Monday, February 29, 2016

Allentown Train Show and Weekends of Freedom

If the temperatures are getting warming, the kids stir crazy, and the mud getting thicker than a Great War trench, it was time for the ATMA Spring Thaw Train Meet in Allentown this past weekend.

As my dedicated throngs of readers know, the Allentown Train Meet is a great excuse for a hybrid mix of daddy/daughter morning and a visit to Grandma J while I game with my friends in the afternoon. 

This year, with Millie turning 5, I decided I would try and take both of them.  This worked so-so two years ago, and at least I knew even if things turned wrong, (a) I would enjoy my rare gaming afternoon even more and (b) my mom would get a full night's sleep after the kids left.

By 7:30am, all three of us were in the car and on the road.  Our first traditional stop was always "the breakfast place," a diner attached to a gas store/convenience store right down the road from their other grandmother.  Alas, the business was recently over by a lovely Pakistani family and the diner portion was been shuttered. 

As an alternative we drove a bit before stopping at The Beacon Diner in Hometown, PA.   The kids are great when we eat out anywhere, but a diner just gives me a sense of calm versus a Perkins/Denney's or other chain restaurant.   

While we're still looking for a local breakfast alternative, on Train Days, we will now always go to The Beacon.  It's a diner, with old diner fixtures (good and bad) and diner fare (ditto).  The kids ate most of their food, they colored, the staff was friendly, I got coffee refills, and my scrapple was a solid mix of crunchy exterior and soft, tasty inside.

That's enough to give a place my seal of approval, but in the midst of breakfast, an older couple entered the restaurant.  The husband walked over to Millie, who was sitting right next to me along the counter, and just started chatting up a storm.  Finally, he said, "Sweetie, I'm a stranger so you can't take anything from me, but I'll give these to your Dad and he'll give them to you and your sister if it's okay," and handed me two shiny Kennedy half dollars, which made the girls' day.

The last time I saw something like that happen in a restaurant, I was the recipient of Mr. Kennedy.  I didn't think things like that happened anymore.  Thanks for proving me wrong!

The Train Show itself was a bit of a bust for me, and that is no fault of the organizers, volunteers, or anyone else.   I mean, the normal swampy parking lot was just muddy and the crowds were navigable.  My shopping list was small and there just wasn't much to work with, especially with two small girls.   Everyone with boxes of the Matchbox Models of Yesteryear trucks were gone, forcing me to eBay this month, there was one Marklin dealer, and there wasn't much in the way of wargaming convertible stuff on the cheap.

For Maja it was all about the Train races. 
She went 0-2 in her heat, but I was proud of her second race, almost beating the much older boy with a slow and steady approach to the race, just not enough to punch it on the last straightaway.  Regardless, she was happy with her certificate and ready to go. 
 
Welcome to Pennsylvania Weather
Our lemonade/giant pretzel snack at the show trumped a need for lunch, so we headed for Easton, took care of an errand or two, and dropped them off at Grandma's so I could run Call of Cthulhu. 

With our disasters from last session, this could very well have turned into a wrap-up session for the campaign.  But we had Dr Bob and Aaron making triumphant returns to the table and at the end of the session I believe we went from giving up to a fast track from being two or three sessions away from finishing Masks of Nylarathotep.  Sure, it looks like we're skipping Australia, but from what I've read/listened to, most people do.   On to Shanghai with the last of their money, their health, and their sanity.

After a week of illnesses, chauffeur duty for my mother-in-law's doctors appointments and dialysis, and crazy weather driving everyone mad, the weekend netted a relaxed Saturday afternoon and Olive Garden to-go for dinner and a great Sunday.   I'm definitely in a better place than last week, so hopefully the kids and I can get some painting/gaming done... after the local Grandma needs a pick-up from dialysis last tonight. 

Alright, I'll take what I can get. 

Coming Soon:  No pulp games are on the docket, do it's painting for the convention games, painting with the kids, the spoils of the Windsword and Miniature Market orders that arrived this past week, and TWO store reviews.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

The Mike Lung Gallery #41 - The Venus-Congo Connection

Our intrepid correspondent, Mike Lung is busy slaving away finishing up the details of a massive gnome/mousling gonzo space game for Cold Wars.  I'll be linking to Jim Stanton's Gnome Wars and Stout Smurf blogs for any updates he posts.  After Cold Wars, I'll post the remainder.  To quote a Danish toy company, "Everything is Awesome!"

While that's going on, I figured I'd continue to clean out my e-mails of Mike's mad genius rambling, and post two attached pics of his Gnome War big game hunter he sculpted for personal use.


Western Imperialism, On and Off World
                                                        By Mike Lung

The discovery of these gates connecting the Earth to other worlds in our solar system would set off a new colonial scramble.  Earth colonies would, of course, gain even more importance as well. Belgians creating a Venusian colony via the Congo, England to Mars via Egypt, Italy to Mars via Somalia, US to Mars via Arizona and Venus via Panama, Germany to Venus via a U-boat accessible cave in the Antarctic, and etc. Mysterious plateaus in Mongolia and up the Amazon are unclaimed by major powers...could it kick off a new scramble or a new war?
Also, I had always thought that the gate to Venus via the Congo would be the perfect background for a CoC game and some miniatures skirmish games. Adventures arrive in Belgium Congo and sent via Steamer up the Congo to investigate or help put down unsettling native rebellions. On the surface, the native rebellions appear to be caused by the cruel inhuman rule of the Belgians and their rubber trade. However, these rebellions are particularly barbaric. Turns out it is much worse than it appears. There is a major zombie outbreak in the heart of the Congo…whole tribes are being consumed. Further investigation, shows that a zombie virus (Venusian Flu) is in the water supply. After battling zombies, deep ones (i.e., Creature of the Black Lagoon), and dinosaurs, the source of the water is discovered to come from a strange river valley entered via a chasm. The chasm is the remains of an Old One gate recently discovered a crazed Belgium scientist/explorer who tampered with gate and destroyed it along with himself! The destruction of the gate caused a huge earthquake and allowed Primordial Venus to bleed into the Congo. Depending on how it pans out, the Explorers could become Belgian heroes, the gate valley would be named after Explorers who discovered (rediscovered) it, and this could set off the Belgians' colonization of Venus. Of course, Venus is also the source of the deep ones strange gold…may be a good lead to why the characters are there in the first place. It could be that the explorers unknowingly cross through the ripped gate and leave Earth to have lots adventures on Venus among the Deep Ones, lizard men, primitive ape men, and dinosaurs. Lots of room to throw in Old Ones or Great Race of Yith and other friends. Why do the remote mountains valleys of Venus have Cavemen and Mammoths?...another gate back to Earth during the Pleistocene?!
This also can be used with colonization of Polynesia, Samoa, New Guinea, etc.  Does a gate exist to Venus exist on one of the Samoan islands, too?…is that why German, England, and the US all want to control this vital point so they all can gain a new entry point onto Venus? Are some Samoan tribes not as human as they appear…is there a deep one colony off the shore…I wonder what they would have to say about this intrusion?   A mere coaling station may not be worth the effort the powers are putting into the territory...
 
This concept works extremely well for a straight Call of Cthulhu campaign (I pray no one wants to wander into the jungles of the Congo after visiting Kenya in Masks, but I wouldn't be surprised), it gives yet another angle for moon (and other) colonizations that the Stout Gnomes will cover in their game at Cold Wars, and it allows a traditional Pulp Game to expand into the weird science of other worlds.  Sure, my game with the kids has had some undead, gnomes, an elf, a dinosaur, and a talking mouse with a bow, but we've yet to visit Martians.... and after all the trouble obtaining artifacts, perhaps Maja Millie the archaeologist needs a relaxing Polynesian vacation.  RAFM, where are my Deep Ones!!!

Saturday, February 27, 2016

(Risus) Waylon Jennings

Waylon Jennings
Outlaw Country Singer/Songwriter (4)
Independent Musical Highwayman (3)
Wise Turkey Farm Truck Driver (2)
Amateur Drug Rehab Counselor (1)
Equipment: Beard, 1953 Fender Telecaster, Farm Truck


Friday, February 26, 2016

Apathy of the New Releases (Mar '16)

My Want List
Chaosium
S. Petersens's  Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors ........................................................ $34.95
 I'm not too interested in core CoC 7th product right now, but a reinterpretation of Petersen Field Guides of old is right up my alley.

Steve Jackson Games
Bill and Ted's EXCELLENT Board Game ................................................................. $19.95
I have been waiting for this game for over 25 years, and I already had my geekgasm when it was announced last Fall. 

My Money-Is-No-Object List
Asmodee
Zany Penguins .............................................................................................................. $14.99
 
My girls love penguins and for $14.99, if I can find it in a retail store.. or we need a May birthday gift for Maja, I'll snag it up.
 
The Imaginary Store List (The Pegleg Gnome)
Advanced Graphics
The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon Life-Size Standup .............................................. $22.75
Stand-ups are always crap shoots, but if there's a line of these, at least they're decorations for the store.
 
Avalanche Press
Soldier Emperor:  Indian Empires ........................................................................... $49.99
 
Catalyst Game Labs
Shadowrun RPG:  Deniable Assets Paperback ....................................................... $12.95
 
Fantasy Flight Games
Star Wars RPG:  Force and Destiny Savage Spirits HC ......................................... $29.95
Storyline: Fairy Tales .............................................................................................. $19.95
 
FASA Games
1879: Players Guide ................................................................................................ $35.00
1879:  Gamemaster's Guide .....................................................................................$35.00
The "new" FASA's massive failure of a multi-media Kickstarter (RPG, minis, and phone apps) has reared the RPG side of it's head.
 
Games Workshop
Battletome: Fyreslayers ........................................................................................... $49.50
Rant #1  So, dwarfs in Age of Sigmar have become Fyreslayers, the love child of Conan and Shaemus from WWE and was painted by a Ginger-loving Frank Frazetta. 
 
Rant #2: After an entire month of GW releasing products over $200, they turn around and release a nice series  of affordable "Starter Sets" to "start collecting" the hobby. 
 
They're $85 frickin' dollars!
 
Rant #3:  Citadel Spray Paints are just under TWENTY DOLLARS????  And the metallic paint can is $28.00?????    I think my little side area of my painting table full of primer, sealant, zap-a-gap, and hobby knives was cheaper than those, combined!
 
Iron Wind Metals
B'Tech:  Centurion CN11-0 Prime Mech ................................................................... $12.75
B'Tech:  Goterdammerung GTB-205 ......................................................................... $16.75
B'Tech:  Juliano .......................................................................................................... $17.50
B'Tech:  Templar III ................................................................................................... $17.50
 
 
Konami Digital Entertainment
Yu-Gi-Oh!  TCG:  Millennium Pack Boosters
Yu-Gi-Oh!  TCG: Premium Gold - Infinite Gold
 
Mayfair Games
Steam: Map Expansion #5 ............................................................................................... $45.00
Oh My Gods (Essen Edition) ........................................................................................... $15.00
In Oh My Goods!, players control a network of workshops and craftsmen in their quest to become the richest merchant in the realm! Beginning with the ability to make charcoal, use your resources to acquire cloth, meat, or other goods to increase your income, run your workshops, and hire assistants. Plan the most efficient path to profit in Oh My Goods! Scheduled to ship in January 2016.
 
 Modiphius
Mutant Chronicles RPG: Brotherhood Source Book ....................................................... $28.99
Mutant Chronicles RPG: Cybertronic Source Book ........................................................ $28.99
Mutant Chronicles RPG: Capitol Source Book ................................................................ $28.99
Mutant Chronicles RPG; Imperial Source Book .............................................................. $28.99
Mutant Chronicles RPG: Mishima Source Book .............................................................. $28.99
 
Monte Cook Games
Numenera RPG:  Into the Deep HC .................................................................................. $39.99
 
Ninja Division Games
AVP: Alien Queen ........................................................................................................... $54.95
AVP: Power Loader ......................................................................................................... $24.95
AVP: Predator Hellhounds ............................................................................................... $24.95
AVP: Predalien ................................................................................................................. $15.95
AVP: Alien Crusher ......................................................................................................... $45.95
AVP: Alien Warriors ........................................................................................................ $24.95
Don't know much about AVP the Minis game, put a box or ten of alien warriors might sell just for the novelty.
 
Osprey Publishing
Cthulhu Wars:  The United States Battle Against the Mythos .......................................... $19.00
Of all the books being written by Ken Hite, this is the one I want, and this is the one that keeps getting pushed back, this time back to May 2016. Otherwise, it's a pretty lame month for Osprey.
 
Paizo Publishing
Pathfinder Adventure Card Game:  Witch Class Deck ....................................................... $19.99
Pathfinder AP: Hell's Vengeance Part 4 - For Queen and Empire ...................................... $24.99
Pathfinder Campaign Setting:  Inner Sea Intrigue ..............................................................  $22.99
Pathfinder Pawns: Bestiary 5 Box ......................................................................................  $44.99
Pathfinder Flip Mat: Hamlet ...............................................................................................  $14.99
Pathfinder Player Companion:  Magic Tactics Toolbox ..................................................... $14.99
 
Pinnacle Entertainment Group
Savage Worlds RPG:  Necessary Evil - Breakout ...............................................................  $19.99
 
Pokémon USA
Pokémon TCG:  Charizard EX Red & Blue Collection
Pokémon TCG: Triple Power Tin
Pokémon TCG: Mythical Pokémon Collection Celebi
 
Steve Jackson Games
Munchkin Fu:  Guest Artist Edition: John Kovalic ............................................................. $29.95
John Kovalic???? Wouldn't that be like Jackson Pollock getting invited to do artwork imitating Jackson Pollock?
 
Munchkin Playmat:   Spyke Gets Suckered ........................................................................ $16.95
Munchkin Knights Blister Pack .......................................................................................... $ 5.95
Munchkin Meeples .............................................................................................................. $19.95
Simon's Cat: The Card Game .............................................................................................. PI
 
Ulisses-Spiele
The Dark Eye RPG:  Core Rules HC .................................................................................. $49.99
The Dark Eye RPG: Revelations from Heaven. ................................................................. $14.99
 
USAopoly
Cthulhu Yahtzee
Cool dice and a cup of Cthulhu... no price though.
 
Fallout Monopoly
Again, no price given.
 
WIZKIDS
D&D Fantasy Minis:  Icons of the Realms Set 5 Booster Brick
Marvel Heroclix:  Superior Foes of Spiderman Booster Brick
Marvel Heroclix:  Spiderman and His Greatest Foes:  Fast Forces .................................. $16.99
Marvel Heroclix:  Spiderman Dice and Token Pack ......................................................... $ 9.99
Star Trek:  Attack Wing:  Borg Cube with Sphere Port Premium .................................... $99.99
WizKids Clixfx Base Accessory Kit ................................................................................. $12.99
 
 
 

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Gnome Home Buying

I've been quite prolific in my old age by writing a ton of posts for February.  In fact, I thought I had enough scheduled posts to statiate my few fans' desire for daily posts, but here's a gap!
 
So to fill it, here's a find by esteemed writer/game designer (or is it game designer/writer) Robin D Laws (@RobinDLaws)

I don't think they'll find the square footage you're looking for....

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

(Hackmaster) Burning Trogs Rule! #27: "This Monastery Now Evil Free"

Zorin Redrock - Gnome Titan Fighter.  Veteran of the Barbarian Wars, and hero of Marakeikos due to the retaking of Frandor's Keep. 
Janus Redrock - Gnome Titan Priest of Pangrus.  Cousin of  Zorin Gnome Titan of loose morals and  a hero of Marakeikos.
Gwendalyn Lorax  - Half Elf Druid.  
Terval Sit - Half-Elf Mage
"Whitey"  - Albino Halfling Priest of Yondalla.   Zorin's sidekick.
Coreena Ruddledater- 9 year old halfling torchbearer.
Ramsa - Mute Halfling Fighter - Gwen's Protege.


9th of NonDec 1134:  An "abandoned" mountain monastery of Akana in Yarbay
Gwen healed up the battered party (again), but failed to identify the magic ring.

They wanted to go back to a building near the bathhouse.  They uncover a huge kitchen off of the previously smaller kitchen they found the skull in.  Forcing a second door open, they find a room with tons of rotting corpses stacked like cordwood.

Gwen found another secret door, leading to corridors beyond, but open air, we go left.  They found themselves near large double doors and a very large, but normal looking bell.  Further up was a door into a building.  The bell did not appear special.  

The double doors led to main courtyard with burning corpses.  A twisted monkey attacked Gwen, but Zorin knocked it off of her and killed it.  Breaking through another is a long, dark, dusty room.  Altar was at the far end of the room with Dragonlike creature crushing a snake thing in it's claw.   In it's other claw was a real pearl.  They marked the spot on the map, did NOT take the pearl, and continued on.

Through another door led to another long room,  this time with pillars down the middle.  A side room through a big arch on the left was full of religious decorations, a large dais with cauldron, and three people.  Terval's Color Spray is completely ineffective against them, so Zorin ordered a charged.  The people had red beady eyes and quickly paralyzed the group with their claws.  Just as the Trogs were being gnawed upon, Whitey suddenly burst into the room and turned the creatures, then used healing on them to wound one, eventually destroying it. We all recover a few minutes later and burn the bodies.  In her searches Gwen discovered enchanted leather armor she could actually use! (Leather Armor +1)
 
After searching through a room with four chests, all trapped with some kind of bane, they found a very swanky room, befitting a shrine of evil.   The monk leader and a bear(!?!) were in it.
 
Zorin: "Time to Kill"
 
They quickly slew the monk and bear.

They moved into a new building, full of scrolls.  Upon some research they discovered the monk-things were called "Bhuts".  These Bhuts had an agreement with the Master to guard the pass from people, enslave some, and eat the others.  Other documents referred to passing the Great Pass before reaching the Temple of Death.

Others reference to ceremonies in the Akana Monastery.  The monastery had been there for 500 years, but no records could tell how long the Bhuts ran it.  Even more notes on the mountain pass and on heretical religion of death and its great temple were uncovered.  The Trogs took all of these  scrolls relevant to their mission.

The adjacent building was a storage shed with plenty of fire building supplies to torch the entire monastery.
 
In the last building, they found a full list of troops in the Master's army and another list of all the spies working for the Barthey Empire.   The upstairs was full of armor, weapons, another room of scrolls in weird languages, yet another had an Desert Fighter, who breaks Zorin's arm.  After Zorin slays him, Whitey recommended a full week's rest for Zorin's arm before travelling.
 
21st of NonDec 1134:  Still in the abandoned monastery in Yarbay
Whitey performed some magic stuff and Zorin's arm improves somewhat.  Whitey still says it will take three weeks to heal naturally.  Despite this injury, the Trogs decide to carry on.
 
22nd of NonDec 1134:  Yarbay
Zorin:
We head out,  First we place a sign saying: 

"This Monastery Now Evil-Free"
                                                  -Burning Trogs

Then we torch the goddamn place and move on.                        


Here the Trogs have completed X4:  Master of the Desert Nomads.   Besides Zorin's broken arm, some mummy rot, and the all-around exhaustion of the group fighting the unending hordes of Bhut monks (heheh), they got through intact.  As they move closer to the climax in X5: Temple of Death, they are officially in a hostile land.

Next:  #28:  To Magden

Monday, February 22, 2016

(Kickstarter) Gnomi

The temps have gotten warmer and only the stingiest of snow piles fight for survival in the corners of shady parking lots.  Spring is in the air early and with it the first of hopefully many new gnome-themed products on Kickstarter.

Gnomi from Poppy Jasper Games, is a card game of gnomes, mushrooms, farming and naps that doesn't require a table.  A handy card flipping mechanic allows the discard pile to stay in your hand as you're standing on a street corner, flipping burgers on the grill, or driving a Hummer through the slums of Rio.

Where No Mercy is essentially an elaborate version of War, Gnomi appears to be a fancy, portable version of Go Fish.  I personally have no problem with this and have pledged for the game with the fancy box.

 One thing that I'm appreciating more and more with every campaign:  No Stretch Goals.  Rather, they have eight separate "marketing" achievements (# Pledges, Facebook likes, Twitter followers, etc) that will add different cards or cosmetic changes to the game.  They calculate the more exposure they get, the more pledges will come in, and the cheaper cost per unit of printing a larger run will soak the added expenses.

Ninja Gnomes, Vampire Bats, and the Weekend

The good news is the chaos of my life has devolved back to my regular chaos over the weekend.  The kids' activities have dwindled on the weekend but with my mother-in-law finally released from the hospital/therapy, and my wife away in Philly for the weekend for a course, it was a wee bit crazy.  After taking the kids to pick up Grandma, take her home, and deal with a thousand errands, I took the kids on an unexpected road trip Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours to visit a game shop from distant memory, but the high point of that was a car full of stories, a great dinner at Funck's outside Indiantown Gap, and the realization that the playing the alphabet game on our stretch of I-81 is way too easy.  The store review should be up later this week.

Sunday was laundry/cleaning/checking up with the M-I-L, with a another set of errands for household items, car parts, and the easiest 15 minute jaunt with the kids through Toys R Us.  Nothing was purchased.   I was a annoyed yet amused that Toys R Us has nothing western left, not even 54mm cowboys and Indians.  However, it's been replaced by pirate playsets (complete with skeletons), the traditional knights/Vikings are back, and a "mythical legend" set with elves and orcs.   Not too bad for high volume junk made in China.

Sunday night I made a futile attempt to speed through Walking Dead (and Talking Dead) and get to bed before midnight, only to discover the series finale of Gravity Falls was last Monday (interfering with my wife's watching of the Grammys).  Around 1am, I staggered into bed, satisfied with everything I've watched. 

With the kids needing to see Gravity Falls, a new Supergirl tonight, and my wife's shows returning, I have no idea when I'm going to find to the time to catch up on Agent Carter, watch the second season of Young Justice with the kids, AND of course, paint.

This past week was more about ordering more stuff, than painting it.... With 360 minis coming from Miniature Market and a Windsword order to boot, I need to find some time to paint AND relax.

An old school Bat Swarm for Warhammer Fantasy Battles.

With Bugbears, and Gnomes, and Pulp Figures (oh my!) that I'm doing in small doses at the same time, it's nice to find something small to just finish in a timely manner (even if there are six of them on the base). 
 
Japanese Ninjas for Gnome Wars (Brigade Games).
These fellows follow the same rules as the rest of gnomes for the Treasure Game:  Sufficient detail, high gloss finish for clumsy hands.  The Japanese gnomes have crazy detail for most figures, so I won't be doing more than the ninjas for a good long while.

Next:  Gnomes, Bugbears, and Pulp Figures still take up the slots on the table, although I did find even more Ral Partha minis to mix it up.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

(Risus) Rayne Firewyrk, Elemental Samurai

With the absurdity you can find on the net now FOR DECADES, I'm saddened that I don't create some pop culture characters that are perfect for Risus and possibly Illuminati University.  

I'll start with Will Keith, better known and the Katana versus Water Bottle guy. 

Obviously, between the videos and his About section on YouTube, he becomes quite easy to stat.

Rayne Firewyrk, Elemental Samurai
Fat Dude with a Hatred of Bottled Water (4)
Elemental Samurai of Fire (3)
Gamer (2)
Minor Web Celebrity (1)
Equipment:  Katana, Membership to Sam's Club AND Costco
 
The Fire Samurai has found a nursery of unhatched water younglings.  There shall be no mercy!


Friday, February 19, 2016

The Tax Return and Sales

The great days of celebration is upon my household. 

The tax return hit.  Two days early, to boot!

I've been perseverating on what to get with my percentage of the windfall.  Outside of the some items for the Gnomish Treasure Hunt and some long-term purchases for the Cold Wars 2017 game, I've been haphazard with my lists. 

The one thing that I though would help me was an e-mail promoting RAFM's 30% off sale through February 25th.  Unfortunately, even compiling a larger order netted me about Fifteen bucks off after shipping and handling.  Plus, I don't want to essentially pay for my S&H on my much delayed CoC Minis Kickstarter after I already paid it when the campaign ended.

Meandering through the Internet for Heroclix for the girls, I remembered Miniature Marketplace, and although it was a dead end for the clix, they do have a sizable clearance section and a RIP clearance going on with fabulous discounts. 

To say I picked up 360 miniatures for $123 is a bit of a falsehood.  I also got four different board/family games (one of which originally retailed for $60) and FREE SHIPPING.  I may even be able to use some of the minis for my Cold Wars 2017 game.

The RIP super-clearance ends on Sunday!

I plan a Saturday afternoon drive with the girls to visit a long-lost location... and probably not spend money, so I'm still pondering orders to MBA, Pulp Figures, and a definite order to Windsword.  We've got bills to pay down, a trip to Pittsburgh, a sink and shower to fix up, and a new couch coming our way.

... and then I remembered:  my bonus kicks in next Friday.  All is good with the world.

Urban Gnome Culture.

The odd things my co-workers send me...



 

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Peter Cushing Unwinding

For the Gnomies enjoyment...

A fan posting to the Peter Cushing Association on Facebook:

"An unusual Rank publicity still for Hamlet of the late 1940s:
Peter Cushing's little army goes into action!  He has a big collection of model soldiers and devotes some of his spare time to this fascinating hobby'.   Note the book Little Wars by HGWells..."


Wednesday, February 17, 2016

The Events for Mepacon Spring 2016 Have Been Submitted!

After a fun poll, we have THREE events for Mepacon Spring 2016:

Friday Night:  Spirit of '77 - The Cruise Ship of the Damned! - 7 players  -
Spirit of 77 is a role-playing game based on 70’s pop culture – glam music, grindhouse action films, kung-fu, weird science and revved up race-cars on lone highways, outracing Smokey and the Man!  
Take all that funkadelic awesomeness and put that on a cruise ship for something exciting and new... and deadly.
Although 3rd place in the poll was a tie between "serious" Burning Plastic and a new Toon Simpsons game, I made an executive decision and decided I WANTED to run Spirit of '77.  The scenario already comes with pre-gens, and I'm not sure if I had wanted to save the 70's awesomeness of a scenario in my head for Spirit or IOU.   This is also the only time during the convention that I won't have Maja with me, and although we don't have "mature" themes per se, this can be a "grown-up" game. 

Saturday 2PM:  Gnome Wars: Treasure Hunt -  10 players - That the gnomes of all nations have sent two-man teams to explore a new archaeological dig for rare treasures is not surprising.    That they armed them so well is a bit concerning.  Race around the table, searching for clues to the location of the treasures, all the while dodging your opponents, and a few special events.  Whoever returns to the bar with the most treasure wins!
KIDS ARE WELCOME!

A whopping 87% of all voters selected is option (this is a Gnome Wars blog, remember).  A few terrain orders post-tax return are in order.

Saturday: 9AM Kobolds Ate My Baby:  Koboldz Goz to Kollegez!     8 players
You're a kobold.  A kobold has a harsh life. But at least there are babies to eat . . . until King Torg (All Hail King Torg!) swipes the plumpest and juiciest for his table.

Recently, your kobold burrows connected to a new set of fancy passageways.  Scouts have reported the tunnels lead to giant stone barns, and that means one thing:  GIANT TASTY CHICKENS.

KIDS, OLD AND YOUNG, ARE WELCOME!

37% of voters picked KAMB (remember you could have voted for multiple options).  I need to pull the KAMB book out of storage and make initial characters, but the game should run itself.  Chickens, weird science weapons, and a quest for the on-campus day-care are in order.


Of course, upon submitting the events, I sorted through my mail and came up with this:


Leaving me wide open for the entire month of April.    I don't think that any drug lord trials that would force me to be sequestered are being relocated to Northeast PA, but it's another thing to worry about.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

(Kickstarter) Weird War I for Savage Worlds

After inserting their weird war flavor into Ancient Rome, Vietnam, and World War II, Pinnacle has their sights on the War to End All Wars with Weird War I for Savage Worlds.



I think I'm reaching my Kickstarter threshold as seven pledge levels plus a different slew of add-ons is overwhelming to me.   The rulebooks look nice, the dice are solid, and part of my demands the messenger bag, but I have plenty of systems for WWI, played straight and weird.

They've already made their goal, so stretch goals should be chugging along shortly.

 

(Hackmaster) Burning Trogs Rule! #26: "I Hate the Desert!!!"

Zorin Redrock - Gnome Titan Fighter.  Veteran of the Barbarian Wars, and hero of Marakeikos due to the retaking of Frandor's Keep.  Recently wounded by a mummy
Janus Redrock - Gnome Titan Priest of Pangrus.  Cousin of  Zorin Gnome Titan of loose morals and  a hero of Marakeikos.
Gwendalyn Lorax  - Half Elf Druid.   Recently wounded by a mummy
Terval Sit - Half-Elf Mage
"Whitey"  - Albino Halfling Priest of Yondalla.   Zorin's sidekick.
Coreena Ruddledater- 9 year old halfling torchbearer.
Ramsa - Mute Halfling Fighter - Gwen's Protege.

33nd of OctDec 1134, Yarbay Mountains
As the group progressed, Gwen and Zorin's wounds from the Temple would not heal, and they are getting worse.  The purple, diseased tissue is spreading.

34th of OctDec 1134
The was uneventful, but it's even hotter than normal.  They discovered a dried up oasis to stop and rest in meager shade for part of the day.

35th of OctDec 1134
Hotter day, wounds are still getting worse on Gwen and Zorin, but even with taking off all types of armor, the party was slowly dying from heat.

Zorin:  "I hate the desert."

36th of OctDec 1134
Another scorching day, but there was a tiny solace of a lone cloud in the sky.
Terval has no idea what's going on with Zorin and Gwen's infections.

In the afternoon, the sky got cloudier as the day moved on, and by dinner, it was almost tolerable.. Then before the caravan stopped for the night everything became oppressively humid and muddy.

A dragon head emerged out of the sand, right by the campsite.  Everyone tried to flee, but in the party's weakened condition, it was soon on them.   The Trogs turned around to make a stand, only to discover it was, in fact, a four headed hydra!  Astoundingly, they slay the beast.  They took refuge in hydra's lair.  Gwen finally realized a Cure Disease might work and promised to pray for a few tomorrow.

Zorin: "I hate the desert!"

1st of NonDec 1134:
Gwen cast Cure Disease on her and Zorin.  Not only did the wounds no longer look purple and infected, but magical healing now worked!

Zorin: "I still hate the desert"



4th of NonDec 1134:
Towards the end of the day, they spot a sand storm approaching.  In fact, it turns out to be the Yarbay army!  They took refuge in a cave.  The army camped outside, but did not venture closer.

5th of NonDec 1134
The army moved on, and the Trogs moved in a different direction.

6th of NonDec 1134
They finally reached the edge of the desert and began climbing into the mountains.  Small clusters of trees began popping up.  Gwen was much happier.

7th of NonDec 1134
The Trogs came upon bowl shaped depression with four statues.  As they attempted to pass, the four badly eroded statues speak to them declaring that they could not pass! Eventually, they ignored them and moved on.  They continued to yell, then sob and cry as the Trogs left.

8th of NonDec 1134
The Trogs awoke to a light snow covering everything!  They came upon a monastery in the mountains, the front guarded by bald monks who seem friendly. Monks of Akana!  Safety at last!

They met the monastery's abbot, Hephesteles, who invited them to spend the night, However, he requests that they in their rooms for the duration of the night on account of some kind of howling curse levied upon the monastery.  He claimed it was centered on the blacksmith's shed.

They Trogs check out the shed.  It was REALLY cold inside.  Gwen cast Detect Magic and could see something magical under the coals..  As they dug around looking for the magical emanation, something burst and turned the room (Zorin claimed: SUPER MEGA REALLY FREAKIN' COLD! ) Some sort of lizardly thing was attacking anything and everything, including Coreena the torchbearer and Whitey!  That was enough for the party to get it's act together and kill it, Gwen's fiery sword dealing the death blow.

Inside the creature's lair they found a  magic axe and a magic ring.

The monks were delighted that the Trogs had destroyed its "curse" and fed the party a very plain celebratory dinner.

That night Whitey and  Ramsa appear like they've been poisoned and howling was coming from the outside.  Three monks knock burst through the door.  They look all contorted and bestial losing what little hair most had, and growing long jaws, claws, fangs, and pointy ears.
Housekeeping!!!!
The Trogs were surprised, but fought through their tough spot and slayed them, followed by decapitations.

As they venture through monastery, they find very little in the kitchen, moldering food and a human skull!

They found a stairway leading down. Beneath the monastery were a lot of coffins with corpses (one with  a wooden stake through its chest).  The Trogs smashed everything to bits.

They continued to explore the monastery, killing and obliterating everything no befitting a "normal" monk of Akana

After more exploring they found two bugbears and another freaky monk, killing them on the spot.  We kill them.

Eventually they found a trap door and lured two more monk things down the ladder.  They killed them, proceeding to lock themselves in a room and rest until morning.

9th of NonDec 1134 - Evil Monastery
All healed up, the Trogs resumed exploring.  They come upon a courtyard with a dead tree.  Gwen sobbed uncontrollably and had to be restrained to prevent their location being uncovered.

After finding a different courtyard (and Gwen controlling herself)they find a big room  with a long table and papers Whitey found  a secret drawer full of useful stuff:

*A ledger full of races and numbers - higher numbers correspond to larger races
*A note, telling the monks to protect the pass.  From the hand of the Master.
*A note describing the Trogs and telling them to capture one of us and kill the rest.

Going back to the main courtyard by the front guard, they encounter a lone guard.  It managed to cry for help before Gwen could immolate him.  Of course, this set off Zorin's pyromania and his catatonic state staring at the flames impaired the Trogs' leave.  A general alarm was sounded, as Gwen set the incoming monks aflame.  Gwen then cast a spell the healed the party, yet hurt the demon monks. 

All monks are slain on the spot.

Zorin after the battle: "Gwenn (sic) is great!"

With the inhabitants largely dead, if not undead before...) the Trogs continue their search of the compound. 

In a large room with a meditative pool, tentacles burst out of the water!  Nothing they tried could harm could hurt it.  Gwen summons another flaming sword, putting Zorin in yet another trance.  Luckily he breaks, and sets up a few "Redrock Cocktails."  The throws are off, so although the creature succumbed to the fire, Gwen and Whitey were hurt as well.

Deciding to stay one more night , they decided to barricade the stables. 

There is considerably more howling that night, though no Trog dare venture out...

Next #27:  This Monastery is Now Evil Free

Monday, February 15, 2016

Roll for Bern

I try not to get political on this blog, but this year's election will determine how many world events will play out.
 

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Millie's Chupacabra and Schutztruppe Askaris

Since it is finally my daughter Millie's "friend" 5th birthday party, after delays and cancellations, let us celebrate with her first completed miniature, yet another Chupacabra mini from Brigade Games.  
As is right and proper with the second child, I rushed her through drybrushing technique, but I was eternally grateful for her choice of flocking as there's a clump of sand on the back leg of the figure that I applied.   With the bushes, no one will know Daddy screwed up.
 
The whole Chupacabra Family:  (L to R) Maja, Daddy, and Millie
With those dastardly palm trees gone, there's a number of small projects to do, and I've gotten some German Schutztruppe Askari Skirmishing from Brigade Games finished:


Between the late hour, the flourescent lights, and the touch screen of my smart phone going wonky, I still don't know why the pictures all of drained of color.

Halfway through February and I've exceeded my new painting for all of last year!    Now I did refurbish over 200 minis last year and rebased a bunch more, but the fact that my work bench has a dent in the lead pile warms my cold, cold heart.

NEXT:  The next kid's painting session is next Sunday, and their queues are getting to look like mine.  I've looking at Bugbears, wild animals, and a boatload of GNOMES!!!
 

(Gnome Wars) Tanga City

One of the Tanga games from the HMGS conventions.  Allied forces line up in waves to try to crash the German line.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Gnomish Wizard Enclave

Of the four immortals of gnomekind, only the wizard appears to have flexibility.  The vampire and the witch have their naturally selfish reasons for control, although they could work together if the reward is substantial.  Santa is obviously a solo character, although he may bless a wizard if deemed worthy.

Only the wizard is normally seen fighting in battles, alongside other wizards of a different region or nation.

While in concept the wizard is immortal, the fact that there are multiple entities seen together begs multiple questions.  Are wizards created by magic? Are they trained?  From birth or are they chosen?
How does a wizard gain the territory they're sworn to protect?  Why aren't they protecting gnomes with the wanderlust as in days past?  Do they even have control over the gnome psyche?

For these questions I'm first going to deign ignorance and say "It's up to you!"  If you want a scenario with a wizard and his brood fighting off the mad hordes of gnomes, go right ahead.

Secondly, I'll introduce the Wizard's Enclave.

Think of it like the druidic structure as in AD&D.  Novices, initiates, and neophytes band together under the tutelage of a higher ranking wizard, tending a particular valley together until some gain sufficient power.  Then they may control something the size of a small barony or tiny duchy, being essentially the middle man between the newbies and the protege in a relationship with a much powerful wizard.  Consider them the grad assistants of the wizard world.  Powerful enough to defend themselves, knowledgeable enough to teach, but not the heavy artillery that nations call on.

A wizard checks on the locals with his protege in tow.
multiple journeymen wizards could form an enclave, as could the master wizards, forming stronger bonds with some of their craft than others.

An organized militant wizard's enclave might be the most dangerous thing to gnomekind, only stopped my massed armies.  A tower full of wizards, their menagerie of animals before, and being able to hit anything on the board without cover saves with at least a 6 to hit is dangerous.  A massed attack on one figure is deadly.  Heavy Machine Gun more than four foot away wailing on your troops. Four or five wizards in a high position and those guys are toast.  Want to cripple an army? Concentrated lightning bolts on the leaders/medics/musicians.

This concept of the enclave also allows for something we rarely see:  Dueling Wizards.  A French-Swiss struggle could easily find two wizards duking it out, rivals with different techniques.  

Any thoughts on how an enclave system of wizardry could help or hinder use of this troop type? Comment below!

Thursday, February 11, 2016

The Great National Palm Tree Nightmare is Finally Over

Brushes down, a non-alcoholic beverage in hand, the faint smell of matte sealant wafting in the air.  

The Great Palm Tree Project is finally over.  

Of the many palms I have painted, these last three, Pegasus Hobbies Palm Trees #6501, Style "A" gave me the biggest problems.  With the other Pegasus sets, each ring of palms leaves goes through a mounting peg on top of the trunk.  With these trees, the pegs all snapped well before assembly, with the faintest of action.  This required me to use my full-size portable drill (the hand drill couldn't make headway in the weird consistency of the plastic) to drill a hole up top and use 2mm carbon fiber rod to replace the mounting peg.

The palm rings were equally flexible yet brittle, and I have a good dozen fronds in a box waiting to be used for some other project.  
These three trunks and 15 rings of palm fronds took up considerable workspace on my bench, so now that space is use for all of my current projects.


Great War Askaris, Reaper Bones, Bugbears, GW Bats, and a slew of Gnome Wars duos of the same nationality.  With scant time left in my "What to run at Mepacon" poll, the Gnomish Treasure Hunt is a runaway winner, so I might as well finish up the pairs that aren't assembled already.  And yes, there are Teddy Bears with them.  

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Gnome Wars: Goblin Space Wars from Brigade Games.....

Since the cat's out of the bag about the Space Mousling game the Stout Gnomes are running at Cold Wars, here's another update as to some of the non-Reaper figures that will be used on the table.

From Jim Stanton's Gnome Wars Blog
Here are some of Jim's Space Goblins from Brigade Games. 

Personally, I think they would look better in Electric Blue as modern Martians, but I have odd tastes.

Gnome Wars: Goblin Space Wars from Brigade Games.....: To All, I painted up some Brigade Games Goblin Space Wars figures . They are smaller than I'm used to painting (because the Gnomes are...

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

(Hackmaster) Burning Trogs Rule! #25: The Temple of Abatu

Zorin Redrock - Gnome Titan Fighter.  Veteran of the Barbarian Wars, and hero of Marakeikos due to the retaking of Frandor's Keep.
Janus Redrock - Gnome Titan Priest of Pangrus.  Cousin of  Zorin Gnome Titan of loose morals and  a hero of Marakeikos.
Gwendalyn Lorax  - Half Elf Druid.
Terval Sit - Half-Elf Mage
"Whitey"  - Albino Halfling Priest of Yondalla.   Zorin's sidekick.
Coreena Ruddledater- 9 year old halfling torchbearer.
Ramsa - Mute Halfling Fighter - Gwen's Protege.

31st of OctDec, 1134, Yarbay
The Trogs and the secret caravan heading towards the Barthey army stumble across some ruins within a ravine.  During a break in travelling they decide to head back and explore them.  Sand has carved out caverns ,which someone expanded with the facades of buildings.  Gwen cast detect snares and pits.  It could be completely abandoned and devoid of anything, so they decided a quick sweep of the whole complex was in order.  Inside, there is an area totally devoid of sand with a fountain in the middle that, oddly enough, was full of sand.  Zorin examines it and gets attacked by a poisonous snake!  The were drawings of a flowers offering and a scorpion.god looking thing.  Terval copied the drawing and words down.

Most of the rooms/caverns were empty, save for a few piles of dead wood/rubble. One room did have three  scarcophagi in it, plus a secret passage with stair leading down.

The stairs opened up to a long chamber with pillars.  There were two golden clearish sphinx statues at bottom of stairs.  As Ramsa passed by them, the sphinxes spring to life and attack.  It's a long, drawn out fight, but finally the Trogs get the better of one of them. 

As they mop of the combat, something hurls fire at them, catching Zorin in a glazed pyromantic look.   The Trogs barely hold onto the fight with the other sphinx while Zorin attempts to break his catatonia and deals the killing blow on the second sphix.  By then, whatever was chucking fire at them had disappeared.Breaks the trance.  Sphinx dead, fire chucker gone.

Gwen, Ramsa and Terval found another secret door with a giant gold vulture head statue.

At this point, the Trogs were confused both in the time they had been down below and the actual depth of the caverns, Janus claiming that they were 5,000 feet underground.

Another secret door was pried open, with a vulture creature with crystal robes and a small flying creature actually chucking the fire.  Despite taking significant damage, the Trogs make both creatures flee, and they follow suit.  They get to a room with a pool of water and a slope leading into blackness.  The creatures jump down the slope and steam comes up.


Zorin attempts to climb down slope, but it's much too steep to climb down without equipment.    He chucked one of his Redrock cocktails down into the darkness with no  visual effect.  There is, however screaming and monster noises coming up from the depths.

Zorin gets the equipment out and is lowered down the slope.  It was deep, hot, and smells of rot.  The rope starts to burn, and the others  barely pull him up in time.

We go back to the  sarcophagi room and the mummies come rushing out.  Gwen saves the day with some critical hits and some timely spells, but her or Janus' healing fails to work on the party members wounded by the creatures.

With a lot damage received, and little treasure to show for it, the Trogs decide to give up further exploration and catch up to the caravan.

By dinner, the caravan reaches a mountain pass . The party bid farewell from the caravan and went up into the mountains, hoping to catch up to General Theocrates and his army.

Next:  #26  "I Hate the Desert!"

Monday, February 8, 2016

(Savage Showdown) #6 Rescue from Kisi Rushwa

Super Bowl Sunday has come and gone.  It was once a pre-eminent event with my group.  Whether it was the game, the commercials, or the camaraderie, everyone would flock to Nate and Steve's place.  Heck, I was driving three hours from Wellsboro to participate for a few years. 
 
Whether it was apathy, family, or life in general, it's dwindled down to a small shin-dig at Steve's Man Cave, and between a crazy family life, and the most football I watched at one time this fall was three and a half quarters of Army-Navy, I had little impulse to go.
 
With Mommy working, the girls got time to descend into the Kriget Rum and do their most requested activity:  paint. 
 
 
Millie finished her Chupacabra and we painted baby dragons, 54mm horses, and some Egyptian terrain.
 
After an afternoon of cleaning and Young Justice Season 2 for the girls (and me...), we dealt with the traditional spectacle which is Mommy coming home from work, a makeshift dinner and baths, and as the Big Game played on in the TV room, my eldest daughter Maja and I set up the dining room table for the big conclusion of our Savage Showdown Pulp campaign, or at least this first storyline.
 
In our previous adventures, the heroes had been harassed and robbed of their treasures, their compatriot, Swedish Adventurer Nils Lingonberry had been arrested/kidnapped by corrupt government soldiers, they were double-crossed at an antiquities sale, and they barely survived a zombie attack!
 
Post-zombie attack, they had befriended the two surviving double-crossing sailors using threats and an unloaded shotgun.  According to my daughter, they became fast friends.
 
The sailors proved much more helpful than anticipated.  Through their contacts, it was discovered that the corrupt government soldiers garrisoned on a swank little island in the Big River named Kisi Rushwa.  If Nils was anywhere, this would be the first place to check. 
 
The sailors also talked to some British soldiers who felt sorry for the bunch and felt it proper to flex some imperialist muscle against the oppression of this free country.
 
Our Heroes (played by Maja):  Rescue Nils!
Maja Millie:  famed archaeologist.  knife
Bob Njano:  native animal handler turned Hero!  Shotgun
Pink Mouse:  anthropomorphic mouse archer.  Bow
Sailors x2:  newfound friends.  Rifles
 
The Rest (played by Dad): Keep Nils!
Corrupt Federales (using Gnome Wars Union Infantry)
Federales MG  - acts on a different initiative card.
And all other special guest stars (TBA)
 
The Island of Kisi Rushwa
Turn One:    Maja (the daughter) wisely decides that the house with the fence around it is either holding Nils... or a whole bunch of puppies and sets up right next to it.  Problem for Dad:  Unlike my own green army guy/war movie filled early childhood, Maja had no concept as to what barbed wire exactly was.  The best they could do is dash out of the tree line and reach the rear of the building .

Our heroes with an excellent use of camouflage
The base itself was quiet, save for Bob barely noticing a rustling in the jungle on the other side.  Little did they know that Lt Colonel Thaddeus Ovaltine and his Rough 'n Ready Riders were emerging from their hiding spots to raid the base of antiquities that the soldiers had stolen from other expeditions.

The British sailors landed on the beach, only to be spotted and fired upon by the machine gun.  Two sailors died on the spot.
 
Three soldiers emerged from the building directly across from the prison, but noticed nothing amiss.
 
Turn Two:  There was a comedy of errors behind the prison building.   Maja Millie rolled some of the worst dice of the campaign as she tried to leap over the barbed wire, burning two Bennies but still ending up tangled in the barbed wire and receiving a wound to boot!  Pink Mouse burned two of her(?) own trying to crawl underneath, but was ultimately successful.  Bob? He brought wire cutters and made on opening. 
 
Sometimes I forget my daughter is only six. 
 
The soldiers made a listen check and heard Ovaltine's men.  They turned the corner and fired into the oncoming rush of men.  The Rough 'n Ready Riders returned fire, killing two soldiers.
 
 
Back on the beach, the British dove for cover behind some rocks, but still lost another man.  The machine gun seemed invincible. 

TURN THREE: Pink Mouse tried to free Maja Millie from the bloody mess of wire.  Bob and the the sailors inched along the side of the building, only to see the surviving solider dash around the far side of his building.
"I wonder where he's going?
Soldiers poured out of another building to meet Ovaltine's men, but their shots missed wide. 
 
The British were finally able to return fire and killed the ammo loader!  The confused machine gunner not only missed all his shots, but ran out of ammo as well! 
 
TURN FOUR:   The turn started with Pink Mouse pulling a Joker.  Another Bennie!   The mouse turned an ran to the far side of the prison.    Maja Millie slinked down the other side unnoticed and finally recognized who these raiders were.  Bob avoided notice and got to the front door and burst it open with one strong throw of his shoulder.  Nils was there!  As well as pilot, Ted Mosby, another captive of the soldiers.
 
 
"We found Nils (unarmed)"
Ovaltine's men charged into two building to kill, loot, and plunder, and the British finally got into a formation to pepper the machine gunner and killed him.  

One of the sailors back at the prison became brave and he too dashed into the door, only to dodge a hail of bullets from the Riders.

TURN FIVE: Bob and the sailor freed the prisoners and spent the time catching everyone up to speed.  The other sailor soon joined them, as did Maja Millie, thanks to the sneaky efforts of the soldier who ran away.  He shot one of Riders in the back, killing him instantly.  The others returned fire, slaying the soldier as well.

"Ah, behind us" *bang*
Pink Mouse took that moment to slide under the barbed wire in front of the prison with ease and enter the house across the road.

And finally, the British soldiers figured it would be a perfect time to seize the machine gun and turn it one everyone who wasn't an ally, but a rumbling behind them cut it short.
"Oh boy"
Where did a dinosaur come from on this island?  But there was no time for deep thoughts.  Failing a morale test, they dashed into the machine gun nest, only to find empty ammo crates.

TURN SIX: Bob and Sailor #1 opened the doors and fired on the Riders, pushing them to cover.  The Riders' return fire pierced the neck of the sailor.  He would not leave this island.
Lt Col Ovaltine searched another barracks with two of his men, but could find nothing.  He could hear loud noises and gun shots coming from the barracks his other men entered, only to see one of them fly out into the street, quite dead.

The British sailors got into formation and fired onto the dinosaur.  Their hits were true, but the bullets would barely harm a kitten, much less a heavily armored Stegosaurus!  The ensuing charge trampled three of the Brits.
 

The soldiers and riders distracted by the appearance of a dinosaur, gave our heroes a chance to escape.  Bob and Sailor #2 burst out firing, killing one more soldier.   

Bob and Sailor #2 covering the getaway.
This was the first time I used the end game mechanic (Rolling a 0 on a d10 on turn 6 ends the game, 9,0 on turn 5, and so forth) and a zero was rolled.  Our heroes succeed!
 
Here ends our Treasure Hunt storyline.  A few friends have been lost along the way, but a few gained in return.  The great archaeological finds netted our Heroes little except doing the right thing. 
 
Except for Pink Mouse.  Pink Mouse searched the barracks she had entered and discovered a series of artifacts.  She took as many as her little body could hold and snuck out without anyone noticing.  
 
This was the first time that Maja (the daughter and the character) had a member of her direct team die in the game.  While she wasn't distraught over it, she did say a little prayer before she went to bed that night, hoping that "Captain Skippy's sailor" was in heaven.  "Captain Skippy was the bad guy, not the sailors!"
 
I had the same problem with this as the Tim from Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog did when he ran it.  A pile of special encounters to roll when someone pulled a Joker, yet only one got pulled (the small dinosaur.  God help anyone if the big one showed up...)
 
I have more pulp games (*cough* taking ideas from other blogs *cough*) to run, but Maja stopped me in my tracks. 
 
"Daddy, can we run a super-hero game like this for awhile."   
 
Guess we need to pick up some bulk Heroclix.  I know Supergirl and Wonder Woman need to make appearances.