No one makes all the critters convene like Sonny!

 Our Gamma World campaign is honestly is honestly eight months behind on the Tuesday Actual Play posts, so there's minor spoilers and a lack of context, but this was worth posting now.  

Sonny, our mutant talking sunflower, with the the worst Sense stat of all time, actually heard gunfire off in the distance, from around the outskirts of Riverbend, so he gathered all the half-drunk militiamen he could find at the inn, and they stormed out of the building en masse.

Now, the resolution of the scene isn't too important for today's post.  It was the few minutes post-session where the players commented that Sonny uncharacteristically took over like a boss.

"Yeah, like Gaston!"  

A few laughs and a few bad attempts at creating a parody of the "Gaston" song from Beauty and the Beast... and we immediately went to ChatGPT.

Enjoy!

"Sonny" (To the tune of "Gaston")

[Verse 1]
(Crowd of villagers gathers around the garden, staring up in awe at the giant sunflower named Sonny.)

Villagers:
Who blooms in the garden and brightens the day?
Who stands tall and proud, shining bright like a ray?
Who’s always the talk of the whole floral crew?
It’s Sonny! Oh, Sonny! You know it’s true!

(A gardener steps forward, a twinkle in their eye.)

Gardener:
No one sprouts like Sonny, no one shouts like Sonny,
No one’s got quite the colorful clout like Sonny!
In the garden, he towers above,
All the bees buzz around him in love!

Villagers:
No one grows like Sonny, so aglow like Sonny,
In the flower world, he’s a pro, that Sonny!

(Another villager chimes in, arms wide open.)

Villager 1:
You can search near and far, from the hills to the bay,
But you won’t find a sunflower who sways quite that way!

(The villagers cheer in agreement, some even start to dance.)

Chorus:
Ohhh… there’s just nobody like Sonny!
The greatest bloom we adore!
The sunniest, funniest, brightest, and heightest,
Oh, he’s who the garden is for!

[Verse 2]
(Sonny, the giant sunflower, sways in the wind, nodding his head with a big, sunny smile.)

Gardener:
Who needs fertilizer to stand ten feet tall?
Who catches the light and outshines them all?
Who makes all the tulips and daisies feel small?
It’s Sonny, oh, Sonny, the grandest of all!

(A ladybug, sitting on a nearby leaf, chimes in with enthusiasm.)

Ladybug:
No one leans like Sonny, full of greens like Sonny,
No one makes all the critters convene like Sonny!
He’s got petals that dazzle, he’s stronger than weeds,
And he’s got all the height that a garden needs!

Villagers:
No one’s neat like Sonny, can’t be beat like Sonny,
Who’s the one flower that insects all greet? Sonny!

(A honeybee buzzes by, swooning as it circles around Sonny’s head.)

Honeybee:
For nectar, I’m happy, I’m here every day,
And when I see Sonny, I just want to stay!

Chorus:
Ohhh… there’s just nobody like Sonny!
He’s the king of the blooms, we all cheer!
He’s cheery, so dear-y, the sun's cavalier-y,
We’re thankful that Sonny is here!

[Bridge]
(Sonny flexes his leaves and sways back and forth like a big, leafy rock star.)

Gardener:
No one shines like Sonny, makes the vines like Sonny,
Who can wave to the sky and grow fine like Sonny?
There’s no flower around with such stature and grace!
Just look at that wonderful sunflower face!

Villagers:
No one chills like Sonny, so fulfills like Sonny,
Who’s the bloom that could give all a thrill? Sonny!

(Sonny bows his head graciously, soaking in the admiration of the villagers and insects alike.)

Final Chorus:
Ohhh… there’s just nobody like Sonny!
Our favorite flower, you see!
With his great golden grin,
He’s our pride, he’s our win,
Sonny’s the best in the lea!

(The crowd cheers and dances around Sonny, who stands tall and waves gently in the breeze, basking in the applause.)

(Kickstarter) Space Aussies by Victoria Miniatures

In my growing apathy for continuing Kickstarter trends and evolution, I don't personally have any need for the plethora of STL files offered, by Victoria Miniature recent crowdfunding for Space Aussies hits me in a special spot.... down 'unda!

After years of Commando-inspired Catachans, why not replace them with bad-ass Anzacs?  

The pledge is a little higher than a lot of STL campaigns, but you are getting plenty of variation of the Blokes, then there are files for the Sheilas as well!  

🧙‍♂️(Georic Gazetteer) The Arcane Dominions of Hermetus

The Arcane Dominions of Hermetus

Pantheon: None

Ruler: Grand Duchess Bella Tokikeol II of Tingus Mures
Capital: Tingus Mures (25,000)

Other cities: Uberwald (65,000), Kostova (15,000), Mechitbayeva
Language: Ferasean, with heavy Vlach influence

Flag/Emblem:  A pair of white wings, vilant on a red estruceon bordered ermine.

Coinage:  Ferasean, although other coinages are accepted 1:1, heavy barter system amongst the peasantry

Persons of Note: Thalindra Windwhisper, Druid of Hermetus, Ch'lvendn, The Bandit Sorceress, and about three dozen powerful wizards, their apprentices, and numerous powerful underlings. as well as liches, vampires, and other experiments into immortality. 

Intrigues: Multiple ongoing
Alliances: Vlachia
Hostilities: None at present
Demi-Humans: A safe haven for powerful elves,   A scattering of dwarves in the Thacarian Mountains, although at least one known dwarf rules from their tower.  
Magic Items: The Talisman of Darkforce, the Writings of Monglos, and the Staraxe are publicly noted in the possession of the Grand Duchess of Tingus Mures for the defense of the countryside, but each wizard in Hermetus has a magical arsenal which could dissuade most armies from attacking, and if the armies should persist, the wizard could eliminate/disintegrate them all. 

Thumbnail Sketch: 

Hermetus is a desolate landscape ruled by a collection of Witchlords, Sorcerers, Vampires, evil Wizards and warriors so sadistic, they were run out of their own countries. Despite this, the commoners of Hermetus live a decent existence, if by decent you mean two steps from starvation.

While most eek out a subsistence level, those in the numerous wizard towers that dot the landscape, and those living within their shadows, live a life of a relative luxury.  Common magicks and cantrips are regularly used to make life enjoyable.  

The Thacarian Mountains come up from western Vlachia, and turn east, encompassing much of the territory.  It makes poor farmland, but there are some riches deep below, and the peaks of the mountains make perfect locations for intimidating towers for individuals who don't wish to be bothered.  

While the Principalities of Emron are the best current example of a magocracy, Hermetus is the best example of a government run by wizards, who largely do not care.   Most wish to study, experiment, and research their craft in relative isolation, defending the communities that have sprung up around their towers, only when needed.  

Between wizards who don't wish to be bothered, lawless stretches, and a heavy influence of gypsies, it is not the land for a casual traveler.  Add to this that some of the prominent brigands and thieves are wizards themselves who are on the lookout for artifacts first, gold second, and a warning should given out to all but the stoutest adventurers with the largest entourages.

Points of Interest: 

The Academy of Shadows: The once foreboding castle of the most powerful vampire lords, the ancestors of Grand Duchess Bella transformed it into the Academy of Shadows. It is not a magic school of any sort, rather a site the enclave of wizards can meet in to discuss pressing issues, resolves conflicts, and allow the Dukes and Duchesses of Tingus Mures to administer the needs of the land.  The exterior, while still retaining its gothic architecture, has been meticulously restored and now exudes an aura of mysterious elegance rather than dread. The dark spires are now capped with glowing arcane runes, and the stone walls have been reinforced with enchanted materials, giving them an ethereal glow at night.

The Ruins of Tirgoviste:  An ancient ruin of a once-great city, possible pre-Ferasean, it is nothing more than crumbling towers, broken walls, all overgrown with vines and moss.  Legend has it that the city was  destroyed in a cataclysmic event involving powerful magic. In spite of well-documented tales that the city has been cleared of great treasures and ancient artifacts protected by powerful curses, foolish mortals still attempt to search the ruins. 

The Silver Lake of Luminara:  A serene, mirror-like lake surrounded by rolling hills and weeping willows. The water glows with a soft, silvery light, especially under the moon.  The lake is said to blessed by the moon goddess Celene, and it has healing properties. On full moon nights, ghostly apparitions of ancient warriors and maidens are seen dancing on its shores.

The Obsidian Tower of Arkhaz: A dark, towering structure made entirely of black obsidian, standing alone in the desolate wastes of Arkhaz. The tower's surface is smooth and cold, reflecting no light.   Said to be the home of an ancient and powerful lich, the tower is a place of necromantic power. It is filled with undead minions and dark artifacts.

Mentions of Hermetus in the Blog:

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #40: Describing the Hermetus commoner's penchant for protective talismans, pendants, broaches, and other decorative wards.

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #41-44:  Adventures of the floating cloud Castle of Avesta, hovering over Hermetus.

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #50:  Andrei Krasimir investigating purchasing land in Hermetus.

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #51-55: The Curse of Enerk Tower

Enerk, then Krasimir, finally Wandsregal Tower

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #56:  Reference to Thendara Wandsregal, one of the Great Wizards of Hermetus.

Burning Trogs Rule! #37:  Cecelia Darkspruce and a caravan travel across Hermetus and encounter a monastery of ant-monks.

Burning Trogs Rule! #50:  The Tomb of Halfling King Alivar is on the Stronghome/Hermetus border.  The surrounding forest is extremely enchanted. 

Burning Trogs Rule! #52:  Hermetus was unofficially allied with Yarbay during the War of the Master, but even upon Yarbay's surrender, Hermetus was plunged into political and physical chaos.

Burning Trogs Redux #0.2: Mention of the Druid of Hermetus, serving under the Druid of the Steppe Border.

GM Notes: For a country I've never really ran a game in, I was shocked by the information I pulled from the journals/actual plays.  Everything seems to border Hermetus, or I inserted it after the fact (The Tower of Enerk, then the drama with Andrei in the Lost Dispatches.

I also realized that, after 35 years of this world, I had never created a Ferasean deity for the moon.  Thanks to a little ChatGPT/NightCafe actions, and apparently that omission has been corrected.

New Mice Figures for Wars of Ozz

 Here was a preview of two new special characters for the Wars of Ozz game.  

(Gamma World) This is Not a Test #49 - The Toard Jakey

Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers,  have arrived at the KIA Academy, looking for information regarding the great Stone Horse of Destruction...

================= 

Sneaky Pete: A mutated weasel scout.  Pete's telepathy and night vision take a backseat when he whips out his electrical powers.  

Sonny Helianthus: a sentient sunflower artifact examiner with trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable,  but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades.

Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble, and finding it often.  Previously "gave birth" to a litter of sentient earthworm babies, but recently has been subject to genetic testing and developed super-human strength, a more human body, and a thick coat of shaggy white hair.

Lathar Bracken: A pure-strain human from River Bend.  He's got the muscle, the face, and a mount for most encounters.  Lathar's trusty beast of burden, No Name, travels wherever he does.  No Name has recently been fitted for a artillery device of the Ancients that chucks spears further than any human.  Looking for trouble in all the right places.  Former jousting champion of Fair-Town and has been awarded... a peacock he has named Chambray.

RHA-9: A lab assistant piece of "Living Metal" that seems to have befriended the group... for now!  Currently getting repairs done by the Restorationists.

================= 

The building with the faded sign saying "Toard Jakey"  was peculiar. Despite being a building of the Ancients, glass was still in the windows, albeit dirty and thick.  The main door looked to be originally glass as well and layered with many generations of wooden planks layered over top of one another.  Sonny gave the door a tug with with plant arms, and to everyone's surprise, the door actually swung out.  

Lathar peeked inside first, to see rows of benches, some waist high, some chest high to the human.  Everything appeared empty from first glance, so he stepped further inside.

*DING-DONG*

Lathar cautiously moved in, the light pouring in from the door the only light source.  Lathar quickly asked Sonny for a lantern for better viewing.  

Move of items and boxes seemed to have rotted and disintegrated.  Turning a corner into an aisle, the lights in the ceiling appeared to automatically turn on it response, starting from Lathar's position and lighting up all the way to the back room.  

Squiggles came in an actively looked for any sort of trap.  He climbed down on all fours to look under a suspicious bench.  A voice started talking out of one of the benches.

"YOU THERE!   DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE CONQUERORS OF THE CITIES ARE?

"I think they all blew themselves up," Sonny wisely quipped.

"IF YOU DON'T, IT'S AVAILABLE HERE FOR ONLY 2,000 DOMARS!"

"THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF EVERYONE'S FAVORITE GAME, CONQUEROR OF CITIES.   WHERE ARE THEY IN THE WORLD?"

"Don't know, but they're right here, you said!" Sonny continued to converse with this hidden voice.

"IF A COPY ISN'T AVAILABLE, PLEASE SEE AN ATTENDANT."

There was a long pause

"YOU THERE!"

"Still here.... "

DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE CONQUERORS OF THE CITIES ARE?

"Right here, for 2,000 domars...."

Squiggles eventual found the speaker behind a circular metal grate built into a bench, as well as the strange button mounted on the bench that seemed to trigger the talking.  There was nothing related to any Conquerors of Cities anywhere.

Further investigation determined all the shelves on the walls had been broken/collapsed.  A few display cases had collapsed in on themselves.  

Near the back of the store, Sonny spied a tiny piece of Living Metal, stuck on the corner of a collapsed display case.  It did not have any obvious weapons, but had an excessive number of blinking lights.   It continued to move back and forth, side to side, to free itself.  The tiny Living Metal seemed to ignore Sonny, but that the usual case for Living Metal and mutant plants.

Lathar stepped up to speak to it, "Hello there!"   No response.  

With shield extended, Lathar reached out to free the Living Metal.  Once freed, it moved several inches, then fell over on its side.

Lathar picked up the Living Metal, which was incredibly light and definitely NOT made of metal.  Flipping it upside down, Sonny pressed a few buttons and the Living Metal stopped.  The only notable marks on the bottom was a faded label with "Toard Jakey" all that was still legible.

"I will call him Little Jakey." Sonny declared, putting the deactivated Living Metal in his pouch.

"That is a strange version of my kind," RHA-9 stated.. "I am unfamiliar with it.  I am unsure of its function."

Working to the back of the store, they did find bins and bins, of junk, baubles, parts, and curiosities.  All labelling on the containers is gone, but Sonny still secured as much of it as possible.

"Upon further investigation in my data base, the markings on 'Jakey' are associated with an organized militia element of some sort.  I am unable to determine if the militia is Ancient or current."

Completing the search of the room, the explorers discover to doors to rear.  One opened to a small room, the other was larger, containing a number of empty black shelving units, and a set of stairs leading down.  Sonny immediately began to descend the stairs, lantern in hand.  

Lathar places a hand on Sonny's shoulder, "Let me go first, just in case that militia is downstairs."

The lantern illuminated the basement.  A number of signs still hung on the concrete walls, include on that read: "Toard Jakey - A Celebration of Technology"   There were a number of miscellaneous boxes, still intact.  There was a large a collection of books, softcover books much larger than the books he picked up from Fair-Town. 

Sonny investigated the books, many discussed escaping lairs and maneuvering castles filled with militias.   Sonny was particularly intrigued by "The Idiots Guide to Flight."

"I don't want an idiot teaching me, but I want to learn how to fly!" Sonny exclaimed. 

Working further back into the basement, they found another series of black shelving units, this time with a number of intact cardboard boxes on the shelves. Above shelves was an intact metal sign with the words, "THE PRODUCT REMEMBERS"  Some of the smaller boxes were odd items that no one could identify.  There were no pictures on the boxes, mainly labels.   Some of the labels spoke of "FREE BLACK RODENTS" , but no one wanted to start and infestation.  

The one series of boxes that got their notice were quite large with the words "CHILDREN'S ALCHEMICAL LASER."

Opening the box displays a second box.  This box is much more colorful, including a picture of a small human child wielding a backpack with a hose they are holding with both hands.  It was determined that they would take one of these boxes, strap it to No-Name, and eventually find a field to test it one.... if they had the correct fuel cells.

Two roads were outside of the Toard Jakey.  Both were not maintained by the KIA Academy.  Pete chose the road more traveled.  

GM Notes:  The apocalypse may have occurred decades, if not hundreds of years in the future, but somehow the nostalgia for Radio Shack.  A few prompts in AI and the Toard Jakey was born. 

The Toard Jakey: The Legend Continues

Next: #50 - The Stone Pavilion

A Relaxing Day???

I actually had a relaxing weekend for once.  I donate plasma on most Saturday mornings.  It's worth a hanging out for an hour for a couple of bucks, plus the plasma for my blood type is apparently rare....  Four years after my hospital stay for COVID, I've realized I never got my plasma transfusion that they promised... possibly because they didn't have any to give.

After grabbing breakfast (poached eggs and crab cakes? It was divine... and oddly affordable) I went off to see Millie's volleyball team play phenomenally well, and with my mother cancelling yard work due to weather, wandered down to check out the two FLGS in my area.

Sword in the Stone Games in the Wyoming Valley Mall has really grown into its space.  There are plenty of people bemoaning the continued death of malls, but I counted 40 people coming into the storefront in the half-hour I was there, and most of the retail fronts in the mall looked full of customers.  

It was fun to reconnect with James, the MEPACON board game guy, who actually got a weekend job there (and is paid for Monday night board game night to boot!),  and it was even better to run into my old co-worker Tom (David Kavida from my Call of Cthulhu campaign) and his son. 

Sword in the Stone has somehow expanded its board game selection and continued to stock some peripheral product lines, like gimmicky coffee/teas,  plushies, and even a true railroad hobby shop Woodland Scenics display.  

They have a great variety of dice, multiple manufacturers, and varying price points.  Regular reader know I bemoan the disappearance of polyhedral sets under ten bucks, and honestly, the overpriced sets that I saw three months ago?  They're either 100% restocked or they're all sitting sitting on the shelf.  Mind you the high-end stone sets have rotated different types, but that's why their in the case.

The dice that have sold are individual dice strewn across a sand table at 50-cents a pop, and a few of their more classic sets.  

The newest arrival that warmed my grumpy cheap-dice loving heart was a whole display of  polyhedral sets from Misty Mountain Gaming.  Ten dollar sets and their in innovative packing that's great for a display like this?  I love it!  

Even with cameras, there is a significant shrinkage problem with this facing away from the counter.

Their product line runs the gamut from cheap polyhedrals, to fancy dice, to even high quality leather gaming bags.  The item that fascinated me the most were their Commander spindown dice

The original Spindown die was a d20 with all the numbers in order, so a Magic player didn't have to search for the right number after they lost (or gained) life.  It was a hand improvement, a nice impulse buy, and even a freebie in some of the Magic releases.  

The Commander format (essentially 100-card decks with no more than one of any card other than basic lands) is wildy popular, but games start at 40 life. 

Enter a very uneven, but still geometrically pleasing d40.  Make it metal and $40, and I can see even the imaginary store in my brain putting them in an obvious spot in the display, with an inventory stored nearby.    And yes, they still have metal d20 spindowns for $30, although the grognard in me somewhat considers THAT a bit pricey.  

After looking around, and grabbing a free remaining freebies leftover from their Free RPG Day, I headed over to the other FLGS, Dragon Knight Games. 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Dragon Knight, outside of a grievous lack of pricing on their paint.  It's the gaming store for the side of the river I live on.  It's has plenty of inventory, plenty of events, but by golly, there was nothing I wanted to buy (especially since I didn't want sticker shock from the paints... I had already gagged at the price of a single figure for Warhammer Old World) .  

After all that, I grabbed some groceries and relaxed the rest of the day, organizing my gaming world, and putting paint to figures.  

I don't get many of those days anymore. 

HMGS PELA Review

The grumblings of older middle-aged men aside, the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society (HMGS) does a great job promoting the hobby of historical wargaming with their three conventions, Cold Wars, Fall-In!, and their flagship, Historicon.  

One of their ways to showcase the quality events at their shows is their awards program, hereafter referred to as the PELAs. PELA stands for "Pour Encourager Les Autres" .  While we're not executing Admirals who refuse to fight "To encourage the others",   the HMGS PELAs perform the much more "admirable" task of awarding small trophies at numerous times during their conventions to stand-out games that promote the best the hobby has to offer.

And that, my friends, is where the layman's knowledge of the PELAs might end, and after participating in three rounds of judging this past year, that is where deviation about the awards begins.  

There are a number of other categories of awards handed out each con, but the focus is on the traditional PELA itself.  

Right off the HMGS Awards page

"Pour Encourager Les Autres"

• Events are reviewed by a team of volunteer judges.  These teams will walk the convention, with an event list and attempt to see every game in during that timeframe.  There's a review period for late morning, mid-afternoon, and evening each full day of the conventions.  There is enough time allocated, that the judges should be able to see every game that's at least three-hours long in that timeslot, whether they're finishing up, or just a few minutes into it. 
• The PELA is eligible to any event during the convention, so long as the event is not a) a tournament  b) a vendor demo,  c) a one-on-one game, and d) a board game.   That means Napoleonics, WW2, Pulp, Gnomes, and even a cheese planet sci-fi game are all eligible for the award.  We're supposed to encourage others, and I have no problem with a "by any means necessary" approach.
• Events with multiple sessions can only win one PELA per convention.  A GM could win more than one PELA during a convention if they are running two or more distinct events.  We actually had that situation happen during Historicon 2024 (technically they were in the running for a third as well.) 
• After reviewing the games, the judges consult each other and select two games to award the PELA to.  It's the goal of the PELA committee to present the award to the GMs at their table, before it is completed.  Winners get a handy trophy, and a voucher good at the convention. 
• The judges may also present Young Guard winners, and nominate games for Best Terrain, Best Theme and Best of Show.
• GMs running distinctly different events on similar terrain are treated as separate entities.  Eligible Example:  A GM runs a Samurai game on a appropriate table, but a different GM runs a ninja focused game, using the the same table, but in a different way?  Both are eligible.  Ineligible Example:  Some dudes run four sessions of freakin' gnomes, using the same figures/terrain/etc.  The make life easier by calling it the same event name.  If one of those GMs win a PELA, the other "dudes" can not qualify, even if they run a superior game. (No, I'm not bitter...)

The PELA judging is subjective, of course, but should be base on the following guidelines.  

• Appearance: Impressive & appealing figures, terrain, models, gaming tools and overall table layout. 

• Participation: Players are visibly enjoying the game, and all players asked respond enthusiastically. 

• Innovation: Unique methods, techniques or craftsmanship, GM showmanship and any other exceptional methods evident to produce a high quality event.

• GM Effort: For a GM going "above-and-beyond" to run many events, and/or large fun games or over a dozen gamers, informative/educational or multimedia efforts such as historical posters, flags, AV etc.

That means that a felt ground cloth and 6mm Napoleonics game with an active GM and excited players should be at least considered for a PELA. It also means your museum-grade terrain display should not be a guarantee for hardware. After 30 years of these cons, I've seen some beautiful boards with absolute soul-sucking players... or GMs, ruining things for everyone.

 
Bob Watts and "Michael Fijalka Young Guard Award"

As explained at judge orientation, and in the "packet" Each session, the judges may award a Young Guns award to any GM 18 years or older, so long as they are the primary listed GM of the event. 

These instructions are incomplete, as the Awards webpage states, "These awards are presented in recognition of exceptional children’s games. . . with an emphasis on events that are GM’d by children."

Years prior, I know this part to be true, because during conventions with a healthy "anti-gnome" block,  the gnome games with a horde of children in them have won the Young Guns award.    Outside of a few games, like LEGO Pirates, I didn't see a large group of kids around most tables, so either criteria was pretty limited at Historicon.

The Bob Watts Award is given out during Cold Wars.  Young Guards are handed out at Historicon and Fall-In!  I didn't any reference to Mike's name on the judges paperwork in July. 

The last three awards had more confusion than controversy.  Criteria for eligible nominees was different from the judge's information, the website, and odd recollection of others (aka: Back when we judged...) .

Nominees for all three categories below are assembled and the judges were emailed the list of eligible games.  I know I was asked to select a 1st  and 2nd choice for each award, if possible. 

Best Terrain

• Nominations do not have to coincide with a PELA awarded, just great terrain.
• I'm assuming basic PELA eligibility guidelines (no tournament, 1-on-1, etc...) would apply
• Likewise, I'm not seeing any hard Historical-only designation, although there's some reasonable pressure that in most cases Historical > Semi-Historical > Sci-Fi/Fantasy, although I do remember fantastic non-Historical games getting this.  

Best of Show

From the website: 

"Is selected from all of the top Historical Miniatures Games and usually a “PELA” winner who ran multiple iterations and drew recognition from multiple judges."

This did conflict with the criteria given to us.  All Best of Show nominees were REQUIRED to run multiple sessions, which produced extremely limited choices.  There was definitely some behind the scenes revisions during the last convention.  Eligible games were ultimately defined as a) all PELA winners b) Multiple sessions and c) Historical only.  

Best Theme Event:

• Selected from all of the top Theme Events and Theme-related PELA recipients. Historical and non-historical.
• All nominees needed to be listed as "Theme Event" ....   I am a little confused where this theme-adjacent PELA grey area comes from

And let's not forget two other awards, one impulsive, but both requiring  years of dedication to qualify. 

Legion of Honor Battle Star:

If a member of the HMGS Legion of Honor (aka The Wargaming Hall of Fame) happens to be a judge for the one of the sessions, they have, at their discretion, the opportunity to present a Battle Star to a unique event the member wishes to recognize.  Recipients are awarded one of the large ribbons in the picture above.

HMGS Game Master of the Year

The PELA judges merely influence who's eligible for the Game Master of the Year Award.

From the website:
Awarded annually at HISTORICON® to a Game Master (or GM Team) from among the past year’s “Best of Show” and “Best Theme” recipients. Selected by the Awards Committee, usually for those who won the top awards at multiple HMGS® conventions.

While a pretty basic (and lofty) set of criteria.  I would like to know what's better:  Someone who can run the same game three or four times... or a GM running multiple distinctly different events and winning PELAs for all of them? 

I will also add that everything here was sent sent to HMGS Awards Coordinator (and HMGS Treasurer) Steve Boegemann, who came back with positive and constructive feedback but no corrections.  Steve passed away last month, a week or so after he sent his last notes to me.  While its a bit of an odd conversation to end a friendship on, I think almost every conversation we've ever had was HMGS related, and how to make to better/friendlier to all people.

Historicon 2024 Convention Recap

It's a month behind, but this video from Axis and Aliens finally popped up on my YouTube feed.

If you enjoy seeing the games, he covers a couple key games and some tournament action in the first half.  The second half of the video is his swag haul.

 

(Painting) Russian Train Crew by Brigade Games

Now that #RPGaDay2024 is over, we're back with our regular programming, at least until my October to September end-of-year wrap up at the end of the month.  

In one of those mini-miracles, something I picked up at Historicon is already painted up!

This is a Russian Train Crew from Brigade Games

I gotta get back to the tiny eyes, although these guys have obviously seen some shit. 

These guys are obviously allies of the mythical Alexander Mikoyan, the rogue Soviet agent keeping the Motherland safe.  These three, the "Temnye Relsy Okkultizma" are frontline scouts on the war against against inhuman creatures.  They scour the trains, looking for relics and nefarious folk, all in the propped up authority from Moscow.

And going through my "Zombie" case of minis, I remembered that the Armed Jews from Battle Valor should probably get a place in the lore, as allies, enemies, or both. 

I don't foresee myself painting up the Chinese Henchmen I also got from Brigade anytime soon, but I can at least say I have some Asian Pulp figures.

Next in the Queue:   28mm sci-fi, 1/285th sci-fi, and fantasy round out the items I'm trying to clear off the painting bench until my next year's projects change everything. 

Project 350:   This project, with the goal to keep my blog drafts and scheduled blog posts behind the scenes at 350 or fewer is, of course, horribly backlogged.  The blog is currently at 516 (319 drafts /197 scheduled posts) significantly up from 506 (327/179) after Historicon, when the project goes on hiatus due to all the posts for #RPGaDay.    I'm not too worried by the uptick remaining in scheduled posts.  The next week's worth of posts are already ready to go, a number of the Georic Gazetteer entries are complete, plus a few more future holiday posts.   While I probably won't clean off my notes until the end of the month, I think we're making some significant progress working through some of these drafts/ideas/etc.

And, for my own future reference, the posts I already have in the can, waiting to be released over the next five months: 

Rest of September 12

October                 10

November              8

December              8

January                 16

(Fistful of Gnomes) Abbey Road

At this point of the war Lt Langveiler expected to be sitting in some warm, quaint Swiss gnome home, nibbling on chocolate and picking out which timepieces to send back to his family.  No one had anticipated the Swiss to defend so well against the modern weaponry of the Germans, much less begin a counterattack that had sent them scrambling.   Now, the field-promoted gnome had rain pouring off his hat as he stood with his surviving men in the ruins of an old church.  The standing remains offered a short respite from the cold rain, but it was much too unstable to stay under it for long.  

Wiping the water off of his face only added more water, but he couldn't ruminate on his situation.  Private had been assigned guard duty on the other side of the old brigade, and when he came running back over the bridge, his only report has "Swiss Rangers, 10, I think they saw me."

The men were roused from whatever primitive shelter they could make.  

Surrender was always an option, but they needed to put up a fighting effort, the old laws dictated it. 

Forces: 

Remnants of the German 27th (Die Leinenkugels) 

1 Sergeant (Lt Langweiler) 

5 Riflemen

Fight with Honor:  The Germans will surrender if wounded.  They can declare this prior to a wound recovery roll.  If an out of action result is rolled, the figure is assumed captured/surrendered.   Results of Out of Action during combat are treated as kills.   Two point per figure surrendering/captured.  The Swiss aren't the only nationality that can tunnel in a pinch.   

Flee with Honor:   The Germans already know that there's a large Swiss unit beyond the abbey.  The only chance to fight another day is to cross the bridge.  Three points per figure that get over the bridge and is alive at the end of the game. 

Kill with Honor:  One point for each Swiss out of action at the end of the game. 

The Swiss National Park Rangers

1 Officer (Capt Fishgeruch)

1 NCO (Sgt Richard)

8 Riflemen (with close combat hatchets)

Eliminate Threat:  Two points for each German killed or captured.

Do Not Underestimate the Sneakiness:   The Swiss lose one point for each escaping German

The Swiss Rangers pull up to the Abbey. 

Turn One:  The Swiss swore they saw a lone German trooper running through the countryside, so Capt Fishgeruch sent an advance to carefully creep up the stone arch to see if anyone was waiting for them. 

The precaution was in vain as a single shot range out from across the river, and everyone but the scout saw Ranger Meier's head turn into red mist.  

"Sniper!!!!"

Headshot!

Ranger Baumann, behind Meier was in the German Rifleman's sight, he pulled the trigger, and just heard a *click*  

"Goddamn rain..." 

The other Germans huddled over to the sniper, finding the right line of sight for the advancing Rangers, but nothing was as effective.  

The Swiss found cover at the base of the bridge, and prepared for an all out charge. 

Turn Two:  The Swiss though they had the upper hand, but it would take longer to storm the wall than they initially thought.  One Swiss used the wall of the bridge as cover and fired down on the German position, to no effect.  A German bullet dropped him to the cobblestone, wounded.  Another Swiss tried to draw fire from around the base of the bridge, but it just gave the sniper enough time to clear his weapon, reload shoot him in the head.  Another Swiss on the bridge dropped dead. 

Meanwhile Private Meier, how had held a good cross-fire position across the road from the abbey, must have been inspired by the sniper, and took it upon himself to find a new position to pick off Swiss early. 

Turn Three:  Captain Fishgeruch grabbed Sergeant Richard by the shoulder, "The pension plan for the Park Rangers isn't all that great anyway, let's go!"  The duo charged passed a opening within their men.  Captain Fishgeruch reached the wall first, punching one of the German rifleman in the face with the pommel of his sword, before slicing the supposed sniper below the neck with his sword, dropping him.  The Sergeant followed quickly after, but there no witnesses to whether he was shot or beaten in hand to hand.  Nevertheless, his lifeless body adorned the other side of the wall. 

The Germans were quickly realizing that those early shots may have convinced the Swiss of a "Take No Prisoners" approach to the engagement. 

Turn Four:  When when point blank shot grazed the Captain, he wisely dove face-first in the mud on the other side of the wall to feign death (re; he earned a shock token). 

With the remaining rifleman pinned or bleeding near the bridge, Park Ranger Schneider pulled out his trusty hatchet and dove over the wall.   The two Germans broke his momentum, pushing him back, but not before they both were on the ground, quite dead.

Pondering an escape route, Lt Langweiler pulled out his pistol and fired upon Schneider, wounding him.  For a moment, it appeared that the officer could possibly dashed across the road and support the pinned Schneider in the trees, possibly pushing through the remaining resistance and to freedom.  

Turn Five:  Park Ranger Schneider got better real quick (a well timed Queen of Hearts for initiative, removing the wound and allowing him to act).  Leaving his firearm in the mud, Schnieder dove at the officer.  The German proved to have more mettle than Schneider expected, and soon the two were locked in lethal hand-to-hand fighting (a tie for the close-combat roll!)

Meanwhile, Captain Fishgeruch recovered himself from the mud, and dove over to the last German rifleman, plunging his sword into his chest. 

Lt Langweiler had one final trick up his sleeve ... or a few inches away from his.   He managed to grab his pistol from a puddle, but as he turned it to shoot Schneider, the Ranger turn it into the officer's body as the gun went off.

A wounded and bleeding Langweiler let out a sigh of relief, "I surrender... if I don't bleed out first."

Breaking down the victory conditions, it was a brutal 12-6 Swiss win.    From the first roll, the dice had bloodlust, forgetting about wounds and going right to "out of actions."  Only one death was the result of a recovery roll!  There was no mercy, which was the harsh reality the Germans discovered as their war machine effectively eliminated any of the old, honorable ways the that gnomes had fought with before.  

All the blue tokens represent out of action, all but one on the initial wound roll!

Rolling on the basic campaign chart in the core rulebook, the merely wounded Swiss Rifleman would miss the next engagement but return fine.  Sergeant Richard and Lt Langweiler both suffered greatly from their wounds.  Richard would never be the same again, and was eventually relegated to a training company.  Langweiler would be in no shape for an escape attempt, and would be never see combat again... if he survived captivity. 

Rules are Fistful of Lead by Wiley Games.  Figures are Gnome Wars by Brigade Games.

This scenario was based off of  Flintloque scenario Sharke's Abbey on Orcs in the Webbe.

(Review) Cloud City Games - Stroud Mall - Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

In the beginning of the summer, my daughter had an AAU tournament in the Poconos.  It was a good Saturday for the team, and we grabbed Texas Roadhouse and wandered into the Stroud Mall, PA 611, outside of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.  

The main reason for our wanderings was the recent opening of the latest location of Cloud City Games.   I've been a fan of visiting the Cloud City Games - Palmer Park Mall location, when I visit my mother, so I was hoping that methodology and system translated well to another storefront (their third).

It did not disapoint. 

While not a mirror copy of Palmer Park (which isn't a copy of their flagship Lehigh Valley Mall location).  The color is there, the set-up is there, the stock is similar. and growing every week.  

The biggest difference?  The gaming area is bigger and far more spacious than just about any mall/shopping center based store.  

Later in the summer, I returned to the location, after scheduling an appointment to sell off some of my Magic cards.   It was one of the longest hours of my life, but I was treated friendly and professionally and given more than a fair rate for the cards they wanted.  I got to wander the store a lot in that time, and the inventory had grown considerably.  

CCGS:  The reason for all those tables.  A good supply of Magic/Pokemon/Yu-Gi-Oh! singles.  Lots of packs, although somebody was unhappy they didn't have the particular boosters for one set, didn't have two full boxes to sell, and he didn't get some additional discount.   I don't miss entitled customers, although I have my hands full with entitled business owners at work.  

RPG:  A great selection of 5e, Pathfinder, Paizo, but the heart of  Cloud City's role-playing section, to me, are the multitudes of Indy and zine-based games.   I'd like to see more price tags on these guys, as they naturally vary greatly in price for the same sized pamphlet, but it's a great start for growing an immense and diverse selection.

Minis:  GW racks, GW paints, and a large selection of the D&D mins/Wizkids licensed stuff.  Like Palmer Park, they did add a rack of Monument Hobbies paints.

Events: Two D&D nights, Magic Modern and Commander nights, Star Wars Unlimited and a free Yu-Gi-Oh! league with prize support?    Given the strict mall hours, that's more than enough.

Staff: Again, wildly friendly and professional, even dealing with the idiot Magic customer.  

Comics:  They are a comics and games store, after all.  A great rack of new releases, and enough older and graded material to attract attention, and hopefully, sales.  

Other stuff:  Always a wide assortment of crap this old guy doesn't get, although I'm vaguely familiar with the vast assortment of Squishables. 

I haven't given the Palmer Park location a new review since they moved into their new digs (and the longer I wait, the less nostalgic bias I might have, although I doubt it).  If the old location warranted a four gnome rating, then the Stroud Mall location earns four out of five gnomes as well...

The Cloud City Games Stroud Mall location is located at 344 Stroud Mall Rd Suite 136, Stroudsburg, PA 18360. They're open 12-8 Monday-Saturday, and 12-6 Sundays. 

(Gamma World) This is Not a Test #48 - Zephyr Stormcaller

 Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers,  have arrived at the KIA Academy, looking for information regarding the great Stone Horse of Destruction...

================= 

Sneaky Pete: A mutated weasel scout.  Pete's telepathy and night vision take a backseat when he whips out his electrical powers.  

Sonny Helianthus: a sentient sunflower artifact examiner with trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable,  but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades.

Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble, and finding it often.  Previously "gave birth" to a litter of sentient earthworm babies, but recently has been subject to genetic testing and developed super-human strength, a more human body, and a thick coat of shaggy white hair.

Lathar Bracken: A pure-strain human from River Bend.  He's got the muscle, the face, and a mount for most encounters.  Lathar's trusty beast of burden, No Name, travels wherever he does.  No Name has recently been fitted for a artillery device of the Ancients that chucks spears further than any human.  Looking for trouble in all the right places.  Former jousting champion of Fair-Town and has been awarded... a peacock he has named Chambray.

RHA-9: A lab assistant piece of "Living Metal" that seems to have befriended the group... for now!  Currently getting repairs done by the Restorationists.

================= 

Having been corralled by drones and speakers onto the center of a roundabout, our heroes hoped that real help would arrive and get them to the talking folks in the boxes who actually knew something about Charlie Onyxhoof.  Little did they know, one of them was just out of reach.  

Squiggles was first to spot a person in the air, 200 foot up.  It appeared to be some type of mutant bird, but as the furry worm hailed it, it swept down onto the roundabout with precision.  He looked less like a mutant bird, and more like a mutant human with wings.  

"Ah, non-citizens and a roundabout.  Makes total sense"

Sonny walked towards the man, "And you are?"

Pete answered "That's Zephyr Stormcaller, from the box!"

Zephyr confirmed it himself, "That's right, traffic and weather all the time.  What are you guys doing in this part of the Academy?  You guys lost?"

Zephyr Stormcaller

Sonny:  "We were curious about ol' Charlie Horse"

"Who?"

"The horse fellow that's wrecking the joint."

Zephyr moved his hand towards his mouth, "Do we know a Charlie Horse?...   Oh yeah....  I took some aerials of the devastation.  That's performing very well on the west side of the Academy.  Lots of horse lovers there."

Sonny stepped back to whisper to Squiggles, "I'm only getting every fourth word from this guy. You?"

"No better..."

Sonny turned to Zephyr:  "So this Charlie... his family swears up and down that it's not him.  We were hired by Station Petro to get to the bottom of things, so anything you have would be greatly appreciated."

Zephyr thought for a moment. "If it gets you off this roundabout so I don't have to report every five minutes until help comes, I'll help you out a little."   The explorers obliged and with a few presses of buttons on his wrist armor, the drones were called off, construction signs popped up from the road.  To stop traffic and allow them to get off the roundabout and follow the still-flying human.  

He led them to a non-descript bar off of a side access road, and everyone went inside.  

Zephyr took off his helmet and goggles, revealing a human face with short black, spikey hair.

"So the commissioners hired you to find out about Charlie?"

Sonny concurred, "Yes, or some functionary beneath them."

Zephyr was impressed, "Ok, you know the world functionary, you're the one I need to talk to, plant.  Have the functionaries seen the rocky horse thing."  

"They worked alongside him before his disappearance, and alleged transformation."  Sonny added.

It takes a bit, but Zephyr uses his wrist computers to generate a 3-D hologram of the scene of devastation.  There was no sign of a destructive horse, but the path of destruction was evident. 

"We only got this, which is why we're not leading with story."

Sonny poked his fronds through the hologram, "This is fascinating, what is this."

Zephyr tried to explain the concept of cameras, holograms, and the weirdly sounded "tape delay." The most the ground got out of his descriptions was that the local interviews by the authorities were wildly unreliable.  

Sonny: "Still, the family believes it's not him."

Zephyr: "Now all the witnesses are unreliable, but everyone describes the attacking creature as a big, stone horse.  The Charlie fellow is missing. I am adding two and three together to make five....'

Sonny:  "So where are all the attacks going on?"

"When it attacks, it's far side of the Academy borders, near Station Petro, but never attacking the station.  Might be a reason for that." 

The sunflower and the flying dude calibrated speaking devices to reach out to Zephyr if they find anything interesting.   Sonny tried to buy updated versions, but Zephyr dissuaded him, "Probably can't afford it,  those guys to use Domars, my vociferous dandelion.

Following Zephyr's advice, they headed off to the scene of the latest attack... and beyond.  

The group went out to the latest scene of devastation.  Much of the damage had already been fixed, but the trail matches that of a horse.... or a No Name.   The locals did not want to talk to them about much.  They do mention a giant horse, a stone horse, an angry horse. 

The trail continued down the road with less devastating damage.  The tracks were beginning to peter out, when the group fell upon a free standing structure.  There were no tracks going inside, but everyone but Squiggles thought it was a good idea to go inside.  

"But what if there's living metal with killer lights coming out of it's eyes...."

Lathar answered, "Let's find out."

GM Notes: It's always good when you explain the interior of the bar is all wood-paneling, and one of your players immediately thinks of my wedding reception, at the aptly named Fred's Lobster Garden.  Fred's has retooled as Fred's Woodshed, a strip bar.

Needless to say, if we ever come upon a Mutant Lobster named Fred, this is where the inspiration came from.

Next: #49 - The Toard Jakey

Another Month of New Gaming (September' 2024)

Issue #295 of Game Trade Magazine is available at your FLGS or online in pdf form here.

ViscountEric's Want List

Nothing. Surprise, Surprise.

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

Catalyst Game Labs

Shadowrun RPG:  1st Edition Reprint HC ............$49.99

Keeping a nostalgic reprint at fifty bucks?   Proper and right!

Electi Studio

Eternol:  15mm Sci-Fi Warfare Across the Void Horizon .................... $18.99

The Imaginary Store List (The Pegleg Gnome)

Aces Game

Sweet Cherry Pie vs Evil RPG: Core Rulebook .................... $19.99

Sweet Cherry Pie vs Evil RPG: Adventure Cookbook .......... $12.99

Sweet Cherry Pie vs Evil RPG: Gummy Landing ................. $15.99

VHS RPG:  Deadbreak ............................ $29.99

VHS RPG:  Remnants ............................. $29.99

VHS RPG:  Trashbag ............................... $29.99

Arcane Tinmen

Dragon Shields: Playmat - 25th Anniversary  ....................... $24.99

Arcane Wonders

Floresta ............................................... $59.99

Kraftwagen: Age of Engineering ........ $59.99

Video Game Champion ....................... $59.99

Archon Studio

The good folk at Archon seem to make plastic Pathfinder RPG terrain, a la Dwarven Forge, and their "Dungeons and Lasers" line is nice plastic starship, sci-fi corridors.   I'm more tempted to drop $50 on box entirely of small pieces of building ruin versus a $60 set of minis, but I'm not the demographic.

Wolfenstein: The Board Game ........... $120.00

Wolfenstein: Old Blood Expansion .... $ 60.00

Wolfenstein: 3D Terrain Kit ............... $110.00

Ares Games

Aeterna ........................... $64.90

Diluvium ......................... $45.00

The Army Painter

Gamemater: Wandering Monsters Paint Set ............. $49.99

Bandai Co.

Digimon TCG: Chain of Liberation Boosters

One Piece TCG (OP-10) Boosters

Bandai Namco Toys

I believe I made mention last month of Bandai/Namco's appearance in the catalog with a host of toys, puzzles, and licensed products for their brands.  

Twenty dollar Godzilla figures.  There's a freakin' display of these coming into the imaginary store.  Worst case, I'm selling one to every wargamer for their 40K/Warmachine/Blood Bowl game vs Godzilla. 

Blind Visionary Publications

Tales from the Smoking Wyrm #001 .................... $20.00

Tales from the Smoking Wyrm #002 .................... $20.00

Tales from the Smoking Wyrm #009 .................... $20.00  

Brotherwise Games

Mistborn DBG ............................ $44.95

Catalyst Game Labs

Shadowrun RPG:  6th Edition - Final Bets ........... $49.99

Battletech: Mercenaries Boxed Set ............ $74.99

Battletech: Legends II .................... $50.00

Battletech: Map Pack - Savannahs . $30.00

Battletech: Map Pack - Cities ......... $30.00

Battletech: Mercenaries Forcepack - Battlefield Support - Assault & Cav .... $40.00

Battletech: Mercenaries Forcepack - Battlefield Support - Recon & Hunter . $40.00

Battletech: Mercenaries Forcepack - Battlefield Support - Battle & Fire ...... $40.00

Battletech: Mercenaries Forcepack - Clan Cav Star ....................................... $35.00

Battletech: Mercenaries Forcepack - Inner Sphere Battle Armor Platoon ...... $30.00

Battletech: Mercenaries Forcepack - Inner Sphere Recon  ............................. $30.00

Battletech: Mercenaries Forcepack - Inner Sphere Security ........................... $30.00

Battletech: Mercenaries Forcepack - Somerset Strikers ................................. $35.00

Battletech: Salvage Box - Battlefield Support

Battletech: Salvage Box - Mercenaries 

Battletech: Salvage Box- Visigoth 

Battletech Tech Readout - Recognition Guide Vol 2 - IClan .......................... $39.99

Chaosium

Basic Roleplayng - Gamemaster Pack .................................. $24.99

Call of Cthulhu - No Time to Scream ................................... $29.99

Call of Cthulhu - Order of the Stone ....................................  $42.99

Runequest RPG: Lands of Runequest - Dragon Pass ........... $44.99

Chessex Manufacturing

Chessex promotion this month is for a number of their "Mega-Hedral" dice sets.  How "Mega" are the dice? 

Traditional polyhedral dice sets are 16mm...  Mega-Hedral ore a whopping 20mm .  25% bigger doesn't justify a decent dice set for $22.98!

Cubicle 7

Warhammer 40K- Wrath & Glory - Threat Assessment - Daemons and Hertics .... $39.99

Draco Studios

War for Chicken Island 2nd Edition ............................. $69.99

DV Giochi

Until Proven Guilty .................................... $16.99

Electi Studio

Jair's Home (MCC)  .................................... $24.99

Free League Publishing

Dragonbane RPG:  Path to Glory ............... $39.99

Fryx Games

Kingdom Legacy: Feudal Kingdom ........... $16.00

Galakta

Snails ............................................................ $39.99

Gamelyn Games

Tiny Epic Cthulhu ........................................ $30.00

Tiny Epic Cthulhu Cult of Chaos Expan...... $15.00

Tiny Epic Cthulhu 4-pack player mats ........ $25.00

Tiny Epic Cthulhu 9 pack Extra Dice .......... $15.00

Tiny Epic Cthulhu Game Mat ...................... $30.00

Goodman Games

Blood and Thunder: The Ultimate Book of Mighty Deeds (DCC)  ......... $24.99

Tome of Adventure Vol 4:  Purple Planet Ltd Edit (DCC) ....................... $69.99

Keymaster Games

Park: Roll & Hike ...................................... $24.99

Konami Digital Entertainment

Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG:  Quarter Century Bonanza Boosters

Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG  Speed Duel Battle City Finals Box .......................... $29.99

Legendary Games

Alien Bestiary (5e) ................................... $59.99

Black Flag RPG: Beasts of Legend - Construct Codex ............... $12.99

Black Flag RPG: Mythos Monsters ............................................. $19.99

The Dragon's Hoard (5e)  #41 ...................................................... $12.99

The Dragon's Hoard (5e)  #42 ...................................................... $12.99

Loke

Add on Scenery for RPG Maps Ruins ......................................... $12.99

GM Screen Terrain & Random Encounters ................................. $20.00

Little Book of Batt Mats:  Destinations & Curiosities ................. $12.99

Lone Colossus

Wyrmlings: All Ages TTRPG ..................................................... $39.99

MacGuffin & Co

Ker-splat!  RPG ............................................................ $20.00

Odd Jobs RPG:  Micro Settings .................................... $47.00

Upriver, Downriver RPG............................................... $40.00

Mantic Entertainment

Fantasy Advent Calendar: Bar Room Brawl ................... $40.00

Sci-Fi Advent Calendar: Deep Space Pest Control ......... $40.00

Mind's Vision 

The Legacy of the Cthulhu RPG:  Before the End. ......... $14.95

Modiphius .

Acthung! Cthulhu 2d20 - D-Day the Darkest Day..... $50.00

Star Trek Adventures 2nd Edition - Core Rulebook .. $60.00

Star Trek Adventures - Game Toolkit ........................ $42.00

Mongoose Publishing

Paranoia RPG: Mandatory Fun ....................................... $19.99

Traveller RPG: The Fifth Frontier War - Flashpoints ..... $49.99

Traveller RPG: The Trailing Frontier ..............................$59.99

Traveller RPG: This is Free Trader Beowulf - A System History of Traveller .... $59.99

Traveller RPG: Ship Operator's Manual ......................... $49.99

Osprey Games

The Silver Bayonet: Italy - The Shades of Calabria .......... $25.00

Paizo Publishing

Pathfinder Fiction - Godsrain HC .................................... $29.99

Pathfinder RPG: Flip-Mat - Occult Dungeon .................. $19.99

Pathfinder RPG: Divine Spell Cards ................................ $27.99

Pathfinder RPG: Focus Spell Cards ..................................$27.99

Pathfinder RPG: Occult Spell Cards .................................$32.99

Pathfinder RPG: Lost Omens - Divine Mysteries ............. $7.99

Starfinder RPG:  Flip-Mat Multi-Pack - Planetary Terrain .... $29.99

Pinnacle Entertainment Group

Deadlands Classic: 20th Anniversary Ed - 2nd Printing .... $69.99

Pokemon USA

Pokemon TCG: Scarlet & Violet - Stellar Crown Booster 

Pokemon TCG: Scarlet & Violet - Stellar Crown Elite Trainer Box

Purple Sorceror

DCC Purple Planet Adventure - Wrath of the Orb-Men!  .  $9.99

Pwork Wargames

Altar of the Dead Gods Skirmish Game Rulebook .......... $26.99

Steve Jackson Games

Munchkin: Dead & Deader Expansion ........................... $11.95

Stronghold Games

Terraforming Mars:  Utopia & Cimmeria Expansion ..... $24.99

Wizards of the Coast

Magic the Gathering CCG:  Duskmourn - House of Horror

Bundles, Collector Boosters, Commander Decks, Nightmare Bundles, and Play Boosters

Wizards with Laser Rifles

Silam No 1 The Spike of Dosku (DCC) ......................... $15.00

Wizkids

DC Forever ....................$49.99

DC Heroclix: Iconix - The Sandman .......... $24.99

D&D Icons of the Realms Set 34

Marvel Heroclix: Collectors Trove Booster Brick

Marvel Heroclix: Collectors Trove Play at Home Kit (Nebula and Gamora)  ... $24.99

Marvel Heroclix: Spiderverse Booster Brick

Marvel Heroclix: Spiderverse Play at Home Kit ............. $24.99