The Death Cookie

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

... very dog-like except for the simian head. Its fur is dark brown or black with white fur at the neck and sometimes on the underbelly. When standing upright, the creature is typically 5-7 feet tall, ...

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

... that has been blessed seem to cause more damage to the creatures. They are also vulnerable to holy water and can sometimes be frightened away by the sound of church bells. Biology and Habitat: Hellhounds  ...

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

Also Known As: Sometimes spelled “ghul,” the Arabic word for “demon.” Description: Ghouls who are well-fed on human flesh are indistinguishable from normal humans. The longer a ghoul goes without ...

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

... result of experimentation performed at M-Force’s Triangle Research Facility. Additional Information: There are two other varieties of creature sometimes referred to by the name “Wampus Cat.” Both ...

5. Monster of the Week: The Enfield Horror
(Columns/Monster of the Week)

... creature. The hobo’s sighting took place sometime in the 1930s near Greeley, Iowa. Additional Information: Cryptozoologists and folklorists speculate that the creature may be an extraterrestrial ...

6. Monster of the Week: The Mongolian Death Worm
(Columns/Monster of the Week)

...  Description: The Mongolian Death Worm is a segmented worm 2-5 feet long and 3-6 inches in diameter. Its coloration is red, sometimes with darker spots. The worm if often described as looking like ...

7. Archetype of the Week: Moving On
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... the Week entries), but for the time being this column will no longer be weekly. Tune in next week for the first installment of Monster of the Week.  ...

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

... any story, but they are more common in some genres than others. Historical tales, especially those set in times and places where the church wields considerable earthly power, are full of priests, friars, ...

9. Number Crunching
(Columns/QAGS Corner)

It's not a big secret that Leighton and I didn't do a lot of statistical analysis when we wrote QAGS. After all, the system was originally meant for use in pick-up games when we didn't have time to spend ...

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

... If the character has lost his tribe, he will most likely spend his time with a small circle of companions who have gained his trust. Sample Character George of the Jungle Body: 15 Brain: 8 Nerve: 12 ...

11. 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 ...

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

... S.W.A.T. Officer, Thug, Ultimate Fighter, Vigilante, Viking, Wrestler Suggested Gimmicks: Ain't Got Time To Bleed, Battle Frenzy, Born Leader, Brilliant Tactician, Cybernetic Enhancements, Danger ...

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

  This article originally appeared in an old incarnation of The Death Cookie. Since Stag's hat is one of the items described in American Artifacts, this seemed like a good time to reprint it. If you're ...

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

... who could become a great practitioner of the art if he'd only learn patience. The Name Game While their given names will be typical for the setting and time period in which they were born, nearly ...

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

... but doesn't actually seem to be about Robin Hood. Don't get me wrong: I appreciate the fact that characters like Robin Hood change over time, but certain core aspects of the character need to remain. ...

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

... Television Reporter, Real Estate Developer, Roller Derby Coach, Security Guard, Slacker, Small Time Thief, Soldier, Sportscaster, Stage Magician, Used Car Salesman, Warrior, Wildlife Marshal Suggested ...

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

... Mouser books for quite some time. Not surprisingly, the subject of Sword & Sorcery fantasy came up at Hexcon South, the staff retreat and flood preparedness workshop held just outside of Nashville during ...

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

... to acting as an adviser and sometimes teacher, the mentor often acts as the conscience and voice of reason for the group. It is traditional for the mentor to die (or at least retire) once he has taught ...

19. Fratboy of the Week: The Dupe
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... Hazing never really ends for the dupe, so much of his spare time is spent grovelling for acceptance or perform tedious duties for other frat members. The Numbers Dupes tend to have high Brain and ...

20. WB101 Part 6: Son of The Big Picture
(Columns/World Building 101)

... level somewhere in the 16th Century, gun-wise. To get a better idea of what the heck this means, I pull out my copy of The Timetables of History to see what else came along around the same time in our ...