Octopus Overlords

So now that my gaming room is ~90% finished, we decided to dive back into SoB. Since it had been a couple years since we last played, we decided to start over again at level 1, and give people the opportunity to choose new characters. And so, of course, we all ended up running the same characters. Party of a US Marshall, Indian Scout, and Preacher.

We're doing things a little differently this time around, in that we're going to just put all XP into a big shared lot. Makes bookkeeping a bit easier.

We were pretty rusty on the rules, so I'm glad we started out simple. The Scout explored too far, too fast and almost got himself wiped in the first room. We only used challenges from the first boxed set, City of the Ancients, for this go round. We're going play the next two games this way, then slowly start to fold in stuff from the other sets. And man, there's a lot of stuff to fold in.

I've been musing on the xp issue with SoB for a long time. I hate it as it currently sits. It takes way too long to level. And some characters significantly outpace others.

I'd like to get it so a certain number of missions are required. Something like current level +1. So you reach level 1 after 1 mission, level 2 after 2 missions, etc. Though at higher levels that still may be a drag. Also, moving to assigning bulk xp at the end is likely to invalidate the xp from events. Why do an event for 10 xp? Bah! So that means trying to figure out how to make the xp from events significant. I'm leaning towards some version of multiplying xp gains during the mission by level or mission number, or something. So that when you are level 5, completing a mission offers a significant amount of xp instead of 50 or 100.

I've also decided to do away with xp from healing. I haven't decided about spells in general. (In our games, the preacher way out-levels the rest.)

I like the idea of pooling xp for monsters. That would make things easier.

Anyway, I still haven't figured it out. My personal feeling is that it would be nice to level after the first mission (it would help keep new players engaged). Then slowly increase the number of missions required for each subsequent level.

My friend and I were playing a campaign. I think we were around 20 missions in, and had only hit level 5-6 on our characters. Based on the amount of xp, we were looking at another 20, at least, to get to level 8.

Remember when this KS was running? And the debacle of development and delivery? Ahhh, to be back in the salad days of Shadows of Brimstone.

The reason I bumped is they've released upgraded core box sets with fixed rules, cards, materials and miniatures. To help out original owners (which I do appreciate) you can purchase the upgraded printed materials for $30 plus shipping. They also have reworked minis that you can buy separately, though I'm not really sure of the draw there (unless you want to re-assemble and paint what you own).

Anyway, these printed upgrade kits are limited and allegedly not being made again, so I figured I should share.

This is an Upgrade Kit for both of the Revised Shadows of Brimstone Core Sets - City of the Ancients and Swamps of Death. It includes a collection of the printed material from these new sets that have mechanical changes to gameplay. The Upgrade Kit includes over 110 game cards, a set of selected large Hero Character Sheets and Enemy Record Sheets, a set of selected Extra Large cards for the Core Set Frontier Town Locations, and a counter sheet of new tokens. All of this material contains changes that were made for the Revised Editions of the City of the Ancients Core Set and the Swamps of Death Core Set, and is meant for veteran players that want to get the minimum amount of revised material that is new or contains changes to gameplay.

Note that there are many other changes in the Revised Core Sets that are simple wording tweaks, typo corrections, Art adjustments, minor changes for clarity, and the inclusion of a Set Symbol on every game card to help sort your collection more easily. The contents of this printed material Upgrade Kit only include changes that are mechanical in nature (that could change gameplay) as well as new cards, or in some cases, additional copies of existing cards that may not have, themselves, changed.

Who hoo, thanks! I was just talking with a friend about starting a campaign of this.

I haven’t played in forever. Yet I need this.

hentzau wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:35 pm I haven’t played in forever. Yet I need this.

Exactly! The space where I'd set this up is unfortunately a makeshift classroom for my 9th grader, but a man can dream that perhaps over winter break it'll be time to get weird in the old west.

Also, I mentioned it a while ago in the Amazon Kindle deals thread (and this is totally unrelated), but I've been reading Merkabah Rider and it's the closest thing I've read that feels like something out of Shadows of Brimstone. It's really good, despite sounding like it could never work.

A Hasidic gunslinger tracks the renegade teacher who betrayed his mystic Jewish order of astral travelers to the Great Old Ones across the demon haunted American Southwest of 1881.

In this acclaimed first volume, four sequential novellas and one bonus short story chronicle the weird adventures of THE MERKABAH RIDER.

In THE BLOOD LIBEL, The Rider fights to save the last survivors of a frontier Jewish settlement not only from a maddened lynch mob, but from a cult of Molech worshippers hiding in their midst.

In THE DUST DEVILS, a border town is held hostage by a band of outlaws in league with a powerful Vodoun sorcerer.

In HELL'S HIRED GUN, The Rider faces an ex-Confederate sharpshooter who has pledged his allegiance to Hell itself.

In THE NIGHTJAR WOMEN, The Rider drifts into a town where children cannot be born. Here an antediluvian being holds the secret to his fugitive master's insidious plan; a plot that threatens all of Creation.

Finally, never before collected, THE SHOMER EXPRESS. On a midnight train crossing the desert, a corpse turns up desecrated. Someone stalking the cars has assumed its shape, and only The Rider can stop it.

And ordered. Although the total with shipping seems a bit high, I need this because...well...I need this.

I just hope it comes with updated rule books and scenario guides. I tore the cover off one of my scenario guides a while back by accident.

hepcat wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:51 pm I just hope it comes with updated rule books and scenario guides. I tore the cover off one of my scenario guides a while back by accident.

Yeah, it's not clear but it doesn't seem like it (based on the description). The old rule book (2014) is still available to print as a PDF, so if it's not included hopefully they release the revised rules as a PDF as well.

Did some digging. Looks like they’re posting a revised rule book and adventure books as PDFs at some point. That’s fine, I guess. I use my iPad to check rules while playing most games anyway.

The only remaining problem I can think of is that I have so much stuff for this game, and I’m betting I end up with some disparity between revised rules and older expansion/reward stuff.

Ah well, first world problems.

In full disclosure I've only assembled and used the contents of the City of the Ancients. I haven't touched the Swamps of Death or the giant suitcase of extras / stretch goals that game with my minecart level. It's an insane amount of content.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Thu Sep 24, 2020 10:39 am In full disclosure I've only assembled and used the contents of the City of the Ancients. I haven't touched the Swamps of Death or the giant suitcase of extras / stretch goals that game with my minecart level. It's an insane amount of content.

I've got almost everything assembled. And my brain is looking at my pile of contrast paints thinking "Hmm..."

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Thu Sep 24, 2020 10:39 am In full disclosure I've only assembled and used the contents of the City of the Ancients. I haven't touched the Swamps of Death or the giant suitcase of extras / stretch goals that game with my minecart level. It's an insane amount of content.

for me, it's all about the derelict spaceship. Undead astronauts? Yes, please.

That's the one set I've looked at and have wanted. Which makes no sense as I have (I'm not kidding) an entire suitcase full of untouched SoB materials. But I agree - the derelict spaceship theme is just so damn awesome in the Weird West setting.

EDIT: Amazon has them for $49....and purchased. /shakes fist

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Thu Sep 24, 2020 3:19 pm That's the one set I've looked at and have wanted. Which makes no sense as I have (I'm not kidding) an entire suitcase full of untouched SoB materials. But I agree - the derelict spaceship theme is just so damn awesome in the Weird West setting.

EDIT: Amazon has them for $49....and purchased. /shakes fist

I love this one. The models are really awesome between the nasty skeleton astronauts and the cool robots and turrets.

My upgrade pack came in yesterday and I started sorting things out. The cards...are going to take some effort.

I can also confirm there's no manuals included, however they did publish updated manuals and adventure book PDFs on their website (far right side) for those with access to a decent printer.

I finally remembered the SoB Hexcrawl book that someone made a few years ago and through some creative coupon application, I managed to order a copy on Blurb. I'm hopeful this will give the game the soul I've always felt it was missing.

Got mine today. 30 bucks seems a little steep for what you get...especially with the 10 bucks for shipping.

Ah well, I’ll hopefully get some use out of this.

If you're SoB set is sitting around and collecting dust, consider using it as a solo RPG, courtesy of the Dungeon Dive:

They're starting to slow-drip info now, but it feels like they're making a kill-shot at hentzau with a new Egyptian-themed set coming for Shadow of Brimstone:

Smoove_B wrote:They're starting to slow-drip info now, but it feels like they're making a kill-shot at hentzau with a new Egyptian-themed set coming for Shadow of Brimstone:

Oh, FFS…

I will even come over to your place and play this with you. You’re welcome.

My latest update for STALKER came with a link to a game called Scarface 1920: Bloody Business that also made me think of hentzau.

TheMix wrote:My latest update for STALKER came with a link to a game called Scarface 1920: Bloody Business that also made me think of hentzau.

Apparently I have a type.

hentzau wrote: ↑Sat Jul 01, 2023 6:39 pm

TheMix wrote:My latest update for STALKER came with a link to a game called Scarface 1920: Bloody Business that also made me think of hentzau.

Apparently I have a type.

I think that is a fair assessment.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Sat Jul 01, 2023 2:32 pm They're starting to slow-drip info now, but it feels like they're making a kill-shot at hentzau with a new Egyptian-themed set coming for Shadow of Brimstone:

Spoiler:

Did they ever release the Viking themed one?

baelthazar wrote: ↑Wed Jul 05, 2023 8:52 am Did they ever release the Viking themed one?

I believe it's just starting to go out to backers now.

Update today, it's not just Egypt. Includes "The Impossible Hell Train" western set.

Just for Hentzau

Smoove_B wrote:Just for Hentzau

Already favorited. Dammit.

Smoove_B wrote:Just for Hentzau

And backed. I have no clue when I will be able to play, but I’ll have until 2025 to find time.

If I had played through all my SoB stuff, I might have been tempted. Although seeing that assembly was still required for the minis would probably have ended up causing me to avoid this even then. I won’t go through that ordeal again.

2025? Have they fixed their processes? I backed the original, and it was, I believe, about 3 years late. So you might have all the way until 2028...