Let’s play a lighthouse keeper in trouble (part 2)

Hi Folks!

Here continues the story of Darrin Perkins the lighthouse keeper and his family struggling with the strange phenomena that occur in that stretch of coast, supernatural phenomena related to the presence of a powerful relic that lies hidden near the lighthouse. To enrich the narration I use Zathrum 3, you can find it here.

I’m playing this solo rpg, “Log-Book of the Lighthouse Keeper” by Mark Paglia, it’s a PWYW PDF you can find it here.

You can read the first part of this story here

Material used:
1) Solo RPG: “Log-Book of the Lighthouse Keeper” pdf
2) Solo Engine: Zathrum 3 pdf
3) Dice: 1d6, 1d20
4) Random name generator: http://random-name-generator.info

Even if the game recommends doing a daily journal I prefer to play in a more traditional way generating many days at once, I will replenish the daily journal using Zathrum 3 in the remaining days. The events generated by the game will appear in brackets, the other events instead are generated with my table that you find in Part 1.

NPC list:

Arlene Perkins (Darrin’s wife), Rosanne Perkins (Darrin’s daughter), Berthram Perkins (Darrin’s son), Ben Floyd (store boy), Herman Wilkins (owner of the general store where Darrin buys supplies), Rosanne’s unnamed teacher of chemistry, Sean Carlson (previous lighthouse keeper)

DATA: May/8/1923, WEATHER: Sunny, SHIPS SIGHTED:11 , NOTES: –

Journal: “The generator has broken down, its an sturdy piece of machinery but quite old, it took a long time to figure out what the problem was, I had to work fast to fix the burner tube before dark: the lighthouse cannot stay off. The patch won’t last long, I have to order the replacement. Arlene brought me lunch to the lighthouse, she laughed seeing my annoyed and tired face all smeared with grease. She’s always my sunshine.“

Mechanics: new event: lighthouse

A) generator failure B) lamp maintenance 35/65: A
A) completely fixed B) fixed for now 40/60: B

DATA: May/9/1923, WEATHER: Sunny and calm with a few clouds, SHIPS SIGHTED:3 , NOTES: Lower than average tide in the evening

Journal: “Around midnight a flashlight beam cut nervously through the haze then I saw a male figure trudging up the path up the side of the cliff to the lighthouse. It was quite unusual, I thought it was an emergency so I went down to the door to see what was going on. The boy who approached was of medium height, in a tweed suit and floppy hat, he was wearing the goggles that motorcyclists and motorists wear out of town. I was very surprised when we got closer, she was a woman. She said her name was Mrs.Fitzgerald. She was upset, she said she had a problem with her Packard Twin Six which had suddenly stopped, the engine would not restart she was alone and she thought of seeking help but got lost in the night and found herself on the beach, so she continued towards the lighthouse but reported having arrived in front of a cave and not being able to go back for a while. I offered her some hot coffee and then explained that I didn’t know there were any caves nearby, maybe she was confused. She glared at me and I realized she was about to reply but then she didn’t say anything, she with a very forced smile replied that she must have been wrong. I asked her if she lived nearby, she replied that she did live about 30 miles from here then she asked me in a low voice: <<How do you manage to live here?>>. I honestly didn’t know what to say but she still didn’t wait for my answer, she asked if she could use my telephone, I drove her to our house where Arlene looked after her while I continued my shift at the lighthouse. About an hour later a car arrived and took Mrs. Fitzgerald away. There is no cave nearby, she didn’t seem crazy or drunk, how could she be wrong? Should I have asked her if she had noticed a strange round stone with spiral carvings there? After lunch I went to check the cliff, I actually saw some footprints that must have belonged to Mrs Fitzgerald but there was no sign of a cave or of the strange stone. What is going on?”

Mechanics: (night: A human happens upon the entity and disturbs it)

Is it someone from the NPC list? No
I create the intruder: Laura Fitzgerald (spy, introverted, find something, precious)
Female? yes (but) with men’s clothes
A)old B)adult 40/60: B

What was she doing there at night? Shortage + Technology: car out of gas, got lost, followed the light of the beacon but…
What happened? Dirt + Mystery, Theme: Location
Something prompted her to enter a small cave in the cliff, she saw the relic
which: A) made her experience an upsetting dream B) caused amnesia and weird signs on her body. 40/60: A
How did Darrin figure it out?
A) the relic reacted, B) the intruder reacted, 40/60: B

A) she shouts for help as she trudges along the beach with her flashlight B) she reaches the lighthouse exhausted and claims to recognize Darrin.

40/60: A, her emotion: Curiosity.

Darrin has seen this lady before? No

Do I find anything that confirms what the woman said? No

DATA: May/10/1923, WEATHER: Sunny, SHIPS SIGHTED:8 , NOTES: –

Journal: “Quiet night if it hadn’t been for the events of the last few days that worry me. I can’t even distract myself with poetry. When I got home for dinner Arlene showed me what “my” son had done, it looked like someone had carried out a massacre in our kitchen but luckily the walls weren’t smeared with blood just the tomato sauce Berthram had used to redecorate the room. This afternoon he had to help his mum clean instead of going out to play, he will be grounded for a week.”

Mechanics: new event: son, theme: Environment
Do I need to worry? Yes (Surprisingly)
A) he “repainted” the kitchen with tomato sauce
B) he flooded the bathroom to create a suitable lake for his rubber duck

50/50: A

DATA: May/11/1923, WEATHER: Storm, SHIPS SIGHTED: 12, NOTES: Higher than average tides, 1 Shipwreck

Journal: “A sudden storm hit, 58 mph winds most of the night, 30 ft high waves. There was a shipwreck, the ‘Henriette’, a merchant ship washed ashore by the waves. On other occasions a storm would have been an event to remember and discuss for weeks but not this time, the events of this absurd night are beyond belief. What happened is so vivid in my mind that it can’t be a dream. It was the middle of the night, the storm was raging, and I periodically went up and down the lighthouse stairs to check the operation of the lamp, watch the waves for ships in distress and then go down to check for any telegraph messages. The wind was hissing wickedly, a nightmarish night but it was certainly not the first storm I had faced in the lighthouse. I was in the telegraph room, sitting in front of the desk when I clearly heard music whispered by the wind, it was the chant I had dreamed of several times by now. This was not the time to get distracted by dreamlike suggestions I said to myself but then something appeared in a corner of the room, like a small vague and indistinct vortex that was growing, little by little a small vaguely human figure materialized, I was terrified, I was going crazy ? I tried to open the drawer where I kept a hammer among the tools, I couldn’t do it and when I turned to look at the figure again, I saw the small body of Berthram floating in mid-air in his sailor suit that he loves so much! I knew it wasn’t him, it couldn’t be, he had to sleep at home as always, it had to be a hallucination. The Berthram-creature had a thoughtful expression like that of certain porcelain dolls, he floated in mid-air as if immersed in an invisible liquid, then he spoke in a strange voice neither young nor old: <<They’ll arrive sooner than expected, Darrin…>> I knew that the Berthram-creature was that thing that entered my dreams, that pulsating stone, but for some reason I didn’t feel in danger, I didn’t understand the meaning of his words but I begged him to change his appearance, <<Please don’t do this to me, go away!>> I said. The creature continued to look like my Berthram but the voice changed, it became harsher: <<Soon you will discover the true terror, I am strong, I help you, I succeed, I succeed… but a price will be required>> then his body moved into a fetal position and was sucked into a vortex consuming itself until it vanished. I slumped in my chair, I was shaking, I wanted to drink some gin but I don’t keep alcohol in the lighthouse. What was that creature, what did what he said mean? As soon as the storm abated I ran home to check if Arlene and the children were all right, Berthram was sleeping peacefully in the big bed with her mother, Rosanne was awake, she said she saw beautiful lightning from her window. Late in the morning a retired Army Major, Terrel Gibbs, showed up at the lighthouse, explained to me that his brother, the captain of the wrecked ship, was being investigated by the naval authorities, and asked if I could testify on his behalf. I answered evasively, my mind wandering elsewhere.”

Mechanics: (night: The entity beneath the lighthouse is restless, and causes a disturbance)

A) it indirectly causes the shipwreck
B) it communicates with Darrin for the first time

30/70: B

I don’t think the relic is totally sentient and has a real personality, it appears as someone Darrin knows:

A) Sean Carlson, the previous lighthouse keeper B) Berthram Perkins, Darrin’s son

50/50: B, oh very disturbing

Any ideas on the content of the communication? Gift + Order

A) it reassures Darrin: the relic guards the gate, B) it offers its help when they arrive but will ask for a price

40/60: B, I have no idea what it’s talking about but the options seemed appropriate to me

Theme: Discovery

(morning: A visitor from town shows up at the lighthouse to see you)

Is it in the NPC list? No Male? Yes
new character: Terrell Gibbs (warrior,vain,inactive,defend someone), emotion: anger
Ok he’s a cocky retired soldier, an army major
Is he angry with the captain of the wrecked vessel? no (surprisingly)
A) with Darrin B) with the police accusing the captain
15/85: B
thank goodness! going to trial would have been too much.
So he has come to get Darrin’s testimony to clear the captain of the charges, the captain is:

A) his brother B) his business partner 30/70: A

The name of the captain is: Gerald Gibbs

DATA: May/12/1923, WEATHER: Sunny, SHIPS SIGHTED:2 , NOTES: Lower than average tide in the morning, Higher than average in the evening

Journal: “I’ve always known that strange things happen here at the lighthouse but now it’s different, that music is always in my dreams but who is that ghost? Who does he say he wants to protect us from? My night shift at the lighthouse never passed, I was afraid that the creature would appear again but a part of me wanted to talk to him to better understand what could happen. I don’t know what time it was exactly but I think I fell asleep from exhaustion, I was on the walls of the castle of my dream, the sea breeze was cold but not annoying, something had definitely changed in the castle, instead of the west tower stood a huge stone sphere. I knew it was last night’s creature, I called him in the dream. He did not answer so I approached until I touched the rough surface of the enormous stone, then a voice spoke to me in the dream <<THEY ARE HERE>> and I saw the coast filled with a horde of ravenous beastmen who shouted with bestial voices and who ran towards the castle brandishing strange primitive weapons. I didn’t see anyone inside the castle, it was always empty in my dreams. <<Who are they? What they want? What do you want from me?>> I cried to that damned stone. The answer was sudden and painful, a piercing scream straight into my brain, <<SEARCH!>> I regained consciousness with a stifled cry, I was awake again sitting in my office, dawn was near. I was drenched in cold sweat. I have to understand what is happening. The coast around the castle looks like this but not exactly, now that I think about it the stone with which the castle is built also looks like that of the cliff. I brooded about these things all day even when I had to go to town this morning to testify about the shipwreck, it was a pure formality according to what the sheriff told me.”

Mechanics: (night: The entity beneath the lighthouse is restless, and causes a disturbance) 

A) Darrin has a dream involving the relic B) Darrin finds handwritten directions to a trail in a manual.

50/50 A

A) the relic shows him something important B) the relic answers a question

50/50: A, Theme: Enemy Action

What kind of enemy? Character: Warrior, Theme: Animal

Many? Yes

I think it’s a horde of beastmen

Can Darrin get a clue from the relic in the dream? No but prompts him to do research

(morning: You must go into town on an errand)

I believe the reason here is A) to testify as a witness in court B) to take the spare part of the generator that has just arrived. 40/60: A

DATA: May/13/1923, WEATHER: Sunny, SHIPS SIGHTED:13 , NOTES: –

Journal: “When Arlene replaced me at the lighthouse I went to scour the cliff, I begin to believe that there is actually a cave and that there may be the answers I’m looking for but unfortunately I haven’t found anything, I haven’t even been able to locate the place where we seen the stone, with those strange shells that were down there. Nothing. At home I changed clothes, drank a coffee, stayed with the children, but kept thinking about the dream and then I started correcting the poem ‘The Emerald Tears’, in this way I finally found some relief. I think it turned out very well, after dinner I read it to Arlene, she listened to each verse with great attention but towards the end she seemed surprised or upset. She is always the first audience for my poems and I trust her criticisms of her so I asked her what was wrong, she said it was wonderful. Arlene can’t lie well.”

Mechanics: new event: poems

Darrin has been scouring the reef, has he found any clues? No (on the contrary)

Is “The Emerald Tears” poem completed? yes (apparently)
Did Darrin’s wife like it? no (surprisingly) emotion: Contempt
Does she explain to him why she is upset? no

DATA: May/14/1923, WEATHER: Sunny, SHIPS SIGHTED:1 , NOTES: Higher than average tide in the morning

Journal: “I spent the night full of anticipation, would the creature return? Meanwhile in the office I searched for some useful information for hours looking through the old documents, in the old logbooks for example but I couldn’t find them. The previous lighthouse keeper Carlson apparently wasn’t very tidy. If I could have contacted Carlson maybe he would have told me more but all I knew was that he moved after he retired. This morning around 11 am Arlene calls me at home, there are guests she told me. I was speechless when I saw who the guest was, Sean Carlson! He was sitting in the living room with the glass of rum that my wife had offered him, he greeted me with a nod of his head, he looked tired. Arlene left us alone, Carlson had business matters to discuss with me, she told me. He said that after reading about the shipwreck he felt like paying a visit to the lighthouse to see how things were here. I listened to his nonsense far too long, he must have known more, he was the one who had warned me about the strange things happening at the lighthouse when we got here. I explained to him that I was happy to see him because only he could understand my situation. I asked him if he had ever had strange dreams here at the lighthouse. <<Who never has nightmares, Mr. Perkins?>> I then asked him if he knew of the existence of a cave in the cliff. His expression changed, he finished his rum, he replied that there were no caves here and if there were any he didn’t want to know. He added that he was an honest and god-fearing man who didn’t want to have anything more to do with that sea entity. <<What happened here, Mr. Carlson?>> I said, he replied almost pleading that he couldn’t help me, he was dying and he was just a useless old man now. I couldn’t get him to say anything else but before leaving he asked for more rum then took from his jacket a packet of loose papers tied with an old string, put them on the table. He said maybe I’d find what I wanted in his old notes from him, he’d been carrying them all along to remind himself of what he’d done. <<Now their weight had become unbearable, Mr.Perkins>> the old man sad before leaving my house.”

Mechanics: (morning: A visitor from town shows up at the lighthouse to see you)

A) Mrs Fitzgerald B) Sean Carlson, 50/50: B

Has Darrin contacted him? No

Emotion: Nostalgia

A) Carlson wants to see the lighthouse one last time
B) Carlson was called from the relic

60/40: A

Is Carlson willing to help Darrin? No (appearently)

A) Carlson is afraid B) Carlson feels guilty 30/70: B,

Theme: Escape/Pursue, I think he resigned knowing that danger was approaching and would trap the residents of the lighthouse somehow.

A)Carlson eventually leads him to the cave B)Carlson gives him some old notes 40/60 B

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Names are randomly generated. Images created by me using AI from https://stablediffusionweb.com/

Let’s play a lighthouse keeper in trouble (part 1)

Hi Folks!

This time I play this solo rpg, “Log-Book of the Lighthouse Keeper” by Mark Paglia, it’s a PWYW PDF you can find it here.

In this game you play a lighthouse keeper who has to take care of his work and life on a daily basis but also of something supernatural that is hidden under the lighthouse. The rules are very simple and original, every turn/day some data is randomly extracted including the tides and the ships sighted and from these information other data are obtained which help to define what will happen. To enrich the narration I use Zathrum 3, you can find it here.

Material used:
1) Solo RPG: “Log-Book of the Lighthouse Keeper” pdf
2) Solo Engine: Zathrum 3 pdf
3) Dice: 1d6, 1d20
4) Random name generator: http://random-name-generator.info

Protagonist Creation:
DARRIN PERKINS
Darrin, 41 years old, is a former history teacher with a secret passion for poetry, his respectable appearance and good-natured attitude hides a sharp mind and a strong sense of justice, after years of disappointment in the big city he decides to change his life to write a book of poems, the right opportunity arrives and he becomes the new lighthouse keeper of Charmouth, CT. When he is nervous he constantly checks the time on his pocket watch, a precious french silver watch inherited from his father.

Mechanics:

I used Zathrum 3 to define him:
character: Trainer, personality: Cunning, motivation: Justice, descriptor: Precious
idea: cause/consequence + travel/place, I interpret it that the cause of his new life is due to living in a big city.

Prologue:
“I’m starting this journal today to record more accurately the small daily events but also the incredible happenings that periodically mark our stay on this windswept coast. My name is Darrin Perkins, I’ve been the lighthouse keeper for a few years now. I live here with my wife Arlene who also helps me in my work and my two children, Rosanne the eldest and that little pest of my son Berthram.
The family also includes our cat Toby who keeps me company on night shifts.
Before we got married Arlene and I passed by and fell in love with the place, I taught History at a Chicago high school for a few years, but that life wasn’t for us and at the birth of our second child we were ready to change our lives, get away from the chaos of the metropolis,
Arlene loves the sea, I would have had the peace and solitude to compose my poems, it was a crazy move but you only live once, I read about a lighthouse keeper vacancy, I applied without much hope but I was hired, after the preparation course we moved here. Our daughter Rosanne was the least enthusiastic but she seems to do well in the school in the village.”

Mechanics:

The game offers us to answer some questions to better clarify the situation our keeper is in, I answered with the oracle of Zathrum 3 and I added other questions to understand something more.
What era are we in? A: 1923, B: 1973, odds: 50/50 = A
Does Darrin have a wife? Yes

(character: transporter, personality: extroverted, motivation: health, descriptor: incomplete)
ARLENE PERKINS, 36 years old, adopted daughter of a station master, she has always dreamed of having a perfect family and living happily, always friendly and helpful with everyone, she suffers from asthma and the doctors have recommended her to live near the sea. The only memory of her natural parents is the note that was found in the basket with her, on the note there are only two letters, H.L. perhaps her mother’s initials.

Does Darrin have children? Yes, A: one B: two, Odds: 50/50 = B
Grown children? No
I create the two children with the same method before:

(character: student, personality: calm, motivation: destroy something, descriptor: metal)
ROSANNE PERKINS, 14 years old, a calm and studious girl who plays the transverse flute and shows a worrying passion for chemistry especially explosives

(character: healer, personality: pleasure seeker, motivation: glory, descriptor: incomplete)
BERTHRAM PERKINS, 6 years old, an adorable brat, greedy for chocolate, when he grows up he wants to become a doctor or a famous actor, careless, he seems to lose a few buttons from his clothes every day

Does Darrin have a pet? Yes
his name is Toby and it is an A: cat B: dog Odds:70/30 = A

Why does Darrin work here? Idea: beginning/end + external/internal
to start a new phase of one’s life more in tune with one’s intimate aspirations

Does Darrin need to go to town only to buy supplies? No
Does Darrin also buy some writing materials since he writes poems? Yes
He types the lyrics of her poems for future publication, he needs reams of paper and ribbons for her typewriter.

It’s time to figure out what lies under the lighthouse:

What lies beneath your lighthouse?
Among the alternatives proposed by the game, I choose the two that I like the most:
A: a semi-sentient relic, B: an abandoned laboratory full of robots, Odds:65/35 = A
OK it’s a mysterious relic. I want to know more about this relic: Idea: gift/memory + mystery/secret, Descriptor: size.

I guess it is some kind of spherical boulder that gives off a strong psychic field, the surface covered with incisions and spirals, its size changes over time for no plausible reason, it lies in an equally eerie cave, it seems to cause strange dreams of past lives and that establishes a particular bond with each lighthouse keeper.

Will the villagers risk being killed by the relic if Darrin doesn’t stop it? No (and)
Absolutely not, but there have been cases of people who have disappeared after seeing the relic or have never been the same.
Has Darrin seen the relic yet? Yes (but)
For now only in dreams, Darrin’s poetic inspiration has benefited greatly.

JOURNAL:
In each game turn the keeper must write down some official data in the logbook every day but he can
also better describe what happens in the pages of his personal journal. The game recommends
playing one turn at a time but I preferred to play multiple turns in each game session.
I also added a specific table to define what would be the daily topic to mark in the journal in case the game does not generate an unexpected event: (1d6) : 1) wife 2) daughter 3) son 4) cat 5) poems 6) lighthouse.

LOGBOOK:

Data: May/1/1923, Weather: Sunny, Ships sighted:18, Notes: –

Journal: “This morning Ben Floyd, the store boy from the Wilkins General Store came here, he was very agitated and asked me to help him with the shop van, a tire had blown and the van had gone off the road near the lighthouse, Floyd was worried he had made damage to the vehicle and that his boss Herman Wilkins was angry with him. Luckily it was nothing serious, we changed the wheel and Floyd was very relieved.”

Mechanics: (A visitor from town shows up at the lighthouse to see you)
Who is the visitor? (character:servant, personality:impulsive, descriptor:fire, theme:rescue)
Female? No, Old? No (and), it’s Ben Floyd a shop boy alarmed by something. Idea: separation/union + travel/place.

Data: May/2/1923, Weather: Sunny with few clouds, Ships sighted:17, Notes: Provisions restocked.

Journal: “I went into town this morning to get supplies at Wilkins General Store, Floyd thanked me for yesterday’s help and insisted on helping me load the stuff into the back of my buggy.
I also took some other sheets for the typewriter.”

Data: May/3/1923, Weather: Sunny, Ships sighted:1, Notes: –

Journal: “Today I had an incredible dream, it was in color and I was some kind of medieval earl in a stone castle, I was sitting on a strange throne also made of stone, on the walls hung silk tapestries embroidered with green spiral patterns. I was completely alone in the large hall then I found myself on top of a very high tower and the wind brought me a sweet song, the voice was Arlene’s, I called her several times in my dream but I had no voice, I couldn’t speak. then I woke up and for the rest of the day the melody of that song stuck in my mind. I’ve had similar dreams before but never so vivid. It could be the inspiration I seek for the next poem.”

Mechanics: I create an event with my table: poems

Data: May/4/1923, Weather: Sunny, Ships sighted:6, Notes: –

Journal: “Our cat Toby has disappeared, he is a very habitual feline, after dinner he always comes with me to the top of the lighthouse to inspect the lamp. He had been with us for dinner as always then he vanished, Berthram was in tears and didn’t want to go to bed without seeing his beloved cat. Maybe Toby is in heat? I would have heard him meowing, well cats can get away with it, he’ll probably reappear in the morning with a little mouse as a present”

Mechanics: This time the event is cat, I use Zathrum 3 for a theme: escape/pursue

Data: May/5/1923, Weather: Sunny, Ships sighted:14, Notes: –

Journal: “Toby has returned from his nocturnal adventure, he must have gotten into a fight with a rival in love, his back is full of scratches, Arlene has been trying to disinfect the scratches with tincture of iodine with mixed success. I started composing a new poem, it’s about the strange dream I had, I already have the title: “The Emerald Tears”, I wish I had more free time to complete it soon before the inspiration fades.”

Mechanics: new event: poems. I use the Zathrum 3 Oracle: Is toby back? Yes. Is he hurt? No (but) the cat has scratches on the body.

Data: May/6/1923, Weather: Sunny, Ships sighted:8, Notes: Unusually high tide in the evening.

Journal: “The children found some beautiful shells on the beach, especially the one Rosanne found was really strange, it was similar to a snail but felt strange to the touch like it was ivory or bakelite, she showed me the place where the he gathered, it was a recess of the lighthouse cliff, there was dark seaweed everywhere, on the ground and even on the rocks that never get washed by the tide, then I distinctly heard a melody, it was the same song of my dream, it was in my mind , Rosanne didn’t hear anything but she headed right in the direction from which the singing came and she picked up a shell similar to the other, it was on a perfectly round boulder, wrapped in those strange algae but I could see some incisions, spirals like those of the dream tapestries. Rosanne distracted me from my thoughts: “Is it a fossil dad?”, I replied that it was probably just a rock eroded by the sea. We got out of there right away, I told the kids that part of the coast was dangerous for tides and they had to stay away. It had moved! I swear I saw that stone move, it was pulsing slightly like a heart in slow motion. Sean Carlson, the previous keeper, warned me of strange things going on here, but this!”

Mechanics: (The entity beneath the lighthouse is restless, and causes a disturbance)

I use Zathrum 3 for a theme: environment. I also used my event table: daughter

Data: May/7/1923, Weather: Sunny, Ships sighted:15, Notes:

Journal: “Rosanne gave me her seashells, said she’s changed her mind, finds fireworks very interesting, wants to prepare a July 4th research to present to her chemistry teacher. Great. I want to go back to the cliff to examine that spherical stone, part of me is terrified of the idea but I have to find out what it is, it could be a threat or I could make a discovery that would appear in all the newspapers: ‘lighthouse keeper discover a brain coral and mistakes it for a monster’.”

Mechanics: new event: daughter.

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Names are randomly generated. Images created by me using AI from https://stablediffusionweb.com/

ZATHRUM 3 in Italiano!

I added the Italian translation of Zathrum 3 that you can find on the download page

Ho aggiunto la traduzione in italiano di Zathrum 3 che trovate sulla pagina download

ZATHRUM 3, an updated and extended version of the Zathrum Solo Engine

Hi Folks!

The new version of my Solo Engine ZATHRUM is available: 15 universal and generic tables for your adventures with your favorite TTRPG.

In my experience and that of others it is best to use a small number of random tables when playing solo to avoid getting lost in long consultations that detract from the narrative flow.

For this reason, the first version of Zathrum was very concise, perhaps too much.

Zathrum 2 had an adequate number of tables but I felt that something was still missing and so I have extracted from my notes, really full of tables and rules, some additional tables that I think will be as useful to you as they are to me.

Download ZATHRUM 3 in the Free Resources page or in the Download page

The Battle of Wauhatchie (ACW)

Hi Folks! This afternoon I played this quick battle with my solo wargame system, I chose to simulate a part of a little known battle because it took place exactly on October 29th 159 years ago. It is an unusual battle because it took place entirely at night making the battle very difficult and confusing. This scenario is only a part of the clash, the one that took place further south on the right flank of the Unionists. In about an hour I played this scenario twice, once using the Confederates and once using the Unionists, here is a summary of the battle I did using the Union.

WAUHATCHIE BATTLE
Thursday 29/10/1863, Clear Night
At the Second Division XII Corps camp a passenger train is stopped before the Nashville-Chattanooga line fork.
The Confederate Jenkins’ Brigade attack by surprise to regain control of the railroad than otherwise
it would make it possible to supply Union troops besieged in Chattanooga.
The Confederates must win before large Unionist reinforcements arrive behind them.

UNION ORDER OF BATTLE:
Northern side:
137th NY Regiment
109th PA Regiment
111st PA Regiment
Battery E section 1
Railway side:
149th PA Regiment
78th NY Regiment
Battery E section 2
Rearguard:
19th PA Regiment

CONFEDERATION ORDER OF BATTLE:
Northern side:
5th SC Regiment
Hampton Legion
1st SC Regiment
6th SC Regiment
Railway side:
2nd SC Rifles Regiment
Palmetto Sharpshooters

TURN # 1: Time: 00:00 Initiative: Confederates (attackers)
The Palmetto Sharpshooters first attacks the Union 149 PA Regiment
which, however, quickly reorganizes and repels the assault

TURN # 2: Time: 00:30 am. Initiative: Confederates
On the north front the 1st SC Regiment attacks the Union 109 PA Regiment
and on the railroad side the 78 NY Regiment repels a Confederate surprise attack of Palmetto Sharpshooters patrols, eliminating them as soon as they come off the bank of a stream

TURN # 3: Time: 01:00 am. Initiative: Unionists
To the north, Col. Ireland of 137 NY Reg. orders an attack that forces the enemy 6 SC Regiment to a retreat that leaves many fallen on the ground.
On the railroad the 149 PA Regiment attacks the Palmetto Sharpshooters and
despite the difficulty of identifying the enemy in the dark the Confederates were routed,
Palmetto Sharpshooters’ commander, Col. Joseph Walker, is among the fallen of the South.

In the Union rearguard, the guns of Battery E Section 1 unsuccessfully attack elements of the 5 SC
which, however, manages to infiltrate some companies that eliminate the unionist gunners

TURN # 4: Time: 01:30 am. Initiative: Confederates
The 1st SC Regiment forces the Union 109 PA Regiment to retreat with serious losses including Cpt Frederick L. Gimber.
On the railroad side, however, the 78 NY Regiment successfully repulses the 2 SC Rifles that retreat to a safe distance in the dark.

TURN # 5: Time: 02:00 am. Initiative: Confederates
Col David Ireland leads his Union 137 NY Regiment repelling the Hampton Legion attack and forcing it to retreat. At the same time the 29 PA Regiment rejects the attempted bypass on its left flank
by the remaining forces of the 5th SC Regiment, Confederate Col Asbury Coward is seriously injured.

At this point the Confederate commander Col John Bratton decides to withdraw his troops
before the massive Union reinforcements do approach behind him.
The supply routes for the Chattanooga Unionist troops are open.

Victory points: Union/Me = 5 vs Confederation/AI =2

UNION VICTORY

Halloween Funnel Adventure (2021 edition)

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Hi Folks! Given the success of this type of adventure, I propose you more detailed rules inspired by the video game Dead By Daylight. You can find the original Bivius Funnel Adventure rules in Tunnels & Dragons. The previous article with the Slasher Funnel Adventure rules can be found here. 

RANDOM SLASHER

Mask (1d10)
1) Halloween Pumpkin
2) Red Skull
3) Green Gasmask
4) Gory Teddybear
5) Pig Face
6) Zombie
7) Bunny
8) Plague Doctor
9) Mummy
10) Demon

Outfit (1d10)

1) Zombie

2) Hunter

3) Butcher

4) Mechanic

5) Farmer

6) Black robe

7) Mummy

8) Clown

9) BDSM

10) Medic

Weapon (1d10)

1) Machete

2) Throwing Hatchets

3) Rusted Knife

4) Axe

5) Chainsaw

6) Claws

7) Electric Prod

8) Saw

9) Sword

10) Mace

Special Power (1d10)

1) Teleport

2) Stealth

3) Poison Flasks

4) Terror

5) Infectious Vomit

6) Sprint

7) Illusions

8) Temporary Invisibility

9) Beartraps

10) Headtraps

Hunting Territory (1d10)

1) Abandoned High School

2) Abandoned Carnival

3) Haunted Campsite

4) Abandoned Asylum

5) Abandoned Farm

6) Abandoned Sawmill

7) Creepy Cemetery

8) Abandoned Motel

9) Abandoned Slaughterhouse

10) Abandoned Drive In

Gender (1d6)

1-3) Male

4-6) Female

VICTIMS

The six Victims (aka Survivors) are created as before, if you want to add more details use the Personality, Emotion and Descriptor tables of Zathrum

Stereotype (1d6):
1) Nerd
2) Jock
3) Cheerleader
4) Babysitter
5) Redneck
6) Deputy sheriff

Advantage (1d6):
1) Dexterity
2) Intuition
3) Reflexes
4) Luck
5) Precognition
6) Willpower

Tool (1d6):
1) Torchlight
2) Toolkit
3) Baseball bat
4) nothing
5) nothing
6) nothing

SLASHER FUNNEL 2021 SCENE PROCEDURE:

1) A)<location> B)<location>

2) A)<detail> B)<detail>

3) A)<victim> B)<victim>

4) A)High Level Threat B)Low Level Threat

5) A)Pursuit by the Slasher B)Ambush by the Slasher

6) Describe the scene and let the chosen victim face the threat

7) A) the survived victim recover 1 lost level B) nothing

Useful Bivius Lists

Location: Closed Gate, Broken Generator, Hiding Place, Locked Escape Manhole, Dim Room, Bloody Corridor, Dark Cellar, Dirty Stairs, Moldy Attic, Swamp…

Detail: Crows, Rats, Message written in blood, Fog, Tracks, Pool of blood, Torture table, Full moon, Broken window, Smashed door, Mysterious chests, Moans of pain, Sweet nauseating smell, Creepy laugh, Howling, Cobwebs, Voodoo dolls, Skull totem, …

How to Create a Setting for Bivius RPG. (Part 2)

Hi Folks! here we are with the second part of this tutorial to create a setting for Bivius rpg. You can find the first part here. As example I use Bivius Tunnels & Dragons, which you can download here.

7. DATA:

Now you can take care of other information that may be useful for the characters: age, gender, personalities, goals, factions, known languages, etc.

8 . EQUIPMENT:

Define the essential equipment present in the setting, it is not necessary a list of costs, encoumbrance, etc. If you need such information during play, just use common sense and if in doubt ask the B.R.O.
Characters sometimes have special equipment, which is an Advantage, in this case
it is possible to transform it into a specific Stat. Sometimes a special item or vehicle
becomes essential and requires more detail then it may be necessary to turn it into a Gadget (Rule #11) that is a game element with more Stats, Disadvantages and Data just like an Alt Player Character.

T&D: There are lists for various types of weapons and suitable armor. Magic weapons and armor are Stats such as Good Weapon and Good Armor. Magic Items are Stats Special Tool or Amulet. Relics are represented as Gadgets.

9 . PREREQUISITES:

There may be restrictions on acquiring particular Stats due to the setting or logic.

T&D: for example to get some Stat it is necessary to reach a certain Rank of experience

10 . SPECIAL RULES:

It may be necessary to add special rules to describe some elements of the setting.
A magical system? A particular type of racing, challenge or fight?
in these cases specific rules and procedures can be defined.

T&D: I have not defined a specific magical system or lists of spells because each fantasy setting has its own particularities, I have limited myself to adding a list of Stats of magic schools available from rank 2 of experience. Other details must be added based on the reference fantasy setting or the fantasy rpg you are emulating

11 . DANGERS:

Make a list of typical dangers present in the setting: enemies, monsters, environmental risks, etc.
It is possible to define a hierarchy of dangers based on the PC experience Rank.
In Bivius the dangers are always balanced with the capabilities of the character or characters.

T&D: Classic fantasy monsters and enemies are grouped into separate lists based on PC experience Ranks.

12 . PROCEDURES:

Procedures guide the player in developing characters and adventures. The outcome of an adventure scene is decided with one or two tests.

T&D: in addition to the Procedures for creating characters, magic items and relics, there are procedures for typical fantasy adventures: Sandbox, Dungeon crawling, Journey

13 . FINAL CHECK:

At this point everything is ready just do the final check of your Bivius Scenario:

Use the rules you have developed to create the Bivius version of the model characters you selected in Step 2 ( read How to Create a Setting for Bivius RPG. (Part 1) )
This way you may notice if you need to change any rule, Stat, Prerequisite or Data.
When you can rebuild the character models with the rules that you have developed then you can try to create new characters with new combinations.

Add, remove, correct what you need and congratulations you have created a new Bivius setting!

Solo Wargame: Three Battles of Waterloo

Hi Folks! For the 200th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo I had played this solo scenario for the first time using a brigade-level scale and playing on the side of the French. The result was an even worse defeat of the historical one, failing even to conquer Le Haye Sainte in the center because my Marshal Ney was killed into battle causing his units to rout.

For the 206th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo I decided to try this scenario again using a simplified version of my homemade wargame (unpublished) and with a corps-division level scale, so I was able to replay the battle three times in a couple of hours:

Run #1: I played on the side of Wellington: minor defeat, the Prussian reinforcements arrive late and Wellington was killed during the retreat to Brussels

Run #2: I played on the side of Napoleon: victory. a very hard battle, the French attacks are more effective, the English squares are destroyed by enemy artillery, Wellington dies heroically among his men, the pursuit of the enemies continues until 11.30 pm

It was fast and interesting. the scenario follows some constants:
The time, the deployment and the weather conditions are historical ones.
below I propose my 3rd run in a narrative version:

Set up of the battle, the allies in red, the french in blue

Run #3: BATTLE OF WATERLOO (18 June 1815, clear weather, muddy ground)

1 round equals 1 hour. The battle starts at 11.30 am.
The arrival of the Prussians is possible from the 5th round onwards and randomly activated.
The battle ends with sunset on turn 11. After the battle it is possible for the winner side to chase the fleeing enemy to inflict further casualties.

This time I play as Wellington again.

The battle begins around 11.30 am with the attack of the light infantry of Jerome Bonaparte on the castle of Hougoumont, the French coordinate well the bombardment of the artillery with the advance of the infantry, the scarce Allied garrison is forced to abandon the perimeter and retire to the castle.

Wellington urges the Prince of Orange to immediately send reinforcements to Hougoumont but he hesitates too much and surprisingly the French overwhelm the garrison and conquer the castle threatening the entire left wing of the allied formation. The heavy bombardments of the French artillery on the Papelotte farm on the other side of the front fortunately did not cause serious losses.

Napoleon surprises me again, the French Emperor send other divisions to Hougoumont and I am forced to withdraw the line. At the same time, Marshal Ney leads a powerful charge against the center of the allied line, the attack is concentrated on Kempt’s troops who are arranged in square and repel the enemy. On the left wing the French infantry advances in attack columns towards Papelotte but after an intense rifle battle the Hanoverian troops heroically manage to repel the offensive.

Around 2.30 pm I plan a reaction: the Maitland’s troops regain control of Hougoumont, with the right flank safe I order a counterattack from the other side, the English heavy cavalry overwhelms hosts of enemies but during the retreat is decimated by the fastest Polish uhlans. In the center, the French cavalry of Ney causes the rout of the Ompteda’s infantry.

After an hour of fierce fighting the pressure of the enemy is increasing. I receive reassuring messages about the imminent arrival of the Prussians but for now I still have to manage by myself. Maitland holding Hougoumont is attacked on three sides by the troops of Foy and Reille, after a long resistance the troops of Maitland are routed. Hougoumont has fallen under enemy control again.

After repeated charges, Marshal Ney conquers my central outpost of La Haye Sainte. The only comforting news comes from the left wing, General Picton led a counter-offensive causing many enemy casualties. Finally the Blucher’s Prussian corps arrives on the battlefield, it collides with the French reserve commanded by Lobau and manages to make it retreat.

round 6

It is round 6 and the Corsican emperor regains the initiative, he orders the troops under Reille’s command to advance from Hougoumont, I use the little artillery I still have on that side and then I release the cavalry of the guard, it works. The French infantry retreats then stops in square formations. I have time to consolidate that side of the front with reserve troops. In the center Ney leads his last cavalry charges without being able to break through the British infantry squares. In front of Papelotte we see confused movements of enemy troops then from the fog of war enemy assault columns emerge: The Imperial Guard! The chasseurs of the Middle Guard easily conquer Papelotte and continue the offensive.

At 5.30pm the Prussian hussars pursue Lobau’s French infantry on rout . I send a strong contingent of reserve infantry to conquer Hougoumont again, in the center Doncelet’s infantry is pushed back by Kempt’s troops approaching La Hauye Sainte. But if I managed to break through the left side of the enemy line, Napoleon wants to do the same on the opposite side, his Middle Guard inexorably advances and Picton’s defensive line collapses.

Meanwhile, Bullow’s Prussians aim to hit the rear of the French but are arrested by the Young Guard in the village of Plancenoit. Other Prussian forces attack what remains of the French troops on the flank of the advancing imperial guard.

The Middle Guard collides with the English reserve which rejects them even if with difficulty. With a last desperate charge of cavalry, Marshal Ney overwhelms Kempt’s troops, my center is shattered, meanwhile the Prussians attack the Young Guard, it is a bloodbath but the arrival of other Prussian units led by Blucher and Von Ziethen eliminate all French resistance there. Both sides are about to break up but our position is now much better than that of Napoleon’s army.

Wellington’s reserve infantry awaits Ney’s cavalry in squares, which after a few charges is destroyed. Marshal Ney is injured but manages to avoid capture. The Prussians eliminate the French Middle Guard and conquer La Belle Alliance starting the encirclement of the enemy.

It’s not over yet. Wellington leads the counterattack against the fearsome Old Guard who resists to cover the route of the French, after a hard firefight the old guard is surrounded and refuses to surrender, they all fight to the death. It is 830 pm no need to chase the fleeing enemies, most of the survivors have been captured, including Ney. Napoleon, however, managed to escape to Paris.

last round

final comment:

In this 3rd run the Allies won an even more clear-cut victory than in history, however all three times the battle was truly bloody. As for the rule system I used it is vaguely similar to the W1815 boardgame even if with totally different mechanics.

How to Create a Setting for Bivius RPG. (Part 1)

Hi Folks!

here we are at the first part of the guide on how to create settings for Bivius. it is not difficult, the system is generic and narrative and doesn’t need modifiers or wasting time in complex and boring calculations. also if you create a setting for your exclusive use you do not need to dwell on descriptions and definitions of things you know well.
I’ll use Bivius Tunnels & Dragons as an example, you can download Tunnels & Dragons here.

1. SOURCES:

First you need to define what kind of setting you want to use, if it is based on:

• an rpg
• another kind of game
• a genre you know
• an original setting you invented

T&D: this is a generic fantasy setting, the main sources of inspiration are all the D&D versions, T&T, but also non-OSR games like MERP, Warhammer Fantasy etc.

2. MODELS:
Define a representative number of characters in the setting you want to describe, the greater their differences the better.

T&D: I’ve made a list of characters based on the classes of the various versions of D&D, T&T, and some characters such as Conan the Barbarian, Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, King Arthur etc.

3. STATS:
After examining the models define the 5 stats that you think are appropriate to describe these characters.
There are some wildcard stats that can be used in most settings: Talent, Background, Specialty, Advantage

T&D: Using other rpgs as sources makes things easier, the stats I have selected are

• Kinship (aka race or people if there are no non-human species)
• Class
• Career (a kind of specialization or subclass)
• Background (some skill or category which can be useful)
• Advantage

4. ADVANCED STATS:
Ask yourself if there are and what are the stats that should not be available during character creation.

T&D: in fantasy, especially OSR, advancement through experience is important, so there are lists of Stats accessible only after reaching Rank 2 and others accessible only after reaching Rank 3. In this way for example your character can start as a Squire and after many daring adventures becomes a Knight and then maybe a Lord

5. BIVIUS LISTS FOR STATS
At this point, give the green light to the imagination and research in order to list for each stat you have defined a list of suitable elements taking them from model characters that you have already identified. Here too the inspiration drawn from other games facilitates this operation.

T&D: Kinships represent all the fantasy races used for PCs in most games of this genre, ditto for the other Stats.

6. DISADVANTAGES:

Define disadvantages suitable for the setting. in Bivius the disadvantages serve to better describe the characters and to add details to their adventures, one thing especially important when playing solo. As for the Stats, disadvantages are mainly based on model characters

T&D: Being a generic fantasy setting, if a model has an interesting disadvantage but too tied to a specific setting I made it more generic, same for defining Stats.

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That’s all for now, soon we will see the other seven points to create a Bivius RPG setting for your solo adventures.

Updated Zathrum 2.2 and Some Thoughts

Hi Folks!

I have published the latest version of Zathrum with the new details table that I had shown you in the previous post.

2020 what a crazy year, I too like everyone had to face some difficulties that also affected the time to devote to the game and the blog. The review of T&D is not finished yet but I have received some nice messages from you and thank you for that!

In the last few years I have created various games and supplements, I have continued to play and have fun creating solo rpg and wargaming material for myself.

To date I have written 46 Bivius settings, I have played less than a third of them but I intend to play them all before creating others.

Q: Why don’t I publish them?
A: it takes a long time (which I don’t have) and many would infringe the copyright of franchises (I don’t want to).

But I was thinking of offering you some advice on how to create your own Bivius settings, one of the features that I wanted this game to have is the ease in converting settings of any kind and then playing them.

I found that I really like using Zathrum together with Bivius in my solo adventures, I also created a solo engine deck but that’s another story…

Meanwhile, keep playing when you have the time and be creative as much as possible.

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