This year, the player characters get drawn in! But what will it be this time?! Roll 1d10 to see and get an idea for a modern-day Christmas adventure for the player characters in your game!

WHAT IS THIS YEAR'S CHRISTMAS CRISIS AT NAKATOMI PLAZA?
   1. Hans Gruber's twin children have taken hostages and are demanding retired NYPD Detective John McClain surrender himself to them, so they can avenge the death of their father. (This is truly their motivation--with no hidden motives.)
   2. As #1, except the twins are trying to gain access to a secret lab on the 47th floor where Nakatomi is developing killer cyborgs. They want to steal them, and they want to test them on McClain on the way out.
   3. The latest upgrade to the Nakatomi U.S.'s central computer has caused it to become sentient. And murderous.
   4. The grandson of John McClain has taken a job with Nakatomi and is working on the 39th floor of the the Nakatomi building... and this has awakened the angry ghost of Hans Gruber. The mysterious deaths and accidents are his doing... and on Christmas Eve there will be a slaughter unless the PC's put him to rest once and for all.
   5. Nakatomi researchers have kidnapped and imprisoned Santa's daughter, Sugar Plum, in a secret lab in the tower; they are hoping to unlock the secret of the Claus Family's immortality as well as the secret surrounding the flying reindeer and sleigh. Santa and the elves have seized hostages and demand the PC's help free Sugar Plum.
   6. Computer hackers have infected the building's computer system with a virus and seized total control of all of its "smart systems." They want $10 million or they'll start killing people.
   7. A meeting between North Korean agents and industrial spies has gone wrong and the North Koreans have taken hostages in order to secure safe passage.
   8. Aliens have chosen Nakatomi Tower as their beachhead for invasion.

   9. Cultists are planning to sacrifice those attending a company Christmas party in a ritual to summon the Great Old Ones. They have been working as part of an interior decor remodel crew to turn the whole building into a giant ritual chamber.

   10. Neo-Nazis are hunting a Federal witness hiding in the building, killing whoever they come across. 

A NUELOW Christmas: Day One

It's December 1. The goal is to do a Christmas-related post every day--some may even be game related--until December 25.  Will we pull it off? Check back every day to find out!

The text in today's post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it. Copyright 2017 by Steve Miller.

MAGICAL CHRISTMAS COOKIES

A powerful person (rich, well-connected, a sorcerer, sorcerer-related, or just with access to magic), or perhaps even Santa himself, has gifted the player character party with a tin of magical Christmas cookies. Each type of cookie has a different effect (described on a piece of parchment in the tin), and it lasts for 8 hours or until another cookie from the tin is eaten. Each type of cookie is separated from the others by a thin sheet of paper.

    Danish Vanilla Wreaths (8 in the tin): +4 bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy skill checks. Ability to understand all Scandinavian languages.

    Gingerbread Santas (8 in the tin): +4 bonus to Move Silently and Hide skill checks. Ability to fall from up to 10 ft. and suffer no damage.

    Russian Tea Cakes (8 in the tin): +4 bonus to Gather Information and Intimidate skill checks. Ability to understand Russian.

    Shortbread Cookie (8 in the tin): +1 to all saving throws.

    Sugar Cookie Jesus (8 in the tin): Heal 1d6+1 hit points with a touch, up to a number of times equal to Wisdom+Charisma bonuses.

    White Christmas Chocolate Chip (8 in the tin): -2 damage from all elemental sources.

Although the cookies are the main attraction, but tin itself is also mildly magical. It keeps any food items placed within it fresh and edible without a need for refrigeration. The food items will still spoil at their normal rate.

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What Ruins the PC's Thanksgiving? (A Thanksgiving Adventure Idea Generator)

The title of this post explains almost everything you need to know about it! Happy Thanksgiving to all our Americans readers and gamers!

THANKSGIVING ADVENTURE IDEA GENERATOR!
What Ruins The Party's Thanksgiving Day Celebration? (Roll 1d20)

1. The turkey is under-cooked.
2. The stuffing is so dry it's hard to chew.
3. The pie is burnt.
4. A guest insists on discussing politics, possibly even gun control.
5. Terrorists take hostages and demand the PCs surrender themselves to them.
6. An old enemy (or one of his/her surviving henchmen) trap the PCs and their guests in a deadly Thanksgiving-themed maze.
7. The party is framed for a crime they didn't commit and must aviod the authorities and prove their innocence.
8. Necromantic energy has animated all turkeys (cooked or otherwise) in a 50-mile radius. (Use zombie stats for the turkeys.)
9. A misbegotten attempt to deep-fry a turkey accidentally opens a portal to the elemental plane of fire.
10. Mindflayers invade.
11. President Donald Trump decides to drop in for turkey.
12. President Bill Clinton shows up seeking protection: He sexually harrassed the wrong woman! (Wonder Woman, the Sorceress of Zoom, the Love Witch... take your pick of someone powerful who might want to kick his ass.)
13. Militant vegan spellcasters transform the giant balloons in the local Thanksgiving parade into murderous creatures bent on avenging all the slaughtered turkeys. (Use Air Elemental stats).
14. Mel Gibson and Alec Baldwin show up drunk for dinner. They weren't even invited.
15. The party and their guests are abducted by an extra-dimensional sorceress who is angry she wasn't invited to the party.
16. Someone brought Keystone Beer.
17. Milla Jovovich shows up pursued by freaky undead (use ghoul stats)
18. A previously unknown child of a PC shows up. Is it really his/her child, or just an elaborate ruse?
19. Roll twice on the table, ignoring additional results of 19. Thanksgiving is ruined because of all indicated reasons.
20. Roll twice on the table, ignoring additional results of 20. Thanksgiving is ruined because of all indicated reasons.