Hello to everyone,
Well I am once again participating in the National Novel Writing Month hosted at http://www.nanowrimo.org/. This is where you spend the month of November trying to write a 50,000 word novel between November 1 and November 31.
This comes out to be about 1,667 words a day if you write every day, and about 2,500 words if you do not write on the weekends.
Also on the writing front I am the Tampa SF and F books Examiner. My page is located at http://www.examiner.com/x-26054-Tampa-SciFiFantasy-Books-Examiner and I can always use a few more views. Focused on Book Reviews with occasional comments and observations about bookstores in my local area.
I am including books by authors such as HP Lovecraft, since the Elder Things come from other planets and dimensions, that makes it SF in many respects. Besides I love his work.
Come visit.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Protodimension Magazine
Greetings all.
Issue #2 of Protodimension Magazine is currently on schedule. The current list of articles and literature is available here:
http://www.protodimension.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=66
As always, we welcome any horror & conspiracy-related submissions you may have. We are always in need of everything: adventures, art, scenarios, art, backgrounds, art, blurbs, art, stories, art, plot hooks/adventure seeds, and did I say art?
The Issue 3, Winter 2010 submission cut-off date is 1 January 2010. That date would normally be December 1, but the holiday is a wonderful time of the year, isn't it Cool
Also, if anyone is willing to work up a cartoon strip (4 times a year, pretty easy, eh?), contact us at the usual email address:
submissions(at)protodimension(dot)com
Note that if we had more submissions, we could publish more often. Very Happy
Cheers!
Norm Fenlason
Lee Williams
Tad Kelson - Editors
Issue #2 of Protodimension Magazine is currently on schedule. The current list of articles and literature is available here:
http://www.protodimension.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=66
As always, we welcome any horror & conspiracy-related submissions you may have. We are always in need of everything: adventures, art, scenarios, art, backgrounds, art, blurbs, art, stories, art, plot hooks/adventure seeds, and did I say art?
The Issue 3, Winter 2010 submission cut-off date is 1 January 2010. That date would normally be December 1, but the holiday is a wonderful time of the year, isn't it Cool
Also, if anyone is willing to work up a cartoon strip (4 times a year, pretty easy, eh?), contact us at the usual email address:
submissions(at)protodimension(dot)com
Note that if we had more submissions, we could publish more often. Very Happy
Cheers!
Norm Fenlason
Lee Williams
Tad Kelson - Editors
Friday, October 2, 2009
Characteristics or More on Monsters Point 1: Mythological Monsters
Characteristics or More on Monsters Point 1: Mythological Monsters
Mr. Wigglestick here, coming to you today from the Hallowed Halls, where fine suggestions lurk behind every nook and deep within the crannies of the mind. The Hallowed Halls is a fine establishment, with room to accommodate most any sort of appetite, no caveats attached. So take your time, browse the collection and admire the artwork, feel free to visit the front desk for entertainment, refreshments, or lodging requests.
Welcome, one and all.
So welcome to the Monster Roundup. Today we have for your reading and viewing entertainment a fine assortment of classic specimens. All guaranteed to make your mouth water in anticipation of many screams and groans of terror and pain. These are the classics, the ones that have been around the longest, with the greatest of staying power and puissance. Be warned however, to cross them is to imperil all that you might have held dear.
This is a simple straightforward listing of some of the more iconic monsters from classical mythology and beliefs that can be incorporated into your existing framework; they often are statted out for the system of your choice. If not, then improvisation can be a key to delightful fear.
1. Sphinx
2. Lamia
3. Animated Statue
4. Sea Monster (In all shapes and sizes)
5. Cyclops and other Giants
6. Wild Animals (such as wolves, lions, snakes)
7. Christian Demons and Angels
Mr. Wigglestick here, coming to you today from the Hallowed Halls, where fine suggestions lurk behind every nook and deep within the crannies of the mind. The Hallowed Halls is a fine establishment, with room to accommodate most any sort of appetite, no caveats attached. So take your time, browse the collection and admire the artwork, feel free to visit the front desk for entertainment, refreshments, or lodging requests.
Welcome, one and all.
So welcome to the Monster Roundup. Today we have for your reading and viewing entertainment a fine assortment of classic specimens. All guaranteed to make your mouth water in anticipation of many screams and groans of terror and pain. These are the classics, the ones that have been around the longest, with the greatest of staying power and puissance. Be warned however, to cross them is to imperil all that you might have held dear.
This is a simple straightforward listing of some of the more iconic monsters from classical mythology and beliefs that can be incorporated into your existing framework; they often are statted out for the system of your choice. If not, then improvisation can be a key to delightful fear.
1. Sphinx
2. Lamia
3. Animated Statue
4. Sea Monster (In all shapes and sizes)
5. Cyclops and other Giants
6. Wild Animals (such as wolves, lions, snakes)
7. Christian Demons and Angels
Friday, September 25, 2009
More Tentacles than you can shake a Fist at
Characteristics in Horror Genre Gaming
More Tentacles than you can shake a Fist at
There are five main genesis points to the modern horror genre in gaming, as far as monsters as protagonists are concerned. They are illustrated below with details to follow. This refers to the protagonists/threats distinction made already. These are the easiest to find examples of, to use and implement in your own gaming as well. Several of these fall or cross over with the Grotesqueries category of protagonists as well.
So the 5 main starting points are as follows:
Point 1 are Mythological Creatures such as The Medusa, Werewolves (also present in Point 2), The Kraken, etc.
Point 2 are the examples that come from the Gothic Novels. This includes the traditional monsters of Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, Jekyl and Hyde, Jack the Ripper, The Invisible Man, etc. These will often overflow with the Grotesqueries form of the protagonist.
Point 3 are the works of HP Lovecraft and to a lesser extent Edgar Allen Poe (Who can fall into the Gothic perspective at times easily). These are the things man was not meant to know or understand, aliens, things from other places in many instances.
Point 4 is the modern slasher/gore/madman/monster type. More than the others these will often overflow with the Grotesqueries form of the protagonist.
Point 5 are the modern monsters classification. The prime examples of these are the 1950s monster movies, the Aliens from the movies by the same names, all the things that are found in outer space, etc. Also aliens and abductions fall into this category while things like giant mutant crocodiles also fall into this distinction, which is mostly time based (more recent) than anything else. This is to separate out the axe wielding inbred family monsters from the giant crocodile monster or the alien space virus that creates shambling hordes of brain eating things from each other.
Of course there are variations to all the themes.
More Tentacles than you can shake a Fist at
There are five main genesis points to the modern horror genre in gaming, as far as monsters as protagonists are concerned. They are illustrated below with details to follow. This refers to the protagonists/threats distinction made already. These are the easiest to find examples of, to use and implement in your own gaming as well. Several of these fall or cross over with the Grotesqueries category of protagonists as well.
So the 5 main starting points are as follows:
Point 1 are Mythological Creatures such as The Medusa, Werewolves (also present in Point 2), The Kraken, etc.
Point 2 are the examples that come from the Gothic Novels. This includes the traditional monsters of Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, Jekyl and Hyde, Jack the Ripper, The Invisible Man, etc. These will often overflow with the Grotesqueries form of the protagonist.
Point 3 are the works of HP Lovecraft and to a lesser extent Edgar Allen Poe (Who can fall into the Gothic perspective at times easily). These are the things man was not meant to know or understand, aliens, things from other places in many instances.
Point 4 is the modern slasher/gore/madman/monster type. More than the others these will often overflow with the Grotesqueries form of the protagonist.
Point 5 are the modern monsters classification. The prime examples of these are the 1950s monster movies, the Aliens from the movies by the same names, all the things that are found in outer space, etc. Also aliens and abductions fall into this category while things like giant mutant crocodiles also fall into this distinction, which is mostly time based (more recent) than anything else. This is to separate out the axe wielding inbred family monsters from the giant crocodile monster or the alien space virus that creates shambling hordes of brain eating things from each other.
Of course there are variations to all the themes.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Characteristics
Good Day // Good Evening, as it will pertain to the kindly reader
Next I would like to discuss what I see as some of the salient characteristics of the genre as it pertains to Roleplaying Games only. Naturally there is cross-over, between literature, films, stage, and RPGs, no denying this. I am going to talk about my own perceptions of it, from over 30 years of being a gamer.
Characteristics in Horror Genre Gaming
Protagonists / Threats
These come from 3 main areas. There is a natural overlap, none have only a single one that I can see.
That said there are 3 main types:
• Psychological
• Monsters
• Grotesqueries (Macabre/Surreal/Unnatural)
So in example in the fiction of HP Lovecraft, he has all three at one point or another. Psychological is in the Rats in the Walls story, Monsters are all over the place naturally, while Grotesqueries show up in the Dream Stories of Kadath that I have noticed. The line between Monsters and Grotesques is tenuous and thin at best. That distinction is more evident in Film I think than RPG settings.
Psychological:
This is more terror than horror, the fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of what is happening. It is often a component leading up to the climax and battles with monsters and grotesqueries.
The scary elements, the clues, the hidden messages in ancient tomes, all part of this element.
Monsters:
These are the staples, the things that go bump in the night. These are the elements most often found in a non-horror genre game system or setting. One example is Vampires in the Victoriana Game Setting of Gaslight (Both the Savage Worlds and OGL editions). It is not a horror game setting per se, but with Vampires and Monsters in it, drawing from the literature of the time, which lends to Horror like elements included.
Grotesqueries:
These are often monsters themselves, or the changed and strange. Examples would include hunchbacks, circus performers, sideshow freaks, the misshapen from birth, those are the grotesque things. Sometimes they are monsters; sometimes they are simply misunderstood to the point of turning them into monsters. Also these include those that appear normal, but in their heads they are not. So an example of this is that Jack the Ripper would fall into the Grotesqueries category, while Werewolf or Spring Heeled Jack would fall into the monsters category.
These are the three main elements to Horror Gaming and what sorts of challenges are encountered. It of course has omitted traps and natural disasters. Those do not fall neatly into these categories. So with these elements in mind, you the person running the game can see which you prefer to use in your game. A later article will start discussing the stock versions of these elements.
So it has come this point, here is a master / consolidated listing of extant Horror Genre Roleplaying Games, being as inclusive as I can make it. I am sure there are many others I am missing, small and obscure ones I have not heard of, or ones in progress I am unaware of. So this list will expand as time permits.
Master List of Horror Genre Roleplaying Games
All Flesh Must Be Eaten
Beyond the Supernatural (Palladium)
Call of Cthulhu®
Chill
CJ Carella’s WitchCraft
Code Black (BTRC)
Conspiracy X
Cyberpunk 2020 Alternate World (R Talsorian)
Dark Conspiracy (Far Future Enterprises)
Dark Heresy (Fantasy Flight Games)
Dark Matter (Alternity Edition and d20 Editions)
Dread
EABA Code:Black
Etherscope (Goodman Games)
Feng Shui®
GUMSHOE System (The Esoterrorists, non-mythos Trail of Cthulhu)
GURPS, GURPS Horror, GURPS Undead, GURPS Spirits
Kult (Unknown as of this time)
Little Fears
Little Fears Nightmare Edition
Monte Cook's World of Darkness
Nephilim
Nightbane (Palladium)
Nightlife (BKM)
Over the Edge®
Ravenloft (AD&D)
The Hunt: Rise of Evil (Mystic Eye Games d20)
The Mutant Chronicles (Target Games and CMG version Fantasy Flight Games)
The Whispering Vault (I forget right now)
Torg (West End Games)
Unhallowed Metropolis
Unknown Armies®
World of Darkness (especially Hunter: The Vigil)
Next I would like to discuss what I see as some of the salient characteristics of the genre as it pertains to Roleplaying Games only. Naturally there is cross-over, between literature, films, stage, and RPGs, no denying this. I am going to talk about my own perceptions of it, from over 30 years of being a gamer.
Characteristics in Horror Genre Gaming
Protagonists / Threats
These come from 3 main areas. There is a natural overlap, none have only a single one that I can see.
That said there are 3 main types:
• Psychological
• Monsters
• Grotesqueries (Macabre/Surreal/Unnatural)
So in example in the fiction of HP Lovecraft, he has all three at one point or another. Psychological is in the Rats in the Walls story, Monsters are all over the place naturally, while Grotesqueries show up in the Dream Stories of Kadath that I have noticed. The line between Monsters and Grotesques is tenuous and thin at best. That distinction is more evident in Film I think than RPG settings.
Psychological:
This is more terror than horror, the fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of what is happening. It is often a component leading up to the climax and battles with monsters and grotesqueries.
The scary elements, the clues, the hidden messages in ancient tomes, all part of this element.
Monsters:
These are the staples, the things that go bump in the night. These are the elements most often found in a non-horror genre game system or setting. One example is Vampires in the Victoriana Game Setting of Gaslight (Both the Savage Worlds and OGL editions). It is not a horror game setting per se, but with Vampires and Monsters in it, drawing from the literature of the time, which lends to Horror like elements included.
Grotesqueries:
These are often monsters themselves, or the changed and strange. Examples would include hunchbacks, circus performers, sideshow freaks, the misshapen from birth, those are the grotesque things. Sometimes they are monsters; sometimes they are simply misunderstood to the point of turning them into monsters. Also these include those that appear normal, but in their heads they are not. So an example of this is that Jack the Ripper would fall into the Grotesqueries category, while Werewolf or Spring Heeled Jack would fall into the monsters category.
These are the three main elements to Horror Gaming and what sorts of challenges are encountered. It of course has omitted traps and natural disasters. Those do not fall neatly into these categories. So with these elements in mind, you the person running the game can see which you prefer to use in your game. A later article will start discussing the stock versions of these elements.
So it has come this point, here is a master / consolidated listing of extant Horror Genre Roleplaying Games, being as inclusive as I can make it. I am sure there are many others I am missing, small and obscure ones I have not heard of, or ones in progress I am unaware of. So this list will expand as time permits.
Master List of Horror Genre Roleplaying Games
All Flesh Must Be Eaten
Beyond the Supernatural (Palladium)
Call of Cthulhu®
Chill
CJ Carella’s WitchCraft
Code Black (BTRC)
Conspiracy X
Cyberpunk 2020 Alternate World (R Talsorian)
Dark Conspiracy (Far Future Enterprises)
Dark Heresy (Fantasy Flight Games)
Dark Matter (Alternity Edition and d20 Editions)
Dread
EABA Code:Black
Etherscope (Goodman Games)
Feng Shui®
GUMSHOE System (The Esoterrorists, non-mythos Trail of Cthulhu)
GURPS, GURPS Horror, GURPS Undead, GURPS Spirits
Kult (Unknown as of this time)
Little Fears
Little Fears Nightmare Edition
Monte Cook's World of Darkness
Nephilim
Nightbane (Palladium)
Nightlife (BKM)
Over the Edge®
Ravenloft (AD&D)
The Hunt: Rise of Evil (Mystic Eye Games d20)
The Mutant Chronicles (Target Games and CMG version Fantasy Flight Games)
The Whispering Vault (I forget right now)
Torg (West End Games)
Unhallowed Metropolis
Unknown Armies®
World of Darkness (especially Hunter: The Vigil)
Relaunched
Ohh how long has it been since the darkness was last pierced with clarity and insight into the inner workings of depravity. Well something like that, and now for a change in direction. Originally this was intended to touch on the larger aspects of horror in life, literature, film and other activities. But that is a total waste. My interest in horror is much more focused, sharper, more piercing than an overreaching view will encompass. So instead, the foci have altered. No longer the big view, instead it is time to narrow it down, bring it into a gun sight focus on a few areas of the horror genre.
Welcome to the varied worlds of Horror Tabletop Gaming, or Horror Roleplaying Games and Gaming. Horror RPGs have a wonderful history in the overall hobby of Tabletop Gaming. There is a nice wide assortment of products still in print, with new ones coming out every year. Oftentimes in fact a non-horror game will have nice facets of the horror gaming genre in it making for plenty of choices to pick and chose (and borrow) from for the gaming enthusiast.
Now for purposes of this writing, the genre includes the weird, paranormal, macabre, occult and the conspiracy oriented genres as well. Often these are essential elements in addition to the horror factors, so no need to exclude them now is there. I might add in Urban Fantasy and some elements of SF gaming, often there can be an element of horror (See the movie Alien for a prime example) included in those. The initial focus is on the core elements though.
Starting off is a list of the titles I personally own, which are the ones I have experience and most of my interest falls into. I then go on to some other very arbitrary distinctions about the games and settings. I am going to focus my writing and support efforts on the systems and settings I have and are the most acquainted with.
Ones that I still possess
Call of Cthulhu (Chaosium)
Dark Conspiracy (Far Future Enterprises)
Kult (Unknown as of this time)
Dark Matter (Alternity Edition)
The Mutant Chronicles (Target Games and CMG version Fantasy Flight Games)
Dark Heresy (Fantasy Flight Games)
Unknown Armies (I forget right now)
The Whispering Vault (I forget right now)
Code Black (BTRC)
Ravenloft (AD&D)
Etherscope (Goodman Games)
Nightlife (BKM)
UnHallowed Metropolis (I forget right now)
Others I know of and want to get
Little Fears Nightmare Edition
Others I know nothing about
Dread
Chill
In Production (that I am personally aware of) Includes
Dark Days RPG (George Cotronis)
Related to the genre are the following
Eclipse Phase
Capacity (my own product in production have to plug my own items)
Most of the various generic game systems have horror based settings as well. GRUPS has the GURPS: Horror and GURPS: Screampunk setting books, Hero Games has the Horror Hero sourcebook (a perennial favorite of mine ideal to mine for sources and material). The d20 OGL world has the d20 editions of Call of Cthulhu, Dark Matter, and the more Urban Fantasy Urban Arcana (which can have horror elements and in fact it incorporates ideas from the old Rising Tide AD&D setting as well). Some of these are a bit more peripheral.
So time to embark on the weird and wonderful world of Horror Gaming
Welcome to the varied worlds of Horror Tabletop Gaming, or Horror Roleplaying Games and Gaming. Horror RPGs have a wonderful history in the overall hobby of Tabletop Gaming. There is a nice wide assortment of products still in print, with new ones coming out every year. Oftentimes in fact a non-horror game will have nice facets of the horror gaming genre in it making for plenty of choices to pick and chose (and borrow) from for the gaming enthusiast.
Now for purposes of this writing, the genre includes the weird, paranormal, macabre, occult and the conspiracy oriented genres as well. Often these are essential elements in addition to the horror factors, so no need to exclude them now is there. I might add in Urban Fantasy and some elements of SF gaming, often there can be an element of horror (See the movie Alien for a prime example) included in those. The initial focus is on the core elements though.
Starting off is a list of the titles I personally own, which are the ones I have experience and most of my interest falls into. I then go on to some other very arbitrary distinctions about the games and settings. I am going to focus my writing and support efforts on the systems and settings I have and are the most acquainted with.
Ones that I still possess
Call of Cthulhu (Chaosium)
Dark Conspiracy (Far Future Enterprises)
Kult (Unknown as of this time)
Dark Matter (Alternity Edition)
The Mutant Chronicles (Target Games and CMG version Fantasy Flight Games)
Dark Heresy (Fantasy Flight Games)
Unknown Armies (I forget right now)
The Whispering Vault (I forget right now)
Code Black (BTRC)
Ravenloft (AD&D)
Etherscope (Goodman Games)
Nightlife (BKM)
UnHallowed Metropolis (I forget right now)
Others I know of and want to get
Little Fears Nightmare Edition
Others I know nothing about
Dread
Chill
In Production (that I am personally aware of) Includes
Dark Days RPG (George Cotronis)
Related to the genre are the following
Eclipse Phase
Capacity (my own product in production have to plug my own items)
Most of the various generic game systems have horror based settings as well. GRUPS has the GURPS: Horror and GURPS: Screampunk setting books, Hero Games has the Horror Hero sourcebook (a perennial favorite of mine ideal to mine for sources and material). The d20 OGL world has the d20 editions of Call of Cthulhu, Dark Matter, and the more Urban Fantasy Urban Arcana (which can have horror elements and in fact it incorporates ideas from the old Rising Tide AD&D setting as well). Some of these are a bit more peripheral.
So time to embark on the weird and wonderful world of Horror Gaming
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Protodimension Magazine Issue 1 available
We are very pleased to announce that Issue 1 of Protodimension Magazine is now available for download. Protodimension is a free PDF publication focusing on modern and near-future horror and conspiracy genre roleplaying.
You can get a copy from here:
http://www.protodimension.com/zine/?page_id=101
We are seeking submissions for future issues, as usual. If you are interested in contributing something then email us at guidelines@protodimension.com and you will receive a copy of our submission guide. If you already have something that fits our remit, why not send a copy to submissions@protodimension.com
If you see something you like and want to discuss it with other fans and the editors, we have also established a forum for just such a thing. Just point your browser to:
http://www.protodimension.com/forums
Cheers!
Norm Fenlason
Tad Kelson
Lee Williams
- editors -
Sunday, March 15, 2009
What is Horror to You
What is Horror to you?
What makes your skin crawl and your privates to involuntarily react?
What is the worst thing you can think of that would happen to you personally, and is there a movie that covers it?
What scares you?
What makes your skin crawl and your privates to involuntarily react?
What is the worst thing you can think of that would happen to you personally, and is there a movie that covers it?
What scares you?
Friday, February 20, 2009
What is Horror to me
Horrorgenre.blogspot.com
The Horror Genre and it is to me
What is Horror?
What is Gothic?
What do these words mean to you?
So From On Art & Life By John Ruskin
The Characteristics or moral elements of Gothic
1. Savageness (Or rudeness)
2. Changefulness (Love of Change)
3. Naturalism (Love of Nature)
4. Grotesqueness (Disturbed Imagination)
5. Rigidity (Obstinacy)
6. Redundance (Generosity)
For me I really discovered it in Jr High School with Edgar Allen Poe and Howard P. Lovecraft. Call of Cthulhu is the start of this for me.
Then along came slasher flicks, which are not my taste at all. I like the flavor of Event Horizon, Call of Cthulhu, Remade The Thing, Most anything from John Carpenter, especially Prince of Darkness, the more psychological than gore and blood violence.
I bought years worth of Fangoria back then as well.
Now my tastes are a bit more refined, a touch of Japanese Horror is good as well. But not Chainsaws, even though Hellraiser is incredible.
The Horror Genre and it is to me
What is Horror?
What is Gothic?
What do these words mean to you?
So From On Art & Life By John Ruskin
The Characteristics or moral elements of Gothic
1. Savageness (Or rudeness)
2. Changefulness (Love of Change)
3. Naturalism (Love of Nature)
4. Grotesqueness (Disturbed Imagination)
5. Rigidity (Obstinacy)
6. Redundance (Generosity)
For me I really discovered it in Jr High School with Edgar Allen Poe and Howard P. Lovecraft. Call of Cthulhu is the start of this for me.
Then along came slasher flicks, which are not my taste at all. I like the flavor of Event Horizon, Call of Cthulhu, Remade The Thing, Most anything from John Carpenter, especially Prince of Darkness, the more psychological than gore and blood violence.
I bought years worth of Fangoria back then as well.
Now my tastes are a bit more refined, a touch of Japanese Horror is good as well. But not Chainsaws, even though Hellraiser is incredible.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tales and Stories from the Dark Heart
Few things are more appealing, more appetizing, more visceral, than a good Horror Story. One that makes your toes curl, one that makes that pit of your stomach just a little queasy. Ones that make your glottis twitch imagining something like that sliding down past your teeth, across your tongue and down wriggling into the pit of your stomach.
So here as time passes will be reviews of creepy things, not just books, along with stories and images located to spark the morbid imagination.
Welcome to Tales and Stories from the Dark Heart
So here as time passes will be reviews of creepy things, not just books, along with stories and images located to spark the morbid imagination.
Welcome to Tales and Stories from the Dark Heart
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