tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76529212024-03-18T02:49:18.096-05:00Jeffs Gamebloga blog about games and stuffJeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.comBlogger3467125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-225262643851812022024-03-08T13:03:00.001-06:002024-03-08T13:03:18.221-06:00New edition of Starmada! Huzzah!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1l1iNgkj7iB9ofO0klZB4IVXsO4UBrwTfq9Np69eAI9Fe3TzsFzfUINGHfdCMvoRzJYiZg-h-muJpYCU3-gQiKvKduOt3b33qSdFoRwk7qsKHOOBZJtAlCrzwd76BmkSpT7jfDSbwhwSlA7QN1L7osyOHYFFNj_j11i4Vz8coRTBzjm2SyhNE6Q/s880/mjg0160.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1l1iNgkj7iB9ofO0klZB4IVXsO4UBrwTfq9Np69eAI9Fe3TzsFzfUINGHfdCMvoRzJYiZg-h-muJpYCU3-gQiKvKduOt3b33qSdFoRwk7qsKHOOBZJtAlCrzwd76BmkSpT7jfDSbwhwSlA7QN1L7osyOHYFFNj_j11i4Vz8coRTBzjm2SyhNE6Q/s320/mjg0160.png" width="247" /></a></div>So Daniel Kast's <i>Starmada</i> has a new, 30th anniversary edition out. You can get the pdf from <a href="https://www.wargamevault.com/product/472034/Starmada-Core-Rulebook">WargameVault</a> (the wargame store of the DriveThru people) or print, print-with-map-and-counters, or pdf from publisher <a href="https://mj12games.com/starmada/">Majestic Twelve Games</a>. <p></p><p>This is my favorite spaceship combat wargame. If you like hexed-based space combat with just enough complexity that running multiple ships is challenging but not overwhelming, then give it a shot.</p><p>Maybe the best part of the game is the ship construction system, which is a tad more complex than <i>BattleTech*</i> or <i>Car Wars</i>, but still easy enough that when I bought the <i>Starmada Compendium</i> (the 2nd print edition of the game) I immediately converted the ships in every other spaceship game I owned.</p><p>If you own a fleet or two of minis and the rules they're made for are too wonky for your tastes, consider <i>Starmada. </i>Or if you want to fight wars between factions in your own sci-fi universe.</p><p>*<span style="font-size: x-small;">Does anyone even make their own mechs in <i>BattleTech</i> anymore? When I was a kid it was a common activity, with whole ass zines devoted to homemade mechs.</span> </p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-16089238267182980722024-02-20T11:40:00.001-06:002024-02-20T11:40:49.555-06:00Last Day of the Big Sale: Why YOU should publicize it!<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/hoIwynS8DUg?si=9HjtfykcTXRsl1LV" frameborder="0"></iframe>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-73793885278884358112024-02-20T05:51:00.000-06:002024-02-20T05:51:36.014-06:00A thing I need to do better<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4DXlmFjriGukgpCNxxei65cPct858hE03WI-36LIVNC73iRSRVJVM-YDVGLPQsHsjq9M3CqFV5jLC0suY3i5iN13Rmv-q8obrGeIIYs0hh_WAy1CB9CBV7BK-O4OX-Lc1w2lhINnDOuGGfo2RY-Z23YtoZjSJFmLygZiEP4BfrXvbqfOJt0xrg/s900/Jon%20Hodgson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="627" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4DXlmFjriGukgpCNxxei65cPct858hE03WI-36LIVNC73iRSRVJVM-YDVGLPQsHsjq9M3CqFV5jLC0suY3i5iN13Rmv-q8obrGeIIYs0hh_WAy1CB9CBV7BK-O4OX-Lc1w2lhINnDOuGGfo2RY-Z23YtoZjSJFmLygZiEP4BfrXvbqfOJt0xrg/w279-h400/Jon%20Hodgson.jpg" width="279" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Favorit, "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">by Jon Hodgson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />You know what rules? Sections of the dungeon where bigass party-wrecking monsters roam, but smaller places where the PCs can escape them.</p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-810840083701837042024-02-02T09:28:00.000-06:002024-02-02T09:28:01.071-06:00James Raggi on Gaming, the OSR, the origins of LOTFP and his upcoming pr...<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/LLq_0FRy4ls?si=oulBihkRBYGQ7ykf" frameborder="0"></iframe>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-27433531540846614462024-01-29T16:48:00.001-06:002024-01-29T16:48:53.011-06:00egghead reports research, weirdos pissed off<p>So if you haven't heard, last week a researcher named Dr. Clio Weisman published an article on Medium called "The Worst People You Have Never Met, or, What I Learned During A Four Year Academic Study of Online Harassment In The Dungeons & Dragons Community." It was up for about 14 hours before the author pulled it for reasons to which I am not privy. But it was preserved <a href="https://archive.is/0Nv3c" target="_blank">here</a>, so you can read it for yourself. Becami Cusack archived the referenced audio clips <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GJAJNbF2Tg">here</a>. I look forward to reading a formal, peer-reviewed version of her findings when they are published.</p><p>Apparently a few people think the article is some sort of hoax and Clio Weisman isn't real. These people must not have access to Google, as it is pretty easy to verify that she exists. And her other academic work isn't that hard to find confirm either, though you'll need access to specialized data bases to actually read the various pieces. <a href="https://twitter.com/goatmansgoblet/status/1752026973784707294">Brian Yaksha</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/machineiv/status/1752010444712128749">Olivia Hill</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/pjamesstuart/status/1751884833867890952">Patrick Stuart</a> have all confirmed talking to Dr. Weisman, though they aren't exactly fans of the article. Curiously, none of those three tweets complaining about Weisman and her piece bother to deny any of the allegations in it.</p><p>Dr. Weisman interviewed me for a couple of hours, several years ago. In addition to the Zak situation, we discussed her other research into bias. This was a topic of interest to me professionally, so she later sent me a draft version of an article she was working on. I assume I don't appear in her Medium article because my interview was boring compared to incestuous hate-mob she shines a light on. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about all the fuckos mentioned in the article, but since last week I've been going back and forth between sincerely hoping they get the help they need and sincerely hoping they rot in hell.</p><p>The other thing that some people are claiming is that Dr. Weisman has some undisclosed reason to slant her article. If she has any skin in the game, I have yet to see any evidence for it. As far as I can tell, she came to the project from outside the game scene and did her best to figure out what the hell was going on. Truth isn't always easy to determine in complex situations. That's why we have institutions like academia and the courts, to help us suss the truth out. These institutions are imperfect, but without evidence to the contrary, the people poo-pooing her work sound exactly like MAGA election deniers to me.</p><p>Some folks are probably going to give me the business in the comments. That's fine. Just expect to be asked some simple questions like, "Did you read the article?" and "Did you listen to the audio?"</p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com119tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-67183028099346947132024-01-29T05:13:00.000-06:002024-01-29T05:13:15.500-06:00updated Snail Quarter map for Dillhonker City campaign<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIn8t7_y41Q-wsvBZ_rq4shM_s2DUnrAYRENNUHKWD2biirtdZzBtffsTqdcTQe2fEOP3W-VoM6RsJKYX3WP1SnIQ7if1VB0l9szLJZn7GEXlsFW1qM173Etrj7hLRWCUXveSi1ItNMmWhTe9QT4IVwTvmGQhutCZ-H2xQBnzHaMjHScQltnL6gA/s1600/snail_quarter-Dillhonker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1325" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIn8t7_y41Q-wsvBZ_rq4shM_s2DUnrAYRENNUHKWD2biirtdZzBtffsTqdcTQe2fEOP3W-VoM6RsJKYX3WP1SnIQ7if1VB0l9szLJZn7GEXlsFW1qM173Etrj7hLRWCUXveSi1ItNMmWhTe9QT4IVwTvmGQhutCZ-H2xQBnzHaMjHScQltnL6gA/s16000/snail_quarter-Dillhonker.png" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-18699822791301919912023-11-24T10:29:00.000-06:002023-11-24T10:29:25.855-06:00X-Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwa952CTHrhvUm6I9oM93HNFe6i9QIlOxkamiqAHcTBI0gMZkOtdJ5zU1k69VPvBSsc2xBQSENpBW5to55IVt-dtTOFAbJeeWqrVEMPZrVdTGhY5KI6vjMyY3Z1nLt6Bj6heJmA-iwYxNYJTuCkhs5MrsWlryxNHtKNgsburIzuMvOYvPwp0rOA/s1024/X-card.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwa952CTHrhvUm6I9oM93HNFe6i9QIlOxkamiqAHcTBI0gMZkOtdJ5zU1k69VPvBSsc2xBQSENpBW5to55IVt-dtTOFAbJeeWqrVEMPZrVdTGhY5KI6vjMyY3Z1nLt6Bj6heJmA-iwYxNYJTuCkhs5MrsWlryxNHtKNgsburIzuMvOYvPwp0rOA/s320/X-card.png" width="320" /></a></div>
The <b>X-Card</b> emerged from the indie/storygamer side of the hobby maybe ten or so years ago. Originally taking the form of an index card with a simply X drawn it with a Sharpie or something like that, more elaborate versions--some involving multiple cards--have appeared over the years. (<a href="https://ttrpgsafetytoolkit.com/">Example</a>)<div><br /></div><div>The idea behind the X-Card is real simple: pointing to it or holding it up is meant to signify that the game is going in a direction that the player finds uncomfortable, disconcerting, or hurtful. The rest of the table then backs away from whatever they were up to, perhaps with some sort of rewind or revision. Since the X-Card was formulated under a framework of ongoing consent, there is no option to challenge or override the usage of the X-Card. Nor is the person who played the X-Card under any obligation to explain or justify themselves.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've never played in a game that used X-Cards and the kind of safety rails it provides seem less necessary in the stupid and shallow games I tend to run, but I still think they're a pretty smart idea. Especially in convention play where no one knows anyone else's psychological buttons or hard limits. The X-Card strikes me as a genuine advance in the field of role-playing technology.</div><div><br /></div><div>That naughty fellow <a href="https://vengersatanis.blogspot.com/">Venger Satanis</a> seems to feel differently, though. His <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/458143/Chaalt-XCards">Cha'alt X-Cards</a> are a response to the inherent squeamishness of the original concept. Venger's X-Cards come in sets of 8, one each for the major themes of his Cha'alt campaign setting: eldritch, gonzo, science-fantasy, postapocalypse, humor, sleaze, pop-culture, and grindhouse exploitation. Players hold up the card to indicate they want more of that theme, requiring the ref to oblige. In exchange for reminding the referee that Cha'alt ain't your daddy's vanilla D&D, the player earns a point of divine favor, which can be turned in to reroll a poor die throw.</div><div><br /></div><div>This strikes me as one of those "the opposite of a good idea is also a good idea" situations. I wouldn't use both the original and Venger's X-Cards at the same table, but I think either could could enhance a lot of different kinds of games. To use Venger's idea in a non-Cha'alt game would require coming up with your own list of campaign themes to build your X-Card deck around. I've been thinking about this vis-a-vis my current Dillhonker City campaign. Here are my ideas for card themes:</div><div><br /></div><div>Technically, We're in Early Modern Europe</div><div>Elves Fucking Suck</div><div>Wizards Make Everything Worse</div><div>Like Tolkien But Stupider</div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe some of my players will have some additional ideas.</div><div><br /></div><div>PS: Venger is running a Black Friday sale on his Cha'alt hardcover. <a href="https://vengersatanis.blogspot.com/2023/11/black-friday-chaalt-hardcover-sale.html">Details here.</a></div>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-20925432390233690072023-10-13T03:33:00.004-05:002023-10-13T03:40:31.003-05:00Bidding into Danger<div class="separator"><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="678" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KtGGSALgW9EDfLwqBhqI5cnnP1Kf3mRbI9QaMXlbPEOGjhsKjkem-7zayZiA1T4fktjoJtz5v2-Z1NjysTgxxTFyklP4AI2mZwnjHgAUhfe7RtP1CoUj16gWgaoKK0LWNKFMMHUaxU65_2SCXdyJExtiXIXk1Bso4G3yUowcebn4gqpivwu60w/s320/JB007.png" width="275" /> </div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">I've posted about the<i> James Bond 007</i> game <a href="https://jrients.blogspot.com/2006/11/five-overlooked-rpgs.html">more</a> <a href="https://jrients.blogspot.com/2006/12/trick-from-007.html">than</a> <a href="https://jrients.blogspot.com/2011/05/wandering-spy-charts.html">once</a> in the past. Today I want to talk about one mechanic that I suspect could do a lot of good in other games, but that I don't recall seeing elsewhere. When you have a chase in 007, whether by foot, car, air, or underwater, initiative is determined by bidding. Initiative starts at 7 and whoever bids lowest gets to decide who goes first. What are you actually bidding? What currency are you spending? <i>Difficulty level for all rolls.</i> Well, technically its Ease Factor, the mathematical opposite of difficulty. A higher Ease Factor means something is easier to do. Either way, you take initiative of a given combat turn by willing to be more dangerous than the other guy, by increasing the chances of a car crash or some other mishap.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">A fun bit is that, for vehicle chases, every vehicle has a "Redline" score. This number is the safest number you can bid without additional, additional risk. Super sporty high performance cars have a 1 or 2 for Redline, allowing for a lot of high-risk action. While ordinary sedans have a 3 or 4. This means a PC in a Lambo can do more tricky maneuvers than his pursuers, even if they have the same Driving score. (And you can hamper the PCs by forcing them to flee pursuing baddies in a Volkswagen Beetle.)</div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">This bidding method strikes me as appropriate for the genre. The person most willing to risk everything (typically, the Bond-esque devil-may-care PCs) gets to set the agenda for the chase. I feel like this is a mechanic that could be used in other games. Chases in a Star Wars style space opera could use the same approach.What other situations? Anywhere where a foolish willingness to risk disaster grants a short term advantage. Here are three ideas:</div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>An RPG where pro-wrestling is for realsies: The flippy shit high-fliers can take the initiative by willing to risk botching their attack.</li><li>A fantasy or horror game: Wizards may go first if they are willing to risk accidentally unleashing the forces of hell.</li><li>Rolemaster, just for fun: Initiative bidding where the number goes up and the result is added to everyone's fumble range. </li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">I'm sure there have got to be other uses for bidding in RPGs. Anybody know of another game that uses it?</div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KtGGSALgW9EDfLwqBhqI5cnnP1Kf3mRbI9QaMXlbPEOGjhsKjkem-7zayZiA1T4fktjoJtz5v2-Z1NjysTgxxTFyklP4AI2mZwnjHgAUhfe7RtP1CoUj16gWgaoKK0LWNKFMMHUaxU65_2SCXdyJExtiXIXk1Bso4G3yUowcebn4gqpivwu60w/s788/JB007.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KtGGSALgW9EDfLwqBhqI5cnnP1Kf3mRbI9QaMXlbPEOGjhsKjkem-7zayZiA1T4fktjoJtz5v2-Z1NjysTgxxTFyklP4AI2mZwnjHgAUhfe7RtP1CoUj16gWgaoKK0LWNKFMMHUaxU65_2SCXdyJExtiXIXk1Bso4G3yUowcebn4gqpivwu60w/s788/JB007.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KtGGSALgW9EDfLwqBhqI5cnnP1Kf3mRbI9QaMXlbPEOGjhsKjkem-7zayZiA1T4fktjoJtz5v2-Z1NjysTgxxTFyklP4AI2mZwnjHgAUhfe7RtP1CoUj16gWgaoKK0LWNKFMMHUaxU65_2SCXdyJExtiXIXk1Bso4G3yUowcebn4gqpivwu60w/s788/JB007.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KtGGSALgW9EDfLwqBhqI5cnnP1Kf3mRbI9QaMXlbPEOGjhsKjkem-7zayZiA1T4fktjoJtz5v2-Z1NjysTgxxTFyklP4AI2mZwnjHgAUhfe7RtP1CoUj16gWgaoKK0LWNKFMMHUaxU65_2SCXdyJExtiXIXk1Bso4G3yUowcebn4gqpivwu60w/s788/JB007.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KtGGSALgW9EDfLwqBhqI5cnnP1Kf3mRbI9QaMXlbPEOGjhsKjkem-7zayZiA1T4fktjoJtz5v2-Z1NjysTgxxTFyklP4AI2mZwnjHgAUhfe7RtP1CoUj16gWgaoKK0LWNKFMMHUaxU65_2SCXdyJExtiXIXk1Bso4G3yUowcebn4gqpivwu60w/s788/JB007.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KtGGSALgW9EDfLwqBhqI5cnnP1Kf3mRbI9QaMXlbPEOGjhsKjkem-7zayZiA1T4fktjoJtz5v2-Z1NjysTgxxTFyklP4AI2mZwnjHgAUhfe7RtP1CoUj16gWgaoKK0LWNKFMMHUaxU65_2SCXdyJExtiXIXk1Bso4G3yUowcebn4gqpivwu60w/s788/JB007.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KtGGSALgW9EDfLwqBhqI5cnnP1Kf3mRbI9QaMXlbPEOGjhsKjkem-7zayZiA1T4fktjoJtz5v2-Z1NjysTgxxTFyklP4AI2mZwnjHgAUhfe7RtP1CoUj16gWgaoKK0LWNKFMMHUaxU65_2SCXdyJExtiXIXk1Bso4G3yUowcebn4gqpivwu60w/s788/JB007.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KtGGSALgW9EDfLwqBhqI5cnnP1Kf3mRbI9QaMXlbPEOGjhsKjkem-7zayZiA1T4fktjoJtz5v2-Z1NjysTgxxTFyklP4AI2mZwnjHgAUhfe7RtP1CoUj16gWgaoKK0LWNKFMMHUaxU65_2SCXdyJExtiXIXk1Bso4G3yUowcebn4gqpivwu60w/s788/JB007.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KtGGSALgW9EDfLwqBhqI5cnnP1Kf3mRbI9QaMXlbPEOGjhsKjkem-7zayZiA1T4fktjoJtz5v2-Z1NjysTgxxTFyklP4AI2mZwnjHgAUhfe7RtP1CoUj16gWgaoKK0LWNKFMMHUaxU65_2SCXdyJExtiXIXk1Bso4G3yUowcebn4gqpivwu60w/s788/JB007.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KtGGSALgW9EDfLwqBhqI5cnnP1Kf3mRbI9QaMXlbPEOGjhsKjkem-7zayZiA1T4fktjoJtz5v2-Z1NjysTgxxTFyklP4AI2mZwnjHgAUhfe7RtP1CoUj16gWgaoKK0LWNKFMMHUaxU65_2SCXdyJExtiXIXk1Bso4G3yUowcebn4gqpivwu60w/s788/JB007.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KtGGSALgW9EDfLwqBhqI5cnnP1Kf3mRbI9QaMXlbPEOGjhsKjkem-7zayZiA1T4fktjoJtz5v2-Z1NjysTgxxTFyklP4AI2mZwnjHgAUhfe7RtP1CoUj16gWgaoKK0LWNKFMMHUaxU65_2SCXdyJExtiXIXk1Bso4G3yUowcebn4gqpivwu60w/s788/JB007.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5krsClUnEfcE3JEpi35LCuXyWlAbEtJqQXm5LnARq7a_2jLgyOoH6KV-y9WeJMjV1IdtnsADevIDlQHeW1GsYapb6TgxO4nRvgBltU1Lvaso0zCG71BHi-Fv1q-hi7p0wtX_zrxZ5oilj0lSpdAiMxFbBKDMRkaHl7oyaNc7inQNfH9Kxsfp_hw/s495/JamesBond-credits.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="495" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5krsClUnEfcE3JEpi35LCuXyWlAbEtJqQXm5LnARq7a_2jLgyOoH6KV-y9WeJMjV1IdtnsADevIDlQHeW1GsYapb6TgxO4nRvgBltU1Lvaso0zCG71BHi-Fv1q-hi7p0wtX_zrxZ5oilj0lSpdAiMxFbBKDMRkaHl7oyaNc7inQNfH9Kxsfp_hw/w400-h260/JamesBond-credits.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes I jibber jabber about a game and fail to give appropriate credit. Not this time.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-17679100074820002422023-10-07T11:37:00.001-05:002023-10-07T11:37:48.928-05:00Rest in Peace, Dave Hoover<p>[This is not about the comic book professional Dave Hoover.]</p><p>Yesterday I learned that Dave Hoover passed away. Dave was a key person in the Champaign-Urbana, Illinois rpg scene for decades. He GMed lots of local campaigns (I played mostly <i>Feng Shui</i> and <i>Savage Worlds</i> with him) and many, many games at the local convention. He once ran a game in every single slot of the con, something like 12 different games over one weekend. Dave also hosted some <i>Halo</i> LAN parties, if anyone remembers those glory days. He and his wife owned a game store called Armored Gopher Games for a while and it was the friendliest FLGS you could ever ask for. Nearly every store game I ever ran was at the Armored Gopher.</p><p>More importantly than being a Game Dude, Dave was just a decent human being. He was kind and caring. He was, by all accounts, a good husband and father. Certainly every time I saw him interact with his family he was earnestly trying to get that stuff right. He was also the kind of guy that, if it happened to come up in conversation that you weren't familiar with the work of the band Avenged Sevenfold, next time he saw you he'd hand you a CD burned with his favorite tracks from their catalog. That was the sort of generous spirit Dave had. He was a genuine good guy and the world is the worse off without him.</p><p>My heart goes out to his family.</p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-70795466810226426032023-09-30T11:17:00.001-05:002023-09-30T11:17:58.817-05:00Grim Weaponry<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMf-WfoGeuw28pSuDr8wv6sJ3i7SO4xvYxOVIWuLPX1a2oepeiHWul0nWGMyiKZRQ6jOQ2NKbBsvbZM1oFgbF57e3yzgzOQzOskXg0bOEVncyD_2ih0bDo8MiCi3W0lvsR_zKmZ65bd6clNDrqy_9wSuRZmU3RqdPr959xiHyF4WMfBU6gCdxyw/s508/grim.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="383" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMf-WfoGeuw28pSuDr8wv6sJ3i7SO4xvYxOVIWuLPX1a2oepeiHWul0nWGMyiKZRQ6jOQ2NKbBsvbZM1oFgbF57e3yzgzOQzOskXg0bOEVncyD_2ih0bDo8MiCi3W0lvsR_zKmZ65bd6clNDrqy_9wSuRZmU3RqdPr959xiHyF4WMfBU6gCdxyw/s320/grim.png" width="241" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other day I goofing around on <a href="http://heroforge.com">heroforge.com</a><br />and I decided to knock together a quickie Grim Reaper.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNC0Fe6eJtUFoe3cFFMlVi1XyOtSnO9BDt3fqVzVHbRIgXFJFjEUG1Vz2k8yOoB0RH0xw0GQl6ol6x_jLO-uVu5lLrt8N3A2VYSEF0rHkZggq8v2wcEnrNrs4cW2_ty9A3E-j3uFwwS9K5_uZwlbZg2vB6yGRxETufXmk_e3T6wJOOWGNPGqgj2w/s471/grim2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNC0Fe6eJtUFoe3cFFMlVi1XyOtSnO9BDt3fqVzVHbRIgXFJFjEUG1Vz2k8yOoB0RH0xw0GQl6ol6x_jLO-uVu5lLrt8N3A2VYSEF0rHkZggq8v2wcEnrNrs4cW2_ty9A3E-j3uFwwS9K5_uZwlbZg2vB6yGRxETufXmk_e3T6wJOOWGNPGqgj2w/s320/grim2.png" width="255" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's when I thought of this visual gag, which I call<br />"New Reaper Shows Up to 1st Day of <br />Work Having Misunderstood the Assignment."</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiB2t0RrTJXm0JCHKNjREqa394nAG92UBMyhSNPg9Zo3VZapPO4kmtrK8qKI2o6jPPA4scXHzjxuW7X-_s-AwvCwPPycYSJwDLQ6EKNMC0J0NaFoBHwG-MV8zofFxxbhWPCr_TlgvH6RTpIDIOgdJdYUjPPTS3TjNTRyVdf4LOfRR3j5mp8YUHIA/s426/grim3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="281" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiB2t0RrTJXm0JCHKNjREqa394nAG92UBMyhSNPg9Zo3VZapPO4kmtrK8qKI2o6jPPA4scXHzjxuW7X-_s-AwvCwPPycYSJwDLQ6EKNMC0J0NaFoBHwG-MV8zofFxxbhWPCr_TlgvH6RTpIDIOgdJdYUjPPTS3TjNTRyVdf4LOfRR3j5mp8YUHIA/s320/grim3.png" width="211" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So what else could a Grim Reaper wield?<br />This sword looks cool but feels kinda basic.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYl2HDv6qCGJqL8bBNf3Op3Gjp7a1EEh4Xy17ZZq6yzlhR01bsGRLbX3qMumJieDa0vX20lzr_Wnpkm8SlGZ6TvQ0QMHbQPcZE3xZifjlsR4eD3S9py1HJYk0LD1qo3mw0B5UnyZzjXSpQawjciQ_wpT3T0x9AgTDW4sIXD-KjY_ElXcpXtvP8g/s525/grim4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="393" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYl2HDv6qCGJqL8bBNf3Op3Gjp7a1EEh4Xy17ZZq6yzlhR01bsGRLbX3qMumJieDa0vX20lzr_Wnpkm8SlGZ6TvQ0QMHbQPcZE3xZifjlsR4eD3S9py1HJYk0LD1qo3mw0B5UnyZzjXSpQawjciQ_wpT3T0x9AgTDW4sIXD-KjY_ElXcpXtvP8g/s320/grim4.png" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This battle axe looks pretty dang badass.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaPWvPZzIPz0UKRikLJLseb5AVpEaX7b2ANA9u-FiFLvhrTpQ22RUFTqQXqcudMFOSyG9MBX85Q2Gi61riEK2Uv-JRLF8LnpPv-Eq5axHuWCTqy3H-9j_aLTXrrpTxz3Xm4k77iBvNpcn6MLOBMXHAuvvQP7sPPB0Rt6Sxaqr0mAPxJvDnzzxCg/s534/grim5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="357" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaPWvPZzIPz0UKRikLJLseb5AVpEaX7b2ANA9u-FiFLvhrTpQ22RUFTqQXqcudMFOSyG9MBX85Q2Gi61riEK2Uv-JRLF8LnpPv-Eq5axHuWCTqy3H-9j_aLTXrrpTxz3Xm4k77iBvNpcn6MLOBMXHAuvvQP7sPPB0Rt6Sxaqr0mAPxJvDnzzxCg/s320/grim5.png" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What am I, a cleric over here?!?"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVpA0Mp9PoB_W7QJTsQmPRtMnEyOdTgsJZb675buexGSCu4xJrqOEOo_LK1Qbx17-EldYAYHzvQpJ2jsiRnBNEpPoh3o0nJ6y2RVuUa3EFQNX6BKIBL2zfP2DpkpbyasA_kPNsEU9Ww8Rudkm5Av6UbDYyX7prchYA3wKRXvjmZ0f-BxWhclAaQ/s529/grim6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="305" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVpA0Mp9PoB_W7QJTsQmPRtMnEyOdTgsJZb675buexGSCu4xJrqOEOo_LK1Qbx17-EldYAYHzvQpJ2jsiRnBNEpPoh3o0nJ6y2RVuUa3EFQNX6BKIBL2zfP2DpkpbyasA_kPNsEU9Ww8Rudkm5Av6UbDYyX7prchYA3wKRXvjmZ0f-BxWhclAaQ/s320/grim6.png" width="184" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Time to die. Square up, mofo."</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAN_2QZSjpPYNiGtYLLe2vbXVWmI-OwRWaTcnVnziNNY-_hbvl5pzHD8ZEWt9vVnufIE3ljMut3r5aC6hu1yLkACrC0Ck34WVOm0RLmQxU77bFaeeO70Ppm33pdUv9zIWHgokGZ9n-v1PlLCkUmM5pssukmZ_kLQCVbmckPBZ19SFvsta5B21Fw/s537/grim7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAN_2QZSjpPYNiGtYLLe2vbXVWmI-OwRWaTcnVnziNNY-_hbvl5pzHD8ZEWt9vVnufIE3ljMut3r5aC6hu1yLkACrC0Ck34WVOm0RLmQxU77bFaeeO70Ppm33pdUv9zIWHgokGZ9n-v1PlLCkUmM5pssukmZ_kLQCVbmckPBZ19SFvsta5B21Fw/s320/grim7.png" width="318" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this a Shaolin spade? The author of the <br /><i>Zombie Survival Handbook</i> insists that this<br /> is the best weapon for decapitating zombos. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NSwxOh9ThSQdLnxARhSVOcTAaAHvUCmOt-T2jB-VsLAxGbPNw7Qliuh3QSPSGfO44KFNGK6TrAWp9iNyCQdV0EMqfP61XaWaTBhZLUpp7CBkKcQqsLaM3OCLNH5YdWzFw6wOGVSpWIaZN8C8EZijnibIn6IHkCbhNqxwfF-uRnIY1SFMYZE6GQ/s569/grim8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="569" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NSwxOh9ThSQdLnxARhSVOcTAaAHvUCmOt-T2jB-VsLAxGbPNw7Qliuh3QSPSGfO44KFNGK6TrAWp9iNyCQdV0EMqfP61XaWaTBhZLUpp7CBkKcQqsLaM3OCLNH5YdWzFw6wOGVSpWIaZN8C8EZijnibIn6IHkCbhNqxwfF-uRnIY1SFMYZE6GQ/s320/grim8.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dual wield spiked chains seems extra AF.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ksetg49DHe1BjQmYD1IFqAs43PL1MmnDZuDj7jCg98vQ8mIcmpeHZVIv02spIHcOOgHlEC9PLtERphSX2BLHWsuDE1x7RtsvV0_qgWHwYhlFp-IjvqSdH9z7M0GicCYtnasS_Z8Fr3OAxMq2i7l3UA9jXdQBxGUcvmcTUxAFNK8Dh8p4hH9L3Q/s533/grim9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="372" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ksetg49DHe1BjQmYD1IFqAs43PL1MmnDZuDj7jCg98vQ8mIcmpeHZVIv02spIHcOOgHlEC9PLtERphSX2BLHWsuDE1x7RtsvV0_qgWHwYhlFp-IjvqSdH9z7M0GicCYtnasS_Z8Fr3OAxMq2i7l3UA9jXdQBxGUcvmcTUxAFNK8Dh8p4hH9L3Q/s320/grim9.png" width="223" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Reaper is not messing around.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZxvAk4nB7Jn0Ee_OWG1k-TGrac_wTU4-pOr4x2-rUXNXn8iTE8i18RDqtysSHKRZaRaPIYYkv2qfNGdMZO9iiMS2RP1yndy618HwCWYhkthaV8RHBm9MvTsDUpTNJyy__RnXaRYWj85IyWqHmKgc8BJkg67Ngfe2ufN-T-1XsnJtD4zirwVOdA/s526/grim11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZxvAk4nB7Jn0Ee_OWG1k-TGrac_wTU4-pOr4x2-rUXNXn8iTE8i18RDqtysSHKRZaRaPIYYkv2qfNGdMZO9iiMS2RP1yndy618HwCWYhkthaV8RHBm9MvTsDUpTNJyy__RnXaRYWj85IyWqHmKgc8BJkg67Ngfe2ufN-T-1XsnJtD4zirwVOdA/s320/grim11.png" width="168" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ultimate horror.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /> <p></p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-394350421279852322023-09-27T03:00:00.001-05:002023-09-27T03:00:00.132-05:00An old fave from 1981<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ex87hxuz_uk?si=JvyrMY2sZf4QwxSB" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-75028868228807205642023-09-26T09:55:00.000-05:002023-09-26T09:55:07.354-05:00An Email Exchange<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGGY88QDkFwc_CW4CTh6bI87-z3Sa1VFCV-bRHZGLlS2JHdKGJKL0YHmlcQz2sIdJgJB6NUMjowcddEA7b8sB0HoAjDlgtlOK6o2-PSr0xvig4-h-s35wopjpWe6Zks7ISMYWV20cc6nHfppKkfAzlgqUtdVKyCONDzjkS2RWh12u2B4XsF0Kxg/s768/brood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="559" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGGY88QDkFwc_CW4CTh6bI87-z3Sa1VFCV-bRHZGLlS2JHdKGJKL0YHmlcQz2sIdJgJB6NUMjowcddEA7b8sB0HoAjDlgtlOK6o2-PSr0xvig4-h-s35wopjpWe6Zks7ISMYWV20cc6nHfppKkfAzlgqUtdVKyCONDzjkS2RWh12u2B4XsF0Kxg/s320/brood.jpg" width="233" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">[Thanks to Steve for allowing me to post this.]</span><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">STEVE:</span></b></p><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hi, Jeff! I'm preparing to run Broodmother Skyfortress and trash my 20+-year campaign, played annually with good friends since university in the 90s. Per your kind p5 invitation, checking in with Mission Control.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My campaign is not medieval/D&D but post-apocalyptic. System is genre-agnostic ELEMENTAL, easy enough adapt to d&d-style rules and kind of meant for this kind of stream-crossing.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/242198/ELEMENTAL-Complete-Guide&source=gmail&ust=1695825434952000&usg=AOvVaw3tj9j18PylMDuiV6S28iVB" href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/242198/ELEMENTAL-Complete-Guide" id="m_5962252145078130371LPNoLPOWALinkPreview" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.drivethrurpg.com/<wbr></wbr>product/242198/ELEMENTAL-<wbr></wbr>Complete-Guide</a><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've decided the giants are mutants and, um, the creators are Space Gods or something? I don't think the average wasteland dweller is going to react much differently to the giant invasion than the average medieval peasant -- it's going to be days of WTF is the world ending <i>again</i>?! Armed response will be louder, and communication faster. But it's still baffling, early reports nonsensical. </span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our heroes are all packed onto a pickup truck and can get places fast. A number of ideas will no doubt occur for getting Up There, anticipating no problem there. The giants will still be very dangerous, and maybe firearms-resistant.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of my players may be bitchy about this wild upset of player expectations/tone. I'm fine with that (bitchiness is a part of our group's charming culture) but I hope to entertain more than dismay! </span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><ul><li style="list-style-type: "- "; margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I started the campaign with the map from the original (1997) Fallout, the PCs are from vault 13, and they've been everywhere in the region: spent a few weeks in LA, which would take the giants a few nights raiding (a week?) to destroy the populated parts of the city, maybe a neighbourhood a night. </span></li></ul></div><div style="background-color: white;"><ul><li style="list-style-type: "- "; margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The underground vaults are probably safe from the giants for now. There's a nuke in the possession of one of the villains someone might turn on a vault or a skyfortress. </span></li></ul></div><div style="background-color: white;"><ul><li style="list-style-type: "- "; margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Truck Stop, the longtime base town of friendly mutants and assorted refugees is perpetually in peril, packed with repeat NPCs and the PCs favourite cocktail lounge. There's more than enough people and stuff to threaten, but this place is probably the one that would hurt most. It would be crushed in a night.</span><div style="list-style-type: "- ";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></li><li style="list-style-type: "- "; margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first village they came to outside the vault is Shady Sands, and that's where I'll start. Probably nobody remembers that first game in like 1999-2000, but there may be notes on the long-forgotten NPCs, none of whom are likely to be heartbreakers. Anyway, now it's all a trampled, mildly radioactive, gory mess anyway, gone in an hour, and the green cloud of mutant lightning nimbus death is headed to whichever locale is next on the shitlist. </span></li></ul></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">See what the players do next, so far so good. But then what? Do people honestly do this to their campaigns and remain on speaking terms with their players?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">MY REPLY:</span></b></div><div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Steve,</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for the email! Mission control is here to help!<br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To the best of my knowledge you've got the longest-running campaign anyone has inflicted Broodmother upon, so I'm not fully sure how to advise you. But here are a few thoughts:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you decide that the giants are as resistant to small arms as they are to medieval weaponry (which I heartily endorse), you might want to signal that. A dying man whose last words are "whatever they are, they're bulletproof...ack." ought to do the trick.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Is there something the giants could steal or someone that they could kidnap that could serve as a symbol of hope for the party? "Truck Stop is in ruins and Shady Sands will never be the same, but at least we got ______ back. Life will go on." If you don't have such a thing already, have some NPC explain how the last known copy of Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" was the secret glue of the community. "We would always play it once a year as the centerpiece of the local festival. If only we could get that back, maybe we would have the heart to rebuild." Did you all have a favorite song back in '99? Maybe use that instead of Miles Davis. Or whatever other MacGuffin you could hang some emotional stakes on.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does that help?</span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">STEVE:</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That does, thanks, Jeff! Turning my thoughts towards MacGuffins…There’s a functioning radio station with a popular brain-in-a-jar robot DJ, Dick Personality…so either he or the station/transmitter/<wbr></wbr>irreplaceable music collection (the last Kind of Blue is a great idea) could suffice along those lines. Thank you for writing this beautiful bonkers adventure and helping interpret it!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">MY REPLY:</span></b></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please let me know how it goes, even if it is a disaster. Hell, send me hate mail for ruining your campaign, if it helps you feel better.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">STEVE:</span></b></span></div><div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First session rocked utterly. </span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Destroyed a couple of places, including one PC's tribal homeland (and tribe). I laid down the campaign map and ostentatiously crossed the lost places off one by one. Much arriving too late, lamentations, whining, bitching, moaning, this is so unfair, so cruel, what are even supposed to do-hoo-hoo -- and then they started fighting back. They evacuated the base town (Truck Stop) ahead of the mystery murder cloud, and watched from a distance as the giants wrecked all the old beloved places there, and finally saw what they were up against. </span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Next up: The Doom of LA: While Swordmaniac, Chainmonster and Vomitboy rampaged across Disneyland, they landed on the Skyfortress in a handy small VTOL craft (they also took the precaution of packing parachutes, lucky as a gust of wind hit them at the Obelisk and whisked one character off into the wild blue yonder). They explored the ruins, where they discovered the charm monster/mind control ring and a mighty rubble of various stolen landmarks of this campaign and others -- is that an entire medieval guard tower? </span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5NMyhbv9tOUf11Qb-lk-1nhvNpR0Zf1VhEvVR0kQd-oqA8GIKDsr-7_I1r0TjsRmXfV-Lsft0hW50Az7BhngyIoKncK5IZdIrxInTeITNBd4TJv4syilcstJfpyX4BYrpsI3wUuKvjLI3PQOZxoI0syfPwuFNghHTasXEGOY9PfZ5SXqQRUqNw/s800/ian-maclean-broodmother-p25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="800" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5NMyhbv9tOUf11Qb-lk-1nhvNpR0Zf1VhEvVR0kQd-oqA8GIKDsr-7_I1r0TjsRmXfV-Lsft0hW50Az7BhngyIoKncK5IZdIrxInTeITNBd4TJv4syilcstJfpyX4BYrpsI3wUuKvjLI3PQOZxoI0syfPwuFNghHTasXEGOY9PfZ5SXqQRUqNw/w400-h284/ian-maclean-broodmother-p25.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chainmonster by Ian MacLean</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Enroute to the Skyfortress proper, they caught the Runt mid-business at the Stank Hole, discombobulated him with some mutant psychic zapping, and, in an epic confrontation, FUCKED HIM UP! Victory, catharsis, to be continued (likely in a year, as that's about as often as this far-flung crew can manage to be in the same place). </span></div><div id="m_463989595401807634appendonsend" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Holy shit, Jeff! It works! </span></div></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">MY REPLY:</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hey, been busy at work at and just checked my gmail for the first time in days. Thanks for putting a smile on this tired guy's face.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">May I incorporate some of your emails into a blog post? If not, no harm done.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">STEVE:</span></b></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Heck yes, blog away! </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">[The new printing of Broodmother Skyfortress is available <a href="http://www.lotfp.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&keyword=broodmother&category_id=0&product_id=236">here</a>. PDF version <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/199568/Broodmother-SkyFortress">here</a>.]</span></span></div></div>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-41415615243943159422023-09-25T06:27:00.000-05:002023-09-25T06:27:06.756-05:00The Cosmic Purpose of Role-Playing Games<p>If your sessions are anything like mine, a lot of ludicrous stuff gets said by the participants. RPGs put people into imaginary situations via dialogue. That means people will say things in an RPG session that would never be said in any other context. Therefore, RPG play taken as a whole is a sort of Unique Utterance Machine. We are collectively reciting the Nine Billion Names of God, the spoken version of the Tower of Hanoi, the oral Library of Babel. The last RPG played will exhaust language itself.<br /></p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-27365192153288495982023-09-17T03:00:00.002-05:002023-09-17T03:00:00.133-05:00Mystery Solved<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAWWK-Udzbs5Ep-_Y_FWOw3i0cWe4Rl-RKwwt1l0iEWxV0cgHvLgubUmx6Q0gDngX14K1iy7t73E0M8NnxgsF_FrR6pe6YosydvjlKWXL1CZQi4b4JWWQBz23KIgl9MV2qnWHPY5GXmPPD6WZUIGReDhxAI-9hgwqfBpAGsGpKIsEMBBl0vWmKOQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAWWK-Udzbs5Ep-_Y_FWOw3i0cWe4Rl-RKwwt1l0iEWxV0cgHvLgubUmx6Q0gDngX14K1iy7t73E0M8NnxgsF_FrR6pe6YosydvjlKWXL1CZQi4b4JWWQBz23KIgl9MV2qnWHPY5GXmPPD6WZUIGReDhxAI-9hgwqfBpAGsGpKIsEMBBl0vWmKOQ" width="286" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Last December I posted <a href="https://jrients.blogspot.com/2022/12/have-you-seen-this-monster.html">a message</a> asking if anyone knew what the heck this four-armed three-eyed weirdo was and today I noticed someone had an answer. An anonymous commenter has recently added some useful info:<p></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;"></span><blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">It’s a Gobbler, a creation of gloranthan dwarves, whose job is to eat special metals and other materials the dwarves would prefer that humans, trolls, and others not get their grubby hands on.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">Basically the dwarves take it near where they suspect other races have been doing technological espionage, feed some Gobblers a sample of X material, and then those Gobblers go crazy for X, can sense it from far away, can digest it, will fight past anything just to reach it, and will eat it in preference to continuing to fight</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">I don’t recall which book they are in. I don’t remember their RuneQuest stats either, but I don’t there was anything unusual about their combat abilities. Doubt they had magic, unlike nearly everything else in Glorantha, since they are artificial.</span></blockquote><p>Thanks, anon-a-commenter! With that lead I was able to track down this image of the re-release of the original Archive mini back in 2005 or so:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCHQeFePjQpsR9PYynX56ikAq6t_PYMCCHmXLN-S5xDTgpzkd7TBr_ZspZOzgrLt8cgHtu9TSPAXuX51k0Ly6DwCfwlMmldTQhDpghPov15FMD2duZFE0vT2iDQgmmIkw-d9Ta-fsDNYqcb2Ea9Sk7YkgFgLheLtjwBUiHBr3t_uLfL9ywnBKU5A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="350" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCHQeFePjQpsR9PYynX56ikAq6t_PYMCCHmXLN-S5xDTgpzkd7TBr_ZspZOzgrLt8cgHtu9TSPAXuX51k0Ly6DwCfwlMmldTQhDpghPov15FMD2duZFE0vT2iDQgmmIkw-d9Ta-fsDNYqcb2Ea9Sk7YkgFgLheLtjwBUiHBr3t_uLfL9ywnBKU5A" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also found this new re-design for a more recent HeroQuest figure line:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6ocyfsIeweCdNeT08Eoq_B68BMvB7jPBfqz9QzuPqiejhhy7_H0kRrWjfXKCwfEfO-tCGENa7tlQI3ZeEE-dNSgrKz916eTAVZapgrj8-aSL0FSFLYJRYRG9TgPJTwhjE_lFcNFtLutktrmnC_GAi81fTozfCVyFR9ei-LI3Za2hVXbiBJhMc1g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6ocyfsIeweCdNeT08Eoq_B68BMvB7jPBfqz9QzuPqiejhhy7_H0kRrWjfXKCwfEfO-tCGENa7tlQI3ZeEE-dNSgrKz916eTAVZapgrj8-aSL0FSFLYJRYRG9TgPJTwhjE_lFcNFtLutktrmnC_GAi81fTozfCVyFR9ei-LI3Za2hVXbiBJhMc1g" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Gobblers are mentioned in <i>Different Worlds</i> issue 24, the special issue devoted to the Mostali, RuneQuest's dwarves. Here's what Greg Stafford has to say about them in his article "Why I Dislike Mostali": </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div></div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dwarfs have other creatures to help them protect their possessions, too. One of the best known is the Gunpowder Gobbler. A horde of them appeared one time, and they ate much more than that arcane substance when they stampeded towards their prey. They have many hands and a great mouth, and they are very strong. Their appetite is enhanced by their eating the alchemical powder, and they get stronger from it as well . Thus, the more there is to eat, the hungrier and nastier one gets. Once it has eaten everything, it goes on a rampage. Many instances of Gobbler outbreaks are recorded, and most authorities are quite adamant about suppressing the development of, or even experimentation with, that alchemical powder in their districts.</div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp6pkGWNarE3LZ9YWSRyjQ21ds8Iu3nN4qZoLHNy9Xwn2wOycFiYxBlfStVRfmVk8XC5a-kZRzk-HVQCLAqEMQy_8T9hod7U9fQD7cggpwJJ-lkojTkdkEQmKhIjS2e6NzZgW_ZGgbNcsD5k9W0VBe9mw6IBLIDoKc4I-yalM6DkmS4P_-3llGA/s820/dw_24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="637" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp6pkGWNarE3LZ9YWSRyjQ21ds8Iu3nN4qZoLHNy9Xwn2wOycFiYxBlfStVRfmVk8XC5a-kZRzk-HVQCLAqEMQy_8T9hod7U9fQD7cggpwJJ-lkojTkdkEQmKhIjS2e6NzZgW_ZGgbNcsD5k9W0VBe9mw6IBLIDoKc4I-yalM6DkmS4P_-3llGA/s320/dw_24.jpg" width="249" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel like <i>Different Worlds</i> is<br />overlooked nowadays. Good mag.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></blockquote><p>According to <a href="https://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha/sorcery.html">this web article</a> by Sandy Petersen, Gobblers "can be taught spells, but has only those Arts and Presence which has been enchanted into its hide.<span style="font-style: italic;">"</span> I have no idea what Arts and Presence mean in this context, as I know very little about the RuneQuest/HeroQuest family of games. </p><p>Finally, I was able to track down some RQ stats for these four-armed goons:</p><p>Characteristics Average </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>STR 2D6+12 19 </li><li>CON 4D6+12 26 </li><li>SIZ 3D6+12 22–23 </li><li>INT 1D6+2 5–6 </li><li>POW 3D6 10–11 </li><li>DEX 2D6+8 15 </li></ul><p></p><p>Hit Points: 29 Move: 8
Magic Points: 11 Base SR: 2
Armor: 7 points of metallic hide. Skills: Dodge 35%, Smell Foodstuff 160%.
Magic: A gobbler can eat near-limitless quantities
of its designated substance. Sometimes gobblers
receive enchantments or long duration sorcery spells
from the dwarfs.Weapon % 55 Damage 1d4+2d6 SR 5/8
Note: A gobbler attacks four times each round, with both upper arms on its
initial SR and both lower paws 3 strike ranks later. Add +1% to its Paw attack
skill for each ENC of the target substance eaten. For every 10 ENC of the target
substance eaten, add +1 to one characteristic chosen by the dwarfs when the
gobbler was programmed</p><p> </p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;"></span></div>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-56218139456099442302023-09-16T13:01:00.001-05:002023-09-16T13:04:20.851-05:00Starmongers Guild<p>The Starmongers Guild is the closest thing to an operational magic-user's organization in the Kingdom of Drazbin. The main guildhouse is in the city of Yowat, but there's also a large contingent in Dillhonker. The original point of the organization was to provide solidarity for astrologers and soothsayers during a royal crackdown on fake fortune tellers, but all practitioners of the arcane sciences are now welcome. The usual route to membership is to apprentice under a master for several years but adventurers can skip that nonsense and join for a mere 1,000gp donation and a successful Charisma check (the fee is non-refundable). Membership provides the following benefits:</p><p></p><ul><li>Membership is a legal defense against accusations of witchcraft (but not Black Magic) wherever Royal law applies.</li><li>The right to participate in the parades and festivities of the order. This means anytime you carouse in a town with a guildhouse there's a 1 in 6 chance the XP gain is doubled.</li><li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEH_gE3g4FTevCIvt6vaREgEdt_9QJmei0jhDa2Fj4OjQnwQrCMKxv32gU3rdZoHwjUu-bT7nE9Vxsdqzziaq2gl4IKKZWLZ7lH8lJV1oJtk6bvXFWsPX9bekMTwWL7vcbC9X-1V8AFtGDpW_IYCzeZNBcr0_tDHPbJ-YdQ3N-GTiJPIYZdtWmA/s325/clutchofglaives.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="259" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEH_gE3g4FTevCIvt6vaREgEdt_9QJmei0jhDa2Fj4OjQnwQrCMKxv32gU3rdZoHwjUu-bT7nE9Vxsdqzziaq2gl4IKKZWLZ7lH8lJV1oJtk6bvXFWsPX9bekMTwWL7vcbC9X-1V8AFtGDpW_IYCzeZNBcr0_tDHPbJ-YdQ3N-GTiJPIYZdtWmA/w225-h282/clutchofglaives.png" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dillhonker Tarot has 99 cards.</td></tr></tbody></table>Every time you level up after joining, you receive an additional benefit if you can roll OVER your level on 1d12. If this roll is successful, throw 1d6 on the chart below:</li></ul><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><ol><li>Gain basic proficiency in astrology. (If re-rolled on a later level, you get nothing.)</li><li>Gain the alchemical knowledge needed to brew 1d3 different random potions.</li><li>Gain the ability to Read the Cards once per day, which works like the spell Augury (if re-rolled, gain an additional usage per day).<br /></li><li>Gain a random MU spell.</li><li>Gain knowledge of an ancient language.</li><li>Gain all the mental abilities of an Arduin Psychic equal to your level. (If rolled again, you lose these benefits. They can be regained later.)</li></ol></ol></div><div>Note that non-magic-users can try to join the guild. In these lazy days of warlockery there's only a 1 in 6 chance they detect that you're a charlatan. But woe unto ye if that happens.</div><p></p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-87921764514882902342023-08-19T11:58:00.000-05:002023-08-19T11:58:02.318-05:00Broodmother is back!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9qYk_MYa7M5Haez6gA4KSNl6ojxDEon6mPU2t-bo5NO6MznzhiggwqTSehVs40iDjnm6GO9qIWe_5JxLTS-z2kqKbbOaf7ymOZi-7IkzCIEmDU4I-Xim4HAARUnLVdT6kqZf4qsytyRkCRe8IvpnKQxKJCvRm7n1HrwAVD029Ko23peh6gM7hg/s768/brood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="559" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9qYk_MYa7M5Haez6gA4KSNl6ojxDEon6mPU2t-bo5NO6MznzhiggwqTSehVs40iDjnm6GO9qIWe_5JxLTS-z2kqKbbOaf7ymOZi-7IkzCIEmDU4I-Xim4HAARUnLVdT6kqZf4qsytyRkCRe8IvpnKQxKJCvRm7n1HrwAVD029Ko23peh6gM7hg/s320/brood.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>FYI, my magnum opus, <i>Broodmother Skyfortress</i>, is <a href="http://www.lotfp.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=236" target="_blank">back in print</a> at the Lamentations of the Flame Princess euro store. If you missed out on a hardcopy the first time around, here's your chance to buy one at non-collector prices. Also, it should be noted that among the many new LotFP releases is <i><a href="https://www.lotfp.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=437" target="_blank">Black Chamber</a></i> by my friend Becami Cusack of <a href="https://systematicrules.blogspot.com/">Systematica</a>. Congrats, Bec!<br /> <p></p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-58853926421557134372023-07-31T18:18:00.002-05:002023-07-31T18:18:46.049-05:00Dude! Northumbrian Tinsoldier!!<p>In a great reply to <a href="https://jrients.blogspot.com/2023/07/lotsa-different-humanoids.html">my quickie humanoid post</a> commenter 1d30 mentions that <a href="https://www.northumbriantinsoldier.com/">Northumbrian Tinsoldier</a> carries a line of goblins in the vein of the muppets from Labyrinth. And he ain't kidding. Check out these great gobbos:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rStTTxaEoQrst5bY2Zlk7UlHSwvFgl03BT0gCQD4xtctk6bQtJ6c2Anw7FdCE6M96MmgqsEkVbMWWzYKIjLxI9dnf3FOJBRJ5gHB6IM5m1ufTht_hPy1u7SjrLjJBdfVIWndiU_Ht1Gz8OTmrAsPUMFa-9OIjIuFKT-fgncgTo41ZCzuh-0UWw/s824/Set-3new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rStTTxaEoQrst5bY2Zlk7UlHSwvFgl03BT0gCQD4xtctk6bQtJ6c2Anw7FdCE6M96MmgqsEkVbMWWzYKIjLxI9dnf3FOJBRJ5gHB6IM5m1ufTht_hPy1u7SjrLjJBdfVIWndiU_Ht1Gz8OTmrAsPUMFa-9OIjIuFKT-fgncgTo41ZCzuh-0UWw/s320/Set-3new.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoCdUigMeu9HjW2Ct0-CNbOoRSHYx2ZrXeehBEeu_sqn2bD2G0ak6PpIL8CMZLoYSxVyN7fnU_nSryfRP1rVwO3A4ryD7nhm-6VmAhwige8eFYRNBuv4fGdN5baDIKzy2VbYgPdb6Cz9HwstVP2AfW1-Tu81_TjTOEH4mJcQCp-LvEKkaU7TWjg/s800/the-range-28mm-fantasy-metal-miniature-northumbrian-tin-soldier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoCdUigMeu9HjW2Ct0-CNbOoRSHYx2ZrXeehBEeu_sqn2bD2G0ak6PpIL8CMZLoYSxVyN7fnU_nSryfRP1rVwO3A4ryD7nhm-6VmAhwige8eFYRNBuv4fGdN5baDIKzy2VbYgPdb6Cz9HwstVP2AfW1-Tu81_TjTOEH4mJcQCp-LvEKkaU7TWjg/s320/the-range-28mm-fantasy-metal-miniature-northumbrian-tin-soldier.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's just a sample. There are many, many more goofy little freaks in the line. Here's some other fun stuff they sell:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">`</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUM3rddXW_fJdmujICN8hqCN4OxY5-tWtBoC4V3nIiF9PYzyoiYedQbnLINT1ROGTprqDA0BZdRyAFy8g0llL19cKJJem4mrlzrm_WlJRSfQINXPhqJQDqFcYQobGbM2Xewy2Gn4fy6wte6bNVu2IkCIg2e-OEgFzKKCz1iNlFSrZRFEcGOckW4Q/s800/adventurer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUM3rddXW_fJdmujICN8hqCN4OxY5-tWtBoC4V3nIiF9PYzyoiYedQbnLINT1ROGTprqDA0BZdRyAFy8g0llL19cKJJem4mrlzrm_WlJRSfQINXPhqJQDqFcYQobGbM2Xewy2Gn4fy6wte6bNVu2IkCIg2e-OEgFzKKCz1iNlFSrZRFEcGOckW4Q/s320/adventurer.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">I love an adventurer with a light source!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg479-ocWMfauxuDW9cv5w5eqDDDY48YGuLwE9t0l2Ks5IJSICor6digOiFVaFkPi8wf1HBGdAdj0ggGCWDm6948telGMA2wRvW_5UF-7wheGiCdkT_7wg4LaCaa_Wui3KuPWOrP-jaPdhifepkInrdh_UYGKVaWWhVBLfWYsctI7Tkuie1_csogQ/s400/sir-blessed-of-briian-28mm-fantasy-metal-miniature-northumbrian-tin-soldier-400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg479-ocWMfauxuDW9cv5w5eqDDDY48YGuLwE9t0l2Ks5IJSICor6digOiFVaFkPi8wf1HBGdAdj0ggGCWDm6948telGMA2wRvW_5UF-7wheGiCdkT_7wg4LaCaa_Wui3KuPWOrP-jaPdhifepkInrdh_UYGKVaWWhVBLfWYsctI7Tkuie1_csogQ/s320/sir-blessed-of-briian-28mm-fantasy-metal-miniature-northumbrian-tin-soldier-400x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This delightful figure is called Sir Blessed of Briian.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And don't miss the licensed <i>Time Bandits</i> line, featuring the best dwarfs to ever appear in fantasy (fight me):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SGStxaR9LDV62OrXCDQjyTXw_IKtebja_NBGPFmJSiJTb2Z6of5n1LVgEEb4DS8Q5bXWXuey6SS1xfcGOAUmk_SX6nDgjnuG0HTBLqHhRn1Ixr3oK5vgXCcDhTtN9RiTwlrO-5uxCTVcVdy6weBU8DrHceUZzCyOYJsaRmBtah1OOq59pkXW6Q/s800/the-time-robbers-28mm-fantasy-metal-miniature-northumbrian-tin-soldier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SGStxaR9LDV62OrXCDQjyTXw_IKtebja_NBGPFmJSiJTb2Z6of5n1LVgEEb4DS8Q5bXWXuey6SS1xfcGOAUmk_SX6nDgjnuG0HTBLqHhRn1Ixr3oK5vgXCcDhTtN9RiTwlrO-5uxCTVcVdy6weBU8DrHceUZzCyOYJsaRmBtah1OOq59pkXW6Q/w400-h300/the-time-robbers-28mm-fantasy-metal-miniature-northumbrian-tin-soldier.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They've also got most of the cool characters from the movie. Conspicuously absent at the moment are either version of God and these scary mofos:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5EhW4lWDw4lgxBms6WNr-UW14sBN8vAPdH1BRexkhZcUYMqPUa1pw34n7ZWzWbZ1Gi1dUdN9fKJWKuFlayVJxlWWg_wPgv3JsZn3L2Dq6-J5svgALaVDYiGqtWXSt1lGf7pMifahZMwYp38zN-6m_aQva-9HqOckoRvieJKv01b-ALwhMseLqg/s540/timebandits.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="540" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5EhW4lWDw4lgxBms6WNr-UW14sBN8vAPdH1BRexkhZcUYMqPUa1pw34n7ZWzWbZ1Gi1dUdN9fKJWKuFlayVJxlWWg_wPgv3JsZn3L2Dq6-J5svgALaVDYiGqtWXSt1lGf7pMifahZMwYp38zN-6m_aQva-9HqOckoRvieJKv01b-ALwhMseLqg/w400-h210/timebandits.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anyway, if you like cool minis, <a href="https://www.northumbriantinsoldier.com/">check out Northumbrian!</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-14959700343044714482023-07-26T07:55:00.000-05:002023-07-26T07:55:28.305-05:00Introducing the Summer 2023 Releases from Lamentations of the Flame Prin...<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/ttdve_Asw48" frameborder="0"></iframe>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-46814887451242370032023-07-08T07:15:00.000-05:002023-07-08T07:15:56.163-05:00lotsa different humanoids<p>If you are going to use all the standard D&D races, you need a quick handle on how each of them behave. If you can't makes these sorts of distinctions, they become blurred into different hit dice versions of Generic Foe. Here are my usual elevator-pitches for them:</p><p>Kobolds - like the Gremlins in the movies</p><p>Goblins - everything you hate about middle class existence</p><p>Orcs - blue collar working stiffs, part Homer Simpson, part Archie Bunker</p><p>Hobgoblins - the goddamn Nazis</p><p>Gnolls - evil frat boys variously chilling on spring break or rioting after their team wins the championship</p><p>Bugbears - sadistic cannibalistic Bigfoot</p><p>Ogres - Sweetums from the Muppet Show</p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-30247330041941355112023-06-25T06:16:00.000-05:002023-06-25T06:16:00.518-05:00mini-review: White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMBd1HeGc5KBjR60wraqZPxNjxSCjwejoHtcF_v0Jdwsk3hTooWyR-YT18HMJvhCaZupQE9kgnveD3ZHV9Cq9jOWsk6I9IpQVEfb4mNXItI5FWbWMVeP8F67cow6uJBs4ObQ4nw6dGaxJ2mJu5-erNH9MT7wPY9S32zf8gDZoTQ7nK-Z8cr08iQ/s825/whitebox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="530" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMBd1HeGc5KBjR60wraqZPxNjxSCjwejoHtcF_v0Jdwsk3hTooWyR-YT18HMJvhCaZupQE9kgnveD3ZHV9Cq9jOWsk6I9IpQVEfb4mNXItI5FWbWMVeP8F67cow6uJBs4ObQ4nw6dGaxJ2mJu5-erNH9MT7wPY9S32zf8gDZoTQ7nK-Z8cr08iQ/s320/whitebox.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>One of the earliest retroclones was Matt Finch's <i>Swords & Wizardry</i>, published in 2007 or 2008, if I recall correctly. S&W was an updating and reworking of original D&D. In 2009 <i>Swords & Wizardry: White Box </i>came out, which was a version of S&W that stripped the game back to the original three little beige books. <i><b>White Box: Fantasy Medieval Adventure Game</b></i> is Charlie Manson's 2016 reworking of the 2009 game.<br /><p></p><p>Since this is an old school D&D type game (If you don't know what that means, good luck reading the entire blog archive.), I will only hit a few rules points for those of us who are really finicky about these things:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Stats are -1 for 6 or less, +1 for 15 or more.</li><li>Hit dice are d6. Fighters start at 1+1.</li><li>Single saving throw</li><li>Four classes but thieves are listed as optional.</li><li>All class charts go to level 10 except MU which goes to 12.</li><li>'Thievery' is a skill that covers all thief stuff except backstab. You start at 2 in 6 with it. It goes to 3 in 6 at level 4.</li><li>Four races. Per OD&D elves switch between fighter and MU.</li><li>Both ascending and descending AC is supported.</li><li>Weapons generally do d6. Two-handers do d6+1.</li><li>The spell lists are unnumbered. I hate that.</li><li>Monster list is a bunch of old standbys but also includes Death Knight, 4 demons (balor, imp, succubus, lemure), and a neat little take on the Sidhe.</li><li>The magic item section is pretty nicely fleshed out.</li><li>There are some nice little jousting rules.</li></ul><div>If there's a major revelation in these rules, I have yet to find it. But that's hardly the point, is it? As a retroclone, it's first job is to be a serviceable version of the Game. By that standard, <i>White Box</i> hits the mark nicely. One can both dungeoneer and dragonify using these rules. My only real complaint (other than failing to number the spell lists) is that it lacks a starter adventure, sample level, and/or dungeon generator.</div><div><br /></div><div>What really makes <i>White Box</i> stand out to me is its <b>physical format</b>. The book is only 8.5" tall and 5.5" wide, 144 pages, paperback, black & white, and <u>cheap</u>. A copy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1981331395/?coliid=I2TS53S1XD50QL">on Amazon</a> goes for only 4.29 in US dollars! The paper is a greyish newsprint quality, but the printing on it is all clear and quite legible. No index but the table of contents is robust. The illos by William McAusland are frequent and evocative. All-in-all if you need a small, cheap rpg to give out to newbies or to throw in a travel bag, <i>White Box</i> fills the bill nicely. Add a handful of dice, some paper, a writing implement or two and the gates of adventure lie open unto ye.</div><p></p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-70689020115535281352023-05-29T17:23:00.002-05:002023-05-29T17:23:33.150-05:00more cool skeletons<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRefvmMcY199ma11SsVbHfvnu-FfbiycFnmsxbCqg7lNGzNsXUdxDCfu65YN-STwidx3iSxLbcgemusIL4BCgHXp-ONQ_9ZTRFZtuEyK3k0e3NotgwXkjq9_jwMg-U7auvZEfddRdArNTeGZ8qO49rKHLR0CCpuDJR0NuZbgG1YJ7eHKCgWCA/s1280/kyosai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1280" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRefvmMcY199ma11SsVbHfvnu-FfbiycFnmsxbCqg7lNGzNsXUdxDCfu65YN-STwidx3iSxLbcgemusIL4BCgHXp-ONQ_9ZTRFZtuEyK3k0e3NotgwXkjq9_jwMg-U7auvZEfddRdArNTeGZ8qO49rKHLR0CCpuDJR0NuZbgG1YJ7eHKCgWCA/w400-h294/kyosai.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These cool party dudes are from a 19th century work by an artist named Kyosai.</div><br /> <p></p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-17458238455725421532023-05-29T04:27:00.000-05:002023-05-29T04:27:08.377-05:00a fun little cartoon<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjhsrPdLqUZHh6RV96qzcqY2GmWSV6lv84v3QSciTjrDzlqFeBTCs62Ru0Gc9mVzuxMpqbAB76BWlhwETZGAK3e71KbGx1rbr-fRYg50QaZgtgjv33faTdGXmzijUnquh3hQkSYusf1rlj-SbzHuiAXh_j0AWHF1fBBgZXnFvleZ-w9GlS7Y/s1059/dungeon-skeletons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjhsrPdLqUZHh6RV96qzcqY2GmWSV6lv84v3QSciTjrDzlqFeBTCs62Ru0Gc9mVzuxMpqbAB76BWlhwETZGAK3e71KbGx1rbr-fRYg50QaZgtgjv33faTdGXmzijUnquh3hQkSYusf1rlj-SbzHuiAXh_j0AWHF1fBBgZXnFvleZ-w9GlS7Y/w378-h400/dungeon-skeletons.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm a sucker for anything that depicts skeletons, orcs, etc. as ordinary working stiffs.</div><br /> <p></p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-62419490464102935292023-05-26T13:50:00.000-05:002023-05-26T13:50:14.405-05:00Venger Con is a thing that is happening again.<p>Venger Satanis is having <a href="https://tabletop.events/conventions/venger-con-ii-electric-boogaloo">his own convention</a> again, in Madison, Wisconsin on July 21-23. The funny thing is, I will be driving through Madison on the 22nd, but I don't have time to stop to play anything. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tabletop.events/conventions/venger-con-ii-electric-boogaloo" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdHSfbXxBZ-qHUGESYtZboMquOUDsoR3a1KQTwer3EiOdMoapdxuqirlsSdmLW5724MOLdfChyVUfL2jzmJ40w-c6P2JuvZjDsWMHhtHEhTgIwsBEwESEPQXlGxw5lXOKhgXRIAcYMjkhrnRAhYls74OF_YuKq6d4m-JzhuhD4PtvuU3RVCo/s320/Monstark-Venger_Con_2023_banners-02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>(Of course, I might not find it to my taste if I did stop, as it is advertised as "non-woke." I don't consider myself woke, but I rarely find myself on the same page as folks who get themselves worked up about "the wokes".) </p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-78915124721887382342023-05-20T12:20:00.000-05:002023-05-20T12:20:29.474-05:00two new Heroforge characters<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My daughter wanted to play around with making characters on <a href="http://heroforge.com">Heroforge</a> today, so I whipped up versions of two new NPCs in the Dillhonker City campaign.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">'</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbahvDHvrgMVyARWRKLbO66GVUeqiRfeV0jzLilIw4dCAiYWN2gSo0Y8S9wnR5vKnmCOJ9T-JHXvagXZpc_h8ShbGoVd-d_E9W2mSjEnO6QYsfDLsylZqmwLfa_fWr6cA3Ps7gN9Ej7tCrcq3cbZel7odoOyfM8fzRJNSmz3x3qiT6B2cnn1M/s555/steve.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="343" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbahvDHvrgMVyARWRKLbO66GVUeqiRfeV0jzLilIw4dCAiYWN2gSo0Y8S9wnR5vKnmCOJ9T-JHXvagXZpc_h8ShbGoVd-d_E9W2mSjEnO6QYsfDLsylZqmwLfa_fWr6cA3Ps7gN9Ej7tCrcq3cbZel7odoOyfM8fzRJNSmz3x3qiT6B2cnn1M/s320/steve.png" width="198" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please do not invade his section of the dungeon until Undead Steve has had his morning coffee.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMI-K_kIsRJGchCjHkApvn6kq0y_59vw27koHGsFPwbYlUlFBaZY4K7JW9JF7GQA9srr9RfPjLLOtQmSVX_Mgn5CqBngVQwK8AbQVagE-SDQQHyfd-lF4Hu0SC3fO7MM5n_d-c2zveeKVbbbrEXgOgwp_5ktsnHPG2II29RyeKwTV3khyy8U/s600/stanky.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="600" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMI-K_kIsRJGchCjHkApvn6kq0y_59vw27koHGsFPwbYlUlFBaZY4K7JW9JF7GQA9srr9RfPjLLOtQmSVX_Mgn5CqBngVQwK8AbQVagE-SDQQHyfd-lF4Hu0SC3fO7MM5n_d-c2zveeKVbbbrEXgOgwp_5ktsnHPG2II29RyeKwTV3khyy8U/s320/stanky.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stanky the Elf has all 8s for stats, a magic wand, and terrible fashion sense.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-22755333055839574702023-05-18T17:53:00.000-05:002023-05-18T17:53:22.715-05:00an unexpected synthetic deity<p>So I just finished the English translation Konrad Schmid's <i>Genesis and the Moses Story</i>. I give it a strong recommendation to anyone who would see 6 untranslated ancient Hebrew words and 5 footnotes on <i>page frickin' 1</i> and go "that's my idea of a good time." Not much of it is gameable unless your game is set somewhere between the 8th and 5th centuries BC. But the section on Hellenic reception of the Pentateuch had some nifty stuff about Moses and Abraham being identified by Greek scholars as wizard guys. Here's my favorite bit game-wise: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KYibLyVuifOKFjhsUYN2wiDX_sBQFllkwm2jaeYhTRVeJxLXSYYmTzM2uDnkDbBKUXqs4F8VHTELimcIa9mboURSFK8SMO40mde_IGDtXyELjLAXMelN0U24wz5Mpq1WKKoMrDn7UKmrFACsDsYp8giaGY3I43jDjESuuEn9AJi3kzsab10/s1945/IMG_0226.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1282" data-original-width="1945" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KYibLyVuifOKFjhsUYN2wiDX_sBQFllkwm2jaeYhTRVeJxLXSYYmTzM2uDnkDbBKUXqs4F8VHTELimcIa9mboURSFK8SMO40mde_IGDtXyELjLAXMelN0U24wz5Mpq1WKKoMrDn7UKmrFACsDsYp8giaGY3I43jDjESuuEn9AJi3kzsab10/w400-h264/IMG_0226.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I love the idea of Hermes-Thor! The footnote says that he is also mentioned in Eusebius, so I'm going to have to check that out.In my current campaign all mainstream gods have 2 aspects pulled from two different pantheons. Instead of Hermes-Thor, I have Osiris-Thor, who is popular among adventurers. Gods with only one aspect are considered heretical. Only crazy cultists belong to one aspect faiths. <div><br /></div><div>The idea of these double gods came from an episode of <i>Cosmos.</i> In a segment on the Library of Alexandria, Carl Sagan mentions the synthetic Greco-Egyptian god Serapis, who struck me as a sort of multiclassed Zeus/Osiris.</div>Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com8