Toxic T-shirts, Hungry Hollows & Curious Critters...
+ win a copy of Stu Horvath's ace Monsters, Aliens And Holes In The Ground!
Well, this is becoming a regular occurrence.
Right, in case this is your first newsletter… Wyrd Science issue 6 is still up for pre-order -shipping at the end of July- it’s going to be great, with everything from Mausritter to Pendragon inside. Please do check it out as it’s kind of what we do.
At the same time we’ve a print bundle of issues 3-5 for just £20, and for those averse to paper we’ve collated issues 1 to 5 for less than £5 at Itch.io and DriveThruRPG. Weeks of reading there for less than 1p a page, which I try not to think about too much.
But that’s not all! This week our new t-shirts are up for sale too. Featuring a gloriously anarchic illustration by the brilliant Lukasz Kowalczuk on the back (see above) and a -somewhat- more restrained Wyrd Science logo on the front. I can’t overstate the snotty adolescent joy these give me. They’re on the way from the printers to our warehouse now and will ship in around two weeks in time for your #HotRatSummer.
Apologies for going all QVC shopping channel on you there but we do need to try and keep the lights on somehow. I know that most of you, rightly, just want to read about cool stuff in peace and not get roped into what feels like a MLM scheme but, like everyone trying to do anything even just a little bit different, we need all the help we can get these days.
If you can’t afford to buy the mag or a t-shirt or whatever that’s totally understandable and the Gazetteer that will always be free, but any recommendations or shares of this nonsense really do make a world of difference. There’s only so many times you can hype yourself up without it just becoming noise and I suspect we’re long past that point now.
Anyway, we do have some great things for you this week that don’t involve me flogging you stuff out of the back of a van. So, read on for a chance to win one of my favourite RPG related books from the past year, discover what might be your favourite new band, back a creepy new module for Liminal Horror, explore a giant dog and enjoy possibly the largest set of bookmark links in the history of this newsletter.
Finally (!) we had some interesting responses to last week’s moan about Free RPG Day, so thanks to everyone who commented or emailed us about their experiences. Definitely seems to be a mixed bag but good to hear that there are some stores with pro-active management, or pro-active customers, getting something out of it.
Still that does raise the question of how good a job the event as a whole does to promote itself and roleplaying games to new people, especially when so many people already involved with the industry have a rather vague idea of its purpose. Something I’m sure we’ll return to another day.
But until then…
John x
Stu Horvath - Monsters, Aliens And Holes In The Ground
Whether we’re in a golden age for roleplaying games is a discussion always up for debate but we’ve certainly never been so blessed with great books on the subject, including several that should be mandatory reading before you get your hot take license.
A recent addition to that canon is Stu Horvath’s Monsters, Aliens And Holes In The Ground - A Guide To Tabletop Roleplaying Games From D&D to Mothership, which regular readers will recognise from our last issue. It genuinely is one of the best books you’ll read on RPGs, an exhaustive yet never exhausting dive through five decades of pretending to be wizards, spacemen and whatnot.
Shining a light on those games that have played some part, both great and small, in the history and evolution of RPGs, the book takes us from the basements of 1970s Lake Geneva right through to the Kickstarter pages of today.
Whether he’s talking about the great pillars of gaming, such as D&D, Call of Cthulhu or Vampire, or lesser know but still influential titles, Stu is never less than engaging, each entry filled with his obvious love, passion and deep knowledge of the subject at hand. No less than you’d expect from the host of the Vintage RPG podcast.
Anyway, we could go on and on but thanks to the generosity of MIT Press we have three copies of Stu’s opus to give away, though we can’t be held liable for the inevitable late night visits to eBay that it will inspire.
To be in with a chance of walking away with a copy just email - wyrdsciencezine@gmail.com - the answer to the question below before midday (GMT) Monday the 8th July and we’ll randomly pick three winners who’ll each receive a hardback copy of the book.
Each week the Vintage RPG show is recorded in the clubhouse housing Stu’s remarkably extensive RPG collection, but where is that clubhouse allegedly “hidden”?
The Parthenogenesis of Hungry Hollow
The Parthenogenesis of Hungry Hollow (wonderful title by the way) is the first hardback module to be published for rules-lite occult horror RPG Liminal Horror (free to DL PDF here, print here and not to be confused with rules-lite occult urban fantasy RPG Liminal).
Originally released in 2021, Liminal Horror is a fail-forward, highly adaptable game, that sees players take on the role of occult investigators in a world much like our own, except here the horrors generally prefer to stick to the shadows.
Kicking off the new Twisted Classics line The Parthenogenesis of Hungry Hollow is based upon Douglas Niles’ venerable D&D module Against The Cult of the Reptile God, translating the action to the diners and general stores of small-town America, the menace of occult horror now lurking beneath the incredibly thin veneer of civilisation.
In this particular module, set in the titular town of Hungry Hollow, the investigators must find out what’s happened to an old colleague, why so many of this small sleepy town’s inhabitants seem… a bit different, just where have all the animals gone and why is there such a buzz around the upcoming arrival of a new baby.
A race against time, investigators have just a few days to explore the town, figure out what’s going on and try to stop it, all whilst dealing with Hungry Hollow’s competing factions, suspicious locals, eldritch abominations and a good dose of body horror.
If you fancy trying your hand at some occult investigations that edge more towards eerie Americana than grand cosmic horror (though there’s admittedly a touch of The Dunwich Horror here too) then this dark and twisted tale could be just the thing.
Fungi of the Far Realms
Originally released back in 2019, Melsonian Arts’ Fungi Of The Far Realms is, even by RPG standards, a fairly strange beast, a field guide to a bewildering range of made-up magical mushrooms which, for reasons, you might want to make a fundamental part of your RPG.
A system neutral book, it’s filled with over 200 watercolour paintings by artist Shuyi Zhang -that share the art brut spirit of pre-BECMI D&D- each accompanied by text describing that particular fungi’s habitat, appearance, aroma and even mouthfeel.
Alongside that you’ll find suggestions on how to factor these fungi into your games, plus all kind of tables for the psychedelic or poisonous effects that might inevitably result from chowing down on these little guys.
Now admittedly I’m not sure I’ve ever run or played an RPG where you might need over 200 different types of fungus, ready to describe at a moment’s notice, so its practical utility might limited, but then again I have several shelves full of RPG books that have never made it anywhere near a gaming table and yet have still provided me with untold pleasure.
Back in our second issue I described Anna Urbanek’s somewhat similar Herbalist’s Primer as “a truly senseless act of beauty” and I’d say that the same applies here. That people are making, publishing and indeed buying books like this is one of the reasons I love RPGs and makes me very happy indeed.
Long out of print this new edition features additional unseen art, updated text, a new -and weirdly pleasing- square shape and for the first time an accompanying deck of flash cards featuring all the book’s marvellous mycological mysteries, ready to shove in your players’ faces as they get lost in the fungiverse.
Slowquest - Adventure Booklet Pack 4
Speaking of why we love TTRPGs… Dutch artist and writer Bodie H. is a long time favourite here at Wyrd Science, whose charming illustrations (even when of gigantic dog buttholes) are equally matched by the lightness of touch and pure joie de vivre that he brings to his old school inspired adventures.
He’s constantly cooking up all kinds of strange little zines, card packs, pamphlet games and more but we particularly love the Slowquest Adventure Booklet Packs, each one containing a set of three A5 trifold adventures, perfect for when you fancy something a little more whimsical yourself or you want to entertain the kids for a few hours.
Adventure Booklet Pack 4, released just this week, is a clear case in point. Whether it’s dealing with a mountain sized dog in Forest of Fur (see above), Bugtown Buzz's somewhat less Cronenburgian approach to insectoid adventures than Hungry Hollow’s, or the subterranean hi-jinks of Weird Worms & Wizards there’s something here to delight all but the most black hearted of coves.
A big shout out to one of our readers (and more importantly dear old friend) Stuart P who emailed last week asking if I’d heard of the band Castle Rat. Well, what with having spent much of the past year under a blanket having what is best described as ‘a moment’ I had to admit I hadn’t.
In the time since I’ve now listened to their recently released debut album about 10 times straight through, and can firmly say that this, this being incredibly camp yet played entirely straight fantasy doom metal, was exactly what I needed to hear this week. Think Sabbath fronted by Red Sonja and you start to get the idea.
I’m sure there’s some true-metal naysayers out there that think it’s all a bit too arch or knowing or whatever but sorry I’ll always have time for a band that makes the effort to look like they’ve just escaped from the side panel of an airbrushed van and are off on a dragon slaying quest.
Into The Realm is out now on King Volume Records and they even have a wonderful Alexey Gorboot t-shirt for good measure. Check it out, the perfect soundtrack to our #HotRatSummer
Also I have to say this is the second band recommendation we’ve had from a reader that’s been absolutely bang on -big up Dom for the Green Lung tip last year- so do keep them coming.
Finally some things, both interesting and inspiring, gaming related and not, found down the back of the internet’s sofa…
Doctor Who in the 1970s: More occult than sci-fi? [Daily Grail]
A fun piece by John Reppion looking at a trio of Doctor Who stories from the 1970s. After the psychedelic awakening of the 60s, it was the 70s when esoteric thought really breached the underground subculture and permeated society and these three stories broadcast folk horror and occult ideas to millions as prime time Saturday night viewing.Happy Birthday Hellebore
Whilst we’re in a folk horror mood, a quick happy birthday to Maria and Nathaniel at Hellebore, whose occult minded zine has just turned five. We’ve been reading the zine from the start, and in fact it was one of a select few publications at the time that convinced us to give Wyrd Science a go, so it’s been great to see them continue to thrive.Their bi-annual zine is a treasure and the Guide to Occult Britain is an essential pocket sized purchase for anyone interested in things esoteric and/or running a game of Vaesen set in this septic isle.
Smiling robot face is made from living human skin cells [New Scientist]
Talking of horrors beyond our comprehension, if we could actually not do this please that would be great.Evolve or Die: Is this the End for Sword and Sorcery? [Alec Worley]
Right, moving on… An interesting article by writer Alec Worley (Judge Dredd, Warhammer & lots more) on bringing the Sword & Sorcery genre into the 21st century. In fact if you’re at all interested in the art & craft of writing and don’t already then it’s well worth subbing to Alec’s Substack, as it deals with a lot of the challenges, both practical and existential, that aspiring (& indeed seasoned) writers face.Psychomanteum #6 [Hunting Monsters]
Less practical perhaps but by no means less interesting is the blog of writer Josh Reynolds. Well worth reading for Josh’s takes on classic genre movies and literature, a usually fairly unvarnished insight into the reality of being a freelance writer and, as with this week’s post, the occasional short story for good measure.Salieri [GameTek]
Moving onto game design, Geoff Engelstein’s GameTek is always a fascinating read for anyone interested in the nuts & bolts of the subject. In this week’s GameTek though he takes a slightly different tact and writes about recognising one’s own limitations, situating yourself amongst your peers and living with that. As I say it’s a bit different but as someone who is all too aware of their own failings and inadequacies this hit a spot.
The Gone Samaritan [Space Biff]
We’ve now somehow managed two newsletters in a row without linking to a Dan Thurot banger so let’s correct that with his look at Ezra and Nehemiah, a new boardgame themed around “the resettlement of Jerusalem following the Babylonian Captivity.” I’ll be honest it pains me, PAINS ME, that this, rather than unboxing videos and paid for “previews”, isn’t the gold standard that all board game media aspire to.How Dungeons & Dragons Sparked a Revolution in How We Play Just About Everything [Smithsonian Magazine]
I’ll be honest I thought this article in the Smithsonian Magazine was going to spend a bit more time developing it’s main, well only really, point - that is that D&D was ground zero for the gamification of our entire lives. But definitely something to think about.I Read Swyvers [Playful Void]
A game i’ve been meaning but failing to take a look at for a while now is Swyvers, Luke Gearing’s “Dickensian tabletop RPG of heists and scoundrels in the big city”. Anyway looking at the cosmic horror that is my to-do list god knows when i’ll ever have the time so interesting to see what one of our occasional writers, Idle Cartulary, thought of it on the Playful Void blog.You Don’t Need Hooks, You Have Been Lied To [Luke Gearing]
One thing that I can definitely agree with Idle on without reading Swyvers is that “Gearing is an exceptional writer” and I say that as someone whose own style is often diametrically opposite. Anyway it’s always fun when someone goes on a tear about something seemingly trivial, and particularly enjoyed Luke’s stream of invective aimed at plot hooks.
Writing DIE Scenarios Part 1 [Rowan Rook & Decard]
Our enjoyment of all things Kieron Gillen related is not exactly the world’s best kept secret, with the DIE RPG picking up the coveted (I’d like to think) Game of the Issue badge back in Wyrd Science #4.
Anyway, one of the things we particularity liked about DIE is that despite it being the companion piece to a very particular story it can be incredibly flexible, trauma comes in oh so many varieties these days. Still, that comic series does cast a long shadow over the game, so they’ve started posting advice on crafting your own scenarios over on the Rowan, Rook & Decard site, well worth a read.The Dispatch
Just a quick mention here for The Dispatch, the newsletter for game design studio The Lost Bay. There’s some interesting links to other blogs I’m bookmarking myself for later and some discounts on their own titles worth checking out but what really caught my eye were the photos Iko has taken of political posters that have recently gone up in France.
As someone who owns several large books full of poster designs from the Paris ‘68 manifestations it’s great to this tradition still alive, even if the results of the current French election are, so far, less than incroyable.The Sci-Fi Special Edition [The Soloist]
Finally a quick plug for this week’s newsletter from The Soloist, one of the best resources if you’re interested in, you guessed it, solo RPGs. As the title suggest this week Patrick takes a look at some of the sci-fi solo games, both large and small, out there that are worth investigating including a couple that I’m planning to dive into myself once I have some time to myself.Right that’s it…
If you’re in the UK happy voting tomorrow, and we’ll see you all next week by which point Ed Davey will have hopefully had a waterslide installed on the opposition benches.
Green Lung's This Heathen Land was one of my favorite albums of 2023, and it I appreciate it more with each subsequent spin.
Thanks so much for the shout-out!