Tariffs and Steve Jackson Games.

While we often use games in all forms to escape from reality, reality has encroached on gaming this past week.  

The original and reciprocal tariffs put in place to punish alleged unfair and uncooperative practices, impact the gaming industry, particularly the board game segment, which has exploded over the last twenty years thanks to inexpensive manufacturing in China.  

So much so the I found this message from Meredith Placko, CEO of Steve Jackson Games: 

An Important Message From Our CEO  Meredith Placko On April 5th, a 54% tariff goes into effect on a wide range of goods imported from China. For those of us who create boardgames, this is not just a policy change. It's a seismic shift. At Steve Jackson Games, we are actively assessing what this means for our products, our pricing, and our future plans. We do know that we can't absorb this kind of cost increase without raising prices. We've done our best over the past few years to shield players and retailers from the full brunt of rising freight costs and other increases, but this new tax changes the equation entirely. Here are the numbers: A product we might have manufactured in China for $3.00 last year could now cost $4.62 before we even ship it across the ocean. Add freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution margins, and that once-$25 game quickly becomes a $40 product. That's not a luxury upcharge; it's survival math. Some people ask, "Why not manufacture in the U.S.?" I wish we could. But the infrastructure to support full-scale boardgame production – specialty dice making, die-cutting, custom plastic and wood components – doesn't meaningfully exist here yet. I've gotten quotes. I've talked to factories. Even when the willingness is there, the equipment, labor, and timelines simply aren't. We aren't the only company facing this challenge. The entire board game industry is having very difficult conversations right now. For some, this might mean simplifying products or delaying launches. For others, it might mean walking away from titles that are no longer economically viable. And, for what I fear will be too many, it means closing down entirely. Tariffs, when part of a long-term strategy to bolster domestic manufacturing, can be an effective tool. But that only works when there's a plan to build up the industries needed to take over production. There is no national plan in place to support manufacturing for the types of products we make. This isn't about steel and semiconductors. This is about paper goods, chipboard, wood tokens, plastic trays, and color-matched ink. These new tariffs are imposing huge costs without providing alternatives, and it's going to cost American consumers more at every level of the supply chain. We want to be transparent with our community. This is real: Prices are going up. We're still determining how much and where. If you're frustrated, you're not alone. We are too. And if you want to help, write to your elected officials. You can find your representative and senators' contact information at house.gov and senate.gov. Ask them how these new policies help American creators and small businesses. Because right now, it feels like they don't. We'll keep making games. But we'll be honest when the road gets harder, because we know you care about where your games come from – and about the people who make them. View email in browser Steve Jackson Games · 3735 Promontory Point Dr · Austin, TX 78744-1109 · USA  update your preferences or unsubscribe

It's going to be a not-fun ride as game manufacture adapt and probably scale back operations, while fighting inevitable rising prices.

(Painting) OG Mousling War Party by Reaper

 We're kickin' it old school for this week, and it only took a year and a half to finish these beloved figures. 

August 2023, I was picking up Magic commons for a Pauper League, when the daily searches scored some of the original Reapers, on what I believe are second generation cards.

Without further ado, most of the Mousling War Party.  

There's five in the eBay picture, and I'm not sure where that one disappeared to.  

My original Mouslings were from the first generation baggie/red placard line when I worked at New Frontiers in Philipsburg.  The Vermnites still show up on eBay, but are overpriced.  

My original Mousling Wizard, now long gone, has the distinction of being mounted on one of the figureless Reaper Scrye counters.  Same red robe this time, but slightly better job compared to 1995.

The original blister

Next:  Sci-Fi, Gnomes, Cultists, and Ducks

Project 350: Turning the previous trend, we're at 473 posts in the pipeline (297 drafts/176 scheduled posts) from 475 (301/174) .  I'm behind two Gamma World Actual Plays, one game AAR, and with no easy projects to lower the number for some time. If I get those caught one, there's a group of post around Easter.  

(Kickstarter) SagaBorn Dice: An Icosahedron D100

I love gimmicky dice, even if most Kickstarters are complete overkill.  SagaBorn Dice: An Icosahedron D100, now on Kickstarter, takes an old school staple and turns it up a few notches for a useful novelty.

What the heck is an Icosahedron D100?    In the somewhat early days of D&D, there was a d20, but it was numbered 0-9 twice.  The basic zero was considered a ten, but on the second group, there was a plus sign on them, denoting the die roll plus ten (0+ was twenty).

Thankfully, we got a properly numbered d20, but this campaign expands on utility and novelty.    

One these dice, one d20 is simply number 0-9 twice.  the second d20 is double number 00-90 for the tens place.  Price for these dice aren't any crazier than some I've seen, and for the games I play, the utility is certainly there. 

Donald Trump - Megalomaniacal Presidential Nilbog

It's not often that there's a gift that keeps on giving, but I should written this up in November....

Now, for the third time, I'm revisiting the current President, upgrading his stats using Risus: The Anything RPG.   He would have told you he had Boss-Level energy a decade ago.  Nowadays, it's a given.



 

Donald J Trump

Megalomaniacal Nilbog (see below)  (6)

Narcissistic Windbag Politician (5)

Pompous Reality TV Entrepreneur (2)

Cartographic Pioneer (2)

Mexican Structural Engineer (1) 

 

Equipment:  Cheap Blue Suit, Red Trucker Cap (Made in China), Hairpiece of Shift Blame, Always escorted by 1d8 Trump-lings, Golf Cart, Occasional South African Techo Chaos Imp.

 

Just in case you don't know what a nilbog is, here you go.  Everything makes sense if he's a nilbog.

Does a political nilbog need to be ended with an overabundance of silent kindness?  

And if you need a miniature for him, I've had him made appearances as "The Mayor" in my "Egypt" game with the girls for years.

The Don from Brigade Games

(Gamma World) This is Not a Test #70 - The Murder Hole

Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers,  are spending the winter scouting around KIA Academy.  They continue to encounter and at this time, befriend the blue-skinned Kirothians, and have offered to rescue some kidnapped villagers from a "wizard" and his "demons" 

================= 

Sneaky Pete: A mutated weasel scout.  Pete's telepathy and night vision take a backseat when he whips out his electrical powers.  

Sonny Helianthus: a sentient sunflower artifact examiner with trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable,  but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades.  Very interested in a "Children's Alchemical Laser" he recently acquired.

Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble, and finding it often.  Previously "gave birth" to a litter of sentient earthworm babies, but recently has been subject to genetic testing and developed super-human strength, a more human body, and a thick coat of shaggy white hair.

Lathar Bracken: A pure-strain human from River Bend.  He's got the muscle, the face, and a mount for most encounters.  Lathar's trusty beast of burden, No Name, travels wherever he does.  No Name has recently been fitted for a artillery device of the Ancients that chucks spears further than any human.  Looking for trouble in all the right places.  Former jousting champion of Fair-Town and has been awarded... a peacock he has named Chambray.  He's recently been struck by a weapon by a strange race of people and transformed into... something else... multiple times.

================================================================

The gigantic demonic-looking beast ascended from the pit in the center of the cavern, flaming sword in hand....   Sonny, trapped in his invisible box, could see it rising up.  His compatriots back in the side passage could barely see a odd glow through the blue Kirothians staked around the top of the pit.  Until they heard the roar, they just knew SOMETHING was coming. 

"Big Ugly"

Pete noted the terrifying roar, and focused three individuals atop a cliff, pulling out his blaster.  He wounded one of the individuals was disheartened that the person grew....  The others followed firing at those odd humanoid shaped creatures, only to injure them and forcing them to grow...Their weapons, which had vaporized a lesser demons only a short time ago, was far less effective against these individuals.

The Demon entity finally emerged from the pit, knocked some of the captured Kirothians down into the pit, and used the newly empty space to land.  

Hollis, the Kirothian youth wielding the Children's Alchemical Laser, lowered the device and the fired his only shot at the Demon.  The shot went far left and slammed into the cliff face.  Suddenly the underground cliff face became alive with lush, green vegetation.  

Hollis the Kirothian

Sonny had played around with the invisible force around him.  The sunflower carefully pressed against it with his dagger, sending visible ripples across the surface but not penetrating or breaking.    Watching his friends engage the demon and his cronies, with pending doom, Sonny panicked, digging deep and letting rip his Death Blossom.

Sonny was shocked by the power of all his seeds exploding, especially since it seemed like far more seeds than normal.  He felt like the closest the plant could feel nausea, The force of the blast seemed to eradicate the box, and most of the surrounding area in a massive explosion.  

Many of the trapped Kirothians were killed and  some of the odd humanoids.  Chubby little Hollis took a lethal hit, killing him and damaging the alchemical laster.  

When the seed cloud dissipated Lathar stared down the 30-foot demon... and ran back down the tunnel.

Squiggles was confused, watching the barbarian turn tail, "Where is he going???"

The demon unleashed a fiery torrent upon the party, setting Pete on fire. 

Squiggles tried to lay down covering fire and put out the flaming weasel.   Neither was initially successful.  Lathar recovered his senses, but turned to see Squiggles running backwards, and the weasal on fire, trying to put himself by rolling on the ground.  Sonny was nowhere to be seen.     He layed down a barrage of blaster fire, most of the distant shots hitting the demon, but not doing any apparent damage to it. 

"It's over man,  it's over!"

The last thing the guys saw before turning tale was the demon devouring the crispy body of Hollis, and extending his sword down the passageway to no avail.   Finally putting Pete out, they climbed out of the side shaft and wandered back through the snow towards the Kirothian's village.  

Sonny's fate was unknown.

GM Notes:  This encounter, and the fleeing Kirothians below the bridge are part of a series Savage World Rifts "One Sheets" under "A Fine Solution."    All special effects were Gamma World mutations out of the 4th Edition rulebook.   What would be "spells" in other games were actually draining mental mutations which no one in the party realized were slowly crumbling.  The powerful mutant actually passed out, their underlings recovering their body and retreating, leaving "Big Ugly" and the cronies to clean up the mess.  A proper sacrifice would need to be set up during the next full moon.  

All mental mutations seemed to increased exponentially, hence Sonny's "Death Blossom" change from going nova to triple super-nova.  

Next: #71 - The Fate of Sonny Helianthus

Hipster Wookies are Dead, Long Live the Clean Shaven Wookie!

(Fistful of Lead) Dead Birds

Months into the zombie apocalypse, there was considerable confusion about how the outbreak originated.  There were talks of fungi, molds, and infections, but almost all of the scientists and doctors were dead... or walking the earth trying to consume the living.  

But deep down, humanity knew there wasn't a logical explanation for everything... something otherworldly, maybe not voodoo or necromancy, but something that warped their reality into the hellscape they were living in.

The good news:  this apparently supernatural force could be killed my physical means. 

Kyle had a rap sheet a mile long for bar brawls, street fights, etc. He also liked the character Darryl Dixon from the Walking Dead, so when the real shit hit the fan, he found himself a leather vest, a machete, and a crossbow.  

Two problems:  a) he had never shot a crossbow in his life before then  and b) he was blind as a bat without his glasses, which he had lost early on.  

Just his look and demeanor was enough to have him join groups.  Somehow everything went wrong on his watch.  

Recently, things had gotten a little better.  After escaping a horde with just his trusty machete, and getting rid of the kids in their protection, the group moved faster.  The world before the apocalypse had created a generation of women who thought swords and silver could eliminate most evils.  He had run into a few overconfident ones, but Jelly, their current top dog, was the real deal.  

She had gotten info on a stash at a nearby farm, weapons, food, gold... it didn't matter what it was, but there were a few hiding spots to check out.  

They arrived at the farm, cleared out the outbuilding, and got some rest so they could better search in the morning.   Kyle took that last watch, and as the run began to rise, he noticed what the darkness had hid.  

The barn was right next to a large family cemetery, and somethings were wandering in from between the tombstones.

One looked like a ghost, the one behind it was definitely a zombie.  '

Turn One: 

Kyle banged on the wall to wake up his friends.  Then he picked up his crossbow, and took aim at the entity coming in and out of reality.

*click*

Nothing

The idiot, like always, forgot to load his crossbow.  

The older man everyone called Father, ran out first, firing a shotgun blast through the creature when it went incorporeal 

Jelly charged right at the entity, sword in one hand, and a "blessed" silver dagger in the other.  She may not have injured the specter, but their was a glancing blow.  

Mel, the machine gunner, looked in the opposite direction, counting three zombies coming right them.

And Old Man McGuckett? He took a bee-line to the old stone wall, one of the alleged hiding spots for the cache.  

Turn Two:  

Jelly slayed this graveyard wraith, a solid torso laying on the ground, with the arms and a flowing robes dissolving into the ground.  The zombie following met Jelly and it's head was quickly removed from it's body.  

Old Man McGuckett got to the wall, finding nothing, but another zombie shuffling in from the east.

Mel lowered her machine gun and actually incapacitated one of the zombies, but it would keep moving, so she wisely fell back. 

Zombie kills:  Jelly =2

Turn Three:

Mel continued her retreat, destroying the lone zombie from the west.   Kyle quickly dashed across from the building to the western fence.  

This left Father alone with two zombies, and another rising up and trailing them by a few steps.

Old Man McGuckett wasn't hopeful for his chances and high tailed it towards the south.  Jelly had search another spot as well, with no luck, except for another zombie! 

Turn Four: 

More zombies were appearing, but Kyle finally made it over the fence, and uncovered.... the cache!  He would pick it up and leave unmolested to the west. 

Jelly dispatched another zombie, but another one appeared from behind, throwing off her sword-fighting abilities.

Jelly Zombie Kills:  3

Father could handle himself, but his normal barrage of hits in the butt of his shotgun, seemed to barely hold off the two that were upon him.  Mel made sure he didn't have 3-1 odds by taking a zombie out, before trying to follow Jelly. 

Jelly: 2 Zombie Kills

In the end, Mel cowardly turned tail, watching a Jelly but the finishing touches on her four zombie kill of the afternoon. 

Jelly Zombie Kills:  4

At the end, it was a commanding 9-2 victory for the humans, although Father slowly succumbed to a wound, and then finally lethal damage.  There were still some bad rolls to start, but Jelly performed as expected, and a more experienced Mel kept the north flank at bay.  Kyle always rolls a 1 (out of ammo) with his first shot. 

This scenario is based off of  Dead Birds, a Flintloque scenario posted to one of advent calendars on Orcs in the Webbe. If I can acquire some Zombie Gnomes, I'd definitely pull this out for a Gnome Wars game.