Neal Litherland
Bio
Neal Litherland is an author, freelance blogger, and RPG designer. A regular on the Chicago convention circuit, he works in a variety of genres.
Blog: Improved Initiative and The Literary Mercenary
Stories (338)
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The Fylgja Warlock
Aendra lay back, exhausted, sweat dripping from her face as she tried to catch her breath. Her pulse hammered, and her vision swam, but she clung to consciousness. She drifted in a silent moment that seemed to stretch for eternity, and then she heard the crying. It was outraged instead of scared, and despite herself she smiled.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
What is Your RPG Character's Theme Song?
Creating a character for a roleplaying game can be tough. In addition to their species, attributes, skills, special abilities, templates, and all the other mechanical considerations, you then have to breathe life into them to make them feel like a real person. Everything from a family history, to a list of personal desires and motivations, to hopes, fears, and personality quirks needs to be mixed together in order to create a unique, memorable individual who's just as much fun to play as they are to play with.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
How To Build The Mandalorian in The Pathfinder RPG
A lone gunman who takes the hardest jobs, and who always delivers. A dedicated protector who will stop at nothing to ensure the safety of a foundling. A man with a code in a galaxy in turmoil where everything is up for sale to the highest bidder. Bounty hunting is a complicated profession.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
How To Ruin a Promising LARP in 3 Easy Steps
For readers who don't know me, I like to consider myself a fairly big LARPer. While I've tried a little bit of everything, one of my absolute favorite games is Changeling: The Lost. It's varied enough to allow you to play nearly any concept you can think of, and the tone can run the gamut from dark and terrifying, to whimsical and haunting.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
Field Test
Commander Garroskin stood atop the battlements, if the blocky assemblage of ferrocrete could even be called such, and surveyed the battlefield through his binoculars. Lines of trenches surrounded the central bastion, all of them manned by regiments of the guard. Several artillery batteries were in place as well, their heavy barrels pointed out in all directions. In the distance their armor rolled with a rumbling, clanking tread that shook the ground. Huge iron hedgehogs were embedded with their spines facing outward in a haphazard pattern that made them nearly impossible to navigate, and hidden within their shadow were caltrops with hooks to prevent them being torn out once they’d sunk in. Though it was hard to see, he knew there were stretches of razor wire, along with carefully concealed landmines just waiting for an unwary step. Outpost Avernus would be a tough nut to crack, but as an explosion lit the sky and the vox crackled to life he knew the enemy was about to try.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Fiction
The Untouchable. Top Story - January 2022.
She moved silently through the shadows of the city, unseen by all. Her breath was ragged beneath her stained, green cloak, and the burden over her shoulder strained her muscles. It wasn't the largest she'd carried on her duties, but it had been some time since she'd had to take one this large on her own. Finally she came to the blue lantern atop the low bridge... the one that marked the Blackwater Crossing.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
5 Tips For Playing Better Half-Elves and Half-Orcs
Elves and orcs are two of the classic species you'll find in most high fantasy RPGs... they're also the two who are most commonly capable of having children with other species. When these bloodlines mix, the results can be rather unique, leading to generations of characters with the potential to become so-called half-elves or half-orcs.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
Game Masters Shouldn't Leave Players Twisting in The Breeze
I've been a gamer for many years now, and over that time I've accumulated a list of red flags that I keep a close eye on whenever I'm thinking about joining a new game. This particular story happened at a Werewolf: The Apocalypse LARP I was part of, and it is a perfect illustration of one of the bigger warning signs that a lot of folks don't keep an eye out for.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
The Wine Snob Cleric
Drostin swirled the glass the barkeep had handed him, inhaling the perfume of the vintage. His eyes were closed, and he smiled as anticipation sent gooseflesh over his skin. When Korek snorted, Drostin opened his eyes and regarded his thick-set companion.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
Tips For Writing RPG Character Conversions
Anyone that's ever played a tabletop roleplaying game has had that urge to recreate one of their favorite characters from pop culture. From literal dark knights that look a great deal like Gotham City's own caped crusader, to massive mountains of muscle that bear a striking resemblance to one of the greatest villains in Game of Thrones, it's something we've all done at least a time or two.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
Silver Raven Chronicles Part Three: The Raven's Nest
The Long Roads Coffee House had a peculiar stillness to it in the early morning hours. The smells of fresh bread and brew filled the space, and the morning sunlight slanted in through the windows just so. It turned the stained wood and polished brass into something out of a painting; the kind of space somebody conjured in their mind when they thought of a coffee house, rather than an actual place you could go to get a muffin and a mug to start your day off right.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Fiction
The Possessed
Lemm came walking back into town three days after he went missing. His shirt was torn, and there was dirt on his palms and cheeks, but that wasn't what seemed so off-putting about him. He'd always been a shy young man, slow of speech with a wandering gaze. But those who greeted him felt the words die on their lips as he walked past. Something looked back at them from Lemm's gaze... something that hadn't been there when he'd gone missing.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
