Tuesday, July 31, 2018

(Kickstarter) Star Grind - Overlords 2 by Whitehorn - Krakon Games

I might mention a few Kickstarters too many over the years.  Prior to this one, I had tagged "Kickstarter" on 362 different posts.  Some were about new campaigns, some were updates, and a few were ones so bad I just had to mention them. 

Even with that proliferation, it's not too surprising that I miss a good one or two. 

Ross Whitehorn and Krakon Games have just launched a new Kickstarter for their sci-fi range,  Overlords 2.
Krakon Games ran the Gnomes and Gnomes 2 Kickstarters earlier this year, plus the ever-popular Mykelings. While I find the aliens tres cool, it's actually the add-ons from the prior Scum and Smugglers campaign that caught my eye. 
I don't know how I missed them the last time, and to be honest, I don't care.   I need to figure out how to budget for a bunch  of these guys by August 11th.  

Ballad of the Pigeon God #69 The Giant Sphere of Annihilation

For a breakdown of what's transpired, check out the Ballad of the Pigeon God Page.  The "Apocalypse" starts with Episode #64.

The Morning of the 2nd of DecDec 1072
The Chateau d'Echleon, Outside the Village of Eding
Echelon, former Baron of Eding, and his fellow adventurers, Kane, Sigard, and Thorrin Slatebelt, arrived just in time to save his wolf companion Pathfinder from a messy death by falling.

**Thanks boss!  These guys are too tough for me.... All yours**  the wolf telepathically spoke to his master.

"Hold on a second, Pathfinder," Echelon spoke aloud, "Start running towards the giants."

The wolf paused a moment and began walking towards the monsters.  The square sides warped outward and turned into an sphere.  As Pathfinder began running faster, the sphere picked up speed, until it crashed into a collection of stone giants.  Kane and Sigard took out a hill giant, and Baron Felix, Brutus, and Thorrin fell two more.  Despite whatever calling was compelling them to attack, the remaining giants turned tail and ran.

With the coast clear for the first time in hours, Babette and Zoe were set down the steep path to the stream below and the secret rendezvous in the caves upstream

Most of the Chateau d'Echelon, the old stone farmhouse everyone had turned into a home these last few years, was in ruins.  The only benefits of the giants' rampage was that some of the supports collapsed away from the portions that were on fire.  It would be a total loss, but it wasn't a total flaming loss.

It would be mere minutes until the next wave in this mindless attack would commence, unless the giants, minotaurs, and trolls turned to the village of Eding, but something seemed to make the larger monsters avoid the fray between the goblins and the local militia.

Standing outside the Chateau's large barn were the last adventuriers left to stop the hordes:

Echelon:  Priest of the Eastern God of the Sea, Tshang Kai Ching, pigeon aficionado, former Baron of Eding, and rabble-rouser against the now-dead Dread Lord.  He wielded Wave an ancient trident whose special abilities he was still discovering.  His wolf Pathfinder, whom he shared a telepathic link, skulked around the back of the barn.  After rolling spheres and giant attacks, he needed a moment to compose himself.

Kane: an Eastern monk with elemental control of water.

Sigard:  a young paladin of Akana who threw in his lot with the adventurers before the return of the God-King turned into a horrible, evil hoax.

Thorrin:  a dwarf blacksmith that Echelon and company had only met a few weeks before this apocalypse.

Ariel: a feisty bard that gave up the adventuring life, only to return to defend the first place that was ever offered as a home to her.  She scanned the surrounding woods with her bow from the hay loft.

Felix: the current owner and caretaker of the Chateau.  His middle-aged frame and constitution was beginning to fail him.

Brutus: the large, hulking ex-gladiator had somehow lost his shirt in the fighting.  Brutus practiced swinging a huge two-handed sword, oblivious to a huge head wound that, oddly, did not seem to affect him.

There was no sign of Echelon's leg-less mentor, Mohammad, who had been holed up on the second story of the demolish Chateau.  There was no time to mourn friends.

While they stood around the barn, waiting for demons or titans to attack next, a certain dwarf nearly walked up to them on their flank.

"Allo, everyone!  It's just me, Norm!  You are missing the monster as well?"

After some precautions  to ensure the dwarf wasn't one of the evil spider-people doppelgangers, our heroes were finally relieved.

Norm explained that his army delayed the goblin hordes from assaulting Eding, but ultimately most of his men were pushed into the river and into the Nightwood Forest.  Thanks to his loyal lieutenants, most survivors were able to cross the river on the other side of the village and reinforce the villagers.

The village/baronial militia, led by Torm Touchberry and Lady Iris stood firm against the goblin onslaught.  A strange elf cleric by the name of Markuus marched behind the lines, pulling the injured away, healing them, and filling holes when needed.

Things had begun getting desperate when a great commotion came up from the village square.  Everyone turned, to see the halfling militias from Lowdale, Welldale, and Elmshire arriving.  Leading the charge atop a halfling pony was ten-year old Baron Timmy himself!   His mother, Jenny was close behind, armed with a shortsword and a morning star, but it was the surprise the villagers needed to push back the invaders.  More were soon to come, but for Norm, it was a perfect time to sneak out and see how his friends were fairing.

With that, a snarling pack of gnolls came around both sides of the ruined Chateau.

"Hey Norm," Echelon exclaimed, pointing his glowing trident at the dwarf.  "Prepare to start running..."


GM Notes: Finally, after all the chaos, our heroes were catching a break.  The endless waves of humanoids and monsters seemed to at least slow down.   Not enough time to sleep, but with Wave and Overwhelm ready for action, they seemed poised for anything. 

As I discussed the last great battle of the finale, Norm's player, Nate, brought up an interesting fact that most of us had forgotten:  Wave could create cubes of force, usually for oxygen for air-breathers underwater, or perhaps a land-locked aquarium.   Nate fondly remembers Echelon casting them around Norm and Norm pulling off "the 'ol hamster ball" versus giants, ogres, and the like.  Things are going to heat up awfully quick as we race towards the finish, but it felt wrong if I didn't mention the only battle tactic Echelon had that didn't seem to include running away. 

On a different note, there will only be a slight modification to Tuesday publishing of the episodes while I participate in #RPGaDay for August.  The #RPGaDay posts should appear early (by US Eastern Time Zone), and the Pigeon God posts should follow around Noon.

Next: #70 The Return of the Kings?

Monday, July 30, 2018

Mepacon Fall 2018 Events

With my potential Fall-In! events out in the open, it would be smart to start thinking about games to run at the Fall 2018 Mepacon, November 16-18, in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  I have a little more time that the draconian HMGS deadlines, especially since the website hasn't been updated past the Fall convention dates, much less registration.

The theme of the Fall con is Underwater Adventures, and I figure a similar game structure to what I've done in recent cons should continue to bolster the kid's track. 

My Little Sea Pony - My Little Pony in two hour slots is either a rollicking good time or an empty table.  I just did a quick Google search for "My Little Pony Underwater" before typing this, and apparently, it's a thing, although it varies from seahorses, to pony mermaids, to Pinkie Pie in Scuba gear.  I fear more research is necessary, but the potential is limitless.

My Little Pony - The Adventure Continues - As much as a theme game might work, and as much as I enjoyed the one Power Pony game that occurred at the Spring con, some of the players enjoy the concept of bringing their characters back to the table each con.

The Octonauts - A secret dream project from when the kids were little, If I can play around with the Scavengers space RPG, I think I have a good vehicle for one or two "episodes" per two hour session, and allow all the characters to shine.
Call of Cthulhu - Any scenario in a submarine - Perhaps a 3-4 hour grown-up scenario Friday night will cleanse my palette (Don't worry, I'll still run a kids game Friday afternoon before the pasta dinner.)

Other - Requests and suggestions can be left in the comments below.

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Potential Fall-In 2018 Events

I've got less than a month to figure out if I'm running a game at Fall-In! this November 9-11, 2018 back at the Host in Lancaster.

Recently, I've made Fall-In! a Daddy-Daughter weekend with my 9-year old Maja, and that's not going to change, but historically, I've run my best games at Fall-In!

Plus, I'm pondering participating the Battle in a Box contest, sponsored by the HAWKs.  This limits the scope of the game I would put on, but also keeps my game portable enough to a 17 liter box.

Options for the game:

Samoa - Battle of Vailele - Contemptible Little Armies.  I've run this before at Fall-In! and if I get creative with a battlemat, I can still run 6 players with plenty of figures, follow the Battle in a Box rules, and make it a theme game!

Samoa - Mule Train Ambush - Contemptible Little Armies.  Not an actual historical battle, but another scenario good for 6 players, the contest, and the con theme!

ViscountEric, Just Run Gnomes! - Gnome Wars.  I know, I know, I should be running a fun kid-friendly/learn to play game to draw them away from the Gnome Mega-Games.  They're ovewhelming to me and I've played/help run them for a decade now!

The Great Gnomesville Flood - Gnome Wars - Gnome Wars.  Footage of the Great Gnomesville Flood of 2018 hasn't reached YouTube yet, but it has spread out over Facebook.  A search and rescue gnome game would take some time to develop, but it would be a fun early game for families and the gnome-inclined.

Other - Put your votes in the comments, plus any other suggestions.

Friday, July 27, 2018

(Kickstarter) Caverns Deep! by Dwarven Forge

Dwarven Forge has launched a new Kickstarter for Caverns Deep!, an expansion on their subterranean dungeon sets!


After recently reviewing the Dungeon Depths set from Mantic, I might need to adjust that review.  I could invest a LOT more money into cool stuff I would never use... Terrain Crate seems inexpensive fun.

#notthedemographic

A Coin! My Kickstarter for a Coin!

When I first learned about Kickstarter, my first thought was, "Cool!  I can throw five bucks at a designer to produce an awesome book, and once it's made I can pick it up at the FLGS!"   I didn't totally understand the "Pre-Order" mentality that many companies use the service for.

While I have participated in a ton of Kickstarters for the rewards, I've also pledged between $1 and $5 towards 26 different campaigns.  Some I truly believe in the process, even if I can't afford a full pledge (or even want the item personally).  For other campaigns, that $1 is the cost of front row seat for me to watch certain campaigns that were cool, but I knew were doom to chaos or utter failure from the start (Invincible Overlord and Horrors of War, I'm looking at you two).


While I'm one of two people I know who love the Prince Valiant RPG, I couldn't justify pledging for a pdf I wouldn't read, or a book I would never use.  They did offer a $5 pledge level of a custom made Prince Valiant coin, which felt right.

The project was already very quiet before campaign creator Stewart Wieck passed away unexpectedly, and despite the shock of the Talislanta: The Savage Land (also Wieck) pdf getting sent to me, I couldn't foresee getting the measly trinket in the mail.

But last week, it finally arrived, in double padded envelopes, no less!


A nice coin.  I just don't want to know how much it cost to create, pack, and ship.   I am happy the oldest Kickstarter I pledged an actual reward level to is the Reaper Bones 4.  Of my buck pledges, the City-State of the Invincible Overlord is the latest (December 2014 ship date), followed by Horrors of War (February 2015).

Thursday, July 26, 2018

(Kickstarter) The Fantasy Trip by Steve Jackson Games Returns!

Kickstarter has proven to be a successful launch pad for new game designers, but it's also been a great way for established companies to gauge demand for a few nostalgic products.

Steve Jackson Games has launched a campaign for a modern day printing of The Fantasy Trip, Steve Jackson's first published RPG.


The 2018 #RPGaDay List is Up!

The good folks at #RPGaDay have finally released their list for 2018!



Well, they're not pulling any punches with the questions.  These are not your one liner/quick tweet answers: Favorite Horror Game: Kult.  Favorite Die:  d12 are not going on the list.  I think this might reduce the number of fly-by-night participants, but there are plenty of other question-a-day social media experiments.

Time to set up the Questions on the blog posts and start writing.  I'm on vacation currently, and when I return to work I'm on a multi-million dollar phone installation project for my company on August 1st.  I'll need to some time to de-escalate after work, but a bit of a head start helps. 

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

The Mike Lung Gallery #56: Essex Miniatures as Gnomes

In an email two months ago, Mike was raving about the potential Essex Miniatures had in making gnomes.  Not all Essex figs, mind you, but there were enough oversized heads and squat bodies that:

"if one is carefully pics through the line, there are some gems to be had that IMO work extremely well as Gnomes. All they require is some really basic and easy conversions….add a pointy hat, a beard, and a round ball nose. I think they are very doable projects for someone who is a novice sculpter…all it requires is just buying some green stuff or Procreate and giving it a go. The tools I used for my conversions was an xacto knife to shape and cut and maybe a shaper tool to do some further shaping and to smooth things out."



Some comparisons, with a work in progress (2nd from left)


Edit:  An as a minor aside, this is the 2,500th post made on the blog!

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Ballad of the Pigeon God #68: The Guardian of the Chateau

For a breakdown of what's transpired, check out the Ballad of the Pigeon God Page.  The "Apocalypse" starts with Episode #64.

The Early Morning of the 2nd of DecDec 1072
The Chateau d'Echleon, Outside the Village of Eding
The coming of the God-King was all a ruse.  Felix knew from start that it wouldn't come true, but some people looked for hope anywhere they could find it.   First rumors of evil gods showing up spread through the village of Eding like wildfire, then the fleeing pilgrims, followed by General Norm's army being chased by goblins and orcs as far as the eye could see.

Since his rescue from the dreaded spider-people only a year and a half ago and an invitation to stay at the Chateau, Felix had always taken pride in how the estate looked.  Even in their darkest of times financially, he always tried to touch up some worn paint or replace a battered board on the barn.

But now, he and Brutus, a man whose brain was inversely proportionate to his huge muscles and giant heart, were intentionally damaging the main building of the Chateau, as well as the barn behind them.  Knocking out expensive windows, ripping off shutters, and smearing soot across the front to make the appearance of the Chateau had already been ransacked and torched

It worked surprisingly well.  Only small groups of cowardly (or greedy) goblins and orcs took a peek inside, and Felix, Brutus, and Baron Echelon's old wolf companion, Pathfinder were there to take them out.

The defense of the Chateau before Echelon and company (hopefully) arrived was of great importance.  Hiding in the empty wine cellar were  the housekeeper Zoe Loup-Alberhold and Babette de Sarista, each protecting their own small children.  If the adventurers gave them enough time, he could get the mothers and their babies to the next safer location, but for now, this was all they had.

Somewhere on the second floor was their wild card.  Mohammad had been Echelon's mentor, but a blast of divine energy turned him dumbstruck and agoraphobic.  He spent his days hiding in closets, praying to his god, Tshang Kai Ching.  But since the Echelon and company had left, he had been praying non-stop to his god, randomly pushing his legless body on a scooter, moving from room to room.  Felix didn't know if it was doing any good, but after all the fighting he still felt refreshed and awake... the normally sweaty Brutus hadn't even worked up a bead.

As the goblins moved through to the east, one lone figure moved against the flow.  Ariel the Bard had left an abortive adventuring career with our heroes to spend nights playing at the Blue Wizard Inn and spending time with the woman she loved, but now she returned as a messenger.

"Norm's army is holding off the monsters just outside the palisade, but they can't hold out much longer.  There were Spider-People among the militia!  We're very weak, I don't think the villagers will hold out, no matter how Torm and Lady Iris try to rally them."

"Lady Iris had the royal garrison swear loyalty to her, and even I'm impressed the bastards agreed. They're patrolling the other side of the village, and it's eerie.  Nobody even circles around the town, human or monster.  Hell, we haven't even heard from the halfling villages in the last day."

"Jenny and Baron Timmy are holed up in the Baronial Manor. When everything falls apart, I don't even think Echelon's fancy new trident could save them. It's sad..."

Felix had the woman shut up and guard the backdoor, while he ordered Brutus to grab some sleep.

2nd of DecDec 1072 - Chateau d'Echelon, Kingdom of Crosedes
With nightfall, the march of the monsters seemed towards Eding finally began to abate.  Felix's eyes were finally beginning to droop, but still spied the front of the estate for a troll, an orc, or even a  weakly goblin.  Nothing.  In fact, a few more of the cowardly monsters began fighting the magical call to fight and were deserting, evil instincts be damned.

Ariel peered around a second story window towards Eding.  The sounds of battle could be heard in the distance, and the fires of the village could be seen over the tree line, but it wasn't the light of wanton destruction.  Norm, his remaining soldiers, and the villagers were holding their own.

As the sun began to rise, Pathfinder sensed something outside.  He nudged the heavily snoring Brutus awake, and the snuck out the back door to investigate.

Giants.

Hill, Stone, Frost, hell even Forest Giants were towering over the nearby woods, ripping up everything in their path.


Brutus alerted Felix and Ariel, and they in turn got the mothers and their children out of the wine cellar, and out past the barn.  Once there, they could work their way down a steep but hidden path towards the small stream at the bottom.  They could follow the stream out towards the swamp, where they had secured some small caves with supplies... and hopefully enough camouflage.  That was supposed to be the fall back point, if everything fell apart, the goal for everyone was to reach the caves.

But first they needed to hold off a towering army of giants.

As the other women fled to the barn, Ariel took her bow and tried to distract the creatures.  It only succeeded in making some of them mad.  What took Felix and Brutus all day to ruin the front of the Chateau, the giants' clubs did thrice-fold damage in mere seconds.  Neither Felix or Brutus were fleet of foot, but against these gargantuans, their tactics were to wound and stay out from underfoot.

As a particularly nasty stone giant walloped the back porch, Pathfinder finally had his fill of this destruction, leaping up and latching his mouth onto the being's arms.  The giant wailed in pain, but the force of his attempt to shake the wolf off sent the beast flying thirty foot high and over one hundred feet away.  Certain doom for such a basic creature, but as Pathfinder braced for impact, he found himself floating in a near-invisible cube a mere five foot off the ground.  As he gently floated  to the ground, the force-field dissipated.  Pathfinder looked around, and down a little used hunting path, he could see his master, his friend, Echelon, wielding the glowing trident Wave.
The true guardian of the Chateau had returned.

Next:  #69: The Giant Sphere of Annihilation

Monday, July 23, 2018

(Review) Dungeon Depths Terrain Crate by Mantic

Everyone on social media finds contests popping up all over the various platforms.  You know the method:  Like this post, follow us on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/etc, and share it with a million of your friends, and each action gets you an entry to win a free trip for seventeen to Disney, a free cruise, trip to the moon, or a cheap t-shirt.  Most of these involve tens of thousands of people, and many reek of fake accounts.

Anyway, even with the legit ones, you never know the person that actually wins.

Until now.

I followed the basic guidelines posted on ACD Distribution's Facebook page for a contest sponsored by them and Mantic Games, and whaddya know, I was one of two winners pulled!

The prize?  The Dungeon Depths set from Mantic's Terrain Crate line

My copy arrived from Canada last week, right after Historicon, so between recovering from that and some craziness at work, I finally got around to properly peruse the contents.

Disclaimer:  I mentioned this product when its Kickstarter launched last year.  I re-read the post and continue to agree with the points and concerns I brought up.
Terrain Crate is Mantic's response to the demand for cheap yet sturdy options to fill our tabletop.  The Dungeon Depths box contains 73 pieces for a $79.99 MSRP.

The pieces are packed in two trays stacked on top of each other, plus a number of smaller items collected in a baggie.
Despite the semi-custom slots for pieces, between my kids and the Canadian Mail/USPS, there were a number of items at the bottom of the box when I pulled out the trays.  No damage, No issues.
Pulp Figure and Reaper figures used for scale comparison.
The pieces are a hard plastic in brown, gold, and gray.  The plastic immediately reminds me of Heroquest scenery: very solid for furniture, borderline flimsy (at least bendable) for the thinner items.
Treasure!
I've had plenty of scenery/terrain options through the years.  I've had Dwarven Forge and Geo-Hex and certainly had pieces that I had absolutely no use for, so it's no surprise that not all 73 pieces float my boat.  But the furniture, coin piles, and a number of the smaller items will immediately find a use in my Pulp game.
Barrels, and Tables, and Crates, oh my!
Like I said when I mentioned this Kickstarter previously, my needs  have easily changed.  In a non-contest setting, I would still be interested in picking up smaller sets of items, even if they were a higher cost per piece.
Traps, Mirrors, and Throne room dressings!
The set is well-done, the pieces well-made, and has caused a great dilemma on my already backed-up painting queue.  Each piece has enough detail for a very nice paint job, but would still look great with a basic coat.
The Tiny Suff!
Just in case, here's the run-down all the cool stuff in the set:
  • 1 Brown Cabinet
  • 2 Brown Candlesticks
  • 2 Brown Piles of Books
  • 1 Brown Parchment
  • 1 Brown set of Candles
  • 1 Brown set of Potions
  • 1 Brown Ladder
  • 1 Brown Desk
  • 1 Brown Comfy Chair
  • 1 Brown Mirror
  • 1 Brown Orrery
  • 1 Brown Owl on perch
  • 1 Brown Scrying Pool
  • 1 Brown Wooden Round Table
  • 2 Brown Wooden Rectangular Tables
  • 2 Brown Wooden Chairs
  • 2 Brown Wooden Stools
  • 2 Brown Wooden Benches
  • 2 Brown Debris Barricades
  • 2 Brown Piles of Debris
  • 2 Brown Skulls
  • 2 Brown Braziers
  • 2 Brown Wall Mirrors
  • 1 Brown set of Tankards
  • 1 Brown set of Bowls
  • 1 Brown Rat
  • 1 Brown Rat Swarm
  • 1 Brown Lever
  • 1 Brown Trapdoor
  • 1 Brown Blade Trap
  • 1 Brown Posion Gas Trap
  • 1 Brown Spike Trap
  • 1 Brown Ladder
  • 1 Brown Carpet
  • 1 Brown Tapestry
  • 2 Brown Fancy Chairs
  • 1 Brown set of Barrels
  • 1 Brown Pile of Crates
  • 1 Brown Pile of Logs
  • 1 Brown Crate
  • 1 Brown Coffin with removable lid
  • 1 Brown Iron Maiden/Sarcophogus
  • 1 Brown Skeleton
  • 1 Brown Mummy
  • 1 Brown Torture Rack
  • 1 Brown Torture Table
  • 1 Brown Surgical Tray Table
  • 1 Gold Plinth
  • 1 Gold Crown
  • 1 Gold Goblet/Plate
  • 1 Gold Sword in Stone
  • 1 Gold Pile of Chests
  • 1 Gold Pile of Armour and Weapons
  • 2 Small Gold Piles of Treasure
  • 2 Large Gold Piles of Treasure
  • 1 Gold Coin Pouch
One thing that this promotion has done for for me is to look out for additional Terrain Crate items (The Campsite in particular).  I may not need all these items, but I do know what's a deal.

The biggest drawback is pretty obvious.  $79.99 is not chump change, but then again, neither is the cost of a rulebook.  While I come from the minis optional 1e/2e AD&D, there are plenty of GMs laying battlemaps every game night, and these are great additions to their tables.

So, with my concerns regarding price and utility of the pieces, I happily give Dungeon Depths four out of five gnomes.
Even if this big set isn't for you, the smaller sets might catch your eye.  I'm definitely interested in looking for the Library and Campsite sets, and can't wait to get this stuff painted up....  my lead pile just added a lot of plastic pieces.

Of course, many thanks to ACD and Mantic for sponsoring the contest.

Sunday, July 22, 2018

When 40K Was Cool

For my next RPG Actual Play write-up, I'm pouring through some of my old Dragon magazines for research, format, and a few pieces of inspirational art. Results have been lukewarm thus far, but my oh my, the ads in the magazines are 100% winners. 

To be honest, I've never been a huge 40k fan.  I haven't played since 2nd Edition, and between the always increasing prices and overdone models, I see no desire to dip my foot back into the bottomless sinkhole. 

But the Dragon ads call back to a kinder, simpler time, when the figures and vehicles hearken back to my Heavy Metal sensibilities.

I mean, with all the Golden Daemon winners, air brush machines, and advanced techniques over the part thirty years, this Rhino ad makes me want to buy one right this second. 

Plus, I'm a huge fan of the beaky Space Marines, gets to me more than anything I've seen in this century....


Saturday, July 21, 2018

Myths and Monsters of the Barbary Coast, by Pontoonier Miniatures

The good folks over at Badger Games have released the first figures for their Pontoonier Miniatures line, "Myths and Monsters of the Barbary Coast."
Sultan/Were-Lion
Initially meant to add a little exotic affair for US Marines to engage, the miniatures fit any time period from Middle Ages, right up to a very Pulp-ish 20th Century. 
Were-Croc
Their regular Barbary Pirate range is pretty cool as well.
Were-Hyenas
Evil Necromancer


Friday, July 20, 2018

(Painting) Middle Eastern Civilians Part Two

With Historicon on the horizon, I was so close to finishing the Eureka Middle Eastern Civilians, but alas I only got six complete.  Now, the other six are complete and I have some "regular folk" for the Pulp Game.


All Twelve
On the painting bench is A LOT.  I have cleaned and based all of my Historicon purchases, plus I have a very special announcement cluttering up most of my work space.  Details are forthcoming.  

Thursday, July 19, 2018

(Kickstarter) Animal Adventures: Tales of Dungeons and Doggies

Painting and Polygons is proud to present their first (and well promoted) Kickstarter:  Animal Adventures: Tales of Dungeons and Doggies line of miniatures.

Yeah, D&D themed dogs in 28mm PVC.  What's not to love?

Besides a lot of positives, I sense a few obvious concerns:

  • First Kickstarter
  • Despite their small size, $35 (US) for the set seems low, even with shipping charged separately.
  • Small operation dealing with Chinese operations.
  • May 2019 delivery date (especially since I see finished figures in the pictures).
As an extra bonus, they're including their Animals Adventures Dungeons and Doggies Rules Companion for 5e, plus an adventure "Who'll Let the Dogs Out?" in pdf.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

The Mike Lung Gallery #55: The Anthros of the Hollow

After all the figures he's acquired for Gnome Wars, Burrows and Badgers, Oathsworn, Essex, Reaper, Dark Sword, Mice and Mystics, and some others that he uses for his personal Gnomish/Anthro games, it's no surprise he can populate a full table, much less a tiny village. 

....which he also offered.  Here is his set-up for "The Hollows" that would be perfect for his game.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Ballad of the Pigeon God #67: The Battle Shifts

For a breakdown of what's transpired, check out the Ballad of the Pigeon God Page.  The "Apocalypse" starts with Episode #64.

1st of DecDec 1072 (Dusk) - Lake Apotheosis, Kingdom of Crosedes  (Continued...)
The prophesied return of the God-King was all a ruse.  Baraxus the Destroyer, an inter-dimensional spider god, had managed to trick thousands, all the while setting the forces of evil upon a populace, whose greatest sins were hope and naivety. 

Our heroes had watched the evil king slain by an old ally (wielding ancient sword the humanoid hordes did NOT like), the gruesome death of a dear friend, and a long lost inter-dimensional friend take on the spider god mano y mano.

Kannex, the Red Mage of Cymril, had returned from his world of Talislanta, a bit more aged, but throwing crazy fire magic at Baraxus.  Bolts, barriers, and fiery hexes confounded and pained the god.  Only his own magicks and web magic kept the wizard off-kilter as he hovered forty foot in the air.

Our heroes, Echelon, Thorrin, Sigard, Kane, and Beourn the Ranger (in bear form) had recently reunited with elf ranger Ashe Winnebago and his clan. Elvish arrows and blades had cut a swath into the hordes of monsters, but there were more pouring forth from the surrounding forests and swamps.

A portion of the goblin horde pursuing General Norm Dingleberry's troops back to the defenses of Eding, turned back and attack the heroes and elves.  Spears flew fast and hard, and while many tried to form a defensive formation, Beourn, still in bear form, rampaged into the greenskins. The heroes could only watch in horror as the goblins simply overwhelmed the lone figure.  He would not rise again.

Cut off from the main road, the heroes left the elves, who still sought to quench a longstanding blood thirst, and began a fighting withdrawal, through the thick underbrush running parallel with it, towards the Chateau d'Echelon.  If Kannex couldn't fell the god, no one else could.

Within minutes of the withdrawal, the mass of goblins chasing them seemed to dissipate, replaced with giant men wearing dire wolf furs and wielding gargantuan swords and axes.

While they looked frighteningly threatening, the nearby warriors seemed to beckon their back ranks forward.  As they neared the heroes, their torchlight revealed elaborate facial tattoos and heavy scarring.

Finally, their leader reached the front, with the facial tattoos running down the neck and covering a portion of his chest and left arm.  Pulling out an other-worldly sword, Kane began to smile.

"Brother Rolf?  Rolf Wolfsblood?  Is that you?"

Rolf Wolfsblood was a barbarian from the plains of Galmar who was one of the original party members, along with Kane and Ashe.   He had traveled to the world of Talislanta, thanks to Kannex, and had become enraptured by the culture of a warrior race known as Thralls, returning to this world with a number of their tattoos.

Realizing he had no interest in magic weapon quests and the general tomfoolery of the Dread Lord, Rolf left the Chateau and wandered east into Ras-Prythax, towards Galmar.

He was amazed how each town seemed to have a half-civilized Galmar barbarian in their population, and upon conversation after conversation, Rolf discovered each one to be miserable.  He convinced many to form a company of Galmar ex-pats, who were to be marauders for hire.  Almost all of the barbarians were enthralled (pun intended) with Rolf's stories of Thrall tattoo histories. It's been a short time, but few learned to tattoo, and many were already setting up standard patterns and designs to extol the history of Galmar.

But the barbarians felt the pull of the Dagger of Myrmindosa, and thanks to Rolf, decided to hold off their impulses.

Echelon was pleased. "Go back and get your bloodlust filled, but make sure this path is open for those fighting with us."  We're falling back to support Eding, check on the Chateau, and figure out what's next...

Rolf nodded, and with a quick wave of the arm, his barbarian cohort turned back to the battlefield.

His men emerged from the woods to a scene of chaos.  Ashe and the Winnebago elves had formed circle and had killed so many monsters with their bows that they were using the the bodies as walls for a redoubt, fighting the oncoming rushes with spears and swords, while a few spied the distance for shamans and flying monsters.

On the far side of the battlefield, King William trudged through the blood and the gore, still wielding the legendary Blood-Brand.  All of the elite cavalry from King Cervinal had perished, so it was only his friends, Rurik the Viking and Fiame the Cleric of Akana, following his wake of destruction.

It was odd that the waves of humanoids from the surrounding countryside seemed to diminish once twilight had hit.  It would make more sense for them to attack at night, but perhaps the greatest of hordes had already arrived.  William worried, though, of what type of stragglers would show up.  Eding was a good place to rest...

But perhaps the monsters were frightened by the pyrotechnics and arcane auras coming from Kannex the Red Mage and Baraxus the Destroyer.  By this point, the battle had been going on for the better part of an hour.  Everyone else vacated the lake area, as at least a quarter mile in all directions was scorched earth.

Only Rolf, his compatriots, and a few awe-struck humanoids watched Kannex's final blow to Baraxus, a dual fireball that streaked past each side of the spider-god, turned around and enveloped him from behind.  When the light of the blast subsided, neither combatant could be seen, and no one was brave enough to search for them.


But with the death of Baraxus, something came over some of the heroes and warriors for good across the region.   Whether it was militiamen in Eding, Rolf's barbarians, or even Ashe's Winnebago brothers, some of them twisted and contorted... into spider-people doppelgangers!  They would ambush their supposed brethren beside them, and wreck havoc on the defenses.  Treachery!

With new threats lurking on the outskirts of the battlefield, Rolf felt it wise to slay the magical pretenders and retreat through the woods, to establish a new defense away from where gods and wizards played so recklessly.  The barbarians, the elves, King William's troupe, and a few remaining survivors left the fields of death around Lake Apotheosis for Eding.

And as the forces of evil bid their time, there was but a single unit of ogres still on the battlefield pillaging the dead bodies.  They had many bags of loot, but they prominently displayed the head of Velandro d'Ispatlia on a pike.

The monsters in the woods didn't see large group of smaller creatures sneak behind the ogres, but everyone could hear the ogres wailings and pleadings for mercy.  No wound on the ogres was above the groin, and within moments, they were all on the ground.

Crawling over the corpses were three dozen dozen small figures, armed with maces and shortswords.  They eschewed the ill-gotten gains of the ogres and collected body parts.

The leader of the group wore a tabard with the symbol of Akana.  He found the head of Velandro and removed it from the pike.  His subordinates gathered near him and dropped what they had collected at his feet.

The remaining body parts of Velandro.

The leader pulled off his helm and revealed a well-trimmed dog face with two large beady eyes, both welling up in tears.

Dag di Velandro, faithful kobold acolyte, protege of Velandro, and full-blooded holy warrior of Akana was too late to save his one true friend.

The other kobolds, including his wife and children, removed their helmets to pay homage to the father of the Kobolds for Akana movement.  With the noises moving closer, they hastily collected Velandro's remains in a large sack, put it in one of their backpacks, and scurried off into the woods towards the Chateau.
DM Notes:  Baraxus appears to have been destroyed, but the most powerful wizard in the campaign is missing.   Ashe and Rolf have returned (with help) to stand by their friends, but even their secret plans are rife in deceit.  The powers of evil continue to descend upon the river valley and begin to move towards Omsjik and Eding, but even kobold paladins-in-training are here to save the day.  

Time for a mea culpa on my part.  When (1) you're transcribing a character journal into Actual Play episode and (2) said journal entries are nearly twenty years old, it's tough to fill in the details that the characters may have forgotten.  Then (3) you realize all you have to construct the campaign finale from memory because the last journal entry was covered back in episode #58, you may forget certain details, such as (4) I changed world maps from this campaign to my Hackmaster campaign, and for the sake of consistency I've adjusted travel times and locations for all of the Pigeon God based on these new map.  With that in mind, I might be the only person to care, but (5) Lake Apotheosis is a mirror image of the old map, which means (6) the goblins overflowing the cliffs and subsequently swooping down onto the pilgrims came from the Nightwood Forest, which is on the wrong side of the lake!  The cliff face is actually against the southern swamps.  Starting with this episode, everything is pouring out of the Nightwood Forest, which is to the north of the lake.


It also leaves a desperate geographic conundrum, as the Hydincall River, which was a natural boundary for the village of Eding and the Nightwood Forest, is now on the opposite side of the village.  


I'm sure they'll tweak the story elements when I sell the rights to Netflix.


RIP: Beourn and MacKay (King William's warrior associate)

Next:  #68 - The Guardian of the Chateau

Monday, July 16, 2018

My Historicon 2018 Day Trip

Hurrah!  After a long engagement in Fredericksburg, Historicon has returned to Lancaster!  And that is good news for a guy like me who only could only day trip.  The bad news?  It returned to the Lancaster Host, which is still in the midst of it's renovations.  

Regardless it was an excuse to wake up early and travel down for a day with my daughter Maja. 
Required pre-trip selfie....
After decades of cross-country road trips, anything over two hours takes its toll, and Lancaster for us is exactly two (if we obey all traffic laws).  We may or may not have been making fabulous time prior to reaching the outskirts of Manheim, when we were met with a closed road and a detour that only have been been ten minutes, but it felt like ten miles of remote country back roads.  *Spoilers* We made it on time and decided to take 222-->61-->81 on the way back home.

We were greeted at the Host to road cones and men bedecked in "Security" vests, guiding us through the construction zone.  The front entrance is currently covered up and fenced off, and we meandered to the overflow lot... and then to the grass overflow lot after that.

At 9:22 in the morning.  I may have made a little prayer to the air conditioning gods as we parked.

Let's be honest, HMGS was smart enough to send us an email giving us a frank assessment of the place:   Parking spots were still being taken up by containers full of supplies for the remodel, the rooms were finished, but a number of reservations were transferred last-second to a Wyndham hotel a mile away, and there would be no food service on the lower level, replaced with gaming tables.

With that knowledge in hand we walked to the registration area and picked up our badges within 15 seconds.  Safe, secure, and a few complimentary items later, we were on our way to the HAWKS room.

Instead of Maja's regular spot in the Lego Pirates game, I decided to sign us for the Skirmish at Schlegel's Farm Civil War Kid's Game.  Simple rules, fast pace, just bloody enough, but no rules for the chickens.
Despite Maja's general leading a charge down the main road without any troops following her, the Rebels won the day (barely).  Part of the card-based initiative process was a "Civil War Fact" card for each side. If one of the kids could provide a fact about the Civil War, they could give an extra activation to any unit on their side.  Fun concept, except this was Maja's first time learning about the Civil War, so her facts were stretching the rules a bit.  She did warm my bitter heart as we left the room, "Daddy, can we buy a book on the Civil War so I can learn about it."
Big Aliens
From there, we perused Wally's Basement (aka the flea market.  More on that later), and with a hungry child and limited on-site food options, we walked across the street to Golden Corral.

And six buses.

I was pleasantly pleased as punch that the staff moved as quickly as they did and our wait in line to be seated was no more than twenty minutes.
The nine-year old refueled, and Dad happy for a full stomach and competent staff, we walked up and around to the Dealer's Hall.  Even more construction, as the took the road behind the building and saw the Dealer's parking lot dug up.   For mid-day, the temperature inside was great, the lighting was great, and the HMGS volunteers were a bit... enthusiastic.  Rare have I  ever seen a grumpy volunteer (okay, perhaps behind the registration computers in years' past), but the numbers of ridiculously pleasant and outgoing staff... on a Saturday was a fantastic surprise.
Maja was treated like the rock star she is. A talkative kid at a historical wargaming convention is not only new blood for the hobby, but a full 180 degree change compared to the guys I've talked to who started up a conversation with me about Napoleonic era women's undergarments.... I still have no idea who they were.


I picked up the few items I was looking for and we ventured back into the Host for some water and Hobby University.
My Ral-Partha space dude vs Maja's Bricklayer
The Hobby U seminars looked full and the paint-n-take had just enough room to squeeze in.   I'm not one to look a free program for attendees in the mouth, but they either need to push the donation jar again, or HMGS needs to allocate a few more bucks to the project.  I could not find black, white, or any gray in any of the paint tubs. I realized this after Maja's little bricklayer was building a wall with silver mortar.   With this week's heat, we'll get it corrected in the cool confines of the basement.
MBA Middle-East Table
We ran into some old friends, Maja ran off to the Kid's Zone while I zoomed through the flea market again.


I noticed the Crescent Root buildings in the foreground before I saw the dragon.
After hanging with the friends and charging a quickly dying cell battery on the car charger (first time in years I forgot the plug-in version), it was finally time for the Gnome Wars game on the MBA Castle table.  
The German column would never make it to relieve the castle.  
Twenty+ players, hundreds of miniatures, and one large bier truck explosion made it into an extravaganza us regulars simply call "An HMGS Gnome Game."  Of course, Jim "The Gnome Guy" Stanton slyly commandeered me to run the lower half of the table. 

For Maja, the high points of the con involved "Friend of the Blog" Mike Lung.  First was the discovery that he may or may not work for an organization with a panda on their logo.  Second was Mike offering her his Eggyptoos ducks for the battle.
We never decided which Duck Dynasty these troops were from....
Disclaimer:  The ducks are not Brigade Games, so they don't qualify for the ever-popular "Bring Your Own Unit" rule, but Mike did turn the Confederate Nurse into a kick-ass Duck Cleopatra for the unit.  

The Eggyptoos performed admirably, taking up the rear, but breaking through the French line near the end of the game.  

With victory clearly in the enemies hands, I called our side of the table, helped clean up the carnage, and made a Wawa stop before heading home.  I pulled into driveway 1:42am and got Maja just awake enough to get out of the car and up the stairs to bed.  Mission Accomplished.
                                                

THE HOST:  We all knew this was going to trouble before the HMGS e-mail.  I heard nothing but rave reviews about the rooms that were available.  Outside a few rooms that would be stuffy if the doors were left open in the dead of winter, the AC was phenomenal (still brought and used deodorant, because I like most of my fellow attendees).  Outside of the pictures on the blog, I didn't use my phone much, but the battery dropped like a brick.  It did connect to the hotel wi-fi all by it's lonesome and that seems like a illogical reason, but the only one I can think of.

Parking: The only thing that truly got worse from Cold Wars! Containers blocking vital parking spots, construction wiping out even more, and with Historicon's increased attendance, I was happy to see "Security" moving us around and the use of the grass field for overflow.  

Events:  There were grumblings of event cancellations and no-show players, but the Distelfink ballroom and the HAWKS room were packed every time I walked by.   WW2 and Napoleonics rarely interest (hence why there are no pictures), and Maja's newfound Civil War interest did make us stop by a few tables.  

Dealer's Hall:  Temperature was great, lighting was good, and the new and improved balcony was used for more dealer space!  The best part was the slightly shorter walked down the back of the building was partly shaded.  Having survived the Turkey Path at the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon this month any hills were more than reasonable, especially with shade!
Happy that we're able to take required Dealers Hall pictures from the balcony again.
Flea Market: Still in the theater, so....
Lighting in the Flea Market
Just kidding, extra lighting had been added, but it was a minor improvement for some tables, although no miner's helmets were required to peruse anyone's wares.
The real flea market with the added "Thousand Points of Insufficient Light"
Plenty of good deals, even if we hit the tail end of each session.  Gotta love some of the more unique items on the tables:
Knowing this exists is half the battle.
THE SWAG:  Historicon even as a day trip wasn't on my schedule until late, and after some money issues in June, it wasn't going to be a shopping trip like Cold Wars is for me.   Pics to follow once I assemble everything.
  • Putin on a Bear from Brigade Games was the only mandatory purchase for the con.  Also grabbed a Walter White, and Rambo-Mueller.  
  • Two packs of Nazi Guards from Pulp Figures.  I have no use from them yet, but they were too cheap in the flea market to pass up.  
  • Darkest Africa: Swazi from Foundry.  Same reason as above.
  • Soviet Aircraft Decals from I-94.  
  • Reaper Bones Wild West Wizard of Oz minis

Maja's swag:
  • An "Outstanding Sportsmanship" medal from the HAWKS game
  • Easter Island heads from Windsword.  
  • Dice
  • A free copy of the Six-Sided Simulations VEX flag card game.  Maja loves it, but Dad is simply gaga over it.  We will be purchasing other decks of cards.
  • And the best purchase of the con, the coffee table Ken Burns Civil War book... FOR A BUCK!  Her eyes bugged out when I handed it to her, and she tired out easily carrying it around in her drawstring bag.  It has a prominent place on her desk in her room, and neither father nor daughter could be any happier.  
And, of course, the mandatory pics of the awesome Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago board.


Time to figure out my Fall-In! event!!!