Campgrounds & Cryptids is a series of zines inspired by, but also different than, Dark Fort. Each contains a self-contained story with locations generated on a hex-map filled with obstacles, locations, and adversaries. With Satanic Panic, the goal is to get strong enough to properly defeat the "Good" Reverend Phillips.

Introduction: My thoughts on shorter-form Roll-and-Writes, Campgrounds & Cryptids, and This Playthrough

So, Caveat #1: I'm not particularly a fan of, or particularly good at, the shorter-form "Roll-and-Write" solo rpg format. Stuff a bit more complex, a bit more modular and extensible (2d6 Dungeon, Four Against Darkness), sure; but things that are a lot more constrained into turning the experience mostly into a "watch the dice decide everything" is not my bag.

I consider this something like a failing of myself, but not one that especially bothers me. Which is perhaps ironic in that I am a massive fan of gamebooks even though they are often, but not always, more on rails.

I particularly dislike the degree to which shorter-form roll-and-write games get treated as death mills.

Despite that, I did back Campgrounds & Cryptids on Kickstarter because I appreciate the output of Bloat Games and I want to play them. However, I will play them in my general way. Which is not, precisely, the prescribed way. "Precisely" is a weasel-word. I will absolutely not play them in the prescribed way. I will have fun, though.

Therefore, Caveat #2 is... I will not be playing a perfect example of this game as written (RAW, if you will). Not my bag. No apologies. Do not use this playthrough as anything like a learning tool demonstration of how anyone at Bloat Games expects them to be played. I don't think anyone involved will particularly mind, but I will eventually just be fudging stuff on the fly. Not right away, but eventually.

And in this case, it does run into a bit of a Caveat #3: After reading over the document, there are spots where I am not 100% sure what the rules mean. Some things will become clear, I'm sure. Other things I think are in that category of rules that made sense to the original play testers but not the general public. We will see.

Rules Changes

I generally advise folks to avoid changing rules too much until after you already have the experience. However, after a skim, there are a few things that I consider to be in doubt and so will consider this my place to put my solutions and ideas. All of these will generally increase my enjoyment, so that wins. Rule of cool is always the Golden Rule.

Rule Update #1: Persistent places are fully persistent. Some locations are marked as "will stay on the hex" though it is unclear if the events related to them are supposed to stay in play, as well. I will GM Caveat this to say that persistent locations with effects will have a reasonable version of that effect trigger every time you visit it.

I...think this is what is intended. Maybe.

Rule Update #1.1: The Game Shop will cost $50. This is one of the places where I am not sure how how to read the description. You visit it, you get a random item [for free] and heal 2hp. It says, "The Game Shop remains on the hex but returning to the shop does give you an item." I assume it was maybe meant to say "but does not" but I'll just say that you get a random item [one of each, then no more to be had] and it heals but you have to spend $50. No spend, no get. This will reset on subsequent playthroughs. Mayyyybe.

Rule Update #1.2: The Mall will take up two hexes. The Mall takes up two spots on the location so I will say it takes up two hexes. I'll roll 1d6 to figure out which other nearby hex has it. Paths from The Mall will involve either hex.

Rule Update #1.3: The *FIRST* encounter with Reverend Phillips will be The Church. Despite a heavy theme of bible-thumping, there does not seem to be a church location. Instead, I will say that the first time Reverend Phillips shows up, it will be the spot for The Church. Subsequent visits will have a 1:2 chance that Phillips is there. Follow-up encounters with him are just him out and about.

Rule #1.4: If I roll a "persistent place" that is already in play, I reserve the right to make a wholly new persistent place and come up with some reasonable stuff to go there. I'll workshop it. I think "The Mall" is a good trigger for this, so rolls that invoke it after it has been invoked will have me figure out some new location.

Rule Update #2: Persistent places will persist through playthroughs (until completion). There are eight characters. Rather than start over the map each time, locations (but not untested paths) will remain. This is a "leveling up" to help increase chances of success.

(Maybe) Rule Update #3a: Later characters might "stack." I'm not sure if this will be necessary, but on the chance that I get through 4 of the kids without winning, and especially if I get through them without getting very far, then follow-up playthroughs might combine the powers of multiple kids. Either at random (rolling a second time and then gaining multiple "powers" or just paying forward whatever powers the previous kid had).

(Other Maybe) Rule Update #3b: Optionally, there might be a Corpse Run rule. My other decision might be that if a kid is "killed" [or taken out], that getting back to that particular hex allows the kid, or at least some of their stuff, to be recovered. I like this notion since it's a mechanic that some games use and I always consider it a fun way to grow in power that matches the fiction. I'm not 100% down for outright killing kids, so I like the idea for at least this one that the kids are mostly just...captured.

If these rules work, I will use a similar set-up with follow-up Campgrounds & Cryptids playthroughs, assuming those happen. At a glance, they are very same-y. Flavor is going a long way.

Non-Rule Changes

Just to add some of my own flair, will also incorporate these base assumptions:

  • Jeffersontown will be moved to Alabama because The Alabama Weird is a hungry beast.
  • The eight kids will explicitly be part of the DP&D [Dark Places & Demogorgons] club at their school.
  • For flavor, it will be around Halloween 1987.
  • The flagship rivalry game between the Jeffersontown Badgers and the Cresthill Cloaks was marred by the death of a student athlete: Troy Bridges. Troy wasn't the most popular guy on school, and was actually close to the eight kids the story will focus on, but that's not what the agitprop-machine is saying, now.
  • The rumor, put out by Reverend Phillips, is that Troy was stabbed by youth engaged in Satanic Ritual(tm).

Using Gamemaster's Apprentice Deck: Weird Horror

Just a general back-up, I will use Gamemaster's Apprentice Deck: Weird Horror if I need a pep-up of any sort. This is especially likely if I get to an encounter that feels like it could be slightly more complex than it is, or if I need some flavor to go with one of the obstacles, etc.

Software Used, Style of Posts, etc

I am going to use Hex Kit for this. I will give the usual caveats that the software is a bit out of date and Cone of Negative Energy has disappeared as an entity [Cecil Howe stopped updating a Kickstarter unfinished in 2020, made a few posts to reddit March of the next year, and then has basically vanished]. I have been using it for years and like it but only half recommend it to others to take up.

For Tile Sets, my plan is to use Nate Treme's HPS Cartography Set, Thomas No's Strange Tiles set, and Goatman's Goblet's HexNoir. The resulting mismatch should be...interesting.

For style of posts, it'll be a simplified version of my normal style, what I sometimes call "in-line." Mechanics and notes will be in bullet-points. More "in character" stuff will be out of bullet-points.