Roadside Ice

Nope

No creature feature this week.  Just not feeling it for some reason.

Gen Con 2011 Events

My events are submitted!  Be sure to check out the Apocalypse All-Nighter event on Facebook too.  Nothing's been officially approved, but here's what it looks like so far:

Fiend Folio Frenzy
It's the Frankenstein's monster of gaming! I'm going to take a bunch of monsters from the original Fiend Folio, come up with a reason to use them all in the same adventure, and, on top of my own stuff, maybe throw in some bits and pieces from old AD&D modules. (Peryton Fantasy Role-Playing Game)
RPG1118885 - Thursday 2011/08/04 09:00 AM (4 hours)
RPG1118886 - Thursday 2011/08/04 02:00 PM (4 hours)

Aqua Teen Hunger Force and the Book of Beards
Future Wolf is back in his Believable Hair Ship to warn the Aqua Teens of an otherworldly tome even more terrifying than the dreaded Necronomicon, and a cult more insane than Cthulhu's Cowboyz: Les Barbes Bizarre! (BEAN! The D2 RPG)
RPG1118876 - Friday 2011/08/05 02:00 PM (4 hours)
RPG1119567 - Saturday 2011/08/06 03:00 AM (4 hours) (we like to think of it as Friday night)
RPG1118877 - Sunday 2011/08/07 10:00 AM (4 hours)

Apocalypse All-Nighter: Web of Light
Following traces of the Doctor, a group of paranormal investigators stumbles into a nightmare. (Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space)
RPG1118306 - Friday 2011/08/05 11:00 PM (4 hours)


Here's the list of Tom's events as far as I know:

RPG1117874 Cthulhu Mansion III: The Burning Paperbag of Fear Wednesday at 06:00PM
RPG1117877 The Wrong Side of the Fuse Thursday at 09:00AM
RPG1117879 Gotterdammung in Rotterdamm Thursday at 01:00PM
RPG1117881 Big Sky Friday at 09:00AM
RPG1117883 The Bubble Pit Friday at 01:00PM
RPG1117884 Apocalypse All-Nighter: Cthulhu over Cassablanca Friday at 07:00PM
RPG1117886 Apocalypse All-Nighter: The Haunted House Hunters Saturday at 12:00AM
RPG1117897 Apocalypse All-Nighter: Cthulhu Dawn Saturday at 03:00AM
RPG1117900 Attack of the Androids Saturday at 02:00PM
RPG1117903 Rat-Pack Vs Cthulhu: Lillith Be A Lady Tonight Sunday at 10:00AM

And here's Mike Larsen (Monk)'s list:

RPG1117896 The Diary of Casanova
You and your team of intrepid adventurers have been recruited by SEWA, to obtain the Diary of Casanova. as always time is of the essence (a steampunk adventure)
thursday 2011/08/04 01:00 PM 3.5 hours

RPG1117904 Apocalypse All-Nighter: Drag Racing Zombi's from Beyond the Moon
First the saucers appeared,then the zombi's started terrorizing the good folk of Willow Grove Do you and your friends have what it takes to take care of these otherworldy menaces (a 1950's adventure)
Friday 2011/08/05 07:00 PM 4 hours

RPG1118588 Apocalypse All-Nighter: Zombi Double-Header
First up is a Zombi The earth won't hold the Dead adventure in real time called "The Eagle is Leaving" after that wind down and get your toon on with Beavis and Butthead and guests in "Punks down on the Farm"
Friday 2011/08/05 11:00 PM 2.5 hours

RPG1117908 A Soul Murder of Crows
Just another day in Willow Grove, except where did all these crows come from?,who's that hooded person skulking about at night? and why do some of the townspeople look pale almost death-like? all good questions, that need to be answered! (a 1950's adventure)
Saturday 2011/08/06 10:00 AM 4-hours

RPG1117930 The Blood Stone Quarry
The sheriff walks into a bar and starts talking to a wizard, a fight breaks out and now the wizard,the sheriff and Jesse James are now missing
Saturday 2011/08/06 02:00 PM 4-hours

Friday Creature Feature: Speed Demon

Okay, so technically it's Saturday. Sue me. Here's another spirit you can use for those concentration failures.

Friday Creature Feature: Nautilus

Okay, so here's something a little different, a unique named spirit.  You could also call it a demon or even a god, if that sounds better.

Philosopher's Heart

Like I said before, I figure I'll make up for missing last Friday's monster by tossing something completely different into the mix.  So here ya go, a magic item for all those wanna-be alchemists in your campaign.  For bonus points, tell me what happens if somebody eats it.

Philosopher's Heart No one knows what a philosopher's heart would grow into should the strange seed ever fully germinate.  Some say they are embryonic stars, others that they are the eggs of titans.  More sober-minded scholars say they are simply tools created by ancient alchemists, with no larger destiny of their own.  The seed looks somewhat like a large peach pit with a clingy olive-colored dust lining its crevices, and is warm to the touch. The dust, if extracted from the seed and mixed with alchemical salt, will grow into a brown mold.  If similarly removed and mixed with blood and ash, it becomes green slime.  More of the stuff will form on the seed overnight, even if the entire surface is cleared.  Using a philosopher's seed for a heart will reduce the cost of creating a golem or homunculus by 500gp, and the construct will have 1d4 more HD than it otherwise would have. If the seed is kept in warm brine sprinkled with quartz dust for several days, it will begin to extrude spiny tendrils which will grow 1-6 inches (or to the walls of whatever container the seed is in) and stop.  The seed cannot be grown beyond this point by any known means.  The tendrils, however, can be detached and used for a number of purposes.  In conjunction with an entangle spell, a full batch of the tendrils can be  used to create the same effect as black tentacles.  If ground and burned as incense, the tendrils can be used in place of the standard material components of the astral projection spell.  Grafted onto another plant, the tendrils will grow into an assassin vine. The seed itself burns as readily as any piece of wood, but cannot be destroyed in this way.  Those looking into the heart of such a fire will see a mesmerizing sight as the seed comes to life, twisting and sprouting and subsiding with the entwining flames.  This will continue for an hour if no other fuel is available, leaving the seed looking fresh and green for the next day.  If the seed is cut apart, all but the largest (or, if all pieces are identical, one random piece) will crumble into gray ash.  The one remaining piece will grow into a full-size philosopher's heart in one week.

Oops

Sorry, I totally forgot about the Friday Creature Feature last week.  I was off on a road trip celebrating Elvismas (and, coincidentally, Tom's birthday) with good friends who I don't get to see much.  Tell ya what: I'll put up a cool magic item or something tonight or tomorrow to make up for it, and we'll be back on the regular schedule for this Friday.

It was a great trip, despite the fact that our destination was northern Indiana.  I'll probably say more about it later, but I want to get this post up pretty quick.