Mix and Match 2021 (66 Combos)

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice

It's like the plot of a pulp movie.

I'm glad you like it.


The 2021 challenge is substantially more pulpy than the 2020 challenge. Action: Twists is one third pure pulp advice, Templar's gold is a strait pulp adventure, and Venus Field plays into the pulp aesthetic. Some of the other entries lean more to pulp than in 2020: Ancient Egypt is far pulpier than Ancient Arabia will ever be, and pirates dabbling in alchemy has a certain pulp feel to it as well. By contrast, the action entries for 2020 are both more generic than most pulp and focus on things most pulp doesn't, while tomorrow's rides and beyond the pale feel more modern and "weird" than true pulp.

The other major shifts in feel is that 2021 has a lot more dungeon fantasy, four entries rather than two. It also lacks anything truly weird and out there, like Beyond the Pale or Deep Night, or even the Broken Clockwork World.

Its interesting to work with the overall shift when they are looked at as a set rather than individually. I don't know if anyone else is actually looking at them as a set, or if its actually useful to do so, but there is a distinct theme shift.

[ericthered]

Combination 28: The Nexus Malstrum
28) The Green Madonna and Dungeon Fantasy 22: Gates

The pirates of the nexus malstrum raid far and wide, empowered by the shifting portals of the surrounding seas. They may strike in many different places, as long as they return to their portal in time. They mainly raid the Scoalian Empire, a ruthless state bent on maritime conquest, who make efforts to destroy the nexus from time to time. The Scoalians think they finally have a chance to undo the trouble of the malstrom! A mysterious green statue holds the keys to predicting and even controlling the fickle portals of the nexus malstrum. But a pirate raid captured the statue, along with some of the acompanying research. The Scoalians will stop at nothing to get it back, and the pirate who obtained the statue is only beginning to uncover its secrets, requiring a sage from a more civilized land. The Scoalians have sent agents into the maelstrom to retrieve their weapon. Just as long as they do not draw the ire of any local pirates...

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I'm glad you like it.


The 2021 challenge is substantially more pulpy than the 2020 challenge. Action: Twists is one third pure pulp advice, Templar's gold is a strait pulp adventure, and Venus Field plays into the pulp aesthetic. Some of the other entries lean more to pulp than in 2020: Ancient Egypt is far pulpier than Ancient Arabia will ever be, and pirates dabbling in alchemy has a certain pulp feel to it as well. By contrast, the action entries for 2020 are both more generic than most pulp and focus on things most pulp doesn't, while tomorrow's rides and beyond the pale feel more modern and "weird" than true pulp.

The other major shifts in feel is that 2021 has a lot more dungeon fantasy, four entries rather than two. It also lacks anything truly weird and out there, like Beyond the Pale or Deep Night, or even the Broken Clockwork World.

Its interesting to work with the overall shift when they are looked at as a set rather than individually. I don't know if anyone else is actually looking at them as a set, or if its actually useful to do so, but there is a distinct theme shift.

I like what we got this time a bit more than last time because I'm all about that pulp (and westerns - love westerns).

[dcarson]

The 2020 set came in useful when I ran a low prep Monster Hunters short campaign to give our usual GM a break. Was able to use the two MH plots directly.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by dcarson

The 2020 set came in useful when I ran a low prep Monster Hunters short campaign to give our usual GM a break. Was able to use the two MH plots directly.

This makes me happy. :-)

[thorr-kan]

Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice

I like what we got this time a bit more than last time because I'm all about that pulp (and westerns - love westerns).

I find myself a bit less-enthused about the 2021 batch vs the 2020 batch. I still haven't read through all of the 2021 batch and tried to contribute to this thread.

None of the ones I've read have been bad, just not lighting my imagination like the previous batch. I think this is me, though, and not the product.

[ericthered]

combination 29: Secrets of the Marya
29) The Green Madonna and Dungeon Fantasy 23: Twists

The Marya built many shrines around the mysterious artifacts of their "Gods", bizarre and powerful beings from beyond this world, but they did not use them to defend their homeland when the conquistadors took it. Most of the conquistadors destroyed the artifacts, but some hid and saved the powerful objects.

Now pirates have unwittingly stolen a cache of very potent artifacts. Some of the weapons are simple enough to use immediately, but others have dire warnings attached to them. The Conquistadors want the cache back, and will go to surprising lengths to do so. Meanwhile a sage is coming in to see what they can find about the dark items of the non-divine gods the Marya feared so much...


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The simple answer is an inter-dimensional radio that calls dimension-hopping aliens. Depending on how Elder Thing they are, that could get dark rather quickly...

[ericthered]

combination 31: The Imperial Package and Spy Service
31) Infinite Worlds: The Osiris Worlds and Renaissance Venice: Spies of Venice

Alexandria and Rome lie as the two centers of the world. Each relies on the other to shore up its weakness. And yet envy between the two grows, and threatens the peace of the known world.

The Imperial courier service has a better view of this than almost anyone else. Charged by the emperor with monitoring mail and spying on the citizenry, its up to them to detect and head off the trouble before civil war breaks out. They have many tools and powers at their disposal, but they are dealing with cutting edge technology on one side and ruthless abuse of ancient privildge on the other... somehow they must keep this world from returning to the times of slaughter.

[ericthered]

Combination 32a: The Ghoul Ship
32) Infinite Worlds: The Osiris Worlds and Dungeon Fantasy Adventure 4: Two-Page Dungeons

Some of the most cunning warriors and knowledgable exiles recently raided the lands of the black pharoah, seeking an answer to the scourge of ghouls. The ship made it there, completed it mission, and made it most of the way back... before the vengeful ghouls caught up to it and slaughtered the crew. But they did so within sight of a friendly vessel. Our heroes have a chance to find out what led the ghouls so far from their normal haunts... if they're able to act quickly enough.

Combination 32b: Demons and Pyramids
32) Infinite Worlds: The Osiris Worlds and Dungeon Fantasy Adventure 4: Two-Page Dungeons

the Movers are mysterious, and don't seem to be from this world...because they are demons from another. At least they are shaped like demons. They claim they just look monsterous and are interested in peace... but strange things are happening around them. To rid egypt of them will require entering their lair and ritually cleansing it. And then probably making yourselves scarce, as the pharoah is unlikely to be happy afterwards...

Combination 32c: Towers and Tech
32) Infinite Worlds: The Osiris Worlds and Dungeon Fantasy Adventure 4: Two-Page Dungeons

Technology changes warfare. The alexandrians have invented some new alarm device, designed to alert the army when rooms are entered illicitly. You must have this new contraption. The prototype has been installed in a high guard tower on the arabian frontier. Your mission is to infiltrate the tower, copy the working mechanism, search for any associated plans, and get out without getting caught.

[ericthered]

Combination 33: The Jupiter Plot
33) Infinite Worlds: The Osiris Worlds and Space Atlas: Grissom

On Osirus-6, a researcher has finally identified something significantly different... Jupiter is substaintially brighter, and has five moons rather than four on this world-line. The movers seem to be ferrying supplies up to space, and they occasionally bring locals, for some strange reason.

Why are the movers on earth? did they build the fifth moon, or are they investigating it themselves? Why do they need to bring low tech egyptians up there? Perhaps they are building a colony on the moons of jupiter, and are getting supplies until they can ignite jupiter's core. Or perhaps they are investigating the artifact in the fifth moon, and seeing if local genetics is important to getting in...