End of the year, 2015

     Such a fun year, which seemed to move so fast at it's end, and here I am on my 299th post. A couple of weeks ago I received my copies of GM Gems and the Monster Alphabet, both wonderful resources.

     Yesterday swung by my flgs and picked up DCC's The 998th Conclave of Wizards and the new Doctor Who RPG, both of which are excellent for different reasons. The 998th conclave is basically a mini setting in itself, from which your players can leap from adventures spanning fantasy, sci fi, horror, and many variations of those. Doctor Who RPG places all the (updated) information at your fingertips, in one handy volume. At fifty bones it is a bit pricey, but it is not necessary for every player to own a copy, just the GM. When I say pricey, I mean for non role-players coming in, it can be a bit of sticker shock, as most of the big rpg's have a basic price of that much.

     Finally, I am participating in the BX Campaign Challenge on Google +. James V West had a wonderful idea that he shared with us and pretty soon, it become a challenge. So look it up, or find someone to send you an invite. I am very excited and will keep yo all apprised of the situation as it develops. Au revoir, and I hope to post on more time before the year ends, hopefully I'll see you soon!

Crawling Under a Broken Moon #11 review

     This issue focuses on the clerics of the different faiths first introduced in issue #4. What started as a random table (Whose temple is that?, page 7) in there, has been well expanded.

     Each individual listing gives you the lowdown on the deity, their followers and their relationship to others. Any special rules for that particular group and which creatures they consider unholy (which can be an entertaining read) and special ways they can interact with their deity (Followers of Santa's Gift that keeps on giving, Kizz's enlightened awesomeness) Each entry specifies which creatures they find unholy, and are therefore able to turn (Santa can turn the naughty) Fourteen faiths in all and every one of them amazing.

     Then we come to a substitute for halflings, the Feral Urchins. Reminiscent of the wild kid from Road Warrior and the mutating kids from the OS Star Trek episode "Miri" there are three ways to play it. Depending on your alignment (though not set in stone) there Wildchildren(Chaotic) Slingers(Neutral) and Nerds(Lawful) There is enough that is different from halflings that if a group contained both they would not step on each other's toes.

     Weapons of the Wastelands returns to give us different armor types (biker jacket equals leather armor, scrap metal is like scale mail) some special armor (silver suits, power armor!) and some common homemade weapons. The section finishes with "Cheap, AKA damaged goods". In case your players can't afford a new weapon, here are some quick rules for buying/using cheap-crappy equipment.

     Hologram is a brand new class, they carry their data disc with them, like Tron, but interact with the real world. There is an occupation table to roll on, for starting holograms, as well as a corruption table to make it more interesting. As always, cool new options await!

     Twisted Menagerie returns as well with the scorpionoid, with enough back story to make them more than mindless, cackling drones to throw at the pc's. They look to be pretty deadly, but wave a soda in front of one and he might let you rub his belly. You'll see when you read it.

     Lastly, we have a piece about when deities call in favors and what happens if the pc's don't comply. Just remember, good stuff happens when your patron/god is pleased with you. There you have it, fantastic content and great art, Reid and company have delivered again.  Get it while you can!

Cryptworld Comic Conversion, issue one

     Tim Snider makes some fantastic stuff for Mutant Future, and now Cryptworld. In addition to helping bring the rules set to the masses, as well as Monsters Macabre, he has a zine for Cryptworld. What Tim has done is take a classic horror comic from the 50's, reprinted it in the first half of the zine then turned it into a scenario in the second. He gives the cryptmaster the story background (basically what is going on) and then how to run the scenario with different ways you can get the pc's involved. The main creature gets statted up, as well as a lesser critter that appears in the comic.

   Look at that back cover, a Defense Against Paranormal Agencies advert. Just like in the olden days! 

Here is the cover to the second issue, The Fleshless Ones looks to be even more amazing than the first. Tim hopes to have this ready sometime in the near future and I can't wait. Woot!

Weird Worm-Ways of Saturn

     Picked this up at this past Con on the Cob. Weird Worm-Ways is the first of a two part adventure from Moon Dice Games. A planetary crawl for characters of fifth level.

     This is set in the Crawljammer DCC zine setting, centered on Saturn. In an early issue of Crawljammer (#1, I think) creator Tim Callahan gave a quick tease about what is special about each planet in the solar system, and Saturn seemed a tough sell for an adventure. The idea of an ape-men civilization and a worm god were pretty awesome sounding, but wrapping your head around the severe magnetic fluctuations of Saturn is a tough sell. Any metal will be irrevocably drawn to the surface with no chance of return. What Daniel Bishop has done is give players a good reason to visit the planet, and if they want to chance bringing metal, then maybe they can get away with it. Apparently, once every thousand years, the magnetic forces wane and a certain technomancer would like something retrieved from the Vault of Zin the Meticulous.

     The first half gives the hook for the characters, then goes on to give brief detail about the surface of Saturn. There are random encounter tables for the different terrain types you will run into, and a good selection of creatures indigenous to the planet. The second half fleshes out the hex crawl the group must travel through in order to reach the vault. In the back are rules for creating Saturnian ape-men characters.

     Stellar writing by Daniel Bishop, amazing cover art by Matt Hildebrand, fantastic interior illustrations by Fred Dailey. All using Tim Callahan's Crawljammer setting to full effect, this is a must have for DCC fans. I am reminded that Clark Ashton-Smith wrote about Saturn and Tsathoggua. Guess I'd better catch up on my reading, then. The second issue (half?) may arrive early 2016, so fingers crossed.

The Legend of Hell House

     So, finally Netflix has Legend of Hell House streaming, just in time for...Thanksgiving? Eh, I better than not at all. I remember watching this on vhs in the 80's, so I am sitting down to see if it matches up to my memories. Give me a moment while I watch it, be right back.

    

     Sweet Jumpin Bajeemers! Roddy McDowall is one of my favorites from that era, and he does well here as the sole survivor of a previous investigation of the infamous Belasco "Hell" house. The typical millionaire wanting proof of life after death pays a group (physical medium, mental medium, and a physicist with his wife) to enter the house and come out with evidence of the afterlife. Roddy (playing the physical medium) barely made it out of the house alive the last time he entered and this time he is playing it safe.

     The effects are great, and the vocal effects are fantastic. Bonus surprise, Delia Derbyshire worked on the music/electronic score! A lot here that can be used in Call of Cthulhu, Cryptworld or any number of rpg's. Simply a fantastic haunted house movie. Give a look!

NaGa DeMon update03

     Here we are, another weekend over and some more stuff for Alucar. First, lets get a dinosaur out of the way.

Deinonychus (what the velociraptor in Jurassic Park really was)
STR:5(75)     WPR:4(65)
DEX:5(75)     PER:0
AGI:6(85)     PCN:5(75)
STA:4(55)     POW:0
ATT:80%     WND:13
MOV:L80
Notes: Relatively man sized, they are sleek bipeds with sickle shaped talons on their hind feet. Capable of using limited tactics, they typically hunt in small packs.

Clockwork Guardsman
STR:6(85)     WPR:0
DEX:5(75)     PER:0
AGI:5(65)     PCN:4(55)
STA:5(75)     POW:0
ATT:75%     WND:15
MOV:L60
Notes: Resembling a typical policeman, with a porcelain mask and wearing white gloves. It's interior is a mass of gears and mechanisms. If needed, a small wooden club slides out of it's sleeve to be used to attack or defend. They are designed to follow simple instructions, and are typically found guarding the Steam Works (Prof. Atlas' labs) and the city hall.

     As usual, let me know what you think, more to come this next Wednesday. Take care, folks!

Zines and other things, update 11/15/2015

     So things are moving along here. I am getting together people for a panel regarding rpg zines at next year's Con on the Cob. I have two people committed and a few maybes, though if anyone would like to volunteer I would love that. In addition, any artists out there who would like to show their art would be welcome. There will be at least one new artist showing her work next year. Exciting things are happening and I can't wait! 

     All of my looking at various zines and their creators had me wanting to pick up some new zines to check out. Vacant Ritual Assembly by Red Moon Medicine Show is what I picked up this weekend, issues 1 and 2. Clint Krause runs a Lamentations of the Flame Princess game and these are what he has developed for it. They contain new creatures, adventures, places to inhabit, random tables and more. Issue one has an interview with Chris McDowall (Into the Odd) and issue two has one with Greg Gorgonmilk regarding his Dolmenwood project. Exciting stuff that, although written with Lamentations in mind, can be used with any game. Definitely worth checking out. Go on, have a taste! Issue one is pay what you want, so go for it.

NaGa DeMon update 2

     An enormous system of caverns adjacent to Alucar recently opened. Inside explorers discover a lost world of wonders. One Tyrannosaurus Rex stalks the area, while packs of deinonychus and procompsognathus roam unchecked.

     Now, I have previously statted out the T-Rex here. He wanders the caverns relatively unchecked, his size being the only reason he has not besieged Alucar already. Next down the line are the Deinonychus (what they called velociraptors in Jurassic Park) and they travel in small packs, using basic tactics to take down prey. Flanking, ambushing, that sort of thing. The final saurian predator in these time lost caverns are the Procompsognathus. They travel or hunt in large packs, almost like a swarm, rushing their objective to overwhelm with speed and numbers.

     In addition to these carnivores, there should be some herbivores as well. Expect to see the reliable old Triceratops, Stegasaurus, and maybe an Ankylosaurus. The meat eaters need something to devour, right? I plan to stat these guys out, as well as the gas bag, an post them here this weekend. Fingers crossed. Also I hope to have that pic above inked sometime this month. My hope is that this set of caverns will be good for the adventuresome, explorer type characters. Hopefully there can be something for everyone when  I am done here. Take care guys!

Doctor Who and Quatermass

     Having never experienced any Quatermass before, only reading about the connections in books long gone from my current library, I was excited to find Quatermass and the Pit (1967) at my local second hand shop. Quatermass is a British institution older even, than Doctor Who. It began in the 50's as a television serial that some feel was a spiritual precursor to Doctor Who. Professor Quatermass is a British scientist whom is the head of the British Experimental Rocket Group. Created by Nigel Kneale, whom I believe was involved with all iterations of Quatermass in television, movies, and even radio.The good Professor is something of a proto Doctor and Colonel Breen seems like a predecessor to Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

     The overall plot resembles what would later become The City of Death. The spelling Hobs End being changed because hob is a nickname for the Devil sounds like would later become The Daemons, especially with the spaceship being found and the symbol on it being a symbol for magic from ancient times. Also the Horned One turning out to be a name early humans gave to alien beings. The bit about reading the skulls using electronic equipment echoes the work of Dr. Fendalman in the 70's Who story Image of the Fendahl. So much wonderful 60's sci-fi goodness, I hope to see more of Quatermass in the future. Let me know what you think and take care!

NaGa DeMon 2014? Plus Monsters Macabre

     I was mistaken, I thought last year I was working on Alucar but after looking through my blog I discovered it was an adventure for Cryptworld. The Gates of Hell is a scenario where the players are brought together for the reading of a will. A distant relation has passed and his estate calls for all the living relatives. What happens next could mean the end of the world!  
   
       My main issue is how should I present it! I did not put it on my blog last year because I had wanted to run it some more and polish it up. Then there is the desire to surprise people with it when I run it. This is all new territory for me, so if any of you have some ideas then let me know.

     Monsters Macabre was one of several purchases I made at Con on the Cob and it is well worth it. Besides 71 all new "things" to throw at your players, it adds rules for creating your own creatures and allowing your players  to create "monster" characters. Also there is a section on variable weapon damage and one on creating random organizations. Art by Mark Allen and Brian Thomas is amazing and it is topped off by a scenario by Tim "Sniderman" Snider. It is an invaluable resource and I hope they continue to support Cryptworld as well as their other Pacesetter products. Totally worth your time.

NaGa DeMon 2015, Update 01

     This was my original idea for Alucar; What if at the start of the 20th century, a city was built to be a technological marvel. People flock to this city and are amazed by the wonders contained their in. There is a monorail and clockwork "guards" at city hall. The main creator of these things has his laboratory, known as the Steam Works, at the heart of this place.  
   
     Then tragedy strikes, as a massive sinkhole opens and swallows everything. Not everyone survives, but those who do learn to adapt to their new surroundings. It takes a year for city to pull itself together, and now it is up to the players how to proceed. Stay in town and deal with local issues, or strike out and explore the various caverns branching off from Alucar? Go crazy and do both, maybe figure out what caused the catastrophe in the first place?

     Now I am thinking what if it is discovered by some spelunkers in the seventies and how that would play out? It would be creepier, that's for sure. Maybe do both, as a setting you could play a session where the city is discovered and then shift back to after Alucar fell into the earth. Just something to think about.

     So here is a quick sketch of what the gas bags look like. The upper tentacles the end in leaf like fronds are used to gently drift them through the air. The lower appendages are used to grasp and can sting.

     That is all I have for now, looking forward to coming up worth more stuff for you all.

Updates, 11/03/2015

     Still looking for zine folks to attend next year's Con on the Cob. Currently Gennifer Bone wants to give it a shot, and while not involved in zines, she is an up and coming artist for the the OSR (Lamentations of the Flame Princess and Lusus Naturae) We hung out for a bit, just talking and drawing. It was a lot of fun, just rambling and sketching.

     This is a return to my days doing watercolors for a local gallery. I may have to break out my paints. Currently looking for more people to convince they should attend the con. Dreaming big here.

     Also working on NaGa DeMon, figuring out how to do this. Each week, either Wednesday or Thursday, I will have an update for what I am developing for it. Currently getting stats and notes for the gas bags. Also planning what art I should get ready for next year's con. That's all for now, take care!

NaGa DeMon, November 2015

     Let's try this again. Last year I gave it a go, but it kind of died out. This time I am continuing with that work, developing and expanding it. Should be fun. The main thrust will be Alucar, using the Pacesetter action table rules.

      Lets have a quick idea to start, gasbags.

      Well, it gets dark underground, how do you expect people to see after the ground has swallowed their city. Initially, I thought there could be phosphorescent fungus but now I am thinking there should be floating man o war looking creatures that glow in the "night". More to come, stay tuned.

Next Year's Con on the Cob and Ground Hog Day Gaming Retreat

     Just finished Con on the Cob 2015 and I am already planning for 2016, what is wrong with me? I am hoping to get together some amazing rpg zine goodness, that's what. Already casting my net to try and wrangle zine creators, contributors and artists. So if you have anyone in mind, who would be willing to make the trek to North East Ohio in November 2016, let me know. I will bring along some of my art, including pieces from Crawling Under a Broken Moon, but I don't want to be the only zinester there. I know Tim Shorts (creator of the Manor) resides here, and there are some folks in nearby states. Give me your suggestions and I will see what I can do.

     I also am committed to running a game of Doctor Who at Ground Hog Day Gaming Retreat early next year. Just playing and running games, should be a blast. All for now, later.

Con on the Cob 2015 (I'm back)

     Here we are, fresh off Con on the Cob. This year I assisted Tim Snider at the Goblinoid Games booth, arriving Thursday evening and leaving mid afternoon on Sunday. The new digs are pretty cool, though the layout takes a little getting used to.The wifi connection was a bit iffy, so I decided to wait until after the con to post. Also, I once more neglected to take pictures. except for this one lone picture here.

Good old Brian Thomas 

     I picked up a good selection of OSR type stuff which I will now tease with this picture.

Was able to get my DCC zine collection caught up, just need to get Crawl #11. I'll get back to you guys once I have giving these a closer look.

     In other news, I am hoping to get some zine artists and authors together at next year's Con on the Cob. Apparently the show is getting pushed back to the middle of November next year. That means I have a whole year to try and recruit some new blood for the cause. Hehe. Take care folks!

Possible good news for the Doctor Who RPG

     Just this past weekend I picked up the Ninth Doctor Sourcebook for DW:AiTaS,wHich looks great on its own.

But I noticed this on the last page!
   

Hopeful this means soon there will be a new base rules set. I hope so, since getting people started on a game that has no easy point of entry. This has me excited to run it at my flgs,maybe even run it at Gateway in Cincinnati. Fingers crossed! 

dark

     I hope I am coming out of a dark period, this past week or two has been a trial. Personally things seemed kind of hopeless, as well as how the whole world in general. Dealing with others became difficult and getting things done was a trial. At that point, everything turns dark. Game ideas take on a brutish and slightly sadistic nature. Just run a game where there is no guarantee of survival, maybe those that perish are the lucky ones.

     I feel I have moved past the bulk of it. Actually getting things done, despite the feelings of dread, moving forward with projects. Wish things would turn around, but there you go. Life is not fair.

Die Drop or Drop Die Tables

     In recent months I have been seeing these more often, especially on G+. Some are plain, with sections blocked out and simply one word or a short phrase to let you know what happens. Then there are the elaborately illustrated and everything just looks beautiful, maybe there are no words, just an image to incite the mind. It was not until this past week that Tim Shorts posted one he had put together that I started wanting to do my own. Firmly fixed in my current DCC zine mania, I started with a table for Street Kids of Ur-Hadad and will get one together for Crawling Under a Broken Moon. I have a cigar box I like to stick whatever zines I am using for the game into, as well as rolling dice inside of it. Well that would be perfect to stick a paper with the appropriate table in the bottom of. Thanks for the idea, Jaques van der Merwe, I saw it in response to Tim's post.

     The purpose of my table will be to add a little something different when I next run folks through the neighborhoods of Ur-Hadad. I began with a list of things that I feel would be interesting for the PC's to encounter while winding along the streets, sewers and side alleys.

I ended up with eight different things
1.Locals
2.Gang Member
3.Guard/Official
4.Gliding Monk/Immaculate Priest (weird/sci-fantasy element)
5.Food
6.Debris (on a min or max die roll, it is something actually useful)
7.Screech Weasel Attack
8.Time/Space Event

Used a piece of scrap paper to block out where everything will go. This isn't necessary, you could just draw squares (or any shape, really) and write what you want each one to be.

My next step was to get my sketch pad out and get started, making it look like a street scene and I will add little things to the background to liven it up. When I finish it up, I'll post it here so you can get a good look at it.

Happy (day after the) Fourth of July

     Past couple of days have been a roller coaster. Things are looking up, just need to keep it going that way. Doing some more art for Crawling Under a Broken Moon, wishing my scanner still worked and tempted to mail my art to Reid in the case to avoid the using inadequate scanners again. Work is going the way it has been, slowly into the ground, with the higher ups having no clue what is happening on the ground level. They tend to make ill informed and asinine decisions that just further that spiral. This really does not help with anyone's disposition, let alone mine. House related issues have improved, gas leak meant we had no hot water and could not cook on the stove for three weeks. Thankfully it was spring, so freezing was not an issue.

     Game wise, I managed to pull off two DCC Road Crew games so far this year with the hopes that future games will occur here and abroad. Already looking at heading to Cincinnati to run Mall Maul, though at the moment that is as far afield as I am willing to go. I am excited about spreading my love of DCC and expanding the local pool of players. Anyone interested, just let me know! Looking forward to good feelings and fun, and no negativity. So wish me luck, haha. I leave you with a picture of the wooded countryside...

Ur-Hadad Street Kids and Trickster Gods [Free RPG Day 2015]

     Saturday's game did not get the turn out I wanted, in fact I had only two people, but it turned into a lot of fun. I had my pre gens set up using Wayne Snyder's gang occupation table and each player started with three each. The adventure came from the first issue of Metal Gods of Ur-Hadad, wherein you roll upon some tables to generate your various neighborhoods and the gangs that dwell within. The players run a few characters apiece (it is a zero level funnel) who are members of a street gang that find themselves far from their home turf as night begins to fall. It is like a fantasy version of the Warriors from the 80's. They had to deal with rival gangs, the Grand Vizier's anti-gang squad, and a trickster god pranking them.
    

     Since I only had the two players I ran it cooperatively, letting them decide what the results of some of their rolls. They avoided fights and did a lot of running, which in the end saved their characters. Which is a change from last year's Blood Drinking Box where everyone died. That was about survival, this was about ducking guards and rival gangs using crowded streets and cheezy one-liners. As long as I have someone show up, I consider it a success. Next year will be epic!

Free rpg day 2015 (and Ur-Hadad), Ravenstone Games

     Next Saturday from 11-3 I will be running Street Kids of Ur-Hadad, using DCC rpg. This is a zero level funnel, so pre gens will be provided and new players are welcome.

Art by Wayne Snyder

      "As one of the multitude of street gangs in the venerable city of Ur-Hadad, you roam the gutters and alleys with a freedom most don't appreciate. That is only during the day. As the sun dips towards the horizon, you find your band of miscreants far from their home turf. You and your fellows must traverse the various neighborhoods until you are back in your own neighborhood. No one is guaranteed to survive!"

     Ur-Hadad is an amazing setting/creation by Adam Muszkiewicz, Wayne Snyder, and Edgar Johnson. The site is here. These guys have put out some cool zines! They have filled out their world, and since they have used random tables you can make it your own as well. Give them a look, I am sure you will like what you see.

     Also, Adam does a podcast with a friend of his, Don Stroud. It is called Drink Spin Run, and it is a lot of fun. Each session is in two parts, where the first part has Adam, Don and the guest(s) discussing what they are drinking, what music they are listening to, what they are reading, and what game(s) they are running. Then the second episode the hosts and guest(s) discuss whatever topis they have come up with. Give it a shot as well. Later folks!

The Game Store in the Middle of Nowhere

     Just got back from the North Carolina/Cherokee area, where I came across a small game store called the Wizard's Guild. It was relatively small (cozy) but it still had a nice selection of board and card games. The big names of role playing were represented, though I imagine the owner could order product for you. It was cool to see this place in the midst of all the camping, hunting, and tourist type stores. The customers and staff were pleasant and there are regular events held there. I picked up a cooperative card game called Hanabi, where you are fireworks pyro technicians getting a fireworks display together. I also picked up a the pocket version of OGRE. I will tell more about Hanabi in a later post.

     On the way home I stopped into Cincinnati's Gateway Games and more. It was fantastic, with a great variety of role playing games. The big thing for me was the selection of fanzines and independent, third party type stuff. I was able to complete my Crawljammer collection. Woot! I am thinking of running Mall Maul down there sometime. Time to get some rest, take care everyone!

Status Update May 20th

     Getting a replacement battery for my laptop, hopefully this Friday. Making posts on my phone sucks. Watched Mad Max Fury Road over the weekend and it was amazing. So much over the top weirdness, I wish I could watch it over and over again. The cars, the characters, and the locations were wild freaky fun. I left the theater wanting to run a Broken Moon game in that world. Anyone out there have any plans to do that? Maybe ideas for their own auto-rific, guzzoline apocalypse?

[DCC Road Tour 2015] Game One: Mall Maul

     Oh man, what a blast. Had a rocky start, print my pre gens at a certain store, and ended up with seven copies of the same four zero level characters. Then, an hour into the game I started to get a really bad headache. Thankfully we allowed neither of these to ruin our fun. In an effort to endear myself to whomever showed up, I brought a dozen doughnuts. They did not hurt, just saying. I had four players this time including Tim Snider, Rob Lambert, Drew Bergstrom, and my wife Kelly.

So we laughed through having multiple bikers, scientists and livestock ranchers. I used the rules for rolling up post apocalyptic zero levels in Crawling Under a Broken Moon, issue three. We had a plethora of mules that were put to good use.
 
Here are the highlights, since I don't want to give away too much. For our first big battle, Drew used his phone to play Motorhead's "Ace of Spades"while announcing his biker's attack. I felt that merited a plus one to attack. A scientist named Albert decided to stick his head into a room and discovered a crossbow trap early on. The fact that, in order to fit the adventure into a for hour slot, I cut to goal off 200 tribute truck points in half meant that a lot of the mall was unexplored. Now I just need to set up the next game, which only requires a date and time.

This game was extra exciting for me because Rob saw my flyer at the store,which normally does not happen. That is all for now,take care! 

T-Rex stats, Alucar and beyond

     In a cavern adjacent to Alucar is somewhat of a lost world. One of the creatures in there is tyranosaurus rex. Here are the stats I worked up for it. Let me know what you think.

Tyranosaurus Rex
STR:10 (145)    WPR:6 (80)
DEX:1 (15)         PER:0
AGI:3 (45)          PCN:4 (55)
STA:9 (135)       PWR:40
ATT:95%            WND:20
MOV:L 150
UNUSUAL POWERS
Roar: The T-Rex can roar in a way that inspires fear in smaller/lesser creatures. All who are able to hear it must make a fear check on column four. This costs 10 WPR with each use.

For the Love of Random Creature Generators

     Reading about Tim Snider playing around with James Raagi's Random Esoteric Creature Generator had me digging out my copy. My first run through gave me something interesting that I will share with you all in the next few days.

I plan to stat it for a few different games and it gave me an idea for a mini setting.This should be interesting.

Thinking of next year's Table Top Day

     Had a lot of fun this past Saturday, and was glad I could participate in my own way. I got a kick out of playing in public, though only a couple people asked about the game.  Thanks go to Tim Snider for getting us all on the same page, and I hope we do it again next year. I have been daydreaming about what I could run. I wonder if I could get away with Cults Across America? I can dream, can't I?

DCC Road Crew 2015 part 1

     I have my first road crew game of the year set up for May 9 th, I'll be running the fun and frenetic adventure"Mall Maul" Reid San Filippo.

Having experienced it as a player, I am excited to be running it. As is tradition, I made a flyer and posted it at the flgs where I will be running it. I needed to keep the momentum going, meaning scheduling the next game or two. I ran Crawljammer last year, and the game on May 9th is from Crawling Under a Broken Moon. I felt I should continue with even more zine love.So my second game will be Street Kids of Ur-Hadad, by Edgar Johnson. I am looking forward to running it and letting you folks hear all about it afterwards.

The blog hop sites

Since this tablet keeps throwing the cut and paste stuff in the middle of my post I had to make it separate.  Here...
ToThe Savage AfterWorld -- http://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/ -- Escape: Zombie City by Queen Games









Channel Zero -- http://www.channel-zero.net -- Thunderstone by Alderac Entertainment









Fractalbat -- https://fractalbat.wordpress.com/ -- The Hills Rise Wild by Pagan Publishing









The Gibbering Gamer -- http://www.gibberinggamer.com – Dragon Dice by SFR (formerly TSR)









Random Encounters (From Ohio) -- http://randomencountersohio.blogspot.com – Nano Bot Battle Arena by Derpy Games









Troll in the Corner -- http://trollitc.com/author/neilrobinson/ -- Star Realms by White Wizard Games

[int'l table top day] Nano Bot Battle Arena

I have had a copy of Nano Bot Battle Arena since this past Con on the Cob, where my wife and son played a demo and then picked it up. A game for 2-8 players, running 30+minutes, it seemed a good game to play at the local coffee shop.

The players were Kelly, Jeremiah and myself. The premise is that each player is a scientist trying to grow the longest strand of nano bots while hindering the other scientists` efforts. The game ends when someone runs out of nano bots in their cache. There are eight different nano bots and eight different reaction cards (which have one, two, or three charges)

The tile on the top right is a ghost nano, and the card it has an affinity for is blink. If I am playing that blink against a ghost player, it's charge drops to a two. On the bottom right is the echidna, whose affinity card is growth. If I am using the echidna and play that card, the charge becomes two instead.

To start, each player picks which nano he wants to use, then draws a starting hand consisting of three 1's, two 2's,and one 3. The starting player then placed his tile in the center of the play area, plays a reaction card, and then draws a card. Then the next person builds off the first tile, and so on until someone's cache runs out of bots.

Then whomever has the longest chain wins. There are plenty of ways to mess with your opponents between tile placement and card use. Once players get used to how things work, turns run much smoother. All in all it was really fun, and we played three games in a little over two hours. Thanks for bearing with me, my tablet has been crashing. Hopefully you have checked out the other blogs, if not then here ya go.

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Prelude to International Table Top Day

     Here we are, and no post. Some of you may be wondering "What the heck, where is the Nano Bot goodness I was promised?" Well I decided to play it today at a local coffee shop (Java Central) and then report back to you all. Here is a peek at the box...

 I will be running it at 1:00 pm EST then sending the post out out to all of you wonderful, and very patient people. Take care and go play some games!

May 9th, the Mall Maul!

     Saturday, May 9th from 10am until 2pm at Ravenstone Games, I will be running Mall Maul. It is a zero level funnel, so I will have plenty of pre gens on hand. Here is the synopsis, "Due to an unfortunate series of events, you and twenty or so of your fellow villagers have volunteered to search a nearby shopping mall. The goal is to bring back enough loot to appease the raiders who are coming to collect the tribute. You have always been warned to stay away from there, but there are no other options. The raiders are coming and take what they want if they are not satisfied by what is offered."

This is a Crawling Under a Broken Moon adventure by the inimitable Reid San Filippo, so there will be plenty of post apocalyptic weirdness going on. Ravenstone is located at 1675 Karl Ct, Columbus Ohio 43229. So come on in and roll some bones, it'll be fun!

Look what I got! Gary Con VII (part two)

     Here we are, the last bits that I brought back from the con.

 

Of course, I needed to get a Metal Gods t-shirt to complete my stylish wardrobe. Meant to pick up a Gary Con shirt, but this was a necessity. My friend Brian Thomas gave me an original of his, a four armed demon wielding wicked looking daggers. For the Hyper Cube of Myt, I had a mendicant named Ploog. In addition to having a club, he had some cheese dip he was willing to use.
 Lesser Gnome had Tophas dice for sale, and they were giving away two different pins as well as one of their dice. I ended up with three of those dice, due to my forgetting about the free stuff Zach had given away earlier in the con. There you go, an amazing event with awesome friends and cool merchandise. Here's hoping I can make ut back next year!

Look at what I got! Gary Con VII edition (part one)

     I  have finally de-pressurized from Gary Con. I managed to get back to work, even though I would have loved to have an extra day or two just resting at home. Now I am back and here, as promised, are the various items I picked up at the con.

Here I rounded out my fanzine collection, unfortunately the latest Crawljammer issues were unavailable. Crawl! is an invaluable resource that allows you tommold the DCC system to what you want. Issue 5 has an orc character class as well as rules for creating monsters. Number 7 helps with using/creating traps, making interesting fountains, and giving ogres a twist. Eight is the fabulous fire arms issue. In addition gun rules, there is an invasion toolkit that can facilitate adding guns to an existing campaign.

Metal Gods released it's third issue, which continues to flesh out the city of Ur-Hadad wonderfully. It also contains a heist toolkit and a new patron, Atraz Azul! Crawling Under a Broken Moon, issue 5 has Reid's post apocalyptic version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Located in what was once Canada, but is now called Aetheria. There is even a new class, the Aetherian hero, to play in this new land. Number 6 has what you want for cars and road gangs in your game, as well as a new class; the petrol head!

Finally we have three little zines that J.V. West brought to give away at the show. Hella Nor is a new devil patron for DCC, as well as two monsters; the devil nymph and the hell cat. The Lug is a character class for retro clones, it is basically a big oaf who can throw his weight around. Finally there is the Doomslakers Wizard Book, containing some great houserules for magic users in any retro clone game. I really like the section regarding wands. Really cool stuff

 Role Aids was and is an amazing third party resource for first edition dungeons and Dragons. Since I already own the Dwarves book, picking up Elves was a natural choice (see what I did there) It includes details on light, high, ice, wood, grey, dark and demi elves. There are maps of elven buildings, towns and cities as well as six adventures. Whisper and Venom, from Lesser Gnome, is a great setting/adventure. Zach Glazar and Lloyd Metcalf are pretty cool to talk to, and since I had heard many wonderful things about it, I bought the basic set of W+V. Looking forward to reading it thoroughly at a later date.

TSR modules U2 Danger at Dunwater and U3 the Final Enemy completes the U series AD&D modules for me. U1 Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh is a fun adventure, so I am happy to have the complete series. Something I missed the first time through was an OSR zine called Dungeon Lord. The type is a bit small, but it includes two dungeons, with additional tables for customizing them. At least we come to the Goodman Games section here. I traditionally stick with purchases that I cannot easily make at my flgs. Death in Luxor was the first in their Age of Cthulhu line that starteda couple of years ago. Along with DCC rpg modules Doom of the Savage Kings and Intrigue at the Court of Chaos, these three are not easy orders for my local store. That is all for now, tomorrow I shall return with the last vestiges of my trip through the dealer's room.

Gary Con VII, day four

     Sunday morning started with breakfast and the tv weather folks telling us freezing rain was heading our way. This cut short any last minute con activities, though we did make time for this...

After a bit of investigation (we asked around) we discovered where this memorial plaque was. Bitter winds nipped at our faces as we made it to the site, capping an outstanding convention. I would like to thank the Gygax family plus all others involved with seeing that this Gary Con went as well as it did. While I was looking forward to getting home and being with my family, I was a bit maudlin over leaving my friends both old and new. Then I remember that there is always the next event, where we can gather and celebrate. Take care everyone, and I hope to post about everything I got in the next day or so!

Gary Con, day three

     So today we started with sausage gravy and biscuits, it is a certainty I will return home fat. Norhing scheduled, so I took my time getting into the con. Managed to catch the end of the What's New From Goodman Games. So the have the license to put out Fritz Lieber Lankhmar stuff, as well as Jim Ward's Epsilon City for Metamorphosis Alpha. Definitely some cool stuff coming.
      Coming out of the seminar, I saw JV West and Reid San Filippo, and after talking about how we each had nothing scheduled, Reid volunteered to run a little Crawling Under a Broken Moon.

We ended  up with six people playing and Reid ran a Christmas themed adventure, totally fun. Once again I played the luchador. That is how awesome the class is! Afterwards I swung through the dealer's room again, picked up some more awesome stuff which you all will hear about later. My friends were done for the day, so we left and had a late lunch at Culvers once again.

     A couple of hours later, I returned to the con. Basically hung out with my friends in the bar, while my friend joined the group he played with to accept the AD&D first edition open championship. It was fun drawing with Brian Thomas, but all good things come to an end. Before I left, Luke Gygax did stop by to talk to one of the guys sitting at our table.

Tomorrow we will be trying to get on the road quickly, with only a few things to get done before leaving. The post will come at the end of the night. Later, and take care folks!

Gary Con VII, day two

      None of us had any pressing events today, so we stopped at Culver's on the way in. This Culver's had two trains that made their way around the restaurant's ceiling. While we ate our delicious meal, we noticed three guys at a corner table playing Zombies by Twilight Creations.
  
      We arrived around noon, plenty of time to get to my 1:00 game. It was another game by Reid, a sequel to yesterday's game but this time I had a ticket. Once more, fun was had by all, though two  characters died along the way.

I was able to play a new class Reid has come up with, the inimitable luchador. Once he gets it ready for public consumptiom, I believe everyone will be pleased by it.
     An hour after the end of Reid's game I got to play in Jim Wampler's Hyper-Cube of MYT tournament.

I think I managed to survive five encounters before I was viciously attacked and killed.I will leave it at that, so as to not give anything away. It was a lot of crazy/weird fun, and it looks like we will know the winner on Sunday at 11:00 am. After leaving that game, my friends and went to the local Gino's East for some Chicago deep dish pizza. And thus, another delicious end to an amazing day.