Dungeons & Defense?

I know I saved this two months ago, but I finally got the chance to watch Dungeons and Defense posted on the Kansas City Chiefs Youtube page.   

Nerds... jocks... nerd/jocks, it doesn't matter, it's all too familiar.  Fabulously familiar. 

The Gnomes of Steven Tickner

As I casually descend the rabbit hole known as kitbashing with junk bits, I do follow Poor Man's Tabletop Miniature & Terrain Crafting on Facebook.  

I was pleasantly surprised two posts by Steven Tickner that happened to prominently display Gnome Wars figures! 

I absolutely adore the "Michael's Rocket Birdhouse" getting the German science experiment it so richly deserves.  Kudos, Sir! 

Staying Close to Home

While the #CharacterCreationChallenge in January and the impromptu #RPGCampaignTour filled up my blog with daily goodness, it hid and ugly truth:  I would only have 33 posts over those 59 days without them, a veritable desert compared to my normal production. 

I'm writing this because, I have no material.   Sure, I have my draft posts overwhelming me with ideas, and a painting bench getting gleefully cluttered, but it's a winter of taking care of my mom, trying to see the kids, and a new job.  

Finally.  It's nothing glamourous, but I'm back in insurance operations. And while I may hate it everyday, it's enough money covers bills, it's cheap on gas, and apparently I'm beloved by my team.  A nice reminder that despite problems in previous jobs, I do know what I'm doing. 

Gamma World is still going on Monday nights.  We're almost to the climax of the big epic quest that started thirty weeks ago, and I need to relax with a beverage and perhaps ChatGPT to figure out the options and ultimate fates of a few characters after this week's session.   

Contrary to the title, I am heading out to Upstate New York to see Maja in a volleyball tournament, then the following week in the school play.  Nothing like some dedicated Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff time, plus a Spotify DJ list that adding a lot of Bad Bunny and 90's chick rock.  Hopefully, I will add some Upstate game store reviews on my Sunday afternoon drives home. 

You start listening to the Spanish station for a couple weeks and the algorithm just knows...

I'm definitely locked in with my events for Mepacon 50 in April.   Part of the appeal of my convention games have been their quirkiness, but it is fun to see old school folks and newer folks sign up for my stuff. 

Historicon registration started on Monday, but the Stout Gnomes are at a bit of a standstill, with some logistics issues (beyond the normal hotel chaos).  The goal is to get Maja's Mepacon registration paid for,  then start setting up the Thursday-Saturday games.  

And beyond scrouging up the funds for Macrocosm's latest Kickstarter, there isn't much else I'm actively looking for.    I am still trying to rid of my uncle's wooden model ships kits, as well as the last of my Alpha Magic cards...

Games:  The consensus from the girls is a return to Savage Showdown for our Mousling game.  We're finished with part one of Temple of the Serpent and I can break out my desert terrain once again.  Once more terrain and figures are finished (see below), I'm certainly returning to the Fistful of Lead games for Death Planet Iota. 

Painting:  I now have three buildings for Death Planet Iota sitting on the bench, as well as two new vehicles for the Gnomish Space Marines that just scream "kitbash!" After that is an old Star Wars boxed set of minis, then heaven knows what.  

Project 350:  #RPGCampaignTour and some good episodes of Ken and Robin added some ideas to the backdrop of the blog, thus a stagnant/negative  453 (283/170)  from  451 (284/167) in mid-February.  

(Review) Green Dice Games, Slatington, Pennsylvania

Super Bowl Sunday was a long slow drive down to Allentown and my friends' Steve and Angi's house.  

Part of that slow drive was a diversion to Slatington, Pennsylvania to Green Dice Games, located inside the Slatington Farmer's Market.

Location:   It's my second attempt to visit, as I was in the neighborhood this past summer, there was some sort of event and traffic snafus that made me drive by.    On this second attempt, even with bitter winds, and piles of snow, I found parking to be accessible and ventured inside. 

A very nice picture off of their Facebook page that does the counter area justice.

Green Dice Games is a quick right turn and the main door and there you are!  It's a series of vendor stalls for product, and an entire corner of the building is open areas for gaming.  Originally I thought this was a step above a weekend indoor flea market, and I quickly realized that I was sadly mistaken.

Miniatures:    Games Workshop, Star Wars Legion, and Marvel Crisis Protocol.  Plus there were bins of "loose" sprues and a few bags of other terrain.  

Board Games:  Nada

RPGs: Nada

Accessories:   They had a decent selection of dice, Citadel paints, and different types of glue.  

And immense and diverse Marvel Crisis Protocol board....

CCGs:   They carry Magic, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and I believe Star Wars Unlimited a

Events:  They do have weekly CCG and Miniatures events and their were few players there doing CCGs.  But as I wandered into the Farmers Market, I came upon a room "Slatington Expo Center." Inside were a good number of 40k players participating in tournament, sponsored by the store, and administered by a third-party tournament organization. 

Pretty elaborate setting

Food:  Drinks and snacks! 

 I'll be honest, on my normal Five-Gnome grading scale, I'm feeling generous with Green Dice, giving them three out of five gnomes. 

It's obviously a unique business.  It is lacking certain features I look for in a full-service FLGS, but it more than adequately services to area it's at.  Heck, I'd say so much that it punches above the belt from what I expected. 

It's 30-40 minutes to get even near to a full-service game store, so this is a godsend for this area. 

They get bonus nostalgia points for setting up in such a complex, plus the food options were quite good, and attached antique mall had reasonable prices.   The antique baking dishes alone gives me a good reason to visit there again. 

And in all honesty, besides the opportunity to see my friends, it was one of the best outcomes from Super Bowl Sunday.

Green Dice Games is in the Slatington Farmers Market at 8281 PA-873, Slatington, PA 18080

The Mad Baron in Fabulous 28mm

I myself love the Back of Beyond, and must give proper shoutout to Over Open Sights for their work on a command base featuring the man himself, the Mad Baron, Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg! 

(Gamma World) Not a Test #106 - The Burning Troglodytes

The De Facto Explorers have found a tribe of Hoppers, right next to an underground facility in the Glow Zone wilderness across the Big River. They've entered an area that was once a mine.  An area populated by hostile bestial primitives.

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

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 Thunnelda Haycock.

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: a nearly 10' tall sentient sunflower artifact examiner with four arms, and trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable,  but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades. 

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 a pile of baby worms. 

Luna of the Restorationists:  Recent recruit of the Restorationists, who had uncovered artifacts across the River.  

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

The Explorers had a reprieve, back tracking a bit.  The troglodytes could withstand light, but definitely lurked within the shadows and darkness.  Sonny realized that they seemed to stay a distance away based on his proximity to them and his bioluminescence.  

Another wave of of the sub-humans came down from both passageways.  The small horde were wounded by the assort of weapons of the Ancients, but soon swords, maces, and most importantly shields were brought out to stop the rush. 

The Mine Troglodytes

Squiggles and Lathar held back the onslaught with their shields.  Luckily there were more gouges on the fronts of the shields than on the explorers themselves. 

Sonny was the most useful in this bottleneck.  A nine-foot tall sunflower could almost reach over the fray and slam a lit oil flask behind the Troglodytes, torching one, sending rending screams of agony, but not dispatching any of the humanoids.  He turned to an assault rifle, firing overhead to whittle away the Troglodytes pushing forward.  

Lathar and Squiggles decided that pushing back would be preferred.   They tried to advance forward, meeting full resistance.  They tried a second time to no avail.  On the third attempt, Luna and Pete help push from behind and they moved the horde backwards, into the remaining oil fire. The shield-less assistants spun out from behind and pull out pistols to kill more Troglodytes.  

Sonny smiled in satisfaction, "I much prefer these Burning Trogs"

Finally repelling the attack, Luna fell back behind Sonny to reload her flintlock. 

The Explorers pushed the Trogs down the one passageway, forcing them to flee faster.  

Lathar ran back, grabbing the mine cart, and put it back on the track.  Ancient Pistol in hand, he offered a suggestion.

"Push me down the track in the other direction.  I'll scout out and eliminate the ones who fled.  Pete and Squiggles pushed the cart and it slid downhills in to the darkness.  Its sounds stopped after a few second, into the darkness.  The weasel and worm followed forward.  

AGAIN, the cart crashed when the track ran out AGAIN.  This time it send Lathar flying, and while he was on his stomach, two the Mine-Man jumped out from the greater darkness and attacked.  

Lathar:  "Shoot them! Just shoot!  Shooooot them!!!"

Squiggles and Pete responded with weapons fire, even if Lathar could get him.  

Luna was prepping to assist, when she saw figures coming from the opposite passageway.  It was another Mine-Man, with a massive, hulking Mine-Man leading the way.  

"Sonnnnnnnnnyyyyyy!!!!!"

The giant glowing sunflower adjusted one of two backpacks he carried, pulling out a long wand attached to the bag. He took a moment to set a dial on the machine inside the backpack. 

"Move aside Luna, I'm going to liquify him."

The blast from the Children's Alchemical Laser hit the gargantuan Mine-Man, obscuring everyone's vision.  Once things cleared up, a different, horrible monstrosity stood before them.  

The Chaos of the Children's Alchemical Laser Strikes Again...

GM Notes:  I'm very sad I missed Sonny's meta joke "I much prefer these Burning Trogs" until I reviewed the recording for the Actual Play.  The Burning Trogs were are second group for our Hackmaster campaign, of which Hoyce (Sonny) and Steve (Squiggles) were players.  

Next: #107 - 

Lead Legionaries: Critter Control's Shocking Encounter at the Trailer Park

If the end of winter is doing anything for me, it's unveiling blogging posts that are giving me some inspriation, which has been lacking for the last few weeks *cough* months *cough*

Lead Legionaires posted a great AAR for Critter Control's Shocking Encounter at the Trailer Park, using the solo rules of  Majestic 13, an alien hunting game from Snarling Badger Studios. The game looks fun the shots were great, and the terrain board is simply outstanding.