Mixed Signals

Straight-forward gaming

Arguments of quality and quantity aside, I'm of the opinion that you can never have too many RPG modules. And short "one-shot" adventures are, for me, priceless. If D&D is both a game and a hobby, then it's the one-shot modules that make it possible for it to be "just" a game. After all, people do...

In my previous posts in my Friday the 13th series, I wrote about the original movie and its first sequel, and this Friday I review Friday the 13th Part 3.

If your idea of Friday the 13th is typical B-grade horror about unsympathetic teens being killed by a guy in a hockey mask, this is th...

For thieves. These appear as a pair of very fine kid gloves, which will radiate magic if tested for. Investigations will reveal them to be of special use to thieves and others skilled in delicate work. The gloves will seem to add a +20% bonus on all Skill checks for such things as Pick Locks, Picki...

An anvil, atop a stone, has a sword stuck into it.

There is a plaque beside it that reads "Whosoever pulleth out this sword from this stone and anvil is the trueborn king of the realms".

Removing the sword requires a Strength check 20. If a player successfully pulls the sword from the stone...

This appears as a magical robe of very fine construction, made of silk and trimmed with expensive ribbons and threads of precious metals. If tested, it will appear to offer the wearer a +3 to AC and all Saving Throws.

Upon being worn into conflict for the first time, however (that is, any time...

Originally developed as a random table for Blue Planet, this is a generic random table for any cyberpunk or sci-fi setting. Terminology can obviously differ between game worlds. In Blue Planet, it's body comp, in Shadowrun it's a deck, in Starfinder it's just computer, and so on; adju...

Upon activation, 1d4 characters in the party must make a successful Saving Throw, or be struck with total amnesia. Said characters will not remember who they are, how they got here, or who anyone else is. They won't remember their skills (including any magical spells), nor how to use any specialize...

The Evil Dead film series is a collection of [arguably] loosely-connected horror movies (and a TV show and comics...) that helped define both modern horror and modern fantasy. If you have never seen the original masterpieces of cinema (Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness), then you s...

What music do you associate with your favourite RPG? When you sit down to catch up on the latest lore, or to study the latest rules, or dive deep into a new source book, what's your go-to album? Here are our top 7 suggestions. See if you agree.

1. Rush - Caress of Steel

As grey traces of...

A semi-common magic item that once existed in great kingdoms of the past was something known as a parcel. This could take a number of forms, but the most popular was that of a sturdy leather bag, covered in carved runes. There was a pocket on the outside of the bag, into which a personal or ident...

What appears to be an expensive and rare tapestry on the wall is actually a spring-loaded weighted panel.

A simple tripwire before the tapestry releases the panel for 1d12 bludgeoning damage to anyone within its reach. Its reach is 15ft (3 squares).

May the fourth be with you (tomorrow). Have you heard the apocryphal tale of Splinter of the Mind's Eye?

When I first heard about Splinter of the Mind's Eye, it was as the mythical, proposed fallback-sequel to Star Wars that would have been made in the event that Star Wars had not been t...

A bronze statue of a beast of some kind, or a person, stands on a stone pedestal, where the type of creature, or the name of the person, is written in carved letters.

Anyone who touches the statue switches places with the beast or NPC it depicts (no Saving Throw); the beast or NPC becomes real,...

At the start of their turn during combat, a player may choose to have the GM to foll on this table for a potential benefit (or impairment).

  1. You are motivated by desperation. Take an extra move this round.
  2. You have quick reflexes. Take half damage.
  3. You are hit by shrapnel. Take 1 point of dam...

For spellcasters. This appears as a thick leather-bound book, with copper points at the corners and gold leafing. It will radiate slightly of magic, if tested for, but will not appear to be Cursed in any way. This book is filled with thousands upon thousands of details, articles, and other pieces o...

A rotating wall sweeps a player to a hidden, randomized mini-dungeon. (This may force the party to split, so either treat this as a series of encounters rather than a dungeon by actively discouraging exploration, and driving the player through the space to rejoin the party, or else alternate betwee...