Board/Card Games

Griffon Publishing Stuido's free stuff file offers a variety of materials you may download and print for your personal use, many from Schweig's Griffon's Aerie website, and newer ones promoting upcoming Studio projects. You'll need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files. Simply click on the link to open a file in Adobe Acrobat Reader through your internet browser, or right-click and "save as" to your computer.

Enemies on the Horizon  (3 Meg PDF): introduces readers to all aspects of gaming in PULP EGYPT, from ancient ruins and sinister Bedouin to desert expeditions and Nazi spies preparing an invasion of Egypt. As members of an archaeological expedition, the characters move quickly to rescue their staff photographer when she’s kidnapped by mysterious Bedouin during a nighttime ambush. After deciphering her notes and undertaking a dangerous trek into the western desert, they explore a long-lost temple and discover that Egypt’s enemies still lurk at the edge of the Great Sand Sea waiting for the right time to strike! The adventure also includes maps, pregenerated characters, and a player hand-out.

The Charioteer's Tomb  (2 Meg PDF): This scenario introduces all aspects of gaming in PULP EGYPT, from ancient tombs and superstitious workers to nefarious criminals intent on relieving the heroes of the treasures they recover. As members of an archaeological expedition, the characters explore a long-lost tomb belonging to a charioteer hero of the ancient Battle of Kadesh. After braving the mysteries and dangers within the tomb, they must safely transport artifacts from the excavation site at Sakkara to their warehouse in Cairo, evading greedy laborers, antiquities thieves, and smugglers all intent on stealing their discoveries. The adventure also includes maps, pregenerated characters, a player hand-out, and a copy of the Any-System Key for easy reference.

The Village War  (802k PDF): This roleplaying game scenario set in medieval times demonstrates how the Any-System Key can enable you to use Griffon Publishing Studio settings and adventures with your favorite roleplaying game rules. This scenario includes a copy of the Any-System Key for easy reference.

Puritan Bobber  (287k ZIP): Download this blasphemous bluffing card game of sermons, sin, and snoozing. Players attempt to doze off during a fiery Puritan sermon without getting caught. The game demonstrates the basic bluffing mechanic used in the more cutthroat Office Dodger.

Adventuring With the Seven Samurai  (465k PDF): For those of you seeking an example of how scenario ideas inspired by films can translate to other genres, check out this piece I wrote several years ago and had published on the now-defunct Wayfarer Online site. This revised PDF contains the article, some maps, and a few additions I couldn't resist making. 

Music in Roleplaying Games  (75k PDF): For years I've created soundtracks to play during key encounters in adventures for a wide assortment of roleplaying games. I assembled my thoughts on the subject and offer a short convention seminar about using soundtracks during gameplay. Here's the handout I give participants. It summarizes strategies for finding and using appropriate soundtrack music, plus a list of top five soundtracks for several popular genres.

Tomb of Sobekhetep  (165k PDF): Years ago I developed Tomb of Sobekhetep as a two-hour convention demo adventure for West End Games’ Indiana Jones d6 roleplaying game. Back then it ran under the title “Egyptian Field Trip,” since it involved a wayward group of Indiana Jones’ students and their unauthorized investigation of an ancient tomb in the shadow of the pyramids. Tomb of Sobekhetep details the location for that adventure with the Victorian and pulp genres in mind. It offers adventure ideas, character hooks, and variations on the setting’s use in different campaigns.

Yugiri's Gift  (270k PDF): I never really had the urge to write or run a Legend of the Five Rings adventure until I saw an article from Japan Today about medieval Japanese automatons. The story -- which featured an automaton that could actually fire arrows from a bow -- inspired this adventure. It's not overly long or detailed, but enough to run an intriguing scenario for any samurai-themed game (and filled with juicy Buddhist wisdom).

Dueling Blades   (100k PDF): Years ago I whipped up these alternative dueling rules for the D6 System, though you can easily modify it for any roleplaying game engine. It allows for more results than simply hitting and inflicting damage in hand-to-hand combat. Dueling Blades can work in any game where you want to add some swashbuckling flair to your combat.

Creatures & Caverns   (2.6 Meg Zip): Check out this basic fantasy roleplaying game suitable for kids making the jump from traditional board games to RPGs, the result of my first exposure to Dungeons & Dragons many years ago.

World War II Secret Agent Briefing  (35k PDF): I offered this two-page "agent briefing" as part of a series of "Dispatches" about historical games (which you can read here). It was intended as an example of a simple informational hand-out to offer players some insight into a historical game world. 

Trapped in the Museum(311k PDF): Play an absent-minded student at the city university who suddenly wakes up in an Egyptian sarcophagus in this short solitaire adventure, with rules modeled on the free, easy-to-learn Risus: The Anything RPG system from S. John Ross (available at his web site, The Blue Room).
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   "This is called a Griffin because it is a winged quadruped. This kind of wild animal is born in Hyperborean parts, or in mountains. All its bodily members are like a lion's, but its wings and mask are like an eagle's. It is vehemently hostile to horses. But it will also tear to pieces any human beings which it happens to come across."