Happy Halloween!

Status Report October 2014

It's been a crazy month for me.  Work has gone ballistic, which means 12-hour days are a reality, if not the norm.  By the time I get home, it's food, a little TV, a lot of dog walking, put the kids to bed, and finally spend hours trying to unwind, only to fall asleep late and start the cycle all over again the next day.

The only thing I have managed to do is continue to clean out the garage, with the wistful thought of making enough room to fit in two cars, our patio furniture, our grill, and a million outside toys.  I may as we'll build a second two car garage.

I have pulled out a number of fun gaming  things out of the boxes that spark some nostalgia.    First are the Risus-IOU characters that I started posted every Saturday.  Expect that with a little regularity through the winter.  

I also have a pile of stuff ready for my game at Mepacon in November.  I just need to find the time to whip everything up.  

The only reason my painting table isn't collecting dust is thanks to my girls' demand to paint anything and everything.   Last week as Cowboys and Indians, this week I hope are the pumpkins we bought weeks ago. Once the world slows down, I'm looking at refurbishing some gnomes, a few characters, and perhaps some of the sci-if figs I picked up awhile ago.  

I think I may have found a system for the Gnomish Space Marines.  It's still a secret,  but it's crunchy enough for the numbers guy in me, but open enough to allow more than just bloody combat for the (Gnomish) Blood God. 

I've got five more weeks of pure craziness at work, until it rolls off right into Christmas and even more wackiness.  My gaming goal right now is to bide my time.  I'm hoping our annual SATLOF holiday goes off with some gaming, and maybe I can get some visitors to drive up and play some Car Wars, since it just came out.  Of course there's Mepacon, but my auction funds are non-existent and if it's just a day with my daughter, then I'll be completely satisfied. 

Here's hoping a lean Fall '14 yields a prosperous Winter'15.

(Kickstarter) Mouse Guard Bricks!

After a wildly successful Kickstarter for Mouse Guard's Swords and Strongholds game, Luke Crane has teamed up with Crazy Bricks for a Kickstarter of Mouse Guard Brick figures.

Now, I have little knowledge dealing with Lego pricing or Lego-knock off pricing, but the initial pledge of $20 for four Mouse Guard heads  and a set of accessories seems high to my cheap mind.

As the stretech goals hit and a few more heads and accessories kick in, even my miserly self has to admit it would be awesome for some official Mouse Guard characters running around the gaming table.  Add cheaper prices per set when you increase the quantity, and a whole mouse village (or battalion) could pop up.

(Hackmaster) Burning Trogs Rule! #11: Felsentheim

14th of Quadec, 1133, Free Village of Felsentheim
The Burning Trogs became harbingers of doom to this small village, barely eeking out an existence in this humanoid land.  The few able bodied members armed themselves and reinforced the defenses before the orc/goblin come down upon them.  At dusk, about 50 orcs and goblins tried to raid the village, but between the Trogs and strong townsfolk, the attack was repulsed.  While the townsfolk struggled to further firm up their meager defenses, the Trogs collapsed in the center of town.  Despite magical healing, Nina's multiple traumatic wounds had allowed infection to set in and she was fading fast.

16th of Quadec, 1133, Free Village of Felsentheim
The second attack on the village.  This time, more than 100 orcs, plus a battering ram.  Again, the orcs are defeated and the the ramshackle gates held somehow.  Unsure of how things the surviving townsfolk leave with the Trogs before the main army finally arrives.

17th of Quadece, 1133, Milosic
Even though they were racing to the Marakeikan border and safety, Mutumbo attempted to hunt a herd of Giant Elk roaming the steppes for food.  All he succeeded in doing was spook the elk, which in turn charged right at him.  All seemed lost for the Nubian, until his Cursed Kite Shield -1 magically appeared in his hand and the additional "protection" allowed him to fall to the ground  and let the elk trample the shield, pressing him three feet into the ground, but only slightly bruised.

18th of Quadec, 1133, Frandor's Keep, Marakeikos
Nina's infection subsided.  They reached Frandor's Keep by nightfall, warn the military leaders of the impending orc army.  idespread panic.

19th of Quadec, 1133, Frandor's Keep, Marakeikos
Widespread panic grips the fort.  Refugees from Felsentheim wipe out the remaining supplies available for sale and head east towards Califon and safety.  The Trogs are given the mission by the Captain of the Keep to rely the dire news to the capital of Mirros. 

29th of Quadec, 1133, Mirros, Maraekeikos
Through horrible weather that crippled travel, the Trogs finally reach the capital of Mirros to deliver the message requesting reinforcements.  Was Milosic hit as well, hampering the orcs as well?  Will Frandor's Keep stand?

I rank the Trekelant trilogy as one of the low (and boring) points of the campaign.  Outside of the siege of Felsentheim, the modules were a whole lot of travelling for minimal game.  Portions of it might be better suited for a low-level Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play game than anything D&D. 

A few critical hits, poor choices in tactics, and the general goofball ideas the group gets when bored led to a number of the injuries that plagued the Trogs throughout the three adventures.   They gained some fame for saving the village and relaying the message, but the Trogs still don't have a true identity outside the Caverns of Quaseton.

Edit:  Upon going through the next few entries, I discovered a very significant event was omitted in the journals.   As they prepared to leave for Mirros,  a halfling family literally dumped their ten-year old daughter into the Trogs' laps, before they fled the impeding invasion.  This was the first mention of the Trogs' faithful torchbearer, Corena Ruddledater. 

Next:  Curse of the Caretaker?

(IOU) Yoda

When I first started my IOU game, I had the players think up characters from movies and television. My friend TOWN (The Other White Nate) decided on Yoda.  While he only ever made one appearance, he did duel with the infamous Snake Gandhi atop a Ferris wheel, light saber versus invisible katana with laser sight.

Yoda: The College Years

Wisdom Above All (5)

Martial Arts Magic (3)

Reverse Talk Funny (2)

Little Green Pimp (1)

Equipment: Walking Stick, Light Saber, Blackbook (Little it is...)

A Five-Year Old Always Trumps a Thousand Playtesters.

It's the busy season at work, and if I'm not too careful, I could end up as a Harry Chapin lyric (or a nice Tammy Wynette D-I-V-O-R-C-E).

 

On Monday, my wife sent me a picture of Maja pleasantly playing by herself with her ponies a few dice.  She was rolling to see who did what and who won...

 

She may, no she IS running a game of Dungeons & Ponies.

Dad is proud... and needs to get home earlier.

Apathy of the New Releases (Nov '14)

My Want List
Nothing

My Money-is-no-Object List
Nothing


My Imaginary Store List

Atlas Games
ARS MAGICA: BETWEEN SAND & SEA MYTHIC AFRICA ..................................... $29.95

Black Wyrm Games
CASTLE BLACK WYRM MAP ............................................................................................... $50.00
THE ROGERS JOLLIES MAP ................................................................................................. $30.00

Catalyst Game Labs
ENCOUNTERS: BRAVEST WARRIORS DECK ................................................................... $12.99

Constitution Games
We the People Fight Tyranny ..................................................................................................... $64.99
If you have a portion of your customer base that espouse Tea Party values, this is the game for you!

Diamond Comic Distributors
Legends of Cthulhu 12 Piece Action Figure Assortment ...........................................................  PI
The Kickstarter for the these guys haven't been over for long, nice to see them hit the pre-order book already.

POP Sharknado Shark Vinyl Figure ........................................................................................... PI

Enterplay

My Little Pony CCG: Absolute Discord:  Theme Decks and Boosters.

My Little Pony CCG: The Crystal Games: Theme Decks and Boosters

My Little Pony CCG: 2-Player Set Plus Trainer .................................................................. $18.99

My Little Pony CCG: Celestial Soltice Deluxe Boxed Set ...................................................$29.99

My Little Pony CCG: Princess Luna Collectors Box ........................................................... $ 9.99

 

Fantasy Flight Games

Star Wars Imperial Assault .................................................................................................... $99.99

End of the World RPG: Zombie Apocalypse ........................................................................ $39.95

Eldritch Horror: Mountains of Madness Expansion ............................................................. $49.95

STAR WARS RPG: EDGE OF THE EMPIRE LORDS OF NAL HUTTA SOURCEBOOK

                                                                                  .............................................................. $39.95

Warhammer 40K Dark Heresey 2nd Ed: Forgotten Gods .................................................... $39.95

Warhammer 40K Dice Bags ..............................................................................................$7.95 each

 

Gale Force Nine

D&D: Dracoliche .................................................................................................................. $75.00

D&D Valindras Army ........................................................................................................... $50.00

 

 Goodman Games

Hugh's Weird Dice ............................................................................................................... $24.99

Shanna's Weird Dice ............................................................................................................ $24.99

Monster Alphabet ................................................................................................................. $19.99

 

Hero Games

Hero System: 6th Edition Fantasy Hero Complete .............................................................. $30.00

Hero System: 6th Edition Book of the Empress .................................................................. $24.99

Hero System: 6th Edition Dice Hero Hexman .................................................................... $10.00

Hero System: 6th Edition Dice Monster Hunter ................................................................. $10.00

 

Konami Digital Entertainment

Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG: The New Challengers Super Edition Deck ............................................. $ 9.99

 

Looney Labs

Monster Fluxx ..................................................................................................................... $15.00

 

Margaret Weiss Productions

Firefly RPG: Smugglers Guide to the Rim .......................................................................... $34.99

 

Mayfair Games

Catan: Ancient Egypt ........................................................................................................... $75.00

 

Modiphus

ACHTUNG! CTHULHU RPG: GUIDE TO THE PACIFIC FRONT HC ......................... $28.99

Monte Cook Games

Numenera RPG:  Nine World Guidbook HC ....................................................................... $49.99

 

Osprey

Knights of the Round Table .................................................................................................. $18.95

 

Paizo Publishing

PATHFINDER ADVENTURE CARD GAME: FROM HELLS HEART ADVENTURE DECK                                                                                     ............................................................ $19.99
PATHFINDER ADVENTURE PATH: IRON GODS PART 6 - THE DIVINITY DRIVE  $22.99
PATHFINDER CAMPAIGN SETTING: IRON GODS POSTER MAP FOLIO ................ $19.99
PATHFINDER FLIP-MAT: FLOODED DUNGEON ......................................................... $13.99
PATHFINDER LEGENDS: RISE OF THE RUNELORDS - SPIRES OF XIN-SHALAST (AUDIO CD)                                                                                ......................................................... $15.99
PATHFINDER PLAYER COMPANION: FAMILIAR FOLIO .......................................... $12.99


Pokemon USA
Pokemon TCG XY Phantom Forces Theme Decks and Boosters

Palladium
Rifter #69

Steve Jackson Games
Chez Geek:  Slack to the Future Expansion .......................................................................... $10.95
Muchkin Love Shark Baby Booster ...................................................................................... $ 4.95

Wizkids
Attack Wing D&D Wave Three (Harpy, Silver Dragon, Wyvern) ..........................$14.99-$24.99
Attack Wing D&D Wave Four (Gargoyle, Gold Dragon, Stone Giant Elder) ........ $14.99-$24.99
Attack Wing D&D Wave Five (Bronze Dragon, Drizzt, Red Dracolich) ............... $14.99-$24.99
D&D Adventure Game #4 ....................................................................................... $64.99
Pathfinder Battles: Iconic Heroes ............................................................................ $29.99
Star Trek Attack Wing Expansion Packs ................................................................ $14.99 each

ACD Distribution Newsline: New from Winning Moves! 65th Anniversary Edition C...

Winning Moves!  will be releasing a 65th Anniversary reprint of the classic game Candyland. 

 

As I'm more partial to the original versions of the board versus the modern one, and the minor rules changes to ensure "nobody's a loser"  this may be a future purchase for my family.

 

ACD Distribution Newsline: New from Winning Moves! 65th Anniversary Edition C...: Coming Soon! WNM1189 Candyland: 65th Anniversary Edition $15.95 SRP SDI Celebrating over 65 years of great family fun, this c...

The Viscount Plays Magic

Sunday was gearing up to be a much-need Gaming Day with Daddy and the girls, however, real life interfered.   My wife's relatives took the girls to Knoebels for some trick-or-treating and some rides, my wife was forced to work, and I had to babysit out dog guest Guest Clarkie until his owner arrived around 1:30.

Afterwards, my wife gave me a dangerous text:

"You can go do whatever you would like!  Relax and enjoy your afternoon!"

No more dangerous words could be texted.

As all exciting stories go, I gathered up all the spare change accumulating on my dresser and went to the local grocery store to use their Coinstar machine.

I then proceeded to break it. 

The machine says not to put in real silver dollars, bent, or damaged coins, but no where did it mention 1/8" thick mdf board I used for miniatures bases.   One must have been at the bottom of the MBA building I use to store change and the sorter did not like it one bit!

Just in case you wondered, it takes three girls from customer service to open up a Coinstar machine.  I felt bad for breaking it, but after seeing the plethora of barrettes, paper clips, damaged coins, and souvenier pennies that people dump into it and get caught in the works, I feel better that I didn't grab my kid's candy-covered money that's stuck together.  I did get all my change back that had gotten caught, including three Eisenhower dollars that I'm quite certain I didn't put in there to start with!

So what did I do with my whopping fifteen bucks I cashed in?  I drove down to Emerald Vales Games and participated in a Magic booster draft. 

Now, details are sketchy, but the last time I played Magic was a booster draft back in the Spring of 2006 at the White Knight Game Room in Williamsport.  Eight and a half years later, Magic is still Magic (with some minor tweaks), and the idiot participating in the booster draft that can't keep count of his cards was not me!

Back in 2006, we were playing Kamigawa block drafts, which I loved due to the Asisan fantasy theme of the sets.  The new set is Khans of Tarkir, and it feels like not much has changed.  While some of the newer concepts, like Planeswalkers,  are foreign to me, and I had only purchased one pack of the set,  I could still draft a passable red/white deck.

One of the lower-intellect concepts of drafting is to just grab all the cool cards, rares, and foils that you can grab.  While I do have about six rares I drafted, no current player can fault me for my first pull out of my first pack.
 

 

For my old-school readers with ancient knowledge of Magic, this is one of the new "Fetch-lands"  Think somewhere between a Revised Dual land and one of the pain lands from Ice Age.   That alone makes it fetch probably $10+.  That glare in the picture is the refelection of the foil, which apprently jacks it up to $41.   I had people pulling me aside to offer to buy it throughout the day.  As crazy as it sounds, I think I'm going to trade it in to the store to go towards a few Alpha and Arabians there hunting for me.

 

Game wise, I went 2-2 in two matches before time and guilt of not getting the kids ready for bed caught up to me before the third round.  It was a nice combination of old school players, both long-term and just coming back, a few socially awkward types, and one or two the the required db's that have haunted Magic (and life in general) since the early days. 

 

Hopefully, I'll get another late Sunday afternoon and go down there again to draft again.  I'd spend a lot more money going to a sportsbar to watch footbal and enjoy myself  a lot less

 

And now that I know what this "Planeswalker" mumbo jumbo is, I can draft against it.  It's extremely silly.

(IOU) Professor Clarence Pittleman

We're two years removed from any action in my Risus: Illuminati University, but I'd kill a hobo for the chance to play another session.  Without further ado, I present to you for your consideration, Professor Clarence Pittleman.

A scene from campus (L to R,  Pittleman, Grover, and  a Trustee)

Professor Clarence Pittleman
Telekinetic Talking Coffee Plant (7)
Weird Science Gadgeteer (5)
Absent Minded Professor (3)
Supreme Coffee Bean (2)
Hyper Active Coffee Junkie (1)

Bill Cosby Fanatic (1)

Equipment:  "The Pittlecraft", a Pope Hat, leather coat & turtleneck, Fake Hitler Moustache, Siracha Sauce/Fix a Flat Gun

Enemy: C.T.H.U.L.H.U (8+ on 2d6)

Professor Pittleman was one of hundreds of adjunct faculty on campus desperately trying the acclaim or profitability to be offered the ever elusive gift of tenure.  He was working on some genetically modified plants (Monsanto ain't got 'nuttin on IOU) when a lab experiment turned him into a sentient coffee plant!

No, I said a sentient Bush...

With his haphazard paperwork faculty paperwork filled out, and lack of the form FK175 "Transferative Legal  Standing of a Metamorphized or Altered Faculty Member, Clarence  was not assigned classes  to teach, but rather enrollment paperwork as a Freshthing!  Three semesters  later, the mix  up has yet to be cleared up, but he is a Sophmore with a 4.0 GPA and a crippling pile of debt.

Pittleman did discover early on that he could move matter with his mind, which helped him construct "The Pittlecraft" to fly around campus.  The Pittlecraft is nothing more than an old fashioned '50's mixing bowl with an occilating fan duct tape to it's bottom, all wired together with one of those old electronics kits from Radio Shack to make an effective hovercraft.

Since he (re)started school, Clarence has also learned to manipulate the ripe coffee beans of his body as projectile weapons.  This hasn't been fully mastered quite yet.

Last Update (9/20/2015)

Gnome on a Bee!

After horror Chibis and Wild West Oz figures, I was surprised to see this on the Reaper New Products page:

03680: Thornwood Defender ($15.79)

For $16, I would like to know exactly how big a gnome on a bee is.  It's a bit prohibitive for a full unit of Air Cav.

Pulp Figures Drawing Room Detectives

Pulp Figures has released the stock photo for their latest release, PMH-1 Drawing Room Detectives.

Don't know how you're going to game with them, but that's a mystery for you to solve.

Geek Media for a Luddite

The busiest day of the year is but scant hours away, but I'm wide awake like a kid on Christmas Eve.  I'll try not to ramble too much.  

I seriously need to upgrade my phone.  My iPhone is nearing three years old, has zero memory for the latest two iOS upgrades and after my podcast app mysteriously disappeared I'm unable to download a version that doesn't require "modern" programs.   Sure, I can load them via the iPad, but listening to Skype of Cthulhu's latest foray into the Horror on the Orient Express while walking the dog requires nimble hardware.  I believe Dr Bob laid claim to that campaign during our last CoC session.  Between that, Delta Green, and Invictus, I can see me mothballing the Keeper's screen for a little while and enjoy being a player.  It doesn't happen often.  

If you have been hiding in the Pennsylvania woods, eluding the State Police,  you might be the only person in the world that didn't know The Walking Dead had its season premiere on Sunday night.  I swear my newsfeed was making up website names to meet the demands for info and rumors.  I hadn't heard of half of them Monday morning, and I'm friends with people who post all those click bait articles on Facebook.   

My previous complaints about the gratuitous violence and special effects on Gotham fall flat when dealing with a 9pm show on cable that doesn't hide behind the story of a "funny book" (TWD comic is NOT and never will be considered in the same nostalgic air as pre-80s Batman.   I am worried how many kids just above my eldest's age watch it.  

My quick thoughts 

Upton Sinclair would be proud of the Terminus slaughterhouse.

Georgia bottle rockets have great aim.

Kill 'me all!  

Slitting people's throats on TV is fine, but don't hurt the baby!  I can't blame them.  I caught some zombie series on SyFy a bit back with a zombie baby episode and it was God awful.

I missed episode three and four of Gotham, but from the first two, it's going to piss off the fanboyz, attract a few police procedural fans, and might be decent to binge watch a season at a time.

Agents of SHIELD looks to fill my pre-Avengers 2 need.  I haven't been a ardent supporter of it, but I haven't missed an episode either.   It's not Winter Soldier, but it isn't the Marvel Comics version of JAG.  So long as the story lines progress without too much interference from the movies, it will be a pleasant find on my DVR each week.

Doctor Who:  I too have underwhelmed by the latest season.  My mom doesn't have cable but actually sound some Pertwee episodes on Retro TV on her digital antenna.  I'm judging the episodes by her enthusiasm for the old ones, and they obviously fall short.  

For starters, even with the bad science and logic plaguing the new season, it instantly becomes better if you remove all of the dialogue.   I like Capaldi. I like Coleman.  But they mesh as well as water and napalm, or at least the writing does.

Fun fact:  my five year old daughter, Maja, figured out the plot of the Orient Express episode. Before the opening credits finished,    I think I miss static sets and cheeses villains.

Time to load some podcasts on my iPAd

(Hackmaster) Burning Trogs Rule! #10 Fort Dzeebagd

3rd of Quadec, 1133, Fort Dzeebagd, Milosic
The Trogs continued their meanderings through the humanoid wasteland of Milosic. While navigating around some sulfur fields, they encountered some red humanoid lizards who approached them peacefully. After some blunt and honest introductions, the lizards offered to pay for the heads of some rival blue lizards who were holed up in the ruins of Dzeebagd.  With a goblin bounty already in effect, this was easy money!

4th of Quadec, 1133, Fort Dzeebagd, Milosic

They finally arrived at Dzeebagd, which was little more than a wooden palisade surrounding some ruins. Tobias and Nina scouted the back while the rest engaged with surprise frontal assault. While they slayed all the goblins, they took massive wounds, Nina especially. They need nearly two days of rest in these tenuous defenses to memorize enough healing to bring her back from the brink of death.

6th of Quadec, 1133, Fort Dzeebagd, Milosic
Despite multiple entrances into the catacombs below, there was no evidence that the goblins had ever tried to venture underground.  While they could not find any blue lizards for their bounty, there was plenty of danger with gargoyles, exploding spore traps, and even a giant snake. They decided to give up the search in the underground ruins and head back east into Marakeikos. 

13th of Quadec, 1133, Milosic
Pushing through the steppes of Milosic, they encountered an army of orcs and goblins blocking their path. They could not get around the army, and skirmishes with their advance guard kept pushing them south.  Seven days of this game of cat-and-mouse (orc-and-gnome titan?) had exhausted the Trogs, but also lead them to the gates of the fortified village of Felsentheim. 

Next:  The Defense of Felsentheim!

Star Wars Separtist Battle Droids

Back when I snagged a Legions of Steel boxed set for tiles cheap off of eBay, the seller had swapped out the the UNE and Machines for Chaos Space Marines and Star Wars plastic Battle Droids. 

As I inch towards the Gnomish Space Marines, the idea of bulk enemy troops is necessary, as well as an excuse for seeing how easy it is to repaint the CMG figures.

The true detail is so erratic on some of the figures that any inking/shading turned into an exercise in "splotchiness."  While the line work on the head is quite poor, even by my feeble standards, I do like the way they appear to look like African or Tiki masks from a distance. 

Scottish Golf Mortar Accessorized!

As I blow through the bits and pieces that are the bins in my painting bench, I've been able to complete a few minor things. 

Early on in the course of this blog, I finished up the main figure of the Gnome Wars Scottish Golf Mortar from Brigade Games.  I'm happy to say that all three pieces are finally "painted" 

I put painted in quotes, simply due to the different flocking I used on the bases.  I painted the golfer while I was in the midst of building the battle boards for the Tanga campaign.  All the remaining long, yellow static grass went towards that project and I never needed to restock.  That makes the golfer look perfect for the British Open, while the caddies/accessories are ready for Augusta.    One day, I'll coordinate the three, but for now, they're more items to put on the "finished" pile.

The Board

With my eldest in the final week of play rehearsal and my wife in the throes of her mandatory post flu shot funk, everyone's too exhausted to stay awake, so I've managed to sneak down to the painting bench at a decent hour and fiddle around with miscellaneous figures on "The Board"

While I have full blown units and armies sitting in painted in bins, I don't feel like I have the dedication to knock out something like the California Imperial Guard anytime soon.  

More importantly, I've got no massive projects that demand my time and effort. Role-playing is Cthulhu (no minis) and the convention game will use existing figures, with at most a little touch up.  Even my two Kickstarters refuse to deliver me figures to inspire me, although Tanner Jones appears ready to ship in a month or so, which may pique my interest in Teddy Bear Pirates again. 

Technically, everything I've painted since I've moved into the new house has been on the board, even though I finally brought the cork board down last month.

When the mood finally hits me, I'll crack out some Swiss gnomes to refurbish and reseal, but  until then, a few character minis and some more Martians to inspire the Gnomish Space Marines to move forward will do.

Mepacon Fall Event Finalized!

After a poll, much consternation, and finally some time on the laptop to submit it, my game for Mepacon Fall has been submitted and accepted!

Title: Attack of the 50-Foot Princess

System:  TIARA
Players:  8+
Timeslot:  2pm-6pm Saturday, November 15, 2014
Description: Batten down the hatches, hide in your basements, secure every one of 

your Disney loving children, a 50 foot tall Princess has been spotted
rampaging through the town.  Can the National Guard, mystical creatures,
and the right and goodness of normal size princesses unite to combat
this threat?  Is there more than one giant princess? 

This game is open to everyone of all ages, children under 8 may need some parental help.

With this Mepacon declared a "Family Con" per my daughter Maja, it's proper to recreate the wonderousness of the game I ran with my my girls awhile back. 

I chose TIARA as the blanket system to run the game, although I'm adopting portions of  TIARA, OGRE, Burning Plastic, and Gnome Wars to run this.  This week I'll assemble the pieces together.  Next week I'll accumulate the supplies.  That should give me three weeks to assemble by "kid-safe, art-class-approved" town.

Considering the only other kid-friendly game is a My Little Ponies game, there just might be enough stuff to keep the kids occupied for awhile.

 

 

Reaper's Oz Miniatures Go Wildly West

One of my old posts that nets a lot of traffic is an attempt to find minis for the Wizard of Oz (movie version). The latest link comes from Lead Adventures, where I'm not the only one with these weird ideas, apparently.  

The conversation did uncover a few new releases coming out from Reaper, a Wild West version of Oz....

Dorothy.  It looks like two separate figures (good), but if I was going to file off a gun, I would go with the Oz set from Victory Miniatures

The Wicked Witch of the West.  Seriously, the original Wicked Witch I chose was a Reaper witch with questionable taste in pants and footwear, but someone painted all that black.   Thigh high boots?

Flying Monkey.   The Steampunk mechanical sculpt killed it for me even before I saw the $6.99 price tag.   Eureka and Infanticide flying monkeys for the win!

Scarecrow:  Who needs a brain when I'm wielding a weapon like THAT

Tin Woodman:  And who needs a heart when I'm a bloody Necron?

The Lion:  Before I read the details, I thought this was a heroic sculpt of the wizard.  Fail.

Outside of Dorothy, these figures are pretty useless in a non Wild West/Steampunk Oz game.  The death blow is the idea that all of these figures are SEVEN BUCKS apiece!

The one minis that piqued my interest was some form of cursed tree that could fit in the road to the Wicked Witch's castle, any Halloween display, or with the look of the owl, a few scenes from Clash of the Titans.  I would want actual specs on the mini before I plunk down $11 and change for it...

Good news, gnome believers, is that I'm trying my best to finish up posts for playing the first three Oz books in 25mm.   It's been a slow go, but I got a little more progress over the past weekend.  Compared to these prices, you can be downright miserly and still have minis on the table.

Texts From Kobolds

My little secret?  I love kobolds.  The dog-derivitive 1st edition ones in particular.   They can run the gamut of cannon fodder to sadistic ninjas and I've allowed these fellas to expand beyond their normal Lawful Evil domains.

This is a bit old, but warms the cockles of my DM soul.

Texts from Kobolds

(Kickstarter) Strange Aeons, 2nd Edition

Uncle Mike's Worldwide announced a Kickstarter for a second edition of their Strange Aeons miniatures game. 

While I've seen AARs for the system, using a myriad assortment of figures and ranges, I believe the miniatures that come with the Kickstarter may pique my interest.

Of couse, as is all the rage with Canadian companies, shipping is an extra $15 in North America.  I am interested in one of the stretch goals, which will add a midget cultist to the cult booster.

Gotham

I'm obviously showing my age, or perhaps it's the two small ones in the house, but there was once a time when the trashy, the vile, and the profane didn't come on TV until 9pm.

The idea of Gotham being a Fox police procedural pre-Batman left some room for hope.   The eight o'clock start time gave me promise that it might be okay for the tween/early teen crowd.  It's not something I was expecting to watch with my kids. 

But could you get a shot with more blood escaping from Thomas Wayne's exploding heart?    I wonder how many clueless parents sat their youngins in front of the TV for a Batman show and regretted it.  I mean it's as bad as a family of six children  walk out fifteen minutes into a showing of Superbad, but it's still not appropriate

I haven't watched more than a few early episodes of Arrow, but I don't recall any gratuitous violence shots. Everything was either off camera or at a less advantageous angle that still did not lessen the impact of the scene.  

I knew going in that Gotham was going to be rough around the edges.  Pre-Batman Gotham City is filled with sadistic mob bosses, some only an outfit and a schtick away from being a costumed villain.  It was not something I could watch with my kids, but the brutality immediately threw me off.

I am not a huge fan of the Batman universe, at best it could be considered a "casual hobbyist" but it was interesting to put current detectives on the GCPD back fifteen plus years before their backgrounds were established in the comics.  The future Penguin is delightfullly reprehensible, and quick encounter by Ed in the lab made me chuckle.  I even like Fish, and could critique her establishment's employee dress code when How I Met your Mother ran at 8pm and had whole epic storylines in strip clubs.

I do have a feeling that this series' version of Alfred will be a doctor's phone call away from medication the young Bruce Wayne.  Little Bruce is already way too intense.

Outside of the potential miscasts at Wayne Manor, I heartily approve of the rest of the cast, especial Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock.

I last saw Logue on the BBC Show Copper, and I don't believe there's much of a stretch between the two characters.  Crooked with his own sense of justice, Harvey's a survivor more than a full blown player in Gotham's corruption.  He can operate in the shadows as well as out in the light, and works as a perfect foil to James Gordon.

Gotham is third on my 8pm Monday line up (behind Big Bang and The Voice), so as long as Fox keeps showing Friday/Saturday rebroadcasts of episodes, I'll continue watching it, appreciating the effort, but pining for the days of sitcoms with ugly sweaters in the timeslot.

Edit:  I finally got to see the the second episode and it seems they went for shock and awe in the pilot to noticeable but off center violence.  When Falcone visits Fish and someone needs to get roughed up, the beating is off to the side of the screen, and the it continues off screens as a series of thuds and grunts as the camera Falcone finishes his conversation with her.

Other quick thoughts:

• "Stop sneaking up on people, it's rude!"   Still don't like Bruce or Alfred, though.
• Is Kat going to be Gordon's street level informant, or is it just a one episode ruse?
• For bonus points, in what twisted ViscountEric logic does Richard Kind playing the mayor tie directly into Dark Knight Rises (we do have to file down the serial numbers on a few things)?

(Review) D&D Starter Set

While it's certainly a big factor in a purchasing decision, I'm looking at the Starter Set for what it should accomplish:  teaching someone not only to play D&D, but to Dungeon Master at the basic level.

Inside the box set, you get a 32 page Starter Set Rulebook, a 64 page campaign called Lost Mine of Phandelver, a set of polyhedral dice, and five pregens to run the campaign.

The Starter Set Rulebook is the player's introduction to roleplaying, and it does a rather  pedestrian job explaining things.  Out of the six introductory pages of Chapter 1, a page and a half is dedicated to this, while the remainder of the chapter meanders through ability scores, skill checks, and saving throws.

Chapter 2: Combat starts out strong, but quickly falls into a mish mash of rules for special situations.  I assume this is fewer than in the 5e PHB, but to quickly look up a rule was easier in the free pdf of the rules that wizard provided.

Chapter 3: Adventuring covers jumps, rest, a paragraph on experience points through level 5, and equipment.lists.

Chapter 4: Spellcasting is massive in this small book.  Basic spells rules are covered followed by nine pages of spells, sorted not by class, but in straight alphabetic order.

Lost Mine is a nice campaign, introducing a number of different setting to adventure in, as well  as setting up at least the barest of role playing opportunities.  I did find that you should get at least five of your friends together, as the adventure focuses on the essential trait of balance towards the encounters.  When I introduced my girls to Dungeons & Ponies, the final encounter we played required double characters and me running an NPC, and while there may be talk as to how to adjust the encounter level for weaker groups, it's not mentioned often.

The polyhedral dice were nice, but horribly unbalanced.  My one daughter rolled a 3 on exactly half her rolls, and her younger sister added a few more.

What I'm most concerned about the lack of editing.  Whether the most practical approach was eschewed for page space is irrelevant.  There is something wrong when you provide a basic stat line for the encounter.   I'm not talking about the stat blocks from 3E, which included blood type and favorite IKEA purchase.  I mean a basic line that includes Armor Class, Hit Points, basic penalties and bonuses.  Special abilities can be noted on the line, with advise to refer to the monster section in the back of the book.  If I didn't memorize the AC of a goblin after three sessions, I doubt a 12 year is going to while he DMs his first game.

I'm wholly disappointed with this product.  Although the nostalgic version of me from my Mentzer Red Box would have killed for a campaign like Lost Mine to start with, so many things are disorganized and haphazard that I can only give the D&D Starter Set Two out of Five gnomes.

Truth be told the free D&D 5E pdf "sampler" is a far better tool for anyone with any experience with RPGs.

(Kickstarter) Miniature Building Authority Castle Extravaganza!

There are plenty of Kickstarters that start simple and slowly blow out of control from top heavy special projects.

The Miniature Building Authority Castle Kickstarter is nothing like that.

Let's not beat around the bush.  If you want a large scale 25mm pre painted resin castle, you are going to be paying $2,600.  

And it will be worth every penny.

What to save a few dollars off the retail for a huge building like this?

$220.00

While you can pledge the minimum and get some add ons, some of the accessories are reasonable, but the cheapest building in that program is the drawbridge for 80 bucks!

Still, if you want a 25mm castle, and have any semblance of cash, this is a no brainer.

Rampaging Kaiju Garden Gnome

Outside of a few pictures I grab from the Gnome Liberation Front, I don't nearly post enough pictures of actual garden gnomes.   If I see a few more like this I may change my policy:

This beauty can be found here.

My Gaming Plans for 2015

I've got a house, two girls with piles of activities, and increasing job duties at work.  What can I actually shoot for in 2015?

Car Wars:  Very little has gotten me excited about gaming like the prospect of designing a Car Wars game based on the Food Trucks around GenCon.  Can't wait for the reprint of the basic game!  I am looking at hall rentals to make this a Steve Jackson-esque con, akin to my birthday one.

Gnomish Catch Up:  The painting assault of 2014 needs to continue into 2015.  Without any major project to work on, I'll be skipping around in the current queue for a bit, but a good portion of the year should be the restoration of damaged Gnome Wars figures and some detail on my half finished Germans that have lingered like that for years.  I also plan on a Krig Rumet that supports mini wargaming, so I can my Oesster Surfian Campaign, a Rommel Great War Campaign, and finally finishing up Tanga.

Call of Cthulhu:  We had huge gap between sessions, but interest in our Masks campaign is at an all time high (it is the only game in town for many).  Do I dare tempt fate and say that I would like to play in, or run if need be, a game of Invictus?

Samoa: The Next Step: The great thing about painting up all the Samoans is that I can pop them of the shelf and have a skirmish any time I want to.  Village raids were commonplace, so a few huts and that's all I need.  Of course, I could work on the Siege of Apia, or I can delve into the what if category with a few more German troops and some very surprise Great War New Zealanders.

Home:  Despite some drawbacks with 5th Edition D&D, it has given me some ideas to adjust for my "Home" campaign.

Magic:  Possibly, some day, maybe, I'll play a game of this again.  Till then I'll peruse the books at the FLGS and pick up a few nostalgic cards before I feel nostalgic a decade from now and they turn from pricey to prohibitive.

My Girls: Both girls will be attending both Mepacons this year, so I guess my events will evolve from all-ages to kid centric.  Plastic tanks and giant princesses shall rule the day, and I once I find a nice pre-D&D rules-lite system I may do some two-hour time slots.

Conventions:  Beside Mepacons, I am only shooting for Cold Wars this year and I might be a paying attendee.  I don't feel inspired to run anything this time and I only have a month and a half to think of it.   It might be nice to simply be a player and have a little more freedom

Late Edition to the Master Plan:  The Gnomish Space Marines.  My latest ebay purchase of random sci fi figs did rekindle some attention for my gneric sci fi game.  I'll still need a few cheap auctions on eBay, or bite the bullet and order some scrunts from Bob Olley, but after everyone dies enough time during Masks, some light hearted fun may be in order.