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Hyperborea » New Vinland » 4/20/2018 12:40 pm

kslacker
Replies: 4

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I included it when I was doing posts about Hyperborean demographics:

https://mutantsmagic.wordpress.com/2016/06/27/hyperborean-demographics-new-vinland/

You can also check out my "Skandik" related posts (I renamed the Vikings because I have "real" Vikings in my other game):

https://mutantsmagic.wordpress.com/tag/skandik/

Hyperborea » Hyperborean Time-Warp. » 4/14/2018 6:38 pm

kslacker
Replies: 2

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Ah - I should also mention... In my campaign Hyperborea orbits Kyranos/Saturn.

I honestly got so used to thinking of it that way that I forgot it's not the case in AS&SH as-published!

Hyperborea » Hyperborean Time-Warp. » 4/14/2018 6:09 pm

kslacker
Replies: 2

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This bloody winter has lasted forever and it's got me thinking about the 13-year Hyperborean cycle. The long winters never sat well with me. How could the plants and animals adapt to such a huge deviation from Earth’s climate and season? It just extends my suspension of disbelief past the breaking point.

So I've decided to implement sort of time-warp – where Hyperborea exists inside a temporal anomaly which operates at about 29× “normal” time.

I made a post on the subject; here's the link: Hyperborean Time-Warp

Anyone else doing something similar in their campaign?

Adventures » The Black City » 3/28/2018 8:32 pm

kslacker
Replies: 9

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Hi; I've been running the "Mutants & Magic" Black City campaign. I've taken the material that John Arendt published online (on his Dreams in the Lich House blog) and adapted it to a pseudo-Hyperborean setting. It's actually a sequel/prologue to my Astonishing ACKS campaign (which was set in Hyperborea proper).

I'm treating the Black City / Khromarium as an "eternal city". Versions of it exist in multiple worlds across many planes of existence. It can be found in different times and inhabited by different beings. The "Black City" is different from the Khromarium of AS&SH, but shares the same "Old Earth" history - at least up to a point.

One of the PCs is actually from Hyperborea proper - he was lost in space & time due to a "natural 1" when dealing with temporal & dimensional distortion technology.

General Discussion » Hanging Canvas Map? » 11/09/2017 1:41 am

kslacker
Replies: 3

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Yeah; but then I can't bring it on the table during play!

General Discussion » Hanging Canvas Map? » 11/08/2017 11:23 pm

kslacker
Replies: 3

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I received my canvas map today and it is a thing of beauty - it shall adorn the wall of my gaming basement!

I'm wondering how to achieve this without damaging the map, however. I'm thinking of hanging it using binder clips along the top, then attaching these to tacks or nails in the wall. (That way I can take it down easily for use in-game.) I might need to weigh down the bottom as well to keep it from curling.

Any suggestions?

Music » Music in the Background » 6/29/2017 1:38 pm

kslacker
Replies: 23

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I've got a playlist of instrumental sludge metal and stoner rock that I usually play quietly in the background. It's enough to provide some white noise, without intruding too much.

My favourites are from Colour Haze, Dead Branches, Glowsun, Goddess, Shooting Guns, Thorun, YAWN, and (especially) Tuber.

https://youtu.be/szI21Q1v9hE

Hyperborea » Winter is coming » 6/29/2017 1:28 pm

kslacker
Replies: 27

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I think it depends on location.

I would think that Khromarium has an extensive "undercity" with living space, storage areas for preserved food, and cisterns of clean water. Perhaps the Sorcerer-Priests of Xathoqqua provide intoxicating lotus extracts to the faithful that would put them into a dreamy haze most days - basically "hibernating" through the winter.

Conversely, Keltic clans would huddle in their hill forts and round houses and carefully shepherd their diminishing supplies. As Mabon describes, teams of rangers would forage for fresh meat. But despite this every winter would still end up like the Irish potato famine, limiting the growth of the settlements.

More barbaric or vicious groups would simply rely on raiding to survive, moving between small settlements or simply reverting to cannibalism if necessary.

Hyperborea » The Purple Planet as Underborea. » 9/22/2016 8:58 am

kslacker
Replies: 3

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Peril on the Purple Planet is an excellent mini-campaign from Goodman Games. I got the boxed set as part of the Kickstarter, plus all the add-on modules (either in print or pdf).

I could run it pretty much as-is, as a distant world accessed via a portal or magical mishap. However, I think that it could also be a good fit for Underborea.

For my Underborea, the entire plateau described in Purple Planet could instead be a vast subterranean cavern, illuminated dimly by the phosphorescent purple fungus that grows upon the cavern walls and ceiling. The plateau itself is about 300 miles by 200 miles, so it fits nicely beneath the Spiral Mountain Array.

I've posted some conversion notes and additional thoughts on my gameblog.

Campaign » Coiled Goddess - Escape from Enmei Island? » 9/20/2016 12:40 pm

kslacker
Replies: 4

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That's a great point. Unfortunately, the arcane spellcasters might get anxious with the extended downtime - their spellbooks are in Nanansa's hoard beneath the pyramid.

I'm still waiting on responses from the players. They seem to think that the referee's "plot hammer" will come in and save them...

Campaign » Coiled Goddess - Escape from Enmei Island? » 9/19/2016 11:48 am

kslacker
Replies: 4

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The characters in my Astonishing ACKS campaign have gotten into a spot of trouble... After a failed assault upon Nanansa in the pyramid sublevel, they were captured as surgical test subjects by the Snake-Men. Last session they managed to escape from their captors, but are marooned on Enmei without gear or ship - and the surviving Monastery forces are still on their trail.

Does anyone have suggestions on how they can escape from the island? The pirate junk has already been 'junked' (shipwrecked on a reef). I'll probably suggest the small boats from the pirate outpost to the PCs. They didn't see the Teleporter beneath the Temple; I might drop it as an out-of-character hint, but that seems really heavy-handed.

(Hmm; one of the characters is a Sorcerer-Priest of Xathoqqua... Perhaps he'll have a "Divine Vision"...)

Campaign » Hyperborean Demographics. » 6/24/2016 10:04 pm

kslacker
Replies: 2

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I've got two more demographics posts, covering additional realms:



One major consideration when using ACKS is the Market Class of each community, which establishes whether expensive equipment is available. With the notable exception of Khromarium, most Hyperborean realms have limited items for purchase.

I’m definitely thinking of reducing starting equipment (namely armour) in my home campaign. PCs will probably need to travel to Khromarium if they want to make big purchases…

Hyperborea » Brigands Bay » 6/23/2016 10:19 pm

kslacker
Replies: 14

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I'm swiping (the most excellent) Fellchapel and the Kybernetes in my Astonishing ACKS home campaign.

I posted today about the realm of Brigands Bay, mentioning your background info: Hyperborean Demographics - Brigand's Bay.

The Sea-Wolf's Daughter might make an appearance too...

Campaign » The Many Faces of Xathoqqua » 6/22/2016 11:21 pm

kslacker
Replies: 4

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I added an alternate tradition as an option for those who acknowledge Xathoqqua’s strange influence on the beasts of Hyperborea:

https://mutantsmagic.wordpress.com/2016/06/20/alternate-xathoqquan-traditions/

(I should note that this applies to my custom "Astonishing ACKS" house rules, granting specific bonus spells to some of the Xathoqquan caster classes.)
 

Campaign » Hyperborean Demographics. » 6/22/2016 5:40 pm

kslacker
Replies: 2

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Hi all. I've started a series of posts on my Mutants & Magic gameblog discussing the demographics of Hyperborea, using the guidelines from Adventurer, Conqueror, King (ACKS).

ACKS has rules for demographics and economics of fantasy RPG realms. They stray into extremely wonkish territory, but I figured folks here may be interested nonetheless.

So far I've done two posts, the first discussing baseline assumptions and general implications:


The second focuses on the City-State of Khromarium:

So far, the urban populations ended up matching the Hyperborea Gazeteer quite closely. My key learning is that the Sages’ Guild of Khromarium didn’t do a good job enumerating the hamlets and rural population outside of city walls, however...

Television and Film » Son of Zorn » 5/20/2016 8:54 pm

kslacker
Replies: 3

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I know that the beer sure helped my appreciation the first time I watched Korgoth of Barbaria. (At least until I laughed hard enough it came out my nose.)

Hopefully the same for Son of Zorn.

Television and Film » Son of Zorn » 5/19/2016 11:55 pm

kslacker
Replies: 3

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Looks dumb.

But, maybe, like good dumb?

Hyperborea » Uzuldaroum? » 4/19/2016 9:04 pm

kslacker
Replies: 3

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Hmm; an Amazonian skyship can travel 90 miles in a day. Perhaps the more advanced Hyperborean vessels could make the trip from Khromarium to Brigand's Bay in a single day?

Indeed; each isolated Hyperborian retreat within the Spiral Mountain Array deserves its own pretentious title.

Hyperborea » Uzuldaroum? » 4/19/2016 1:03 pm

kslacker
Replies: 3

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According to Smith's stories, Uzuldaroum became the capital of Hyperborea after the populace left Khromarium.

Anyone use this city in their campaign? Smith placed it about a day from Khromarium, but I'm thinking of putting the ruins in Brigand's Bay and potentially tying it to the Hyperborean's brief flirtation with Druidism prior to the Green Death.

Campaign » The Many Faces of Xathoqqua » 4/14/2016 10:42 pm

kslacker
Replies: 4

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I didn't really think of that... How do you handle beasts venerating Xathoqqua in your game?

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