You are a detective. You work cases and some of them work you back. They get underneath your skin and drag you in deep, down into murky places amongst the dead and the drowning where lines blur and break.
The Dead And The Drowning is a procedural based detective roleplaying game with a psychological management aspect that I am in the process of developing and hope to release before the end of the year.
Recent Posts
Rpg Sites
Split System
Good Crime Books
Dog Town
- Some of the gritty art that appears in the Dog Town series.
January 28, 2012
Dog Town: Core Rules
Now Free!
Warning this game contains violence, swearing and lots of criminality.
Dog Town is a realistic role playing game set in a New York City ghetto in the mid to late 1970's, think of films like "Donnie Brasco", "Goodfella’s", "Shaft" and "Carlito's Way" and you'll get the picture. It's about attitude and swaggering machismo, about being a "bad ass" like gangsters portrayed on the big screen. There are no heroes trying to save the world from evil forces, just at best anti-heroes trying to profit from it. There is no magic or special powers to save the character, and no supernatural creatures to need saving from. In Dog Town it is the people that are the animals and your own dark destructive motives, which you have to be careful of. Life often is short and brutal starting and ending in the gutter. That's just the way it is.
Dog Town offers the gamer the ultimate crime experience, 294 pages of pure punk role-playing in a completely non-linear, fully realized Grand Theft Auto style gaming environment themed with over a 100 quality illustrations and ten criminal types, from lowly runners to feared enforcers. Fast and funky with an attention to the detail of crime and sounds of the street, the ghetto lives and breathes with its own violent and cruel rhythm. Action is powered by the gore packed Split System, and is largely player driven, with moves made against this desperate backdrop, and around all the other punks, gangsters and whackos that are out there hustling and terrorizing like the players. In the world of crime it's dog eat dog.
So the deal went down like this. While you were doing your last bit in the joint; you heard about a deal. One hundred G to buy in and if all runs smooth in 90 days you'll be set for life. If you get to live that long that is, if you haven't lost you're edge or nerve while you were cooling your heels inside. If the cops don't bust you and a rival doesn't decide to sell you out, whack you out, or worse. There's always worse; you've done it yourself and had to live with it, dynamos and meat hooks, sick stuff all done in the name of Dead Presidents. So you get off the prison bus with $40 bucks and a pack of smokes to your name. Straight out of the gate you got to steal, deal, cheat and beat your way to the stake against the clock on the insanely violent and sleazy streets of Dog Town, an anonymous run down inner city neighborhood in 1970's New York infested with doped up gangs locked in bloody turf wars, and shark eyed Mafiosi squeezing the city and it's people dry. The payoffs going to the penthouse or the bottom of the East River, depending on the moves you make.
What’s Inside
It contains 9 detailed and colored neighborhood maps, 10 flexible criminal types from lowly runners to feared enforcers and enough talents, flaws, vices and influence ratings to make any character interesting. The engine powering the game is Cold Blooded Games own Split System and covers in detail car chases, break ins, investigations and over 20 illegal rackets from gun running to pimping. Combat is covered in the gore packed Thug life and Shootouts chapters featuring four styles of unarmed combat, hitting first, using broken bottles and all out homicidal attacks. Lastly the Director's Chair provides the Games Master with the tools and hooks to create an appalling vivid gangster masterpiece. This game can be played as a traditional 3 to 5 player game, but is ideally suited because of the dynamic to a 1 to 2 player set up. This book has been updated and now includes quick reference sheets.
June 15, 2008
Dog Town: Stripped
A stripped and streamlined rule set for Dog Town the roleplaying game of crime, money and violence set in the seedy underbelly of decadent and dangerous 1970's New York.
This book is to be used in conjunction with the other books in the series for setting information and flavour. The intention is to remove most of the crunch of character creation in the Core Rule book and to provide a more free wheeling rules lite version using
The tenGINE (a system that combines familiar aspects of Bust and the Split System) that can be quickly picked up and played, but can still be integrated with the Core Rule book and Stray Bullets when more depth and detail is wanted.
October 20, 2007
Free! - Dog Town: 20 Punks
A 64 page supplement for Dog Town providing the director of the game with 20 ready made punks for players to work, with, whup, or even pick up and play.
This rotten line up of thugs, thieves, pimps and drug pushers are brought to life in photo style mugshots drawn by the talented artist Gavin Hargest.
These scumbags will feature in forthcoming neighborhood sourcebooks.
This product is fully bookmarked and contains within the 64 pages a printer friendly version. In this version mugshots have been separated from text providing players if they wish with a rogues gallery of 20 portraits to represent their own criminals with.
October 19, 2007
Free! - Dog Town: Easy Money
Dog Town: Easy Money is a lurid trawl through the mean streets of 1970's New York. Written by Peter Spahn with artwork by Jake Richmond this Dog Town venture set in Brown Bay pits the player criminal against the unbelievably vengeful and violent Jungle Posse, and the greedy clutches of a cold calculating Mafia Capo.
Do you keep the money or your fingers?, Do you get whacked or hacked? This is Boogie Nights with bullets, treachery and machetes.
Contains:
Three referenced maps.
A number of additional dilemmas, jobs, problems and temptations to side track the player.
A ready to roll gangster Red Hopkins.
This product is fully bookmarked.
Free! - Dog Town: Stray Bullets
Dog Town: Stray Bullets is a magazine style supplement to boost your Dog Town game. It contains:
* Additional Talents and Vices.
* Three new criminal types in The Extortionist, The Rat and The Wheelman.
* Two organized crime groups - The Black Mafia and "The Old Man" Eddie Malloy.
* Improved combat resolution chart.
* Exciting new rules on playing with Luck.
* Dozens of additional Skill Specializations.
* A new fighting style and critical chart -Thai Boxing.
* New combat rules and weapons to rumble with.
* Two brutal mini-adventures - Junkie Stomp and Home Invasion.
* Gun laws, gun crime, gun tips and more guns.
* G.T.A. - all you need to know about boosting cars, making them legit, keeping them on the road and suping them up as getaway cars.
* An extended price list from the time covering simple sporting goods to luxury homes.
Product is fully bookmarked and contains art from Clifford Kurowski and Brad Mcdevit.
October 17, 2007
Free! - Dog Town: Genson Park
Want to fight no holds barred for money in Johnson’s Junkyard, or hustle pool at Shacks with the risk of getting ya thumbs broken if ya look to good winning.
A 32 page sourcebook for the notorious Grenson Park Housing Project in Dog Town, this supplement gives the detailed lowdown on its criminals, their hangouts and their activities.
It includes an enlarged and referenced two page map.
A referenced single page map for printing.
A rundown on every building, hangout and business.
A number of plot hooks, jobs and business opportunities for your player criminals to get involved in.
Stashes of drugs, guns and money for your criminals to find and steal.
A number of predetermined events to occur around the player criminals.
This product save for a few small spot illustrations is all dirty crime detail.
Dog Town: Grenson Park is fully Bookmarked.
October 10, 2007
Free! - Dog Town: The Missing Mafioso
Thomas Ormenti is missing. To bad ! you say, except that he is the son of powerful Gurino Family Capo "Florida" Phil Ormenti and it is your crew that gets a call to help find him. The rewards for locating him could be substantial, the consequences of failure or refusal potentially fatal. Whatever the outcome dealing with the Mafia and its politics is never easy.
The Missing Mafioso is a fast paced adventure for the Dog Town the Roleplaying Game of crime, money and violence.
Outrun bounty hunters hot on your heels.
Tangle with a Columbian Drug Cartel.
Get dangerously mixed up with the Mafia.
Avoid getting pinched by the cops.
Follow the trail and find the Missing Mafioso.
This book contains 20 NPC's and 4 pre-generated player criminals. It can be played solo or as a three to four player game.
This product is fully book marked.
This game contains strong language and requires Dog Town: Core Rules to play.
September 30, 2007
Free! - Dog Town: Pennington
Dare your criminal stay at the notoriously dangerous Star Hotel, with its assortment of curb side pushers, sadistic pimps and cut throat dope fiends.
Care to trawl the gaudy neon of the red light district where sex and profit go hand in hand.
Care to mix with with powerful Mafiosi at Lonardo's Cafe or The Scorpio Lounge, where a bad move could end in bath tub dismemberment.
Hit the glitzy night club scene at The Super Six or The J Club and sling enough coke to get you a penthouse suite in the luxurious Corner House Hotel.
This 70 page sourcebook for Dog Town covers the busy commercial district of Pennington and features a detailed lowdown on its criminals, their hangouts and their activities.
Dog Town: Pennington includes an enlarged and referenced two page map.
A single page map for printing.
Three new gangs The West Street Syndicate, The Black Hill Boys and the wild Maclaren Gang.
A rundown on over a hundred buildings, hangouts and businesses.
Dozens of plot hooks, jobs and business opportunities for your player criminals to get involved in.
Stashes of drugs, guns and money for your criminals to find and steal.
A number of predetermined events to occur around the player criminals.
This product save for a couple of illustrations is all dirty crime detail.
September 05, 2007
Free! Dog Town: The Felon's Handbook
"This is one of the best game supplements I've ever bought. It helps to flesh out a number of different crimes and gives you all the details of how to make these effective in your game. I've used it from Dog Town, but I've also used the info with a number of other game systems."
Michael Sarno Rpgnow customer.
July 10, 2006
Bust: Explosive Roleplaying
Bust is a fast, narrative focused card based system that uses player defined traits in a single, explosive resolution mechanic.
The core mechanic is that player characters assume a tough template of 21 with player created traits and flaws boosting and detracting that number. Threats and challenges in the form of cards attempt to bust that number. The harder the challenge the more cards have to be turned. Insert Aces that neutralize difficulty, exploding kings that create more, Jokers that twist fate, and play becomes more dyanmic and tactical. The system is flexible using templates like 14 or 28 for more mundane and heroic play.
Cover art by Richard Gray.
Bust is Free!!!
May 02, 2006
Dog Town: Stray Bullets
Dog Town: Stray Bullets is a magazine style supplement to boost your Dog Town game. It contains:
* Additional Talents and Vices.
* Three new criminal types in The Extortionist, The Rat and The Wheelman.
* Exciting new rules on playing with Luck.
* Dozens of additional Skill Specializations.
* A new fighting style and critical chart -Thai Boxing.
* New combat rules and weapons to rumble with.
* Two brutal mini-adventures - Junkie Stomp and Home Invasion.
* Gun laws, gun crime, gun tips and more guns.
* G.T.A. - all you need to know about boosting cars, making them legit, keeping them on the road and suping them up as getaway cars.
* An extended price list from the time covering simple sporting goods to luxury homes.
Product is fully bookmarked and contains art from Clifford Kurowski and Brad Mcdevit.
February 18, 2006
Cafe Press Store
Cold Blooded Games has just opened a Cafe Press store selling Dog Town merchandise for those mad enough to buy it go here
The first is the "Whacked" line of t-shirts and coffee mugs.
November 01, 2005
October 24, 2005
Dog Town: The Missing Mafioso
Thomas Ormenti is missing. To bad ! you say, except that he is the son of powerful Gurino Family Capo "Florida" Phil Ormenti and it is your crew that gets a call to help find him. The rewards for locating him could be substantial, the consequences of failure or refusal potentially fatal. Whatever the outcome dealing with the Mafia and its politics is never easy.
The Missing Mafioso is a fast paced 47 page adventure for the Dog Town the Roleplaying Game of crime, money and violence.
Outrun bounty hunters hot on your heels.
Tangle with a Columbian Drug Cartel.
Get dangerously mixed up with the Mafia.
Avoid getting pinched by the cops.
Follow the trail and find the Missing Mafioso.
This book contains 20 NPC's and 4 pre-generated player criminals. It can be played solo or as a three to four player game.
This product is fully book marked.
This game contains strong language and requires Dog Town: Core Rules to play.
August 14, 2005
Dog Town: Pennington
Dare your criminal stay at the notoriously dangerous Star Hotel, with its assortment of curbside pushers, sadistic pimps and cutthroat dope fiends.
Care to trawl the gaudy neon of the red light district where sex and profit go hand in hand.
Care to mix with with powerful Mafiosi at Lonardo's Cafe or The Scorpio Lounge, where a bad move could end in bath tub dismemberment.
Hit the glitzy night club scene at The Super Six or The J Club and sling enough coke to get you a penthouse suite in the luxurious Corner House Hotel.
This 70 page sourcebook for Dog Town covers the busy commercial district of Pennington and features a detailed lowdown on its criminals, their hangouts and their activities.
Dog Town: Pennington includes an enlarged and referenced two page map.
A single page map for printing.
Three new gangs The West Street Syndicate, The Black Hill Boys and the wild Maclaren Gang.
A rundown on over a hundred buildings, hangouts and businesses.
Dozens of plot hooks, jobs and business opportunities for your player criminals to get involved in.
Stashes of drugs, guns and money for your criminals to find and steal.
A number of predetermined events to occur around the player criminals.
This product save for a couple of illustrations by artist Gavin Hargest is all dirty crime detail.
May 24, 2005
Customer Reviews
Here is what Rpgnow customers are saying about Dog Town. They've paid, they've read and they've played.
May 06, 2005
Dog Town: Grenson Park
Want to fight no holds barred for money in Johnson’s Junkyard, or hustle pool at Shacks with the risk of getting ya thumbs broken if ya look too good winning.
A 32 page sourcebook for the notorious Grenson Park Housing Project in Dog Town, this supplement gives the detailed lowdown on its criminals, their hangouts and their activities.
It includes an enlarged and referenced two page map.
A referenced single page map for printing.
A rundown on every building, hangout and business.
A number of plot hooks, jobs and business opportunities for your player criminals to get involved in.
Stashes of drugs, guns and money for your criminals to find and steal.
A number of predetermined events to occur around the player criminals.
This product save for a few small spot illustrations is all dirty crime detail.
Dog Town: Grenson Park is fully Bookmarked.
April 24, 2005
Dog Town: 20 Punks
A 64 page supplement for Dog Town providing the director of the game with 20 ready made punks for players to work, with, whup, or even pick up and play.
This rotten line up of thugs, thieves, pimps and drug pushers are brought to life in photo style mugshots drawn by the talented artist Gavin Hargest.
These scumbags will feature in forthcoming neighborhood sourcebooks.
This product is fully bookmarked and contains within the 64 pages a printer friendly version. In this version mugshots have been separated from text providing players if they wish with a rogues gallery of 20 portraits to represent their own criminals with.
Dog Town: The Felon's Handbook
Buy it at Indie Press Revolution
Warning this book contains violence swearing and lots of criminality.
A 97 page supplement for Dog Town this book features over 40 crimes and their inner workings, their profits and their dangers. From hijacking and home invasion to arson and sports betting, how real gangsters committed the crime and avoided the time. Includes also a catalog of tools every criminal needs when on the make and take, from skeleton keys to police scanners, as well as the criminal tips to stay well clear of bars and bullets.
In Sounds of the Street there is a comprehensive lexicon of street slang and criminal terms from the time featuring African American, Hispanic, Jewish and Italian words such as maricon, jive turkey, schmuck and coumare.
Narcotics is a chapter devoted to drug dealing detailing distribution methods, markets, sales techniques, effects, doses, weights and prices of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, pcp, cannabis, steroids, quaaludes and alcohol. Pharmaceutical substitutes, addiction and drug cocktails are also covered.
Criminal Gangs is a run down of some of the more prominent criminal organizations to be found in Dog Town. Street gangs, the Mafia, Jamaican Posses's, and The Pagan Motorcycle Club are featured, and their rituals, rules, criminal interests and behavior are listed.
Lastly the year 1977 is explored, Saturday Night Fever, The Son Of Sam killings, Reggie Jackson in the World Series, the large scale riots that raged through New York after the city wide blackout of July 13th. Prices for accomodation, vcr's and a six pack are also given.
Although a supplement for the Dog Town crime game, this book is a useful resource for any modern crime game.
Dog Town: Core Rules
Buy it at Indie Press Revolution
Warning this game contains violence, swearing and lots of criminality.
Dog Town is a realistic role playing game set in a New York city ghetto in the mid to late 1970's, think of films like "Donnie Brasco", "Goodfella’s", "Shaft" and "Carlito's Way" and you'll get the picture. Its about attitude and swaggering machismo, about being a "bad ass" like gangsters portrayed on the big screen. There are no heroes trying to save the world from evil forces, just at best anti-heroes trying to profit from it. There is no magic or special powers to save the character, and no supernatural creatures to need saving from. In Dog Town it is the people that are the animals and your own dark destructive motives, which you have to be careful of. Life often is short and brutal starting and ending in the gutter. That's just the way it is.
Dog Town offers the gamer the ultimate crime experience, 294 pages of pure punk role-playing in a completely non-linear, fully realized Grand Theft Auto style gaming environment themed with over a 100 quality illustrations and ten criminal types, from lowly runners to feared enforcers. Fast and funky with an attention to the detail of crime and sounds of the street, the ghetto lives and breathes with its own violent and cruel rhythm. Action is powered by the gore packed Split System, and is largely player driven, with moves made against this desperate backdrop, and around all the other punks, gangsters and whackos that are out there hustling and terrorizing like the players. In the world of crime it's dog eat dog.
So the deal went down like this. While you were doing your last bit in the joint; you heard about a deal. One hundred G to buy in and if all runs smooth in 90 days you'll be set for life. If you get to live that long that is, if you haven't lost you're edge or nerve while you were cooling your heels inside. If the cops don't bust you and a rival doesn't decide to sell you out, whack you out, or worse. There's always worse; you've done it yourself and had to live with it, dynamos and meat hooks, sick stuff all done in the name of Dead Presidents. So you get off the prison bus with $40 bucks and a pack of smokes to your name. Straight out of the gate you got to steal, deal, cheat and beat your way to the stake against the clock on the insanely violent and sleazy streets of Dog Town, an anonymous run down inner city neighborhood in 1970's New York infested with doped up gangs locked in bloody turf wars, and rattling junkies on the hustle for their next fix. The payoffs going to the penthouse or the bottom of the East River, depending on the moves you make.
What's Inside
It contains 9 detailed and colored neighborhood maps, 10 flexible criminal types from lowly runners to feared enforcers and enough talents, flaws, vices and influence ratings to make any character interesting. The engine powering the game is Cold Blooded Games own Split System and covers in detail car chases, break ins, investigations and over 20 illegal rackets from gun running to pimping. Combat is covered in the gore packed Thug life and Shootouts chapters featuring four styles of unarmed combat, hitting first, using broken bottles and all out homicidal attacks. Lastly the Director's Chair provides the Games Master with the tools and hooks to create an appalling vivid gangster masterpiece. This game can be played as a traditional 3 to 5 player game, but is ideally suited because of the dynamic to a 1 to 2 player set up. This book has been updated and now includes quick reference sheets.