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10 July 2009

Today’s Tabbloid
PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net

ROGUE FEED they can, or have been irreversibly damaged by their experiences to the
point where they can no longer function in polite society. Your
A new update reputation, your Sanity, and your Faith are all on the line because you
JUL 09, 2009 05:15P.M. are the last line of defense for so many innocents more worried about
war with England than with the things that hide in the shadows.
A very nice update to the New World Almanack has been posted. This
update deals with books, and was submitted by list member Neal Dalton. The New World Almanack

What Neal came up with was very good, and so good in fact, that I am
going to adopt it from here on out. What did Neal do? Brought up an The New World Almanack is your online gaming support tool. From
oversight in the original rules I create, and that is Time to Read. The new new Rituals, to setting information, everything found here has been
rule, is not complex, and is just one more example of the little touches created by the Colonial Gothic Design Team. Some of this material will
that help you run and play the game. Head over to the Almanack (here is eventually find its’ way into print, but there is no sense in holding off for
the direct link) and take a look. that.

We are always taking submissions for the Almanack. If you have a cool To get started, use the menu to the left to navigate.
Relic, Book, Hero, Villain, or anything dealing with the game and period,
send it in.

Also, to answer a couple of emails I have gotten, yes there will be ROGUE FEED
Colonial Gothic demos at GenCon this year. I will be running them in the
booth during the show. I have a new demo I have written (and yes, too Moorcock Interview
answer the question I know I will get next, it will be posted after the con, JUL 09, 2009 12:18P.M.
and after I clean it up) as well as a couple of others I will have in rotation.
Schedule for the demos is still in the air, but they will be done. I actually Reader Markus Siebler pointed me toward a new interview with Michael
I have an extra hand in the booth this year, so I will not be too frazzled. Moorcock that can be found here. As always, there’s some very
interesting stuff there and well worth the read.

ROGUE FEED

Welcome
JUL 09, 2009 05:00P.M. ROGUE FEED

The first question you might be asking is: What exactly is this? Save or Die, Part III
JUL 09, 2009 10:51A.M.
Simple, it is your one stop source for Colonial Gothic support.
I reading the comments to my latest post on the subject of save or die
Are you new to Colonial Gothic? Have no fear, here is all you need to effects in D&D, I think I’ve finally hit upon precisely where the difference
know. really lies between those who support such mechanics and those who
reject them. But first let me quote from the introduction to the AD&D
The world of Colonial Gothic functions on the premise that everything Players Handbook, because it rather nicely frames what I’m about to
you can imagine in the supernatural—from the lowly dandelion plant say:
demon to a sleeping stone giant making her home at the base of the
Appalachians—exists. Even death loses much of its sting, for often the character can
be resurrected, or reincarnated. And should that fail there is
Most other Colonists have either chosen to rationalize the forces of always the option to begin anew with a new character. Thus
Darkness away, ignore their attacks and simply pick up the pieces as best ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is, as are most

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 10 July 2009

role-playing games, open-ended. There is no “winner”, no


final objective, and the campaign grows and changes as it
matures.

So many useful insights in so few words. ROGUE FEED

Lots of people have pointed out, rightly, that it’s because old school Books
characters are mechanically simple, it’s a small matter to replace them JUL 09, 2009 10:08A.M.
when they die to a failed saving throw. There’s no slowdown in the
action, because it takes no more than five minutes to generate a new • Alternate Rules for Books in Colonial Gothic
OD&D or AD&D character to replace a fallen adventurer. As the Gygax
quote above points out, though, in D&D, there’s often no need to replace • Books in Colonial Gothic: Secrets
the character at all.
• New Books for use in Colonial Gothic
I recall that some people were shocked and even appalled that, in my
Dwimmermount campaign, a 2nd-level PC was returned to life by his
comrades, who pooled all their resources to pay for his resurrection. This
was seen as somehow a betrayal of the pulp fantasy principles I’ve ROGUE FEED
regularly championed in this blog. The reality is that, while I do believe
that modern incarnations of D&D have strayed ever farther from the Libraries
literary roots of the game, I believe neither that pulp fantasy literature is JUL 09, 2009 10:07A.M.
the only source of OD&D nor that OD&D was ever intended to be a strict
simulation of pulp fantasy — or indeed of any of the many things that Libraries are very rare in Colonial America, and players hoping to access
influenced its creators. libraries are in for a surprise. The first and largest library in the colonies
is the Library Company of Philadelphia which was established in 1739.
The players in my campaign chose to resurrect their fellow adventurer To fund the purchase of books, and to control access to the collection,
both because the rules gave them the tools to do so and because they felt this library was a subscription library. Members pay an annual
it’s the action their characters would reasonably take, given the existence subscription fee of £5 which gives members full access to the books,
of resurrection magic. I did not feel then — and do not feel now — that it though they cannot be removed from the library.
was “wrong” to let them play the game as it was written because it would
be a violation of the grim and gritty feel most people associate with pulp In 1730 The Society for the Promotion of Knowledge was founded in
fantasy. The campaign is not a simulation of pulp fantasy short stories; Newport Rhode Island, by a group of intellectuals who gather on a
it’s Dungeons & Dragons and in D&D, as Gygax says, “even death loses weekly basis. They met to share their latest book acquisitions and the
much of its sting.” knowledge they acquired through reading. This group lent their books
amongst themselves, but in 1748 after a large donation by Charles Town,
My point here is simply that I think most of the people who dislike save the group created their own library. This library is open only to member
or die do so because they feel it gets in the way of “the story.” To have a of the Society, and no outsiders have been granted access to this
hero unceremoniously cut down because of a giant spider bite or a collection.
beholder eye blast ruins the grand epic they want to tell. Ironically, I
think the presence of resurrection and restorative magic is a similar Not wanting to be outdone, and seeing themselves as the intellectual
bugaboo for gamers at the other end of the spectrum. They’re not so capital of the colonies, Boston decided to open a library. In 1756 a
concerned about “story” as such, but they are keen on pulp fantasy collection of intellectuals, which included John Hancock, formed a
emulation and, since Conan couldn’t just go and raise Valeria from the circulating library. To ensure this library stayed funded they instituted
dead, they feel that D&D characters shouldn’t be allowed to do so either. an annual subscription fee of £1 8s. Those paying this fee are allowed to
For them, resurrection breaks the frame of their imagination every bit as borrow any book in the library, and keep it until they are finished
much as save or die does for others. reading it. Only one book can be borrowed at a time ensuring that the
books return.
Me, I just play D&D, with all its quirks, whether they be save or die or
(relatively) easy resurrection. That’s what the game has always been for Small libraries are found in New York, New Haven, and Savannah, and
me. Indeed, I’d consider both defining characteristics of the game: easy are similar to Boston’™s in has they are run. Annual dues are charged,
death and easy resurrection. Sure, save or die makes it hard to play and as long as the dues are paid, members gain access to the collection to
Aragorn and resurrection makes it hard to play Conan, but then who said borrow books. Colonial colleges also have libraries, and unlike most,
D&D is about playing either Aragorn or Conan? these libraries are open to not only current students but former students
as well. Although this is a nice perk, former students must live close to
their college, or they have to travel to gain access.

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 10 July 2009

Private libraries are also common, but the sizes of these libraries are ROGUE FEED
limited to the funds available to purchase books. Notable private
libraries are the rumored collections of both George Washington and The Black Pullet
Thomas Jefferson. It is said that their libraries are larger than any JUL 09, 2009 10:05A.M.
libraries found in the colonies, and those who have had the privilege to
gain access to them, speak of the number of esoteric works found within. The Black Pullet, author unknown, 1798, French (Time to Read: 6)
Professionals, such as lawyers and ministers, also have private libraries,
but the scope of these collections is limited to specific topics. In the case This slender volume is attributed to a French officer who was injured
of lawyers, books will cover English and Crown law, as well as the works during Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt. The officer was wounded and
of Plato and Aristotle. For ministers, their collections tend to reflect their nursed back to health by an Arabic using incantations and talismans.
interests, and besides having numerous religious works, there are also This book provides a +1 bonus on tasks that involve the creation of
works dealing with history and geography. talisman.

In the south, other than the library in Savannah, most libraries are in (Note: Though this book came about after the War of Independence, it
plantation houses. It is not uncommon for plantation owners to share may be of use for campaigns occuring after that period.)
the books with neighbors and exchange books amongst themselves.

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The Sworn Book of Honorius
Les Secrets merveilleux de la JUL 09, 2009 10:05A.M.

magie naturelle du petit Albert The Sworn Book of Honorius, by Honorius, pre-13th Century, Latin
JUL 09, 2009 10:06A.M. (Time to Read:24)

Les Secrets merveilleux de la magie naturelle du petit Albert, This medieval grimoire is one of the oldest existing books on magic and
supposedly by Albertus Magnus, 1668, French (Time to Read: 12) has seen a number of translations. It was once in the library of the mage,
John Dee. It contains information on the summoning of demons and
This collection of magical knowledge is rumored to have originated in other magical operations. It provides a bonus or experience for
1275. It is associated with the creation of talismans, including the summoning spells and Lore Tests.
infamous Hand of Glory.

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Books in Colonial Gothic:
New Books for use in Colonial
Secrets
Gothic JUL 09, 2009 10:00A.M.
JUL 09, 2009 10:06A.M.
Books in Colonial Gothic: Secrets
by Neal Dalton
Additions by Neal Dalton

The Bookshelf With the new rules presented in Alternate Rules for Books in Colonial
Gothic the books found in Colonial Gothic: Secrets need one little
• The Black Pullet addition. What follows is the Time to Read added to the books found in
that supplement. What follows are the titles of each book, and in
• The Sworn Book of Honorius paraenthesis is TR and a number. This is the number of hours it takes to
read the book. Also included are links to examples of the book.
• Les Secrets merveilleux de la magie naturelle du petit Albert

Books

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 10 July 2009

• A Treatise of the System of the World, (TR 12, Preview of text on • Le Grand Grimoire, (TR 12)
Google Books (possible game aid))
• Lectiones Opticae, (TR 12)
• Aim of the Sage, (TR 24)
• Lexicon Technicium, A Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences,
• Arcana Coelestia, (TR 24, Preview of text on Google Books (TR 24)
(possible game aid, there is a preview of an 1840 printing in Latin)
• The Marrow of Alchemy, (TR 6)
• Baal ha-Turim, (TR 12)
• Micrographia Restaurata , (TR 6)
• Book of Navigation, (TR 12)

• Book of the Composition of Alchemy, (TR 12)


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• Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage, (TR 12,
Preview of text on Google Books (possible game aid, in English, not Alternate Rules for Books in
Hebrew)
Colonial Gothic
• Chaldean Oracles, (TR 6) JUL 09, 2009 09:37A.M.

• The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms, (TR 24, Preview of text on Alternate Rules for Books in Colonial Gothic
Google Books (possible game
aid)|http://books.google.com/books?id=9ITOAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Chronology+of+Ancient+Kingdoms&ei=AApQSvOEJIXuzATItfnu
)) by Neal Dalton

• Compendium Heptarchiae Mysticae, (TR 12) The following are an alternative set of rules for books than were
presented in Colonial Gothic: Secrets.
• Compendium Maleficarum, (TR 24, Preview of text on Google
Books (possible game aid) The Books

• De Auctore Spherae, (TR 12) CG: Secrets’ description of books remains relatively unchanged with the
exception of one additional attribute: Time to Read. This is a number
• De Confessionibus Maleficarum et Sagarum, (TR 12) that indicates how many days or hours it takes to read the text. The
length of time it takes to get through a book depends on whether you are
• De Hierachia Coelestia, (TR 12) reading or skimming the book.
Assigning a Time to Read to a text is largely arbitrary. If you create
• De Magia, (TR 24) your own books for the game then do what you like. With many of the
real books that are mentioned in Secrets, it is difficult to tell. The length
• De Mysteriis Aegyptiorum et Chaldaeorum et Assyriorum, (TR of time may be due to the actual length of the book or the need to go
24, Preview of text on Google Books (possible game aid) through it slowly as it is in an older version of the language. Here are a
few rough guidelines, that GMs can use when dealing with Time to
• De Nigromancia, (TR 6) Read.

• De Occulta Philosophia, (TR 24, Google Books has a preview of • A short book or one that has been translated into the current form
volume 3 (starts on page 62, possible game aid) of the language takes 6 days or hours.

• De Orbe Novo Decades Octo, (TR 12) • A moderate length book or one that is in an older version of the
language takes 12 days or hours.
• Der von Mose und denen Propheten ubel urtheilende Alchymist,
(TR 12) • A long book or one that is in an antiquated or dead language takes
24 days or hours.
• Flagellum Daemonum; Fstis Daemonum, (TR 24)
Cornelius Agrippa’s De Occulta Philosophia is an extensive work on
• Historiæ Aliquot Transmutationis Metallicae, (TR 6) natural magic. The Time to Read this book is 24 days or hours.

Reading vs. Skimming

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 10 July 2009

The first step in using a book is to decide whether you wish to read the the reader has learned all they can from the book. The player may apply
book to absorb all it contains or skim it to find a pertinent piece of this XP to any skill or spell that the text covers, including specialties.
information. There are benefits to each.
For example: Edward (Reason 8) reads The Book of the Sacred Magic of
As noted in Secrets, a reader must be able to read the language in which Abra-Melin the Mage (Time to Read: 12 days). His player makes a
the book is written and the book must apply to the situation or subject. successful Language – Hebrew Test subtracting 4 (half Reason) from 12
days and finishes reading the text in 8 days. Since his Test was
successful, he gains 3 XP which may be applied to the Lore skill, or the
Skimming Clear Vision or Guidance spells.

A reader skims books to find information pertaining to a particular A failed Test while reading means the reader spends the maximum
question or problem. When skimming a book, the Time to Read is in amount of time to read the book and reduces the XP gained to 1.
hours. If a hero wishes to skim the book more quickly, the Language Test Dramatic Failure not only means the reader loses the time but gains
needs to be made, with Success having the half the reader’s Reason is nothing from the text and may rip the book apart in frustration as they
subtracted from the Time to Read. (a Dramatic Success, has the reader find the text unreadable or discerns that the book is worthless to him.
subtract the full Reason). If the reader is fluent in the language of the
text, half the Reason is subtracted from the Time to Read
automatically. For a fluent reader to take advantage of the Dramatic Access to Books
Success, roll 2d12 and on the result of a 2, the player may subtract the
character’s full Reason. The minimum number of hours that the Time Between the 1600s and 1700s, libraries began to come into their own as
to Read may be reduced to is 1 hour. the cost of printing and binding came down and books became more
plentiful. A growing sense of nationalism and an increase in the role of
Successful language Tests provides a +1 bonus to a roll of the appropriate the university in education also led to the existence of more libraries.
skill for that particular task. If the Test is a Dramatic Success, they find Book collections in Colonial America may come in several forms: private
detailed information applying to the situation, obtaining a +2 bonus. collections, university libraries, subscription libraries, and free lending
libraries.
For example: Thomas (Reason 10) is skimming De Occulta Philosophia
in an attempt to find information helping him answer a question on Private collections are book collections that are privately owned by an
magical sympathy. As noted above, it takes 24 hours to skim the book to individual or group. Access to such a collection may require a letter of
see if it has information pertaining to his problem. A Successful introduction from someone that knows the owner, a bribe, or more
Language — Latin Test, he reduce this time by 5 (half his Reason) hours clandestine methods.
to 19 hours and gains a +1 to his roll. A Dramatic Success, the Time to
Read reduces this time by 10 to 14 hours and provides a +2 to the roll. The Harvard University library is the oldest library in America. The 400
books that started the library were donated by John Harvard, a
When a reader fails the Language Test while skimming a book, they clergyman, and he was honored by having the university named after
either misinterpret the text or fail to find information appropriate to the him. University collections may be restricted to alumni, students, and
situation. The time spent skimming the text is lost and no benefit is other honored men of knowledge. Some universities may have
gained. Dramatic Failures, a particularly cruel GM might apply a penalty “restricted” collections that are only accessible to a select few.
to the Test as the character draws the wrong conclusions from what he
reads. This may also apply to a fluent character if the player rolls a 24. Subscription libraries are lending libraries that allow access to people
Remember: just because you understand a language doesn’t mean you that pay a monthly or yearly subscription. The patrons’ subscriptions go
come to the right conclusions. toward the purchase of the books and upkeep. This type of library began
to appear in America in the 1700s. The first such library was the Library
Company of Philadelphia which was founded by Benjamin Franklin. The
Reading first free lending library was founded in the late 1600s.

When a reading a book, a reader is seeking to add the knowledge of that The Library of Congress was founded in 1800 and largely destroyed
book to his own. Reading a book is the only way to learn any spells that during the War of 1812. In 1815, Thomas Jefferson sold his private
are in the book. When reading a book, the Time to Read is in days. The collection of over 6000 books to the government to help restore the
same rules apply for reducing the amount of time except that the time is library.
subtracted in days. A successful test, the reader gains XP toward the
particular skill or spell and only that particular spell or skill. On a
successful roll, the character earns 3 XP toward the skill or spell (6 XP References
for a Dramatic Success). Once a text is used in this way, it may not be
skimmed for a situational bonus or read again to gain more experience; Krasner-Khait, B. (2001). Survivor: The history of the library. Retrieved

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 10 July 2009

June 31, 2009, from History Magazine: http://www.history-


magazine.com/libraries.html ROGUE FEED

Library. (n.d.). Retrieved on June 31, 2009, from Wikipedia: Background


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libraries JUL 09, 2009 09:03A.M.

Library of Congress. (n.d.). Retrieved on June 31, 2009, from Wikipedia: Colonial Gothic is set during the dawn of the American Revolution.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_congress There are many little details, which can be used in your games to give
them a little touch of believability.

Sections
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• Ballads, Poems & Writings
Printing & Publishing
JUL 09, 2009 09:04A.M. • Books

The Colonies, especially New England, has a rich and storied tradition of • Colonists
printing and publishing. The first printing press arrived in Cambridge,
Massachusetts in 1638. Its’ arrival marked the start of a varied and rich • Card Suits
tradition of printing. Numerous newspapers and magazines can be found
throughout the Colonies, with some from Europe and England. • Currency
Newspapers and magazines are not the only form of printed
communication; there are also pamphlets, broadsides, almanacs and • Disease
books printed by the Colonial printers. Even though the news is a bit
dated due to the length of time it takes for mail to be delivered, they are • Education
readily available and shared by many.
• Equipment
Colonial Printers of Political Pamphlets
• Government
Edges & Gill (Boston)
James Rivington (New York) • Groups
William & Thomas Bradford (Philadelphia)
Thomas & John Fleet (Boston) • Libraries
John Dunlap (Philadelphia)
John Holt (New York) • Maps

Colonial Newspapers • Printing & Publishing

Boston Gazette and County Journal (1719) • Religion


Boston News Letter (1704)
Georgia Gazette (1774) • Transportation
Maryland Gazette (1727)
Massachusetts Gazette (1768)
New England Courant (1721)
New York Gazetteer (1773)
Pennsylvania Gazette (1728)
South Carolina and American General Gazette (1764)
South Carolina Gazette (1732)
South Carolina and American General Gazette (1764)
South Carolina Gazette and Country Journal (1765)
Virginia Gazette (1736)

Note: Date is the date when the newspaper began publication.

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