The Society of Boring Men Meet, Nothing to Report

For most of the year, at least one day of the weekend, I'm driving down to handle yard work and run errands for my mother.  Most of the time it's an afternoon of cutting grass, trimming, raking... changing light bulbs and batteries, keeping things tidy, occasionally scrubbing through what's now decades of nicotine and living alone. 

The fringe benefits of the trip is usually visiting the numerous game and hobby stores in the Lehigh Valley.  Between Trains and Lanes, Cloud City, and Mythic Beasts and Brews, just those three alone were withing bike-riding distance when I was a youngin.  There's not much I'm buying when I visit, but happy to turn over cash when there is...

In my trip to Mythic Beasts last week, for some spicy watermelon concoction that hit the spot (and my algorithm apparently), I got a quick text, a blast from the past.  

 "Hey you could have said hello if you were in the area."

My buddy Brian, not the Battletech playing Wooly, but another long-term friend, a regular in my Hackmaster and 20's Cthulhu games, a regular at the last game store I ran, Griffon Game, during *cough cough* the turn of the century.  Heck, for years, I'd finish work around noon and with our schedules, we'd grab lunch somewhere and hit a series of games stores, sometimes the ones out to Allentown, sometimes into New Jersey. 

An all around good guy that I've only seen for conversations at Historicon when we each have a moment.  

And he kinda knows I'm down there most weekends... and I should text him more...

So we arranged for to meet for lunch and talk things over some chain restaurant beers. 

After yard work all morning (and a random spat of genealogical questions from my cousin while I recovered... involving affairs, occult, and the Lindbergh baby kidnapping,) that beer was frickin' delicious!  

The good news is that after COVID broke up the in person gaming, within 10 minutes we were talking about the same old stuff, like nothing change  (minus my divorce, the kids moving three hours away, and their imminent graduations.  

A wonderful simple Society of Boring Men. 

No gaming was on the docket, although talk of future stuff was started, and the usual pipe-dream of restarting that Hackmaster game from 2001 to 2004, The Burning Trogs Rule!  

The official t-shirt, nearly 25 years old.  

I'm just pissed his still fits....

The Power Structure of Death Planet Iota

After completing the Mos Eisley Cantina Scenario, I did begin the process of numbering my figures in the Galactic Heroes/Death Planet Iota campaign.   Whether it's gangs/warbands/squads, or lone figures used as objectives or filler, I'd like to develop a power structure on the planet, if only in the main setting of the town of Carf. 

And I did promise to go back into previous Fistful of Lead games, then Planet 28, to try and retroactively see what the most powerful characters or factions are.  It was a fun rabbit hole to go down, and just in pulling pictures for this posts, I found a few more games!

First off, a reminder for the dear reader, that Death Planet Iota (DPI) is a dumping group of a number of teleporters, wormholes, and dimensional rifts.  As if the life on the planet wasn't tough enough, dropping in hell-beasts and hellions from multiple dimensions means only the strong survive.. or those who can band together sometimes. (Which makes the fact that only a Gotal died during the Cantina even more impressive. 

Major Factions

1. The Gnomish Space Marines 

The largest military faction on the planet by far.   Army, artillery, air support, but the GSM military leaders let the civilians control inside the town.  

2. The Chaos Space Gnomes - 

The GSM don't even mention them by name.  They arrived in town in the middle of some gang war, simply embedded themselves in the ruins of the old droid factory.    They used local representatives to trade and (rarely) negotiate.  The heavens need to forbid if this group gets involved in politics.

3. The Jawa Hordes

The only thing saving Carf from being completely overrun by these little jerks is that they all seem to appear well out into the deserts, and their tech and gadgets aren't arriving with them. 

Thanks to their sheer numbers and indomitable fortitude, plus a knack with every world's tech, they make shit happy with the craziest of parts.  They're usually a nuisance within the walls of Carf...

4. The United Nations of Earth and the Machines

There are plenty of groups of people that call themselves humans, even a number of folks who claim to be arrived from Earth directly.  Thus far we cannot confirm either of the size the fire power or the year that these folks have come in, they are not light commandos. Everyone is in some form of power armor although their weapon is rapid fire more suitable for quarters it seems that with their arrival they also brought their phones, simply named Machines:  diabolical robots hell-bent on destroying anything they  consider a life form. Their only saving grace is that they're comfortably connected to some sort of AI that’s restricting them from going forward.

5.  The Blue Martians

It's unsure when the alleged "Blue Martians" arrived on DPI, but numerous strains of their genetics have plagued civilization. A few of the race have become more civilized, using "modern weaponry," going into negotiations, heck a few even frequent Carf itself. These more advanced groups have even discovered the concept of kidnapping and ransoming more prominent citizens in Carf... and not getting killed over it.

In-Town “Gangs”

1. The Chimneysweeps

The Gnomish Space Marines are well respected across the planet.  Their choice of in-town police force has much left to be desired.  

The town police, nicknamed the Chimneysweeps, is wildly corrupt and sometimes incompetent, but the mere threat of reaching out to their more competent gnome-kin to lay down complete and utter justice to all who don't fall sway with their demands. 

2.  The Robot Alliance Liberation Front (RALF)

Robots, droids, living metal...artificial life forms, every neighborhood in Carf used service bots for rudimentary jobs.  Heck, some of them even had light weaponry on them for protection against the bandits and raiders.   But the bots have developed a purpose, a survival instinct beyond their programming.  

They are prominent, they are difficult to take out, and if their programming gets more advanced, Carf could be welcoming their robot overlords. 

3.  The Lightning Bug

This crew is named for their lost ship,   This group of definite humans came through a wormhole crashed and settled in.  They were marooned on this  planet, even if they had the technology to get through the atmosphere and all the hazards there.

Captain Reynolds is a dashing gentleman known for an erratic, almost random style sometimes known for jumping Palisades known for getting captured cementing. Their maroon status was recently guaranteed with the death of their pilot, Dry.  They have embraced others on the planet, grabbing some sort of animal trainer, named Keeper Trejo, who had been part of a prisoner exchange and they liked him so much they kept him on even after Reynolds returned to the group unscathed.  They have some heavy weapons and one of the few human techs on the planet.

4.  Morr's Bounty Hunters 

Everyone in Carf has a beef with someone else, and most have something valuable to trade for services, so Morr's Mercenary Bounty Hunters were a pretty dominant group. The Rodian bounty hunter's group is not the group they used to be, but they are easily able to recruit a new crew and keep the name.

5. The Rebellion/The New Republic

The Rebellion/New Republic is a group of largely humans that can confirm  that they both came from same  galaxy far far away, but how long ago is of a question that hasn't been resolved.  The Rebels are a scrappy bunch, even if they are ill-equipped.  The New Republic "volunteers" that wander in from the wilderness with weapons and supplies, but an absolute deficit in leadership.   

A lot of folks from each group have hung their uniforms up on a peg and found "normal" employement where they could find it.  

6. Daybreaker's Army

Everyone knows Crash Daybreaker, famed sportsball dude from some Earth, with a complete lack of teamwork.  After a few failed solo missions, he's put together a crew with a worse loyalty record than an impressed Jawa division.  

(Kickstarter) Space Dwarves Auto Rifles 2nd Squad by Macrocosm

I've already sung the praises of Macrocosm through their webstore, they go out and start up yet another one of their efficient Kickstarters.  

Space Dwarves Auto Rifles 2nd Squad by Macrocosm is simply six more resin figures to augment my Gnomish Space Mar... er... your sci-fi army of choice. 

As I always mention, Macrocosm is my favorite, perhaps only, manufacturer I trust from that side of the pond.  Large or small, I have a great track record getting my rewards safely to Pennsylvania. 

(Gamma World) Not a Test #120 - The Theft of Worm Fluids

Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers, have decided to embark on an epic quest to reach Lathar's long-lost father.  They have stopped in Fair-Town, for municipal meetings, bread-encrusted sausages, and random encounters with your first litter's breeding partner.... And now Squiggles, the furry mutant worm... is missing.

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

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.   Looking for trouble in all the right places. The two-time champion of the Fair-Town Queen's Joust.  Recently married to the now-pregnant Thunnelda Haycock.   Just received a letter from his long-lost father, and has convinced the others to accompany him to the Wildlands.

Sneaky Pete: A mutated weasel scout.  Pete's telepathy and night vision take a backseat when he whips out his electrical powers.   Apparently addicted to his newly uncovered yellow powder found at "The Pool House"

Sonny Helianthus: an over 10' tall sentient sunflower artifact examiner with four arms, and trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable,  but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades.   Sonny may have recently detonated an atomic device in the petrified woods... although no one else knows. 

Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble in all the wrong places,  and finding it often.   He  has been subject to genetic testing and developed super-human strength, a more human body, and a thick coat of shaggy white hair.  Recently gave birth to another pile of baby worms. 

and two new additions....

Poppy and Speedy: Two of Squiggles' offspring from his first... litter(?) They're now teenagers in worm years, old enough to grab diminutive muskets and help their Manchi and his friends on this epic quest. 

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

Despite the best efforts of the De Facto Explorers, they could not get the young worms, Speedy and Poppy, to calm down about their "Manchi" Squiggles missing for a considerable amount of time. 

Sonny:  "Kids, this is what your Manchi does when he's in this town.  It's a thing."

Pete: "See, nothing to worry about."

Lathar: "I don't worry about Squiggles, he's the luckiest guy among all of us.  He disappears and just shows up happy and slippery afterwards..."

Pete: "A little disgusting with all that fur..."

But Sonny realized Squiggles' "benders" happened in the early summer... and the fact that his first breeding partner was in town, and talk of her place "under" the town wall, made the sunflower conflicted.

"Okay, the last time someone wandered around the wall with a female equivalent, they ended up strapped to the front of a vehicle being used as bait for a monster... if it was anyone else I'd start right now, but let's give him the evening and we'll hunt him down tomorrow morning."

Lathar: "We might need a protocol... even we're going to a bender or an orgy, we should probably let the rest of us know."

Sonny: "I'm amazed with you animals sometimes..."

In the morning, Sonny , top hat balancing on his head, lead the group along the inside of the tall stone wall protecting three sides of Fair-Town.  

Along the upriver side of the wall, they came upon a group of folks staring at a collapsed portion of the wall.  Some neighborhood bystanders were looking from a distance, but most appeared to be guards or town laborers.   Most of the stones collapsed inward, but the 10-foot tall sunflower was tall enough to peer over the others and see a crater on the outside of the wall.  

The guards told them of reports of an explosion, but no other signs of foul play.  

Squiggles children were alarmed, but wanted to keep walking along the wall, just in case this wasn't the spot.  

They stretched their legs around edges of Fair-Town, past the Kirothian enclave, past the Joust grounds, past the Bug-Mart, and back around to the downriver gate, where a commotion was occurring.   The biggest surprise, and discouragement was the appearance of the White Hand... multiple White Hand members rushing out the gate.

Sonny inquired to what happened.

"They found bodies... monsters, outside."

Sonny made the children stay their with the others, and the sunflower pushed his way passed the crowds around the gate and out towards the group of folks 150 meters down the road. 

One body, covered with a sheet, was visible.  A second uncovered body was white, furry, with numerous syringe needles sticking out of him.  

Sonny was relieved and even more troubled. "Is he alive?"

The White Hand responded, "He's alive... I don't think he's actually injured.... it's like someone used the needles to draw a LOT of fluid out of him."

Sonny peaked under the sheet.  He assumed it was his breeding partner, Ubenda.  She too was stuck with numerous needles, but far more desiccated than Squiggles.

Squiggles begin to wake up, wincing in pain, "That... wasn't right."

Sonny: "I don't know about worm physiology, but most animals need to stay hydrated for happy time."

Squiggles: "I'm not exactly sure that's what happened. What are all of these things sticking out of me?"

Squiggles... just add arms, legs, and a coat of white fur. 

Sonny: "Medical needles, someone has taken out whatever they extracted."

Squiggles: "Somebody took stuff out of me???"

Sonny: "I've got some bad news about your girlfriend...."

The White Hand did the best they could to hydrate the worm, and remove the syringes from his body.  Squiggles moved on his own power, but he just wanted to go back to the inn and rest... after a quick reunion with his very relieved children. 

Once back at the Triple Comfort Inn, Squiggles sits at the bar, still sipping... well water...  much thinner than a few hours earlier. 

Lathar, Town Councilman Lathar, was now the target of local citizens complaining about various town issues. 

Pete used his complete lack of bedside manner to pepper Squiggles with questions. 

Pete: "What's the last thing you remember, Squiggles?"

Squiggles: "Drinking water with you guys..."  

There were few answers, just flashes of memories.

Dogs... very scary, very massive dogs,  face to face with him...

And one human, bald... with round glasses, staring at him with the faintest of wicked smiles. 

The next morning, there was debate whether to send the worm children back to Riverbend.   Squiggles felt and looked better, but had flash nightmares of Ubenda, and the dogs and the guy in glasses, now in body armor, then more dogs.   There were accusations of their acquittance Razorback might have known the dogs... Lathar vehemently defended the mutant wolf, who might be somewhere in town. 

It was agreed to ask more  questions around town ...  Pete took to tracking the outside of the wall.  Large dog tracks were everywhere, heavy, multiple, and moving incredibly fast.   Heading downriver towards KIA Academy.  

"A different species of podog... with a human."

Lathar made some inquiries with the town guard, particularly humans wearing glasses in town.  Most of the probable suspects were... other members of town council.... and local historian/scientist/hermit, Trivian Dalston.  Almost all had hair, though...

Sonny took the worm children and went to the Driftwood Inn to see to the White Hand from the day before.  Vekram Holt. 

The Driftwood is to the right of the marooned boat  marking Fair-Town along the Big River

• "Mr Holt" didn't know where they took Ubenda's body.
• He hadn't seen anything involving syringes before.
• The rudimentary tests on Squiggles had... changed. He wasn't familiar with with all his tests with worm, but Squiggles could be pregnant?

GM Notes: There was long conversation about various reproductive practices of worms and sunflowers, and why Pete is the only weasel in the world.  

Next: #121 -  A Stage Four Vanishing Act

Space Dwarf Servo Unit by Macrocosm Miniatures

 After completing the Mos Eisley Cantina set, my thoughts have been focused to a number of smaller projects, most notably the  fun little Monsters and Hunters set from Macrocosm Miniatures' last Kickstarter. 

I love Macrocosm, I've participated in at least nine of their Kickstarters.  The figures are fantastic, and in the last decade of total chaos of shipping in-country and around the world, they have always been fast and reliable, surpassing even some companies here in the States.  

I've been waiting patiently for the next Kickstarter, but then they turned around and announced new figures right onto their website.  

Who knew this was even possible? 

The Space Dwarf Servo Unit are three of the cheeky little buggers in full armor suits, with a variation on the arms.

Space Dwarf Servo 3

Space Dwarf Servo #2

Space Dwarf Servo #1

The set of three is £12.00 (roughly $16.00) with individuals for $4 ($5.33). Of course, shipping via Royal Mail is abysmal, so I'll need to see how my Historicon funds are before placing a larger order, but I will know I'll get everything fast. 

(Fistful of Lead) The Cantina Comes to Carf

For #StarWarsDay I painted up the Mos Eisley Cantina Adventure Set from West End Games, a rare occasion where I completed something in one fell swoop.  It took me until the last day in May to run a game introducing the whole list of characters into my sci-fi wormhole/vortex junk planet campaign, Death Planet Iota. 

The Premise:  The Mos Eisley Cantina, somewhere after an old man and his ward leave... and a man who shoots first and his Wookie depart, there's tremendous rumbling, as the cantina is popped out of its dimension and dropped from an unsafe height right into some neighborhood in the Survivor's town of Carf.  Patrons and staff alike clammer outside, a rare show of charity, trying to get everyone out.  

These teleportations somehow always end up in an unoccupied 

Fourteen people emerged out of the cantina, some wounded, some in shock, others walking out onto the almost-familiar sand without a scratch.  

Placement:  d12 for placement around the cantina, using a clock face.

Injuries:  d8 was the closest one (1-2 Fine, 3-4 prone and fine, 5-6 shock token and prone, 7-8 one wound and prone).    Given the number of 7's and 8's rolled, we ruled that shock and wounds would certainly affect them, but they were immune to Out of Action rolls on the Recovery table, until they fell victim to more injuries, then treat anything as per the rulebook.)

Special Rules:  All characters move 4" per turn TOTAL.  With the ensuing chaos, there's no running...

Our Characters/Objectives:  Death Planet Iota had claimed them, and it's time for all of them to slink into the shadows and time to arrive.  But old habits die hard for some.  

There are the ten classic patrons of the cantina, including the band and the bartender, Cedo Partu.

(L-R Front: Kabe, Cedo Pardu, Bith band leader, Sivrak, and Hem Dazon)
(L-R Back: Long Snoot the Garindan, Labria the Devorian, Bith Kloo Horn, Muftak the Talz, and   Kerru the Gotal)

Walking into the cantina at the absolute worst (best?) time were two Twi'lek dancers....

Lyn Me and Rystall Sant

The last two beings were more like bodies.... 

In the chaos, someone managed to drag Greedo's corpse out in the street.  (Treat his corpse as hard cover). 

The final body was a naive Rebel spy who was killed in transit.  However, everyone knew what they were carrying to a secret rendezvous, a data pad full of ways to cross-dimensions... allegedly.  They might be dead, but everyone knew when they were showing up... and even if everything was turned asunder, that sort of knowledge was power.  

The dead rebel agent, the datapad, and two characters who actively wanted it. 

Turn 1:   The Bith musicians started out together, one wounded, one in shock, both unsure where the rest of their band was...   The sand seemed... strange, but their was a dewback down the street.... but the spikey ball growing across the street was not native to Tatooine.  The Kloon Horn player tried to drag the band leader to safety.

The bartender simply dusted himself off, cursed his lucked and attempted to take care of his primary concern: No matter how crazy things were,  he needed to secure the doors of the cantina, to keep who knows what from entering. 

One door secure.... 

While Long Snoot and the Devorian knew the value of the data pad and move cautiously to it, most of the others worked their way off the board, perhaps scavenging up some treasures... avoiding problems. 

In the back alley, Muftak, the furry white Talz, was having none of that...   He was confused, he was wounded, and he didn't know where is sidekick Kabe was.  He knew getting while the gettings good was optimal, but getting loot before getting out sounded even better.

Sivrak the Snivvian was laying next to him, bleeding.  His blaster and vibro-knife way too easy to loot. 

Except that Sivrk a body, just a another wounded alien in the wreckage.  

The fight should have been quick, should have been painful, but Muftak's wounds were getting to him... 

Then Kerru the Gotal, jumped on his furry back in a rage, but he pushed him away...

(The Gotal's psychic sensitives were completely overwhelmed by the trip and the new dimension, so becomes the weakest character to have berserker rage....

Sivrak, Muftak, an angry Kerru the Gotal, and a very dead Greedo. 

Turn 2:   The scenario had a random large creature show up on Turn 3.  When both Jokers are drawn on the same turn, it was an obvious sign that the gods of this world had a sense of humor.

Tremors struck the neighborhood as something emerged from the other side of the wall....

Big Bad Monster #1 

and on the other side of the neighborhood, a Large-Medium Purple Ripper emerged from it's slumber, mere feet from Hem Dazon.

Thankfully, Hem hightailed it out of there....

The Devorian quickly found the data pad and... stayed hidden by the entrance.

Muftak still couldn't regain enough strength to get, so he continued to feebly wail on Sivrak the Snivvian, with the Gotal comically charged at the large alien in a rage, only to be knocked back.. again.  The Gotal is wounded, laying on Greedo, and out of the corner of its eye, it sees a much bigger threat coming at it. 

With strange new monsters on the board, the others hid behind corners, found cover, or were simply high-tailing it through the streets, hoping they wouldn't get caught.


Turn 3:   Garindan just knows that someone is hiding around the corner, but the rebel operative is right there, and the cursed noises of the Ripper behind him...

In a terribly savage flurry of blows, Muftak finally finishes off the Sivrak the Snivvian, taking his spoils.  They're grateful the raging Gotal is there down the alley, as they are quickly devoured by the monster.

RIP: Crazy Gotal... and the corpse of Greedo

Turn 4:   The Ripper comes charging at Garindan, forcing them to flee down the street with an obvious trap.  Labria the Devorian does step out, smashing the Long Snoot with an empty bottle of Jawa beer...  Garindan staggers...

The bartender had been  holed up for awhile, burrowing monsters to the left of him, Rippers to his right, stuck in the middle.   But with the Ripper preoccupied, he snuck down the side of the cantina, and surprisingly squeezed himself through a window/crack in the wall to try and lock up shop.  The smoke was horrible and toxic, but he pushed forward. 

And the surviving Bith musicians?  The band leader finally recovered and the were NOT shot as they accessed a building, to, at least, temporary safety.  

Turn 5:   With his overmatched foes dead, and a giant monster only a few meters away, Muftak summoned all the strength he could and stumbled away, into the grumpy confrontation with the dewback. 

Why hello there! 

Labria discovered that day, the old Devorian adage, "Some days, one does not need to be the strongest, or the smartest, or the greatest warrior.... just the fastest.   He moved as fast as he could, passing the Garindan as the Ripper fell upon him...

The bartender did manage to reach the door, and lock it from the inside...  and worked his way back to the same window/crack without succumbing to the smoke.

Turn 6:   A quick turn, as many had already fled the board, and some were dead.

The Devorian turned a little too close the strange ball with spikes and a portion of it exploded.  Thankfully, it was only stunned... 

Muftak managed the soothe the beast, and started walking away, unsure of the dewbacks' former ownership. 

I think that we are gonna be friends....

A few of the characters simply managed to avoid conflict and simply fled off the board, the luckiest (in many ways was Hem Dazon, who simply attached himself to the quietly fleeing Twi'lek dancers. 

AI Disclaimer:  When I started this idea, I took a the picture of the Star Wars d6 stats from the miniature box set and told it to stat them out for Fistful of Lead and set the parameters I wanted for a scenario.  

The results were horrible and almost useless.  A few of the personal objectives, the Gotal's berserker rage, and the Jawa beer-bottle, survived personal revisions.  

That was a disaster, although some of the flavor text, like the alleged "Jawa beer bottle" survived.  

Death Planet Iota Campaign: I've been playing games in Death Planet Iota, using Fistful of Lead for rules, and loosely tying them into a campaign for awhile now.    You may have noticed numbers on the bottom of some of the figures.  With this game, I've decided to track all the figures that make appearances in the game, accumulating fame and xp, rolling post battle results for those who were taken out of action.  

Our winners?  

• Muftak - The big hairy fella was separated from his sidekick, Kabe, but pulled out a pile of sweet loot. 
• The Twi'lek dancers have their freedom, even if is in another dimension.  Of course, they have that creepy Arcona following them. 
• Labria the Devorian - They didn't get off the board with the data pad, but I did roll for recovery on mythical Turn 7, and they would have gotten off the board.  
• Honorable Mention: The bartender and his focused devotion to the cantina. 

Losers?

• Kerru the Gotal (RIP) - Thankfully I've painted up other Gotals.
• Long Snoot and the Sivrak the Snivvian somehow survive, although worse for wear.  

I'll be going back through the few games we have on the world (including some of the Historicon games we ran last year), adding to the spreadsheet, building alliances, and running another project to keep me from being productive.  Fun! 

The Mike Lung Gallery #94 - Fear the Dark

 A holiday weekend where the girls didn't come down and I didn't have any other obligations?  

I've got to admit it was enjoyable.  So much so that I straightened up the office, reprioritized the painting bench, and even started cleaning up texts and emails for the first time in forever. 

So I was a bit ashamed but excited to see stuff from friend-of-the-blog and AWARD WINNING GM Mike Lung that I had not shared here!  

Like me, Mike loves his mini-games, solo games testing out rulesets, and getting his immense and diverse collection of figures.  

Over the winter he ran a horror campaign using the "Fear the Dark" rules by Davi Suki. 

I highly value Mike's opinions on games, even if we don't always agree, so it's fitting to give his take on the Fear the Dark rules set: 

Not sure what my opinion of the rules are. I want to really like them, but they are a bit to basic and not crunchy enough. But the thought behind them is great. I think the old Strange Aeons system might be better. But that has faults, too. Really, what I want to do is take the mechanics from Rangers of Shadow Deep and merge it with elements of Fear the Dark, Strange Aeons, and even Silver Bayonet to get the rule system I want. Hmmm…need to retire now so I have time.