Review: Serpent Scales #1 & 2

Next to Tékumel, Ken Hite's The Day After Ragnarok has become one of my all-time favorite RPG settings of all time and it just gets better and better with each new release.

Among them, Serpent Scales: Fragments From The Wold After The Serpentfall, is a series of regularly-released PDFs that will focus in on a particular aspect of the DAR setting. In Issue #1, Ken Hite introduces us to "The New Konfederacy," the resurgence of everyone's 'favorite' militant, racist, redneck scum: The Ku Klux Klan! From their home base, The Grand Kounty (sic) of Birmingham in what used to be Alabama, these so-called "Night Riders" roam the Poisoned Lands spreading terror and chaos against those who don't fit their deranged notions of "purity." Their ultimate goal: the domination of Mayoralities and creation of a white supremacist empire!

This spunky little 16 page document gives an brief overview of the Klan's 20th century along with their organization and goals for the world of Ragnarok. The Grand Kounty is detailed in all of it's segregated, slave-trading, evil along with a run down of the despicable historical personages (Old Bull Conner is among them) that run it. A complete bestiary of Klan thugs including the terrifying Hell-Haints. Also included is a scenario generator that allows GMs to add the Klan to their campaigns.

The next issue is a little shorter. "[Happiness Is A] Sten Gun" is a 6 page brief on of the clunkiest, ugliest, and ubiquitous firearms to come out of World War II. It gives a history of the Sten gun along with its various models and rules on how to incorporate them into your DAR world. While not as in-depth as Issue #1, it does have one of the funniest headers I've ever seen on page 6.

Those who are familiar with Ken's Suppressed Transmissions articles from Pyramid know how he can weave myth and fact into fantastic seeds for RPG adventure. That's how DAR got started in the first place, and you can see it shine in Serpent Scales. Already two new issues are being planned; one will take place on legendary monster island ("Ahhhh! Godzilla!"), and other take us to Mexico where you'll find fascists, Aztec-themed serpent cultists and the luchadores who fight them for honor and justice!