So as I've been working on Twelve Parsecs, an alternate combat system has come to light for O.R.C.S. (the engine that powers ELG's games). A number of people have told me their one issue with S&S is that they dislike consulting attack matrices for every attack. This is rather mind-boggling to me, as it really takes no longer than consulting your attack bonus and performing the calculations every time you attack, but I have heard the complaints. As such, a new entirely optional combat system will be added to S&S in future releases. It brings combat in line with the ability check system from the rest of the game, and borrows heavily from the "Target 20" concept of A/OD&D combat (so it should still appeal to old-schoolers, I hope). How it works is thus: 1. Instead of an attack matrix, players make a standard ability check to hit (usually Dexterity, though Strength is recommended for heavy, 2-handed weapons), attempting to get 11 as always. ...

The group opted to pursue the lead for Olidaro, the drunken man who supposedly knew about the Golden Skull. After Kristina re-joined the group, they began to hit the taverns and brothels in dockside, where after some discreet questioning they finally tracked down the man. Through Olidaro's ranting, the group learned several bits of information: Olidaro's ex-wife, Zuthelia, is apparently the founder of the group The group is apparently led by a bitter (and broke) nobleman named Rolovincio, who has gone missing over the past two years Zuthelia used the noble house of Olidaro's family to make connections for her cult, eventually betraying the head of the family and her teacher, a Stygian sorcerer. Olidaro is convinced that a demon Zuthelia summoned is hunting him in the darkness and consequently he refuses to leave the safety of a tavern. The group contemplated convincing or forcing Olidaro out of the tavern to see what would happen but in the end decided to let sleeping (or ...

Back in 1974, TSR published a set of wargames rules based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars / Barsoom series. The booklet had only one print run, as they were sued by Burroughs' corporation for violation of copyright (back in the day, TSR was anything but IP savvy). The booklet has since become something of a collectors' treasure, and fetches pretty high prices on the collector market and ebay when it shows up. There can be found PDFs of it floating about, if you know where to look. Anyway, over at the OD&D Message Boards there is a forum dedicated to the game, and as things do there, discussion turned towards adapting WoM to OD&D. The task didn't seem that difficult at the outset; WoM is similar to Chainmail in many ways, and unless I am mistaken there are Barsoomian critters in Monsters and Treasure. As these things do, the discussion took on a life of its own and a poster who goes by "Doc" put together a set of OD&D rules for Ba...