The official Tales From The Loop Alchemy module is live on the marketplace, and in celebration, StartPlaying is hosting A Weekend in the Loop! Players from around the world wanting to join a game run by experienced and vetted game masters should take advantage of the event. StartPlaying is a site that connects players with professional Gamemasters. Sessions are paid, but steps have been taken to eliminate any guesswork that would go into finding some random on the internet. The event runs from March 7 – 10. There are seats available as of writing this.
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Alchemy RPG is a VTT that aims to enhance the focus on the story rather than combat through ambient sounds, music, visuals, and easy-to-use system integration. While DMs and players can upload their content to the platform to use freely, Alchemy RPG sells specially designed modules for its systems. Alchemy works closely with publishers to produce high-quality animated images and immersive soundscapes for these modules that are sure to bring your next story to the next level.
The platform also has an integrated voice chat function, end-user customization, and most importantly, it is easy to use.
The Alchemy Module
The emphasis on storytelling makes Alchemy RPG an excellent VTT for running a Tales From the Loop Campaign. There is no combat in the system. The focus of the RPG is to create this collaborative adventure with your friends. I’ve messed around a bit with the module, and am impressed with what it can do. Full disclosure, I did receive a copy of the module for free, but that doesn’t affect my options.
The VTT is easy to learn, which is important when you’re bringing people from different backgrounds to the table. I run games for a table of busy dads, and they don’t have the time to learn anything complicated. Simplicity is crucial for my pitch, and Alchemy RPG does it beautifully. I appreciate that moving parts like images and soundscapes are cool and impressive, but they aren’t distracting.
Most importantly, I like the convenience of the module. All the core rules and mechanics are preprogrammed, and I can easily pull and reference rules as needed. If you’re running a prewritten adventure, everything you need to run it is ready and neatly organized. Programing homebrew or anything outside of the modules doesn’t seem too tricky, but as a busy Dad myself, I appreciate not having to do it.
What is Tales From the Loop
I’ve done a post on the Tales From the Loop where I go into more detail that you should read if you have time. Tales From the Loop is essentially Stranger Things. In this alternate 80 timeline, technology has advanced unprecedently. Governments around the world race for supremacy, but there is a cost. In the small towns near these research facilities, strange things start to spring up. Only the kids in these sleepy boring towns seem to notice, and it is up to them to uncover what is going on. Gather your friends on a mystery adventure you’ll never forget.
The game doesn’t have combat or death, and the focus of the system is to create this collaborative narrative together. This means it can be a bit more roleplay-heavy than the typical RPG, but that isn’t always a bad thing. I’ve been playing with my current group for a couple of years now, and we’ve come a long way from the murder hobos we used to be. While I don’t think we’re ready for Tales From the Loop, we’re getting there. I recommend you check it out, it might surprise you how much you want it at your table.
I know I am very late, but it’s been a busy season for me. I’ll try to finish this up as soon as I can. Make sure you always read the original. If you enjoy this project, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
Fenriloogamon drops from the Digivolution light onto all fours. The atmosphere around its body burns from its heat. Each mighty paw leaves behind a molten print as it sparks into an unextinguishable blue flame. Bright blue fur spills Brom between its platinum armor that rattles elegantly with each step. Fenriloogamon’s tail wags as it turns its attention to the professor.
“Here I am, Professor. I’m finally part of the club,” Eiji and Fenriloogamon taunt in unison. They stare down at the professor with a hungry determination.
“Remarkable,” the professor lets out. “I never thought your desire to save Leon would be enough to trigger your mega Digivolution. You are full of surprises Mr. Nagasumi.” He chuckles.
“Aren’t friends important to you?”
“I don’t see a need. People are either useful or they aren’t. Why complicate things further?”
“So that’s all we were to you? Useful?”
“Very,” the professor says with a smirk. “Which reminds me. I still owe you a fat bonus.”
“How fat?”
“Don’t tell me you’re reconsidering my offer?” Ryusenji jests.
“Nah, there’s nothing to consider. I already know the type of person you are.” Inside Fenriloogamon’s Digicore, Eiji looks over his monitors. He examines the readouts before cracking his knuckles. “We’re going all out bud,” he says to Fenriloogamon.
Fenriloogamon leaps into the air, unleashing a mighty roar that shakes the Source Domain.
RAGNAROK HOWLING!
Yulin watches Fenriloogamon charge toward the professor. She felt safe behind the pillars and slabs that surrounded her. The Tyrannomon that brought her here stands nearby with an unconscious Ryudamon at its feet. A second Tyrannomon carefully lowers Pulsemon and Black Agumon on the ground nearby.
Kosuke rides in on the third liming Tyrannomon. He gives it a gentle pat on the head as he gets off and begins limping towards Black Agumon.
“Kosuke…” Yulin lets out.
Kosuke limps past her and drops in front of Black Agumon. “Forgive me,” he makes out weakly. “Your warning wasn’t about the Source Domain. It was about Ryusenji.” Kosuke clutches his fist tightly.
“What’s in your hand?”
“I’m here to put an end to it,” he says as he reaches towards the Black Agumon. Yulin can make out the syringe in his hand. Black Agumon stares back with an unchanging blank expression.
“I can’t hear Dorumon anymore…he took everything from me..If only..” his voice trails.
“Snap out of it Kosuke!” Yulin says sternly. “At least wait to see what the kid can do.”
Fenriloogamon burns a pale blue in the distance.
Fenriloogamon releases a searing shockwave towards Dorugoramon. The attack sends Dorugoramon skidding several meters back. Fernriloogamon readies its next attack, leaping through the air until it was directly overhead. It rains down fiery beams from its limbs.
JOTUNHEIMR GALE!
Kosuke turns towards the battle for the first time since it started. “I don’t believe it.” Kosuke watches in amazement. “The kid actually did it.”
“It’s easy when you’ve got nothing to lose.” Yulin interjects.
“He’s fighting for his friend. That’s not nothing.” Kosuke follows the fight carefully. “He’s always been determined to be on the winning team.”
“You used to be like that, once,” Yulin says as she moves closer to Kosuke.
“Maybe I was,” he says quietly.
“We were all like that once. Now, we just have to do what we can.” Yulin places her hand gently on his shoulder.
Kosuke looks over to her and smiles. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.” He lets out a sigh as he tightens his grip around the syringe.
A blinding pillar of light shoots up from the center of the stone pillar, pulling Durogramon and Fenriloogamon’s attention from the battle.
“What was that?” the professor asks.
“Eiji,” Fenriloogamon calls out. “It’s them!”
The light begins to pulse.
“Did he?” Eiji looks down to search for Kosuke, but there was no sign of him or the Tyrannomon. “He must have administered the Medicine.” The beam turns a familiar warm yellow hue. “LEON! PULSEMON! COME BACK!” They shout.
Leon lays lifelessly in his bed. Wires and tubes run from various machines into his body. A sudden jolt wakes one of the monitors as it fills with unusual activity as the Digimon Linker on Leon’s wrist flickers to life.
The pillar of light fades. Suddenly a bolt of lightning jumps from the center of the stone circle.
“Pulsemon!” Eiji cries with joy.
“Sorry we’re late.” Pulsemon and Leon say at once. “You look…different.”
“Leon? Is it really you?”
“Who else would it be?” they answer.
“Isn’t this sweet?” Ryusenji interjects.
“Professor?” they turn to the silver dragon now staring down at them. “Why are you inside Dorugoramon?”
“I’m here to stop Eiji and the rest of the Sons of Chaos,” the professor explains sheepishly.
“You’re fighting Eiji?”
“He betrayed us Leon. He’s siding with the enemy. They’re trying to destroy the Digital World.”
“Don’t listen to him Leon! He’s the bad guy, not us.”
Leon and Pulsmon look around them. They take in the strange new scenery. Their talon scratches at their chin as they continue to process. They nod suddenly and let off a snap. A spark flashes and consumes their body as they Digivolve.
When the sparks fizzle out, Kazuchimon stands between the Eiji and the Professor.
“How..how is that possible?” Yulin asks, watching the new Kazuchimon spring to life. “He was DMIA.”
“The recovery medication was originally designed to extend the amount of time someone can be mindlinked.” Kosuke watches in amazement. “The drug worked.” He had done all he could do.
“Remember Leon. Remember what he did to you. He’s made his choice. Now join me and help me defeat him.”
“Don’t listen to him, Leon. He’s using you!” Eiji yells as he watches Kazuchimon swing around to stand beside Dorugoramon. Kazuchimon begins collecting electrical energy in its fists.
SHINDEN SHOURAIKO!
Kazuchimon releases the energy in a powerful strike, exploding with powerful force against its unsuspecting target.
Kosuke lets out an anguished scream as he falls to the ground in pain.
Dorugoramon’s arm smolders. Black fumes rise from the wounds. “Leon?” Ryusenji lets out. “Why?”
“You didn’t bring me back professor,” they respond. “Tartarus did.” They release a flurry of blows, each one connecting violently against the silver dragon. Dorugarmon falls to the ground and the attacks stop. “And it was Eiji who came after us.
“Leon!” Eiji exclaims.
Kazuchimon rushes to Fenriloogamon’s side. “It’s hard to explain…but we heard the whole thing.”
Eiji smiles. “So you’re saying you’re siding with us Code Crackers?”
“Kazuchimon smiles. “Never.” It draws its lightning blade and points it at the professor.
“You’re making a huge mistake Leon!” The professor shouts.
“So be it.”
“We’ve got your back,” Eiji and Fenriloogamon say as they move next to Kazuchimon. The two Digimon ready for their next attack.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
Kazuchimon and Fenriloogamon open up a private channel.
“Hey Leon…” Eiji says sadly.
“Don’t worry about it.” they reply before Eiji can apologize.
“Give up quietly professor,” Kazuchimon commands.
The professor cackles. “This is my domain now. You don’t stand a chance!” A tree diagram splits the sky above them.
“What’s going on?” Leon shouts.
“Something’s happening to the alter!” Eiji yells.
“Did you already forget that I cracked the Source domain?” the professor gloats. “I’ve run out of patience.”
Dorugoramon’s body begins to bend and stretch suddenly.
“Kosuke!” Yulin shouts as she watches her old friend fall to the ground unconscious.
Dorugoramon continues to contort violently. A strange force pushes against its insides, trying to burst from within.
“It’s downloading data directly from the source Digimon. He’s going to kill them if he keeps this up!”
“This is bad!”
“Lets go Kazuchimon!” Fenrilogamon barks. The two Digimon charge at their terrifying new foe.
Free League Publishing is teaming up with Start Playing Games and Alchemy RPG for another free learn-to-play workshop this week! GMs and players interested in running the critically acclaimed Tales From the Loop should join this free event for a hands-on look at both the system and the innovative tabletop. If this workshop is anything like the Vaesen event hosted last year, it’s going to be worth your time. To sign up, make sure you sign up on the official page, and have an Alchemy account ready to go. You don’t need to download the client, you can run it from your browser.
Fans of the Netflix series Stranger Things should look into running this system. The adventure is based on kids exploring an alternate timeline in the 80s where a mysterious corporation has moved into town with a series of strange phenomena following close behind. What strange secrets will you and your friends uncover in this retro sci-fi adventure?
What is Alchemy RPG
Alchemy RPG is a virtual tabletop whose goal is to enhance the theater of the mind experience. The VTT offers a growing library of RPGs and events with specially crafted modules for GMs to run the game. These modules will have a collection of sounds, music, and animated backgrounds to help a GM run their game. With integrated voice chat and character sheets, it makes things easy for players and GMs to connect through the system they love. There is an integrated video chat feature and streamer support coming to the platform, so there is a lot to be excited for.
I got to use it briefly with Vaesen and enjoyed using it. It was easy to use, to learn, and it had a lot of the features I needed. I like that I could add grid-based combat whenever I needed it. You don’t need to buy the modules to run a game in Alchemy, but it makes things a whole lot easier. After you see everything the modules come with, you’re going to want to buy them anyways. I’ll be joining and posting a review as soon as I can.
If you’re looking for a new system, make some time to check out the free Tales From the Loop. If you need a hard copy of the rule book, get it over at Amazon ($39.40) or the official website ($51.35)! If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow and share this with your friends.
I was sent the Mutant Year Zero: Ad Astra Campaign for free to cover for my blog. I haven’t had a chance to play the game because I am still finishing up my Dragonbane campaign, but I’ve read through the book. This will be my impressions of the book.
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What is Ad Astra
Ad Astrais the latest campaign book for Free League Publishing‘s TTRPG, Mutant: Year Zero releasing onf Febuary 13th. Ad Astra picks up after The Path to Eden campaign.It is recommended you own the Mutant: Genlab Alphaand Mutant: Mechatron expansions for additional rules and stats. I don’t see why you couldn’t just make up rules on the spot, but it is always nice to have balanced stat blocks at the ready. You’ll also need a copy of the core rule book, although you might get away with just using the starter booklet.
If you’re interested in running a game of Mutant: Year Zero, I recommend you pick up the starter booklet. The booklet provides a streamlined and condensed sample of the game, and it comes with a sample campaign and character sheets to get you started. I recommend you run through the starter booklet before you invest in the system. You can grab your free copy of the PDF on Drivethru RPG, but I’ll leave a copy here for your convenience.
Society has fallen. The planet has become a wasteland. Those who survive on its surface have mutated, and are now unrecognizable to their ancestors. With the resources dwindling, survivors must fight to stay alive. This time, the call to adventure takes our heroes into space. What mysteries lie beyond the stars? What adventures await? Explore the solar system and fight new monsters in this new epic adventure.
Impressions
I love the comic book style of this system, and Ad Astra is no exception. I absolutely love the flavor of this game, and space campaigns are always fun. I am never big on following prewritten adventures, but I am coming around. It is nice to have something already prepared with lore, encounters, and loot. I usually use these as a jumping-off point, but will eventually end up off-book. When that happens, it is nice to have something to fall back on when the story needs a little nudge.
I like how this book feels like a history book. It goes into a good amount of detail about factions, history, and everything you need for World Building. How much I would use it would depend on my players, but I appreciate the book for the resource that it is.
As gameplay goes, I’ll have to run a campaign first. I’ve been having a lot of fun with the Year Zero system, so if this game plays anything like Dragonbane, I am here for it.
If you are interested in a campaign of Mutant, I recommend you run the booklet first to get a sense if it’s the right game for your table. After your table has become invested, move through the rest of the resources until you’re ready to take things into space.
If you’re already playing Mutant and want to take things into space, you should consider Ad Astra. The artwork is fantastic, the flavor is great, and it introduces unique monsters, items, and mechanics you’re going to want to borrow for your campaign.
You can preorder your copy of the Ad Astracampaign on the official site for $41.80 (not including shipping), or from Amazon for $39.99 (free shipping with Prime).
This week’s been crazy, but I’m doing my best to keep up with the daily releases. Make sure you support the original. If you enjoy this project, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
Ryusenji cackles at the threat.
Eiji opens a private chat. “Stay sharp Loogamon. We don’t know what he’s planning” Loogamon nods as he moves to a defensive stance.
METAL CANNON
A cannonball flies towards the pair. Eiji jumps to the ground. Loogamon jumps out of the way, narrowly dodging the projectile. Dorumon stands at the source of the attack and glares emotionlessly at the pair.
“What are you doing?” Loogamon shouts, but Dorumon doesn’t answer.
Eiji turns to Kosuke for answers. Kosuke had broken under the weight of the professor’s revelation. He had become lost in his grief, but Durumon’s sudden attack slowly breaks him free. He lifts his head towards the commotion and mumbles, “Durumon? What are you doing?” He is on the verge of tears.
The Source Domain shakes violently.
“What’s going on?” Kosuke shouts. Dorumon answers with an empty blank expression.
“Dorumon can’t hear you now.”
“But how? We’re still mindlinked?”
“You don’t need to be mindlinked to control Digimon. How shall I put this?… I cracked your connection. Dorumon is mine now.”
Kosuke helplessly looks through this watch and attempts to take back control, but his efforts are fruitless. Words fail him as his world crumbles around him. The great Code Cracker Tartarus was powerless.
“Now Digivolve,” the professor barks. Dorumon nods and digivolves into Dorugoramon.
Dorugoramon
Dorugoramon towers over the pair. Its blank emotionless stare remains fixed on them as it stands at attention, gripping its blade, ready to attack.
The professor smirks as he takes a step next to the Mega Digimon. “This is your last chance your chance Eiji. Join me, and all is forgiven. Work for me and I can promise you a nice apartment, great benefits, and a steady salary. Imagine how impressed Hatsune will be.”
“How did.?” Eiji becomes overwhelmed.
“You have ten seconds. Then I’m taking the offer off the table.” He begins counting down.
Eiji wrestles with the offer. This was everything he ever wanted. A steady job, a good college, and maybe even a girlfriend.
“You can’t be seriously considering this,” Loogamon snarls.
“It’s tempting..” Eiji crouches down next to Loogamon and begins petting its head. “You don’t know what it was like before all of this. I’d have stability…I mean I wouldn’t even have met you if it wasn’t for him…”
“Sure, but…”
The professor extends his arm. “I knew you’d understand. Now-“
Eiji shrugs, “But then again, I was never in it for stability.” Eiji stands and turns to the professors. “I came here to make my mark on the world because, at the end of the day, I’m still a code cracker.”
“Well said Eiji.” Loogamon’s tail wags as it perks up enthusiastically.
“How disappointing…”
“Shut up old man,” Loogamon growls.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Eiji adds. “I still respect you as a mentor, but I was wrong to put you on a pedistal. In other words…”
“Get out of our way!” Loogamon barks.
The professor remains silent. His smile had disappeared as he glared at the pair. “Well if you insist on losing, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Eiji lifts his Digilinker and cycles through the commands. “You’re not stopping us.”
“Let’s fucking go!” Loogamon howls.
“Digivolve!” Eiji disappears into the Digicore as Loogamon digivolves into Soloogarmon. Bright flames pour out of his shoulders with great intensity. it groups at its mace and lets out an earth-rumbling howl.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
PROMINENCE LASER
A white-hot beam of plasma erupts from Soloogarmon’s hands and washes over Dorugoramon. Dorugoramon takes the hit head-on without flinching. It remains unphased as its armor loses its red-hot glow.
“What the?” Soloogarmon shouts.
“Very impressive,” Ryusenji commends.
“That was just the warm-up,” Soloogarmon scoffs.
“Careful Soloogarmon, we didn’t see their fight. We don’t know what we’re up against.”
“Durogoramon has a shockwave and charge attack that make it effective at long and short range. There are no obvious openings to take advantage of either attack. In your current form, one hit will likely fry your Digicore.” Yulin interjects.
“It’s taking commands from a tool, there’s no way it can be that strong,” Soloogarmon rebuts.
“You should listen to the captain on this one. Tools or not, the professor is on the other end of the terminal.”
Soloogarmon swings its massive mace as it readies for another attack. “We don’t have the luxury of being catious.”
“Right,” Eiji says, trying to psych himself up. “Let’s give him hell!”
The professor smirks. “I guess I need to start getting serious.” Dorugoramon absorbs Ryusenji’s projection.
DORU-din
A shockwave of energy roars through the Source Domain, but the attack is too slow. Soloogarmon howls as the engines on its shoulders come explode with energy, and shoot him into the air. Soologarmon hovers over the battlefield with a smug smirk as it braces for the next attack.
Dorugoramon stalls for a moment, searching the battlefield. It smirks as it turns its attention to the center of the circle where Pulsemon and Black Agumon remain suspended. It begins charging its next shockwave.
SKOLL RAGE
Soloogarmon shoots toward Dorugoramon without hesitation, leaving a trail of hellfire in its wake. It closes the distance and takes a swing with its mighty Vanargand.
“Predictable,” the professor says. Dorugoramon stops its charge to swing at the charging wolf. The strike sends Soloogarmon flying back. “You have to do better than that.”
Eiji felt the force of the strike, the sting lingers in his abdomen. He peers over his screens. Their levels remain in a normal range.
“What an annoying prick,” Soloogarmon growls.
“Lets try this,” Eiji says, imputing commands into his virtual console.
Soloogarmon releases another laser, but Dorugoramon deflects it easily. Soloogarmon follows with a turret of blasts, slowly engulfing Dorugoramon in flames. The flames never catch. Smoke billows off Dorugoramon’s body.
“Nice try, but you’ll need to be more imaginative than that,” Ryusenji sneers. “But I’ve wasted too much time playing with you, I have to get back to work.”
The smoke around Dorugoramon’s body begins to clear, revealing an empty space where Yulin, Ryudamon, and Black Agumon stood. Only Kosuke and a Tyrannomon stand at the altar.
“Tyrannomon? Where did you come?” The Professor asks incredulously.
Tyrannomon stands next to Kosuke, looking concerned. Kosuke remains frozen in place.
“Kosuke, you have to move,” Eiji whispers.
“Using your little Tyrannomon under the cover of smoke, very clever Eiji.”
“Get out of there Tyrannomon!” Soloogarmon orders.
Tyrannomon doesn’t get a chance to react. An attack pierces through its shoulder and brings the Tyrannomon to the ground. It lets out a pain-filled roar.
“Such a weak Digimon,” the professor says. Dorugoramon had refined the shockwave into a fine point, making it like a bullet.
“Tyrannomon!” Eiji shouts.
“Dorugoramon is too powerful.” The professor looks down at the trembling Tyrannomon. It is too terrified to move. “Poor thing. I think I’ll put it out of its misery.”
Dorugoramon launches a salvo of focused attacks. The Tyrannomon shuts its eyes, waiting for a hell of fire that never comes. It hears the attack connect but doesn’t feel it. Tyrannomon opens its eyes slowly and finds itself unharmed. Around it, the earth is filled with clusters of deep impacts. Soloogarmon hovers over the Tyrannomon, its arm hangs limp to one side. Scorch marks run up its arms like a sleeve and steam bellows from the injury. Soloogarmon gives the Tyrannomon a warm reassuring smile.
“You saved my Tyrannomon…” Eiji whispers.
“That’s what packs do.”
Eiji feels the pain running up his arm. Senses the heat of the thrusters from his shoulder. His lunges fill with the scents of the battlefield. Loogamon’s anger, frustration, and determination had become his and Saloogarmon felt the same. At that moment, all their remaining reservation melted away as they became determined to win.
Energy begins to build within their core as the two become one. Soloogarmon begins to glow.
“Lets show this asshole what hell really looks like,” Eiji says.
A bright light engulfs the pair. Out of the light steps out a new Digimon, Fenriloogamon.
I’m going to try to keep up with the daily releases, but it’s looking like it’ll be a busy week. Make sure you support the official release. If you enjoy this project, please leave a like, comment, follow the socials, and share this with your friends!
“You’re lying!” Kosuke shouts. I saw the facility. I saw her…” His voice trails as he is overcome by emotion.
“Such a predictable reaction. I needed you to believe she was alive. How else was I going to get you this far?” A smile creeps up on his face.
Shock sets in and brings Kosuke to his knees. The world around him starts to spin as he feels the warmth of vomit creeping up his throat.
“Isn’t this, the Black Agumon you’ve been looking for?” Eiji says as he makes his approach to the suspended Digimon. “So you’re the Digimon everyone’s been looking for.”
Eiji’s words pull Kosuke from his trance. He turns his attention to the black Agumon. There it was, the Digimon he spent half his life looking for. He was so close, he could reach out and touch it. Kosuke shakes off the shock. “I don’t believe you!” he growls.
“Hm”
“I refuse to believe Saya is dead. Not until I see her with my own two eyes.” He walks towards the Black Agumon. A virtual syringe materializes in his hand. He grips it tightly.
“Go ahead,” the professor adds. The professor’s sudden encouragement stops Kosuke. “That Black Agumon is hers, there’s no doubt about it. But that medicine can’t cure death. Are you willing to face those consequences?”
“What consequences?”
“I thought you were smarter than this,” Ryusenji shakes his head. “Suppose you wake her up inside Black Agumon’s core, but she has nobody to return to. What do you suppose would happen then?”
The syringe falls from his hands, landing with a hollow clang. Kosuke had clung to the hope that Saya was alive. The hope that he could bring her back. But here he stood with a choice he couldn’t crack. The medicine would either save her life or seal it. It was too much to bear.
“Data Sector Decryption Complete” the Source Domain’s voice announces.
An anguished scream rips through the air. Dorumon bends backwards, its head snaps violently until it collapses. Kosuke rushes over. “Dorumon!” he shouts as he drops to his knees beside his partner.
“Kosuke….”
“Forgive me Dorumon. You deserved better.”
“It’s not your fault. We chose the right path… I never suspected Ryusenji would betray us….” its voice trails off as it offers a weak smile. The glowing gem on its forehead continues to fade.
“How touching,” the professor says with a dry laugh. “And what were your plans with the data?”
“I would have given you all the credit. All I cared about was getting Saya back.” Kosuke’s voice trails.
“I appreciate your love for my daughter,” the professor says flatly. Kosuke groans and clutches at his chest. “I’ll make sure you look good when all this is over. I don’t want to lose you just yet.”
“Why bother?” Kosuke asks bitterly.
“You’re my prodigy. You still hold some value. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to work.” He summons his virtual console and begins typing in commands. A code stream flows from the vaccine object into Ryudamon’s interface.
“Decryptin Vaccine Sector” the metallic voice announces. Ryudamon begins to convulse. It’s too weak from the battle to struggle. Yulin sits helplessly. She no longer has the energy to Mindlink.
“Why are you doing this? How can you abandon your daughter so easily?”
“What happened to Saya was…unfortunate,” Ryusenji’s response is clinical and without emotion. “But it will all be worth it when I find the Source Digimon.”
“What’s the Source Digimon?” Eiji asks.
“The Digimon born at the same time as our world. It is the seed from which all other Digimon come from.” Ryusenji’s fingers move quickly across the keyboard.
“You can’t…. it’s too dangerous!”
“You’re quite right.”
“Then why not leave it alone?”
“Because I’ve come too far. I’m going to make contact with the Source Digimon, communicate with it, and…become one with it.
“You want to take the most powerful Digimon for yourself and then what?” Eiji’s voice shakes with anger.
“Progress,” Ryusenji sneers.
“I thought I had found the chance of a lifetime when you offered me this job. I thought I had finally found something worth fighting for. You gave my life purpose!” Angry tears begin pouring down his cheek. “I would have followed you anywhere…”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t fill you in sooner but…”
“Yeah yeah, d4 classified.” Eiji wipes the tears from his eyes. “Was I just a convenience?”
“No, you had some aptitude in code cracking, and your compatibility with Loogamon didn’t hurt. But had I told you everything from the start, you and Loogamon wouldn’t have grown.”
“Whatever.”
“Do you ever shut up old man,” Loogamon snaps as it rises to its feet.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
“You were watching when we fought Kazuchimon, weren’t you? When Loogamon turned into Helloogarmon…You could have stepped in, but you didn’t.”
“Loogamon’s Digivolution was more important than Leon’s life. Rather, it was more interesting.
“He was your student! He trusted you.. we tursted you.”
“Insulent boy! You were nothing when I found you. I pulled you from that squalor. I gave you purpose, and this is how you repay me? You betray me?”
“That’s rich coming from you. After everything you’ve done to Leon, Kosuke, and Yulin…” Eiji’s voice shakes with anger. He takes a soothing breath. “You know? I used to want to be just like you. I respected you…”
“Do you hate me now?”
Loogamon’s restraints begin to tighten. He stumbles as he resists the pressure.
Eiji shakes his head. “Ready Loogamon?” Eiji touches the gem on Loogamon’s forehead. The gem lights up as an invisible code flows between the two. Loogamon gains a sudden burst of strength. With a quick flex, it breaks through the restraints, sending bits of broken chain in every direction.
“How?”
“I’ve got hellfire flowing through my veins. Your little virus didn’t stand a chance.” Loogamon sneers. The pair begins to glow as an aura of magical flame surrounds them. “This isn’t going to end well for you,”
I’ll do my best to keep up with the daily releases, but it’s going to be tricky. I usually post on my socials when the chapters are up if that’s easier to keep track of. Make sure you support the original. If you enjoy this project, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!
Eiji searches fruitlessly through the dark for the voice, but his vision fails to grasp anything tangible. For a few moments that followed, there was nothing. No sounds, smells, or light to tease the senses. Shock overwhelms the panick as Eiji continues to fight through the daze.
Just as quickly as they were enshourded by darkness, the lights flicker, illuminating the void. The sudden bright light forces Eiji to squint. He begins to feel the coold smooth stone pressed against his back and sares up onto an inverted wall. “What?” he lets out, as he begins to come to his senses. Eiji realizes he is no longer standing.
“Rrgh,” Loogamon grunts.
Eiji turns to his partner and gets up as quickly as he can. He fights through the faint dizziness and makes his way towards the wolf. “Loogamon! You okay?”
Loogamon lays on the ground, making weak twitches with its paws. “I…I can’t move,” it manages to say.
Eiji looks around and finds the rest of the group in a similar state spread across the circle. Scattered and unconscious. The interface on the prototype Digimon glow dimly but begin to fade with each passing second.
Eiji reaches for his partner, “Loogamon!?!” he shouts as his arms wrap around the wolf’s neck. The interface on the prototype Digimon go dark for a few seconds before rebooting.
Kosuke sits up and pulls up his console and virtual monitor. “What?” he murmers as an endless stream of unintellible code floods his screen. Kosuke begins typing desperately at his keys, but his console seems to be stuck in an endless reboot loop. The source code decryption had been canceled without warning.
“Good morning friends,” a familiar voice says softly. Eiji instantly recognizes the voice. He turns quickly in disbelief, but finds the professor standing in front of him. “Professor Ryusenji?” Eiji lets out softly.
With his back turned to the pupils, the Ryusenji says “I’ll take it from here.”
Yulin begins to regain consciousness. Through her fog, she can make out the professor’s silhouette. “Professor?” She says weakly as she slowly comes to consciousness. “What are you doing?… Why?”
Kosuke stares at the professor incredulously as his console continues to reboot.
“Why are you so surprised?” The professor says as he turns around to address his pupils.
Kosuke and Yulin quietly get to their feet. Their balance wavers, and they fail to find the words to respond.
“After all,” the professor continues. “I’m the one who asked you to raise these protype Digimon for me. Now if you don’t mind,”
RESTRAIN
“Gah!”
“What is this?!”
Loogamon and Dorumon fall to the ground as they become restrained by the same tool used on Ryudamon.
“How did you do that?” Durumon shouts.
“Did you really think I would just give you my Digimon?” Ryusenji says sternly.
“He had it…programed into us,” Loogamon shouts. Dorumon’s eyes grow wide in disbelief as the truth begins to sink in.
“Did you tamper with Ryudamon too?” Yulin is finally able to say.
“It’s a little…safety feature I installed in each Digimon and Digimon linker. Did I not mention it when I gave them to you?” The professor’s voice is cold. “I can also take control of the Digimon if I need to. Progress requires these types of safeguards, wouldn’t you agree?” He turns around and continues towards the center of the circle. “These Digimon are my tools, and I will use them as I see fit.” The Digimon continue to struggle in their restrains.
The group notices as a strange shimmer occasionally run across the professor’s hologram. His hologram was a mere projection from the three Digimon linkers. It was clear at that moment that everything was by his design.
“What the hell are you going on about!” Kosuke shouts, slamming his virtual monitor away.
The professor stops at the center of the circle. Without turning says, “Let me put it simply. Your story is now mine. Now watch closely.” The professor begins typing at his console. Dorumon’s interface begins to glow as a beam of data begins flowing through it.
“What are you doing?!” Kosuke shouts.
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m decrypting the Source Domain’s code. It’s only fair that I do it.”
Kosuke stands helplessly and watches his Digimon be hijacked.
“Accessing source domain code,” comes an announcement from the cold robotic voice of the Source Domain.
“Loogamon!” Eiji shouts as he slams his fingers through various commands in a feeble attempt to regain control of his partner.
“It’s not looking good,” the wolf replies. Eiji continues to struggle, looking for any way to sever the connection and take back his friend. What if they couldn’t stop the professor? A cold shiver runs down his back.
“We’re supposed to be on the same side!” Kosuke cries desperately. “I want to save Saya too!”
“Why are you doing this? Why put us through all this trouble? We’re on the same side. Don’t you want your daughter back?”
The professor smiles. “I’ve always liked you Eiji, so I’m letting you in on a little secret. I’m not really interested in finding her.”
“But then…why did you make the stimulant?” Eiji feels the weight of the world crashing into him. He stumbles and almost falls to the ground.
“Not…interested?” Kosuke clenches his fists tightly.
The professor shrugs. “What’s lost is lost. This whole plan you’ve dedicated your whole life to, Kosuke, it is a monument to wasted effort.”
“Don’t let him…get to you Kosuke,” Dorumon shouts.
“I…I always had my suspisions,” Yulin manages. “but I didn’t want to believe them. I couldn’t”
Professor Ryusenji smirks, “You should have listened to your gut, Captain.”
Without warning, the infinite space around them fills with an endless stream of data. “This is it. The universal directory,” the professor says as he sifts through the data.
“Search Complete,” the Source Doman’s voice announces.
Bit by bit, a small yellow Digimon begins to appear before them, occasionally letting off small strikes of lightning.
“Pulsmon!” Loogamon shouts, reigniting his struggle.
“What’s it doing here?” Eiji asks with delight.
“And there you have it boy, the Pulsemon you and Loogamon were looking for,” the professor adds.
Eiji takes a hard swallow.
“This is but a taste of what can be done with the control of the Source Domain’s data.”
Another Digimon begins to materialize. A small black dinosaur appears next to Pulsemon. Kosuke lets out a gasp, “Black Agumon!”
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
“Just as I suspected,” the professor continues as he examines the Black Agumon. “Even if the mindlinker perishes, the partner Digimon doesn’t suffer the same fate.
“Wait..what did you say?” Eiji stammers as tears fall down his face.
“Saya’s..” Yulin’s heart drops. The sudden pain of realization almost knocks her off her feet. “Saya’s dead?!” She can’t hold back her tears.
“Oh, yes. For quite some time, now,” the professor answers coldly.
I’m going to do my best to keep up with the daily releases, but it’s going to be tricky with my schedule. I’ll do my best and appreciate your patience. Make sure you support to original. If you like the project, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
Loogamon falls to the ground. Its crash echoes over the void. Three strange shapes materialize before the group: a blue raindrop, a purple sun, and an orange cube. Each shape glows brightly as it begins a slow orbit in the space Loogamon once stood.
Loogamon’s heart races. Attempting to catch its breath, Loogamon tenses up and moves into a defensive stance. “What the heck is that?” It shouts, eying the strange display cautiously.
The others have begun a slow retreat and watch the orbiting shapes suspiciously. “You’re the one who activated,” Eiji replies.
“By accident, I don’t…” Loogamon’s voice trails as one of the carvings catches its attention. “I think I’ve seen this thing before.”
“Now you’re just making things up, it’s okay to be scared buddy,” Eiji replies with a nervous chuckle. He studies the objects carefully. They feel familiar somehow.
“It’s the three types!” Yulin blurts out suddenly.
Eiji focuses on the strange shapes and recognizes the letters written between the shapes. “Oh yeah! The things in the lobby.” Eiji recalls the three hologram objects he passed before every visit with the professor. The shapes represented the three types of Digimon taxonomy: virus, data, and vaccine. The objects spin for a moment before each makes their way to their respective Digimon.
“These are the terminals that control this fortress, and we are the intereface,” Dorumon says, breaking the silence. “We made it. This is where we’ll find the Sacred Chalice.”
“It’s been quite a journey,” Kosuke responds.
Dorumon nods. “It’s not over yet.”
“Commence phase four,” Kosuke says as he takes a step forward.
“We’re so close!”
“Now we have to access the source code.” Kosuke turns to Eiji, “Do you still have mindlink time left?”
“Of course I do!” Eiji says, putting his hand on Loogamon’s back. “Readyu buddy?” Loogamon’s tail begins to wag slowly.
Yulin is stunned. She attempts to process the events unfolding around her. “The …source domain…” Yulin was a gifted coder, but this was outside her knowledge base.
“I doubt you’ve even heard of this place Yulin,” Kosuke says. “This place is what the professor what all those expeditions have led up to. This is all of the professor’s research, but now it is no longer just theories. This is how we save Saya!”
Something clicks for Eiji as he takes it all in. Suddenly, his involvement with the Sons of Choas wasn’t wasn’t random chance. Standing here in the Source Domain with Ryusenji’s two former students was by design.
“I get it now,” Yulin says, grabbing one of the Ryudamon’s clawed paws to help it up. “You want to crack the Digital World!”
Kosuke smiles, “That’s right. We’ll surcumvent the Royal Knights, slip past the system admin, and take control.”
“That’s too dangerous!”
“I’m not here to rule the Digital World, I just need to controll it for a moment. Just enough to do what I need to.”
“No! You can’t! If you put the Source Domain to the whims of man and….”
“These are no mere whims,” Kosuke says coldly. “This is to save Saya and nothing more.
“That doesn’t matter. We shouldn’t even be here. We can’t risk destroying the fragile connection between humanity and the Digital World. You don’t understand the forces you’re dealing with!” Yulin’s words echo through the void.
The group stands in silence for what seems like an eternity. Kosuke is the first to break the silence. “…This is for Saya. If it brings her back, it will all be worth it.”
“I don’t give a crap why you’re all here,” Loogamon interjects. “We made a deal, and we’ve got people to save here. So if we can move it along…”
Yulin turns to Eiji. “Are you willing to take responcibility then? Are you okay with this Eiji?” Her voice pleads desperately.
Eiji sighs as he thinks for a moment. “Look. I hear you, but we didn’t come all this way to just turn around. We came here to rescue our friends, and we’re so close.”
The three shapes begin to spin and rise, slowly coming together and rushing into one blinding orb of light. Around them, massive stone pillars shoot out from the ground, reaching up until disappearing past the eye line. Stone begins to pile around them, forming a large circle around them.
“This looks like some kind of alter.” Eiji finally adds. “How big is this going to get?” No answer. He looks over to Kosuke, who watches as the ancient structure continues to form around them. The temperature drops suddenly, forcing the group into a shiver.
“Can’t you light us a fire?” Durumon’s asks with a tremble.
“I’m not a space heater?” Loogamon snarls.
The structure stops shuffling, sending everything into silence. “When you’re ready Loogamon, commence Phase 4.”
Loogamon takes a step towards the floating object. Durumon takes hold of Ryudamon’s restraints and drags it behind. The half-conscious Digimon mutters under his breath. “You awake back there?” Durumon asks mockingly.
“You’ve…made your choice.” Ryudamon manages. Its voice is frail.
“I’m here to back up my partner,” Durumon begins. “I’ll help him free the Digital World, and whatever happens…happens.”
The stone circle begins to glow.
“Hey, Kosuke?” Eiji asks, his gaze fixed to the center of the fixture.
“If you have questions, keep them brief.” Kosuke types away furiously at his console.
“When you access the source code, can you do a search of Leon’s Pulsemon?”
“I only have the identification code for the Black Agumon,” Kosuke says coldly.
“I know the scent,” Loogamon adds as he sends over the identification code.
“Now all we need is the Ryusenji’s treatment,” Kosuke says as he pulls up the data.
Yulin’s heart stops. The professor not only knew, he was behind this whole operation.
“There’s no turning back now,” Kosuke says.
The air around them grows colder as a stream of light from the floating object reaches towards each Digimon.
“Woah,” Eiji lets out, overwhelmed by the sight.
Strange, glowing symbols fill the wall around them. “Decryption in progress,” the three Digimon say in sync. The whole structure glows bright for a moment before ending in a flicker. Kosuke’s monitor shuts off. Everything around them goes dark and silent.
“Good morning friends,” an unfamiliar voice says softly.
It’s been a bit chaotic, but I finally found some time to pick this project back up. I apologize for those of you who have been waiting, and I thank you for your patience. Please make sure you always support the original, and don’t forget to like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
Eiji, Kosuke, and Yulin vanish. Omnimon’s blade slashes through the space Kosuke’s neck used to be. It pulls up the glowing blade to examine it for signs of contact. It lets out a powerful sigh in its disappointment as it realizes it has failed.
“Did they make it?” Marvin asks as the shock kicks in. He and Satsuki freeze, as they watch the frustrated knight plan its next move. If it turns around, they didn’t stand a chance.
Marvin looks at the destruction around him. Sees the half-frozen Chaosdramon, the overheating Brigadramon, and the two Mega Digimon Kosuke sacrificed. Watches as Omnimon stands at the center of the aftermath, motionless. Moments go by before it leaps into the air. It takes a sudden dive into the gate and disappears out of sight.
The battlefield falls silent. The mangled corpses of Gatekeepers and Code Cracker Digimon form scattered piles over its face. The Wall Slum Digimon had long since disappeared, leaving Marvin and Satsuki alone. The raid is over.
Marvin appears as a hologram and walks over to Satasuki whose hologram stands over the wrecked Mekanorimon.
“Thanks for the assist,” Marvin says coyly.
“Where’s the captain?” She asks flatly, without looking up. Sadness, anger, and frustration all jumble inside her as she tries to make sense of what just happened.
“We should really get out of here before that thing decides to come back.
Satsuki turns angrily and pulls Marvin by his collar. “I asked you a question!”
Marvin lifts his hands up in protest, “I have no idea where they went. We didn’t get that far.”
“LIAR!” She shouts as she shakes Marvin violently. “Tell me where she went!”
“Woah, calm down.” Marvin pulls himself free and brushes himself off. “Look, my parts are done. The battle is over. Now if you’ll excuse me, I got to check up on my friends. I’ll be seeing you.” He gives Satsuki a brief wave as he walks away. Marvin summons a small virtual console as he walks, and inputs a few commands. The felled Digimon and the screen vanish as Marvin turns his attention to help his comrades.
Satsuki remains frozen where he left her and stares blankly into the distance. Moments go by before Marvin finally turns to her and says, “It’s been nice, but I’m out of here.”
Satsuki turns slowly towards Marvin and stares at him with a lost expression. She clenches her fists tightly but doesn’t say a word.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. You can come join us if you need a place to crash. I can even fix that Mekanorimon if you want.”
Eiji, Kosuke, and Yulin stand at the center of an endless void. Around them, white empty space stretches away from them for miles.
“Is this…The depths?” Eiji asks as he searches for something to fix his gaze. Nothing seems to stand out. Except for the solid floor below them, everything around them was an endless formless blight.
“Well we can summon our holograms which is a good sign that this is 3D space,” Kosuke says. His voice trails off as he summons his virtual console and begins typing into it furiously.
“I always imagined the Depths to be a wild place full of untouched nature, like a forest or somthing,” Eiji says, his hologram also testing his surroundings. “That’s what the video at the DDL showed.” Kosuke doesn’t respond. He doesn’t seem to have heard Eiji’s comment. Eiji continues his search, and Loogamon sniffs at the air for clues.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
“So what is this place?” Loogamon asks. “There’s a bunch of scents in the air, but they don’t make sense. It’s like there’s something here, but there isn’t.”
“Something?” Eiji asks in a shaky voice
“Yeah, it’s like this whole place exists and doesn’t at the same time. It’s confusing.”
“I didn’t peg you for a philopher Loogamon.” Dorumon chuckles.
“Shut up,” Loogamon snarls, blaring its fangs at the fox.
“This is the Source Domain,” Kosuke says finally without looking up.
“The source? So this is where it all starterd?” Eiji says as he takes another look around him.
“The Digital World was born from noise and chaos. This is a place full of ancient and forgotten data. Only old Digimon can access it, or Digimon compatible to the old standards like…” Kosuke’s voice trails off.
“Like the Prototypes,” Durumon continues, pointing toward the interface on its forehead. “These things gave us access, and since you were fused to our Digicores, you came along too.”
“Ah!” Eiji chirps.
Durumon turns his attention to the unconscious and restrained Ryudamon. “Still asleep captain?”
Yulin’s hologram suddenly appears between them. “Kosuke!” she shouts.
“I’m sorry Yulin, but this was the only way. You wouldn’t have helped me otherwise.”
“Wait!” She looks at the void around her, frozen with shock as she struggles to piece the truth together. “The Gateway…What happened?!” Her voice shakes as she demands answers.
“We cracked it. This is the other side,” Kosuke answers, his gaze still fixed on his work.
Yulin is speechless. The mission failed because she hesitated.
“The DigiPolice watched you fall and withdrew. Your deputy fought till the end. She even deployed a Mega-level Digimon in an attempt to rescue you.” Durumon begins.
“Sastuki deployed Brigadramon? No!” Her voice fills with genuine concern. No one could fully control Brigadramon. It wasn’t ready to be used in combat.
“We didn’t know you were sitting on such a nifty little Digimon. It even stood toe-to-toe with Marvin’s Chaosdramon, but then Omnimon showed up, and well… that’s when the real party started. The thing came inches from Kosuke’s neck, but he was just too smart.” Durumon ends his story with a proud smile.
“What…What happened to Satsuki?”
Kosuke shrugs, “She’s not my responsibility.” He steals a quick glance at the distressed captain and sighs. “I’m not sure what happened after we cracked the Gateway, but Marvin’s a good guy. I’m sure he’s taking good care of her.”
Eiji is surprised by how casually the two foes address each other. “Do you know each other?”
“I guess there’s no reason to lie now that we’re in here,” Kosuke responds as he goes into their history.
Eieji takes it in for a moment but remembers where they are. “That’s a lot, but…shouldn’t we be worried about Omnimon coming back?”
Dudumon shakes his head, “Only prototype Digimon can enter here. We’re safe.”
“That’s good.” Eiji begins to relax.
“In theory,”
“Huh?”
Durumon shrugs, “It’s entirely possible that I am wrong. The Royal Knights will show up and end us. It’s all Jazz from here on out.”
“Please tell me you’re joking.” Eiji tenses up.
“That’s the worst case scenarion.”
Loogamon wags its tail. “Relax kid. I don’t smell any Royal Knights.”
“You’re younger than me Loogamon.”
“We don’t know that,” it sneers. Its nose twitches suddenly as it catches a faint unfamiliar scent.
“What’s up, Loogamon?”
“Something stinks over here but…GAH” Loogamon’s face twists as it fights back disgust. The area Loogamon was sniffing reacts suddenly. A strange translucent shape begins to form around it.
“What did you do?!” Eiji shouts.
Loogamon jumps back as the shape begins to form. “Nothing I..” Loogamon freezes partway through his leap. Its body remains suspended, frozen in the air.
The Building Better Worldsexpansion for the Alien RPG just released, and you might want to pick it up for the colony mechanics. You will need the core rulebook to use this resource, so either the Core Rulebook ($54.08) or the Starter Set ($51.22) should be enough to get you started.
Starter set doesn’t include GM Screen
The Starter set has everything you need to get you started:
5 generated character sheets
prewritten adventure
84 game makers to keep track of characters, motions, and more
54 custom cards for weapons, personal agenda, and initiative
10 specially designed base dice
10 specially designed stress dice
864x558mm double-sided map
You do get a condensed version of the rules, but this should be perfect for new players. If you want to create your own adventure, I recommend you pick up the core rulebook! You get a pdf version for either physical copy.
Thoughts on the Expansion
Building Better Worlds is a neat resource for GMS who need a little extra help to spice up their next Alien campaign. I typically like to make up my adventure, even when working from a book, but I appreciate being able to fall back on other people’s ideas from time to time. This book has some neat ideas I definitely want to try at my table, like having my players become stranded on a prison planet of deranged criminals and Xenomorphs.
The book introduces new ships, NPCs, planets, solar systems, and weapons to help aid GMs with flavor and world-building. It includes several plot hoots, ideas on how to run certain planets or colonies, and even a campaign players can run through if they need a jumping-off point. Most importantly, the book introduces the colony mechanic.
From my brief understanding, players will need to travel to foreign planets and either start, maintain or save a colony for humanity’s expansion into the cosmos. This won’t be an easy task. Planets are inhospitable, conditions are unpredictable, and there are bloodthirsty aliens lurking in the shadows. In space, if the stress of survival doesn’t kill you, the Xenos will. This sounds like the perfect bleek setting for any table that needs a change of pace, and I am here for it.
Where to Buy
Remember, you need access to the core rules before picking up this expansion. Those interested in the Building Better Worldsexpansion can get their hardcover copy from the official Free League Publishing website for $45.51. Those who don’t care about physical media can pick up the PDF on DriveThruRPG for $19.99. If you play online, I recommend picking up the official Building Better Worlds module for Foundry VTT. I’ve written a post explaining why you should use Foundry VTT if you want to know more.
I do plan on running Alien RPG at some point after Dragonbane. I have a huge collection of RPGs I need to get through, and I like to take my time and live in them for a bit. Until then, stay tuned! If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow and share this with your friends.
