In this newsletter | What Dark Knocking Comes in the Still of the Night Vampyre | Dark Guide Tony's Trash Can |
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Ham & Egg PublishingWhat Dark Knocking is LIVE! |  | What Dark Knocking in the Still of the Night is LIVE on Kickstarter.
A three-episode adventure series for one GR and 2 to 6 players. Each book runs the complete adventure on the brand new 321RPG Fantasy ruleset. Flip it over, and the whole thing runs in 5E, written for 5E, not converted to it. No conversion math. No second purchase. Pick a side at the table and go.
3 books. 2 systems. 1 epic adventure.
Check out this video from Wittle Goblin to learn more! |  | We're stoked to finally do a fantasy adventure for 321RPG and bring that same energy and vibe to 5E. We know a lot of folks are still rippin' it, and we want to make sure everybody is invited to the party!
We've got dice and minis and will be rocking on Kickstarter until Halloween, so be sure to check out the campaign. We've even got early-bird rewards with a discount for the first 48 hours only! So swing by! | | | Arcane Sword PressVampyre: The Game Of The Hunt For Dracula by TSR Hobbies, INC | Long ago, before I was born, a market of games called microgames existed. These were small board games or war games that fit in a case you could easily transport to a friend's house or play at lunch at school. I believe the most notable publisher in this market was Metagaming Concepts, which first released the legendary Ogre by Steve Jackson. The Metagaming Concepts microgames were packaged in a ziplock bag that contained everything you needed to play a (relatively) simple war game. A few years later, Steve Jackson Games continued this by releasing their own games in a hard plastic slim case called a “pocket box” that could easily fit in a schoolbag, including games like Car Wars and Kung-fu 2100. A majority of microgames used similar components- that being chits as game pieces and tokens, and the map/board which folded up easily to the small size of the rulebook.
Metagaming Concepts and SJG weren't the only publishers, because TSR came along in 1980/81, trying to corner the microgame market with their own series of games. In my opinion, TSR microgames stand out more than the others because they have that early TSR charm, with art from legends like Erol Otus, Jim Roslof, Jeff Dee, Bill Willingham, Dave LaForce, and more, which already makes them more eye-catching than their contemporaries. Plus, their games generally have a more fun appeal for my taste! And since I'm a bit of an idiot, their games also seem the least complex to learn and teach! I have a number of the TSR games, but the one I want to focus on today is VAMPYRE! |  | Look at that Erol Otus cover! | Vampyre is a straightforward game where players hunt down Dracula's coffins in six different locations on the hex map. Each of these six large hex locations has a stack of three random chits stacked upside down. When a player lands there, they reveal the chit. If it's a coffin, then it's destroyed. The first player to destroy three coffins wins. However, Dracula's dark forces will try to inhibit progress along the way, and players can become “nosferatus” or werewolves if bitten, creating an emerging asymmetrical gameplay where monster players try to hunt vampire-hunter players with limited actions. Movement: roll a d6 to move across a hex map, with terrain changing your max distance. You can move the full distance on a road, but have limited movement up to 3 in clear terrain, up to 2 in forest heaves, and only 1 through the mountains. Encounters: Each day, players roll 2d6 to see if an encounter happens, then check the encounter table based on the terrain they finished in. This can cause monsters to appear or the occasional strange occurrence that can provide vampire-slaying tools. Areas highlighted in orange are under Dracula's dark influence and have riskier encounters! Monsters: Trying to stop the vampire-hunters means facing creatures under Dracula's command, such as gargoyles, werewolves, ghosts, vampiric brides, animals, humans, and even Dracula himself! Equipment: Players can find different items to provide them with a bonus in combat, such as silver bullets, a silver crucifix, a knife, a gun, a vial of holy water, and “The Host” Combat: If an encounter occurs, the player rolls on a combat matrix for either melee combat (for humans and animals) or supernatural combat for the spooky, scary monsters. The Map: Look at this thing! It's like a map from a lost Basic D&D module. I really love the two-tone color on the black-and-white map. It really helps with the readability and gives it a certain atmosphere, perfect for a spooky game to play around Halloween.
|  | One thing I feel is missing from modern games is the idea of the “Advanced Game,” a concept where, once you learn the base rules, you get additional gameplay options to expand the game's playability. I'm sure there are some out there, but I love the idea of an intro game to get the feel for something, then an advanced version for those looking for more replayability and depth. This was pretty common back then with chit-and-hex games and even with roleplaying games (Basic D&D vs AD&D).
Vampyre also included an advanced game where, once a player destroys three coffins, you flip the hex map over to a simplified dungeon map of Dracula's castle to finally stake him! For those familiar with the board game Dungeon, this is very similar in play. |  | Players have to hunt in each room while still encountering monsters to find Dracula's coffin, with each room containing a chit. This version also has an hourly time-passing clock, and each player advances it. Once midnight comes, the whole dungeon is restocked with monster chits. The more time players spend looking, the higher the chance they'll be turned into vampires themselves, leading them to hunt the human players!
This game is very fun and easy to play. The TSR minigames feel like they were designed to pass the time while you wait for the rest of your D&D group to show up, since this game takes about 30-45 minutes to play. Thematically, I absolutely love it. The idea of using plot details from Dracula, like the false coffins to throw off the people looking for him, is a great setup for a game. Later, in 1987, Games Workshop released a more in-depth game with a similar theme called The Fury of Dracula, and a new version is coming out soon that I'm excited to check out!
Microgames are extremely cool in concept. Designed as a budget game hanging on a peg, they pack a lot of personality. I’d argue more so than many board games I've seen emerge from the crowdsourcing world or major publishers. I find myself becoming less and less interested in extremely sleekly presented board games with millions of custom pieces that demand a full day's commitment to learn, only to be played once and then never again. Microgames are such a novel and cool concept, and I honestly think they should make a comeback. I really love the chit-and-hex map idea of play as flat components that can fit in a snack bag or flat plastic case, produced and sold cheaply. They take up minimal shelf space, and you can leave them in your bag for a pick-up game anytime, anywhere. Simple but fun rules, plus great themes and concepts, can really carry a game; I'd argue more so than more demanding games. Looking at other microgames from MicroGaming Concepts, SJG, TSR, and Task Force Games, there is a lot to draw inspiration from, and I've seen growing interest in these games, especially from folks who are into solo gaming. I find myself thinking about my adventures in Transylvania hunting the coffins more than I have with most board games. Bring back the Microgame!
Until next time! | | Mystic Punks
Dark Guide Tony's Trash Can | Oh man, another interruption from yer regularly scheduled trash programming! |  | This weekend, some rad Analog Union members and I will be at Under the Dice Fest in Enfield, CT. The air will be crisp, the foliage will be Kincaide-esque, the apples will be ripe for pickin’, and many heads will roll during the New England Mordheim Open.
My Reiklander Mercenary warband, The Rotted Widows, all grim souls who lost their significant others to followers of Nurgle, will not be playing, i.e., dying heinous deaths and/or losing multiple limbs. |  |  | BUT! OH MAN! Did Dark Guide Jay whip up some wargame insanity with just the right amount of bootleg to maybe (fingers crossed) get a cease-and-desist from corpo-jerks? Uh, yea! The Mystic Stryke Force zine debuts at UTD in a few days, with a kick-ass cover by Graham Barey! |  | Equal parts X-Force (Liefeld era only, plz), grimdank, and oldhammer, the skirmish game is all about yer Punks being judge, jury, and executioner, righting wrongs in the most effed up timeline. So, swing by and say hey if ya wanna snag a copy. |
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Under The Dice Fest Enfield, CT – October 2nd, 3rd & 4th |
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Under The Dice Fest returns this October 2nd- 4th!
UTDFest is focused on independent tabletop gaming, with a focus on miniatures and wargames! The New England Mordheim Open returns, along with roleplaying games, game tournaments, workshops, live music, and more! You don’t want to miss it! |
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ArcaneCon Northampton, MA – October 16th & 17th |
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ArcaneCon is returning October 16th & 17th, 2026. Join us in a celebration of indie, old school, and old school-inspired RPGs, miniature games, board games, and more! ArcaneCon is Western Massachusetts's premiere tabletop hobby convention! Game submissions are open now!!! See more information at Tabletop Events. |
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Your editor this week has been John "Hambone" McGuire from Ham & Egg Publishing.
Keep emailing us at hello@analogunion.com to tell us what you’d like to see more of/less of, and to share ideas. If you enjoy the Analog Union newsletter, please tell your friends to sign up at AnalogUnion.com. Until next time! —JHM |
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