Call of Cthulhu: Keeper Tips 40th Anniversary

A small little book with lots of great content, for horror and regular RPG storytellers, is the Call of Cthulhu Keeper's Tips. Some are in the Keeper's Handbook but many are from RPG industry people who know their stuff. The sections are on things like preperation, players, designing scenarios, gameplay, horror, NPCs, monsters, and props & handouts. It is contained in a small booklet for the 40th anniversary of the game but currently out of print. 

In the meanwhile, there is this gem of advice for people new to running games in the Call of Cthulhu or most RPGs on Reddit here. 

Call of Cthulhu - 7th Edition Core Books and Screen

Call of Cthulhu is one of the classic roleplaying games that has stood the test of time. Published in 1981 it has gone through six editions and is now on its seventh. The rules are pretty much the same except it has gone to a percentile system but their books include a conversion system for older material. These roleplaying books allow for a more robust roleplaying experience than the starter set, reviewed by myself here. They are also a RPG fan favorite and their system has been in the top ten of RPGGeek for a very long time.

The Investigator book is geared towards players of the game: Introduction, character creation (including skills and occupations), organizations the player can be a part of, the life of an investigator, the main setting of the game in the 1920's, player advice, and references. Everything a player needs.

The Keeper rulebook has a more basic player creation section but it is geared towards running a game set in the Cthulhu mythos setting: the game system, combat, chases, sanity, magic, playing, tomes, grimoires, artifacts and devices, monsters/beasts/alien gods, two scenarios, and appendices. Very comprehensive and lots of good advice to make the game engaging and thrilling.

The Keeper Screen Pack has maps, reference booklet, screen, and two scenarios with handouts as well as blank character sheets. Very handy for running a good game.

I very much love this roleplaying game and it has improved a lot since I first played it in the early 1980's and of a much better quality. It could even be used for generic horror roleplaying without the Cthulhu Mythos universe but you would be limiting your possibilities if you do. Highly recommended.

Battletech: "Counts As" Vehicles

 Not all of the vehicles have miniatures for them in the Battletech universe. Some are also hard to find. When looking through my old miniatures I found these that I had bought decades ago in a cool little game store in Hawaii. I painted them in generic colours so that any of my factions can use them in Alpha Strike. Painted Cold Steel with Thamar Black, Bastion Grey, and Khador Red paints. All these model rules can be found on masterunitlist for Alpha Strike rules.

This is my "counts as" Swift Wind Scout car. Eight tons and loaded with communications equipment it has no weapons but can call in artillery, indirect fire, or areospace support. Can come as an internal combustion or cargo versions. It will be handy in Alpha Strike games.

A halftrack that is my "counts as" Flatbed Truck. At ten tons it has little armour and no weapons but there are weaponized variants at the expense of cargo space.

Three different Armored Personnel Carriers, or APCs, of various types and time periods. Can have various weapons and gear but it's main job is to get troops deployed and support them in the battlefield. All ten tons.

A Centurion tank as a "counts as" Scorpion tank. At 25 tons it is an inferior version of a Vedette but has the same weaponry of an autocannon-5 and a machine gun.

A Merkva tank also as a "counts as" Scorpion tank but used for the SRM and LRM variants.

Battletech Ral Partha Vehicles

 Here are some Battletech vehicles I found that I had purchased in the mid to late 80's, made by Ral Partha. I painted them in generic colours so that any of my factions can use them in Alpha Strike. Painted Cold Steel with Thamar Black, Arcane Blue, Bastion Grey, Cygnar Yellow, and Khador Red paints. The bases are from packs of different sizes of wooden hexes found in local dollarstores.

Savannah Master: 5 ton hover vehicle that is blazingly fast and a medium laser. Usable in late succession war era and beyond by Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth factions.

Striker Light Tank: 35 tons, wheeled and fast with LRM-10 and SRM-6. Used by pretty much all Inner Sphere and mercenary factions from late succession war era and beyond.

Bulldog Medium Tank: 60 tons and tracked with large laser, SRM-4, and machine gun. Used by Inner sphere, Periphery, and Mercenary factions.

Vedette Tank: 50 tons, tracked, fast, Autocannon-5 and machine gun. Used since late succession war by Inner Sphere, Periphery, and Mercenary factions and in later eras by clan factions.

Transit Fighter: 50 tons, Autocannon-20 and four medium lasers. Many variants and used mostly by House Laio, House Marik, and minor inner sphere and periphery factions.