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Cantankerous Cats, Game Review


Humans are interesting creatures to keep as pets. They are fickle. Their depth of understanding is as shallow as one of those wading pools they put their children in on hot, summer days. Because their traits are such, Simone, the Siamese a couple of houses over, and I, Popov, a fine Russian Blue, came up with a game we have introduced to other cats in the neighborhood. It a wonderful experience watching our humans traverse the emotional spectra. And, to see who really is the best feline.

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Cantankerous Catsby Al Gonzalez is a card game of cats having fun, in pure cat fashion. I was introduced to Cantankerous Cats at Salt Lake Gaming Convention 2018 (website). I was also able to visit with a person who has Cantankerous Cats in their game library.

Concept

Cantankerous Cats has each person playing a cat who is balancing the gaining of affection against causing mischief. The statement on the box sums up the concept very well, "A ferocious feline card game of cunning, mischief, and schadenfreude." (I had to look up schadenfreude to make sure its meaning—pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune.)

Mechanics

Cantankerous Catsis scalable to allow for easier play and additional elements to create more strategy. Players start with a hand and draw cards to add to it. Cards represent different actions the cat takes.

Basic play is to draw three and play two. This method of play has each player taking actions to affect events in their own household. They must build up affection with their humans to a level that they can create mischief. If there isn’t enough affection available, then they cannot do crafty little feline tricks. Mischief improves your score until a player wins.
 
Advanced play introduced paws. Paws are used for attacking and defending. You can shift the blame to another cat. If they don’t have a paw to protect themselves they lose affection with their humans. You can even force another cat to be cast out and become feral if they don’t have enough affection built up with their people.

Feral cats are still in the game. When a cat becomes feral they must earn affection from new humans who will take them home. Until then, the cat is unable to score points while the rest of the cats on the block are taking actions.

Don’t let the write-up of the rules get in the way of the basic concept of the game. Also, the developer told me they are working on redesigning the rules to make them easier to understand. If you are familiar with a variety of games, I don’t think you’ll have problems.

Art

Cantankerous Catshas wonderful art that builds on the style and feel of the game. Everything is done in a tea room motif reminiscent of the Victorian age. In talking with Al at the convention I was informed every portrait they use on the cards has been done as a full size watercolor and that level of detail shows through. The back of the deck cards carry the motif and the cards for the cats have a domesticated and a feral side.

The cats introduced in the game are from the homes of the developer and friends. The art shows the caring relationship with the cats.

The artwork was done by Jose Pimienta (web page), Heather Gross (web page), and Elise Spacek (web page).

Overall

Cantankerous Cats will appeal to those who share their home with a cat or two. The write-ups on the cards telling the actions are recognizable and people were having a good time just reading the cards as they enjoyed the art.

Cantankerous Cats by Al Gonzalez is from Mentha Designs (Facebook). It is for 2–6 players of ages 8–10+ (based on the rules used) and is designed to last 25–60 minutes.

Cantankerous Cats is available on Amazon (link).

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Unbelievable! Simone and I were doing well in our little competition until the little runt of a litter, Hobbit, got all cutesy. Playing off being a puff ball, Hobbit was able to get away with gambits short of killing one of her humans. And she even got the dog put in obedience school.

Well, I’m not going to let Hobbit triumph again. We’ve already recruiting a pair on the next street, a Tortoiseshell and a Maine Coon and we are doing this again.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

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Lovecraft’s Pillow by K. Scott Forman, Anthology Review


I don’t remember if I read my first H. P. Lovecraft story in elementary or junior high school. But, when given a chance to review a book entitled Lovecraft’s Pillow and Other Weird Tales I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it. I didn’t want to ruin the relationship. However, I’ve had the chance to read some of K. Scott Forman’s other work including his story in The Hunger (link to review). I thought Lovecraft would be treated well.

I picked up a copy of Lovecraft’s Pillow and Other Weird Tales at the League of Utah Writers (website) Spring into Books 2018 event for review purposes.

The Selection

Lovecraft’s Pillow and Other Weird Tales by K. Scott Forman is a collection of horror stories as one would expect. The author selected thirteen of his short works to reprint. I am sure Forman purposefully selected thirteen because he also wrote the foreword on Friday, April 13, 2018.

These tales are a showcase of Forman’s ability to tell a good horror story. Settings are from the past, the present, and into the future. These tales range from lighter horror stories crafted to make you think about the possibilities to those reminiscent of the book’s namesake with the teller slipping into realms of insanity.

The Progression

The first story, “The House That Jack Built,” is told in the style of H. P. Lovecraft. By the end you are left wondering if the person is sane or if there is something greater to be concerned about. “Lovecraft’s Pillow” brackets the book at the end, tying the just over 100 page book nicely together.

In between the brackets be prepared to take a ride that will slide you to one side and then jerk you back the other way.

Forman’s book structure creates a wonderful arc taking the reader on a journey. The stories are stand-alone tales that build on the theme, taking you from recollection of the style to a final resting place that keeps you thinking about what may come next.

Overall

Lovecraft’s Pillowis an excellent collection for anyone who enjoys horror shorts. I found this to be a wonderfully decrepit read.

Lovecraft’s Pillow and Other Weird Tales is published by Fear Knocks Press, which is where Forman also maintains a blog (website).

The book is also available on Amazon (link).

I give Lovecraft’s Pillow 4 ½ out of 5.

About the Author (From the Book)

K. Scott Forman is a writer and editor. He co-edited and contributed to the first three volumes of Fast Forward: A Collection of Flash Fiction along with working on three more volumes, a novel, and a flash novel for Fast Forward Press. He also edited It Came From the Great Salt Lake: A Collection of Utah Horror and has published several short stories and poems. He was the recipient of the Robert Creeley Scholarship in 2007 at Naropa University, and graduated with a Master in Fine Arts degree in 2009. Scott teaches English Composition at Weber State University, and was an adjunct faculty member at the National Cryptologic School. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) and enjoys long walks in inclement weather, sunsets with blood in them, and Metallica at volumes determined unsafe by the Surgeon General. He currently is at work on the Great American Novel. He makes his home in the Rocky Mountains with his family and a collection of guitars.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).


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Kofre’s Curse, Game Review


Another tomb along the Nile been discovered. It is full of rewards for the hearty adventurer who is willing to take the risk. You and your comrades are just the ones who are willing. However, the risk of Kofre’s, said to have been a sorcerer, tomb holds a greater risk because he was possessed by the gods when he was entombed. Every tomb is said to have a curse. Stories told to keep the ancient tomb raiders away.

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Kofre’s Curse by Stephen Gygi is a tile based game designed to introduce role-playing to young players. I had the opportunity of playing Kofre’s Curse at Salt Lake Gaming Convention 2018 (website) with Stephen and Kyrie Gygi (who also did the art with Stephen).

Premise

Kofre’s Curse is a tomb full of treasure and curses. The party of explorers delve into the 5 x 5 dungeon complex. They are exploring individually, but also with an element of cooperative play. For when Kofre is finally confronted, they must defeat the sorcerer before he can escape his tomb and bring destruction upon the world.

Mechanics

Each player takes on one of the pre-generated characters. There are four basic statistics and the characters have different favored abilities that help them during the game, both while exploring and in the final confrontation.

Exploring the tomb is accomplished by turning over a tile and placing it. The tiles have challenges and rewards for the characters. Challenges are resolved by a single die roll. The roll and associated character ability are combined to determine if the result is high enough to achieve the favorable outcome and earn the reward. Too low of a result leads to an unfavorable outcome including damage to the character.

Characters run the risk of dying. In our three person game we did not roll the dice well. By the time we finished exploring the crypt there was only one character left to confront the evil sorcerer.

The final combat against Kofre is a scalable event with a level of random determination at the beginning. Kofre is possessed by four ancient gods (matching character abilities) and a random determination is done to see which ability is his main power. This allows for different characters to take the lead in the final showdown—one character isn’t always going to be the hero who can do the most against Kofre. There are also rules for scaling the combat. Instead of just toe-to-toe damage, there could be tasks needing to be done by both sides.

Artwork

Kofre’s Curse is illustrated by Stephen and Kyrie Gygi. The art is appropriate for the ages the game is designed for and provides individualized scenes to provide recognition in later games.

Overall

For older players (especially parents) who have younger gamers in their home wanting to join in, Kofre’s Curse is a good introduction to RPG style playing. The concepts are simple to understand and only basic math skills are needed. Young players will need help in reading the concepts on the tiles and characters, but they also have unique artwork allowing ease of reference for later play.

Kofre’s Curse is designed to last 15–20 minutes. The speed of the game should keep the attention of younger players. The tiles being placed as they are drawn also present a random aspect to keep attention.

The scalability of Kofre’s Curse allows young players to advance their play with the game over a period of time. I know a number of gamers (older ones) who become bored with a game after they play it a few times because of repetitiveness. There are enough multiple outcomes to allow for continued play.

Kofre’s Curse is scheduled to be on Kickstarter any time now (late July 2018).

Kofre’s Curse is produced by Binary Cocoa (website) and is designed for 2–6 players ages 6+, and to last 15–20 minutes.
 
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The remains of Kofre lie in the dust at the base of the stairs leading out of the tomb. You feel weak from the loss of blood and you see that in the running battle two of your four comrades didn’t make it. They will be honored. You’ll make sure they are remembered. If it wasn’t for their courage to fight against the undead sorcerer, stopping him, who knows what would have happened to the rest of the world.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

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Exodus System by Jacob DC Ross, Role-Playing Game Review


Stephen lifted his scope to look out over The Vast as the rest of the party checked supplies. Jeremy sorted the collection of healing herbs, Deborah sorted her arrows, and Alex ran a stone along the edge of his shield which was made from a triangular piece of metal they had found last time. The four had made it across The Vast before, where the New Plague was ready to kill any human. But, the animals survived and there were still things to be found from the old civilizations. Both of which made it worth the challenge of crossing between towns and living in quarantine.

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This and any other setting you would like to play can be created using the Exodus System by Jacob DC Ross. Exodus System is a role-playing game (RPG) designed for playing in any genre. It is created on the Open Gaming License in the style of Old School Renaissance (OSR) play. I was given a PDF copy of Exodus System for review purposes.

Characters

Exodus System’s main focus is on character creation. This isn’t anything new for an RPG because the characters are the central point in an RPG experience. Exodus System creates characters with some basic concepts and then opens up for the skills.

The commonly known six attributes are used. Instead of a static score within a number range, each attribute is a specified die. Five attributes start at d6 and one at d8. Each player then chooses two Roles for their character. One Role is how the character fits into the structure of the party and the other is how the character performs in combat. After defining their roles, the character selects their starting Flavors.

Flavors are the character feats that are usually a part of a race or class. Exodus System uses Flavors to provide variations in racial and other innate abilities (like magic) for the character along with equivalent abilities associated to class in other games.

By separating Flavors away from race and class, you can create unique combinations for the characters based on the setting they are being created for. Once you have your specific character base, you provide skills the character has learned.

Selecting skills for the character is a combined interpretation between the player and the game master (GM). Players are encouraged to create and define a skill specific for their character instead of choosing from a list of skills. This allows players to create characters fitting the concept created for the personality and abilities in the player’s imagination.

This basis of character creation allows Exodus System the ability of supporting gaming across genres.

Character advancement is based on completing major story goals as determined by the GM. Players then have the ability to advance abilities, flavors, and skills.

Mechanic

When a character needs to accomplish a task, including combat, the player roles the appropriate attribute die and adds applicable modifiers. Advantage and disadvantage rules apply for rolling two dice and making the proper choice.

Exodus System’s dice mechanic works well for obtaining quick results. I suggest you keep a record of difficulty assigned to certain activities as your game progresses. The author identifies that determining how hard a task should be may be one area for a GM to consider during play. Maintaining a list allows for quick reference of a common standard for tasks.

Equipment

Continuing with creating easier, quick play, Exodus System utilizes usage dice for equipment with limited use. If you’re not familiar with the concept, you don’t keep track of the number of items, charges, or battery life. A die size (i.e, d10) is assigned and each time the item is used the die is rolled to check if the number of uses remaining stays the same (d10) or goes down by a category (in this example, to a d8). This continues until you deplete on a d4.

Adventuring

Exodus Systemprovides tables for creating adventures and encounters. In case you’re the GM and need a little help in fleshing out your adventure these tables provide information with the roll of the dice. They can also be used for creating encounters for solo play.

Presentation

The PDF of Exodus System is colorful with art associated with major points of presentation. There are a number of artist credits to give a wide feel of what the game is about.

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Deborah is working carefully to skin the bear, the fur will be great for trading. Jeremy is applying a balm to the wounds on Alex’s arm while Alex sits on a rock tracing the gouges running through his rent shield. Stephen is standing watch with his two aluminum bats in hand when a voice calls out from the trees.

“We’ll take that.”

The group turns as one, when a man with a disfigured, pock-marked face steps out from behind a tree.

A Plaguer, the worst monster a group could run into when in The Vast.

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Overall

Exodus System by Jacon DC Ross is from Thunderegg Productions is a solid OSR product that can be used to support multiple genres and to use in adventures created for other games.

You can find Exodus System at drivethrurpg.com (link).

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).


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The Aeronaut by Bryan Young, Book Review


Robert Preston left the United States to fight for France. It was being called the War to End All Wars. He believed in the cause. But, he went to lose the rest of himself after his heart was broken. Instead he finds himself and his heart through the people he meets and the challenges he overcomes.

The Aeronautby Bryan Young is a memoir style telling of a World War I adventure of fighting, romance, and espionage. Woven into the story are elements of steampunk to draw interest to the events, providing additional levels to the intrigue and suspense. I picked up a copy of The Aeronaut from the author at the League of Utah Writers (website) Spring into Books 2018 event for review purposes.

Plot

Robert Preston shares his story. He is The Aeronaut telling of his time being a member of the French Army. He joined their battle against the German forces because he knew it was the right thing to do and because he was heartbroken and believed he had nothing further to lose. What he didn’t count on was how much he had to gain.

As comrades in arms fighting for a common cause, Preston becomes friends with LeBeau, then, Renault, and eventually Sara. LeBeau and Renault are soldiers he meets on the lines of battle, while Sara is an English nurse Preston meets while recovering from wounds he sustained while becoming what many consider a hero.

The main part of The Aeronaut takes place after Preston and Sara meet. Their love grows but they are still a part of the war even though their feelings for each other give them some times of being apart from the war. But the war still rages, and Preston is still a soldier who is required to do his part.

Preston is recruited for a clandestine mission behind enemy lines. It is something he doesn’t want to do, but is physically the perfect man for the job. Being in a position of not being able to reject his assignment, Preston pushes forward.

Style

The Aeronaut is a first person memoir. Robert Preston is telling you his story. Included are his perceptions and feelings. Some are presented to be a little raw. There are scenes sharing the violence man can do against man, but not with horrific descriptions. As a memoir, the foreshadowing is well structured and is brought together nicely at the end.

The adding of steampunk elements allows for easier relatability with modern day readers. Instead of seeing the battle from a soldier climbing up over the wire to charge into no man’s land, there is the view of the battle from Preston as he uses his jetpack to jump forward, perform his part in the assault, then jump back over the contested zone of lingering death.

Steampunk adds to the story without overpowering it. Bryan Young creates a personal story and stays with it throughout The Aeronaut. The steampunk elements weave into his tale, supporting the story. I have read other works where the fantastical element become the mainstay, overpowering the characters and the main story arc. Here there is enough description to explain how and why the elements are there to support the story.

Overall

The Aeronaut is a well-structured war story. The point-of view allows for the sharing of not only the scenes that are taking place, but some of the personal turmoil the lead character goes through. It is known that Robert Preston survives, because it is his story. From early on in the telling you know there is more to the story than just surviving, which gives interest to continue reading to the end.

The level of description is good for adults and young adult readers. Experienced readers may find some of the events more easily predicted. However, that doesn’t take away from the solid storytelling. The details shows the author has a strong understanding of the historical events portrayed

The Aeronaut by Bryan Young is published by Silence in the Library Publishing (website).

I give The Aeronaut4 out 5.

About the Author

I’ve met Bryan Young at other writing events and know he also considered an expert concerning the Star Wars Universe and writes articles about historical events and items along with his other novels. You can find more about him at his author’s page, brianyoung fiction.com and on Twitter (@swankmotron)

You can find The Aeronaut on Amazon (link).

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

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Salt Lake Gaming Convention, 2018 Wrap Up


Two days of gaming and associated geekery are wrapped up for this year’s edition of the Salt Lake Gaming Convention (SLGC) (website). A convention combining electronic and tabletop games is still in its infancy after only a few years of existence. This year, having lost some of their supplies to theft, presented a major hurdle they successfully overcame.

Part of the game floor
There were hardships that almost led to the convention not being held this year. I heard a few months before the regular convention date, this year wasn’t going to happen, and there might not be another edition of SLGC at all. Plans changed after the gaming community started enquiring about when and where the convention was going to be this year. The organizers responded to the fans and provided the event.

On a short timeline, a convention was put together. Knowing some of the limitations they were up against, I would call this year’s event a success. And, pulling it all together showed the ability to make a sustainable convention that fans can look forward to.

What did they accomplish?

Electronic Games

The electronic games area was the biggest draw, which is where the focus of the convention has been. Along with Microsoft having a showcase area, there were open areas for conventioneers to set up and play. Game pits for open multiplayer games were consistently full. There were large screen viewing areas for the competitive play, which included intercollegiate esports.

 
Pinball Alley
The electronics area hosted a number of tournaments, along with college teams going head-to-head. There were events for both amateur and professional players. The crowds were enthusiastic in support of their favorite players and characters. Conversations abounded through the audience about what was happening on the screen and the strategy they would have used if they were playing.

Pinball

Pinball alley returned from last year and was another place of overflowing use. New games and retro flippers were available for everyone young and old to step up and see if they had what it takes to work the digit counting ball. Standing and watching three generations of one family playing pinball together was a joy. A grandfather was standing with his grandson during his parent’s turns sharing a story of how he used to meet friends to play pinball because there weren’t video arcades.

Tabletop Games

St. George Tabletop Game Convention (website) provided a library of games for those who wanted to challenge their friends across a table instead of through a screen. I hope people extend a thank you to the organizers of the St. George event because it’s at least a four hour drive between there and Salt Lake City. Envoy/Double Exposure (website) ambassadors were on hand helping teach games and give recommendations to those who weren’t sure of what game would fit their style.

Warhammer
The tabletop games had their own tournaments. Both days hosted a couple dozen tables for Warhammer. Other miniature games included Star Wars and War Machine. Collector card games included Magic the Gathering, Star Wars, Pokemon, along with My Little Pony at dedicated tables.

Role playing games (RPG) were present in force due to the strong individual talents of the local Adventurer’s League (website) and Pathfinder Society (website). There were other free tables running games for those looking for something different. The RPG area kept two to three dozen tables regularly filled with players from beginning to end.

Kids Zone

SLGC again provided an area dedicated to the younger players. A pirate ship was available for exploring. A Nerf battle zone and a trike race course was a place for many young gamers to burn off some the excited energy they came with. The Lego building area and tables for creative design work were places that might not have been so energetic, but they were well attended. Some groups looked like the parents took the kids in so they could build with the blocks.

Lego pit
Live Action Area

The arena for battle was once again erected with opposing forces facing off with foam weapons. Epic battles were waged. There was also a smaller area set up for just the younger players learning to get their battle feet under them.

Vendors

In the midst of all of this was the market place, where conventioneers were able to pick up their remembrances of the event and support their fandoms. The area had a wide selection of memorabilia, artists, game designers, and promotional areas for other groups and events.

Guests and Panels

The guests and panelists were well received.

Great voice actors were there to share what they do and who they are. Charles Martinet (website) of Mario fame. The cast of God of War included Christopher Judge (Facebook), Danielle Bisutti (website), Jeremy Davie (imdb), and Robert Craighead (Twitter). The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was represented by Patricia Summersett (website), Elizabeth Maxwell (website), Andi Gibson (website), Bill Rogers (Twitter), Jamie Mortellaro (Twitter), and Joe Hernandez (Twitter). And, Chloe Hollings (Twitter) from Overwatch, Victoria Atkin (Twitter) from Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Jason Charles Miller (website) of Geek and Sundry, and Jason Hayes (composer) (Twitter) were also talked about their experiences.

The panels covered topics about all types of gaming and other areas of interest.

Cosplay

Cosplay wasn’t left out. There was a competition which was highlighted by Zabracus (Twitter) and Missy Mayhem (Twitter). These Two local talents provided insight for those who want to do cosplay.

Overall

These were two days packed with a lot of activities a person could get involved with.

I’ve had the opportunity of attending this convention every year since its inception. This year was a struggle. Even with the struggles, the organizers had the guts to push forward when others may have folded. That showed their strength and the power of the gaming community in SLC. My hat’s off to their success (and, yes, I wear a hat when I go to conventions).

There will be more articles coming from my experiences at SLGC 2018. I look forward to seeing more of this convention in the future and watching it grow into what it is capable of producing for the gamers supporting it.

This article also submitted for publication to Utah Geek Magazine and Big Shiny Robot.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).


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Pirate Encounter, RPG Generic Format

Sir Francis Drake

Pirates have been a favorite theme of mine in running role playing games (RPGs). I’ve used pirates in every genre of game I have run, except for espionage (but I’m working on an idea). There is a certain appeal of pirates in gaming, as a player and as a game master (GM). No matter if you are playing them as a GM against your heroes, or the heroes of your story are the privateers working under letters of marque raiding enemy ships.

Here is an encounter you can use as a side adventure, a step in a current adventure, or a hook for a larger story arc. It is presented in more of a historical setting, meaning there is no magic built into the encounter.

General Setting

There is a small tropical island out of the way of the main routes and not readily usable by ships. It is found on some charts, but not on others. There are no resources listed for the island on any maps that have charted it. This is because there is no harbor or safe beach for a ship to use. Only a longboat, or smaller vessel is able to reach the shore by crossing over the reef.

No indigenous people live on the island. Although some of the closer island’s inhabitants may be able to reach the island in their boats, there isn’t anything setting this island apart from the others to justify them to risk traveling the open waters to get there.

Hooks

1 – The ship has survived a storm, but has taken damage that must be repaired. Although the island is hard to reach, it must be attempted. The ship does not appear able to survive crossing the open waters in an attempt to reach another island. There are large enough trees to provide the lumber needed.

2 – The ship was caught in the doldrums and is dangerously low on water and food. This is the first land sighted and without fresh water there is a high probability crew members will die.

Historical Women Pirates
What Can Be Seen From the Ship

There are no visible signs of habitation. There is the normal looking detritus on the shore expected on an island without settlement.

Small to medium sized ground animals are glimpsed that could be hunted for food. They look like they might be pigs, which is a sign that at least one other ship in the past has stopped at the island.

There is fresh water. There is one large stream and several smaller ones that can be seen flowing into the sea.

The Encounter

Several years ago a survivor of a storm, Jonathon, washed up on the shore of the island. Over the months after his landing, he tried to gain the attention of passing ships to be rescued. Because there is no easy safe landing on the island, ships didn’t stop. They either didn’t see Jonathon’s signaling or chose to not attempt the reef. Eventually Jonathon gave up on being rescued and settled into his life.

Jonathon has lived alone here for several years. His mental state is deteriorating and he could be considered crazy. He’s taken to calling himself the king of the island and no longer has any desire to leave. In fact, he will only leave if forced. If the landing party tries to make him leave, he will attempt escape and hide on the island, avoiding any further contact.

Jonathon has settled into the ease of his situation. There is plenty of food and water on the island. He doesn’t have to farm and the little hunting and fishing he does is when he has a desire for some type of meat.

The climate is accommodating for Jonathon to live a life of ease. He has a crudely built hut made with local materials, along with some recovered debris from the beaches. His utensils were all made by himself. And, his bed is a gathering of grasses that he changes out regularly. There is nothing spectacular or even interesting about how he lives.

Typical Sailor
Jonathon was a deck hand. He is uneducated and cannot read, write, or navigate. He was washed overboard during a storm while working to secure the sails. His shipmates considered him lost in the storm and he was never searched for.

If Jonathon is befriended, he can provide information on a few topics depending on the needs of the GM. Here are some ideas you can use.
·        Recent knowledge of ships that passed. He can describe them by the flags they were flying and the direction they were heading.
·        Ships that regularly pass by on some level of schedule.
·        He could also know about a ritual site on the island with native markings, even though he has not seen any natives come to the island.

No matter what happens with the meeting of Jonathon, the repairs and restocking of the ship otherwise pass uneventfully, unless you choose to have something more happen.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).


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