Another Month of Gaming (July 2025)

Issue #305 of Game Trade Magazine can be found at your FLGS, or available online in PDF form here. 

ViscountEric's Gaming Want List
Nothin'

ViscountEric's Money-Is-No-Object Want List
Nothing!

The Imaginary Store List (The Pegleg Gnome)

9th Level Games

Rebel Scum 2nd Edition ................................................... $19.99

25th Century Games

Botswana ........................................................................... $24.99

Intent to Kill ...................................................................... $39.99

Kabuki Tricks .................................................................... $14.99

Acheron

Brancolonia RPG: Spaghetti Fantasy Bestiary ................ $45.00

Brancolonia: Bounty Kingdoms Gazetteer ......................... $39.00

Alderac Entertainment Group

Point Galaxy .............................................. $24.99

Propolis ...................................................... $24.99

B.A. Games

Goats & Goblins ........................................ $22.00

Bandai

Dragonball Super Fusion World TCG - Manga Booster 02

Dragonball Super Masters TCG - New Series Set 02 Boosters

Just the labelling of these products explains to me why I never see this product behind shelves.  One game? Two compatible games?  Separate entities? A twenty dollar board game expansion is an oops.  A $200 box of boosters is a small disaster.  A case of boosters?  I would hope the popularity of the game would educate staff on the variations. 

Bezier Games

Haunted Mouse .......................................... $14.95

Zombie Princess: Deluxe Edition .............. $29.95

Capstone Games

Suna Valo ................................................... $49.95

Pirates of Maracaibo: Commanders Exp ... $34.95

Creature Curation

Vast Grimm RPG:  Grimm Solitude .......... $14.95

Vast Grimm RPG: Jaws of Madness .......... $14.95

Critical Kit

Against the Gloom RPG ........................... $24.00

Psychic Trash Detectives RPG ................. $24.00

Midnight Melodies RPG ........................... $20.00

Unleashed RPG ......................................... $20.00

Wraithbound RPG ..................................... $24.00

Cryptozoic Entertainment

DC Comics Deck Building Game - Arkham Asylum .................. $54.99

DC Comics Deck Building Game - Arkham Asylum - Shadows Expansion ..... $24.99

DC Comics Deck Building Game - Crisis Expansion Pack 5 - Dark Knights Death Metal ... $34.99

DC Comics Deck Building Game - Teen Titans Go!  ................... $34.99

Cult of the Lizard King

The Electrum Archive #1  ......................... $25.99

The Electrum Archive #2  ......................... $25.99

DGT

DGT Chess Box ......................................... $29.95

DGT Chess Box ......................................... $49.95

Exalted Funeral Press

Bucket Bash RPG: Halloween Storygame ...... $12.00

Lost Roads RPG: A Game of Climate Migration ... $20.00

Slasher RPG: Horror Storygame ...................... $12.00

Explore Dungeons

Explore Dungeons Zine #1 ............... $9.99

Explore Dungeons Zine #2 ............... $10.00

Explore Dungeons Zine #3 ............... $10.00

Fanroll 

D&D Frostmaiden's Aurora Holiday Advent Calendar 2025 ................ $64.99

Holiday Dice Advent Calendar 2025 ................................ $59.99

Fireside Games

Ham Helsing ....................................... $49.95

Fragging Unicorns Games

Misspent Youth RPG .......................... $30.00

Gale Force Nine

Hextech - Winter Woods ..................... $40.00

Gothic Sector - Eldar ..........................  $30-$70

Goodman Games

DCC: Caverns of Thracia GM Screen ........... $ 9.99

Heltung Storytelling

Whispers of the Woods RPG ..........................$30.00

Incredible Dream

A Gentle Rain: Bloom Edition ....................... $19.99

Kobold Press

Tales of the Valiant RPG: GM Guide Pocket Edition HC ..... $24.99

Konami Digital Entertainment

Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG - Justice Hunters Boosters

Leder Games

ROOT: Homeland Expansion ........................ $60.00

ROOT: Homeland Hireling Pack ................... $20.00

ROOT: Playmat Marsh/Gorge ........................ $30.00

ROOT: Squires & Disciples Deck .................. $10.00

Legendary Games

Shrine of the Serpents (5e) .............................. $10.99

Ultimate Ships (Pathfinder) ............................. $13.99

Dragon's Hoard #52 (5e) ................................. $11.99

Loke Battle Mats

Calendar of Many Adventures 2026 ................. $17.00

Dungeons Designer's Deck ..............................  $25.00

M.Allen Hall

In Ruins RPG: A Dungon Building Game ......... $20.00

Mongoose Publishing

Traveller RPG: The Borderland ........................ $49.99

Paizo Publishing

Pathfinder RPG: AP Myth-Speaker 3 of 3 - Titanbane ............... $29.99

Pathfinder RPG: Flip-Mat Command Center .............................. $19.99

Pathfinder RPG: Game Night - Dawn of the Frogs Deluxe Boxed Set ...... $34.99

Pathfinder RPG: NPC Core Battle Cards ..................................... $54.99

Pathfinder RPG: Treasure Vault Pocket Edition .......................... $29.99

Starfinder RPG: GM Core (2nd Edition) ..................................... $69.99

Starfinder RPG: Flip-Mat - Garage Warehouse ........................... $19.99

Starfinder RPG: Galaxy Guide (Pocket Edition) ......................... $29.99

Starfinder RPG: Player Character Folio ...................................... $14.99

Q-Workshop

Advent Dice Calendar #06 

Random Alien Games

Free Spacer RPG: A Sandbox Starship RPG ............................... $35.00

Steve Jackson Games

Munchkin Big Box ......................................... $134.95

Munchkin Not My Monkeys .......................... $ 13.95

Perfect Potions ................................................ $24.95

Wizards of the Coast

D&D: Forge of the Artificer .......................... $29.99

Wizkids

DC Heroclix: Apokolips Planet Pack .............$29.99

DC Heroclix:  Starter Set 2026 ...................... $39.99

Marvel Heroclix: Strange Tales - Booster Bricks

Marvel Heroclix: Strange Tales - Orrgo the Unconquerable ..... $30.00

Marvel Heroclix: Strange Tales - Play at Home .. $24.99

Pathfinder Deep Cuts - Diabolic Dragon .............. $49.99

$59.99 for painted.

More Quick Terrain for Carf

 We're at the unit and reference sheets phase for prep for Historicon, but that doesn't mean we can't  knock out some drybrushing of packing material to expand our table for our "Defense of Carf" games.

I did get confirmation from the other guys at NextGen that they are bringing the Northwest Frontier terrain, which were perfect hills the last time I ran Carf.  Their inclusion also means I don't have to slap some drybrushing for some oversized buildings Maja and I can use as a GM station. 

Mutant Plants and Post-Apocalyptic Warriors Over at Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog2

It's been a hot minute since I professed my undying love for Tim's Miniature Wargaming blog.    He plays games, he paints minis, his painted miniature collection surpasses most folks lead pile, and even those he's eternally on a GW kick (which a fresh WW2 gaming look this year), he still paints up stuff that warms the cockles of my heart.  

Death Star Lillies (RPR 77504)

The collected unit was attached to a post two weeks ago for the Mutant Plants in the center. I love everything about the pictures, even if Mike Lung still owns the greatest mutant plant related post-apoc group, although I could be a little bit biased. 

May the Blessing of the Gnome King and Queen Reach You at the End of #InternationalGnomeWeek

 

(Painting) The Purple Prussian Lifeguard for Gnome Wars #InternationalGnomeWeek

Continued proof that I'm not just painting up stuff for the Fistful of Lead/Galactic Heroes game at Historicon, I finished one of the new groups to play for Saturday afternoon, Fistful of Lead Gnome Western game, Yet Another Showdown in Santa Poco.

Introducing the Lila preußische Rettungsschwimmer, or The Purple Prussian Lifeguard.  

These guys are the personal bodyguards of the German leader, so what are they going to be doing in a remote Mexican town?  

I had a plan with the German gnomes very early on. My first unit, Die FleiderAffes, were based off of the flying monkeys from Wizard of Oz.  My green and white unit are Die Leinenkugels, and a black and tan unit was planned on being Die Yuenglings.  It took me some deep digging, but these Germans were originally slated to be Die Liladunsts  (The Purple Haze).  We'll see if I can acquire some extra Germans to flesh them out, or these will be some stand-ins for a game. 

Those photo ops don't set up themselves, you know. 

In the Queue:  Sci-Fi Terrain for Historicon.  It's crunch time to set-up units for each Fistful of Lead game, print out sheet, and test out some concepts. 

Project 350:  The name of my futile attempt to clear out my blog drafts, I've currently got 469 posts hiding behind the scenes  (295 drafts/174 scheduled) down from 477 (297 drafts/180 scheduled)  last week.  #InternationalGnomeWeek is wrapping up, and a few projects are getting completed, so I should see a nice drop before my tracking goes on hiatus to prep for #RPGaDay in August. 

I was lamenting the high numbers and lack of progress, but checking on my painting post during #InternationalGnomeWeek last year, I was at a whopping 510 (329/181).  This is my quarterly reminder to myself that 100 of the scheduled post are gnome-theme holiday filler posts, and as every holiday passes there's two cool things I find for subsequent years.  I am trying to manage my own nightmare.  

A Lone Gnome, Biding His Time #InternationalGnomeWeek

 

Gnome Mushroom House Construction - #InternationalGnomeWeek

One of the classic stereotypes of the gnome is that they all live in mushroom homes.  As we all know, gnomes are just as happy in a giant tree hollow, buried stone huts, or a house of modern construction. And mushrooms aren't the only living matter that they can nurture into a viable abode.  In fact most areas don't offer the environment to grow gargantuan stools capable of being hollowed out and inhabited. 

For the average gnome, a mushroom house is a sign of attainable status.  It does last slightly longer, with less maintenance than your average thatch or branch hovel, and some can hold multiple families with some sense of privacy. 

Certain mushrooms are picked for their alchemical reactions and are highly sought after. While certain types of fungus can be poisonous to other creatures, the average gnome has built up generations of tolerance to any toxins.

The construction of traditional gnome mushroom homes, and similar building materials, is usually the the sign a gnome or community has risen above abject subsistence poverty.  Mushroom houses are a result of noted Mycologist scholars, in direct competition with certain schools of surviving magic (the myconomancers), both using gnome alchemists to provide safe, sustainable, and sturdy construction materials.  

Mushroom houses require minimal maintenance, are well insulated, and, if the right breed is selected, can actually expand with the gnome's family.  

The main drawback, especially in this volatile period of gnomish history, is that the gnome homes are susceptible to small arms fire and explosions.    A simple artillery barrage can flatten a mushroom village.  Even the Germans consider utter destruction of the mushroom village to be a heinous act and to be avoided at all cost.

Mushroom homes are durable, but don't survive combat

(Gamma World) Not a Test #82 - The Caves of Refuge

Our two heroes, Lathar and Pete, pursue the strange travelers who have arrived in Riverbend, and just happened to steal some vital items in the midst of an attack.

================= 

In this scene....

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

Lathar Bracken: A pure-strain human from River Bend.  He's got the muscle, the face, and a mount for most encounters.  Lathar's trusty beast of burden, No Name, travels wherever he does.   Looking for trouble in all the right places.  Former jousting champion of Fair-Town.  Badly wounded from a previous encounter with 

Back in Riverbend....

Sonny Helianthus: a nearly 10' tall sentient sunflower artifact examiner with trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable,  but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades. Just went out of his comfort zone to rescue Lathar from becoming a human sacrifice to "The Beast." 

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

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

After a quick lesson in manners left the duo at the mercy of strange humanoids (see episode #80), Lathar and Pete composed themselves and were more dedicated than ever to find those who stole the mead from Riverbend.  

Lathar did his best to hide the extent of his injuries, the mutants reflecting Pete's blaster bolt towards him did far more damage than he was willing to admit.  Pete appreciated Lathar's appreciation of finding the mead thieves, but could easily detect a new limp in the barbarian as they traversed the clearing. 

The clearing turned back into a sparse, somewhat marshy light forest.   The tracks they had been following maintained.  The hills were rising in front of them.  They were leaving the area most would consider the hinterlands of Riverbend into unknown lands.

After a short rest, the continued, until they came up a faded red shipping container, covered in trees and vines.  The doors to the container were open and darkness lurked inside.   The cut through some of the growth .to get to the entrance, and Pete stood still.  In front of him was a fairly well hidden trip wire, leading up to a sharp metal farm tool positioned to swing down if triggered.

A voice from above surprised them:  "Don't come in!" 

Lathar spoke into the darkness, trying to coax the voice out into the open, until the voice directed them to the top of the container.  Taking a few steps back, they noticed a wooden structure wrapped in the dried vines, a lone human head popped out of the window.  

Hiding in the hut was Devin, a very tired and hungry human.  He had seen the "pretty humans" travel through the area a short bit ago.  "They headed towards the cave."

Lathar offered him some food, and he willingly climbed out of his window and scrounge up what the duo had thrown up atop the container.  

Devin was a guant, boney man, obviously suffering the effects of starvation.  He scooped up the food and ate wholeheartedly.  He was dressed in simple clothes that had been worn for a long time.  

Devin had been a simple villager, form a village on the other side of the hills.  A lone massive wolf, make multiple attacks on the village, forcing everyone to flee for their lives.  Others swore that there was more than one wolf, but Devin never saw more than one.   The other villagers either perished by the wolf, or fell to the perils of the cave.  He hadn't seen another person, besides the beautiful people, since before winter.  

Still paranoid of the emaciated man, they pointed in the relative direction of Fair-Town, telling him there were safe communities beyond the woods, and bid Devin adieu.  

Surprisingly, Peter was still able to pick up the trail of the trio they were hunting, and it did lead them to a wide cave mouth....

The Entrance to the Caves

Compiling some light sources, they entered.    Pete was so focused on traps or ambushes in the near dark, that he surprised himself by kicking into a pile of fairly recent decomposed bones.  The multiple bodies were bereft of flesh, but still wore some recent tatters of clothing.  They weren't the trio they sought, so Pete pushed on. 

Pete also notice the two long grooves, two or three inches deep and 18 inches apart from each other, running through the center of the cavern.  

They came upon a cave-in or collapse to the side.  Pete found a pair of boots sticking out of the rocks, and Pete focused on revealing who met their demise there.  Examining the boots, Pete then attempted to move the stones.  

Lathar stood beside the weasel and questioned his motive, "Let's just move on.  The guy in the trio didn't wear boots, so unless he stole those too, this isn't one of our guys.  We need to get moving."

Leaving that area, they moved down towards a 15 foot wide passageway.  There were more bodies, mostly reduced to husks, if not outright skeletons.   Pete navigated through a series of almost obvious traps.  

The passageway continued a long way, without any major deviation or intersections.  

Pete's ears perked up, the sound of a odd tinny instrument was playing... probably in front of them down the passageway.  

Lathar, on the other hand, heard a disturbing sound of slurping and licking, of some odd creature.

"Pete get down...."

Pete hit the deck, as Lathar brandished his blaster rifle, unleashing a series of blaster shots down the hallway. into the darkness.  They travel a far distance before disappearing. 

"What was it? Did you hear the music."

"No!!!! I heard something that wanted to eat us. I don't hear it anymore.  I'm going to thrown my grenade down the hall..."

"Hold on, maybe we can throw a makeshift torch to toss further down there.  Maybe it will scare it away first."

The cobbled together and torch out of sackcloth and lantern oil, and with a mighty heave , launched it down the hall.  

Lathar:  "You know we can leave..."

Pete:  "Nonsense!  You're going to turn back on the fact of some lip-smacker?  Onward!"  

Using a melee weapon to pick up the torch, they continued tossing the torch further, until they were met with a volley of small, but annoyingly painful rocks.  

They couldn't see anything outside the range of the torch, and when Pete tried to reach out to any lifeform, and met a foreign feeling entity that felt like it was screaming back to the weasel.  

Adjusting their eyes, the passageway had opened into a larger cavern.  More rocks flew at Pete and Lathar, hurting both.  Pete unslung his assault rifle and ran towards the origin of the flying rocks.  Three robed individuals could be seen retreating, flailing their arms and sending more rocks at them.  Lathar moved forward as well, and together, they killed the three robed individuals before they fled down a different passageway.  

All their foes, dead, they found out their opponents had been a human, a bird-man, and a mutant, bipedal octopus.  

The only other item in this section of the cavern that caught their eye, was a large stone slab propped up with a desiccated body atop it.  The victim, a human man, had been brutally opened up and his vital organs removed.  Some still sat in jars at the foot of the altar.  Outside of some crude knives, and an odd wooden tube, there was nothing else.  

What had been occurring, prior to the blaster shots flying into the cavern.

The pushed down the passageway the robed individuals had desired to take, but upon hearing a large clamor of multiple things quickly moving away, they decided further investigate a different direction. 

Returning to the cavern with the altar, they followed the grooves in the floor until it reached a wrough iron ladder standing straight up into the darkness of the top of the cave roof.  

Pete scrambled up the ladder, Lathar following in tow.    Pete climbed through a hole in the cavern roof, leading to a different cave with a subtle blue glow.  Popping his head out through the hole

Blue crystals attached to the walls, provided the glow.  Stalagmites and stalactites were carved with  faces of humans in pain and torture.  Pete swore on his parents' graves that he could hear the faces scream in his brain, "Help us!!!" 

He hastily reached out to the voice, but felt nothing.... nothing but a low roar of an audible voice. 

"You came willingly????  That's a change.  I can do great works with your souls, they are very talented."

The Beast of the Ladder

The monstrosity in front of them was wielding a metal skull with spinal column attached.  The duo pulled out their blasters and hit it with two epic shots before the beast reached them.  Using the base of the spinal column, it swung the skull around.  Pete and Lathar scurried away, mere inches from blows that shattered some of the blue crystals.  Even prone and on his back, Pete continued his barrage, eventually dropping the epic beast.  

"I am not defeated... I am through everything, have won and lost at every spot.  This is nothing..."

With the beast expired, they scavenged some of the blue crystals, grabbed the beasts very heavy skull and spine.. which was confirmed as solid metal, and hastily retreated from the cave.  

There was no sign of the Devin at the container, and they hastily set up a quick camp to recover a bit before successfully returning to Riverbend.  

Dropping their finds off at Lathar's Mom's house, they then arrived at Farmer Yulius'.  A new, much larger shed had been built for Sonny and entering found Sonny, Squiggles, and number of the worm children, and, chained in the corner, a large podog that was not at all amused....

Looking up their beaten and weary compatriots, Sonny didn't bat an eye and turned to Squiggles: "Hey, they're alive, you owe me a domar..."

GM Notes:  The pair got extremely lucky, as I only made two roll high enough to hit them... and then did measly damage.The session was heavily borrowed by The Cave of Refuge: The Mines of Misery by Cyrus Duane, available at DriveThruRPG.com.  It's meant to be a funnel adventure for Dungeon Crawl Classics, I removed some of the miscellaneous gear and sections, because the duo were already perseverating on every detail, when their mission was to apprehend and punish those who stole the mead.  

Next: #83 - The Curse of the Metal Spine

Proto-German Industrial Tinkering #InternationalGnomeWeek

It has been written that there are only things German gnomes love more than tinkering:  Beer and more beer.  But whenever they put down their steins, and fiddle with a sprocket, their productivity has made Germany the industrialized Gnome war machine it is today.  

The rise of industrialization within the German Empire can be accounted for simply by noting that when they weren't fighting each other the early German territories were tinkering, and when they stopped tinkering, it was obviously time to fight again. 

And the other nations of Gnomekind staring down a German operating new wonder machine hurtling towards them?  That invention started life as a toy for the German's niece.

 Despite the claims of the Ministers of War and of Commerce, the most influential business sector in the modern German is... toys. The tinkerers who designed and implemented new gadgets and gizmos for the toys seem to always scale the innovation larger for war use.  

The steam tank?  Originally a toy parade float powered by beet sap.

Flame auto?  The Rotwurst-Bandit, a kit to put wheels on a red sausage 

Even the first mechanized aircraft were miniatures used in dachshund racing.  

While gnomes have some sort of craft or trade room, to relax and ply their talents, the German version is far more efficient, with kegs built into the process so they don't need to leave the room.    

Two of the Four Immortals of Gnomekind celebrate tinkering.  The Wizard summons living Gnomelings, but also creates the mechanical versions, and, of course, Santa is famous for his numerous inventions.  Both have abhorred the escalation of Germany's industry, and rarely bestows their blessings onto that nation.  The Wizard has been such a foe to the Germans that they written them out of the lore and texts.  

The Afterthought of #FreeRPGDay

 It's a lot of chaos happening right now.  Maja is currently on the third production of six of Oliver!  at the local theatre company, Millie just finished a many-delayed trip to reach Hawaii for a month, and their mother is left holding the bag... or boxes, trying to finish up things with their impending move over July 4th to upstate New York.  

This Saturday had none of those concerns.  I had yard work to take care of at my mother's and #FreeRPGDay to revel in. 

My initial plan seemed probable, using previous (and numerous) years as an example.  

*Swing by Sword in the Stone Games in Wilkes-Barre first thing in the morning to check out the freebies...

*Head down to my mom's, with a quick detour to The Portal in Bethlehem to check out their freebies (perhaps there's a limit at Sword and I could pick up other items I didn't get initially).  Portal also is known for good community events and sales, so it's a win-win before I start doing yard work before the planet catches fire from the heat. 

So, I leave the house around 11.  Sword in the Stone.  NO #FreeRPGDay.  It seems it clashes with a CATAN National Qualifier Tournament event.   Huh...  Their #FreeRPGDay event will be Sunday, June 29th. 

A little over an hour later, I'm at The Portal, wander back through the store to the open gaming area, only to open that door to 32 War Machine players in a tournament. It looks like they locked in this tournament six months ago (and by my first report, the event was formally announced with a date in March).  I assume the CATAN thing falls under that same umbrella.

Discouraged, I grab a wrap at Wawa and double check the website, realizing that JAF Comics just north of Bethlehem is also participating.  There's a whole review coming for the shop, but I'm there relatively quickly, impressed that the store isn't the images I had in my head for years ago, and had a spectacular conversation with one of the staff.  

Even better, they had stuff.

I grabbed some cheap dice to qualify for the drawing for the odd one-off items #FreeRPGDay is notorious for, and proceeded to do yard work until 7:30pm.

Minor aside:  My largest purchase of the day was a quick visit before close at Cloud City Games, less than five minutes from my Mom's.  No free stuff, but I did grab a D&D 3rd Edition Orc blister, some more color-coded dice for Fistful of Lead, and, after missing on two racks at two of the game stores, the newer smaller bottle of my liquid crack, Citadel Seraphim Sepia wash.  I didn't grab the receipt, but I assume it's the same horrible overpriced amount, but upon further inspection, they're violating certain laws, possibly legal, definitely physics.

I'm trying to be generous and understanding, even to the bastards at Games Workshop, the smaller container does not/should not contain more volume, either metric or Imperial, so how do they math this?  

Rejuvenative Bier and Gnome Alchemy #InternationalGnomeWeek

Gnome society have always maintained a connection to there mystic past, through their use of natural materials, herbalism, apothecary, and burgeoning mad science that has a powerful influence to this day: Gnome Alchemy.  Few disciplines are as feared, misunderstood, and explosively chaotic to this day, 

Most of these concepts are beneficial to gnome is time of peace and war, and very few have to able to ramp up production of these poultices, potions, and tinctures, especially to industrial use. 

Early Gnome Alchemy

According to Gnomish legend, alchemy spawn in the sprawling mushroom growths and caverns of the deep forest,  where early gnome tinkers,  hedge-wizards, and inventors sought to take full advantage of the the fungus among them. Whatever benefits they could derive, it was usually shared with the local community at first, and disseminated across the lands as the Wanderlust took hold of the gnomekind. 

Rejuvenative Bier

Every culture has legends of the their bier-nurses, healers, Geisha tea medics, and doktors, healing, sometimes even raising the fallen with their skill and a sip of a fermented beverage.  When one realizes these same individual couldn't save an unfortunate soul in a tavern brawl and the keg against the wall, it's certain to admit that there are select recipes and additives to allow a gnome to regain their health.  Certain mushrooms are picked for their alchemical reactions and are highly sought after. While certain types of fungus can be poisonous to other creatures, the average gnome has built up generations of tolerance to any toxins.

Alchemy is not magic in its truest sense.  Explosive elixirs have formed the basis for German flamethrowers, as the pressurized gas to discharge the Swiss cheesethrower. Any sort of reactive substance has been relegated to traps and warning.  No one has managed to weaponize these concoctions into grenades or, heavens forbid, mortar.  Amazing things are being done with Mustard Gas and other condiment-based arsenals, put those largely are the product of modern science, with some alchemical roots.  

Gnome Profile: Professor Kettleboom

A hedge herbalist in trade, with no proper schooling, nor commissioned affiliation, this madman is known for riding into battle on a smoke-belching steam-trike while hurling volatile “Fizzy Blasters" at both German and enemy troops.  He is a wild card, also impacting the quality of healing on both sides.  He is infamous for including volatile substances in rejuvenative bier.  

Move:  12"/24" - Unaffected by any musicians.   When activating movement, roll 1d20. On a 1-5, trike stays put.  

Fizzy Blasters: roll to hit target (5+ direct line of sight.  6+ indirect or cover)  then roll damage. 12" range.  3" blast diameter.  4+ to kill with 1", 5+ to kill within 2", 4+ to kill within 3.   Deviation is 4d6 inches in a random directs as the odd device rolls indiscriminately. 

Melee:  d10 if moved during their last turn.  d6 if stationary during their last turn. 

.

Kitbash the steamtrike with what you have available but definitely a German peasant for the base (Nightcafe Flux Schnell)

#InternationalGnomeWeek - June 21-27, 2025

International Gnome Week is back, baby!  What originally was something completely different for Wikipedia (so much so that Wikipedia removed most references to it), it's time for a week of gnomes, garden gnomes, painted gnomes, and some Gnome Wars related stuff. 

Free RPG Day is Tomorrow! - Saturday June 21, 2025

 Free RPG Day is tomorrow, so check to see if your FLGS is participating, and take time to make a visit and pick up some cool freebies, and hopefully other activities!  

Finally Time to Take the Boat Out.... #InternationalGnomeWeek

If the Heat Index for the next week wasn't additional confirmation, Summer is finally here!  

I almost miss the last three months of non-stop rain already. 

But any excuse to start #InternationalGnomeWeek early with gnome art is a good idea! 

🧙‍♂️(Georic Gazetteer) The Principalities of Emron circa 1150

The Principalities of Emron

Pantheon:  All religions are banned

Ruled By:  Etienne d’Amberville, Head of the Council of Princes
Capital:  Emron City (100,000)

Other Cities: Glenmoorloch

Language: Ispatlian, Trade Prythax

Flag/Emblem:  A yellow hourglass on a field of crimson.

Coinage:  Ispatlian Standard
Important Personas: Yargive Hendrachion: Golem Master of Emron, Julia Vaardhoven, Head of the Emron School of Magic

Alliances:  Trade with Ras-Prythax, Argivia, Danaan

Hostilities:  Senzar, Mercadia, The Almond Coast

Open Warfare/Skirmishing:  Senzar colonies in the Med-Med, Skyforge, Ispatlian Rebels

Intrigues:  In-fighting between all the princes, New and old dominions, human versus demi-humans

Demi-Humans:  Elves in Belcadiz and Erewan, Dwarves in Klantyre.  Halflings in the peripheral principalities along the Almond Coast.  Gnomes in Aalbon.

Magickal Devices:  Kardeliene's Markers, Nimgato's Creeping Castle, the Gem of Wit, the Infallible Impressor, as well as an inventory of potentially every type of magic-item that's been created, and a few rumored artifiacts.   

Thumbnail Sketch:  It should be noted, that, like the reader will find with Ras-Prythax, Emron is a wide and diverse land, and each principality can be found to have its own individual entry, and also be listed in neighboring countries as well.   Wizards tend to be a lonely lot, wishing to spend their days alone, or with a few servants, holed up in their towers, conducting research of the most arcane (and sometimes nefarious) sort. If the gentle reader is perusing this Gazetteer from cover-to-cover, they will see mention to land called Hermetus, that most people assume is a country full of wizard hermits.

Emron is a land where this hermit wizards are generally aligned in self-defense to protect the citizens of their realms, promote each of their magickal prowess.  Stretching along the southern base of the Skyforge Mountains and down the Ispatlian peninsula, Emron has grown into a major player in the region, 

Nearly a decade ago, Emron held dominant influence in the Med-Med region, seizing the Senzar colonies, the Almond Coast of Ilyrium, and formerly claiming all of Ispatlia.  However, most wizards are not expansion seeking conquerors, and most importantly, they didn't want to administrate more land, or even worse, share their powers with new wizards. 

The War with the Wizard-Kings of Senzar wrought great destruction:  The Burning of Remus, the Sinking of Senzar, but  for the Princes, the Divine Wrath of Blackhill has created nothing but destruction and decline.  

In 1133, the Wizard-Kings of Senzar joined forces and sent a great meteor from the heavens onto Emron.  Luckily it missed the capital, but in struck the Principality of Blackhill, obliterating it, and sending parts of the continent into winter during the summer months.  In the wake of it's destruction, kobolds and other humanoids descended into the crater, and under Kol XIV, claimed it as their own. 

The Princes turned their attention the Shires of Illyria, and seized land on the northmost stretches of the Almond Coast for a New Blackhill, as well as the new Principality of Fensglade, granted to Dolores Fensglade, a prominent magic-user from Albion pledging considering gold and power to the Emron.  

After the war, the Almond Coast was used for replacement territory for the Princes who fell during the War of the Mad Dwarf with Mercadia.  

So for ten years, the Princes (and Princesses) of Emron ruled most of the Almond Coast, until a series of Illyrian Halfling spies infiltrated Fensglade and discovered Princess Dolores as a Black Dragon, allied with the Drow, the Galmar Barbarians, and even the Master of Yarbay himself!  With a combined force of Kobold and Halfling commandos, the dragon was slain, and the influence of the Emron Princes nearly vaporized.   The original principalities above the Ispatlian Peninsula still hold their tenuous power, but the surviving princes in the new territories are mostly figureheads and the original intent of the wizard alliances may only pertain to one's neighbors... if the neighbors are not the ones causing the aggression.

THE PRINCIPALITIES

Principality of Aalbon - Prince Jagger von Drachenfels, member of a prominent wizard family in Ras-Prythax, Capital: Glockner, Other Towns of Leenz, and Graez. Reminiscent of many of the Ras-Prythax wizard dominions, this is the smallest and weakest of the Principalities and is in steady decline, especially after death of Prince Jagger's wife in 1134.  If any entry would need to be updated in the near future within this Gazetteer, it is following the assumption that it would seized by Mercadia, or Skyforge, or Ras-Prythax, or a combination of the three.

Prince Jagger von Drachenfels

New Principality of Appresca - Prince Dominick Appresca, Capital: New Kernasti Tower,  Granted a new dominion by the Council of Princes, Prince Dominick  has spent considerable funds rebuilding his dominion in Ispatlia, employs hundreds of natives for the construction of his tower, and doing one things the Wizard-Princes fail to do in Ispatlia:  Win over the populace. 

Wizard towers dot the lands.  A tower does not denote political power or rank, simply sufficient magical proficiency.

Principality of Belcadiz - Princess Carnelia de Belcadiz y Fedorias, Capital: Alyhambra.  Other Towns: Alivar (5,000)  A dominant center of elvish magicks and cutlure.

Principality of Bergdhoven -  Princess Julia Vaardhoven, former Princess of the original Bergdhoven, has been appointed Headmistress of the Emron School of Magic, and is now considered chief administrator for the greater Free City, and her title's land grants have been transferred such

Principality of Bramya - Tripolic Merchant Prince Urmahid Al-Kringan.  Capital: Thapsis,  A distant principality on the tip of Ispatlia. 

Principality of Klantyre -  Prince Brannart MacGregor, Capital: Glennmoorloch, Other Towns: Tavish.  An ancient Caledonian sorcerer, MacGregor always pursues the status quo so he can focus more time on his, (some say diabolical) research.

Principality of  Kronda - Prince Innocenta di Malepietra, Captial: Sirencha.  Another new Principality established on Ispatlian soil.  Largely a wizard drawing some taxation for research in return for magical protection and benefit to the populace. 

Principality of Morlay - Prince Malachi du Morlay, Capital: Louptment.  Known as the last of the principalities to allow clerical magic.

Principality of Nouvelle Avenno - Princess Isidore D'Amberville, Capital: Sylvaire Keep.  Other Towns: Vyonnes, Perigon, Ximes.   One of the oldest magical families in the region, they could have easily taken over the area as a kingdom under their rule, if not for a long hereditary history of madness and depraved predilections 

Chateau Du Nouvelle Avenno

The Peripheral Principalities:

County of Erewan - Princess Carlotina Erewan of Agenmoor, Capital:  Erenyl (3,500 elves).  An exiled Agenmoor elf, granted an Elvish Protectorate in the Almond Coast during 1130's this land has reverted back to a Shire of Illyria, but the Princess is still on the Council.

Princess Carlotina Erewan of Agenmoor,

Principality of Koland - Prince Kol XIV, Capital: Blackstone Castle, Other Towns: Bigheart.  Carved out of the meteor strike on the old Principality of Fensglade, this dominion is famous (or infamous) for its Kobold ruler and large demi-human population.  After the war, and the subsequent Betrayal of Dolores, Prince Kol actively began trade pacts with the haflings of the Almond Coast, and today it is assume to be a (very eccentric) part of the Shires of Illryia

Principality of New Silvertop:  Prince Volospin Nittleloen - Capital: New Silvertop -  The reformed Blackhill Principality.  All this prince controls is his tower and the neighboring towns

Igorov - Prince Morteos Woszlany of Vlachia - Capital: Rymskigrad (6,000) - Lost in the Mercadian War, Prince Morteos was granted land along Almond Coast. All but his tower and his personal pledge to protect the fair folk of Rrymskigrad remains.

Religion:   It needs to be stressed emphatically that the active practice of clerical magic with the borders of any principality is an offense punishable by death.  The public worship of any god in any pantheon (including the God of Magic himself, Barthey) is strictly prohibited. 

Geography of Note:

The Canals of Emron:  The entire city is navigable by canals.  During the summer, upperclassman at the School of Magic will freeze the canals for ice skating.  

Emron School of Magic:  Headmistress Julia Vaardhoven, who is also the Princess of Bergdhoven, runs the school

Kol's Crater - While the blast area is still recognizable, much of the land is covered in new vegetation.  The actual impact site seems to continue to evolve into something more twisted and tragic.

Mentions of the Country in the Blog: 
Burning Trogs Rule! #8 -   King Norm I of Mercadia, escorted by the Burning Trogs, tries to broker a peace deal between Emron and Senzar.

Burning Trogs Rule! #15 - After the attacks on Emron City in 1133, there weren't enough mages to freeze the canals for the skating festival.

Burning Trogs Rule! #33 -   Emron officially conquers Ispatlia in 1135

Burning Trogs Rule! #41 - Invasion of the Master, Prince Jherik, then Prince of Emron City sends his trusted advisor Loranao to help the Burning Trogs with diplomacy. 

Burning Trogs Rule #42! - Emron remains neutral in the war.

Ballad of the Pigeon God #49 - The adventuring party arrives at the Port of Golgonoza before Appresca was captured by Mercadia.

Ballad of the Pigeon God #50 - Arrival in the court of Nouvelle Avennio

Ballad of the Pigeon God #51 - Political hijinx and a mystery in Novelle Avennio

Ballad of the Pigeon God #52 - Another perspective of the mysteries in Nouvelle Avennio

Ballad of the Pigeon God #54 - Former Baronial Scribe Mellandria recounts her escape from Emron.  Her party member Velandro writes a letter to her detail Emron witch-hunters on his heels... for heresay.

Ballad of the Pigeon God #75 - With the establishment of the second Ferasean Empire, Emron jumped at trade agreements, to stay close... to pick up the pieces after Emron-Senzar war.  It achieved nothing that positive economies for both countries

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #47 - Mention of Emron's trade status with Danaan, and by default Argivia.

Princess Isidore D'Amberville

My friend Hoyce continues to use the basics of Emron in his future plotted, alternative reality Emeron game. 

The newer, younger wizards seem to eschew the traditional sensibilities of wizardly garb in order to stay with the latest fashion. 

GM Notes: Yes, this is Glantri, with the serial numbers ground down to nothing, and transplanted into Northern Italy (Glantri City was obviously Venice. The wizards and the Syndicracy of Ispatlia has always had a weird symbiotic relationship with the wizards, although, in the end, money always wins out.

Star Wars Macrotures

 I've been refreshing our events at Historicon 2025 gleefully watching the Stout Gnomes' events sell out, when the system finally kicked me out.  Upon logging in again, I noticed a familiar play on an old con.

Dexlite 2025 is July 3-6 in Morristown, NJ.  It's a scaled down version of the massive and trend-setting Dexcons run by Double Exposure.  It's definitely smaller than the extravaganzas I'm familiar with, but it's the only I know where you can play D&D, Battletech, and Regional Qualifiers for the the official Bicycle Playing Cards National Championship for Euchre and Spades.  

I was doing some searching to discover why the con is "Lite" now, as well as the Nexus event standing, but I finally discovered it. 

I had mentioned the "Macrotures" for OGRE and Star Wars in my "Hot Dog Advice" post from last August.  I barely could find the OGRE pictures, but the Star Wars came up empty.  

Finding the Double Exposure Archives, I found some of the pictures. 

These were massive Capital Ships, with smaller ship dogfighting.  

I learned two things from the archives:

1) The game had over 100 ships!

2) The game was co-produced by Sci-Fi Supply out of Florida.  I loved their stuff, particularly their sci-fi passageways which were great for Aliens-inspired games... or Legions of Steel.  The notes say they closed up shop after the owner got a job... at LucasFilms.  I can see why.

(Gamma World) Not a Test #81 - The Murder Dogs or... Don't Be the Slowest

Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers,  have returned to Riverbend.  War is in the air downriver and the participants are still largely unknown.  Strange goings-on have been effecting the town. 

================= 

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 nearly 10' tall sentient sunflower artifact examiner with trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable,  but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades. Just went out of his comfort zone to rescue Lathar from becoming a human sacrifice to "The Beast." 

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

Lathar Bracken: A pure-strain human from River Bend.  He's got the muscle, the face, and a mount for most encounters.  Lathar's trusty beast of burden, No Name, travels wherever he does.   Looking for trouble in all the right places.  Former jousting champion of Fair-Town.  

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

Squiggles had reached the furthest tracks for the giant shimmer wolf that had attacked town, terminating at the upriver tributary of the Big River.  With a sample of the monster's fur in hand, the worm headed back to Riverbend to alert the others.  

His worm hair stood on end, somethings were around him.

He began to move faster towards home, but the entities moved at the same rate.  Quickly he discovered his pursuers were wild podogs, massive canines that were incredibly loyal companions if domesticated, but possibly vicious monsters if left feral.

Podog, minus the rider, times twelve.

As he ran home, Squiggles was always a few steps ahead using his adrenaline-fueled telekinetic abilities flawlessly.  Rocks, pieces of wood, and branches were all fair games as he used his powers to chuck them at the dogs, certainly slowing them down, but not scaring them off.

When he reached the outskirts of Riverbend, he tried for access at the Ascension Hall and the Restorationists, he even tried refuge at Farmer Yulius' place, but no one was answering.  He hated the thought of leading a pack of murder dogs through Riverbend, but some of the narrow ways might give him a chance to escape, and there was no way the militia wasn't already on alert with all the barking and howling.  

Once inside town limits, the pack did split up into four separate group.    The main group still pursuing Squiggles met the resistance of the militia first.  A number of militia simply fled from the charging beasts.  

Sonny had run down the hill from the cemetery, along with with three of Squiggle's children, Poppy, Moneybags, and AmmoGal.  Sonny raised his assault weapon and fired one shot, confirming the animals, did indeed, bleed.    AmmoGal fired her flintlock into the air, while the other two wormlings saw their parent dive behind a building to catch his breath.  "My children..... come here and be safe for now."

The injured podog pounced onto the sunflower, easily knocking him to the ground.   Sonny, still holding his assault rifle, fired off most of his in a long burst, and that was miraculously enough to scare off not only his attack, but a number of podogs following it.  

The wormlings around Manchi Squiggles decided defending their town was higher than defending their parent, and leapt into action to aid the militia.    What they didn't know was that Squiggles was using his telekinetic powers to distract and abuse the podogs.

AmmoGal was the first who noticed the rest of the podogs had crashed through walls and doors of a building and savagely attacked inhabitants inside.  She broke a window and fired into the building to no avail.    Sonny also broke a window and fired inside, for minimal damage, but that drew the creature's attention.  The Podog rushed the wall,  crashing through it and landing on Sonny.    AmmoGall broke through the other window and raced over to the back of the podog on Sonny.  She tried to stab it with her puny knife to no avail.  

Sonny, assault rifle in hand, fired full auto into the podog, killing it, forcing it to collapse on the sunflower's feeble body.  

Meanwhile, the militia handling most of the fighting had taken many wounds, but only one casualty.  Moneybags and Poppy had tag-teamed one animal, but were taking grievous wounds in the process.  

Squiggles, finally recovered, attempted to use his blaster rifle on the podogs, to no avail.  He dropped his rifle, and pulled out the stun ray, which managed to knock out one of the beasts. 

With some vicious melee fighting, more podogs perished and the rest finally fled back out into the wilderness.  Recovering, they counted five podog corpses and one unconscious and tied up podog...

Next:  #82 - Caves of Refuge

(Savage4) #4.1 The Relief of Lake's Wharf

After dealing with bandits, cultists, and even dinosaurs over the years, fame archeologist Maja Millie and her band of two-fisted scholars had been keeping a low profile.   The famed desert town of Sohai had been under the stable and relatively corruption-free German academics, and they stifled the black and white market for artifacts in the region.

Word had come around that a British nobleman, one Wadsworth Lake, had established a trading post, bar, and dock, upriver from Sohai.  Further rumors stated he had come into possession of some antiquities through the uKrazi tribe.  

With their connections, and museums willing to fund the finds, the group ventured down.  

They had gotten a ride down, and a scheduled pick up the following day, only to discover they hadn't just been "acquired," they had robbed the uKrazi outright.... and number of the tribe's warriors were coming to get it back.

Lake's Wharf, with a few friendly ducks splashing water. 

uKrazi Tribesmen (31) 

Objective: Seize the compound (re: outnumber the compound's inhabitants).

Lake's Wharf Defense: Hold on until relief arrives, whether they want it or not. 

Turn One: With the way initiative went, Lake obviously saw the incoming horde, and failed to alert anyone, preferring to sip on his questionable beverage in his mug.  When he made a half-hearted attempt, famed Swedish adventurer Nils Lingonberry, and seasoned native fighter Sergeant Awari came running up and finally motivated the others.

Turn Two: The uKrazi were still out of range of pistols, and Lake's private guards waffled between just defending the gate, or climbing up the to the roof of the building. 

For almost 40 sessions, the girls fight over who gets to play the famed Maja Millie, and everytime they forget that she is incredibly fast,  (d8+10 inches per turn running), incredibly cunning, but has a Code of Honor not to use guns of any sort.   That relegated her with guarding the gate, armed with only a knife. 

Turn Three and Four:  The errant shots of the uKrazi only managed to graze Sergeant Awari, who did recover... and did not fall off the edge of the roof. 

Once Lake's guards got into position, they were relatively effective, whittling down one of the 3 units of ten so far they fled! The second of the units were going to go over the wall, while the final group used the best tactics to get near the gate. 

Turn Five:  Five turns in, and the current residents of Lake's Wharf stood a pretty good chance at withstanding the assault.  Seeing Captain Klockenspiel's Germans "relieving" the port... and possibility the antiquities were the last thing they wanted.  

Captain Klockenspiel's unit personally captured the fleeing uKrazi.  

The uKrazi trying to climb over the wall timed their actions poorly.  They were out of sight from the rifles on the roof of the main building, and should have waited for the gate to collapse.   As they dropped over, the guards at the gate turned and fired upon them.  Maja Millie even got into the action, flying across the courtyard to stab one of them, although being armed with just a knife was a harrowing combat. 

Turn Six:  The guards had managed to get into position and take out some of those coming through the the gate.  Of course, not one remembered to physically hold back the gate from the invaders, to it collapsed easily, leaving the tribesmen dumbfounded.

The group had time the press against the gate poorly, and left themselves open the the heroes' guns, as well as the other guards from the main building, who had just moved back into the courtyard and lined up some productive shots.  

Turn Seven:  The entire turn was predicated on three of the tribesmen who got shot at the gate, recovered from shock (4+)

It was pre-ordained.

In the end, the Germans seized Lake's Wharf.  It's unsure whether Lake is arrested, detained or rescued by them.  Our heroes, in order avoid some trumped up charges on the (obviously) stolen antiquities, will spend the next few weeks cataloging and returning the stolen goods, from within the newly renamed outpost of HorusHaufen.  

Wadsworth Lake - Prisoner or Oligarch?

Post-Credit Scene:  While our normal heroes labor away at the HorusHafen, the scene shifts to a number of individuals around the the world abruptly waking up in the middle of the night from obvious nightmares:  Bogota,  Archangel, Montpelier.  Potential heroes subconsciously linked to something they only vaguely know as... The Temple of the Serpent.

This scenario was directly pulled from AJ's Wargame Table.  I've been accumulating building everything up for it over the years.  This opening for the fourth season, was closer to the made-for-TV movie to kick off the season, and explain why new characters will be the focus of the normal episodes, a good a time as any to possibly transfer from Savage Showdown/Worlds over to Pulp Alley and the Tomb of the Serpent campaign book!  

Next:  #4.2  - The Craft Fair of Chaos?