PvP Online:Shecky

     So, a few days ago, Scott Kurtz posted on his blog (check it out here http://www.pvponline.com/ )about his character, Shecky, cousin to fan favorite Skull. In it he states that "No character has been more universally hated among PvP readers, than poor Shecky." and I can see why he may be disliked, but hated is a bit strong. Apparently he was brought into the pvp universe to give Skull a sense of having come from somewhere and not just being popped into existence from the ether.

     His character works in broad strokes (pretending to be a baby to steal for booze money) but he has this underlying sneakiness and possibly warmth that just works for me.I'm trying to remember/locate the second story that he appears in but I seem to be at an impasse. It had to do with good old Shecky wrapped up in a romance (?) with a medusa. If someone knows where I could find that story, let me know please.
   
     Shekels Montgomery Troll seems very vaudevillian to me and I always want to read his lines as if W.C. Fields were saying them. Sure he can be a pain but his actions bring depth to the group as a whole, not just Skull. Kurtz states that what he had in mind was "a character comprised completely of tropes" which further pushes him into vaudeville territory for me, especially with the bowler hat, cigar, and spats.

     Personally I hope to see him again to further explore Skulls troll roots. Plus, spats and bowler hats rock!
Any thing to add? Leave me a comment and I will get back with you. Thanks guys and take care
   

Andy Hopp and Con on the Cob 2012!!

     I am hoping to finish my Deadlands game this Sunday, though that is not the point of this post. Still mired in work, home, and classes but here I am to let you know of a couple great things coming to you this year.

     First off is Andy Hopp has started a Kickstarter to bring his latest Low Life book, The Whole Hole: a gadabouts guide to Mutha Oith  to the masses! Go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1359565526/low-life-the-whole-hole-a-gadabouts-guide-to-mutha to check it out. If you like Andy's art, you owe it to yourself to check it out, and if you have his original Low Life book, this is like that turned up to eleven. All of the art is in color and man is it amazing! Go check it out.

     Also, Andy's annual Con on the Cob has recently begun taking registrations. Go to http://cononthecob.com/ to sign up. In addition to Andy Hopp's signature weirdness their are other notables who will be in attendance, such as Kay and Tony Steele, Meg Lyman, Heather Krieter, and more.

     On a final note, Pinnacle Entertainment will soon be releasing their Savage Worlds Deluxe rules in their popular explorer's edition format. As far as I know it will be ten dollars, making it affordable for most gaming groups to jump in and get playing. Check out their site here for updates and/or details http://www.peginc.com/ Take care everyone, and please feel free to comment.

Playing Online

     So things still remain hectic in my life, hence the gap between my last post and this one. I am curious about running games online using Google hangouts, does anyone have any tips? Thinking of using the video/voice chat and having everyone use an instant messenger for player notes. So please leave comments and I'll do a follow up soon. Take care guys!!

Old School D&D

     I am going to try and sum up Labyrinth Lord's, as well as original D&D's, appeal to me. The characters are created easily enough since they are rolled up randomly. It is a bit like meeting a person for the first time and you are getting to know them. Also they can be such fragile things, sometimes you end up running your but out of danger. Another appeal for me is the way adventures and monsters were written, sometimes a room is just a room and a creature is just a creature. There just happens to be an ornate statue in the middle of the room or there is a strange looking cow munching on the moss in some subterranean cavern. If the DM wants to, he can make it sinister or just look sinister.

     In the very early 80's, we were visiting relatives in Eastern Ohio and an older cousin had some weird books called "Dungeons and Dragons". Of course I wanted to look at them, I was into science fiction and fantasy, but I really fell for this game. I could do whatever I wanted, be bad or good, make mistakes, and yes, even help people. It really put my love of fiction into overdrive and gave my something to look forward to when visiting family out here. I owe a debt to my cousin, who I have not seen in over twenty years. I wonder if he still plays.

     So maybe a portion of the games appeal is it's reminder of times long ago. Along with the ability to pretend, to do things I cannot normally do, like face down giant rats under a mill or saving a someone from some horrible fate. Well, that's all for now, take care guys.

Labyrinth Lord!!

     So, a few weeks ago I played in a game of Labyrinth Lord that a friend of mine ran at a local game store. It was my first time playing it, but I knew what to expect with it being a retro clone. I knew most of the people there and everyone just turned up the fun factor, even when the dice were not going our way. Now I have this overwhelming desire to play/run this game. Then the next weekend, my friend showed me a kick starter for Dwimmermount, a mega dungeon written for Labyrinth Lord and the ACKs system. James Maliszewski is the man behind it and it looks amazing, bringing me back to when I first got into Dungeons and Dragons. Which should not be a surprise as he has a blog all about gaming from that era, check out  Grognardia here http://grognardia.blogspot.com .Also the Dwimmermount link is here http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/142014231/dwimmermount?ref=card . Check this stuff out and please let me know what you think.Take care everyone!

Deadlands Game part 2

     So we last left our posse of grizzled hombres in the the town of Avarice sitting in the guest cottage of their friend, wondering what was really going on. The Professor brushed them off and said she had to go out to check on some research. She gave them a basket of bread, meat, and cheese for their dinner and was then on her way. After talking it out a bit, the guys decide to check her research in the main house, which involves opening a locked door. If it's your friend's house, is still considered breaking in?

     They locate her study, open her desk, and begin examining Ms. Chamber's notes. Everything seems harmless enough, maybe they are not needed after all. Oh look, someone has recently put a lock on one of the desk drawers. One picked lock later and they are looking at the Professor's original notes. Certain words have been scratched out but with a bit of work they can make it out- skinwalker! This ominous piece of information sends our group in search of Ms. Chambers.

     It is now evening in Avarice as they move through town, looking for their friend. There is a light on at the stables, so they sneak a peek inside. The Professor is speaking to four hooded individuals and gesturing to the stable boy, who laying tied up and gagged in the corner. So the Preacher kicks the door open and starts shooting as the menacing hooded figures advance upon them. Three of them attack with knives while the last one has a set of nasty red claws, and they soon find out why when his (?) hood falls back to reveal a hideous mass of muscle and bone, but no skin!! Our guys manage to keep it together and take these guys out, but Ms. Chambers has escaped out the back.

     That is how we ended our last session, unfortunately we are having trouble setting up a new game. When we do I will let you all know how it goes. Take care and please leave me a comment.

Work, Work, Work (and my Deadlands game)

     I have been very busy due to work related issues, and I do not see it slowing down anytime soon. This means I will be shooting for one post a week. On the plus side of things my group got together this past Sunday and we played some Deadlands.

     Last game ended with the guys (Johnny, Richard, and the Reverend Josiah Love) getting off the train in Avarice. Well, the Reverend needed help off since he had been shot up during a train robbery. The group turned over a bandit they had captured and the corpse of one they had killed.

     So, in game we picked up several days later after Josiah had a chance to recover. They find out that their friend Professor Annabelle Chambers has been out working outside off town, but she should be back soon. While waiting at the saloon they ask some locals if they know anything about what the Professor has found. About this time, a man rushed in to get a drink before he went to the sheriff. It seems animals had dug up that fella they buried a couple days ago. The group asked him some questions and then decided to go with him and see if they could help. Eventually they ended up at the cemetery investigating the grave and coming to the conclusion that it was not dug up, something came out of it. They decide to follow tracks that lead away from the grave and which eventually get obscured by wagon tracks.

     About that time a buckboard wagon approached, heading towards town. It halted and their friend, Ms. Chambers leaned out and asked if they would like a ride into town. They accepted and began their conversation by asking what she had found and why she had been so worried and secretive. Apparently she had misinterpreted some local lore, but it ended up being something harmless. If they want to stay in her guest house, that would be fine, but there is nothing to be concerned about.

     And I have to stop right there, I will let you all know how it turned out later on tonight. Take care!!