#RPGaDay2025 - Day 31 - Reward

Amusing, after yesterday's "Experience" we follow up with "Reward," and I'm looking at more of the tangible items in the campaign.

Classic D&D was simple.  Modern D&D is different but simple. Heck, we've had random charts and reference points for years to determine, treasure, precious objects, weapons, and whatnot.   Some folks like the regimented structure of physical rewards per level.  

Me?  I'm all over the place.  

Although BECMI D&D was notorious for giving out 2,000 copper pieces in one room, and a +1 axe in the next, my Adventures in Gulluvia was such low risk, that the magic items and coins were pretty tame.  

Except for one item: the Broom of the Mountain Lord (Broom of Flying), that I randomly rolled on the chart.   It became a handy escape mechanism (and source of party stress) for the magic items's owner, and, as we learned in this months Actual Plays, led to the party's failure.

In our Gamma World campaign, perhaps Treasures of the Ancients might have a random generation table, and that might be better than some Ancient tech that pops up randomly in published modules.  

I've run 3rd and 4th Edition modules, as well as a number of other sources, most notably Gamma Zine.  The group has accumulated a vast arsenal of ancient tech, using different power cells, different stats, and worst of all, they have enough of that tech where they put a new item aside multiple missions before finally trying to figure out what it does, and even my code system to reference older adventures hasn't been full proof.

And then there's Star Wars.  A lot of the published modules (West End/FFG/WotC) have swag.  I know they have swag because I reference character sheets and a litany of acquired gear shows up, like (cybernetic eye, unused).   Outside of the ship, and the equipment needed to be Imperial Animal Brokers/Black Market Smugglers, the PCs never sought out anything.

Except Vid-Screen Dinners, you know, the type you throw in Nanowave to warm up.  They made it their mission to stock the pantry with Vid-Screen dinners with the Space Cobbler for desert. Screw the Space Brownie!

Yeah, that's kinda weird to end #RPGaDAy2025 with, but it's true.

(Kickstarter) Women of WW2: Resistance

 Thank God for Bad Squiddo.  

In an age of STL and PDF Kickstarter, Bad Squiddo is not just producing figures in pewter, but producing new and engaging figures.  

With Women of WW2: Resistance, they're producing 17 new figures of woman from all over Europe, famous for their fight as the resistance against Axis occupation.    

All the figures are obviously good as resistance fighters, but also can find use as pulp figures, or just general civilians in many cases. 

#RPGaDay2025 - Day 30 - Experience

It's the penultimate day of #RPGaDay2025 and the prompt "EXPERIENCE" showers me with guilt.  

For thirty years I was that meticulous bookkeeping GM when it came to experience.  Regardless of system, I prided myself on giving out the appropriate amount, tracking all the players' action that generated those numbers  The true high point was Hackmaster from 2001-2004, when it wasn't just  monsters and gold, but individual awards, class rewards, and, dare I say, tracking alignment infractions for giggles.  

While I have no issue with rules light, I've always had issue with the "everyone levels" dynamics prevalent in 3e and up.  Levelling for the sake of levelling, a participation trophy for RPGs, even if the person wasn't around to participate, but just to keep numbers right.  

I admit that after 25 years since I noticed it was a thing, when we returned to Gulluvia to try and wrap up a long-running filler campaign, I finally moved the calendar nine months to a year and levelled up the existing characters.  

An even worse sin is my Gamma World Campaign, I now they're cleaning out a massive facility currently, but by the time we wrap it up, it will nearly thirty sessions without giving out xp, and I haven't been doing a good job keeping track of it when I was on the ball.  

If they can get out of the facility in Batteries Low, Getting Dark, I'm going to need an abacus, a slide rule, and one of those giant boards they used to keep election tallies on to calculate the numbers.. And they still might not all level up. 

#RPGaDay2025 - Day 29 - Connect

 Day 29 of # RPGaDays2025 is "Connect" and this might be the first time my regular readers need a *SPOILERS* tag as I discuss a big event  in my Gamma World campaign...

The wedding of Thunnelda and Lathar.  

Those regular readers might be alarmed, as Lathar was a bit coerced to take out ferryman Clover Haycock's eccentric sister in episode #85, posted last month.   Their first date garnered a series of lyrics by Sneaky Pete the Weasel, and Lathar's acceptance of her deranged fascination with hinges were just setting up a brand new facility out in the wilderness to discover.  

It's worth adding, that the campaign's big 100th episode is the wedding between these two characters, scheduled to post December 2, 2025.  

As much as the town, his fellow adventurers, and all the players call him "Lathar the Barbarian" , while he is an Enforcer (aka Fighter) in-game,  the images in everyone's minds is wrong. 

He's a mama's boy to a single mother, who worries he'll disappear every time he leaves town, just like his daddy did many years ago.  

He spent with early teens as a gofer for the Restorationists.   Even though he isn't a member, he's perhaps the second smartest in the group, to artifact guru and mutant sunflower, Sonny Helianthus.  

While he does have a backstory about being a womanizer, he's been the one dumped recently, tricked and used sometimes.   Showing a little kindness to Thunnelda seemed to get a tenfold return towards him.    I knew as a GM that this was progressing when Lathar's player was trying to push conversations with other females to the other members of the group.  Lathar did not want to get tempted. 

Initially, I figured we were all agreeing to a date for Thunnelda Haycock for a couple laughs.  The face tattoos, the fascination with hinges.   But Lathar took offense at the discrimination and bullying she faced in town.  I never anticipated a second date, then a third, then Thunnelda traveling with the group sometimes, other times revealing secrets of her own journeys.  

Thunnelda (Haycock) Bracken on her wedding day, episode #100 (ChatGPT)

The campaign posts are now into April 2026.  The De Facto Explorers are currently wandering the ruins of an old manufacturing facility deep within the glow land.  In the coming weeks, they may have some significant choices to make, choices Lathar would have made a concreate decision on just a few months ago.  Now?  He's literally pondering returning home to Riverbend in one piece to his Thunnelda, to start a  family, compared to some other life-altering options.  

That's a connection some folks have trouble making in the real world, much less an RPG.

(BECMI D&D) Adventures in Gulluvia #28 - The Epilogue of Failure

OUR HEROES HAVE GIVEN UP HOPE!

The group's disintegration within the Mines of Illefarn have forced the survivors to return to Illefarn in defeat. 

Hugo Swam'Pas - The popular local hedge mage (and frightenly, voice of reason with in the party), is dead at the hands of gargoyles, and a nasty fall.   His body is being brought back to Mere for burial.

Beulah Cragmuffin - Normally the adversary of Hugo's actions, Beulah was the first to suggest returning home.  

Galastia Axenmeld: Disgruntled acolyte of The Church and alleged conspirator with necormancers agreed with Beulah's assessment.  She's taking Gwendalyn back to The Church for both of them to face judgement, punishment, despite Galastria's affirmation that she had done nothing wrong.  

Gwendalyn the Bright - Another disgruntled acolyte of the Church, now tied up and gagged for the majority of the hike back to Mere. 

Dim Cragmuffin -  Beulah's dim-witted relative is pulling the makeshift sled with Hugo's body, and Gwendalyn's armor.

Jonerir Drake - Younger brother of Belaquan Drake, who disappeared about a year ago.  Upon discovering Hugo's family was estranged, at best, he is hoping his new mentor, Clifford Loprete will allow him to use Hugo's spellbook. 

Carya Illinoisis - The former merchant / current Baronial Guard, this mountain of a woman disappeared within Illefarn.

31  Mai 535 - The Return to Mere

Bringing back a corpse over a four day trek wasn't too wise.  Hugo was buried on Clifford Loprete's property.   Clifford took possession of his spellbook and his Skullcap of Comprehension.  Clifford bequeathed Hugo's family ring, a Ring of Fire Resistance to Jonerir.  His funeral was lightly attended.  Jonerir stays in town to be Clifford's student.

Galastia brought a combative Gwendalyn in front of Sister Bronte, the head of The Church in Mere.    Bronte found no fault with either, but forbid all forms of contact with either of them.  Upon the arrival of the next Baronial Guard patrol, Galastria was escorted to Gulluvia City, the capital, to work with the High Priest, while Gwendalyn was reassigned to the village of Dead Mule.   Acolyte Han Gabelung was recalled to assist Village Priestess Bronte and her assistant, 15-year old Susie.

Priestess Bronte

Beulah returned to her quiet life in town, actively avoiding her relative Dim most of the time.  

The river continued to flow green, killing flora and fauna along its banks.  Thankfully, it did not seem to affect any wells dug away from the river.   All kobolds tribes have either left the area entirely, a few stragglers returning to the caves in the southern hills.  

7 Jun 535 - The Village of Mere

And just like that, the river flowed clean again.  A militia patrol of Ascink Eukeaverk, Conan DiPietro, Cosimo Guthingas, and Jenkins reported the miraculous occurrence.  No one in town volunteered to travel upstream for any update.  

17 Jun 535 - The Village of Mere

With no scouting, the village was surprised with 200 heavily armored Dwarves crossing the river and ending up in the center of town.   Soldiers from a place beyond Illefarn,  Clifford's skullcap called it "Blue Anvil",  had arrived. 

18 Jun 535 - The Village of Mere

There was no resistance.    Clifford taught Jonerir that cooperation was the better side of valor.  The Clifford provided all the information about Gulluvia that he had.  Even Priestess Bronte decided to not use The Church to create resistance.    The Dwarves encamped outside of town, they had not pillage anything, paid for what they needed, and even rolled a keg or two of stronger Dwarven brew into the taverns.  

28 June 535 - The Village of Mere

The initial 200 Dwarves were the scouting party. 

Over 2,000 Dwarves arrived, captured a Baronial Guard unit with ease, and most headed to the other towns and villages, and ultimately, the capital.  

Travelling with the army was one "King" Devin Ironaxe.... and one Carya Illinoisis.

At this point only Beulah, Jonerir, and Clifford Loprete would care, but Devin was an advance agent for a foreign power, not a descendant of the Dwarven clans that operated Illefarn.  After the group evacuated Illefarn, the reinforcements finally arrived.  They were able to scare away the necromancer bandits, and removed the goblins before the scouts headed to a place called Mere...

Carya, besides being a mountain of a woman, was also a minor agent of this "Blue Anvil" force.  

Carya could at least speak in better Common, "Hugo's device is on the fritz, Clifford, it's not Blue Anvil, it's the Kingdom of Mercadia.  Once more reinforcements arrive, I'm assuming their going to take over this little rogue barony.  Why?  I have not clue."

With Norms'  appearance and Carya's reveal, Mere becomes part of Mercadia.  a country no one knew existed.

34 June 535 - The Village of Mere

The village never encountered any nobility of import.  Lady D'hmiss never set foot in the place, so it was quite awkward when the King of Mercadia arrived.

King Norm I  (His men referred to him at "The Beardless" like an honorific, despite a short to medium length beard) was a middle aged Dwarf without the gravitas like Devin had projected.  

He walked into the tavern, ordered a human ale and leaned up against the bar, looking at the remaining heroes. 

He stared at Carya.

Carya:  "Hi Dad!" 

Carya was the eldest daughter of Norm's, her mother was the current human wife and Queen.  A half-Dwarf.   Norm had a penchant for large human women in all dimensions, so her great height was not a fluke.  

She had heard tales of, not her father's, but his friends he had made a century before.    Before they met Norma, they had found some mystical land known as Gulluvia, complete with a princess, a prince, a dragon, and massive red ruby.   He knew the ruby was long gone, but the alleged barony and everything else was somewhere in the remote foothills of Crosedes, and the expanding Mercadia, but not listed on any maps. 

Carya originally ventured through all the protective elements surrounding the barony, keeping it remote.  She found the remains of the land from the tales backwards and foolish, but she also wanted to surprise her father.  She joined the Baronial Guard, travelled the land, only taking enough time to return reconnaissance to a Mercadian outpost, then Illefarn.  

When the 200 scouts arrived, the ore engineering oriented Dwarves found an issue with a green slime poisoning the water supply.  The water system was cleaned, the slime destroyed, and they advanced on Mere.

It took less than a month for Mercadia to conquer the Gulluvia in full.  Lady D'hmiss was found guilty of everything and put to death.  The entire administration of the Church  (including a very unlucky Galastia ) was also put to the sword,   The Dwarves sent for clerics of a different church, one called Akana to assist with conversion of the masses.  It appeared that once, long ago, The Church was a part of Akana, before the barony was hidden from the world.

Roads were built, "King" Devin became Baron Devin, and the simple folks of Gulluvia were reconnected to the outside world.  

Norm had found the ruins in of the ancient palace, north of Gulluvia City.    It confirmed his friends' stories, but opened up the concept that they had travelled to another place.... in another time. 

GM Notes:  The Barony of Gulluvia is directly pulled from the background information provided in the original version of B3 - Palace of the Silver Princess, the naughty version if you will.  

I ran my college group through portions of B1-9 In Search of Adventure, and the anthology had a neat way of transporting the PCs from Elwyn's Sanctuary (B9 Castle Caldwell and Beyond) to the Palace portion of the updated (green cover) B3, and finally a vague but direct route to the monastery portion of B5 - Horror on the Hill.  Check out the write-ups in my Ballad of the Pigeon God (starting with episode #5).  

Norm hadn't joined the group yet, but he probably read the journals of either Talis Makolin,  Echellon, or maybe Rolf Wolfsblood.   

I don't believe I placed Gulluvia within the proper Ferasean calendar, but my notes and timeline state that Gulluvia officially become part of Mercadia in the proper years 1143. This runs concurrent with the early episodes of the Buring Trogs Redux.  

#RPGaDay2025 - Day 28 - Suspense

I won't drag this out, Day 28 for #RPGaDay2025 is "Suspense" 

As the GM, with my own knowledge block, what I consider suspenseful might be completely different than what my player's think, so I asked my players for examples in my current or previous games.  

The Star Wars d6 game stood out.

Just like all Star Wars fiction, this one involved a social media maven hiring the crew to hunt a werewolf. 

You know, normal stuff.

And one of the appropriate scrolls...

We're Hunting a What?

After a bout of administrative Nirvanna,

Exotic Animal Broker Ne'vets Aharo has 

Cleared his messages, renewed contracts,

And hired a Quarren  whaladon hunter 

To fill out the crew of the Pretio.

With the growing rebellion interfering

With the livelihoods of many, 

Ne'vets is seriously considering an offer 

From a near-juvenile social elitist 

To hunt creatures of myth, legend, 

And bedtime stories... if the price is right....

Even with limited communication models, I sense there can be system-wide social influencers on developed worlds, possibly even Imperial subsidized, to placate the masses.  

Amber Kitzen was one of those folks, actively seeking out Ne'vets and the crew of the Pretio to find...  a werewolf???   

Of course, there was an arrangement to record everything while they were on planet... and even the least tech savvy of the group knew there would be heavy editing...

There was vetting, references, even a professional ethics discussion on if capturing a werewolf follows Imperial kidnapping or poaching laws.   The group's bounty hunter, Duk'k, assumed all responsibilities under the guise of private contract. 

They acquired the equipment, arrived on the planet and .... covered the R2 unit in meat to lure this alleged creature out.  There were hints of tracks.... and claws that convince everyone else that poking their heads in caves was not the best course of action.  

Ne'vets was assuming they were just dealing with some primitive/barbarian Shistavanen, but credits were credits, so the party was split up, some in a high position to observed the meat-flavored droid, and others monitoring back on the ship, in case things went bad.  

First off, tensions ran high as a single figure ran in from the wastes, grabbed some meat (space Salisbury steaks from the frozen ration packs) off the droid and ran into the caves.  

Against their nature part of the ground crew went into the caves and discovered... a human.

As the ground crew made this discovery... the ship crew noticed lifeforms moving into position.  Two dozen... moving fast.  The ground crew in the cave were not getting the pleas from the ship on their comms. 

The human explained he was Cousin Rancor, and influencer like Amber.  In fact, his team had been hired by Amber for the same exact mission, 44 days ago.  Out of 20+ staff and vid crew he brought, he was only one left that hadn't been eaten by "Werewolves... lots of werewolves"  

From one of the issues of JTAS

That part of the team was now closer to the ship, but emerging from the caves, the folks from the ship were quite distraught. 

"Switch to the back-up channel..."

*Switches*

"CAN YOU HEAR ME, THEY ALL LEFT, WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!  HELP! HELP! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK.  THERE'S DOZENS OF THEM.  WHY ISN'T ANYONE RESPONDING.  IT'S JUST ME AND THE MEDICAL DROID."

Sensors on the ship picked up more than two dozen lifeforms moving quickly to the astromech droid, still draped with meat. Why wasn't the ship taking off to rescue them?  

Because the pilot was standing next to the droid screaming in panic in the comms, and the back-up pilot was taking off with his jet pack to rescue them.    

The Twi'lek on board, Evus pulled on the controls on the ship, crashed through a dune, and headed toward the ambush sight. 

They finally arrived to find the R2 unit hovering, held pack from more than hovering due to a thin woman in a TIE fighter pilot helmet holding onto the droid for dear life. 

The "werewolves" were foul black bipeds with fangs and claws, trying to climb on top of one another to reach the droid.  Evus was far better at the ships gunnery, decimating the pack and sending them off before finally rescuing everyone.  

Despite everyone back on the ship, Sid, the ship's pilot was badly wounded and the tension continued as the medical fought to save her.

Even if his name was Dr P3PP3R.

That scene in particular is what everyone mentioned, and to be honest, if the campaign had a moment to jump the shark, searching for werewolves probably did it.  

Although they somewhat forgot the rest of the story.  

• Sid lived.
• They acquired a corpse of a werewolf, that did NOT revert to real form upon death.  They threw the corpse in the cargo hold and headed for their reward.  
• Some Blue Azure Rabbits they had acquired for a client had escaped their cages many moons ago.  They were still IN the ship, wrecking havoc. (Yes I gleefully stole this from the original Campaign podcast).
• The rabbits got into the cargo hold, ate a portion of the werewolf corpse (who knows what space bunnies eat?)
• Rabbits got transformed into xenomorph adjacent rabbits.  More tension as they hunt them down.  

• Finally they unleashed the Werewolf "infection" on the world of Ubrikka, through an recently infected Cousin Rancor.  
• We're playing 3-4 BBY, but the Empire might need to move up operation of the Death Star, if "nuking from orbit" does not work. 

#RPGaDay2025 - Day 27 - Tactic

Day 27 of #RPGaDay, "Tactic" is the word of the day.  

I love my group, but my two wargamers love to fly through scenes when they should plan, and try to formulate a thesis on twenty seconds of combat that are actively occurring.    And knowing their play styles as wargamers, I can usually shoot down most of their “my character would have second-guessing” 

I'm in no way some brilliant tactical genius, but I was playing wargames as a youth well before D&D crossed my radar, and my preferred focus has been skirmish games with more meat on the bones than most fantasy games.  

In our 5e game, now many moons ago, by Elf Barbarian Falgor focused not on accuracy or damage but pure speed, allowing him to swing on ropes from one ship to another, climb a mast, and kill someone in the crow's nest before others had taken a first step.  

In the lone 4e session I got to play, my lowly fighter was expected to be the frontline tank.  I stalled as much as I could and then finally dashed down a side passageway, working my way around to the rear of our enemy and wiping them out.  While the others were playing checkers, I was playing 3-D explosive cannibal chess, and stalling to ensure I wasn't metagaming something for fighter, when we had perfectly good rogues in the group as well. 

Random Encounters will throw off the best tactics. 

ADDENDUM!   After settling on the small post above, I actually attended a much-belated #FreeRPGDay event at my FLGS.  

After 19 years, Pathfinder has finally caught me, and I played a promotional 2-hour game, high level characters, so I had pages of abilities, skills, feats, or whatever they replaced the 3.5 terminology with.  

My tactics were sound against an armored cave bear.    Against a dragon, with reach, I ran into some trouble, as I failed my roll, the dragon made theirs, and I was almost eaten. 

Another Month of New Gaming (September 2025)

With the Diamond bankruptcy and the subsequent reorganization, plus the liquidation of warehoused elements of a number of game stores, I hold my breath each month now for Game Trade Magazine (GTM), Alliance Games pre-order solicitations. 

For folks who've never read this monthly post, or wondered how I list what I do...  Alliance has produced for over 25 years, a mixture of articles about the products they wholesale, along with all the newest product solicitations for stores (and customers to contact stores) to pre-order.   I don't simply regurgitate everything here, rather using three criteria

ViscountEric's Want List - Stuff that I'm either pre-ordering with a store, website, or looking for at the next con I'm at. 

ViscountEric's Money-Is-No-Object Want List - What is it says.  Stuff that's out of my budget, on my periphery, or something I might pick up if it's sitting by the register/on-sale. 

The Imaginary Store List (The Pegleg Gnome) - I worked most of the 90s in game stores, during the original Magic boon right into d20.  I started with The Armory and Chessex photocopied solicits and love the concept that GTM has been attempting to do.  

The Pegleg Gnome is a decent imaginary store with a decent budget, subject to my whims and preferences, some inevitable ordering (Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!), and what I see move/sit at the stores I visit, staff I talk to.  I will put some commentary on from time to time, usually about new product line dumps (Those Kickstarter deals are great for you and the publisher, now try to imagine your FLGS budget six books, a GM screen, dice, and other gadgets for a brand-new untested game... and a new one like this comes out EVERY MONTH.  I'm a huge fan of new economical (under $10) dice sets to offset the $25-50 sets that companies love to manufacture.  I'm not going to list every mini, or variant of a variant of a special edition.  

One more note, Alliance loves to slide in "Spotlight On" entries with the regular entries.  Sometimes they're items that never appeared in a previous issue, and they are now available for immediate sale.  Other times, they're simply relisted current inventory, a mini-ad hidden in the new solicitations.  I try not to mention those, unless they list a month for delivery.  

Yet another caveat: Now that I've gone through this month's listing, I'm noticing products with no release dates, some that might already be out.  Not every distributor normally carries every company, and searching my previous posts in this series don't list the products, so I'm comfortable listing them.   (I've never needed to search "syrup" on my blog before).  

So, without further ado...

Issue #307 of Game Trade Magazine can be found at most FLGS or online in pdf format here. 

ViscountEric's Want List

Firestarter Games

Downstream ................................... $20.00

Masters of Maple Syrup ................. $18.00

Not only do I want my own copy, but Christmas as well. 

(Edit: If they ever shipped to the United States)

Looney Labs

Cat Fluxx ................................ $20.00

More Christmas gifts solved.  

Reaper Miniatures

Lady Mariella & Sakeeta (Mousling on Dragon) RPR 30254 .................$19.99

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

Arc Dream Publishing

Delta Green RPG: Handler's Screen ........................................ $24.99

Legendary Press

African Monsters (5e or Tales of the Valiant versions) ............ $29.99

New Comet Games

A Time for Sacrifice  (Cthulhu 7th) ............................. $28.00

Ice Caves of Mt Fuji (Cthulhu 7th) .............................  $15.00

Wizkids

Warner Brothers Heroclix Iconix - Thundercats ........... $39.99

The Imgainary Store List (The Peg-Leg Gnome)

Archon Studios

Dungeons & Lasers: Baef Horned Demon ............................. $19.00

Dungeons & Lasers: Cavern Relics ........................................ $31.00

Dungeons & Lasers: Demonic Caves Terrain ......................... $79.00

Dungeons & Lasers: Gervase, the Ettin .................................. $19.00

Dungeons & Lasers: Infernal Imps ......................................... $34.00

Dungeons & Lasers: Ritual Sites Terrain ................................ $69.00

Dungeons & Lasers: Skeleton Crew ........................................ $34.00

Dungeons & Lasers: Demonic Caves Pre-Painted Prismacast Terrain .... $99.00

Dungeons & Lasers: Ritual Site Pre-Painted Prismacast Terrain ............. $79.00

Masters of the Universe: Battleground - Clamp Champ .......... $19.00

Masters of the Universe: Battleground - Faker Pake ................ $19.00

I think I remember seeing some of the Dungeon & Lasers stock at conventions, perhaps portions of the earlier parts of the line.  The pricing is very affordable, and I'm more confident in paying nineteen bucks for an ettin, rather than Faker from MotU.   Your mileage may vary.  

The Army Painter

Speed Palette ........................................... $8.99

I don't see a ship date, so it might be in stock already, but in a world were random accessories start at $25, a nine dollar palette is something I could recommend to a new painter, and they might be able to come back and buy more from me. 

Bandai

Digimon TCG: Time Stranger Booster

One Piece TCG: Egghead Starters

Bedouin Games

Rise of Babel ....................................... $50.00

Ceaco

Dragon Isles ........................................ $20.00

Lying Cheating Raccoons ................... $16.00

Compass Games 

Combat 3: Arnhem ............................ $139.00

World War II Commander: Market-Garden .......... $69.00

Cryptozoic Entertainment

DC Comics DBG Rivals - Superman vs Lex Luthor (Standalone or Expansion) .... $29.99

Deck and dice building games historical have a horrible shelf life after the first month.  If the Peg-Leg Gnome has a rabid DC DBG fanbase, yes, otherwise...

Dan Verssen Games

Eagle Leader .................................... $139.00

Fulcrum Leader ................................ $139.00

I didn't expect my first example of an inventory dump coming from, of all places, Dan Verssen Games.

Eagle Leader is a solitaire air combat games using Cold War-era NATO fighters from the 70's up to the 90's.  Fulcrum Leader is the solitaire version of Soviet/Warsaw Pact aircraft. Not a usual store demographic, although solitaire play for wargames is a big draw.  I love true wargames, since I just casually listed Compass Games' Combat 3: Arnhem above at the same price tag.   I might wince and order each one, but the punch in the gut:  Eagle Leader has 8 expansion sets at $40 a pop, and Fulcrum Leader has 7 at a very non-communist $40 price tag each.  

Dolphin Hat Games

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza - Ridiculously Large .................... $14.99

The Dungon's Key

Dirtbags! RPG ................................... $30.00

Drifting Offline (for Death in Space) ......... $15.00

Draco Ideas

Drums of War: Conquest ....................... $29.00

Exalted Funeral Press

The End of Amarna: A Printweaver Adventure ................. $28.00

Hexen Volume 1 (OSR) ......................... $20.00

Zombie Braineaters!  Suburban Decay in the USA .......... $20.00

Explore Dungeons

Explore Dungeons Zine #4 ............................ $10.00

I love zines, I would stock zines in the imaginary store.  Hell, ViscountEric might pre-order the zine from his FLGS for ten bucks, but the description makes boiler plate into flowing prose:

• Explore Dungeons Zine 4 features two new adventures, new monsters, new character archetypes, maps, single page dungeon encounters, and more!

Is it 5e?  OSR? DCC?  System agnostic fantasy?  

Fanroll 

D&D - Dragon Scale Metal Dice - Gold (7) .................. $49.99

D&D - Dragon Scale Silicone Dice Set - Red (7) .........  $29.99

After years and years, I for one am happy with the saturation of D&D products, from cookbooks, to crochet guides, and, of course, third party licensed dice.   I will never say I am close to the target demographic of anything but all the D&D dice I've seen in person are either unimpressive or overpriced.  I'm throwing these in the imaginary dice case at the store, just on principal. 

Firestarter Games

Reforest: Plants of the Pacific NW Coast .................... $22.00

Reforest: Old Growth Expansion ................................. $37.00

Floodgate Games

Squirrel Away ............................................................... $29.95

Free League Pulbishing

Alien RPG: Evolved - Core Rulebook ......................... $39.99

Alien RPG: Evolved - Starter Set ................................. $39.99

Alien RPG: Evolved - "GM" Screen ............................ $24.99

Alien RPG: Rapture Protocol Adventure Set ............... $39.99

Alien RPG: Rapture Protocol Miniatures Set ............... $59.99

Gale Force 9

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

I'm going to admit, I hate the ad/solicitation style of Gale Force 9, as well as Renegade Games items.  Love the pictures, but I honestly missed many months because I assumed it was just a promotional ad, which companies do but in GTM.  The grimdark adjacent terrain in their section is priced right and should move.  The Tenfold Dungeon and Clash of Steel stuff I'm not that enthused with. 

Goodman Games

Goodman Games Yearbook #12 .................................. $29.99

Tales from the Smoking Wyrm #10 (DCC) ................. $20.00

Hrothgars' Hoard

RPG Character Journals ............................................ $40.00 each

Can mix and match between Blue/Green for colors and Arcane Symbol or Sword and Rose. 

Kobold Press

Tales of the Valiant RPG: Monster Vault 2 HC ........... $59.99

Limted Edition HC for $79.99

Tales of the Valiant RPG: Monster Vault 2 Pawns ...... $34.99

Legendary Press

Heroes of the Wild (Pathfinder) ................................. $39.99

Ancient Idols (5e) ....................................................... $11.99

The Dragon's Hoard #55 (5e) ..................................... $11.99

The Dragon's Hoard #56 (5e) ..................................... $11.99

Wardens of the West (5e) ........................................... $24.99

I will say I would pick up issue #55 of The Dragon's Hoard as an impulse buy, simply because it has the first picture of the "mutant" sunflower I've seen outside of ChatGPT, and one of the characters in my current Gamma World campaign is one (that dresses in human clothes).  

Mongoose Publishing 

Traveller RPG: Great Rift Adventures 1-5 ................... $49.99

Traveller RPG: The Riverland ...................................... $49.99

Traveller RPG: Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society Volumes 13-18 .............. $24.99 EACH

Moreblueberries

The Time We Have .............................. $39.99

I think I heard an actual play of this on the One-Shot Podcast.  Great game, although for forty bucks, I hope the production values match, so I can do a proper imaginary store promotion.   The deluxe version for $79.99 seems a bit much.

Paizo Publishing

Pathfinder Fiction: Operation Hellmouth HC .................... $29.99

Pathfinder RPG: AP - Revenge of the Runelords 2 of 3 - Crypt of Runes ......... $29.99

Pathfinder RPG: Battlecry!  Pocket Edition ...................... $29.99

Pathfinder RPG: Monster Core 2 HC ................................ $69.99

Retailer Exclusive Cover $69.99, Special Edition $89.99

Pathfinder RPG: Lost Omens - Draconic Codex HC ......... $64.99

Special Edition $84.99

Starfinder RPG:  Flip Mat - Renegade Outpost .................. $19.99

Starfinder RPG: 2nd Edition GM Screen ............................ $24.99

Starfinder RPG: 2nd Edition Alien Core HC ...................... $64.99

Retailer Exclusive Cover $64.99, Special Edition $84.99.    This has always been a thing with Paizo, but with multiple books like this in a month, I get a 90's comic book vibe that's not particularly great. 

Para Bellum Games

So Para Bellum has released/is releasing Conquest a fantasy miniatures games with separate skirmish and traditional rank and file rules .  Here's a seven minute interview with Defective Dice.   I had not heard of this until their entry in this month's GTM.   One negative:  The link to their "About Us" on their website is broken.  The positive:  There's a bunch stores within two hours of their store locater, so if I, as an imaginary store owner, didn't want to contact them directly and see the product in it's natural retail state, they could take an afternoon.... I also found a store in Sunbury that I need to add to my reviews.  Fantasy figures with a different sculptors take on coolness, the $160.  Eight different armies, each with a Supercharged ($159.99) and a First Blood ($99.99) option, plus other cool stuff to boot.   Before my imaginary store is ordering a figure, I'm researching more and reaching out for retailer support.   

Pelgrane Press

13th Age RPG 2nd Edition Boxed Set ......................... $129.95

13th Age RPG Gamemaster's Guide ............................. $ 54.95

13th Age RPG Heroe's Handbook ................................ $ 59.95

The Art of 13th Age ...................................................... $ 39.95

Pinnacle Entertainment Group

Deadlands (Savage Worlds) The Weird West, Carnage in the Cascades Boxed Set .... $39.99

Deadlands (Savage Worlds) The Weird West, The Abominable Northwest .... $39.99

Deadlands (Savage Worlds) The Weird West Map Pack 7 - Logging Camp ... $14.99

Pokemon USA

Pokemon TCG Scarlet & Violet - Mega Evolution Enhanced Boosters

Reaper Miniatures

I know I'm getting old when a five dollar Reaper figures is by far the cheapest of multiple Bones offerings.  

Renegade Studios

Vampire: The Masquerade RPG -  Tattered Facade Sourcebook ..... $50.00

G.I. Joe RPG - Hawk's Personnel Files Sourcebook ........................ $50.00

Kids in Capes RPG ......................... $39.99

A spin-off of Kids on Bikes?  Okay, I'm intrigued.

Right Wrong Games

Oh No Canada ................. $12.50

Rogue Games 

Colonial Gothic RPG 4th Edition Guidebook .......... $19.99

Sirius Dice 

D&D Adventure Dice .............................................. $17.99 to $34.99

More licensed D&D Dice. Seven polyhedral sets for $24.99, a sharp edged polyhedral set for $34.99, and just seven fireball themed d6's for $17.99

Ultra-Pro International 

Good Lord, D&D  book covers,dice scrolls, dice towers, and other acessories.  GTM doesn't list suggested MSRP (due to varying discounts versus a stores standard one), but everything is Drizzt-themed.  Hopefully your stores mailing list has "middle-aged drow fans" as a tag. 

Wizards of the Coast

Magic: The Gathering CCG - Avatar the Last Airbender

Beginner Boxex, Bundles, Collector Boosters, Gift Bundle, Jumpstart Boosters, Play Boosters, Scene Boxes. 

Wizkids

DC Heroclix: Iconix - Flash Speed Force ................... $44.99

Marvel Heroclix: 400:  X-Men '97 .............................. $34.99

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

Wizkids Heroclix:  The Labors of Hercules ................ $49.99

D&D Icons of the Realms - Anthradusk, Ancient Blue Dragon (Painted) .... $119.99

Unpainted Nolzur's Version: $99.99

If Thundercats (listed in my Money-No-Object list) wasn't the biggest gimmick that hits my nostalgia (and possibly wallet), WizKids is also releasing Stranger Things in the unpainted line:  Demobat Swarms, Demodogs, Demogorgons, and Vecna himself.    God bless two-packs of figures for $5.99.  There appears to also be painted versions of these and other available in 2-figure booster packs.

#RPGaDay2025 - Day 26 - Nemesis

Day 26 of #RPGaDay and they bring up "Nemesis"

We've had rivals, we've had Big Bad Evil Dudes, but the closest to a Nemesis was (and technically still is) Ambrose Mogens in our Call of Cthulhu 1920's campaign.

Prospero Publishing has a whole page dedicated to Mogens, expanding far behond the Halfmoon Scenario out of Secrets of New York, and connections to Masks of Nylarathotep.  

My group first met him while he hosted a holiday gala in The Pennywell Hangmen

It wasn't until the investigators were searching for a family members of a colleague in Half-Moon that they fully investigated the Mogens Institute as well as broke into his estate in Queens.  

They got some of the answers they were looking for, realized that much of the Institute's true purpose wasn't bettering society, and they even succeeded in torching his library, even if it involved a 100% on a Molotov Throw roll, which landed at an investigator's feet.  Even worse, two of the new Investigators had been captured by Mogens' goons, tortured and transformed.  

Mogens kept tabs on the investigators, even sending a giant 8-foot tall, orange skinned, musclebound monstrosity to rough them them, toss a car, or even destroy an office.    They left a pretty significant trail of evidence, and once Mogens realized they weren't after him, just other manifestations of his patron, he used them as unpaid volunteers.  

At the end of Masks of Nylarlathotep, it was inferred that Mogens had influence within and far outside the city.    After interrogation and torture, the investigators were miraculously released from Japanese custody and sent back to the states, thanks to the American ambassador, who just happened to mysteriously die (historically) shortly thereafter.   Mogens has used his networks to send messages to some of the investigators, banning them from the city, while using his influence to ensure some succeeded at projects or procured them jobs.   Already shaken by what they had experienced, their moral core wavered as one of them walked into the Ambrose Mogens School of Physics, as well as having all their life's dreams projects paid for by him....

(BECMI D&D) Adventures in Gulluvia #27 - The Death of the Mountain Lord

 Our heroes are now deep within the ancient mines known to the dwarves as Illefarn solving an issue with poisoned water, two clerics of the same church, Galastria and Gwendalyn are fighting in the midst of the complex over theological issues.  The baronial guardsman, Carya, has slipped away, Beulah in tow.

Galastia Axenmeld: Disgruntled acolyte of The Church, target of Gwendalyn's uber-piety.

Gwendalyn the Bright - Another disgruntled acolyte of the Church, sent to solve issues within this podunk village, but overlooked for the parish priest role.   

Carya Illinoisis - The former merchant has joined the Baronial Guard, with a focus around Mere.  She's still a mountain of a woman that's even stronger than she lets on. 

Dim Cragmuffin -  It's unsure what relation he was to Beulah, but the halfling was ugly as a dog bashed in the face with a mace, but also old enough to have been bequeathed an old set of armor from the Cragmuffin family ancestors.  The rest aren't sure if he's volunteered for hero duty, or he's following a firefly in the same general direction as the 

Jonerir Drake - Younger brother of Belaquan Drake, who disappeared about a year ago. Fallen in with the likes of Clifford Loprete 

Hugo Swam'Pas - The popular local hedge mage from Mere known for more successes than failures in helping the village out.  

Beulah Cragmuffin - A halfling that hates adventuring, but hates seeing Hugo get any credit, whether he deserves it or not.  

21 Mai 535 - Somewhere Under Illefarn

The grudge match between Gwendalyn, magically engulfed in flames, and Galastria.  Both were better armored than their martial ability.   Galastria finally landed a non-leathal blow, knocking her fellow cleric back, but she remained relentless.  

Meanwhile, Beulah, peeked around the corner of of the lair of King Devin's Dwarves.  Carya was speaking with a Dwarf guard, and suddenly, he had further down the hallway.  

Moments later, King Devin and a contingent of his troops, arrived in front of Carya.  She presented the King with some of device.  She turned away from the ramp... and her compatriots, and King Devin and the Dwarves advanced towards the ramp.  Beulah ran back to the fight... still ongoing,   "We're in trouble!!!"

Despite Beulah's warning, everyone was shocked to see the Dwarf king... again.

"All of you, just get out!  You are not welcome here anymore."  Beulah, pushed an agitated Dim towards the door, the others following.  Even Galastria began to follow suit, especially with the four aggressive dwarves surrounding them, axes in hand.  

Everyone may have started moving towards the doors, but Gwendalyn continued to try to pummel her heretical cleric.  The others made some attempts to separate them... or in Beulah's case, attempted to waylay the over-fervent cleric. aiming for her knees.  

It was finally enough to distract Gwendalyn, allowing Galastria to hit her upside the head with her mace, dropping her to the ground.  

No one questioned Galastria as she tied up the unconscious acolyte.  She tied a cloth around Gwendalyn's neck, just in case they needed to gag her when she regained consciousness. 

Back into the large chamber with the pillars, Hugo decided to to investigate the balcony one last time before delving further in the mine complex.  With Galastria behind him on the Broom of the Mountain Lord, Hugo flew up into the balcony area, confirming the limestone railing, the two statues, and a door located in the far back of the balcony.

Once they landed near that door, the two large grotesque statues along the railing came to life!

Neither Hugo nor Galastria had dismounted, so the magic-user quickly turned around and tried to fly out of the area.   Both of the statues struck Hugo, and he and Galastria tumbled down into the shallow water at the base of the pillars.

Galastria landed hard, her armor felt bent.   She looked over towards Hugo.  He wasn't worried about his injuries.

Because he was dead. 

Dim splashed in the water to recover the Broom of the Mountain Lord before it slowly floated away. 

The death of Hugo affected the group as a whole.  He may have been her fiercest adversary, but Beulah knew the slim chance of the mission's success had vanished with his demise.  Couple that with Gwendalyn's ranting and ravings, Carya's disappearance, and the general incompetence of Dim and Jonerir, it was time to admit defeat and return to Mere... 

RIP Hugo Swam'Pas

Next: #28 - The Epilogue of Failure

#FreeRPGDay, Take Three

Back in June, I lamented the lack of proper same-day participating of #FreeRPGDay in my general area, due to conflicting events at stores.  I eventually found a cool store that was participating and added it to my future travels.  

As a follow-up, my one local store, Sword in the Stone Games had rescheduled their #FreeRPGDay events for a week late, only to have the entire shopping mall they're located in shut down for more than a week due to electrical infrastructure issues.  

Yesterday, the store finally had their day, and I must laugh, I swung in to check out the swag, and was grateful I store two sets of dice in the console of the car.

First, a huge shout-out to the store for ordering two kits of materials.  I did not get to see the variety of items at the store I visited in June, because it was already mid-day by the time I found them.  I showed up three hours into the event, and there was an immense and diverse selection of everything, with no limits.  

In something that I appreciated even more, their large open gaming space was dominated by multiple 2-hour free RPG sessions for a variety of systems... beyond the two long-term games hidden in designated RPG space. 

Friend of the blog, friend of Mepacon, and employee of Sword in the Stone, James Burns was running events, so I fell into his table, and after 16 years, finally played a game of Pathfinder. 

My winged kobold rogue... who had more bite than the image's inspiration lent to the pre-gen.

To dive into a high-level pathfinder adventure was a little intimidating, and although the bonuses had already been collected for reference, I was referencing three pages of special abilities, and four spots to confirm how many dice I rolled for damage (note to self, it maxed out a 6d6+5).   We did manage to defeat the dragon, even if, for a moment, I decided to essentially leap into the dragon's mouth and stay there for a few rounds.

The thing under the dragon's jaw is me! 

I was already there, so I transitioned into the next event, a Delta Green game.    I played the original, I helped playtest the current game rules, and I do own the book, so it was fun to revisit it with a clean-up operation when an agent from the 60s finally passed away.  There was a lot of gasoline, my FBI medical examiner bruised his sternum with a drill, and it was amusing that all the players assumed they were driving sedans, with almost catastrophic consequences.  

Huge shout-out to Sword in the Stone, for the extra kit of material.  By the time I left at dinner, I had ten freebies (two duplicates from June) and received two packs of Reaper minis as a participation award.  

I'm hoping scheduling and mall infrastructure doesn't interfere with next year's events, because it was really well run. 

#RPGaDay2025 - Day 25 - Challenge

Day 25 of #RPGaDay2025 and I'm given a softball.  CHALLENGE.

It is funny, way back for  #RPGaDay2019 I originally mention my Challenge Challenge: to acquire hardcopies, or pdfs, or what have you,  of GDWs classic magazine Challenge and mine it for ideas for the GDW house games, but also Star Wars, Star Trek, Cyberpunk, Call of Cthulhu and a host of other games.  

A six year update:  As I did more research, and ran a Star Wars d6 campaign, I remembered that issues #1-24 were actually Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society (JTAS), and since the campaign had gray mercantile basis to it, with a focus on exotic animals, I focused on those and the first five issues Challenge (25-29).  

Before we moved over to an equally long-running Gamma World campaign, the Star Wars campaign had 106 sessions.    I used two Star Frontiers modules, some free FFG Star Wars material, and one Judge's Guild Traveller scenario, but out of 110 articles about planets, ships, critters, equipment, and scenarios in the particular part of the print run,  I managed to use 25 of them in the campaign (including 8 scenarios, 5 NPCs, 5 groups of critters, and some interpretive campaign development using the Traveller New Service bulletins.)   In reality, I only pulled from 11 issues for all that information, so it's a great investment, especially in the world $60 scenarios/campaigns. 

The Tree Kraken, one of the space critters inserted in our Star Wars campaign lore.

GNOMES vs. CAPYBARAS: Woodland War

 Kickstarter hasn't been hitting recently, but I feel obligated to mention Gnomes vs Capybaras: Woodland War, simply by name only.

Some of the artwork for the game.

From the Kickstarter page:

About the Game

In the enchanted woods, industrious gnomes and chill-yet-surprisingly-clever capybaras clash over resources, land, and influence. Will diplomacy or fur-flying combat win the day?

Gnomes vs Capybaras is a 2 or 4 player strategic card game for ages 12+. Players gather resources like Courage, Berries, and Crystals, deploy quirky Workers, Soldiers, and Diplomats, and face off in locations alive with magic and mischief.

Every card brims with charm, from gnome inventors muttering about “experimental features” to capybaras who insist “every day’s a hammock day… until it rains.”

#RPGaDay2025 - Day 24 - Reveal

Day 24 of #RPGaDay and "Reveal" is the magic word.  

I've had plenty of reveals in my game, but no reveal was more underwhelming, yet dreadful, than the appearance of Jack Brady in Shanghai. 

Total Spoilers pertaining to one of the greatest RPG campaigns of all time, obviously.  

The Investigators were fourteen sessions into Masks of Nylarathotep, and had been conducting research in Shanghai for almost two weeks, when a rough and tumble individual wandered into breakfast at the hotel, picked up some toast off of elderly big game hunter and adventurer, RJ Cunnighame, and took a bite.  

"I understand you fellows are looking for me.  I'm Jack Brady."

Art for the Jack Brady miniature from RAFM (RIP) 

Brady had been part of the Carlyle Expedition and assumed dead like the rest.  In reality he had rescued/kidnapped Roger Carlysle and safely placed him in a sanitarium 

He sat there, picking off of everyone's plates, filling in the dots of the investigators own research, while setting up for the big finale that included the big bad human evil guy, magical texts, and way too much research on the Japanese Imperial Navy as well as Radium bombs. 

For everyone else at the table, except for RJ Cunnighame who declared, "We're Having a Jolly Right Time in Shanghai!"  most had a sense of relief that Brady was alive and here, but acknowledged their personal dooms were probably sealed in the next few days.  

(Kickstarter) Pug Town - 28mm Fantasy Grumble Knights STL Files by Trench Coat Miniatures

 As often as the seasons change, I complain about the glut of STL files dominating Kickstarter.  I know too many folks with a hard drive or Drop Box full of RPG PDFS.  Outside of one or two folks who are prolific with their 3-D printing, the STL community each has the same situation, but still need another step to make things useful, and let's not talk about when they're actually getting around to painting them.

I would be remiss, though, if I at least didn't mention the amusing Pug Town - 28mm Fantasy Grumble Knights by Trench Coat Miniatures.

And I can't be a grumpy old man with such minis, if a physical option is available for $40.00

#RPGaDay2025 - Day 23 - Recent

Day 23 of #RPGaDay2025 bring us "Recent."

Since the blog’s focus is definitively role-playing two months out of the year (and every Tuesday for an Actual Play), I'm covering all fronts for the blog (and burying the lead): 

Post-Historicon Maintenance :  I'm grateful #RPGaDay takes my mind off of everything else, because I'm still decompressing from Historicon.  All the figures from the games I ran have commanded the gaming table for the past month, as I do rehab on them after dozens of hands have played with them.  Even if the figures survived unscathed, it's an extra coat of varnish for another layer of protection for Fall-In! in November. 

Painting Bench: There's only so many hat and epaulet touch-ups one can do without going insane.  For a palette cleanser I'm doing up a "family" of Star Wars aliens for the next Fistful of Lead scenario for our Death Planet Iota game. Also on the bench is a 3-D printed truck which looks like a poor variant of a Mercedes L-3000 and some gremlins from Legions of Steel.   Once that is all finished, my focus is one some new fantasy minis from Brigade Games, as well as the Hawaiian Gnomes  for Gnome Wars.  I just need an actual mock up of what the pineapple catapult is supposed to look like and I'm golden.

Reading: How the West Stole Democracy from the Arabs by Elizabeth F Thompson for casual brain exercise, and Pirates of the Starstream (Starfinder) to mine for another crack at my Star Wars d6 game. 

Recent Role-Playing: Although I'm so backed up on my normal Tuesday Gamma World Actual Plays that Monday night's online episode won't post until March 31, 2026, I'll warn the dear readers: SPOILERS.

Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers, discovered a facility deep in the Glow Zone wilderness that used to manufactured energy cells.   After a few treacherous encounters, they decided to rest and co-exist with their Hopper hosts for the next two weeks and prepare for the major foray into an alleged treasure lair. 

The De Facto Explorers (L to R)  Lathar, Sneaky Pete, Ramsay (Out of Action), Squiggles (pre-fur), No-Name

With a few game cancellations in August, we decided to go forward with only one player calling off.  Two weeks in the burrow of a race of giant mutant rabbits, with no medkits, might be traumatizing for some, but not De Facto!

• "Squiggles", our 6-foot tall earthworm covered in white fur?   He joined Thumper Rex, the Hopper drum circle.  He got news of odd noises coming from the vault door separating them from the facility, as well as odd howling outside the warren.
• Lathar Bracken, a Pure-Strain Human, pseudo barbarian, and recently married?   He did his best shirtless Kirk moments with Hoppers of both sexes ("They're so furry!!!). 
• Sneaky Pete, our weasel scout (and missing player)?  Despite all his plans for the two weeks, he went on the occasional patrol with the Hoppers through the petrified forest above the warren, but he mostly stayed near the cart the held their equipment.... and a large tub of yellow curry that he had acquired an addiction too.  

• And finally, Sonny Helianthus, our ten-foot tall mutant sunflower artifact expert.  He had a full plate.   Sure, he needed a safe spot to plant himself and absorb some sun outside, but he also busied himself, cleaning a filthy shotgun they had found until it could pass a command inspection, taking days to determine a mysterious black pistol they had acquired months ago was a sonic weapon, then realizing he was wrong, and digging outside in the "junk piles" of tech that could be found in the petrified forest.  

While some of the smaller half-broken artifacts were sent to the Hoppers as tribute payment for their extended hospitality, Sonny had uncovered a three foot long shiny metal cylinder, unblemished from the other junk that had been heaped upon it.  Sonny became obsessed with the object, only confirming that its display and buttons worked, and he could set-up a timer with a countdown, nothing ever less than five minutes.   By the time the rest were ready to go back and explore the rest of the facility (and find the treasure), the sunflower had it safely stowed away in the the Hopper lair, the outer cylinder removed. 

The Explorers spent less than ten minutes in the building, before a radioactive green mist befell them and they resorted to their best "Run away!" impression. 

No one fell ill, but the damage was enough to to take a day or two and regroup, before going in the established, original entrance to the compound they had used.  

So Day 16 since they had decided to rest, Lathar was combing his steed, No Name, after a much needed ride and grazing away from the Hoppers and the Ancients compound that was taking over their lives.  Even with the odd Hopper companionship, he missed his pregnant wife back home.  

Sonny magically appeared out of thin air in front of him.  

"That's not good?"

"Sonny, what's going on?" 

"I don't know, but I think we'll find out in 3.... 2.... 1....

They didn't hear the roar first, rather they felt the ground rend itself...  tunnels collapsed.  Chaos erupted in the warrens. 

"Sonny, what did you do?"

"I got the cylinder to only count down from sixty... couldn't get it to stop.  I teleported back here at 10."

They dared to venture outside, after the dust settled....

An entire swath of the petrified forest, 50 meters in every direction, was laid flat. Everything was gone, save the crater and the remnants of the mushroom cloud. 

"So that's what the cylinder was for..."

They went inside the burrow with the other Explorers to help dig out those trapped in the underground collapses. 

Dr Sonny Helianthus, Destroyer of Worlds

GM Note:  With that many days of searching, I was going to allow for a random piece of technology, although if it needed power, it wouldn't have a working power cell.  I innocently used a random table out of the 1st Edition Gamma World book.  

A result of 44% and 4 on 2d8 can net someone a fusion book in that ruleset, one of the gentlest of the bombs available! 

And as a point of record, if Sonny had failed his Teleportation mutant power roll?  He would have been vaporized as well....