madlabgames

[madlabgames]

Thinking of a way to help bring two amazing TTRPGs to the next level. Madlabgames.itch.io has created some incredible games with Bizarre Boroughs and Fade to Black, and I think they deserve some love to make them even better. ✨

These games have so much potential! Bizarre Boroughs is a surreal, whimsical game about a group of magical individuals living in a strange, evolving city. 🌆🔮 And Fade to Black is a gritty, sci-fi noir TTRPG where you are trying to solve a conspiracy. 🤖🕵️‍♂️

Imagine these games with some professional upgrades:

Unique artwork to capture the vibe of each game. 🎨

Professional editing to make the rules and lore super clear. 📝

Physical print copies that you can hold in your hands! 📚

A Kickstarter or other crowdfunding campaign could make this happen. It would give Madlabgames the resources to hire artists, editors, and a professional layout designer, plus maybe even produce a limited run of physical books.

If you're a fan of these games, or just love supporting indie TTRPG creators, let's make some noise!📣 Share this post and tag Madlabgames. Let's see if we can get a campaign going to bring these incredible games to their full potential!

[madlabgames]

Become a Champion of the Light! ✨

Are you ready to truly be a hero in your D&D campaigns?

Mad Lab Games is proud to announce the release of our new D&D supplement: The Book of Exalted Deeds! 📜🛡️

This book is the perfect companion to our Book of Vile Darkness, and it's your guide to exploring heroism with depth and meaning. We go beyond simple acts of kindness to give you the tools to make your virtuous deeds feel epic and impactful. The journey of goodness is a dynamic one, defined by the choices you make.

What's inside?

😇 A Path to Virtue: Explore new Exalted Feats and take solemn Vows of Exaltation that grant you immense power for your unwavering commitment to good. A Grand Vow, for example, is a powerful commitment that rewards unwavering adherence to a virtuous path.

⚔️ Heroic Character Options: We've created new Exalted Subclasses for every core class, allowing you to focus your abilities on combating evil and upholding righteousness. Examples include the protective Path of the Gentle Giant for Barbarians and the diplomatic College of the Emissary for Bards.

🐉 Creatures of Good: Discover powerful new allies like the Stoneheart Protector and Glimmerwing Sprite, and get guidance on how to use good-aligned beings as quest-givers, guides, and protectors.

🛡️ Divine Tools: Wield powerful Relics of Virtue and cast new spells like Aura of Sanctity and Cleansing Burst that allow you to fight the encroaching darkness. You can also perform powerful rituals like the Ritual of Grand Purification to cleanse a corrupted object.

Ready to light up the world with your heroic deeds?

[madlabgames]

Unleash True Evil in Your D&D Game! 😈

Tired of one-dimensional villains? Ready for something truly vile?

Mad Lab Games is proud to announce the release of our new D&D supplement: The Book of Vile Darkness! 📜✨

This isn't your average monster manual. We've completely overhauled the classic sourcebook to dive deep into the psychology of evil, giving you the tools to create complex, compelling, and truly terrifying antagonists. This book is for Dungeon Masters who want to craft villains with rich motivations like twisted ideology or profound indifference, and for players who dare to explore the burdens and temptations of an evil path.

What's inside?

👹 Devious Motivations: Understand the twisted logic behind villainy, from ambition and fear to desperation and twisted ideals. Learn to build sinister organizations, and fill your world with corrupting environments and dark rituals that have tangible effects on your game.

💀 Vile Player Options: Embrace the dark side with new Vile Feats and Corrupted Subclasses! For Bards, the College of Dirges lets you weaponize anguish, while Wizards can delve into the forbidden School of Fleshcrafting. These choices grant immense power at a terrible cost to your character's body, mind, and soul.

🔥 New Horrors: A bestiary of all-new monsters, including the soul-devouring Soul Larva, a tiny aberration that feeds on essence, and the terrifying Eye of Fear and Flame. We also provide guidance on making classic foes like the Yuan-ti even more menacing.

✍️ Adventure Ready: Get adventure hooks like "The Blight of Oakhaven," and a full sample adventure to bring these themes to life at your table! You'll have all the tools you need to force heroes to make difficult choices and confront the insidious nature of depravity.

Ready to explore the shadows?

Coming Soon to: https://madlabgames.itch.io

[madlabgames]

✨ New Tool for Bizarre Boroughs Mayors!

Hello, Player Citizens and fellow Mayors! 🌆 We've just dropped a new resource to help you run your most chaotic and compelling sessions yet: The Mayor's Guide to Episode Structure!

This guide is your secret weapon for turning a mundane task into an unforgettable adventure. It breaks down every session into a simple, repeatable formula:

1️⃣ The Core Loop: Learn how to turn daily grind tasks (like doing laundry 🧺 or filing taxes 📝) into hyper-mundane sagas.

2️⃣ The Three-Plot Arc: We'll show you how to weave A, B, and C plots together to create rich, layered stories that feel personal to your players.

3️⃣ The Mayor's Toolkit: Get tips on using sensory details, quirky NPCs, and creative dice interpretation to bring the city to life! 🏙️

Whether you're a new Mayor or a seasoned pro, this guide will help you build satisfying, single-session stories. You can check it out now on our main site.

Happy gaming!🎲

[madlabgames]

Hey there, fellow Citizens and Mayors of the Boroughs! 👋🏙️

Let's talk about one of the most crucial parts of surviving the urban grind: your relationships! In Bizarre Boroughs, your connections with the weird and wonderful people (and non-people) of the city are more than just flavor text—they're a core mechanic that can make or break your day. 🤝

It's a Social Ladder, and the Rungs are Made of Weirdness 🪜

The game's rulebook makes it clear: your relationships with Non-Player Citizens (NPCs) are a big deal. Whether they're a grumpy minotaur bouncer, a two-headed worm barista, or a sentient lamppost with a grudge, these connections matter. 💖

How it works:

The system uses a simple but powerful rating from -6 to +6.

Positive Ratings (+1 to +6): A high rating means you've built a strong connection. This person is an ally, a friend, or maybe even a trusted confidant. They're on your side. 😇

Negative Ratings (-1 to -6): A low rating means you've got a rival, an enemy, or someone who just plain dislikes you. They're actively working against you or are a source of constant frustration. 😠

Your Friends Are Your Lifeline (and Your Foes are the Worst) 🫂

In Bizarre Boroughs, your relationships are dynamic plot drivers. They're not just numbers on your character sheet; they're narrative tools for The Mayor to use to both help and hinder your story. 📜

The Power of Positive Connections:

Need a favor? A high relationship rating could mean your goblin loan shark lets you slide on a payment. 💰

Looking for information? Your sentient street sign might whisper a shortcut through a time anomaly. 🤫

In a tight spot? A friendly succubus might lend you some much-needed emotional energy to power a spell. ✨

The Peril of Negative Connections:

A rival could spread rumors about you, making a social check harder. 🗣️

That demonic landlord you crossed might hit you with a bogus fee and demand payment in a rare, bizarre currency. 💸

Your ex-vampire roommate might show up at your job just to be a menace. 🧛

Tips for Players:

Engage with the world. Don't just focus on the main quest. Spend time talking to NPCs, helping them with their mundane-yet-bizarre problems, and building rapport. 🗣️

Remember the rating. Keep track of who you've helped and who you've annoyed. A simple act of kindness could be the difference between a successful roll and a spectacular failure down the line! 🎲

Embrace the chaos. Sometimes a low rating is just as fun as a high one! A rival can be an ongoing source of personal quests and hilarious moments. 😂

What are your favorite NPC interactions so far? Have you ever had a relationship rating save your skin or completely ruin your day? Share your stories in the comments! 👇

[madlabgames]

📰 New Supplements for Bizarre Boroughs: Roll Your Destiny, The Arcane Ordaining, and The Mayor's Toolkit!

Hey, fellow Citizens and Mayors! We've been hard at work adding new layers of weirdness to the Bizarre Boroughs, and we're thrilled to announce the release of three brand-new, free supplements to enhance your game!

These new documents are all about giving you more tools to lean into the chaotic, slice-of-life, and bureaucratic horror that makes the Boroughs so unique. Let's dive into what's new!

🎲 The "Roll Your Destiny" Character Creation Method

Tired of making choices? Perfect! We've got you covered. This is an alternative character creation method for players who want to embrace the city's unpredictability from the very beginning.

Instead of meticulously crafting your PC, you'll grab 12 six-sided dice and roll them all at once. The order of these dice, your "Ordered Fate Pool," will permanently determine your core attributes, starting home, vehicle status, and initial cash on hand. This unique method creates a character shaped by the city itself. For example, a roll might leave you with a high Finesse but a rickety unicycle for a vehicle and a crumbling, haunted brownstone for a home. Your character's story isn't about their grand destiny, but about how they navigate a series of bizarre, mundane, and often inconvenient circumstances. It’s a challenge that rewards creativity and resourcefulness, forcing players to think outside the box and truly embody the "slice of life" feel where circumstances often dictate your starting point. You don't choose your life; you roll with it.

Why you'll love it: It forces you to build a story around the hand you're dealt, leading to truly unexpected and memorable character concepts. It's the ultimate "slice of life" generator, where your circumstances dictate your starting point, and you have to adapt to survive.

🧙‍♂️ The Arcane Ordaining: Magic in the Mundane

What happens when magic is just another layer of urban bureaucracy? You get the Grand Interplanar Conglomeration of Wizards (GICW)!

This supplement introduces Wizards not as cloaked figures in ivory towers, but as overworked civil servants and struggling freelancers. It provides a new species option, The Wizard-Born, as well as an Ordaining path for any PC who wishes to formally study magic and deal with endless paperwork, temporal distortions, and perpetually jammed copy machines. The GICW ensures that even the most powerful arcane forces are subject to mundane red tape. A simple Cleanse Mundane Filth spell might require a permit, an environmental impact statement, and a signed waiver from the local sewer elemental. The biggest challenge isn't a demon lord; it's a five-page application to summon a minor imp.

New Mechanics: You'll learn about the GICW, a vast and absurd bureaucracy that governs magic. Interacting with them means navigating a nightmare of endless forms, mandatory magical sensitivity training, and arcane currency.

New Progression: This is a fantastic new way to grow your PC, turning the pursuit of magical power into a hilarious, soul-crushing bureaucratic ordeal where success isn't about raw power, but about outsmarting the system.

🎨 The Mayor's Toolkit: Sights, Sounds, Smells, and More

For all the Mayors out there, this one's for you! This toolkit is a collection of quick, evocative prompts to help you add sensory detail and bizarre flavor to every session.

It is designed to be a quick reference for when you need a flash of inspiration to make a scene feel truly "Boroughs." Instead of saying "you smell garbage," you can say, "you catch the distinct smell of freshly-printed legal documents and a hint of existential dread." These prompts help you turn the mundane into the hyper-mundane by layering bizarre details onto the everyday. The Encounters & Events section, for example, offers seeds for minor chaotic moments, like a sudden flash mob that meticulously sorts trash into color-coded bins before disappearing, or a bus that's driven by a well-dressed raccoon. These are not major plot points, but small, memorable oddities that make the world feel alive, unpredictable, and wonderfully weird. They are designed to be dropped into any scene to add a dash of surrealism without derailing the main plot, ensuring every session has that signature Boroughs flavor.

Sensory Details: Find prompts for what a PC might see on their commute, the symphony of the city's sounds, the strange smells on the street, and even the bizarre tastes and touches of the urban environment.

Encounters & Events: This toolkit also includes ideas for minor, chaotic events and NPC encounters that can be dropped into any scene to add a dash of weirdness without derailing the plot.

Thank You for Your Support!

We're so excited for you to check out these new supplements. They are available now for free download. We can't wait to see the characters you roll, the bureaucratic wizards you become, and the sensory chaos you bring to your tables.

As always, we love to hear your feedback, so please share your stories with us in the comments!

Stay weird, Citizens!

[madlabgames]

👁️‍🗨️ The Beholder Way-Station: A Dungeon in the Void 👁️‍🗨️

Looking for an epic dungeon in your Spelljammer campaign? I've been working on a homebrew version of the classic Beholder Way-Station, a derelict repair dock now inhabited by a powerful new beholder faction, the Stellic Sovereigns. This is a perfect mid-to-high-level encounter that uses our custom spelljamming rules.

The Beholder Way-Station 🪐

The Location: This isn't just an asteroid; it's a trio of linked planetoids that serve as a former beholder repair dock. The two smaller ones are weapon platforms, while the main one contains the repair bay and a network of caverns.

Inhabitants: This place was once a bustling beholder facility, but over time, it has been taken over by the Stellic Sovereigns, a faction of beholders who believe in creating a perfect, ordered cosmos. They are not malevolent by nature but are ruthlessly logical and driven by an uncompromising need for order.

A Ship's Graveyard: The main planetoid's surface is a junkyard of damaged ship components, rusted weapons, and salvaged gear. Amid the debris is a huge repair dock carved into the rock, with cranes and tethers that could hold a ship in place. This is a perfect place for a zero-gravity combat encounter or a skill challenge.

New Villain: The Stellar Regent 👁️‍🗨️

The leader of the Stellic Sovereigns is the Stellar Regent, a powerful beholder who has mastered the secrets of gravity and inertia, granting him god-like control over a limited cosmic domain. He is not a monster, but a strategic mastermind who sees the party as a threat to his perfect order.

Stellar Regent Stat Block Highlights:

AC: 18 (Natural Armor)

HP: 180 (20d8 + 90)

Speed: 20 ft. (fly)

STR: 12 (+1) | DEX: 16 (+3) | CON: 20 (+5)

| INT: 20 (+5) | WIS: 18 (+4) | CHA: 20 (+5)

Abilities:

Antimagic Cone: The Regent's central eye emits a 150-foot cone of antimagic.

Gravitic Manipulation: Within his domain, the Regent can alter the effects of gravity at will. He can create areas of low gravity, reverse it entirely, or increase it to make movement impossible.

Inertial Stasis: The Regent can target a creature or object within 60 feet and freeze it in place. The target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1d4 rounds.

Actions:

Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (3d8) piercing damage.

Eye Rays: The Regent has a variety of eye rays it can fire, similar to a beholder.

Traps and Treasure! 💰

The caverns below the repair dock are filled with traps and treasure. They are lined with a special lattice of magical force to prevent collapse, allowing for zero-gravity movement. Here you'll find:

Spelljamming Helms: The Regent has a stash of valuable spelljamming helms, including several ornate high-backed chairs with carved, fluted arms and backs.

The Crown of the Void: Hidden in the caverns' fissures is a Crown of the Void, a powerful artifact that creates and maintains an air envelope for the entire way-station. If the party destroys it, they will begin to lose air, adding a ticking clock to the dungeon.

This beholder way-station is more than just a dungeon; it's a battleground. It has multiple entry points, different combat challenges, and a big reward for those who can survive the Regent's lair.

[madlabgames]

Adventures Await in the Valley of Bloomburrow! 🌿🐭✨

Ever dreamt of being a hero on a truly grand scale? Step into a world where the smallest acts of courage lead to the most epic legends! ⚔️ Get ready for adventures on a miniature scale with Bloomburrow, a campaign setting where the smallest heroes have the biggest hearts and even a tiny hero can change the world. 🌍 This isn't just a game; it's a new perspective on what it means to be a hero, where your spirit and bravery are far more important than your size.

Imagine this: a puddle of rainwater is a treacherous lake 💧, a thorny bramble is a menacing forest, and a lost thimble becomes a legendary helmet 👑! In Bloomburrow, a spider is a hulking, terrifying beast 🕷️, and a raven is a majestic, soaring predator 🦅. Your courage and wit are what truly matter, not your size! A sudden gust of wind can feel like a gale-force storm, and a rusty old key can become a potent relic of a forgotten age. Whether you're a planeswalker transformed by the Animating Spark or a native of the Valley, your hero's journey is epic in every sense of the word.

We've got some incredible playable species for you to choose from:

Mouselings: Agile, clever, and masters of their cozy, interconnected burrows. 🐭🛠️ They turn found objects into intricate tools and homes, proving that great heroes can come from the coziest of places and that their legendary work ethic is the foundation of their settlements.

Swoops: Spiritual, nocturnal batfolk who glide silently through the night. 🦇🌌 They are celestial weavers, literally crafting magic from strands of moonlight and starlight to create powerful charms and prophecies from their high-perched roosts.

Scriven: Solemn guardians of ancient lore, the Scriven's nimble forms are perfect for navigating the dark, labyrinthine tunnels of the Knowledge Ossuary 📜, where they protect history and its secrets with fierce dedication and a scholar's mind.

Croakers: Scholarly mystics from the majestic aquatic city of Fountainport. 🐸🌊 Their deep connection to water magic allows them to read omens in the currents of the Long River and govern their multi-tiered city with wisdom and grace. They believe water is the source of all life and magic in the Valley.

Scales: Resilient and pragmatic masters of metalworking and craftsmanship, they forge legendary tools and weapons from the very earth and fire of the Forest of Iron and the Ever-Burning Oak. 🦎🔥 Their strength and endurance are legendary, and their devotion to honor is unwavering.

The world of Bloomburrow is waiting for you to forge your own legend. 🌟 Will you be a nimble scout, a wise mystic, or a steadfast defender? Share your ideas for a tiny hero in the comments! What kind of tiny hero will you be?

[madlabgames]

✨ A New Program from The Mayor's Office! ✨

Get ready, Player Citizens! We are absolutely thrilled to introduce a brand-new, 100% optional character creation mechanic that is our pride and joy: The Destiny Roller! 🎲🏙️

This isn't your average point-buy system. The Destiny Roller is for the brave souls who want to embrace the beautiful chaos of urban life. You'll roll 12d6 up front and let the dice decide your fate, from your species to your starting job and even your living situation! 📦🏠

So why roll with destiny?

For the Surprise! Get a character you never would have thought to create.

For the Story! Build your narrative from a truly unexpected starting point.

For the Fun! It's a quick and exciting way to jump into the action.

Remember, this is not the default method! You can always stick to the core rules or roll on individual tables for a little bit of surprise. The choice is yours. 😉

To get rolling, we've released a beta .html file for the Destiny Roller as a sneak peek. We've got big plans to turn this into a full, feature-rich app down the line, but for now, the fate of your citizen is just a click away! You can find the beta file and other content on the Bizarre Boroughs page on our itch.io.

Go forth, embrace the weirdness, and let us know what bizarre citizens the city has given you!

[madlabgames]

🕷️🌌 The Asteroid Spider: A Terrifying New Monster for Your Spelljammer Campaign! 🌌🕸️

Ready to add a new layer of terror to your space adventures? I've been working on a monster for my Spelljammer homebrew that's based on the classic Asteroid Spider! It's a perfect ambush predator for the void and will make your party think twice before entering any asteroid field.

Here's a stat block and some lore for this chilling beast, all updated for the latest D&D ruleset and my homebrew spelljamming mechanics!

The Asteroid Spider 🕷️

Origin: Wildspace Size: Medium Type: Monstrosity (Beast-like) Alignment: Unaligned

Stat Block Highlights:

AC: 14 (Natural Armor)

HP: 60 (8d8 + 24)

Speed: 30 ft. (climb), 0 ft. (wildspace)

STR: 16 (+3) | DEX: 14 (+2) | CON: 16 (+3)

| INT: 3 (-4) | WIS: 12 (+1) | CHA: 5 (-3)

Abilities:

Web Sense: The spider can feel any disturbance on a web it's connected to.

Web Walker: The spider can move along its own webs without being slowed.

Wildspace Camouflage: The spider's black carapace gives it advantage on Stealth checks while in the void.

Suspended Animation: The spider can enter a state of stasis for years at a time, waking only when its web is disturbed.

Actions:

Multiattack: The spider makes up to three leg attacks against a single target it has grappled.

Leg Attack: Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage. If three or more legs hit the same target in one turn, the target is grappled (escape DC 13).

Bite: The spider can only use this attack on a grappled target. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage. The target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 hour.

Web: Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one target. Hit: The target is restrained by webbing (escape DC 13). The webbing is incredibly durable and fire will not melt it.

🕸️ A Hunter in the Asteroid Fields 🕸️

The Asteroid Spider is an ambush predator that spins miles-long webs between asteroids to trap unsuspecting ships. These webs are a deep black, making them nearly invisible against the wildspace sky. A colony of these spiders will often lair on a larger asteroid that contains its own small air envelope, but they can survive for years without air or food by entering a state of suspended animation. They only wake when a ship or creature disturbs their web, at which point they attack with blinding speed.

⚠️ A Danger to Ships and Crew ⚠️

A web is strong enough to ensnare a ship up to 15 tons, which, in our homebrew ruleset, includes frigates and smaller craft. When a ship hits a web, it immediately gets the Crippled condition as its momentum is abruptly halted. The spider, sensing the vibration, will then emerge from its hiding place and begin attacking the ship or its crew. It will try to use its bite to paralyze a crew member, bundle them up in webbing, and carry them back to its lair for a later meal. A favorite tactic is to capture a ship, empty it of its air using a special webbing cocoon, and then leave it as a derelict to lure in more prey.

So, next time your party is sailing through a dense asteroid field, keep a lookout for those tell-tale black strands! You never know what's lurking in the dark.

[madlabgames]

✨ The Grind Just Got Real! ✨

Exciting news, citizens! The Bizarre Boroughs alpha is officially live and ready for you to explore! 🏙️ You can now jump into the hyper-mundane chaos of our TTRPG and create your own epic, everyday adventures.

Head over to madlabgames.itch.io to download the rules and start your story. We can't wait to hear about your weirdest borough tales!

💼 Meet an NPC: Elara Vance

Thinking about what kind of folks you'll meet on your journey? Here's a glimpse at one of the city's more... particular residents. She's a perfect example of how magic and mundane bureaucracy collide in the Boroughs!

Species: Fae (Filing Sprite) Profession: Records Keeper, Grand Interplanar Conglomeration of Wizards (GICW)

Citizen Information

Elara Vance is a small, jittery woman with a knack for bureaucracy. She works in the GICW Archives, a sprawling, chaotic library of magical paperwork. She's rarely seen outside of her small, paper-strewn office, and even then, she's usually just a blur of motion as she darts between towering stacks of filing cabinets. Her hair is a perpetual mess, woven through with paperclips, and her clothing is often covered in smudges of dried ink. Most people who deal with her find her to be a bit odd but ultimately harmless.

Attributes

Brawn: 1

Finesse: 4

Wits: 5

Presence: 2

Resolve: 3

Relationships: Starts with a neutral Relationship Rating (0) with all PCs. She is generally indifferent to others unless they mess with her filing system.

🧐 Roleplaying Notes

Elara is a Filing Sprite, a sub-species of Fae who were drawn to the city's latent magical energies and ended up manifesting as embodiments of information. Her magic is tied to the organization and retrieval of data, specifically in the form of paperwork. She speaks in a rapid, clipped tone, often muttering under her breath about "transgression reports," "misfiled Form 12-Omegas," and "the indignity of mismatched folder tabs."

Personality: Meticulous to the point of obsession. Her entire world revolves around the GICW's filing system, which is a glorious mess of mundane and magical documents. She hates spontaneity and chaos, but thrives in the predictable chaos of her job. She is deeply paranoid about losing a single document.

Appearance: She is small and slight, barely five feet tall, with quick, twitchy movements. She has large, intelligent eyes that seem to track every moving piece of paper in the room. Her skin has the faint, yellowish hue of old parchment.

Speech: She talks very fast, often using bureaucratic jargon and GICW form numbers. She rarely makes eye contact, instead focusing on her work. If she becomes stressed, she might start to hum a monotone sorting song while tapping her fingers against a file.

🔮 Potential Interactions & Hooks

The Lost Permit: The PCs need a specific GICW permit to cast a spell, open a business, or acquire a magical item. The form is officially "lost" in the GICW Archives. The Mayor can task the PCs with navigating the maze-like Archives and convincing Elara to help them. She will be unwilling at first, but may change her mind if they can perform a minor task for her, like retrieving a specific inkwell from a rival department or organizing a stack of newly arrived, unsorted paperwork.

Information Broker: A crucial piece of information—like the weakness of a particular magical creature or the location of a specific street vendor—is contained within a GICW document. Elara knows where every document is, even if it's "lost." The PCs can gain her trust by helping her with her work, offering her a non-monetary gift (a rare-colored filing tab, a self-inking pen), or by promising to keep her office organized for a week.

The Magical Glitch: A Spellcasting check by a PC results in a disastrous Magical Glitch that scatters an entire department's paperwork and causes it to become sentient. Elara, horrified by the chaos, hires the PCs to re-organize the animated paper before her superior, an elder lich from the Division of Temporal Anomalies, finds out. This could involve a series of checks to "catch" the rogue papers and sort them correctly before they cause too much mischief.

Fae Obligations: Elara is a Fae, and she is bound by a strange obligation she's trying to fulfill. She might have to "balance the ledger" for a magical transgression she committed decades ago, which involves something hyper-mundane like ensuring a certain number of invoices are processed correctly by Friday, or ensuring a particularly cursed stapler stays in her office. She needs the PCs' help to complete this task without anyone else noticing.

[madlabgames]

We're thrilled to unveil our latest visual masterpiece for the Bizarre Boroughs itch.io page, a stunning bumper image transmogrified into existence by the one and only Kye the Ghoul! 🧪✨

Our design crucible was a wild place, and Kye's superior intellect and graphic design education were invaluable in the alchemical process. They've perfectly captured the hyper-mundane chaos of our bizarre world with their unique artistic formula. 🎨🏙️

A huge, heartfelt thank you to Kye the Ghoul for their incredible work and for bringing this vision to life! Go give them some love! ❤️👏

[madlabgames]

Dungeon Master Resources for Your Spelljammer Campaign 🎲💥

Need new threats and challenges for your spelljamming crew? These homebrew resources are designed to make your space battles more dynamic and your cosmic encounters more memorable. From cunning monsters to new tactical actions, you'll have everything you need to keep your players on their toes!

New Spelljamming Encounters 🌠

These encounter ideas are designed to be more than just a fight. They challenge the crew to use their skills and wits in unique ways.

The Crystal Comet. A massive, crystalline comet drifts through Wildspace, its surface covered in valuable, magical crystals. The players must decide whether to risk damage to harvest the crystals or escape before the comet's rage destroys their ship.

The Astral Graveyard. An area of Wildspace littered with the wrecks of ancient spelljamming vessels. This is a classic dungeon crawl in space. The players can explore the wrecks, finding valuable salvage and lost lore. They might even find a new spelljamming helm or a powerful magic item.

The Solar Dragon's Lair. A solar dragon has made its lair inside a small, hollowed-out asteroid near a sun. The players must navigate the asteroid's treacherous interior, battle the dragon's minions, and face the dragon itself.

New Magic Items and Salvage ✨

These items can be found in the wrecks of old ships, in the lairs of monsters, or in a bustling trade port.

Helm of the Navigator. A magical helm that grants a character proficiency with Navigator's Tools. When the character is using the helm, they can add their Intelligence modifier to their Navigation checks. The helm also grants the character the ability to cast the Comprehend Languages spell once per day.

The Phlogiston Engine. A massive, magical engine that burns Phlogiston to power a ship. When the engine is activated, the ship's speed is doubled, but the engine also has a 10% chance of exploding each round. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check can prevent the explosion for one round.

The Astral Compass. A magical compass that always points to the nearest inhabited planet. The compass also has a limited telepathic link with the nearest spelljamming helm, allowing the owner to communicate with the helm's pilot. The compass can also be used to cast the Scrying spell once per day.

New Spelljammer Monsters 👾

These creatures are built to challenge a spelljamming crew using the unique mechanics of this homebrew. They are more than just bags of hit points; they are tactical threats that require a coordinated response.

The Astral Drifter 🌌

Gargantuan Aberration, Unaligned

Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 180 (12d20 + 60)

Damage Threshold 12

Speed 0 ft., Fly 60 ft. (hover)

Maneuverability Rating (MR) 4 (Good)

Maneuverability Bonus (MB) +4

Saving Throws Con +9, Wis +6

Damage Immunities Lightning, Psychic

Condition Immunities Charmed, Deafened, Frightened, Grappled, Prone, Restrained, Unconscious

Senses Blindsight 120 ft., Passive Perception 12

Languages Telepathy 100 ft. (sentient creatures only)

Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Actions

Tentacle Lash: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 40 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a ship, it takes the Grappled condition (escape DC 16).

Helm Siphon: While grappling a ship, the Drifter can drain energy from its spelljamming helm. The pilot must succeed on a DC 15 spellcasting ability check or lose a spell slot of a random level. The Drifter regains 1d4 hit points for every level of the spell slot lost.

Static Burst (Recharge 5-6): The Drifter releases a pulse of static energy. All ships within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a random ship system takes the Disabled (Minor) condition. On a success, the ship is unaffected.

Tactics and Lore: Astral Drifters are giant, ethereal jellyfish that feed on ambient magic. They don't seek to destroy ships outright, but to drain their resources, leaving the crew stranded and vulnerable. They are a common hazard for novice spelljammers and a cunning tactical foe for experienced ones.

The Phlogiston Siren 🧜‍♀️

Medium Aberration, Chaotic Evil

Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36)

Damage Threshold N/A

Speed 0 ft., Fly 60 ft. (hover)

Maneuverability Rating (MR) 5 (Excellent)

Maneuverability Bonus (MB) +5

Saving Throws Int +8, Cha +9

Skills Deception +9, Performance +9

Damage Immunities Psychic

Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned

Senses Truesight 60 ft., Passive Perception 13

Languages Telepathy 120 ft., Abyssal, Celestial

Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Actions

Enchanting Song: The Siren sings a powerful psionic melody. All creatures on a ship within 1 mile must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they are Charmed for 1 minute and compelled to follow the Siren's telepathic instructions. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Psionic Whisper: The Siren targets one creature it has charmed within 120 feet. It can command the creature to perform a single action, such as "disconnect the helm" or "open the airlock."

Illusory Form: The Siren can change its appearance to that of a beautiful humanoid. A creature can make a DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) check to see through the illusion.

Tactics and Lore: Phlogiston Sirens are intelligent, malevolent beings that thrive on chaos and destruction. They lie in wait in the Flow, using illusions to lure unsuspecting spelljammers and their crews. Once they have a ship under their control, they compel the crew to navigate into dangerous Flow currents or into the territory of more dangerous monsters.

Homebrew Ship Actions for a Dynamic Battle 💥

These actions give players more tactical options and provide more opportunities for teamwork. Use these to add complexity and choice to your ship combat encounters!

Captain Action: Tactical Maneuver. For 2 Crew Actions, the Captain can give the ship advantage on its next Maneuver check, helping the pilot pull off a tricky or important move. This is a great way for a Captain to help an under-leveled or less dexterous pilot.

Engineer Action: Emergency Airlock. For 1 Crew Action, when the ship gains the Breached condition, the Engineer can contain the breach to a single section of the ship. This prevents the entire ship from losing its air, but the section with the breach is still compromised.

Hope this helps make your space adventures even more epic! What kind of campaign are you planning to run with these new resources?

#DnD #DungeonsAndDragons #Spelljammer #Spelljammer5e #DnDHomebrew #TTRPG #TabletopRPG #Wildspace #DnDRules #Homebrew #DungeonMaster #GameMaster #Monsters #ShipCombat #MagicItems

[madlabgames]

✨⚙️ Waking Up Lost in Space: A New Species & Background for D&D! ⚙️✨

Hey fellow adventurers! Ever thought about what it would be like to wake up in the Astral Sea with no memory of who you are? Or to play a clockwork hero with a long-lost purpose? I've been homebrewing some new content for my Spelljammer campaign, and I'm so excited to share these two interconnected ideas: the Chronomid species and the Void-Lost background. They're perfect for building a character with a mystery at their very core!

🤖 The Chronomid: Clockwork Lifeforms with a Lost Purpose 🤖

The Chronomids aren't just robots or magically-animated constructs; they are a stunning fusion of a four-armed insectoid biology and intricate clockwork artistry. With gleaming brass gears ticking beneath plates of polished steel, they are terrifyingly elegant. They were built by a long-lost race of powerful artificers known as the Chronos-Makers to be the perfect crew members—resilient, tireless, and able to multitask with four strong arms. But before the final generation was completed, their creators vanished, leaving the Chronomids to wander the cosmos alone, guided only by a fragment of inherited memories and a deep, ingrained purpose: to find their lost masters.

Four Arms! 🖐️🤚 You are the ultimate multitasker. Wield a two-handed weapon while holding a shield, or two one-handed weapons and a shield all at once. This grants you unparalleled utility, making you a master of the ship's rigging, a formidable fighter, or a deadly gunner.

Integrated Protection. Your intricate clockwork body and hardened chitin grant you a +1 bonus to AC. This isn't a new set of plates, it's a part of who you are, and it stacks with other armor you might wear.

Construct Resilience. You don't need to eat, drink, or breathe, making you immune to many of the void's most common dangers. You're also resistant to poison damage and have advantage on saves against it.

Chronomid Mimicry. Your internal mechanisms are capable of perfectly recreating any sound you've ever heard. Use this to surprise your enemies, signal your allies, or just to confuse the local wildlife. 🔊

🌌 The Void-Lost: A Background for the Adrift 🌌

This is a background for the character who literally fell into their new life. You woke up in the Astral Sea, adrift and alone, with no memory of your past. The vast, silent void was your only company. But you survived. You learned to navigate the strange, silver currents, to scavenge from forgotten derelicts, and to endure crushing isolation. The Astral Sea is no longer a strange and terrifying place; it is your new home.

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics (from clambering over the hulks of dead ships) and Arcana (from your exposure to the raw magical essence of the void).

Feat: You get the Magic Initiate (Arcane) feat, as your time adrift has granted you a fragment of the Astral Sea’s latent magic. It's an echo of the void itself. ✨

Feature: Echoes of the Void. You feel a faint, persistent hum whenever you're within a mile of a derelict ship, a lost planar gate, or a significant magical anomaly. The Astral Sea is always whispering secrets to you, guiding you toward danger, treasure, or a piece of your past.

Imagine playing a Chronomid with the Void-Lost background. A being with a core purpose they cannot remember, waking up alone in the cosmic ocean. A mystery on top of a mystery! What would your character’s new purpose be? To search for your creators? To find your own path? Or to simply help the next soul you find lost in the Astral Sea?

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #homebrew #spelljammer #chronomid #newrace #voidlost #dndbackground #dnd5e #charactercreation #homebrewcampaign #tabletoprpg

[madlabgames]

Bizarre Boroughs: NPC Entry - Horatio P. Thistlewick, The Wizard of Copyright Infringement 📜🧙‍♂️

The GICW's Most Stubborn Bureaucrat 😤

This is an entry for a specific NPC you might encounter when dealing with the most stubborn of magical bureaucrats in Bizarre Boroughs. Horatio P. Thistlewick isn't here to do your bidding; he's here to ensure that no one gets past him without the proper clearance. 🚫

Character Sheet: Horatio P. Thistlewick

Description: A classic wizard in a grey robe and a slightly askew pointed hat, looking identical to a famous fantasy wizard. 🧙 He wields a gnarled staff with the top ending in a finger, which he uses to block doorways and point accusatorily at people. ☝️ His demeanor is one of resolute refusal, and his favorite phrases are a simple, booming "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" or "YOU SHALL NOT SUE!". 🗣️

Species: Wizard (GICW Gatekeeper) - His magical training has been entirely focused on defensive spells, wards, and the bureaucratic authority that comes with guarding a doorway. 🛡️ He is a wall of passive-aggressive magical authority. 🧱

Current Job: GICW (Grand Interplanar Conglomeration of Wizards) - Door Warden. Horatio is the final line of defense for a variety of GICW-sanctioned locations, from the security counter at the Wizards' Guild to the break room. 🚪 He is the person you must get past to access anything, and he rarely budges. 🗿

Relatives: A hobbit-like apprentice. 🦶

Attributes:

Brawn: 2 (He's old but can push back with that staff.) 💪

Finesse: 1 (He's not graceful. He blocks doors, he doesn't open them elegantly.) 🤸

Wits: 3 (He's smart enough to know the rules, but his logic is often circular and maddeningly specific.) 🧠

Presence: 3 (His simple "YOU!" is surprisingly intimidating and authoritative.) 😠

Resolve: 5 (Unbreakable. You cannot convince him to do anything he doesn't want to do. Ever.) 😤

Core Ability: You Shall Not Pass!: Horatio's staff creates a minor, hyper-mundane ward across any doorway he chooses to block. This ward isn't a powerful magical barrier, but an irresistible, bureaucratic force that makes it impossible for an unauthorized person to cross the threshold. Attempting to pass requires a Contested Resolve Check against his Resolve 5. He is surprisingly good at this.

Mundane Magic Mischief: Any time he attempts to cast a more powerful spell, there's a chance of a small, hyper-mundane side effect. For example, a "fear" spell might only cause the target to develop an intense fear of filing cabinets. 📁😱

Profession Skill Bonuses:

Doorway-Based Authority: +1 D6 to any Presence check when his staff is in a blocking position. 🚪

GICW Regulations: +1 D6 when quoting a specific, obscure, and completely made-up GICW regulation to justify his refusal. 📄

Staff-Based Combat: +1 D6 for any Brawn-based combat rolls involving his staff (it's surprisingly solid). 💥

Life Goal: Retire to a Quiet Cottage: His one dream is to get enough pension and paperwork squared away to finally retire from his job and live in a quiet, magic-free cottage in the countryside. 🏡 He's currently been working towards this goal for 300 years, and every day he is forced to work brings him closer to achieving it, which only makes him more stubborn. 🕰️

Lore

Horatio P. Thistlewick is a wizard burdened by his own resemblance to a famous fantasy character, a fact that has become the entire focus of his career. He was originally a promising young wizard with a talent for enchantment, but a paperwork error from the GICW's "Licensing Department of Literary Aesthetics" accidentally assigned him the title of "Wizard of Copyright Infringement." He has been forced to lean into this role, adopting the catchphrases and staff of the character he spoofs to make his bureaucratic duties clear. He often feels that his apprentice, a hobbit-like creature, is just more salt in the wound of his bizarre existence. His constant proclamation of "YOU SHALL NOT SUE!" is a testament to the legal quagmire his very job represents. ⚖️

Encounters and Hooks

The Permit Problem: Your PCs need to enter a GICW office, but Horatio is blocking the door. He points his staff at a PC and declares, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" until the proper sign-in is completed. 🖊️

The Reality-Warp Violation: A PC has accidentally caused a minor reality warp (e.g., their toaster is now a portal to the Bagel Dimension). Horatio is the guard posted outside the GICW's "Reality Containment Unit." He won't let you inside to fix your mistake until you provide a "temporal liability release form," which you can only get from inside the office. 🥐

The Lunch Break: He is blocking the door to the break room, insisting that he has not yet received his "authorized lunch break schedule" from the head wizard. He will not move until a PC can convince him that his specific time slot has been approved, which requires a Wits (Bureaucratic Navigating) Check to find the correct file. 🥪

He is the perfect NPC to add a touch of bureaucratic absurdity to any quest, reminding your PCs that even in a world of magic and monsters, the real challenge is often just dealing with a wizard with a very strict understanding of policy. 🤷‍♂️

[madlabgames]

City Advisory: A Message from the GICW. 📜✍️

Hello, Player Citizens. This is an official notice from the Grand Interplanar Conglomeration of Wizards (GICW). We understand that your magical life in Bizarre Boroughs is full of exciting opportunities, but remember: with great power comes great responsibility... and an ungodly amount of paperwork. 📋

The GICW's primary function is to maintain arcane order and prevent the casual destruction of reality by, well, you. We've noticed a troubling increase in unauthorized spellcasting and unfiled permits. 😠 A friendly reminder:

Interplanar Travel Permits: Must be filed in triplicate, on Form 32-B, and notarized by a licensed GICW Notary. Failure to comply will result in a 2D6 Fine (in gold coins or equivalent temporal currency). 💸

Minor Summoning Licenses: Required for any being of Class 2 or higher (e.g., a sentient coffee maker, a disgruntled gremlin). Summoning without a license will lead to an immediate audit. 🔍

Spontaneous Transmutation: The unscheduled transformation of common materials (like turning your neighbor's bicycle into a rubber chicken) is prohibited without a proper "Material Alteration" permit. We have eyes and ears everywhere, even in your garden gnomes. 🤫

A recent spike in unlicensed reality warps has led to a building on 42nd Street having its floors randomly rearrange themselves into a non-Euclidean labyrinth. We need someone to get inside and retrieve the offending arcane device. The problem? The proper permit to enter the building is missing from our archives. 😨

Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It

So, what do you do when you need to navigate a reality-bending office tower, but the GICW has lost the permit you need to even open the front door? Do you try to forge the permit with a Wits check? 🧠 Do you try to find a black market GICW Notary with your Presence? 🤔 Or do you just bust in with a Brawn check and deal with the paperwork later? 💥

This is just another Tuesday in Bizarre Boroughs, the tabletop RPG where every mundane problem has a monstrous, magical, or utterly absurd twist. 🎲 Because life in the city is already a grind, why not make it an adventure? 🗺️

Dive into the chaos and start your own adventure today. Find us on itch.io!

🔗 madlabgames.itch.io

[madlabgames]

🧪 Our Mad Scientist Has a Secret... ✍️

When they're not concocting new game ideas in the lab, our lead Mad Scientist has a secret second life: they moonlight as an academic writer! 🤓 You can find them dissecting politics and pop culture over at their Substack, ThatPinkoBookNerd.

We're so proud to share some of the fascinating papers they've been working on. You can dive into their insights on everything from video games to political theory. Check out a few of our favorites below:

The Paradox of 'Stardew Valley' and the Promise of Post-Scarcity: What the cozy farming sim can teach us about a world beyond scarcity. 👩‍🌾

Conservatives are not punk rock: A deep dive into the true spirit of punk and why it's fundamentally at odds with conservative ideology. 🎸

Re-evaluating Housing Solutions: Leveraging Existing Stock in the Face of Perceived Scarcity: A look at creative solutions for the housing crisis. 🏘️

The Automobile as a Weapon: A History of Vehicular Violence and Intimidation Against Protestors: A powerful examination of how cars have been used to threaten and harm protestors. 🚗

The Incremental Erosion of Rights: A Fascist Tactic Echoed in Modern "Protection of Minors" Arguments: An analysis of a concerning political strategy and its modern parallels. ⚖️

You can read all these and more by following them at thatpinkobooknerd.substack.com. It's a great way to see what inspires some of the thinking behind our games!

What's your favorite piece they've written so far? Let us know in the comments! 👇

A note from the team: We are not apolitical, and we've never pretended to be. As queer, Indigenous people in the US, our lives have been politicized by forces outside of our control. Our work, including our games, is a reflection of this lived experience. We believe in creating a welcoming and inclusive space, and we're proud to be part of a larger movement in the TTRPG community towards acceptance. If this stance is a problem for you, you're free to find another community. We won't be changing who we are.