Stuff

Today I found a Star Wars action figure I'd had my eyes on: Djas Puhr, a green-skinned bounty hunter who apparently appears in the cantina sequence. The K.B. Toy Outlet in Tuscola, Illinois had one for only $2.88. I don't remember seeing this guy in the movie, but he looks cool. His pointed ears, enlarged frontal lobes and shiny darkgreen facepaint make him look like he just walked out of an episode of Outer Limits. Here's the flavor text from the back of the card:

The Mos Eisley cantina is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. For the Sakiyan bounty hunter Djas Puhr, the cantina is a fertile refuge ripe with opportunity to catch a fugitive bounty ot pry information from customers who know more than they claim.

Of course he's a bounty hunter. Does anyone hang out at that bar who isn't some sort of intergalactic hardcase? Still, I think he might be useable as a character for a Star Wars roleplaying session. I've got half an idea going for an Episode Zero adventure involving Jedi Masters Dooku and Sifidius travelling to a planet covered with blasted out high-tech ruins. They're looking for a long-lost Sith temple, in an attempt to learn more about their mysterious enemy. This all happens before Sidious recruits Dooku to the Dark Side.

Also on the new purchase front today, I found a copy of issue #4 of Vortext magazine for sale on the eBay. And for only a buck! Vortext #4 contains the only known published adventure for World of Synnibarr, and it's authored by the two primaries on the rulebook, Raven C.S. McCracken and his pal Bryce "Playing Synnibarr will open avenues in your imagination for which you probably did not even know you had an address" Thelin. If "Bio Starr 1" is suitable for first level characters I intend to use it at this next WinterWar. Otherwise, I will have to developed my own adventure. I should note that I never would have known of the existence of either Vortext or the Synnibarr adventure in issue 4 except that I had stumbled upon Shannon Appelcline's RPG Magazine Indices. Great resource!

Speaking of Winter War, I think I'm pretty close to nailing down my self-appointed judging duties. Assuming Uncle Jed sends me that copy of Tribes from Steve Jackson Games that i ordered and assuming I actually like it, I'm going to try to run it. Tribes is supposed to be a con-friendly game, suitable for large groups. I'm not sure exactly when during the con would best fit though. On Friday night I want to run World of Synnibarr, while Saturday night will be for my Jack the Ripper-based Call of Cthulhu game. Somewhere in between all this, probably as a Friday afternoon or Sunday game, I want to sponsor a game of Carcassonne. That should be more than enough to keep me busy, especially if I actually sign up for a game or two as a player.