The Death Cookie

1. Monster of the Week: The Ghoul
(Columns/Monster of the Week)

... the ability to take on the abilities and appearance any person whose body they have eaten. Some ancient stories claim that ghouls can also turn into jackals, hyenas, or other animals, but so far the ...

2. Monster of the Week: The Wampus Cat
(Columns/Monster of the Week)

... cat. The Wampus Cat is a predator who feeds on wild animals, livestock, and occasionally humans, but does not have any particular preference for human (or, as some stories claim, infant) flesh.  ...

3. Archetype of the Week: The Holy Man
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

The holy man is a character who serves God. Most fictional holy men serve the Christian God, but there are occasional examples of holy men serving other deities, especially in fantasy stories. It should ...

4. Archetype of the Week: The Noble Savage
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... is generally less overtly primitive than the noble savage, the core concept of a character who is wise despite his otherness is very similar. Likely Stories The noble savage most commonly appears ...

5. Archetype of the Week: The Boy Scout
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

...  ethics, and idealistic beliefs can at times border on hokey. In other words, your classic Lawful Good Paladin from D&D. Likely Stories While the boy scout can appear in any type of story, he thrives ...

6. Archetype of the Week: The Warrior
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... for example. Likely Stories The warrior is universal archetype that appears in nearly every genre of fiction. The only real difference between warriors from one genre to the next is the technology ...

7. A Six Pack of Stagger Lee
(Features/Gaming Articles)

...  Stetson hat, which the Devil had traded him for his soul. According to B.A. Botkin in A Treasury of American Folklore: Stories, Ballads, and Traditions of the People, the hat was "an oxblood magic hat ...

8. Archetype of the Week: The Rookie
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... As a newbie, most rookies are subjected to all sorts of condescension, practical jokes, and initiation rights that they have to put up with if they want to earn their place in the group. In many stories, ...

9. The Rules: Robin Hood
(Features/Gaming Articles)

... to the sheriff or help the merry men when necessary) and it intimidates (or at least infuriates) the enemy. 4) Robin Hood Stories Are Adventure Stories: Although Robin does occasionally get involved ...

10. Archetype of the Week: The Trickster
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... on Taxi), he was the fool; as Tony Clifton, Andy embodied the trickster. In literature, the trickster is often revealed to be something more than he pretends, usually a king or a god. Likely Stories ...

11. Archetype of the Week: The Fool
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... competent minions) to cause a lot of damage. Likely Stories The fool is a universal archetype who can appear in any type of story. The Name Game Fools often have names that are funny or unusual, ...

12. The Rules: Sword & Sorcery
(Features/Gaming Articles)

Lately, several members of the Hex staff have been discovering or re-discovering classic pulp sci-fi and fantasy. I picked up a big ass book of Conan stories a few months ago and have been slowly making ...

13. Archetype of the Week: The Spook
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... of humor, rarely breaking character or admitting surprise at even the most ludicrous turn of events. Likely Stories Spooks can be found wherever there is a conspiracy (or potential conspiracy) ...

14. Archetype of the Week: The Mentor
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... the younger heroes everything they need to know, but this is not strictly necessary in an RPG setting. Likely Stories The mentor is one of Campbell's classic archetypes, and appears in some form ...

15. Wednesday WWPHITM?: Preacher
(Features/Random Stuff)

... folks who only show up for a few stories. Timothy Oyphant as Jesse Custer This was kind of a tough one, because Nathan Fillion would also be great in the role (and we know he can rock the ...

16. Interview with Broken Toy's Letia Clouston
(Features/Interviews)

... stories.  "Joe vs. the Volcano" is one of my favorites as well...a box office flop that is endlessly entertaining.  This past year I really loved "A Serious Man", "The Hurt Locker" and "District 9".   ...

17. The Crusader
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... rarely acts out of pure altruism; he has personal reasons for doing what he does and is not necessarily interested in doing good if it doesn't further his own goals. Likely Stories Crusaders can ...

18. The Rake
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... Stories The idea of using someone's love (or at least horniness) against them is as old as time itself, so the rake can appear in just about any type of story. The Name Game The rake's name will depend ...

19. The Squint
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... you're playing in an game where most of the other characters are also squints. Likely Stories Squints are most common in modern and futuristic settings, especially crime fiction, super-hero stories, ...

20. The Everyman
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... heroics. The everyman steps into the role of the hero because nobody else can or will and in many cases because it's The Right Thing To Do. Likely Stories Reluctant heroes can be found anywhere, ...