Free RPG Day 2019, request for opinions

     So, this year's Free RPG Day was a bit of a bust. I had decided not to run a game and enjoy the Father's Day weekend. My flgs unfortunately was unable to get in on it (apparently it was sold out) and therefore I went to a store that was thirty minutes away, which could have been worse. I had been wanting to have this place as a secondary location for running DCC, so when I got there I asked how they handled people running RPG's. By the way, this is Java Game Haus at 11018 Old St Augustine Rd #103, Jacksonville, FL 32257. For running a game, you pay nothing, get a 20% discount, and recieve one dollar per player. To play, you pay five dollars and get a 15% discount. So what I would like to know is, what are your feelings/opinions on this? I'm torn because not everybody I know has a fiver to toss on playing a game. Does this encourage hot dogging GM's trying to outdo themselves and each other, in order to get players? I could come up with different extremes, but you get the point.

     So for the free part of Saturday, they had a table that I rolled on to determine what I got, and I rolled a one. *Hah* I had a choice between the Pathfinder adventure or a Starfinder die. I chose the die, which you see above hiding behind the D30 I purchased. I asked about the DCC quickstart, and was told they were for the people playing in the adventure/demo later. I would have jumped in on that game, but like I mentioned before I had made other plans. So on one hand I was a bit disappointed to not have it in my hands but then if there were people turning up for a DCC game then I should be alright getting players.

     Which brings me back to you guys, please let me know what you all think of this set up. I am seriously on the fence. Thanks for reading and take care!

Dark Trails Steam Train!!

     Dave Baity's Weird West juggernaut, Dark Trails, blasted it's way out of the gate and he's shocked but grateful at how well it's been received. He recently had a guest spot on Glowburn that you can catch here, and I am sure he'll be popping in other podcasts as well. The next stretch goal, I believe is an additional adventure penned by the daring Daniel Bishop. In addition to Kickstarter stretch goals, Dave has merch in the form of t-shirts, dice and can coozies. These may be sold out by the time you read this but rest assured that there will be more on the way.

     In the future, I will be looking for plot hooks for Dark Trails and returning here (and my anchorcast here) feel free to leave comments and questions. Thanks for checking this stuff out and take care!

Diving back into Appendix N Literature!

     Just started reading Lord Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter, which is also my first time reading any of his work. I first heard of Dunsany in relation to HP Lovecraft, who had a fondness for Lord Dunsany.

     What first struck me was the prose, a bit flowery but it does not get in the way of the story unlike some other more well known authors. I am reminded that this was first published in 1924. The DCC patron King of Elfland comes from this book and from what I have read so far, they did well emulating him.
"Master of the verdant realm glimpsed only through sun-dappled groves, the mist of great waterfalls, and the moments of dusk and dawn,the King of Elfland rules all elf-kin from his throne of mist and ice. Fierce once roused, the white-bearded regent keeps watch over the dreaming land,protecting against incursion."
Yep, that sounds like Dunsany's King.

     There are more bits that I would like to share, but only after I have finished. There will be more Appendix N literature to come, as I have a backlog of them to read. It seems silly to continue to pick up books and not read them. Downright irresponsible if you ask me. Anyone out there read this yet, leave a comment, did you like it? Take care and have fun everybody!

Sword and Planet Adventure

     I have been playing Destiny 2 a bit and it had me thinking how I would translate it into a sword and planet setting for 5E? Which reminds me of the fantastic work that Tim Callahan and company did on the Crawljammer (old link but has info on the various issues)fanzine for DCC! They started with just enough information on the planets to get you excited and slowly expanded from there with six issues in all and a couple standalone adventures. If this seems up your alley you can purchase them here!

My little zine treasure chest full of Crawljammer goodness

     Of course I want to do my own thing, because why check a copy of something awesome when you can get the amazing original. So if I does this it will be with the intent to bring a different spin to it, while giving credit to all those before me. This includes Edgar Rice Burroughs and Clark Ashton Smith. I am looking into running games using virtual table tops to see if any of this works, which of course I will announce new here. So keep an eye out and hopefully you will be entertained or at least find something useful. Take care, folks!

Mall Maul Yesterday...

     Got down to Cincinnati on time, started setting up. Felt a bit nervous, just performance anxiety, new venue, new crowd. There were at least one, maybe two of my friends who would be attending (they both made it) Otherwise it was people I may have spoken briefly to or complete strangers. Once we got rolling, there were seven people in attendance. 

As I have noted previously, I am not good at getting pictures taken. This was snapped as people were getting their stuff together to head out the door. All of the players were fantastic, and really got into the setting. Here is all who showed up; Andy Fix, Chris Schieffer, James Smith, Rick Hull, Jim Wampler, Beth and her son Luke.

     They made their way to the mall and 28 entered, eventually they came out with only a handful (five, maybe) of casualties and Jim Wampler's dwarf shepherd had a stylish sheep. It wore a pink scarf/bandanna and pink tutu. I'll have to work harder next time.

     Of course, I had to do a little exploring while I was down there. Apparently there is this amazing store (Jungle Jim's) with a fantastic international foods section (I will be taste testing the different bags of jelly babies I got there) and a monster beer section.

This was one of the beers I picked up last night, and I drank it while typing this up, yay. Here are a few pictures of some of the animatronics they had around the store. They were set to start up every five minutes or so.

Robin Hood here was above the British food section, cute. Catch you all later, and remember I am running a Doctor Who game next Friday at Ground Hog Day gaming retreat. Still need to get the pre gens together. Take care!

Mall Maul, This Saturday!! Gateway Games and More!!

     Here we are, counting down the last few days until the big game. Looking forward to running this down in Cincinnati, hopefully it will be a hit and I will do it more often. Got my kit almost set up, here is a peek at my set up, so to speak.

     I have forty 0 level pre gens, so if someone burns through their initial three or four they can find a new one. Now zero level funnels typically don't need all the fancy dice, maybe a d3, but like having all of them there. I printed off eight 0 level enthusiast sheets from Purple Sorcerer's website which also is where the pre gens came from. So everyone who rolls a crit/fumble can know whether to cheer or groan. I'll bring all of my Crawling Under a Broken Moon zines, the most important being #3 where the adventure is.

     I am very excited, so if you are able you should come on over to Gateway Games this Saturday the 23rd at noon and join us. I have plenty of characters to go around and there will be some Road Crew swag available from this past year. Take care and I hope to see you all there!

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!

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!

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...

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!

[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! 

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.

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 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.

So much excitement, so much to do

     Tomorrow morning I leave for Gary Con, but today I almost ready to go. I feel like my heart is going to explode, since this is the first road trip I have ever taken without my family. There is a sense that any moment everything will unravel, thankfully I can c8mbat these feelings but it is rough sometimes. The weather in central Ohio decided to take a step back into snow, though I feel it will disappear soon enough.I have been charged by Tim Snider (Savage Afterworld) to carry the torch and report daily on the happenings at the Con. That of course means I need to remember to take pictures, which I hope my comrades help remind me. My pack of games will include DCC rpg, Labyrinth Lord, Cryptworld, and the Castles and Crusades player's guide. Doctor Who may be included in there, since Nick Seidler from Diary of Doctor Who rpg's will be there. Trying to only bring things I will play and/or run. Wish me luck and hopefully I will get to see some of you folks soon!

Every Planet We Reach Is Dead (and other stories)

     So I have decided the working umbrella title for my little group of DCC adventures is Every Planet we Reach it's Dead. Based on a barren planet, the pc's arrive (zero level funnel)and end up in the only settlement there (D'artay's Aerie )

 From there, I am working on several directions they can go, one of them being a small ruined temple and the other being a mountain/tower structure topped by a monkey's head. There are rumours of an un named goddess/ demon queen of the frenzy.

She was tricked into wearing a vest that kept her from side stepping realities. Her worshippers were indiginous groups of beast men who would readily give their lives in her service.

I have even more in store, but that is all I have for now, take careffolks. Later.

Getting ready for Gary Con and points beyond

     Ten days until Gary Con VII, and am so excited! Ready to play some games and maybe run a couple of pick up games. As a sort of fill in for Savage Tim Snider, I will endeavor to post on each days events. A sort You Are There set of posts. I will strive for the same high quality that he puts into his reports.
  
   In the "Things I am working on" department, I am working on a DCC science fantasy mini setting. Here is a quick sketch of the pc's base of operations,  D'artay's Aerie.

Also, I am planning to run Escape from the Purple Planet at Ravenstone on Sunday, April 12th. So come on in and give it a shot, haha!

Getting back on the horse

     Nearly two weeks ago I injured my thumb, thankfully I only damaged the ligament but I was unable the write, or more importantly draw. This swelling has almost completely gone and I feel up to the challenge of creating again. Crawling Under a Broken Moon #4 just came out, featuring the Mighty Kizz- Intergalactic God of Rock n Roll! Lots of great art in there by Frank Turfler, Jr, Todd McGowan, Claytonian JP, and something from little old me. Seriously awesome art and content, Reid San Fillipo with additional writing from Sean Ellis and Ryan Moore. If you love DCC RPG and/or post apocalyptic weirdness you owe it to yourself to check it out.

     Going to get some art done tomorrow, as well as some work on a secret project I have going on. Also I need to figure out what I will be doing at Gary Con, whether I am running games or just playing. Either way I know it will be amazing, especially since several of my friends will be there as well. If anyone reading this has anything to say about Gary Con, the upcoming or past, leave a comment below. I will be back later, take care guys!

Here we go again....

     Lately many things have kept me busy, one of those being my illustrations. Whether it is for a fanzine or my own personal use, I have been stretching my artistic muscles and remembering how fun it is to create something visually. For my upcoming Crawljammer DCC game I drew a lizardman that my wife incorporated into flyer for the store.

Before

 

After

 Collaborating on these with her makes it even better, and we have been together long enough that we sync pretty well. I am going to run a zero level funnel using Reid San Filippo's "Mall Maul" from Crawling Under a Broken Moon #3, and I am finishing up a flyer for that one as well.

     Reminder, September 27th 12:30 at Ravenstone Games (Columbus, Ohio) I will be running the Bat Men of Venus level 1 adventure from Crawljammer #1. No experience necessary, pre gens will be provided. Looking forward to seeing some new faces there as well as familiar ones! Take care, until next time.