06/15/13

Free RPG Day Is Here!

June 15, 2013 by Front Office

Once again, it’s Free RPG Day and we here at Gravedigger’s Local 16 are doing our own unofficial contribution to the event. What is Free RPG Day? It’s when gaming stores all over the US (and other countries) give away free RPG adventures and other useful role-playing items. You can find out what retailers in your area are joining in by visiting the official Free RPG Day website. Just like last year, we’re offering tons of free downloads for both those who don’t have any participating stores nearby and those that do and simply want more freebies. Since this year’s offerings will most likely be linked to at the official Free RPG Day Facebook page over the next few days, let’s focus on our custom collection of goodies:

Greyhawk Grognard offers numerous free resources for Dungeons and Dragons, including a custom spell and original monsters like the Restless Spirit, Pyre Wraith and Terracotta Golem. Dungeons & Dragons Classics also has its fair share of D&D freebies.

Speaking of D&D, Spoony and Bennett the Sage have one hell of a (mildly NSFW) video for you. If you want monsters that’ll really bewilder your characters, then look no further than the White Rabbit and Manure Golem. I’ve directly linked to the parts in the video where the stats (which are in serious need of balancing) are included but you really need to watch from the beginning to get the complete effect. Spoony also offers tons of great gaming advice in his Counter Monkey video series.

Come to think of it, I’ve focused on older editions of Dungeons & Dragons in previous installments of this series. It’s about time I focused on the most current (as of this writing) edition. You can download the 4th Edition Quick Start Rules here and you can find an unofficial explanation of the game and the changes made in this edition over at Head Injury Theater. That site not only has a free (humorous) 4th edition adventure called Twas the Wright Before Xmas, but it might have also inspired the creation of Fool’s Grove. Those who prefer more serious fare should enjoy Keep on the Shadowfell.

Oddly enough, Hackmaster originally started out as a humorous D&D parody and eventually mutated into a regular fantasy RPG. You can download the Basic version for free at DriveThruRPG.com.

In addition to the Quick Start rules for Castles & Crusades, Troll Lord Games is also offering free downloads of the abridged Tunnels & Trolls 5th Edition rules and a solo adventure for it called Soul Survivor.

Tunnels and Trolls claims to be one of the easiest RPG to learn and play, but I think the 3rd Edition of the free homebrew RPG Zombiepocalypse easily gives it some competition.

Those looking for some giant robot combat action will surely appreciate the Quick Start rules for Battletech, the free basic edition of Mekton Zeta and the Quick Start rules for Cthulhutech. You can find more Cthulhutech goodies at its official website.

Some of the freebies from last year’s Fee RPG Day that I missed out on posting include the Quick Start rules (and adventure) for Cosmic Patrol, the Quick Start rules for Call of Cthulhu (complete with adventure and pregenerated characters) and the Quick Start rules for Shadowrun (with adventure and pregenerated characters). You can find more Shadowrun adventures here. As for Call of Cthulhu, here’s another free adventure called Murder in the Footlights.

Continue reading →

06/10/13

Free RPG Day Is Coming!

June 10, 2013 by Front Office

The 7th annual Free RPG Day is scheduled for June 15th, so make sure to keep that date in mind when you make your plans for the weekend. In addition to some nifty steampunk dice, the other freebies scheduled for this year that might be of interest to readers of this blog include:

NeoExodus: Temple of the Forbidden God
Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls Preview Pack
Vampire: Reap the Whirlwind
Pathfinder: We Be Goblins Too!
Castles & Crusades: A Pot of Broken Bones (& Halfing Broth)
Battletech: A Time of War
Shadowrun
Cosmic Patrol: The Eiger Agenda
Star Wars: Edge of the Empire
Savage Worlds: Tunse’al
Dungeon Crawl Classics/Xcrawl
Swords & Wizardry: Hall of Bones

For more information (and a list of participating stores), please visit the official Free RPG Day website. No game stores in your area? Don’t fret, as we’ll be posting our own collection of free gaming downloads on the big day as well!

06/4/13

Free (Legal) Download: Swamp Foetus

June 4, 2013 by Weird Jon

Like any Halloween enthusiast, I’m a huge fan of Pumpkinrot. I love the creepy, distinctive look of his props and keen eye for setting up (and photographing) great scenes. So when I found out the man behind that website had made a short film, I was ecstatic. Even moreso when I learned it had won the 2013 CineMayhem short film competition and was available for free download.

Swamp Foetus has no dialogue whatsoever and instead opts to use only its music and beautiful cinematography to tell its story. This is an extremely effective choice, which builds a sense of mystery and unease about the doings of its protagonist. The theme offers many chills and yet also brought to mind many memories of long walks home during a cool October evening. The costume and props in the film definitely stand out on their own while at the same time stay true to the spirit of his older work. In fact, I could see touches of his 2009 “Field Witch” display in it.

According to an email I received from the man behind Pumpkinrot, the film originally went into production in 2010 as “Swamp Fetus” but he changed the spelling to “Foetus” after hearing about Poppy Z. Brite’s short story collection Swamp Foetus (also known as Wormwood) as both a tribute to the author and because it added an extra touch of class to the title.

The Pumpkinrot blog also has a wealth of information about the making of Swamp Foetus. In addition to recounting the filming experience with his wife, he also reveals there how the excellent poster was created by Guy Miller from House Bloodthorn and his history of collaborating with the film’s composer.

But enough of my going on and on about the film. You can find the download link here, along with an awesome photo galleries from Swamp Foetus and his 2011 home haunt utilizing some material from the film.

Since the movie is a little over seven minutes in length, I’m going to do what I did the last time this series featured a non-feature length film: share a bunch of other short films! Thankfully, Pumpkinrot has several other Halloween videos available. Fans of Swamp Foetus will be especially interested in Halloween 2008 Burning Smile Remix and 2009′s The Corn Witch, which had original scores prepared for them by John Glassett.

Speaking of Mr. Glassett, you can download the theme to the film for free here. You can also read his comments about creating it at his official website.

Special thanks to Rot for use of the image!

As always, Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of downloading from any links given here. Attempt at your own discretion. Blah blah blah…

05/15/13

Free Zombie Music

May 15, 2013 by Weird Jon

It’s Zombie Awareness Month and what better way to celebrate than with free zombie music? That’s why I’ve gathered up 13 terror tracks inspired by (or relating to) the living dead for you to enjoy. Just click on the left link for the free download and click on the right for the artist’s official website:

“Re: Your Brains” – Jonathan Coulton
“Zombie Blues” – Tom Smith
“Zombie-and-B” – Tom Smith
“Zombies Rise” – Darkmood
“Zombie-otic” – SDM
“Radioactive Zombies” – Jamey Rottencorpse and The Rising Dead
“Walking Corpse” – Grave Tone Productions
“ZombieTown” – Ray O’Bannon
“Happy Little Zombies” – Ray O’Bannon
“Zombies Can Has Cocoa” – Ray O’Bannon
“Zombie Hoodoo” – Kevin MacLeod
“Zombie Chase” – Kevin MacLeod
“Bent and Broken” – Kevin MacLeod

I know that last one might seem like an odd choice to you, but the artist says it’s a zombie song. Read this if you don’t believe me. But wait, there’s more! In addition to the three tracks listed above, Ray O’Bannon also offers free printable CD sleeves (perfect for storing your copy of this album) and tons of other goodies. What kind of goodies? Goodies like zombie masks, zombie miniatures (complete with playsets) and more!

Special thanks to the CDC for the open source image (and to Bob Hobbs for creating it)!

05/4/13

It’s Free Comic Book Day!

May 4, 2013 by Front Office

Once again that special day is here to encourage us to help support the local stores that keep us supplied in comics, horror magazines, model kits, DVDs and so much more. Thanks to the photo gallery at the Free Comic Book Day Facebook page, I’ve compiled a list of all the horror/sci-fi related titles that should be of interest to our readers:

The Walking Dead – Image

Fubar: American History Z – Fubar Press

Atomic Robo – Red Five Comics

Endangered Weapon B and the Tentacles of Doom – AAM/Markosia

There’s plenty of other awesome titles waiting for you, so don’t delay! You can find out whether your favorite store is joining in on the fun by checking here. If none of the stores in your area are participating, don’t fret! You can find a free downloadable zombie comic book here.

Special thanks to the organizers of Free Comic Book Day for use of the image!

Happy Free Comic Book Day!

04/20/13

Record Store Day Is Here!

April 20, 2013 by Front Office

Record store Day is here at last. Seeing as how we’ve already discussed why this day is so important and showed you where to find the list of all the freebies available this year, there’s not much to say. You can find a list of the North American stores celebrating here and the list of UK stores can be found here.

No participating stores in your area? Fear not! As was the case last year, we’re offering some free music downloads to help you get into the spirit of things:

WVRockscene, has a ton of great free downloads. I especially recommend anything by The Renfields. Intrigued? Then their Bastard Sons of Ed Wood album is a great place to get started.

To quote the description in their Bandcamp profile, “Spirit of The Indies is a collective of independent artists, by the musicians, for the musicians, and their fans.” Every year they put together free sampler albums featuring a wide selection of artists, as evidenced by their 2012 and 2013 samplers.

If you’re looking for over 22 minutes of listening pleasure, then the Volcano Kings’ free Mechanical Beast EP should be right up your alley.

Both Lo-Fi Kabuki Records and Spookhand offer a mix of free and “Name your price” downloads, all of which are highly recommended. That said, please be fair with the “Name your price” downloads, as Lo-Fi Kabuki has been very good to our podcast and Spookhand is headed by our own Dr. Gangrene.

If you enjoyed Strange Jason’s review of Tales From The Emancipated Head by the Pine Box Boys, then you’ll be happy to hear how the track “Theme From The Emancipated Head” from said album is available on the free 2013 Farmageddon Records Music Festival Compilation CD download (along with 20 other great songs).

In addition to the free downloads of “The Film Geek Love Song” and “The Vampire Song (a plea for Cushing and Lee),” more musical greatness from Miscellaneous Plumbing Fixtures can be found at the two Soundcloud pages associated with the After Movie Diner podcast.

Happy Record Store Day!

03/29/13

Still More Free Horror Movie Commentaries

March 29, 2013 by Weird Jon

Once again, I find myself discovering more and more free downloadable movie commentaries long after I thought I’d posted the final installment in the series:

Although Dr. Action and The Kick Ass Kid specialize in commentaries on action movies, they have been known to do ones for sci-fi films like Dark Angel (aka I Come in Peace) and Ghosts of Mars (among others).

iTunes is a great source of free horror commentaries. In addition to the above linked one, you can also find commentaries by Van Damme That’s Good, The Hellraiser Podcast and The Dream Warriors Horrorcast. That last one is connected to Horrorphilia, which also offers free downloadable commentaries.

Soundcloud is also becoming quite the resource for film commentaries. TheDoomedPlanet is offering a commentary for the horror film Would You Rather and Shitcase Cinema has one for Predator.

With a little help from the Doctor Who Reference Guide and a search engine, you can find tons of free official commentary tracks for various episodes of the Doctor Who revival.

Although Rely on Horror normally focuses on horror video games, their podcast has been known to do commentaries for movie based on such games, like Silent Hill: Revelation.

While JoBlo.com’s free commentaries covers a variety of film genres, horror is definately represented there.

You’ve undoubtedly noticed that many of the commentaries in this article are for more modern fare. Thankfully, Horror Etc. and Vault of Horror DVD Commentaries more than make up for that with their focus on older films.

02/28/13

Still More Fear For Your Ears

February 28, 2013 by Weird Jon

Since the last three installments were so well received, I’ve decided to once again dip into my massive collection of free audio drama/audio book links:

Campfire Radio Theater is one of the newer entrants into the world of horror-themed audio dramas and despite their newcomer status, they’ve been hitting it out of the park with their work so far.

Long before the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society started their Dark Adventure Radio Theatre series, they created some original audio drama-style sequences for one of their LARP sessions. Can you pick the one experience out of the selection offered that banishes the Hound of Tindalos and keeps your sanity intact? Speaking of H.P. Lovecraft, Blue Hours Productions has a series devoted to creating audio dramas based on his works called Cthulhu On The Air and not only is Gothik a great H.P. Lovecraft-inspired audio drama, but it also features music by Nox Arcana!

In addition to AudioFile magazine’s website offering lots of great reviews, they also have a free streaming audio book of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” as read by William Roberts!

Not only does earstage offer free snippets of their Dark Sense line of horror titles, but they also have some teasers of Poe adaptations they’ve done with the Rover Rep Theatre.

Fans of The Phantom of the Opera should be interested in this ambitious project devoted to creating a free audio book of the famous tale.

Itunes is a great source for horror audio, such as: The 13th Hour, Redline Theater, The Miller’s Ghost, The Ghost Stories of E. F. Benson, Midnight Circle and A Podcast to the Curious – The M.R. James Podcast.

Another great resource is Wikisource, which focuses on audio books. In addition to the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Sheridan La Fanu and Robert Louis Stevenson, you can also find great works of fiction like “The Terrible Old Man,” “The Bottle Imp,” “A Ghost Story” and “Celephais.”

Big Finish’s Soundcloud page offers several complete adventures of the Doctor and his friends for free, in both downloadable and streaming form. On top of that, they also offer the first installment of Doctor Who: The Burning Prince for free as well! Speaking of Soundcloud, those who enjoyed my recent review of The Scarifyers: The Nazad Conspiracy should be pleased to learn that Bafflegab Productions is offering a free streaming version of it on their Soundcloud page.

Although best know for his humorous songs, Tom Smith has also dabbled with the world of spoken word. “The Thing in the Crib” is one such example, which offers a hilariously horrifying look at the typical duties of a parent raising a newborn.

If you’re looking for something with more mature themes, I have two series that would definitely fit the PG-13 category. The first is the Dark Shadows-style supernatural soap opera Gypsy Cove and the second is LightningBolt Theater of the Mind.

Looking for a vintage recording of an equally vintage ghost story? Then the Library of Congress has you covered with this 1939 recording of Moses “Clear Rock” Platt doing just that.

Make sure not to mix up Midnight Radio Theater and Moonlight Audio Theatre, unless you want to potentially miss out on an entire series’ worth of great listening material. Those seeking horror serials will be sure to enjoy Hayward Sanitarium and Wormwood, while those who desire standalone episodes will be delighted by Sinister Properties.

Do you remember Gayle House Records’ The Haunting album? It’s one with the comic book ad featuring a hooded blue monster that urged you to “Invite your friends over for a haunting” and featured both sound effects and a short story of sorts utilizing said effects. John Beach Voiceguy did and decided to record an affectionate parody of the drama portion of the album.

It’s also worth noting how the official GdL16 podcast has also dabbled in the world of audio books and audio drama. For example, one episode from December 2012 featured Mike Arnzen’s reading of “Little Stocking Stuffers” and another featured a minisode of The Scarifyers called Mr. Crowley’s Christmas. Not only that, but we tried our hand at making our own audio drama in our Halloween super special.

As always, Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of downloading or streaming from any links given here. Attempt at your own discretion. Some downloads may not work in certain regions. Blah blah blah…

12/24/12

Even More Christma(dnes)s

December 24, 2012 by Weird Jon

Here’s a rare holiday treat, the pressbook for the original version of Black Christmas. Even if you aren’t a fan of the film, you’re sure to love the promotional gimmicks.

Fans of our yearly Free RPG Day posts are sure to love this fan-made, Christmas-themed Dungeons and Dragons adventure.

If you need a quick and easy way to add a macabre touch to your Christmas tree, than Ravensblight has just the type of ornaments for you! If you don’t need any more ornaments, then perhaps this floating candelabra will be of more interest to you (especially if you color the white candles green and mix them with the red candles).

Are you one of the many people who were creeped out by the CGI characters in The Polar Express (the movie, not the book)? Some blame the “uncanny valley” effect, but this site has a more sinister explanation.

Longtime readers of the site know that telling ghost stories is a time-honored British tradition. So I’m getting in on the action by not only sharing an unusual ghost story involving (but not written by) Charles Dickens, buth also sharing scary stories like a zombie-themed take on “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and a short Christmas tale by Mike Arnzen.

I don’t care what the listing says, this is not a Krampus. Now the creatures depicted in these holiday wall clings are. The mock-ups of those clings in use kill me, though.

Speaking of the Krampus, Google Books has a NSFW preview of Krampus: The Yule Lord available. Those seeking other online Krampus resources will definitely find these links handy.

Those in need of some last minute Christmas cards are sure to appreciate these free zombie Christmas cards.

Speaking of zombies, zombie ornaments and zombie nutcrackers are growing in popularity. For those of us who feel zombies are overexposed, hanging up a picture of a Yule Squid is a great way to celebrate the horrordays without being too cliché.

Speaking of cephalopods, the band Supreme Fiction is offering free downloads of “All I Want for Christmas is Cthulhu” and “Christmas for Failures.” Those with a taste for steampunk will love these takes on “Ebenezor’s Carol” by The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing and sci-fi fans are sure to enjoy Gulag Picture Radio’s “Xmas On The Moon.” And let’s not forget Tribal Gothic’s “Winter Solstice” is available for free as well! In addition to his free regular Christmas song downloads, Kevin MacLeod also has tracks like a dark take on “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Ice Demon” available. Don’t forget that Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica has their version of “Arab Dance” from The Nutcracker available for free as well! If that somehow isn’t enough for you, 6′+ has several Christmas episodes available.

11/12/12

The Chzo Mythos

November 12, 2012 by Weird Jon

Faithful readers of the site should be very familiar with the humorous work of Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw. However, what they might not realize is that he has also created a lot of serious, downright scary content. Despite the humorous tone, the story in that last link loosely ties into the subject of today’s article. While he has used horror themes in games like the 1213 series and Poacher, his most famous (and most frightening) games are the “Chzo Mythos” games (originally known as the “DeFoe series”). The games in said series consist of:

5 Days a Stranger
7 Days a Skeptic
Trilby’s Notes
6 Days a Sacrifice

Despite the similarity of the names, the series has nothing to do with the Cthulhu Mythos. This works in favor of the games, as they allow players to have a chance at a fresh experience that isn’t bound by any preexisting expectations or guidelines set by Lovecraft. As cool as Cthulhu and his ilk are, the familiarity that so many horror fans have with them takes away from the scares that can only be had from dealing with the truly unknown and unexpected. While H.P. Lovecraft was never able to create a full length version of the fabled Necronomicon due to the knowledge that it could never live up to the insanity-inducing reputation he built up for it in his stories, Croshaw can reveal the complete texts of the sacred books mentioned in the games.

But what about the installments themselves? Each one is a horror adventure game that deals with a thief named Trilby and his struggle against the agents of the pain elemental Chzo. Like his supernatural enemy, Trilby makes his presence known even in games where he technically doesn’t make an appearance. Trust me, that makes more sense when you play through the games (or read all the spoilers online). The original name for the series comes from John Defoe, a masked slasher who has ties to Chzo’s Order of Blessed Agonies and is also acts as a very important recurring element in the overall plot. Think of Michael Myers and the “Curse of Thorn” done right and you’ll have a pretty good idea of the basic undercurrent of the games. The series even features an “in space” installment that actually makes the concept work! The final two installments also incorporate the Slender Man internet meme into the series’ continuity!

In addition to the entire quadrilogy being available for free download in a variety of languages, there are also special editions to boot! In addition to their having extended endings, the special editions have extra features like interviews, creator’s commentaries for each game character profiles and much, much more. If that isn’t enough for you, there’s also a creepy short story called “The Expedition” available on Yahtzee’s website that fleshes out more about Chzo’s methods and motivations. Although not a horror game, interested parties can follow the further adventures of Trilby in the spin-off game Trilby: The Art of Theft. Speaking of Trilby, his name actually has a horror connection! You see, his name comes from the Trilby hat he wears. Said hat gained its name after being used in the first stage adaptation of George du Maurier’s novel Trilby, which is best known for introducing Svengali to the world.

It’s also worth noting that Slender Man has turned up into other free video games, like Slender: The Eight Pages (that link features another familiar face for regular readers of this site). You can learn more about that game (and its upcoming sequels) here.

10/16/12

Even More Tricks and Treats

October 16, 2012 by Weird Jon

Looking for some Halloween projects to keep you (or any little ones in your care) busy? Look no further than this vintage article, which has plenty of spooky crafts (including the above-pictured Halloween creature).

Do you want something more advanced? Then try building a coffin from a single sheet of plywood, dirty rat or a snake wreath. If that’s still not enough for you, Jill Williams Grover’s Scary Scenes For Halloween has directions for a “Spooky Treat Bucket” and How to Make Frightening Halloween Decorations by Catherine Ipcizade has a great door cover project.

All Halloween parties need music. It’s just a fact of life. Thankfully, Halloweenmusic.biz is offering a free download of a 16 track Halloween album! With its selection of both spooky and rockin’ music, it’s got something for everyone. Please act fast, though, as this is a limited time offer.

If my old collection of pumpkin carving stencils wasn’t enough for you, perhaps these free Homestar Runner stencils will be of more interest.

Outer space can be both a wondrous and terrifying place, as this collection of spooky sounds from beyond the stars will show you.

This is sure to bring a smile to the face on any Japanese monster movie fan. If that doesn’t work, then this should do the trick.

Did you enjoy the public domain sheet music that I shared for “Spirit Rappings” last year? If so, then I have great news: I found some more spooky PD songs! Please enjoy “Goblin Man,” “Denny Malone’s Ghost” and “The Witches Flight.”

The Google Books preview for Ghostly Frights For Halloween Nights by Shauna Mooney Kawasaki has lots of great tricks you can play on visitors to your home this Halloween. I especially like the one involving the Grim Reaper costume. In fact, I think it’ll work even better if you already have a Grim Reaper prop hanging up.

Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for the content on or anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of visiting any links on those sites (or constructing a project that’s detailed on them). Attempt at your own discretion.

10/13/12

Free Spooky Pictures

October 13, 2012 by Weird Jon

There’s nothing like a few creepy paintings to spice up a dimly-lit hallway at a haunted house or Halloween party. But if you don’t have the skills or monetary resources, setting up a ghoulish gallery can be a problem. That’s where I come in. For today’s update, I’ve assembled a collection of public domain paintings that can be printed out for free. I tried to select material that was spooky enough by itself so that all you have to do is put them in a frame. However, don’t let me stop you from using them to make one of the many cool “haunted painting” props noted at the Monsterlist.

Those of you who read “Spirit Rappings” might recall my noting that, under US Copyright law, any American work published before January 1, 1923 is in the (American) public domain. When selecting foreign works, I made sure to seek out ones whose copyrights had also expired in their country of origin. In fact, I went as far as to select stuff that was well over 100 years old! Considering how the average copyright duration outside the US is the life of the creator plus 50-70 years, I think we can all agree that I went above and beyond the call of duty on this matter. That said, those of you reading from outside the USA should be wary about using any of these works (unless they are already PD in your country). To see a full-size view, please click the pictures.

“All is Vanity” by Charles Allan Gilbert (Published in 1892)

Daguerreotype of Edgar Allan Poe (1848)

“Vanitas Still Life” by Pieter Claesz

“Still Life with a Skull and a Writing Quill” by Pieter Claesz

“Vanitas” by Pieter Claesz

“Allegory with Skull” by Antoine Wiertz

“The Hasty Burial” by Antoine Wiertz

“Saturn Devouring His Son” by Francisco Goya

“Portrait of Vlad III” by Unknown

“Judith Victorious” by Lucas Cranach the Elder

Although we think our information is solid, at the end of the day we have to admit that we’re not lawyers. Our legal commentary is worth exactly what you paid for. We’re just sharing this since this is interesting and those seeking to benefit from allegedly public domain works should consult at least one lawyer before doing so. Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of visiting any of the links in this article or using the material noted here. Attempt at your own discretion.

10/2/12

More Printable Prop Labels

October 2, 2012 by Weird Jon

While assembling last year’s collection of free spooky printable labels for various poisons and potions, it seems that I missed a few links. Okay, scratch that. I missed a LOT of other free printable labels suitable for Halloween. To correct this mistake, I have assembled the following collection of links (and the above image):

Frankie’s Girl’s Album: Labels and Artwork – Halloween Forum
Patent medicine – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
PRODUCT LABELS – Hedstorm Productions
Free Apothecary-Style Labels: WorldLabel.com | Just Something I Made
SKS Bottle – Label Creation Tutorial
pmpknqueen’s Album: Apothecary Labels – Halloween Forum
Halloween Printable Apothecary Bottle Labels – tursiart – deviantART
Halloween Labels to Print for Bottles and Potions | Fantasy Jr.
How to Make Halloween Potion Bottle Labels : DIY Network
20 Free Halloween Printables – Tip Junkie
~She’s Crafty!~: Halloween Jar Labels
Urban Daisies: Halloween bottle labels Halloween Decor: Harry Potter Potion Bottles | Over The Big Moon
FREE Halloween Printable Food Jar Labels — Celebrations at Home
Halloween Jars using Silhouette Print & Cut
The Craft Junkie: Mad Scientist Specimen jars
Sustainably Chic Designs: Halloween Potion & Specimen Jars
Halloween goodie jars – labels | Flickr

Enjoy!

Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for the content on or anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of visiting or downloading from any links on those sites (or constructing a project that’s detailed on them). Attempt at your own risk.

09/22/12

Free (Legal) Download: Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel

September 22, 2012 by Weird Jon

It seems only natural that the Free (Legal) Download series would eventually have to dip into the world of public domain films. Although there have been many instances where copyrighted films were generously made available for free online by the creators, the pool had to diminish at some point.

Thankfully, the Library of Congress has a nice collection of from the dawn of cinema available online for free. The subject of today’s article is Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel, a 1900 comedy short based on Cal Stewart’s (then) wildly popular “Uncle Josh” character.

As it’s a silent film, the file sadly has no score. Thankfully, Incompetech has a huge selection of (copyrighted) silent film music available for free download. As the film only runs a little over a minute in length, I recommend “Amazing Plan – Distressed” or “Hand Trolley.” The film’s short length is also the reason I’m including links to several other short subjects with horror-related subject matter.

Uncle Josh’s Nightmare
Hooligan Assists The Magician
Dud Leaves Home
Dreamy Dud-He Resolves Not to Smoke
The Dinosaur and The Missing Link
Gertie on Tour
The First Circus

It should be noted that, starting with Dud Leaves Home, all files include a newly-created (and therefore copyrighted) piano score written and performed by Philip Carli. It should also be noted that The Dinosaur and The Missing Link features stop-motion animation by Willis O’Brien (best known for his work on the original King Kong movie from 1933), while Gertie on Tour offers the only known surviving footage from the sequel to the famous Gertie the Dinosaur cartoon.

06/27/12

Even More Free Horror Movie Commentaries

June 27, 2012 by Weird Jon

It figures. Almost immediately after I posted “More Free Horror Movie Commentaries,” I kept finding more and more free downloadable commentaries. So much so that I’ve decided to do another article on the matter.

Although I linked to two commentaries from Icons of Fright in my first article on the subject, I still thought I should link to their numerous unofficial other “pirate” commentaries featuring people involved in the making of the films.

For a mix of great humor and great insights on less than great movies, look no further than the Film Pigs. Similarly, the Jerks in the Back Row hilariously eviscerate bad movies. Being a Head Injury Theater fan, I want to note that the creator of that site participated in the commentaries for The Dark Crystal and Mortuary.

In addition to their commentaries on various episodes of Doctor Who, the MMM Commentaries team has tackled films like The Omen and Jaws.

Those looking for a massive number of commentaries to pick from should look no further than Zarban’s House of Commentaries and DVDCommentaries.co.uk (which also has bonus extras and interviews). However, given how that last site is based in the UK, there’s a good chance the commentaries might not synch up with Region 1 DVDs due to censorship and the differences between the NTSC and PAL frame rates.

Fans of Harry Potter will definitely enjoy Wizard People, Dear Reader, which also might have some synchronization issues depending on where you live. Rather than a true commentary, it’s an alternate soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone written and performed by China, IL creator Brad Neely. Personally, I think it also works as a standalone audiobook.

06/16/12

It’s Free RPG Day!

June 16, 2012 by Front Office

Yes, today is the day when gaming stores all over the US (and other countries) are giving away free RPG adventures and other useful role-playing items. In fact, you can find out what retailers in your area are participating by visiting the official Free RPG Day website. As was the case last year, we’re offering up plenty of free downloads for those who don’t have any gaming stores nearby (or those that do and simply want more goodies). If the “Quick Start” rules for any of the RPGs mentioned below can’t be found, odds are they were linked to in last year’s article on the subject. Speaking of which, let’s start things off with some offerings from 2011 that we neglected to mention:

Last year, not only did Pinnacle Entertainment released a free Savage Worlds adventure called “The Wild Hunt,” but they also released a special papercraft model to be used while playing said adventure.

Paizo released a free Pathfinder adventure “We Be Goblins,” while Stone Tablet Games released “Here There Be Demons.”

White Wolf Publishing released a free adventure that is sure to interest anyone who regularly visits this site: “Nightmare on Hill Manor.”

Closing out out selection of freebies that we missed out on last year, Green Ronin Publishing released Quick Start rules for their Dragon Age RPG and Eden Studios released a free corebook for All Flesh Must Be Eaten.

Although we don’t have downloads of any Free RPG Day 2012 offerings, it’s safe to assume that you will be able to find some at the official Free RPG Day Facebook page over the next few days. But if you want more free stuff, you’re sure to enjoy this following selection of free downloads:

Pelegrane Press has ton of free goodies. One of our favorites is a Trail of Cthulhu adventure called “The Murderer of Thomas Fell” that comes complete with pre-generated characters. If you prefer to generate your own characters, then this should be of great use for you.

Speaking of Cthulhu, Chaosium has blank Call of Cthulhu character sheets and a free “Cthulhu Invictus Bestiae” sourcebook that’s full of monsters for the Cthulhu Invictus campaign setting. Heading over to Google Books yields a lengthy preview of Keith Herber’s The Keeper’s Companion, which offers lots of tips on running a game and stats for Reptile People.

In the tradition of the freebies included in their audio dramas, The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society newspaper clippings and even vintage postcards, but they’ve also teamed up with Miskatonic River Press to release free player handouts for the Call of Cthulhu game book “New Tales of the Miskatonic Valley.”

Dead Inside is an interesting horror RPG. To paraphrase an article on RPGnet, this RPG avoids the usual “Kill monsters and take their stuff” concept in gaming and opts for a “Heal people and give them stuff” concept. You can find a variety of free downloads for it (and other games) at the Atomic Sock Monkey Press website.

In the mood for a grim fairy tale? You can download the free edition of Puppetland here. If you’re in the mood for a comedic horror experience, download Risus (“The Anything RPG“).

If you would prefer a horror comedy RPG that’s a little more structured, check out the Quick Play Guide for Monsters and Other Childish Things.

Would you like to try Dread: The First Book of Pandemonium on for size? The official website has everything you need to get started, from character sheets to a scenario called “Art Imitates Death.”

Haunted Attic has several free role-playing games from Joe Williams, including Lost Souls. Similarly, the official sites for Little Fears and Dying Earth offer many freebies.

Ronin Arts has a fairly simple free game called “vs. Monsters” available for download. JAGS stands for “Just Another Gaming System” and its official website offers a free horror adventure called “Season of Worms,” complete with pre-generated characters. Not only that, but they also offer a free GURPS conversion for said adventure!

For those unfamiliar with the term, conversions are a handy way to use adventures for other RPG systems in your system of choice. For example, you could convert the Call of Cthulhu adventure noted above into a GURPS Horror scenario using the information noted here. And by using this unofficial Call of Cthulhu to Deadlands conversion system, you can also figure out a way to convert Deadlands adventures into GURPS (and vice versa)!

Google Groups is a very fruitful resource for free gaming materials. In addition to this interesting post on how to reuse preexisting monster stats to create new monsters to through at your players, someone came up with a homebrew slasher character to use in GURPS. For a quick ‘n dirty GURPS adventure, plop him into a house party (using a map taken from here) and see if your players can survive the night. Make sure to note that the power mysteriously went out for extra chills.

If you don’t have any of the dice necessary to try out the above, then these papercraft dice will be of great use to you. Similarly, do you want to try out one of the above games but don’t want to buy a whole notebook of graph paper? Then head on over Incompetech and print out your own for free! There’s plenty of interesting types of graph paper you can choose from, which allows a variety of unusual maps to throw at your players.

Some of your might remember last year’s article about using music during RPG sessions. Those wishing to try that should definitely be interested to know that Incompetech also offers an incredible amount of free music. There’s horror music, fantasy music and just about any other genre you can think of. Those seeking old timey music and tracks from exotic locals for their Call of Cthulhu campaigns should consider their search over.

Do you have friends that are interested in gaming with you, but don’t live nearby? Then you might want to consider downloading online gaming aids (such as MapTool) from RPTools.

If the above somehow isn’t enough for you, then you definitely need to check out this amazing resource for free RPG downloads.

Special thanks to the organizers of Free RPG Day for use of the image!

Happy Free RPG Day!

"What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter?"

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