Neal Litherland
Founding member
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 (309/0)
How to Build Abraham Lincoln in 'The Pathfinder RPG'
Abraham Lincoln was many things; a statesman, a lawyer, a commander-in-chief, a father, and thus far the only President of the United States to fight a civil war. We all know Lincoln the great emancipator, and the president who was taken from a nation before his work was fully done. The man most of us don't know, because for some reason it isn't in our history books, is the bare-knuckle brawler with superhuman strength who cracked skulls and served booze long before he was ever a sitting member of the nation's government. For those of you who'd like to bring the younger, wild-eyed Abe to your table and carve a path to leadership and governance with careful words and a big damn ax, then this Pathfinder character build ought to get you started.
By Neal Litherland5 years ago in Gamers
How to Kick in a Door
We've all been there. You're walking down the street when you hear a scream, and you see a gang of black clad men jump in a van before driving away from a burning building with the tires squealing. You run up to help, and the trapped Olympic women's volleyball team inside screams that all the doors are locked and they can't get out. Do you dig into your pocket, break out your phone and heroically call 911? Or do you kick in the door and save the day?
By Neal Litherland5 years ago in Lifehack
5 Tips for Playing Better Tieflings and Aasimar
The blood of fiends and angels runs through many mortal veins on the material plane. These children of the outer realms are often regarded with fear and awe, their strange powers and unusual abilities marking out their heritage for all to see.
By Neal Litherland5 years ago in Gamers
How to Build Teddy Roosevelt in 'The Pathfinder RPG'
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of The United States, still stands like a titan of history. His career, from a boxer and cow puncher all the way to the highest office of the executive branch, reads like the bastard child of a documentary, and an action movie conceived while fighting off bears in the depths of the forest. Roosevelt was a soldier, a fighter, a stone-cold badass, and a lover of animals in all their various states. If you'd like to bring the rough-rider himself to your game, this guide should get you started.
By Neal Litherland5 years ago in Gamers
What Was the Satanic Panic?
If you watch the news, you'll see no shortage of ridiculous things Americans believe. A number of people still believe former President Barack Obama is actually a Kenyan-born foreigner, despite producing a legitimate US birth certificate. There are large portions of the population who believe modern vaccines will cause children to develop autism, despite the only study that made such a claim being discredited, the author having his medical license revoked, and the CDC confirming there is no link. There are Americans who believe they've seen angels, Bigfoot, and unidentified flying objects.
By Neal Litherland5 years ago in Criminal
How to Build Hawkeye in 'The Pathfinder RPG'
Hawkeye, alias Clint Barton, is easy to miss given the company he keeps. After all, when Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and even the Black Widow are all on screen, there's a lot of eyes on them. That's fine though; despite the flimsy look of his weapons, Hawkeye is one of the most dangerous Avengers on the team. Players who want a smart tactician, an unbeatable archer, and someone who can handle himself in nearly any situation may find that taking a page out of Barton's book might just be the way to go for their next Pathfinder character.
By Neal Litherland5 years ago in Gamers
The Winchester Mystery House
America is full of strange, unusual, and out-of-the-way places. From record-breaking balls of twine, to castles built along unnamed lakes in undeveloped forests, there are all kinds of weird things lurking in the corners of the country. Sometimes, though, the stories behind these unusual places is even more bizarre than the place itself.
By Neal Litherland5 years ago in Wander
How to Build Black Widow in 'The Pathfinder RPG'
The Avengers represents a perfectly mixed team. There's ranged combat and brute muscle, super-science and sorcery, all of them working together toward a common end. There's also subtlety, and for those who forgot about her, it's likely the Black Widow is about to stab you in the back. No team should ever go into the field without a stealth and infiltration expert. For those looking to bring Natasha to their tables, this guide should get you started!
By Neal Litherland5 years ago in Gamers
The Gardens of Bomarzo
Italy is renowned for its art. It was the home of the Renaissance masters, it's where Dante wrote perhaps the first epic trilogy the world had ever seen, and it's where the Greeks and the Romans created the rules for Western civilization. For tourists with a taste for the bizarre, or who want to see something truly off the beaten path, there's a little spot north of Rome called Bomarzo. An unassuming place, it's also the home of the Monster Park.
By Neal Litherland5 years ago in Wander
How to Build The Hulk in 'The Pathfinder' RPG
For many comic book fans, the Incredible Hulk represents the slim margin by which the darker forces of human nature are held in check. For others, he represents the power that everyone holds inside of them. No one can deny that the appeal of the Hulk lies in the freedom that comes with letting the monster loose to smash until its heart's content, though. Even if we might regret that decision once our rage is spent, and we realize what we've done.
By Neal Litherland5 years ago in Gamers
The Chicago Pedway
Chicago is a town with secrets. Beneath the glitz and glimmer of the lake shore, behind the empty facades of knickknack shops and import gurus, and beneath the rumble of trains and the clomp of a thousand feet, stories wait to be discovered. Whispers someone might never find spending an entire life walking these concrete canyons, until they took a wrong turn and let the city swallow them up.
By Neal Litherland5 years ago in Wander
Why Do Superheroes Wear Their Underwear on The Outside?
Superman. Batman. Captain America. Spider-Man. What comes to mind when you hear those names? Chances are it's their costumes, with all of the accessories and accouterments that come with them. Whether it's Iron Man's red-and-gold Mark III suit, the Punisher's iconic death's head, or even Rorschach's constantly-shifting visage, a superhero's costume is part of what completes the image and makes them stand out to the reader. Without a costume there's something missing. Why is that? Well, the answer might surprise you.
By Neal Litherland5 years ago in Geeks