Foxed! in Print and PDF in Savage Worlds Explorer

A couple weeks back saw the publication in the latest volume of Savage Worlds Explorer of “Foxed!,” a Rippers Resurrected adventure by yours truly.

Passing through rapidly-modernizing Meiji-era Tokyo, the Rippers stop to assist the Tokyo Lodge—led by noted author Lafcadio Hearn—and unwittingly become drawn into a horrifying scheme of revenge. The legendary kitsune Tamamo-no-Mae stalks the Tokyo Rippers for an affront committed years ago. She possesses one of their members to trap them and the heroes behind a mystical wall, then begins to pick them off one by one.

I wrote it as a counterpoint to the existing Rippers adventures set in Japan, trying to emphasize the modernity and urbanity of Meiji-era Tokyo instead of traditional Japan. Besides the guest appearance from Hearn, there’s some shout-outs to Edogawa Ranpo and Lady Snowblood, a few jokes at my own expense, and a fight with a horde of tsukumogami.

This is, I think, the first time I’ve been able to give art direction on a project, so that was pretty cool. I wish I’d recommended someone besides Hearn for the solo character illustration (I figured Pinnacle would just save money by using a photo of him instead of commissioning an illustration), but the eye-catch illustration is great. My notes were “Lady Snowblood and a Japanese version of Oscar Wilde are fighting a kitsune dressed like an oiran” and whoever drew it just nailed it.

“Foxed!” was designed to be run with the Lodge and Urban Alleys Rippers Resurrected battle maps, so most people who back the Kickstarter already have the maps needed to play. At some point in the game, Tamamo-no-Mae should change into her fox form and lead the heroes on a chase through the lodge; I recommend breaking from the usual combat movement rules and running this as a Chase, with the range modifiers from the cards instead reflecting cover the kitsune is behind and she runs under tables and behind furniture. Feel free to queue up “Yakety Sax.”

 Also included in Savage Worlds Explorer Volume 1, Number 5 are:

·         “Two Birds, One Stone”—A modern crime procedural by Camdon Wright

·         “The Cowboy Killer”—A Deadlands Reloaded adventure by Kyle Carty

·         “A Familiar Problem”—A modern horror story by John Goff

 Buy it at peginc.com so you can get print and PDF for the same price as print-only! I don’t get any affiliate link money like at DriveThruRPG, but I’d have to be a real jerk to recommend buying it elsewhere.