#RPGaDay2026 - Day 3 - "Poise"

 Day 3 of #RPGaDay and we come to a prompt that surprises me.  Not only is "Poise" not something this activity has mentioned at all, but it's a word I rarely use in my 17 years of blogging.  Almost every time I use the word it's in reference to a potential attack, be it an RPG Actual Play or a wargaming After-Action Report. 

So let's largely avoid combat and focus on the poise and demeanor of Lathar Bracken, Enforcer, in my Monday night Gamma World campaign. 

Naming your character Lathar in a post-apocalyptic RPG obviously generates a certain image similar do a 60's TV cartoon character, and over 100 sessions in, we all still default to that image. 

In reality, he's far more nuanced.  A local boy from Riverbend, whose father abandoned him and his mother when he was 12., getting work from the Restorationists since 14, finally allowed to go on missions... as part of the De Facto explorers at 20.  

Everyone expects him to be the brute force, the firepower, but in reality, he's the face of the group, years of working with adults had honed his charisma to act like he was all things to all people.  

And not only is he the most charismatic in the group, in a group with a full-on Restorationist Examiner, he's the smartest one in the group (at least stat wise).  Strength was actually his dump stat!  

Low strength aside, he fails... a lot, and just keeps going.  

He's been ready for action for years, constantly talking about his "Combat Leadership," in and out of game. And when he finally got to use it recently?  The claims were proven true, as he took a rag-tag bunch of mutant plant militia and admirably ambushed a larger enemy force, suffering only moderate casualties. 

His greatest moment of poise comes with his new bride, Thunnelda.   While negotiating ferry passage across the Big River, Lathar agreed to a blind date with the ferryman's sister.  

Thunelda was rough around the edges, covered in face tattoos, and prone to violent outbursts. 

Most thought she was totally unhinged.  Lathar quickly learned that she was, in fact, very "hinged."  

When he walked into her room at her brother's place, Lathar discovered her hobby, addiction, fetish even was hinges, her walls covered from top to bottom with them.  

He didn't run away, rather ordering Bug Nuggets with extra Glow Saunce on an actual date, and defending her honor in front of the townsfolk when no one else ever did.  

He's the only person that's kept her from her violent outbursts, succeeding so consistently that, if he's around, he can instantly soothe her violent tendencies.  It seems pretty obvious after the fact that they would get married.  

And now he and his friends have been on an epic quest to find his father, allegedly far down river, amongst the infamous Black Reeds.  And while the mission was successful, the disappointment with this reunion is tactile.  

And even to the end, Lathar has held the same situation with poise and dignity, even if the other unfairly questioned him.

After meeting his father, and being thoroughly disappointed by it. 

Lathar with the rest of the De Facto Explorers, the Early Days.

.Nott bad for a player whose in his late 50s and that's only on his second RPG character EVER. 

Alternative Question:  How does one character present themselves?

#RPGaDay2026 - Day 2 - "Stature"

When I first did a full review of this year's #RPGaDay, I had pall of dread overcome me, and only hit Day 2.

"Stature" 

Not wanting to go with Gnome Titans and Halflings in Hackmaster... again... I reviewed the alternative question:  What does one character’s stature in their community mean to them?

The best character for that would be Sneaky Pete, the Mutant Weasel Scout in our current Gamma World 4th Edition online game.  

Pete is a bit of a pompous ass, a lone wolf (weasel) scout well before he met the other members of the De Facto Explorers with his one burrow/treehouse, along the Big River, outside of Riverbend. With a weakness to the "Glow" (Radiation) and a strange addiction to yellow curry powder. 

And his one underlying theme he focuses on is the defense of Riverbend. 

It's a miracle in itself that a large threat hasn't levelled the entire town.  Attacks are disorganized and manageable, even with incompetent leadership. 

Pete's been active at "modernizing the town:  building a palisade around the town center, changing training methods and drills, even installing a guard post in the unused church steeple, including installing his friend Sonny Helianthus' invention the "spear thrower" into the tower. 

(And if you picture an automatic football throwing machine amped up to sending other objects flying...  you would be right.)

He does not always have tact. He is not always diplomacy.  But the weasel has passion.

Because, deep down, Pete is desperate.  He wants to be part of the community that's allowed him to exist.   Pete wants more structure.  Pete may also wants to burn the town to the ground.

The greatest theme that has developed over 140 episodes?   Outside of one other oddly deranged character who he barely shares DNA with, he hasn't encountered another weasel since his youth.

He's encountered a lot of weasel-adjacent folks, including an entire ferret community in the Sub-Levels of KIA Academy.  But he vocally and violently dissociates himself from their kind.  

We should be wrapping up an epic quest in the campaign in the next few weeks, and everyone is looking forward for a winter of recuperation back in Riverbend.  Pete's seen families betray and systems fail his friends.  Hopefully he takes that back to the taverns and meeting rooms and keeps improving the town.  

And maybe, just maybe, another weasel will make an appearance. 

Alternative Question: What does one character’s stature in their community mean to them?

#RPGaDay2026 - Day 1 - "Discipline"

We have finally made it #RPGaDay2026 !

I'm coming into #RPGaDay this year with a different perspective.  Over a dozen years of questions and prompts and certain topics are rehashed repeatedly.  I won't link any older post, rather a

Day 1's prompt starts with a serious turn, "Discipline," and I'm grateful the recent onslaught of Dungeons & Daddies ads on social media will NOT steer me in that direction. 

The suggested question is, "Share a character or fellow player who is a strong example of discipline."

He might disagree, but my paragon of discipline would be Hoyce.

Blippy, Hoyce, and Henry, at Hoyce's bachelor party.

For a guy I originally knew as "the veggie hat" guy in college,  a large burly bearded man, aged into a bald, surly older man, he might not be the obvious first choice, but in our Monday night online game, he is the glue that keeps everything together. 

We're using his Google Meet subscription to run the game, so we're already eternally grateful.  He's the first player online Monday nights.   Heck, he's the first person I talked to when this years prompts came up, and we powered through all of them efficiently.

As a player, Hoyce has always been disciplined.  He sticks with his character's structure mechanically, he knows the character background and looks for ways to further develop it.     He adheres to character personality and goals. 

Whether he's a gnome titan warrior, a womanizing bard before it went viral, a Sips'kud Bounty Hunter in Star Wars, or 10-foot tall mutant sunflower in Gamma World, I know he'll play the character concept tight.

Heck, he's the last player to create an Illuminati University character using GURPs, and if that doesn't involve a little discipline for a first time player, I don't what it does.  

I can truly say that when he mentions his own home campaign, spun off from my own campaign, his skill at GMing is such that I actively listen to his own stories... 

Alternative Question:  Share a character or fellow player who is a strong example of discipline

#RPGaDay2026 Starts Tomorrow!

Each August I do two things gaming-related. 

1) Watch videos of the "Running of the Geeks" the first day the doors open for the vendor hall at GenCon

2) Actively participate in #RPGaDay , the community activity where we cover a prompt or topic and talk about our love of RPGS.   

#RPGaDay starts tomorrow!   There's still time to tweet, post, blog, vlog, podcast, or yell from the heavens each day. 

It's really not hard, especially just social media/tweet level.   This will be my 13th year participating.

Here are the prompts again.... 

.... and if you can't think of an amusing gaming anecdote or topic, they've provided near-alternative topics to work from!  

In reality, they're a practical question for the prompt, not a different and unique one. 

You'll see the tags for #RPGaDay and #RPGaDay2026 everywhere.  I prefer #RPGaDay2026 to track year by year. 

1. Share a character or fellow player who is a strong example of discipline.	2. What does one character’s stature in their community mean to them?
3. Poise: How does one character present themselves?	4. An enjoyable moment of charm gone right or wrong?	5. What burden is a  character willing to carry until the end?	6. Reach: Who would you like to be able to share RPGs with?	7. A moment of mercy received or given?	8. A moment when a character kept or broke their resolve?	9. Give one reason why it is a privilege to play with your group.
10. A secret you hope comes out about a character?	11. A character made great by having or not having tact	12. Most things end. What is one RPG loss you still feel?	13. Strain: So far, what is the heaviest set of RPG things you have carried to play?	14. What is a game held in high regard you have yet to play?	15. How would you organize an endurance session of your favorite game?	16. One thing that will cause a character to lose their composure?
17. A satisfying example of a character’s integrity	18. Directness: A fast introduction of a new PC or player?	19. A huge risk taken because of desire?	20. Have the characters kept or broken more promises?	21. Share an RPG charity past or present that moved you	22. An enjoyable moment of grit PCs did or did not tough out	23. An enjoyable moment of good or bad fortune
24. Your preferred distance in any type of RPG conflict?	25. One game you want to get more familiar with?	26. One game you regret not trying?	27. What do you hunger for most from a session?	28. Devotion: Game you have played the most!	29. Labor: Thing you are most willing to work on for a game	30. A game event that you are still proud of.
31. Why does a character think they have an edge?

Another Month of Meeples (August 2026)

 Another month of Meeple Monthly, and I have some old man rants about dice (surprise, surprise!)  

I am pleasantly pleased that there are a few items in my extended want list, including two Lovecraft books.!

Check out the latest issue of Meeple Monthly for more fun stuff, plus a host of random things I'm not listing under my imaginary store.  

ViscountEric's Want List

Nothing

ViscountEric's Money-Is-No-Issue Want List

Arc Dream Publishing

Delta Green: The Millennium ............................................ $69.99

I'll be ranting about the descriptive blurbs I find in these solicitations.  Full disclosure: I have positive bias toward Delta Green, but the blurb for this product is great... Others this month, not so much.

Chaosium

Call of Cthulhu: Inssmouth .............$59.99

Leyline Press

Mew-Tants! ................................... $20.00

Were-Woofs .................................. $20.00

And then you have the fun RPGs, were you play as cats with superpowers, or you're a dog with a normal job... but you once were human.  I'm a huge fan of the $20 price point for everything except dice.  That seems to be what's in people's hand as their in line to check out. 

The Imaginary Store List (Infinite Shelf Space Games & Hobbies)

Agamemnon Press

Old -School Essentials: Hellcrawl .................................... $45.00

Alderac Entertainment Group

Honeypot .......................................... $24.99

Forage ............................................... $24.99

Alligator Alley Entertainment

D&D 5E: Expedition from the Mysterious Peaks .............. $59.99

This is the perfect example of how NOT to write promotional copy. 
"Expedition from the Mysterious Peaks is an action packed, science-fantasy adventure series powered by 5ee and inspired by iconic adventure classics"
As a store-owner, a company I've never heard of, but sounds like Florida Man just learned D&D, is rehashing stuff with Barrier Peaks nostalgia?  For sixty bucks?   I'd respect my customers more by not carrying it.  AI could write better copy.

Atomic Mass Games

Marvel Crisis Protocol: Dimensional Terror Terrain Pack ..................... $89.99

Marvel Crisis Protocol: Dimensional Incursion Terrain Pack ................ $79.99

Marvel Crisis Protocol: Guardians of the Galaxy Starter Set ................. $99.99

Catalyst Game Labs

BattleTech: BattleMat: Fire & Ice 03: Umber Station ............................ $39.99

Shadowrun: Explosive Decompression .................................................. $49.99

Chessex

Despite all these rants this month, do you know what puts a smile on my face? 

A Chessex dice restock.

Yes, I know they're not licensed, or made of some special material, with a resin sombrero in the middle of each die, but the speckled polyhedral sets are $6.50 apiece, and the d6 blocks are under ten bucks. 

Yes, they were also soliciting their fancy stone, metal, and resin lines (most of which are still overpriced) or the razor edged dice that, by profile would shave on a curve.  But every store needs to figure out what the profit margin vs sales volume suits them the best.  

Creature Creation

Pirate Borg: Adventure: Nagval's Curse ........................... $17.99

Critical Kit

Daggerheart: Seasons of Fear ............................... $27.00

Cubicle 7

Warhammer 40k RPG: Wrath & Glory: Adventures in Gilead ..... $39.99

Da Vinci Editrice

Black Flag! .............................................................. $24.99

Devir Games

Do De Li Do! ........................................................... $14.99

Let's Dance  .............................................................. $13.99

Nascard  .................................................................... $13.99

Envy Born Games 

Meerkat Kingdoms ................................................... $39.99

The Eren Chronicles

D&D 5e: Legend in the Mist: Zamanora: Ballad of the Witch: Core Book .... $49.95

And to be a bit hypocritical, The Eron Chronicles does a great job describing  their Balkan/Slavic RPG setting.  I'm just not going to promote too much because it's solicited as a "Once with Everything."  Core Rules, Campaign Book, GM Screen, and a host of other trinkets. I know it's a successful promotion stemming from crowd-funding.  Don't get me wrong, the Kickstarter went over great, but how many more folks are looking at a comprehensive setting and rules, past the 3,000+ pledges?   Forty years in and observing retail say invest and grow.  An RPG line doesn't have the same utility and restock capability that a paint rack has /rant.

Evil Genius Games

Everyday Heroes: Adventure: The Magnificent Murder of the Great Maskeyne ......... $19.99

Evil Hat Productions

Blades in the Dark: Blades '68 ................................ $45.00

Exalted Funeral Press

Old School Essentials: Fire & Fang: Weird Stone & Sorcery Adventures ............ $30.00

Reverend Werewolf's Old Timey Monster Mania Family Hour ............................ $20.00

Fanroll by MDG

D&D: Octagonal Dice Tray: Ancient Red Dragon ................... $49.99

7-Set: Resin: Eternal Purple & Blue ......................................... $14.99

CATAN: Sharp Edge Resin Dice Set ........................................ $14.99

CATAN: Robber Blind Bag ...................................................... $ 9.99

CATAN: Plastic Civilization Egypt .......................................... $14.99

CATAN: Plastic Civilization China .......................................... $14.99

CATAN: Plastic Civilization Greece ........................................ $14.99

CATAN: Plastic Civilization German ....................................... $14.99

Gamehead Products

Friendly Fishing .............................. $20.00

Pet Quartet ....................................... $20.00

Size Wise ......................................... $20.00

Trick to the Future ........................... $20.00

Wild Magic ...................................... $20.00

Gear Games

High School Cthulhu ....................... $55.00

High School Cthulhu Extra Circular Horrors ....................... $50.00

High School Cthulhu Blasphemous Deck ............................. $18.00

"A crossfire of adolescence and cosmic horror..." although that might be redundant.  A good blurb, peripheral product from a regular favorite, decent price points and only three items in a solicitation?  This might be a winner at the Infinite Shelf Space Games and Hobbies.

Goodman Games

DCC: Dungeon Denizens 2 .................................. $69.99

5e: Fifth Edition Fantasy: Dungeon Denizens 2 ................... $69.99

5e: Fifth Edition Fantasy: 2-Page Dungeon Delves .............. $15.99

Konami Digital Entertainment

Yu-Gi-Oh!  Magnificent Monsters

M Allen Hall

Old School Essentials: Out of the Iron Labyrinth ................. $20.00

Old School Essentials: The Green Ooze King ....................... $20.00

Modiphius Entertainment

Star Trek Adventures: RPG Dice  ......................................... $28.00

When you absolutely, positively, need to get gouged for dice with a Star Fleet logo on a face.

Mongoose Publishing

Traveller: Fifth Frontier War: Consular Envoy ...................... $49.99

Traveller: The Infinity Suite ................................................... $49.99

Osprey Publishing

Silver Bayonet:  Venice - The Alchemist's Legacy... $28.00

Carentan 1944 ....................................................... $25.00

Westport 1864 ....................................................... $25.00

From Trenton to Yorktown ................................... $20.00

Ground Forces in the Korean War 1950-53 vol 3 .. $20.00

Kriegsmarine Norway Command 1940-45 .......... $23.00

Mosquito Units of the Far East ............................. $25.00

Panther vs A30 Challenger ................................... $23.00

The SS "Wiking" Division in World War II ......... $21.00

The Stay Behinds ................................................. $30.00

Target Stopped ..................................................... $28.00

Warsaw: A City at War 1939-45 ........................... $38.00

Pillbox Games

Dead Letters ............................. $30.00

Pink Tiger Games

Melted ...................................... $13.99

Random House

Chess is Life ................................. $21.99

Choose Your Own Adventure - The Mystery Box ... $35.99

D&D - Heroes' Feast Legends of the Table Cookbook ... $40.00

Renegade Game Studios

Axis & Allies & Zombies ................................... $65.00

Severed Books

Sickest Witch - Sickest Wretch: A Non-Witch Class Supplement ..... $22.00

Sirius Dice

7-Set Adventure Dice: Darklord: Strahd von Zarovich

7-Set Adventure Dice: Darklord: Viktra Mordenheim

D&D Mists of Ravenloft: Treasure Packs PDQ

Stillfleet Studio

Picaro!  ........................................ $23.00

Troll Lord Games

Castles & Crusades The Dragon's Crucible Box Set .............. $99.99

WizKids

Marvel Heroclix: Thunderbolts Booster Brick

Marvel Heroclix: Thunderbolts Map and Terrain Kit

Marvel Heroclix: Thunderbolts Doom Sorcerer Supreme

Marvel Heroclix: Iconix- Giant-Sized X-Men #1

(Kickstarter) Hackmaster 25th Anniversary Edition by Kenzer and Company

There are those games that raise up my hope in the world, and let it crash down upon my soul.  

The 25th Anniversary Edition of Hackmaster, now on Kickstarter from Kenzer and Company, is exactly what I expected, and I should not complain in the least. 

The original 4th Edition, actually licensed from the world of D&D/AD&D was my salvation from artsy-fartsy game concepts I was brewing in my head.  It was my game of choice for the early 2000's with epic tales that some of us just talked about last night, including The Journey of Mutumbo and, of course, Burning Trogs Rule!.  A few items have have been sold off as needed plunder, but it still holds a key spot on my shelf, within arms reach, just in case someone summons the call. 

With the license expiring, they removed most of the parody elements, and refined the rules for a completely different 5th Edition in 2009.  While some of the elements from their Aces & Eights western rules  (most excellent) migrated over, marriage, kids, and life in general never got me into that set, or the investment for the beautiful books. 

Disclaimer:  The 25th Anniversary edition is a refinement on the 2009 game. It's now expanded into a four-book set:  The Player's Character Codex, The Player's Guide to Adventuring, a single volume of the Hacklopedia of Beasts, and, of course, the GameMaster's Guide. 

Would I like all four volumes being so triumphant on my bookcase that I would have to buy a new one worthy of their glory?  Sure!  But as I will probably lament during #RPGaDay2026 in a few days, if I do full-on fantasy, "getting the band back together," it would be 4th edition, all the chuckles and clunky rules on display. 

I am, however, interested in the add-ons, so I pledged the $5 tier, hoping to overspend once pricing becomes available:  The Hackmaster dice bag ($20) , the official pin ($20) , the set of d10,000 for critical hits ($15), and the one thing that intrigues me, Gary Jackson's Power Dice. ($20)

Nostalgia might make me wish I just went with the new edition....

Mirke the Meek and His #RPGaDay2026 Companion

 Small podcast rant before I get to Mirke the Meek.

My podcast listening has dwindled down to nearly nothing.   My weekend drives to take care of my mother is always accompanied by Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff, where even the rare sub-par episode would still qualify them for an Ennie. I, for one, loved the tight 60 minutes confines that have characterized the podcast and now play it at x1.2 times to keep my time constraints.  

The Miskatonic University Podcast has been hit or miss for me, and I can't remember when I last finished an episode.  Not saying that I can criticize the topics or the hosts, it's just not hitting the same way it used to, and I'm itching to restart some sort of Cthulhu game.

In fact, in the midst of trimming the shrubbery around my mother's place, I was surprised by an episode of the Nerd's RPG Variety Podcast, and pleasantly amused it was going to be about #RPGaDay.  While the podcast has been a perennial hit-or-miss for me, the fact that the host, Jason, has been on a indeterminate hiatus, I was excited.

It seems his return was to support his fellow podcaster, Mirke the Meek, for an alternative to #RPGaDay that might fit some folks predilections rather than the daily prompts.  

The questions are relatively simple, and six separate areas to apply them:

(1.) What's your favorite ruleset for the genre and why?
(2.) What's this genre's best/most-fun module/adventure?
(3.) What are your favorite media (books, movies, comics, music, etc....) that best fits the genre?

And the areas of discussion: 
D&D as a Genre

Superheroes

Espionage, Spies, and Covert Ops

Sword & Sorcery

Horror

Sci-Fi 

It's pretty basic, and I'll admit, my excitement is just reaffirming my bias.  Since the 10th Anniversary of #RPGaDay, I've mildly campaigned for the return of the basic "Year One" questions that the early years covered.  Stumped on a prompt this year, feel free to call in on the Speakpipe link, or just use the topic for your own purposes.