Grit & Vigor: Pulp Age Concepts

Grit & Vigor is the up-and-coming RPG from the fevered mind of John Stater (aka the "Blood and Treasure guy"). It is an adventure game that draws on the literature of Kipling, Conan-Doyle, George MacDonald Fraser, Robert E Howard, Verne, Burroughs and their ilk. It's about larger than life men going on adventures in search of money, power and freedom.
The game system will be compatible with Blood and Treasure, but will have its own flavor. The game focusses around the many tales of adventure from the last two centuries, from cowboys to super-spies and pioneers of SCIENCE! Character creation promises to be very interesting, with the process including the characters earlier life, education and assorted oddbits relating to his journey to becoming an adventurer.
In preparation of this coming game, I have decided to begin tinkering with a campaign setting for this game. The setting will be one that incorporates elements of my favorite stories from and set in the years leading up to The Great War (WWI). I plan on incorporating both historic fact, and fiction; including scientific romances, tall tales, and pulp tales into the mix.

The setting will be in 1910, a time of great upheaval in the world. Even more so when adding the strange events of the pulp world. Below is a brief timeline for starters. All the events in this timeline will be in living memory of most folks, with the effects of certain events featuring mightily.

PULP AGE TIMELINE (In Brief)
1880 - The First Boer War.
1881 - Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson move into 221B Baker Street. [A Study in Scarlet]
1883 - The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires begins service in Roselle, New Jersey; it was installed by Thomas Edison.
------ Zulu King Cetshwayo barely escapes a rebel attack with his life.
1885 - Dr. Jekyll creates a formula to isolate evil. [The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]
1886 - Robur attempts to conquer the world with his Aeronef flying fortress, The Albatross. [Robur the Conqueror]
1891 - Sherlock Holmes apparently killed in confrontation with Prof. Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls. [The Final Problem]
------ Russian occultist Helena Petrovna Blavatsky dies.
------ Dr. Moreau begins performing terrible experiments Noble's Isle. [The Island of Doctor Moreau]
1894 - Rudyard Kipling publishes The Jungle Book.
------ England begins construction of a fleet of airships to combat future flying foes.
1896 - Wilhelm Röntgen's discovers X-rays and X-ray imaging (radiography).
1897 - England fends off an invasion by France and Russia with the help of Germany. [The Great War in England in 1897]
------ Lord Dracula comes to England aboard the Demeter and is hunted down by Dr. Van Helsing's band and apparently slain. [Dracula]
1898 - The Spanish-American War.
------ The Boxer Rebellion in China.
------ Martians invade the earth. [War of the Worlds]
1899 - Beginning of the Second Boer War in Africa.
------ Nikola Tesla begins his high-voltage, high-frequency experiments in Colorado Springs.
1900 - Max Planck formulates the quantum theory.
------ First flight of the Astronef. Earl Redgrave and his new wife Zaidie embark on a honeymoon adventure touring the solar system. [A Honeymoon In Space]
1901 - Queen Victoria dies, succeeded by her son Edward VII.
------ Bedford and Cavor build a ship out of cavorite and travel to the moon, encountering the insectoid selenites. [The First Men in the Moon]
------ Earl Redgrave encounters the humanoid Aurorean Martians. He finds that these Martians are not the same as those who invaded Earth 1998.
------ The first Land Ironclads are employed in the Second Boer War. [The Land Ironclads].
1902 - End of the Second Boer War in Africa.
------ The Gun Club of Baltimore builds the giant Columbiad Cannon in Florida to launch a projectile to the moon with explorers Michel Ardan, Impey Barbicane & Captain Nicholl. [From the Earth to the Moon]
1903 - The Wright brothers make the first sustained human flight in an Aeroplane.
1906 - Dr. Omega and his companions travel aboard his innovative spaceship Cosmos, travelling to Mars and encountering a number of different Martian races other than the Sarmak.
1908 - Summer Olympics are held in London.
------ Frederick Cook claims to have reached the North Pole. Returns with tales of an inner world that includes prehistoric mammals and temperate climate.
------ Tunguska event or "Russian explosion" in Siberia.
1909 - Einar Dessau uses a short-wave radio transmitter, becoming the first radio broadcaster.
------ Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Abdul Hamid II is overthrown and succeeded by, Mehmed V.
------ Serbia accepts Austrian control over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
------ The United Lodge of Theosophists, or ULT, is founded by Robert Crosbie.
1910 - Present year (game time).
------ ???

More to come...

House on Troll Hill

Good news! Donita K. Paul and Aaron Siddall (me) have published a book! House on Troll Hill is an excellent reading aid as well as a fun story for the young and young at heart.
Here is the official press release:

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HOUSE ON TROLL HILL

English

Available at http://bit.ly/HouseOnTrollHill  Amazon book sales

A reasonably priced, much-needed addition to books for beginning readers.  House on Troll Hill presents just the right content to seize a reluctant reader’s attention and motivate him to push forward.

When a young reader chooses a book, he picks up something that won’t make him look silly among his classmates. Puppies and kitties, turtles and fish, drawn with an eye for cutesy and color, give off the aura of “baby books.” It’s no fun to struggle through reading while your friends snicker. An appealing book does not advertise its low level.

House on Troll Hill looks sophisticated. As it engages the child with a fun tale and intriguing pictures, it also provides reading practice. Complex sentences challenge the reader. Quick, snappy sentences reward his persistence and offer incentive to “read on.”

The combination of story by bestselling fantasy author, Donita K.Paul, and illustrations by master of line art, Aaron Siddall, gives parents and teachers a book to put in the hands of reluctant readers.

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So come on by and get a copy! THis book is a perfect gift for kids and other reluctant readers.

Voidjammer: The New Drule Empire

The New Drule Empire is a vast, interstellar empire ruled by Drule Blueskins. This empire is presently seeking complete control of a region of space known as The Shadow Nebula, an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen, helium and other ionized gases and magic-enhancing substances. Within The Shadow Nebula, a large number of habitable worlds are known to exist, as well as ample amounts of magical substances such as Corite (positive energy) and Haggarium (negative energy) and other substances.
Also known as the Galran Empire, The New Drule Empire is an attempt by the Drule Blueskins to re-establish the ancient and scattered Drule Empire. In this effort, the Empire is seeking to control potent magics so as to construct a massive fleet of ships and a vast army of troops and Robeasts to conquer all of space. The Empire is centered on the planet Galra (see below), but has conquered numerous worlds across the Nebula.

Politics and Government

The planet is ruled by a kingdom, headed by the quarrelsome and evil Daibazaal family from the massive Castle Doom on Galra. The King serves as the head of state, presiding over a council of Drule noblemen. Each of the noblemen are in charge of vast resources, planets and factions of the Empire.

A steady policy of infighting, assassination and arguments is common in The Empire, resulting in only the most vicious, cunning and paranoid retaining leadership positions for any time. Because of this, the Empire has no use for mercy, or justice. But they do operate under a legal system presided over by the King and the clerics of the goddess Honerva (Chaotic Clerics) and their Drule Antipaladin enforcers.

Military

Under the command of the king, the military conducts combat operations. The Doom military has fleets of spacecraft, wings of combat and support aircraft, and armies. The mainstay of the kingdom's ground forces are Doomite Undead (see below), who are "created" from the life-force of slaves using the planets negative energy properties. In addition to conventional forces, Robeasts provide extra muscle.

Slavery

The Empire relies heavily on slave labor, sending Doomite Freighters to the far reaches of the universe looking for slaves. Though many slaves are sent to labor in the mines, the more interesting sorts are made to fight in the Arena at Castle Doom. In the arena, slaves must battle Robeasts and other foes for the amusement of the nobles and Doomites. Those who die are used as feed for the robeasts, and their souls captured to make Doomites. Those who survive will eventually be transformed into Robeasts.

Galra (aka Planet Doom)

Galra, also known as Planet Doom, is the seat of The New Drule Empire. It is a harsh, unforgiving world that is nonetheless quite rich in material wealth. The mines of Galra have a seemingless endless amount of ferrous metals, possibly due to a number of elemental gates leading to the Elemental Plane of Earth and Fire. The negative-energy ore known as Haggarium is in great abundance.

Galra is a dark and gloomy world yet there is always enough light to see by due to the nearly continuous fires and eerie magical lights. 

Some areas on the planet have only the minor negative-dominant trait, and these regions tend to be inhabited by Drule Blueskins and their favored slaves. The rest of the planet is major negative-dominant trait. Some areas on the planet have only the minor negative-dominant trait, and these regions tend to be inhabited by Drule Blueskins and their favored slaves. The rest of the planet is major negative-dominant trait. 

Spells and special abilities that use negative energy have all their variables maximized.Spells that use positive energy, including cure wounds spells have a 50% chance of spell failure. Characters on this planet take a -5 penalty on Fortitude saves made to regain lost levels from energy drain.

Doomite   

Medium Humanoid, Chaotic (LE), Average Intelligence; Warband (4d6)*
HD 1+1
AC 15 (breastplate)
ATK By weapon
MV 30
SV F 13, R 15, W 15
XP 75 (CL 1)
Doomites  are large cousins of goblins with no hair and charcoal grey skin color. Large males have pronounced ridges on the top of their heads and large eyes. Doomite eyes are either yellowish or black, while their teeth are yellow or black fangs. Doomite soldiers wear simple armor, but when off-duty these goblinoids dress in foppish finery such as frilled colars and sleeves. Their weaponry is kept polished and in good repair. Doomite speak Drule and Common. Doomite hate humans and attack them first, in preference to other opponents.
Doomites live primarily on Galra, but can be found wherever the Galran Empire has spread. When encountered in the field, Doomites are  organized into units of 1d10 x 20 warriors. Each unit is led by a great Doomite with 5+1 HD. There is a 30% chance the tribe dwells with one of the following: 2d6 Large Robeasts or 1d6 Huge Robeasts. Doomite army composition can be determined randomly.

25% DRONES: Leather armor (AC 13), scimitar, whip
20% TROOPER: Breastplate (AC 15), scimitar, pistol
30% DOOMITE: Breastplate (AC 15), scimitar, rifle
15% ELITE: Chitin Plate (AC 18), glaive, short sword, rifle, pistol
10% PILOT: Leather Armor (AC 13), scimitar, rifle, Drule Fighter Ship

Special Qualities: Immune to disease and poison, resistance to cold. 

GALRANIAN AS CHARACTERS
Doomites modify their starting ability scores as follows: Str +1, Dex +1, Int -1 and Cha -1. Doomites have dark-vision to a range of 120 feet. Spells that cure hit point damage act as harm spells, and negative energy spells such as harm spells and ray of enfeeblement have the opposite effect on Doomites.
Doomites speak Drule and Common, but might also know Infernal, Ghoul or Orc. Doomites can advance to a maximum of 9th level in most classes, but have unlimited advancement as Assassins. 

This campaign setting uses the Blood and Treasure RPG rules. Its a melding of Old School gaming and the newer, smoother-running games rules. Its a game that is fairly rules light, but has just enough crunch to satisfy my gaming appetite. All the cool kids are doing it.