Another Month of Games (Mar '21)

The full issue of Game Trade Magazine #253 from Alliance is available here.

ViscountEric's Want List

River Horse

My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria RPG - The Compendium of Equestria .................. $20.00

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

Nothing Really. Kinda disappointing. 

The Imaginary Store List (The Pegleg Gnome)

Atlas Games

Dice Miner ............................................................... $29.95

Magical Kitties Save the Day: Alien Invasion ........ $14.95

Magical Kitties Save the Day: Mars Colony ........... $14.95

Magical Kitties Save the Day: Wild Ones ............... $14.95

Unknown Armies - Bring Me the Head of Comte de Saint-Germaine .................... $19.95

Avalanche Press

Panzer Grenadier: The book of Armaments Volume One: The Eastern Front ......... $34.95

Beadle and Grimm's

Class-Specific Dice Set  ........................................... $20.00

The theme of this months solicitations seems to be dice.  There a a lot of solicitations, and the pricing seems to vary.  The first solicitations alphabetically are these class-themed dice sets.  It looks like two separate pearl-style polyhedral dice sets in what looks to be a metal tin. Each class gets it's own two-colors of fourteen dice total.  For twenty bucks, it's a fair price point, and a perfect gimmick for gamer who wants more dice (That would be all of them).  Only issues I see are displaying all 14 sets, and making sure reorders are available, as well as extra stock for the popular ones.  

Chessex Manufacturing

Chessex is still one of the dice behemoths, but they also have a vast selection of colors and styles.  This month focuses on their Nebula-Luminary-style dice, with six different color palettes.  The style below is called Primary/Blue:

The advantage of having mass production is that they can offer multiple sizes and groupings of dice at a fairly reasonable price.   Polyhedral sets, D6 dice blocks of different sizes, even ten of the D10s.  Prices range from $9.98-$13.98 for a good number of dice.  Use that as your base as other providers solicit their products, then remember that you can still find all-metal polyhedral sets for $30 or so.  I'm certainly cheap, but I wouldn't pay five bucks extra for the same candy bar, so to speak.

Devir Games

Crazy Fishing ..................................................... $19.99

Dr Finn's Games

Biblios: Quill and Parchment ............................. $25.00
Mining Colony ................................................... $25.00

Naga Parbat ........................................................ $23.00

The Butterfly Garden, 2nd Ed ............................ $23.00

Gale Force Nine

D&D Forgotten Realms - Savage Frontier Map .................... $30.00

D&D Out of the Abyss Map Set ............................................ $30.00

D&D Legends of Drizzt Companions of the Hall ................. $40.00

D&D Legends of Drizzt - Drizzt and Guenhwyar ................  $40.00

Gate Keeper Games

Eclipse Dice Sets (7) .......................................... $15.95

Funky designs for polyhedral dice, but I have trouble with the sixteen dollar price tag.  Four different designs.

Greater Than Games

Kill Doctor Lucky: 24 3/4th Anniversary Edition ................ $39.95

Iello

Khora .................................................................................. $54.99

Konami Digital Entertainment

Yu-Gi-Oh! Lightning Overdrive Boosters

Mantic Entertainment

Terrain Crate: Ancient Columns ........................... $4.99

Terrain Crate:  Holy Tome .................................... $4.99

Terrain Crate: Noble's Finery ............................... $4.99

Terrain Crate: Plaza Fountain .............................. $4.99

Terrain Crate: Royal Thrones ............................... $4.99

Terrain Crate: Sacred Altar ................................... $4.99

Modiphius

Dune RPG: Core Book ....................................... $59.99

Dune RPG: Collector's Edition Core Rulebook .. $109.99

Dune RPG: Dice Set - Arrakis ............................ $19.99

Dune RPG: Gamemaster's Toolkit ...................... $34.99

Dune RPG: Player's Journal ................................ $19.99

Monster Fight Club

Cyberpunk Red Minis ........................................ $20.00

I'll need to do more research on these, but I daresay the figure look great and they might fit my demographic, and if they aren't cheap plastic, I may not have a seizure spending $20 for 3 figures.

Generation Red A

Monte Cook Games

Ptolus: A Player's Guide to Ptolus ............................................. $17.99

Paizo Publsihing

Pathfinder RPG: AP - Fists of the Ruby Phoenix 2 - Ready? Fight! .................... $24.99

Pathfinder RPG: Flip-Mat Classics - Twisted Caverns ........................................ $14.99

Pathfinder RPG: Flip-Tiles - Urban Waterfront Expansion ................................. $19.99

Pathfinder RPG: Pawns- Bestiary 3 Pawn Collection ......................................... $39.99

Starfinder RPG: Flip- Mat Crashed Ship ............................................................. $14.99

Starfinder RPG: Galaxy Exploration Manual HC ............................................... $39.99

Palladium Books

Rifts: Hammer of the Forge Vol 1 - The Cosmo-Knight ..................................... $13.99

Rifts: Hammer of the Forge Vol 2 - The Reckoning ........................................... $13.99

Phalanx

Rocketmen .............................................................. $39.95

Playmonster

Windward ................................................................ $49.99

Zombie Chase .......................................................... $19.99

Sirius Dice

RPG Dice Sets (7) ................................................ $8.99

Fairly basic-looking dice sets for nine bucks?  Well, back in my day.....

Steve Jackson Games

Dice Bag: Munchkin Unicorns ............................... $11.95

Troll Lord Games

5th Edition Adventures: The Lost City of Gaxmoor ............... $49.99

Wizards of the Coast

D&D: Candlekeep Mysteries .................................... $49.95

Hardcover, with an alternate cover available.

Wizkids

D&D Fantasy Minis: Icons of the Realms - Adult Blue Dragon Premium Figure .......... $69.99

Jinja ..................................................... $49.99

(Kickstarter) Blackvale - A Fantastical Pittsburgh Campaign Setting #ZineQuest3

 In the last few days of February's #ZineQuest3, there's still a steady stream of ideas that are just not piquing my interest.

Then there's Blackvale - Fantastical Pittsburgh Campaign Setting.  

From the Kickstarter:

Countless years into the future, the city-state of Blackvale stands in the rubble of what used to be Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bird-folk rule in a shaky balance of power between the Aarakocra’s military/agricomplex and the Kenku’s numerological predictive magics. Under the bird-folk, the land-bound races scramble for survival amidst a Pittsburgh that has crumbled and been remade more times than anyone can remember. A troll under every bridge, a danger over every hill, and a mystery at the black and gold heart of the city. Welcome to Blackvale...

Of course trolls are under all of the bridges... and a neighborhood where everyone is welcome, named for St Roger himself. I'm sold.

New Printing of Advanced Laserburn Available at Alternative Armies

 Alternative Armies announced that a new print of the Advanced Laserburn had arrived and was available from their website.

Restocks are a regular announcement, but Laserburn has a special place in my heart, and my current events.  

I remember picking up my copy from Imagination Workshop in Phillipsburg, New Jersey many moons ago.  It was a great read, yet wallowed on my shelf, until... the arrival of the Gnomish Space Marines.

Thanks a parody song in Dragon Magazine and a love affair with TWERPS, I started setting out details for the Gnomish Space Marines... and the information from Laserburn and Advanced Laserburn built the basis of much I wanted to work off of.  

Most of those notes are long gone, but as a precursor to 40k (and Planet28), I should be reviewing Laserburn for details on the GSMU (Gnomish Space Marine Universe -or just GSM for reference).  Hardcopies (softcovers) of all of the Laserburn books are available on the Alternative Armies website.

(Painting) GSM - The Chimneysweeps

The end of February has finally arrived, and I'm satisfied with my painting production.  It's not the mad, last-second dash to finish up units for a Cold Wars game satisfaction, but it's been a quite acceptable flow getting units off the table. 

The final painting post for the month is the third squad/vehicle for the Gnomish Space Marines (GSM).  Following up on the last GSM theme, here are The Chimneysweeps.  

The Chimneysweeps are a local police force gone wrong.  Armed to the teeth with GSM/Planetary Defense Force military surplus, these folks do as they please, so long as it doesn't attract the "real" proper authorities.   Shaking down the locals, and going to extreme ends to maintain control, certain factions of the police are far more ruthless than others.   Following the lead of their armored assault, err.. recon vehicle, they shake down anyone with extra credits in their pockets, be it innocent citizen, or criminal element not already paying them off.  

SCI-FI 118 Dwarf Infantry Squad 1 

These guys are stock Space Dwarf Infantry I from Battle Valor games.  I found the paint scheme on Ninjabread's Furnace Valley Squats, from, on all things, Pinterest.  It's not exact, but I do like the worn and pitted helmet look. 

SCI-FI 113 ARMORED RECON CAR

I've got to admit, that looks pretty darn good. 

Project 350:  503  (325/178) from 499 (326/173).  There was some initial headway made, but I cleaned off my phone of some interesting items.  Luckily, I'm not adding future holiday posts for 2033, rather I now have pending posts spaced through till St Patty's Day, with room set aside for AARs and painting.

Next: Gnomish Space Marine Heavy Weapons will make an appearance, the last of the minis to immediately refurbish, and a very special multi-national group of bounty hunters for Gnome Wars, plus some time to delve into some terrain projects I foolishly thought I could finish in February.  Hopefully, something unanticipated catches my eye and I go off-plan for something neat. 

(Georic) The Forward of the Georic Gazetteer

Forward of the Georic Gazetteer, by Riknl Kannex,

My first encounter with Georic was brutal, as if one was violently awoken from a peaceful trance.   Once I overcame the sudden pain that wracked my body, I threw myself into the study of the primitive language and investigating the peculiarities of this world.  Unlike my own homeland, a trove of knowledge was available on each kingdom, with acceptable gaps for invasions, uprisings, and the general ineptitude of civilization in general.

Once I gained a stable foothold in this realm, I began to explore across the lands, covering thousands of miles.  I travelled vast seas, stumbled through ruins of long-lost civilizations, and bizarre races of man who rivalled the subhuman barbarians that plague us from the Wildlands. 

You hold in your hands the results of my travels: The Georic Gazetteer.  I have attempted to describe all that I have seen, along with some notable, yet notable facts and statistics to compared them with other regions.  

Riknl Kannex,Written 1150. 

Riknl Kannex of Anon-Maxis

Notes from the Editor: 

As a response to our great celebration, the Krugraf has deemed it necessary to publish new editions of older tomes of great import, so that their knowledge spread throughout the educated classes.   The Georic Gazetteer by Riknl Kannex is such a book.  Widely regarded as a geographic primer for nearly 200 years, in spite of some inaccuracies, it was the best collected source of history of the continent of Talaishia since the fall of the Ancien Empire. 

The Kannex clan were rife with power brokers and power users.  Part Senzaran, possibly with elvish blood, their kin stood as magical advisors or kings, powerful alchemists, and one ancestor of Riknl Kannex even held the throne of Senzar for a short while.  

Riknl appeared to have been hit with the wanderlust and travelled the most of this world we call Georic, although funding of such an ambitious expedition was never explain.  Herein this Gazetteer, the sorcerer recounts the tales of his travels throughout the strange and mysterious corners of realm, focusing primarily on the northern continent of Talaishia, the home of most of the worlds knowledge and wisdom.  While portions of the text are quite encyclopedic, it is widely believed that Riknl had a penchant for exaggerating myth and legend of the regions, yet downplaying other important facts. I

According to his accounts, Riknl Kannex spent the greater part of one dozen years exploring the Talaishian continent, before moving on to other distant shores. During this time he often traveled alone, typically in the guise of a collector of odd artifacts, though there is some evidence to suggest that Tamerlin may have attempted to pass himself off as a quack doctor or charlatan when the mood suited him. On occasion, he was accompanied by a motely crew of associates ranging from the Agenmoor Revolutionaries, Akana Heretics, Argivian Technologists, and folks passing themselves off heirs to many thrones, including the King of All Dwarves and a God of the Oceans.  

Within the writings are odd refences that historiographers have been unable to piece together.  Perhaps they are references to the culture of the distant pre-Imperial Aegyptian and Parthian civilizations.  Still, there is to be considered a possibility that the mentions are beyond that, during the primordial ages of Georic, before not only the founding days of the Ancien Empire, but before the first recorded rulers of Senzar itself.  Consider this a warning to the reader of the text.

Cedric Fruvous, Publisher, Greyhawk Press

City of Verbobonc, Kingdom of Ras-Prythax, 1350.

The GM Comments:  This post begins an ongoing series looking into the nations that make up my World of Georic.  The world has been used in one twisted form or another over the last thirty year, and it is high time to codify the basics structure and expectations.  

The world has gone through three drastic cartographic overhauls, and I openly admit to taking material from pre-existing books and using it to my own devious plans.  

The goal of this projects is to review the mis-mash of campaign notes over the years and to publish a synopsis on one country on the last Thursday of every month.  This will based on the campaign chronology of my own personal gaming, starting with the Lost Dispatches, and ending with the Burning Trogs Redux up to and including the year 1148.   Emeron Unleashed, which my friend Hoyce runs, deviated from my one geography and timeline around the year 1069.  However, everything he posts is considered canon in a yet to be determined future.  I will be reviewing those entries and will at least be setting those regions to properly reflect the future adventures that will take place.  

-Vis

(Painting) Armed Jews

While the recon car and tombstones were part of a recent order, I went back to older Battle Valor backlog to work on the next groups. 

I haven't actively added an Orthodox Jewish community in any of my games, but they could now be well-defended in a Pulp or Zombie setting.  

Just the like Spanish Inquisition, Battle Valor's Pulp line contains a number of eclectic armed religious groups.  I'll eventually acquire some of the many weaponized Catholics, but they only have four armed Jews available, all bedecked in shtreimels (the furry hats).

PULP 22 Armed Jews 

(BECMI) Adventures in Gulluvia #12 - The Last Will of Hugo Swam'Pas

24 Mai 534, The Village of Mere, Barony of Gulluvia
Our heroes finally arrive back in town after solving the problems revolving around the Shrine of Zoltar, as well as an impromptu meeting with a giant lizard.

Upon arriving at the tavern, everyone splits up.

Halfing Beulah Cragmuffin, didn't want to drink for her fallen companions, and she certainly didn't want to go home yet, so she just took a long walk around the village proper.

Magic-User Hugo Swam'Pas headed directly to The Church.  After a bit of wandering he runs an older man in monk's robes.

Hugo: "Can you write up a will for me?"

Barry the Friar: "I can write a the hymns, or a will, or a collection of poetry, if you want.  Back in the war, my friend Robert liked poetry... until he died."

Mishappen monstrosity of warrior Slothina Hoppler went home, couldn't find her father, and proceeded to take a well-deserved bath.

Hugo made long, awkward conversation with Father Joseph's assistant, Acolyte Barry Manaslow.  Barry had taken part in the Lizard War of 520 and seemed, at times, to suffer mentally from it.

Barry Manaslow, Acolyte of The Church

Hugo bequeathed everything to his cousin Spencer Swam'Pas, located at the Swam'Pas Estate, halfway between Mere and the capital, Gulluvia.  Hugo explained that the Swam'Pas are the latrine diggers, builders, and fillers for the Barony. They also have a side business in manure sales.

Beulah's wanderings find a drunk and despondent, Ned Hoppel, father of Slothina.  Beulah escorted him home to find Slothina soaking in a tub in the middle of the living area.

Once cleaned, dried, and dressed, Slothina and Beulah heard a ruckus coming from the tavern.  Getting closer, they could see the villagers circling something.

In the middle of the circle were the famed and feared Baronial Guard of Gulluvia!  The six women and two men had caravan guard turned hired men-at-arms Jenkins arrested and bound, with all their dropped off possessions detained.... Possessions including the bodies of their friends Bobo Billabong and Leroy.

The party completely abandoned Jenkins at the tavern with their adventuring supplies and two dead bodies.  The Beulah asked for someone to fetch Hugo from The Church, and Hugo and Barry quickly arrived.  Despite Hugo's confirmation of the story, Sergeant Summers could not believe that they could be so forgetful, and certainly couldn't think of kobolds and giant lizards in the nearby woods.  On Summers' order, they were arrested and their equipment seized

In the middle of the night, Barry reveals that he always had a set of keys for the makeshift jail, which is located in the basement of the Church.  He unlocked the door, locked it behind him, and went upstairs for some cheese and bread from the pantry.  He encountered Father Joseph, who begged him to either head back down or leave right that second.  Barry decided to feed his new friends.

25 Mai 534
The following morning, Sergeant Summer pulled them upstairs and explained that there were no kobolds or giant lizards terrorizing the village.  "Even if there were," she quipped, "these villagers aren't smart enough to be believed.."

Sergeant Summer of the Baronial Guard of Gulluvia

As penance for spreading falsehoods and lives, they were to bury their friends in the old Church cemetery that day, and perform a half day patrol down the main road the following.

26  Mai 534
Right after breakfast, the group started their march.

Nearing mid-day, the were about to find a spot to a quick break before turning around, when a lone figure came running up over the ridge on the road and stumbled towards them.  Barry held the man before he completely collapsed....

"Lizard men... Lizard men raided the estate... need help... please."  the man stuttered before falling unconscious.

Hugo jumped on his Broom of the Mountain Lord and soared above the trees.  Smoke was billowing out of the forest a distance away.   He flew towards it, ultimately land in the green of a once, proud manor house and estate.  Most buildings were engulfed in flames, bodies of humans and lizard men lay on the ground.

An older woman in a kerchief stumbled around the corner of one of the buildings.  Spying Hugo,  she ran to him throwing herself at his feet.

"You must help him.  You must!  He's gone after the rest of them into the swamp!"

"Who?" Hugo asked.

"Your father."

DM Notes: After the quick session with the giant lizard, this time I recapped things in their entirety got them to outside the tavern, and asked, "What are you guys doing?'  

Immediately, the three surviving characters with players ran off to the four winds of the village, and I easily played the classic dick DM move and assumed they left the bodies of their fallen comrades with their independent man-at-arms.  Hilarity, in the form of an early visit by the Baronial Guard, ensues.

Hugo's near-death experience gave him the motivation to write up a will, meet new PC Barry Manaslow, and expand on the Swam'Pas family.

The Swam'Pas family, including new will recipient cousin Spencer, is in the business of ditch digger, latrine and privy building, and hauling away such waste, a surprisingly profitable job in Gulluvia.  Having never established a family home, it was easy to make the manor under attack Hugo's family manse.  

After a long warm-up, a few characters have leveled, and story progresses.  It may be a familiar tale, if you've read the other collected Actual Plays. 

Next: #13 - The Blue Feather Raid

(Kickstarter) Steve Jackson Games' Illuminated Manuscript & Ogre 1976 #ZineQuest3

 Not the biggest fan of the "real" game companies jumping onto #ZineQuest, but Steve Jackson Games has so much material, both new and old, that they can roll out a 'zine Kickstarter with style. 

Steve Jackson Games' Illuminated Manuscript & Ogre 1976 Playtest Booklet are two separate 'zines being offered in one campaign:

• Illuminated Manuscript. A collection of web, unpublished, and older articles pulled from the company's history. Starting at 24 pages, the zine expands in size as stretch goals are unlocked and we add more articles to the collection!
• 1976 Ogre Playtest Booklet. Constructed from scans of Steve's typewritten and hand-illustrated Ogre playtest set, this saddle-stitched booklet gives you a look at Ogre in its pre-publication form. Have you always wanted to learn more about Steve's first game? This book pulls back the curtains and gives you a version of the game you've not seen before!

Sixteen bucks for both items in print and pdf isn't a bad deal.  Plus following Steve Jackson's M.O., of offering recent Kickstarters as add-on.  Might be a good time to grab that copy of Raid on Iran I didn't get during the Pocket Box Kickstarter.

(Kickstarter) Project Cassandra: Psychics of the Cold War #ZineQuest3

Project Cassandra is a Kickstarter campaign about Cold War psychics trying to avert a cataclysmic vision from coming to pass.  

A Weekend Complete

Without going into details, it was necessary to go into single Dad mode over the weekend.  Nothing’s wrong and it’s nothing I haven’t done before,  a lot of chauffeuring for basketball games, and a sliver of extra time painting my miniatures.  The good news is that I’m well ahead of schedule, and that extra time was super productive and efficient...

Still haven't touched some of my February terrain projects, but such is life.

More snow today, so, another gnome.

The house is clean, most laundry is done, and I got some hobby time?  Score!

Mepacon 40 is Staying Virtual!

 Lordy, Lordy, Mepacon is 40! 

Mepacon is the local weekend gaming convention for Northeastern Pennsylvania.  After relocating to just down the road from my house, the wonders of COVID hit and things have been virtual ever since.  

The Spring edition of the convention will April 16-18 and it will be the 40th incarnation of the con.

Normally that spells a chance for great celebration (and it should be my birthday weekend), but it happens to be the weekend before our multi-million dollar sales database goes live.  

What a drag it is getting old.  

I know I'm getting old, because BOTH daughters would now be charged admission to get into the con. 

At this point I certainly don't mind paying for the whole family, but it's now a nostalgic longing for the days of when they were small.... and a pining for face-to-face gaming so they can properly learn from their copy of Kobolds Ate My Baby.

(Kickstarter) Phantom Trade RPG #ZineQuest3

 #ZineQuest3 should be running out of steam by now, yet there are still a steady trickle of new 'zine Kickstarters getting launched. 

The latest to pique my interests is Phantom Trade by Orcs Unlimited.  A pamphlet-sized RPG about hunting ghosts in the 1980's makes me notice.  The fact that there is only one tier keeps my eyebrows raise.  The fact that the only pledge level is a $1 and that nets you a printable pdf AND a smart phone-friendly pdf makes this a no-brainer of an experiment.  

The Next Upcoming Legions of Steel Kickstarter

The good folks over at Raybox Games just alluded to their fans that the next Legions of Steel Kickstarter will NOT be a retooling of the 2nd Edition rules, rather a re-release of all the Classic Aliens this Spring.

Even if the prices are a bit steep (most Fantasians were a ton of metal, and Black Empire and Infrinites weren't that far behind) they will be a welcome relief to the $40-50 a pack some of the old blisters are showing up on eBay.

Fantasian Quads are crammed into my painting queue somewhere.  This may push them forward a bit.
 

(Painting) Deathsquads and Their Destinations

Let's be real, with a million Space Dwarves packed up in their original shipping boxes, we're not sticking with one paint scheme, when there's so much material to play with. 

In the Gnomish Space Marine Universe, not everyone is a GSM.  Planetary Governors loved to trickle military-grade equipment to the locals constabulary.  It's repainted, refurbished, and reappropriated, usually not for the betterment of the community.  After the first batch of Space Dwarves were painted in a traditional Squat style, I'll paint a few as local police 

Nothing says abuse of power for local law enforcement, or a corrupt Brazilian-styled Death Squad, than an armored personal carrier.  I'm sure one of the Hultr Half-Tracks might be re-purposed, but for now an Armored Recon Car from Battle Valor will do.  

SCI-FI 113 ARMORED RECON CAR

As a recon vehicle, it's a fast little tin can, chock full of sensors. 

The small Hultr Half-Track still dwarfs the recon car.

 In the narrow streets of sci-fi police work, it should normally be the toughest thing encountered.

The gnomish police tactical (death)squad that will accompany this vehicles will be done next, followed by some armed religious fanatics and a few Gnome Wars "personalities" to hopefully round out the month.

In grabbing the recon car out my recent Battle Valor order, I also pulled out the cheap tombstone pack and knocked them out. 

ACC 001 Tombstones

I got 14 of the 15 knocked out in no time flat. The final one has some odd detail to it, so I inked it to figure out how it needs to be painted.

I also the old phot board a much needed new layer of flocking.  Of course,  I purchased spray glue instead of spray adhesive, so 

Project 350: 499 (326/173)  from 502 (328/174).  Finally under 500!  There's not magic pill to get my combined scheduled blog posts and drafts back down to 350 total:  Keep my RPG Actual Plays current and actually play some miniatures games from the to-do list.  If I drop dead tomorrow, I won't break 100 scheduled posts until the beginning of next year, so it's important to work through the backlog of drafts and ideas I've stowed away.   

Two fun facts only I will appreciate:  Back in November  2013, waxed poetically about the burden of having 27 blogs drafts cluttering things up behind the scenes.

The big actual play for episode #30 of my Star Wars d6 campaign from last Monday night is scheduled to post on March 1st.... 2022!  The struggle is real!

(Savage Pulp) Savage #3.10 Nils Lingonberry and the Dalen av Guld

After their run-in with Norwegian cultists at the Swedish Museum of Antiquities, Our Heroes were in a bit of a pickle.  

"I'm a bit baffled," said Lord Jon-Smythe Cuppenbrush, "The scroll says the ritual to sacrifice Maja Millie needs to take place in the Valley of Gold, but that's in the midst of the Sudan.  There's no way they smuggled her out of the country this quickly...

Swedish adventurer Nils Lingonberry put a single finger up to his lips, stopping the English gentleman's reasoning,  "It might not be THE Valley of Gold.  When I was a boy, my parents would take me to this horrible roadside attraction, were people could pay to dig in the ground and pull up tiny diamonds and gold flecks.  It was all a set-up, run by some looney fellow named Stinky Sven."

"Sounds like what we call in the States, a tourist trap," retorted Ted Mosby. 

"Indeed it was, Ted, but Stinky Sven's tourist trap was called the Valley of Gold, and it's just right down the road from us."

Our Heroes (L-R) Lord Jon-Smythe Cuppenbrush, Nils Lingonberry, and Ted Mosby, Aviator.

Our Heroes arrived at the Valley of Gold after hours.  A number of large rocks shone gold in the moonlight, thanks to layers upon layers of paint.  No one seemed to be around.  

The "Valley of Gold"

Unbeknowst to Nils and Company, another group of men were wandering the grounds as well.  Unsure if they were casing the propety, local drunks, or some mercenaries in the employ of the Norwegians, or worse yet, the Russians, they too knew something was amiss on the property.

Respectable Swedish Hooligans

Our Heroes jumped out of their borrowed truck, surveyed the property, and dashed off.

Nils decided to climb atop a storage building to get a better view.   He notice a collection of supplies on the far corner of the roof, but when he went to investigate, he tripped and fell into the supplies!

Nils falls into a clue!

Meanwhile, the hooligans split up into two pairs.  The first duo ventured closer to the supply building, while the others invesigated a peculiar pile of dead brush.  Well, at least part of that part went forward.  Tim, a middle-aged manager with claims of knowledge but no proof of ability, decided it best if he hung back.

"You're doing a fine job.  I'll stay over here."

While crossing the property, one of the other hooligans was brutally gunned down by the hot hand of Ted Mosby, Aviator.  His partner hid in the rocks and futility returned fire.

One hooligan down....

The gunfire seemed to frazzle the hooligan searching in the brush.  He had uncovered a crate of some sort, but it was too heavy to carry and he could not get it open.  Tim sighed loudly and came up to chastise the man, but found out he could not open it either!

Lift with your knees, not with your back....

Meanwhile, on the roof, Nils was surprised to find a man under a blanket amongst the supplies!  He was even more surprised when the frightened man hit him in the head with a shovel! The biggest surprise, though, was that the man was Stinky Sven himself, sleeping in his miner's costume!

The Odiferous Stinky Sven

With gunfire, stuck locks, and flying shovels across the Valley of Gold,  Lord Jon-Smythe Cuppenbrush returned to the truck and started it up. Ensuring the doors were locked, he drove into the site proper, pistol in his left, steering with his right.

Nils finally had a moment to make Stinky Sven pause, "We're here to look over other strange individuals who might be sneaking onto the property."  

"Besides those other fellers beyond the way?" Sven asked.

"I think they're trouble too, but we're looking for worse trouble," Nils replied, still ignoring the gunfight right below them between Ted and a hooligan.  

It was a brazen Lord Jon, pistol blazing, that caught the hooligan out of position, and he was quickly dispatched.

The Lord was in the truck for the action.

Ted climbed up on top of the supply building, and he and Nils opened fire on the two surviving hooligans.  Again, the random hooligan made great effort to get away, while Tim's laziness led to his death by a hail of bullets.

With that, Our Heroes, and their new friend, Stinky Sven, were able to scour the property.  The difficult was finally opened (it always was...) to reveal a few cultists robes.  Another hiding spot uncovered a half crate of torches, the other half filled with small bills of various international currencies.  A thorough search also uncovered path through some freshly planted trees.  The path led to a gate that Stinky Sven had no recollection of. 

"I need to go back and doing my own landscaping, less some more secret portals show up."

The Valley of Gold held secrets, and if they weren't too late, hopefully their friend, still alive.

GM Notes: The third "season" of our Pulp Campaign has moved horribly slow.  We've only had one game since last Easter.  With completion and story paramount to balance, I set up a one-on-one game with my daughter, Millie.  Playing the heroes, she only deviated from "acceptable" actions when Lord Cuppenbrush returned to the care for protection (He literally ignores penalties from his first wound, so a guy that tough usually meets adversity head on.)

I played the hooligans and they were true mooks in every sense of the word.  They could not even get a lucky shot off that wounded any of the heroes.

Trail of Clues is a standard scenario right out of the rulebook.  There's a bit of irony that the AAR that inspired me to use this scenario was The Land of Counterpane, as his scenario was played with his ten-year old daughter,  Millie (aged 10). 

Next:  #3.11 - The Rescue!  If not, then a Sacrifice!

(Gnome Wars) The Swiss Can Ride Rabbits

Why the German Cavalry is so good... they hatch theirs!

(BECMI) Adventures in Gulluvia #11 - The Leaf Rustler

24 Mai 534, The Edge of the Abaddon Forest, Outside the Village of Mere, Barony of Gulluvia
After an evening of recovery with the freed kobolds of Zoltar, the party packed up their belongings, secured the bodies of their fallen comrades Bodo Billabong and Leroy, and began the trek back to Mere. 

The rest had done the group well, but they were still without a clear path back home, noisily tramping through the woods, unaware of their own surroudings.

Until the leave-covered forest floor shook and a huge seven foot long lizard emerged from its burrow.

Hugo Swam'Pas surprised even himself with his quick reflexes, as he chucked a dagger at the giant animal.... and missed horribly.  The beast seemed to have a desire for Jenkins the caravan guard.  Somehow Jenkins was able to scramble away from the leaf pile and rolled and dodged from the lizard's blows, but ultimately, the creature bit his side so hard, pieces of chain mail broke off.

Beulah Cragmuffin had had enough and made a break for it, as did Hugo.

Slothina used her strength to pull Jenkins' body away from the lizard, and surprisingly, the animal did not pursue.

After a few hundred feet, Slothina realized she wasn't being pursued and set her fallen ally to the ground.  After a disasterous bout saving friends in the old tomb, she must have picked some healing technique, as she stabilized Jenkins enough to keep him alive... at least until they got to Mere.

Meanwhile, back at the Elle's Leaping Strong Moon,  Cosimo Guthingas silently cased the tavern, looking for the right mark to cover his expenses while he stayed in town.  With the next caravan, he was certain to join them and leave this village for good.

But the clamor outside wasn't a line of wagons laden with goods to sell.  It was eight riders, armed to the teeth, in full regalia of the Barony.

Lady D'hmis' Baronial Guard have arrived.  That was never a good thing.

Next #12: The Last Will of Hugo Swam'Pas

A Winter Escapade

 Another weekend, another saga of craziness.

An ice storm is coming, and with no gaming over Valentine's Weekend, it's a day to rant a bit and use the back catalog of gnome art.

Basketball:  Thanks to COVID, my normal soap opera of volunteering on the local community basketball league's board of directors has taken a much needed hiatus.  Let's not even talk about the literal soap-opera-esque drama occurring between a number of the members, I'm just happy it doesn't involve me. 

We've kept a small group of kids together through the Summer and Fall through a variety of off-the-book programs, and once indoor sports got the blessing of the PA Department of Health gods, I tried to organize a 6th grade team for at least my older daughter Maja, but enough parents didn't want to deal with enough other parents to make it happen.  

Since I am the peacekeeper of the group, and since Maja is very good point guard for her age, she was asked to join not one, but two of these splinter teams.  Surprisingly, the line-ups are pretty similar, just some folks don't want to deal with other folks.   As an aside, a 3rd and 4th grade team was assembled with my younger daughter Millie, helping to lead the charge. 

Fast forward to February.  6th-grade team #1 has been pretty ugly, playing in a pretty elite Scranton league where Maja would be the only player on our team to start on some of the other teams.  She's also the only 6th grader on the team, the rest are good (and mostly short) 5th graders, plus Millie.  This was the first team to form, and getting Millie any playing time was part of my negotiations.  

My sixth grade point guard is stuck playing center and power forward and trying to enjoy it as best as possible, even if the assigned point guards can't usually get the ball into her.  Millie's time is limited, simply just based on her size disadvantage, but she's the team enforcer, ripping balls out of much bigger girls' hands and forcing jump balls of a tenacity of a small, but vicious, dog. 

6th grade team #2 has us teaming up with the coach I had a run-in with last year.  The player that was center of attention in that fiasco is gone, and we spent enough time over the Summer programs to ally ourselves (and get her a position on the board to boot!)

That league is at our local CYC in Wilkes-Barre, isn't as flashy as the Scranton league, but some the other organized  teams we're playing against are driving from an hour away to get playing time, and some of the more local teams have 3-4 girls on them with AAU experience. 

Maja is largely a center with more freedom and leadership roles (she's been able to knock down three pointers when needed). Millie has a more prominent role as a bench player, and her enforcer skills are better appreciated.  

Finally, the 3rd/4th grade team has a whopping six girls on it.  A lot of potential girls had COVID-leery parents and some who tried out ultimately didn't make the cut.  Competition is at the CYC and also involves an elite team from New York State secretly making the border crossing to play.  

Millie (Rainbow Socks) in the 6th Grade Scranton league

So, it's much too late for the short version, but last week(end), 6th Grade Team #1 won their first round playoff game.  Maja played like a fiend, scoring half the teams points, getting assists in most of the other scores, and rebounding like it was in her blood.   Millie had extremely limited time, but was on the court for the last twenty seconds, forcing a jump ball that ended the opponent's last minute rally.  One more week of play at least for them!

Maja's Jump Ball

6th Grade Team #2 is only on week three of their schedule.  They're 0-5, and vastly undersized.  They lost again Sunday, but played their opponent far better than their first meeting, and better yet, they're all learning the game (and plays).  Despite their size, I think they (and the other girls we're playing against) can give the local junior high teams a run for their money.  The older girls are lacking an aggressiveness this team has in spades.  Maja also has a few friends on the other teams, so I think she enjoys her 

Millie guarding her friend Grace (stolen from my wife's social media)

The 3rd/4th grade team is also on week three, and actually won their first game!  Still not sure how Millie, the second smallest of the bunch, leads the team in rebounds, but with knack to dive on loose balls and pass them without getting called for travelling is pretty impressive.   

Box it Up: No, let's not talk about my wife's inability to order a reasonable amount of take out food.  (As I am no longer a human garbage disposal at meal time,  the number of take out containers clogging up our fridge is pretty stupendous after the weekend.) 

I managed to get one of the 80-figure Chessex carrying cases this past week, and gleefully added the completed Gnomish Space Marines (troops only thus far).  It brought back such found memories that I snagged up two more at half off retail, even with hefty shipping included.  Might was well use one to pack up everything loose before the oversized kittens finally destroy something sitting on a display, and shelf, and the other to prep the Tomb of the Serpent campaign figures.  Don't worry those who wargame on the cheap, I'll still be using hardware/fishing tackle containers for Gnome Wars and bulk figure storage and transport. 

And with another purchase on the fly, I'm reconsidering my "must have" list for my virtual Cold Wars dealers hall.  The more things change...

Make it Through the Day: And here's hoping I've recovered from my testing week at work to survive until my 9pm Star Wars game.   Of course they demanded to visit the only island on the map, and I am too eager a GM not to provide an extra adventure to an already convoluted story.

Here's to a successful week of gaming, writing, and painting.

(Kickstarter) I Remember When All This Was Trees #ZineQuest3

Despite all my collected gaming knowledge and trivia, I only discovered the concept of the solo-LARP this year.  

Single-Player LARP have been around for awhile, but after listening to the What am I Rolling? Podcast run a game of Twain, it can be quite intense, incredibly introspective, and far more emotional than you might anticipate.  Depending on your state of mind, and the subject matter of the game, not all of these games might not be appropriate.

I probably missed a few of these solo LARPs during #ZineQuest3, but as I've often used the statement, "I remember when all this was corn!" to my kids,  I needed to investigate any game called I Remember When All This Was Trees by Destiny Media.

From the Kickstarter:

You've always felt...you've always known that you were different. Not entirely of this realm. Now, you can confirm it, and strengthen your ties to this other realm.

This collection of instructions, suggestions, poems and writings will immerse you and allow you magick to reconnect with your true form.

In the forest, in the country, in the city, you can always connect. Find the beauty, be the beauty. You are the magick.

You're half awake, half in a dream: one form, in two places. You are from some other where, some other how.

This is not some Mad Libs/Choose Your Own Adventure game in the open air, although elements of those are as apparent as in any other RPG.  And unlike the other ones I've seen, this game may allow for multiple participants collaborating in their own solo journeys.  

Happy Valentine's Day!

(Kickstarter) Rocket to Russia #ZineQuest3

In the middle of February, there are a ton of #ZineQuest offers currently on Kickstarter.  I've done my best to cover the campaigns that at least interest me. 

One that I've been been forced to reconsider for promotion and pledging is Rocket to Russia by John "Hambone" McGuire.

From the Kickstarter:
Rocket is played using the brand new 3,2,1...Action! RPG system where the focus is always on story and fun over physics. Have you ever watched a scene in your favorite action movie and wondered how you could make it work in an RPG? Have you ever wanted to drop a Macho Man elbow on some Martians? Or fire a rocket launcher while jumping off a skyscraper? Now you can!

Action makes it simple with rules that run off a single d10. Just let the Game Runner know what you want to do and make it so with just one roll. 3,2,1...Action! is for everybody. And it’s the perfect system for cinematic storytelling, whether it's ‘80s Action, Crime Drama, Haunts, Heists, Mysteries, Sci-Fi Space Operas or Weird Westerns — 3,2,1...Action! has got you covered.

With some shameless self-promotion on the Vintage RPG Podcast, which he McGuire hosts, I was forced to look at the campaign again, and I found the only criteria that threw me off was pricing.   He packaged the pdf with the audio book version of Rocket to Russia for ten bucks, fifteen for the print, pdf, and audio.   A bit slicker than the usual 'zine games, hence the increased price. 

And while you're reading this, definitely check out the Vintage RPG Podcast.  It's a quick (20 minutes) and enjoyable venture into old-school and contemporary games.  I've had issue with the 60-minute podcasts stretching out into the 90+ minute mark and the hosts becoming intolerable and ignorant.  If I can survive two guys from Jersey spouting off about gaming, anybody can.

Pax Gnomanticus with the Mouslings

 

(Painting) Nobody Expects This From Me...

I was quite pleased with the response to the success of the Gnomish Space Marines last week... but now for something completely different.  

Complete with Comfy Chair, PULP20 The Armed Inquisition

Thanks to an off-the-cuff comment by Bashytubits on TMP on my Nauvoo Legion thread, I simply needed to go through my Battle Valor Kickstarter and pull out the Spanish Inquisition I had ordered.  

Sorry folks, no designs on the fabric of the Comfy Chair.  Years of torture and lower lumbar support must have worn them all off.  Oh, if they had not have killed everyone who could reupholster the chair!  Those horrible soft cushions!

And even on a week full of kid's basketball, software testing at work, and general craziness, I managed to eek out two individual figures.

This is Betty Anne McSweeney, currently available as part of FC-05 Street Violence boxed set from Foundry.  When I acquired her at an HMGS flea market, she was a single figure in a carded Foundry blister. so that might correspond with code VIN62 found on this blog with her given name, Elizabeth Anne.

I also worked on a single Zulu warrior.  I had originally worked on him during the Hobby University Paint 'N Takes at one of the HMGS cons.  I didn't do a bad job, except the selection of (free) Reaper paints wasn't all that great, and I made the poor decision to attempt a dark red wash.  Needless to say, it was placed on my "refurbish" pile, but I needed to completely repaint the figure, save his red shield.  

I'll use him as a special character for an upcoming campaign project, involving an entire Warlord boxed set of plastic Zulus.  They'll be painted much more accurately, even though they're standing in as "Angry African Natives" for the game.  

And with that, I'm up to a whopping 51 figures painted in the last four and a half months.  Not too shabby, considering I painted 51 figures for the previous twelve months before that.  None of that is helping my lead pile, since I placed another Battle Valor order, which should arrive today, along with the handy 80-figure Chessex Carrying Case that arrived on Wednesday, specifically for the growing horde of Gnomish Space Marines.  

Project 350:  The tiny move from 502 (328/174) from 504 (328/176) is deceptive, as I've already completed eight February projects (and five of my seven outstanding projects can't be written about because they have yet to occur.  With back-to-back cancelations, my Star Wars actual plays are officially caught up and guarantee I should have my usual Tuesday morning material for the next 53 weeks!

Next:  More humorous Battle Valor figures have been pulled out, right next to the next batch of GSM, , some Gnome Wars, and some terrain pieces I need to start on to complete a successful February of projects.

Happy Chinese New Year!

A Case for More Gnomish Space Marines.... and Other Figures

 With no convention to plan for, and our potential cruise paid off now for two years, my normal plan of doing the taxes and waiting dutifully this week for the refund to be direct deposited is unecessary.  I'll complete the taxes this weekend and casually look at the Virtual Vendor's Hall that is the internet to fill in a few items.  

I fell upon a quick sale over at Battle Valor and will be getting yet another wave of Space Dwarves and other humorous figures, but my high point yesterday was the arrival of a new 80-figure Chessex Carrying Case.  

It's been a long time since I've purchased a new Chessex case.  Sure I've owned GW cases when they were only moderately ridiculous, I've appreciated the Armoury and Global Games "gun cases," and my current set-up for Gnome Wars and Pulp figures involves hardware/fishing tackle containers ($7 at the local shop), but the Chessex containers feel... professional, and far sturdier.  

The 80-figure case hasn't changed much.  Two tiers of forty spaces, the foam is far more rigid until you start taking pieces out, but I did discover that the plastic latches are a little bigger and a lot sturdier.  Once this one is full of Gnomish Space Marines, I'll move onto a second, identical case.  At $26-30 on Amazon (they're almost never at a FLGS), it's an online order I'm willing to make.  

The Virtual Shopping List

Before COVID, Cold Wars was my usual restock convention, prepping all the supplies and projects for the remainder of the year.    For 2021, it's far more focused.

This year, my change of pace is deciding to run Pulp Alley's Tomb of the Serpent campaign, once we ever get time and motivation to finish up Season 3 of our pulp game. For a 44-page digest sized book, it is dense, and should provide myself and my girls plenty of gaming for quite awhile.  While I'm not setting up the Sally 4th buildings, I am making sure I have a good variety of figures so visits to Pulp Alley, Dark Fable, and maybe even a Reaper order might be due. 

The much overdue purchase might be the Spanish/Caribbean style building set from Brigade Games.  While the MBA Spanish buildings are pre-built, pre-painted, and back in stock, some of them are almost double the price of a few years ago.  I know I didn't pay $200 for the Customs House back in the day...  although Jepson's Hideway is still $124.95, I should grab that before it skyrockets.  I do need that for another future project.

For an even longer-term project I need to pick up some African huts, and even further still, a revisit to the Colonial and Great War Africa AND the Back of Beyond might fare better next year, with early tax returns... and pre-order con pick-ups.  

For now, there's Gnomish Space Marines to fill in a case!