Codex – Madness is now available in the Gauntlet’s Patreon feed! Here’s what’s inside…
Asylum City
This is a Dungeon World starter written by myself but largely inspired by the Bellet Osc sessions I ran last year and earlier this year. The main themes of the starter are madness and ancient mystery. It’s one part Alice in Wonderland, one part Dark Souls, and features terrific illustrations by Nery Mejicano.
Rituals
Rituals is a Powered by the Apocalypse mini game and supplement by Oli Jeffery about living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It can be played by itself or added to an existing PbtA game, and it is extremely thoughtful and clever (and a little frustrating and sad, too). It features some really nice art by Sean Poppe.
The Madness of Cú Chulainn
Get ready to warp spasm! This is a short, two-player story game by Tom McGrenery that focuses on the Celtic mythological figure Cú Chulainn. One player takes on the role of the Daughters of Calatin and the other takes on the role of the friends and family of Cú Chulainn in the Kingdom of Ulster, each vying to determine Cú Chulainn’s ultimate fate. It features a beautiful and dramatic illustration by Claudia Cangini (which is also the cover of this month’s issue).
The Madness of Legends
This short piece, also by Tom, translates the “madness” of several mythological heroes into popular Powered by the Apocalypse systems, such as Monsterhearts and Dungeon World. It is, to quote Tom, “a bit of frippery,” but I thought it was a really fun and inventive bit of frippery, so in it went!
My Female Hysteria
My Female Hysteria is a scenario for Cheat Your Own Adventure written by Fred Bednarski. It’s about the women patients in Surrey County Asylum in 1844. You play a woman diagnosed with “female hysteria” on account of her tendency to “cause trouble.” Will you be able to prove to the doctors you are well enough to return to your normal life? Failing that, will you be able to somehow escape? Play to find out! This piece features a gorgeous illustration by Claudia Cangini (see below).
Three Dozen Great Old Ones
This month’s miscellany is about new mythos monsters and features a metal as fuck illustration by Vandel J. Arden. The entries this month are scary and imaginative, and in terms of heft, this is the closest the miscellany has come to being a full article.
The layout on Codex – Madness was done by Oli Jeffery. Editing duties were handled by myself and David LaFreniere.
To get Codex – Madness make a $4 pledge on the Gauntlet Patreon by May 31st!