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!

New Blood

     Since the end of last year I have been encouraging some of my co-workers to participate in some role playing games. My first victims were Daniel and Shereea, who I ran through the introductory Cryptworld scenario "Red Eye". It was a lot of fun, though they almost learned the hard way that they should have a plan before you confront the big bad.          
  
     My next test subjects, er players were Jeremiah, Vickie and the venerable Tim Snider. I ran them through part if the first level of Dwimmermount, using Labyrinth Lord rules. It was great helping two new players navigate the start of this amazing mega dungeon. I asked each player to come up with a reason their character wanted to explore; Jeremiah's fighter wanted gold, Tim's cleric wanted to help maintain the balance between law and chaos, and Vickie's elf wanted to find out more about her culture (since Dwimmermount is where elves originated) It was a great start and I hope to get them back to finish exploring, unfortunately I did not get a picture of that group nor the next.

     I ran a playtest of a Cryptworld scenario I have been working on and Shereea, Barbara(newbie), Drew Bergstrom and Tim Snider. Everything went fine despite the two newer players needing to leave early. I am hoping to run a game on the 22nd of February, if I get different players I may test my Cryptworld game on them, either way I will keep you all up to date.

     What this has done is give me additional confidence, especially in regards to running Cryptworld. Also the desire to work on more stuff for secret setting using the Pacesetter rules. More to come!

Con on the Cob 2014!!

    

Tim, Ken, and Dave

     Things have been busy around here with conventions, artwork and real life taking my time. Last weekend was Con the Cob 2014, and man was it fun. I ran two scheduled games plus a pick up game, and played in two games. I arrived Thursday just in time to run my first game, Dwimmermount using Labyrinth Lord. Three people showed up including Tim shorts (Gothridge Manor), Ken H. (Rusty Battleaxe), and Dave (Forgotten Runes). The session went well, the group made two forays into the dungeon, their characters needed a break midway through the session. Just before the end, one of them got a bit greedy and died from a trap. Later that evening I got to play in Tim Snider's (Savage Afterworld) Death in the Dust Cryptworld game. The Pacesetter system is amazing, plus Tim runs a fantastic game. Our Pc's were investigating an old mining town being turned into a theme park(?) where terrible vandalism has taken place. A couple friends of mine joined me, as well as Tim Shorts and Ken H. Everyone had a great time, if you have a chance to play in a game run by Mr. Snider then I highly recommend it.

     Now, before I get into Friday, I should talk about two important aspects of the dealer's room. Tim Snider was manning the Goblinoid Games/Pacesetter booth and Roy Snider was in charge of the Goodman Games booth. From Tim I acquired Rotworld and Time Master, and from Roy I worked on completing my DCC fanzine collection, I'll write more about what I got later.

     First thing Friday, I played in Tim's Thundarr the Barbarian game. I got to play the mokk in training,Oosoo the mokk. My die rolls fit in with the neophyte angle, since I couldn't make any decent rolls. Oddly I was the only person to damage Thundarr. Thankfully my luck turned around and I dealt the final blow to the villain. Next I ran Mutant Future for four, this was one of the scheduled games but apparently I talked it enough that they were all my friends. We had a great time as they explored the last tower of Ol' Bus, scavenging for supplies and artifacts.

My friends Jason, Chuck

Mysti and Derrick

     I was really looking forward to Saturday, since that was when I would unveil my Patrick Troughton second Doctor costume.

Wow, look at those pants! The next thing I was looking forward to was three of my friends (Jason, Chuck and Derrick) wanted to play Dwimmermount. I had my notes from the previous game, since my plan was to run subsequent games as if they had occurred in real time (ie. doors that were battered down would be that way, dead monsters would be laying wherever they fell) Ironically the entered a different way and therefore it never came into play. It was lots of fun and ended on a tpk.

     Con on the Cob, once again, was awesome. This year even more so, and I will be back next year, definitely running games again. Hopefully showing some artwork as well.

RPG a Day #4 and #5

    

     Most recent rpg purchased? Technically it is the D&D starter, but as I have owned some iteration of D&D since I was a kid, so besides that box I recently got a copy of Dungeon Crawl Classics. I was able to run the free rpg day adventure, Elzemon and the Blood Drinking Box. Incidentally, this comes in second to most old school rpg owned

      The top spot, for me, goes to Labyrinth Lord. You can do race as class, or use the advanced edition companion to do simulate AD&D. It feels the same, except that someone polished up the rules a bit. It is compatible with most any D&D module I have and the amount of third party support adding to it is inspiring. The best part of these rules, as with most other retro clones, you can download the rules for free. Anyone get the rules and play, with an easy way to try it.

Origins 2014: Day One

     My first day at Origins this year has come to a close. I just wanted to give the dealer's room a once over and visit with friends. In addition to talking to all my friends that I happened to run into, I got to tell Carolyn Stogdill of Hack Princess that I enjoy her blog. I don't play or run Hack Master, so I can live through her stories, and it is nice that here is someone who loves the game and here is this cool thing that happened at the table. Also, the modified fortune cookie fortunes are pretty cool. While I was at the Kenzer & Company booth I decided to try Hackmaster. Their setup was amazing and as we ventured through the labyrinth we gained party members (Hey, wanna try this, we could use a hand) and eventually escaped with the wizard making a noble sacrifice. It was fun, but I don't think I would feel comfortable enough running it, it was a little heavy on the crunch in my opinion.

     Of course, I realize as I am leaving that I did not take any pictures, so got one of the outside of the convention center. Hopefully I will not be so absent minded tomorrow. I am planning a basic schedule even as I push send. Take care and hopefully I will see some of you later this week!

Ps. I am hoping to run at least one pick up game of Labyrinth Lord at the con, let me know if you are interested!

Origins 2014 is nearly here!!

     Starting this Wednesday, Origins 2014! I have nothing planned, but I am hoping to get some games in when I get there, most likely me running them in the open gaming area. I will bring my Mutant Future adventure as well as Labyrinth Lord and Dungeon Crawl Classics. Speaking of DCC I have my game Wednesday evening, since there typically is not much scheduled for that evening at the con. It most likely will be relocated to the con itself instead of Ravenstone, though. If any of you will be attending, let me know. I am often curious about those that read my posts. There are already a number of friends that I know are attending, hopefully we can make an event out of it! Enough of that, let's get this week started so I can get to the con, hehe!

    

Running Dwimmermount!

     I will run Dwimmermount at Con on the Cob this year. The pdf, which is the "We are done except for looking for typos." version and that is what I will be using until I get the final version.There will be at least two Dwimmermount slots and there will be overlap. Example being if the second expedition follows the path of the first, they will see evidence of the first group. Now if they are the same folks, then it wont be a surprise but I am looking forward to it and am hoping I get two groups going through.

     Anyone new to this mega dungeon, Dwimmermount is set on the world (planet) of Telluria, and the titular mountain is a prison. One ginormous prison filling a mountain. Rumors abound about this place, but it has been sealed off from the rest of the world for two centuries! Until now. There are folks ready to pay lots of money for what they think/know is in their, also folks who do not want the wrong people poking around in there. Which group will you side with?

     I will be using the regular Labyrinth Lord rulebook, meaning you can use the free pdf at Goblinoid Games website and not have to spend a penny. In Dwimmermount the only races available, besides human, are dwarf and elf. James Maliszewski has weaving a fascinating back story for the history of Telluria and beyond which explains the creation dwarves and elves. Seriously amazing stuff. There are also two new(ish) classes, the cultist and the paladin. You can start off as a cultist or convert from a cleric, and paladin converts from a fighter. There are locations and people in the dungeon that you go to for conversion.

     I hope to run this at my local flgs as well, so if there are any folks out there who want to play then let me know. I still have some more reading to do, but I could be ready to roll with it soon! Leave a comment if you're feeling froggy, folks! Take care everyone!

Con on the Cob: running games

     Con season is moving along with North Texas RPG Con next weekend and then Origins. I have to look ahead to October and Con on the Cob, since I will be running at least a couple games there. Goblinoid Games will have a booth there, so I feel I should run Labyrinth Lord and/or Mutant Future. I have adventures written up for both systems, so that should not be an issue. I am also tempted to run something in DCC rpg.

     Currently the games list for the con is practically nonexistent, so please head over and sign up. If you have not been there, but want to give it a try, do it. It is like ten pounds of fun in a five pound bag. Er, or something like that. If you have been then what are you waiting for, you know how fun it is. So there you go, see you all later!

Four Years at Random Encounters

     Last Thursday was the four year anniversary of this blog, this last year being the most active. I am hoping to keep steaming ahead through this next year, and will be bringing more interviews, maps, and craziness to you all. I have sent in my artwork that I have completed so far, looking forward to seeing it in print. Most of my artwork so far has been for a small local gallery that closed down a several years ago, leaving me with no immediate outlet for my art. I stopped creating soon after, but  recently I have gotten back "in the game" as it were, and am having a blast.

     Coming up soon is Origins, and I still plan to run my DCC game that Wednesday evening at my local flgs in case anyone coming in wants to play. I intend to interview someone there, though I have no one in mind at the moment. Also I am willing to run Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, or DCC rpg in any of the open areas at the con. So let me know if you want to stop by and play, leave a comment or whatever. Take care folks.

I've got my eyes on you guys!

Wednesday, May 21st

     Just some meandering here, today. The news of WotC's release plans and stuff for 5E has lit the interwebs these past few days. I am in the camp of "I'll wait and see." since I am playing Labyrinth Lord/Mutant Future and DCC. Their adventures sound cool, at least the Dead in Thay stuff. At the very least I will be paying attention to their adventure releases.

     I keep forgetting to mention, being a part of the order of the 30, when I run a game I will let everyone know that once per person they can substitute a d30 for any one die roll. this will begin with my DCC game this next Monday. Also, I should be submitting games to run at Con on the Cob soon. Really looking forward to all the cons this year, but especially CotC!

     That is all for now, take care folks!

One Month Until Origins

     Here we are, a month away from the big show here in Columbus. Wednesday I will be running a game of Dungeon Crawl Classics at Ravenstone games that night, at 6:00 and I am hoping to run some games at the con in the free play area. Anyone interested in playing, let me know, I will be in touch with members of the GGO if anyone there wants to play. I am up for running Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space, and DCC. Take care guys!

Running a game in public

     First off, this is my two-hundred and first post. A little low for a four year old blog, but I have really stepped up the pace this past year. Enough about that, on with the show. I have been thinking about running games in public, not at my local store but out where the norms can see. I have thought about reserving a room at the library, which means I have to plan enough in advance to get one. It seems if you aren't three months ahead you cannot get one. Recently I have been eye balling a local coffee shop that has a lot of extra room, with tables and chairs. Plus it is on the small college campus here, so I might actually get some people showing up.

     I am excited and nervous at the thought. I really want to run fantasy, as in Labyrinth Lord or possibly DCC. I am not sure how that will go in public, if someone decides their character is a little dark how should I deal with that? Obviously if it is just the players and myself I would not be worried, but if the shop is busy? Maybe I am fretting needlessly. On the flip side, I could also run the Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space rpg. Decisions, decisions!

     Well, let me know what you guys think, comments are welcome. Take care everyone!

Con on the Cob 2014

     Here we are, looking down the barrel another year of conventions. It was recently announced that Goblinoid Games will have a presence at Con on the Cob this year, which compels me to register and maybe run a game or two. I know Tim Snider will be there, which means a Saturday morning game of Thundarr the barbarian should be in store for us mortals, and hopefully some Cryptworld! I will most likely run Labyrinth Lord, nothing complicated but I want Goblinoid to feel inclined to come back. October 16-19 is when it is and registration is open, so get over there and sign up. Don't worry, it'll be fun!

    

April Artifice

     Here we are, April first and what do I have for you? In honor of April fool's day, this item might seem great at first, unfortunately it also comes with a curse.

Girdle of Overexertion
     This item closely resembles a girdle of giant strength and will act as one when the wearer first uses it. Any use of it afterwards will  result in a pulled muscle, sprained ankle, or some such problem. They roll a save vs. spells/spell like devices and if they make it, they are only incapacitated for that round. If they fail, then they can't act in combat. They can only move, hunched over, saying something about lifting with the legs next time or something like that, until they can take a rest and maybe get a massage or whatever. Now if they rolled a 1 on their save, well they are down for the day clutching their lower back and mumbling something about their lumbago.

     Cure light wounds can be used to get them back to normal for the time being, but the girdle cannot be removed except with a casting of remove curse. This means if they take another action that could result in overexerting themselves, they will have to roll to save again.

     I hope someone out there gives this a shot and lets me know how it went. Remove curse is a third level cleric spell in Labyrinth Lord so for a mid level group it should not be crippling. Go ahead and toss into a low level groups treasure cache, hehe. Take care all!

March Maps, bonus weekend post part two!!

Here we are, heading into the last full week of March and I wanted to show you the map I made up for my Labyrinth Lord game last Sunday.

     Vol Choloris' Lair includes areas for the wild men to live (#3) and worship the "forest spirit", as well as a wood imp encounter topside (#1) and an ogre (#2) guarding the rope that serves as the entrance. The great tree has it's roots wrapped around the artifact that is providing the dragon his power. An underground river has been diverted to provide a waterfall for the lair. In the encampment, I started but never finished, when they dug the hole for their latrine it broke into a giant ant's nest. Most of this was not explored in the adventure due to time constraints and lack of pc's, so I decided I would share this with you guys. Hope you like it and maybe get some kind of use out of it. Let me know what you all think!

Yesterday's Labyrinth Lord game

     What looked like a game with six people playing dropped down to two. The two were amenable with playing an extra character, so we went ahead. A nature god worshiping cleric, Tree hugging elf, stout dwarf, and a thief had been charged by their patron (they all "worked" for the same fellow) to go to the town of Latham and check on Braagi, a druid who had gone missing recently.

     Arriving at the town they went to work asking questions and trying to help the locals. It was spring but instead of blooming the local flora had begun to wither, there were loud noises coming from the forest and no one had seen or heard from Braagi. All this occurred or started around two weeks ago. They asked for directions to the druid's domicile and a young man named Dolby offered to show them there and even hold a torch for them in the dark of the forest, for a nominal fee of course.

     Arriving at Braagi's hut they found it was wrecked! Eventually they figured out that a large creature had reached in and grabbed the druid and carried him deeper into the forest. Further investigation revealed his notebook with recent entries regarding a tribe of wild men from the dark heart of the forest. they worshiped chaotic forest spirits and normally stayed deep in the forest but in recent weeks had moved closer to Braagi and Latham!

     They returned to the village to get some rest and question the locals about these wild folk. Thankfully I had my little rumor chart I had made up, they heard about little men with poison arrows, the wild men themselves, and a section of the woods that had been twisted and warped. Obviously that was where they should go! So off they went, with Dolby showing the way.

     They reached an area where the earth had been gouged away, created a hole in the ground that was guarded by an ogre (they came in the opposite side from where the wood imps and their spiders were) They employed some good tactics and took him rather quickly. The thief climbed down a rope into the hole and scouted around. To one side there was an encampment of wild men, and the other side was a rope bridge leading to a worship area. He overheard some of the men speaking of a new forest spirit who was more "hands on", so to speak. He returned and let them know what the situation was.

     They all went down, Dolby was to stay with the horse he brought, and they crossed the bridge and knocked out guards as they went. When they came to the worship area they found Braagi, suspended from the cavern ceiling and tied (by tree roots extending down) to a long, thin stone spar that seemed to be draining his life. The thief climbed up and dislodged the stone and grabbed the druid. The stone hit the altar below, shattering into several pieces. They ran back to the bridge in time for the "forest spirit" (a young adult green dragon) to roar his disapproval and fly away. I ended it this way as we were running a little long and I was getting hungry.

      Everyone had fun and hopefully we can do it again soon. Today's March Maps is going to come out later tonight, just to let you all know. Take care everyone!

Getting ready for Sunday's game

     Here is a preview of what the pc's will be up against this Sunday.

     Originally I wanted to have a picture for all of the different "things" they would be dealing with, but alas, it was not to be. I have my GM screen ready, just need to finish up pre gens and print some blanks in case someone wants to roll up a character. I really looking forward to it. Bye for now!

Labyrinth Lord, this Sunday!

     At 1:00 PM at Ravenstone Games this Sunday I will be running a little adventure of my own design. There are still a few spots open, if anyone would like to stop by they would be welcome! Thursday I will post something special for the game and afterwards I will let you all know how it went. Until then, take care!

March 16th, Labyrinth Lord!!

      Sunday, March 16th at 1:00 I will be running a Labyrinth Lord game (b/x D&D retro clone) It will be held at Ravenstone Games, 1675 Karl Ct. Columbus, Ohio. Unlike my previous two games, I have people signed up for this, but there is room for more. Putting the finishing touches on the adventure, rumor table encounters. Really excited about it! Come on in and check it out!

 

 I am especially fond of this sign up sheet.

March game update

     In Latham, at the edge of the great forest, the local druid has gone missing. Someone or something named Vol Choloris has moved into the area and may have something to do with it.

     March 16th, Sunday 1:00 PM. at Ravenstone Games 1675 Karl Ct. Columbus, Ohio 43229. OSR gaming, using Labyrinth Lord rules and there will be some pre gens and if you would like, you can roll your own. Come in and sign up, and I will try not to pull a TPK.