Another Month of New Gaming (December 2025)

 I can't even....

Another month, another issue of Game Trade Magazine from Alliance Games Distribution, and I've been conjecturing conspiracy about the Diamond bankruptcy affecting its game subsidiary, with a few months with a lot of "Featured Items" that were already in print and in stock.  

This month we are just waylayed by Kickstarters finally delivering at the retail level.  Kickstarters with a $75-150 base game and a dozen or more $25+ accessories and expansions, per game.  It's outright ridiculous, and as an imaginary store owner, I refuse to even ponder ordering a full array, even for the bigger stores, without some massive support, or full-buy-in from the staff.

Issue #310 of Game Trade Magazine can be found at your FLGS or online as a pdf here. 

ViscountEric's Want List

None

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

None

The Imaginary Store List (The Pegleg Gnome)

Absolute Tabletop 

Aether Nexus RPG .................................................. $28.95

The Mecha Hack RPG: Mission Manual ................ $23.95

Space Base: Genesis Expansion .............................. $29.99

Tiny Towns: Architects Expansion .......................... $29.99

Ape Games

Major General ................................................. $15.00

Order of the Stick: Adventure Game Deluxe.. $55.00

Pampero .......................................................... $150.00

Sometimes I would like to order something this expensive just to see what the hell is inside. I'm assuming the description in the solicitation is doing a good job to explain some game mechanics, and it's nothing that should be higher than half this price.  And even crazier, for $150, you can still by additional expansions at $25-30 a pop. 

Whale Riders Board Game ............................... $40.00

Whale Riders Card Game ................................. $25.00

Because Reiner Knizia can't wait to spread these out.  

Arc Dream Publishing

Delta Green: Artifact Zero ............................... $19.99

Delta Green: Owlshead Mountain ................... $19.99

Delta Green: The New Age ............................. $24.99

Catalyst Game Labs

Leviathans: Great War - Starter Box ............... $69.99

Chaosium 

Pendragon RPG: The Sauvage King ............... $29.99

Chessex

Way back in September of last year, I had a rant on Chessex's new $23 "Mega-hedral 7-Die Set" .  I haven't seen any in any store labelled as such, and I just can't justify order dice without knowing how big these things are, when there are fancier dice available.  

Cryptozoic Entertainment

Cats of Catthulhu RPG: Box Set - 10th Anniversary ........ $99.99

Cats of Catthulhu RPG: HC - 10th Anniversary ................ $54.99

Cats of Catthulhu RPG: SC - 10th Anniversary ................. $34.99

Cubicle 7

Warhammer 40K RPG: Imperium Maledictum  - Voll Adventures ... $39.99

Devir Americas

1902 Melies ..................................................... $26.99

1911 Admunsen vs Scott ................................. $22.99

1920 Wall Street .............................................. $24.99

1980 Sixtina .................................................... $26.99

1987 Channel Tunnel ...................................... $24.99

1998 ISS .......................................................... $26.99

Rudolph ............................................................ $13.99

Spring ............................................................... $13.99

The White Castle Duel ..................................... $34.99

Enhance Gaming 

I thought this was an expansion of the previous companies product line, but it is NOT.  Another company, another set of shoulder bags, backpacks, and TCG accessories.. and NO PRICING.  Already did research on the first, not the type of product I'll delve into a second company to fill in inventory, at least not at the first company's pricing. 

Explore Dungeons

Heroic Adventure! #2 Vault of the Murderworm (DCC) ................... $19.99

Optional covers available. 

Heroic Adventure! #2 Vault of the Murderworm  Poster Map Pack ......$30.00

Heroic Adventure! #2.1 The Wormfather's Apprentice ......................... $14.99

FASA Games

Earthdawn Plush: Mountainshadow ................... $35.00

Earthdawn Plush: Usin ....................................... $35.00

I did not have "Earthdawn Plush Dragons" on my 2025 bingo card.

Free League Publishing

Coriolis RPG: The Great Dark - The Flowers of Algorab ............. $49.99

Gold Seal Games

By the Seashore ................................................ $14.99

Four Forests ...................................................... $19.99

Loot Dispute ..................................................... $19.99

Whiskers & Tails .............................................. $14.99

Goodman Games

Xcrawl Classics:  XCrawl Insider #2 ............... $10.99

Horrible Guild

A Carnivore Did It!  ...................................... $18.00

Mighty Boards

Rebirth ........................................... $55.00

Modiphius 

Acthung!  Cthulhu 2d20: Horrors of the Secret War ................ $40.00

Cohors Cthulhu RPG: Player's Guide ......................... $47.00

Cohors Cthulhu RPG: Quickstart ................................ $20.00

Cohors Cthulhu RPG: Gamemaster's Guide ............... $60.00

Cohors Cthulhu RPG: Germania Adventure Book ..... $47.00

Cohors Cthulhu RPG: GM Toolkit .............................. $41.00

Cohors Cthulhu RPG: Legends of Laurium Fiction Anthology ... $20.00

Fallout RPG: Royal Flush ........................................... $44.00

Star Trek Adventures RPG 2nd Ed - Exploration Guide $42.00

Monte Cook Games

The Darkest Woods (5e) ............................................. $54.99

Old Gods of Appalachia - All Your Gods Are Dead ... $44.99

Need Games

Piaga 1348 RPG ........................................................... $44.90

This was a cool item to pick for the #FreeRPGDay promotion.

Paizo Publishing

Pathfinder Quest .............................................. $119.99

Pathfinder RPG: Adventure Season of Ghosts HC .... $79.99

Pathfinder RPG: Dark Archive (Remastered)  HC ..... $64.99

Pathfinder RPG: Flip Mats - Boreal Forest ................ $19.99

Pathfinder RPG: Flip Mats - Grand Masion Multi-Pack ........ $29.99

Starfinder RPG: Alien Core Pocket Edition ............... $29.99

Starfinder RPG:  Alien Core Token Box .................... $59.99

Starfinder RPG:  Flip Mat - Imperial Bases ............... $19.99

Pinnacle Entertainment Group

Savage Worlds RPG: Rifts - Europa .......................... $44.99

Savage Worlds RPG: Rifts - Europa Accessories ...... $29.99

Savage Worlds RPG: Rifts - Map Pack 4 - Europa Battlefields .... $14.99

Savage Worlds RPG: Rifts - Savage Foes of Europa ..................... $29.99

Playpunk

Zenith .................................. $34.99

Ravensburger

Lorcana TCG: Whispers in the Well Boosters 

Lorcana TCG: Whispers in the Well Starters

Lorcana TCG: Whispers in the Well Illumineer's Trove

Lorcana TCG: Whispers in the Well Playmats (Jasmine, Mickey Mouse)

Rogue Games

Colonial Gothic RPG: A Heart in a Jar ........................ $12.95

Sirius Dice 

RPG Dice Set (7) - Golden Buzz ................................. $17.99

RPG Dice Set (7) - Golden Pup ................................... $17.99

RPG Dice Set (7) - Moon Panda .................................. $17.99

RPG Dice Set (7) - Seaform Shepherd ......................... $17.99

RPG Dice Set (7) - Royal Nectar .................................. $17.99

RPG Dice Set (7) - Shimmerpaw .................................. $17.99

RPG Dice with appropriate symbols instead of the top number on the die. 

Speedrobo GAmes

Necromansters: Core Set .......................................... $24.95

Spielwiese

Snake Charmers ....................................................... $19.99

Steamforged Games

Warmachine: Core Rulebook ................................. $44.99

Warmachine: Frozen & Forgotten 2 -Player Set .... $99.99

Tuesday Knight Games

Mothership RPG: Core Set .................................... $59.00

I actually checked, I can't find a solicitation for the actual rules, just third party supplements.

Mothership RPG: A Pound of Flesh ....................... $20.00

Mothership RPG: Dead Planet ............................... $20.00

Mothership RPG: Orphans ..................................... $20.00

Mothership RPG: Player's Survival Guide ............ $15.00

Mothership RPG: Shipbreaker's Toolkit ................ $50.00

Mothership RPG: Wages of Sin ............................  $50.00

Mothership RPG: Storage Box .............................. $10.00

Mothership RPG: Unconfirmed Contact Reports .. $20.00

Mothership RPG: Warden's Operations Manual .... $20.00

Why Not Games

Rocket Age: Blood Red Mars Savaged (SWADE) .... $45.00

WizKids

D&D Minis: Dire Worg ....................................... $24.99 Painted

D&D Minis: Dire Worg ....................................... $19.99 Unpainted

D&D Minis: Kraken ............................................ $69.99 Painted

D&D Minis: Kraken ............................................ $54.99 Unpainted

D&D Minis: Icons of the Realm - Monster Manual Collection II Booster Bricks.

Wonderful World Board Games

Seven Grave ......................... $15.00

SATLOF!

 There are no airing of grievances, and my only feats of strength is remind everyone that I can lift them into the air, but SATLOF is a great day to munch on food, reconnect with friends, and pray we get two different games done before we left.

The high point possibly for this weekend?  Maja finally has her license AND her car, so dear old Dad may get to imbibe more than a single drink.  

(Kickstarter) Space Amazons by Red Bard Games

Want classic-styled sci-fi minis and break the Imperial Guard patriarchy.  

You can start with Space Amazons, now on Kickstarter from Red Bard Games. 

Shelf the Elf!

 

Happy Tanks-giving! 2025

 

(Kickstarter) Rat Storm Rising by Curtis Fell

 Back a lifetime ago, when Sigmar was barely a whisper said by players who knew way too much lore, I wanted to build a certain rat army.  And to be honest, those mid-90's boxed sets were just the pinnacle of eye candy to draw people into the hobby.  Alas, as I researched things, I became more and more despondent, because to build an decent army beyond all the (literal) bells and whistles, I needed decent troop levies that weren't from the $10 plastic boxes.   And "Stormrats" and "Rat Slaves" in pewter purchased two to a pack were prohibitively expensive.  

Thankfully I got some actual play with some figures during the Mordheim years, but they hold a special place in my heart.   

So you can understand the warmth in my heart as I see the Kickstarter for  Rat Storm Rising by Curtis Fell.  Thirteen classically styled rats in 28mm cast in resin, that can be swapped out as you need them. 

I supported two of Curtis' Space Dwarf Kickstarters, and although they're still sitting in the "lead pile" they're exactly what I wanted and at the right price.  

(Gamma World) Not a Test #99 - Herding Goats and Friends

 Our heroes are back in Riverbend to celebrate the wedding of Lathar Bracken to Thunnelda

================= 

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. The two-time champion of the Fair-Town Queen's Joust.

Thunnelda Haycock:  A peculiar local woman, who has a penchant for wandering the surrounding territories for particular oddities, but has become the fiancé of Lathar. She is a day away from marrying the man of her dreams, Lathar.

Sneaky Pete: A mutated weasel scout.  Pete's telepathy and night vision take a backseat when he whips out his electrical powers.  Apparently addicted to his newly uncovered yellow powder found at "The Pool House"

Sonny Helianthus: a nearly 10' tall sentient sunflower artifact examiner with four arms, and trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable,  but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades. 

Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble in all the wrong places,  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.  He may be pregnant... again!

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

One day before the wedding and things were in chaos.  Lathar and Thunnelda has sent a ton of invitations via messengers and only a few had replied in kind.  

Lathar's Aunt Bragga  and the rest of the Bone Crackers were scheduled to make a disappearance.  Grandma Helka had RSVP'ed by sending the messenger back, missing an arm.  She had survived five husbands, three mutant uprisings, and a fight with a cybernetic bear... and she one.  

Lathar had invited the town councils of Fair-Town and Riverbend, the Queen of Fair-Town, and even the jousters he had defeated, as well as a open invitation to the entire Kirothian community.  Even then he kept the a few other invitations close to the chest.

Pete had sent an open invitations to the Hissers across the river, plus the Artemus from the Brotherhood of Thought.

Sonny: Justinian and an entourage, plus a heartfelt letter to KIA Academy to have Ramsay visit.

Squiggles made sure his first generation offspring had a seat at the wedding.

Everyone knew that Lathar had lived with his mother since early on.  His father had disappeared in the Wild Lands, forcing Lathar to become the primary breadwinner.  What they didn't comprehend was that the woman in his family, especially down his mother's side, were all strong and unusual.  

Watching his Grandma Helka swim across the Big River on her war lizard put fear in everyone's hearts, but a twinge of joy in Lathar's.  She had outlived five husbands, three mutant uprisings, and a duel against a cybernetic bear... which she won.  Her level of badassery would be unmatched during the wedding. 

But instead of a joyful reunion, Helka rode up to the house, dismounted, handed the reins to Lathar, saying "Don't fuck this up," before wandering into town proper for the gods only knew. His aunt and her extended family, the "Bone-Crackers" could be seen in the distance, and despite a strong desire to hide, he embraced all that would come to his wedding.  He began walking outside of town to meet them.  

With Lathar indisposed with his extended family, a frantic Thunnelda rambled through the village, looking for anyone to help. She found a firmly planted Sonny. 

"Sonny, Sonny, Sonny, Sonny..... the wedding's off!!! It's horrible."

Sonny hadn't gotten time to buy new clothes after his boomfruit bomb incident, so he attended to act like a non-sentient sunflower in hopes that Thunnelda would away.

It didn't help.  There were no other nine and a half foot tall sunflowers in town. 

Sonny, deadpad:  "I'm so sorry it didn't work out.  You too were perfect for each other."

Thunnelda:  "Fucking Drago, I didn't even invite him, my brother did.  He's like a second cousin or something..."

Sonny: "So your cousin showed up and you don't want them here?"

Thunnelda:  No.... his fucking goats ran off with my bridal gown, and the special red sash I commissioned for Lathar. I paid for it with my own domars. Now both are gone!"

Sonny:  Oh....

Thunnelda had no time to amuse the fool that Sonny had become and ran off to find the others.  Pete and Squiggles had been tasked with acquiring two more tuns of turnip wine, unsure what had happened to the first two containers of the unsavory drink.  

The duo were also oblivious to Thunnelda's distress.  Pete:  "Hey Thunnelda.  Any particular reason why the turnip wine disappeared"

My cousin's goats got into it, got drunk and stole my wedding dress!!!

Drago's Goats

Pete and Squiggles tried to hem and haw, trying to figure out if the seamstress could whip up another dress.

"Enough of you.  You are worthless!"

Pete and Squiggles stood back.  The look of Thunnelda was crumbling away.  Lathar was the only one to abate the rage she manifested.  Then she picked up the weasel and shook him.

"GOATS STOLE MY WEDDING DRESS!  FIX IT!   NOW!"

Pete nodded in fear, "Okay!"

Pete dashed to grab No-Name.  He made a telepathic connection with the steed and mounted it.  Squiggles was waddling behind. "I am not walking to search for goats, no in this heat and in my condition."

Another voice spoke up as they started a trot.  "Hey, where are you going with No-Name?"

They turned to see their old Explorer teammate Ramsay, fresh from KIA Academy.

Ramsay

The ram was riding an odd, two-wheeled conveyance, that seem to move and stop as he adjusted his body.

Pete:  "Goats stole Thunnelda's wedding dress, and we have to recover it. Maybe you can talk to them."

Ramsay:  "We can't just inherently speak with random creatures. That's so racist." 

Squiggles:  Then just let them help us round them up!

Ramsay:  "Okay!"

The trio picked up the trail of twenty stampeding goats.  

Ramsay: "This is exciting... just like the old times!"

They managed to spot the goats in the woods, just before a clearing. One of the goats appears to be wearing a weeding with a beautiful red sash.  
 

The trio successfully circled the herd,.   Ramsay turned around, his back hooves up in the air, unsettling the goats, welcome by a loud fart.  A noxious yellow cloud emitted from the mountain goat. The cloud enveloped the first goat, dissolving it!  The other goats panicked away from the cloud. 

They weren't able to keep up with the rampaging goats.  

Lathar finally returned from his familiar duties, to find his beloved bride, a large hinge in each hand, somewhat akin to brass knuckles, pummeling the animals, particularly one wearing her wedding dress and a red sash, now torn.  There is some cheering.

Thunnelda finally wrestles the dress and sash off the corpse of the goat.  Lather quietly sauntered up to his bride, eyeing the sash.  "Is that for me?"

Thunnelda:  Where.... were.... you?

Lathar:  Final family stuff, before you're all my attention forever.  He hugs her... and everyone is amazed how she calms down, like they're truly meant for each other. 

There is a feast... a goat feast that night, as the friends and both families bonded.   As everyone went to their homes, the De Facto Explorers went into town, for one last hurrah as a single man.  

Drinks were poured, toasts were made, Pete trying to get rouse the group a bit more, teasing them of big surprises.   The rest give him shit-eating grin, confusing the weasel.

A large muscular arm drapes over Pete, "Is this ferret giving you guys trouble?"

Razorback had made the wedding.  

Razorback, from rougher times.

"I just missed you guys as your little shin-dig was wrapping up.  That's a literal fuck-ton of goat left over."  

Lathar: "That's a long story for after the wedding. It's been a day, my friend."

Pete convinced Lathar that he had acquired some particular ladies who would... dance for Lathar, but only if he was blindfolded.  Already half in the bag, Lathar agreed, ready for the delights.  

Thinking a young lady was going to grind up on him, Lathar was confused by mechanical sensations on his legs.  He quickly pulled off the blindfold to see an appearance of living metal RHA-9, trying to do it's best artificial sexy dance....

RHA-9

"Hello Lathar, long time no see, as you humans say.  Sorry I'm late, I had an invisible toll booth to take care of."

With that, the group began to disperse.  Pete was the last one with Lathar, making sure he walked through the fence gate for his family home.

Pete: "Rest up, my friend.  There's a whole lotta fun tomorrow.... Hey, who did you get to get you kids married?"

Lathar: "Don't worry, Friar Spiess confirmed he should arrive the morning of the wedding. "

GM Notes: The weird part of me wanted an AI image of the goats to highlight the thumbnail in the episode.  Not sure where I should drop in Gradma Helka, now that she's in town and missing, so I present the bad-ass woman here: 

Grandma Helka and her Battle Lizard of the Blasted Wastes

Next #100:  THE WEDDING! 

(Painting) More Power Generators for Death Planet Iota

These last few weeks of 2025 are a scramble to just get out as much miscellaneous stuff as possible.  While there are a bunch of Christmas figures and loose gnomes desiring my attention, the junk hoarder in me has had two containers balancing precariously on the top rack of my paint, and it was fine time to get another building for the town of Carf for Death Planet Iota.

Jayne and a Killer Rabbit.  

Just a few layers of drybrushing, and some metal and rust around the crinkle zones.  

I'm slightly proud of myself, as the radar/tech pieces on top are part of the miscellaneous pile of stuff I grabbed at the Mepacon auction.    That other pieces came from a bag of pieces/debris I snagged up cheaply from Historicon a few years back.  

Sweet Use of Fishing28

It's been a weird November, with no Fall-In!, actually attending Mepacon, and trying in general to get my life back on track.  

I've been doing a lot of fishing.  

Namely Fishing28, a fun non-combat minis game, that's been perfect excuse to use some recently painted gnomes:

The concept is simple.  It can be solitaire play: a man and his boat move across the water, adjusting to the current, and the random move of a fish.  Catch all five fish and get them on shore during your move, you win!  If the boat drifts off the board, hits a rock, lands on the beach during the drift, you lose your fish  and the game.  

It's a simple concept, can be expanded for more players, and the challenges (Embuggerances!) like rocks in the water, aggressive larger fish, and even a large bird to steal your catch, one by one.  

Solo play is definitely there.  Re-playability with the Embuggerances is there.  And quenching a desire to play with Swedish fish?  Absolutely.  

As a simple free rules set, I'll need some more testing, maybe add a rule or two (adding rules is one of the rules of the game, brilliant!).  

I've pondered it long and hard, and Fishing28 is good enough to earn the coveted Gaming with the Gnomies' five gnomes out of five rating.

Heck, we're almost 15 years since my Battle of Yellowstone game, where there was shooting and conflict (and gnomes), but a good portion of that were herding, and rustling, and controlling forest fires.  This is just in the same vein.  I'm not sure it has a place in our Tropical Gnome Mega Game for Historicon, but I could see this in a smaller game, as a side quest.  It worked for the guy herding sheep illegally in Yellowstone's borders, it could work for a island of not-all cannibal gnomes.

The link for the rules for Fishing28, and a host of other cool rulesets, can be found here.  

(Gnome Wars) The Swiss Bicycle Tank is (Finally) Complete?

 Last month I had begun the process of doing more than just futilely straightening up the painting bench and shelves:  A complete reorganization of the paints and bits that are strewn here and there.  I'll eventually post about the new arrangement and it's efficiency, but one of the bits I uncovered was a wind-up key, something you would use for a wind-up toy.

And the the last piece of my Swiss Park Ranger Bicycle Tank that I "finished" back in 2010. 

First ever picture with the wind-up key (and new lower gun)

Let's be honest, the Eureka Miniatures Hartlebepanzerhochrad has always been the default Bicycle Tank for Gnome Wars.  I had painted mine up for the Swiss Park Rangers so they had some vehicle just in case some of the park visitors were a bit stubborn.

I first mention the completed model in October 2010, but the first picture of it doesn't appear until I finally finished the entire Swiss Park Ranger unit back in July, 2011! 

Of course, after 15 years and countless conventions, the Bicycle Tank has seen better days.  I had removed the Picklehaube from the original model, of course, but over the years I lost the lower gun.  Every part I hard was either way too big or way to thin, so I simply clipped off some of the metal guard of a ruined paint brush.  Not pretty at all, but better than the hole. 

(Painting) Even More Evil Hooded Minions by Pulp Figures

If someone put up a table at a flea market, swap meet, church basement solely to attract me, they would need to start with Evil Hooded Minions by Pulp Figures.  

I know my first pack of them came either from a distributor at a con or one one of my direct orders to Bob Murch in Canada.   Since I've reorganized the painting bench and the lead pile, I keep finding packs of these figures, which are a dream to paint up, and every time I swear I remember the last time I grabbed them off a table at one of the HMGS.... and then I find another pack.  

Fun fact: Of course this was just a baggie of figures I grabbed off of a table.  In reality its a mixture of Evil Hooded Minions 1 and 2 from the Pulp Figure "Weird Menace" line.

I think I've run out of unpainted minions, but I wouldn't be surprised if I find at least some loose items. 

Also off the bench, is the Egyptian vase they're surrounding... from Windsword Accessories, which I'm sad to say, no longer seems to have a website.   They have a bunch of Egyptian stuff that Maja's painted over the years, and this was in her queue, but I specifically needed to paint this for a scenario objective for Episode 4.4 of the Pulp Egypt Game (Tomb of the Serpent). 

We're almost finished with the second month of my gaming year, and I'm already at 70 things painted.  It's good enough for Top Five output for the year in the last 15 years since I started tracking these things. Outside of some residual sci-fi groups for Death Planet Iota, and maybe the Great War teddy bears, there's not many larger projects on the top of the lead pile.  

In the Queue - Surprise, suprise, I change my mind like I change my socks (and I always have plenty of socks), We have some Soviet female characters I need to research and base coat.  I also have some one-off Gnome Wars figures for some world-building posts, as well as seven Reaper holidays figures which would be great to post up next month.  After that?  Balancing Death Planet Iota figures with one-off minis for Tomb of the Serpent. 

Project: 350 -  Despite putting in work to remove the backlog, I keep adding to it, with 482 posts in behind the scenes (283 drafts/199 scheduled) still down  from 484(283/201) last week.   Besides some holiday game fodder, I did add placeholders for these special gnome projects, but foresee very little else to whittle away the number. 

Mepacon 50 - What to Run?

So, Mepacon 50, our local con here in Pennsylvania, is being held April 17-19 outside of Allentown, PA.  

I'm still trying to verify any scheduling conflicts, but as of now, I'm dedicated to not only attending, but running games as well.

And that brings up the big question: What to run?

I've been attending Mepacon since the first one, and if we go back through the convention's genealogy, there are only one or two attendees who can claim an earlier claim.  

The fiftieth con is the best time to consider a "Best Of" selections of my convention games.  Introduce some great games to a new generation, upgrade a few that might not present well theme or statistically.  

I have set up a poll to take everyone's input.  You should be able to vote for multiple options.  Thanks everyone for your help! 

1. Talislanta - (2 HOUR)  The Crystle Dungeon - Lehicon IV 1991 - My first ever convention game for teenage, essentially a dungeon crawl that luckily was filled with adolescent players.  Will need an overhaul (and I'd use 2nd or 3rd Edition for simplicity... it's one of the reasons I fell in love with the system.
   
   
2. TWERPS - (2 HOUR) Showdown on Starmist  - Bogglecon 1995  - "The Worlds Easiest Role-Playing System" is normally a silly hex-based beer and pretzel game, but I've turned it into a four-hour convention game a few times.  Cutting it down to 2 hours for fun and clarity.  
   
   
   
3. TOON - (2 HOUR) Cthulhu comes to Springfield - Lehicon VI 1994 - Classic (90s) Simpsons Characters and the Cthulhu Mythos... using Toon!  Each  "epsiode" ran an hour... so I just need to pull out the better scenarios like "Krusty the Kultist" or "The Reactors of R'yleh"  
   
   
   
4. GURPS/RISUS - IOU  (2 HOUR)   SCAVENGER HUNT - CoveCon 1996 - Perhaps my most perfect convention game ever, back when GURPS was my jam.  Cross-dimensional, multi-genre Illuminati University and a simple case of a campus wide scavenger hunt.  
   
   
   
5. My Little Pony - (2 HOUR) Friendship is POWER  - Mepacon 33-35 - I admit, I ran the My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria game (River Horse Press) to help fill up the Kid's Block of game.  If the games weren't in direct conflict with the kid's LARP or scavenger hunt, they were rousing successes and great memories.  
   
   
   
6. Hackmaster - (4 HOUR) Pirates of the Beluga Chew -  My Mepacon 2 game.    The best and more of the best of what made Hackmaster great.  
   
   
   
7. Burning Plastic (HOUR) - Bogglecon, Lehicon Jr, UBCon, Mepacon 26 - The game of green army men who might represent killer robots.  
   
   
   
8. Gnome Wars - (4 HOUR) Tales from the Front (Yard) - Mepacon/Historicon/Cold Wars - Gnome Wars is a 30mm Miniature game using garden gnomes of many nationalities to fight battles based on World War I tactics.  We run the game at HMGS conventions to hundreds of satisfied players.  Heck, we've even had a game or two in run up at the Clarks Summit Mepacons (25-30?) 
   
   
   
9. Legions of Steel  (2 HOUR?)- Lehicons/Bogglecons/Origins - The classic mid-90's miniature/board game where we answer the question, "What if Space Hulk replaced Genestealers with Terminator robots that shot back?"  
   
   
   
10. Illuminati (4 HOUR) -  The original no-frills Steve Jackson version.  Okay, maybe the expansions. 
11. Car Wars (4 HOUR) - Choosing this one means I finally scratch a decades long itch to play the game and hook a whole new generation in the original rules. 
12. Fistful of Lead - Fistful of Gnomes - Historicon - I love my gnomes.  And another option is using the same figures in skirmish/mission settings using my favorite minis system, Fistful of Lead.   
    
    
    
13. Fistful of Lead - Galactic Heroes -  Historicon - I also run a mean multi-dimensional sci-fi town with Star Wars, 40k, Firefly, and other characters playing side by side.  
    
    
    
14. D&D - Isle of the Abbey - We lost one of the godfathers of Lehigh Valley conventions, Mike Griffith, this past year.  It can be argued pretty well that without him, Mepacon would have never come together 49 conventions ago.  I believe Isle of the Abbey was one of his go-to convention games, so it makes sense for somebody else to run it, updated to the current edition.  
    
    
    
15. D&D - The Jade Monkey - Mike's partner in crime for many early cons was Joe Ward.  I don't his status, but his running of this RPGA scenario is one of my fondest memories of convention gaming. 
16. D&D - They're Only Kobolds - Joe's trademark game.  PCs vs classic dog-faced kobolds.  How hard can it be?

I think that's a healthy enough 

🔰(Georic Gazetteer) Hy Braseal and Amazonia

(Author's Notes: Despite my desire to complete this guidebook as a Gazetteer for all things related to the continent of Talaishia, I have receive an inordinate amount of correspondence asking me to make a short dissertation on many of the major countries outside those geographical boundaries.  I feel that placing such a limited amount of information to fit the format of my original work would be akin to dipping your thumbnail in pitch and saying you blend in with the night.  However, some of these fine folks, have felt the need to provide me with a certain amount of coin, I am unable to return it, and would feel tugs at my moral compass if I did not add something as an appendix, possibly a hint of things to come for future books.)

Hy Braseal

Pantheon:  Khemmet

Ruled By:  Archmage Gela Cibol
Capital:  Lepherate

Other Cities:  Aserthera, Sekhimnos

Language:  Khemmet dialect, with lesser Senzar and Xellenic influences

Flag/Emblem:   A white unicorn, careening, horned, maned, and collared gold, on a green field.

Coinage:   Hy Braseal
Important Personas:  Councils, nobles, priests, generals, mages, priests, officials, etc.

Alliances:  None

Hostilities:  Noted Senzar engagements mention nothing by confrontation.

Open Warfare/Skirmishing:  None

Intrigues:  None but minor court intrigues noted.  

Demi-Humans:  Serathia (5%), Huldari (4%), Ilekari (2%)

Magickal Devices:  The Breath-Woven Paths, the Staff of Harmonies, Memories of Ta's Breath, Paralyzing Slings, the Huldri Engine of Rebirth, one report of an exotic windship, its name translated to "Spirit"

The confirmed flag/emblem of the mysterious women of the Hy Braseal/Amazonia

Thumbnail Sketch:  

Our world of Georic is full of distant and exotic worlds, the mysterious walled lands of Chi'in, the cannibal Mozogo, even the deranged Lemurians.  But few lands are as contradicting in their claims as Hy Braseal.  The land the Hibernian explorers labelled as Hy Braseal is on the island of Amazonia.  Amazonia is the largest and southern-most of the Fortunate Islands chain far beyond the reaches of the Senzar Empire.  

There are a few facts all sources have reached a consensus on.

• It is a large and fruitful island, with rain-drenched jungles, emerald highlands, obsidian mountains, and glistening, rune-wrapped rivers. teaming with exotic flora and fauna.
• It is a strict matriarchy, with rival factions of arcane and divine spellcasters influencing the politics.
• The religious traditions seemed to have evolved from older Khemmet traditions
• All women not fit for magicks are duty-bound trained as warriors.  
• Men are relegated to the roles of artisans, housekeepers, and caretakers.
• The true name of the kingdom is debated (The author favors the Hiberian).  Despite living on Amazonia, do NOT call these female warriors Amazons.  
• Every expedition of every culture has reported being captured, then only half of the crew is allowed to leave.  The fates of detained crew is different and mere conjecture in every case. 

While their warrior ethos shrines through in all reports, it is the amazing skills at herbalism that they may have no equal to, not even the shamans of the western Chi'in mountains of Tzagan-Lor.  This lush and exotic landscape produces such a wide array of plants and herbs, it is not a question of if there is a cure for an ailment, it is which technique to use. 

Religion: Outsiders are not forced to convert to their pantheons of gods, outward practice of any faith not deemed traditional in the eyes of the divine sisters is a crime, punishable by the affecting sister's whims for the day, from a simple slap across the face to a tortuous death.    Hy Braseal's pantheon has certain diverse Khemmet origins, but also adopts a few Xellnic influences. Despite a closer proximity to its people the entire society seems bereft of any Senzar religious iconography or influence. 

Many of the Xellenic gods and traditions are woven beneath the Khemmet pantheon, almost akin to secret society, a sisterhood, a sorority.  The priestesses of different faiths but same allegiances are known to aid each other, even is the temples themselves are squabbling.

Thalia Garmistis - War Priest of the Heqet, Sister of Hecate

Demi-Humans:  There are no traditional demi-human races on Amazonia.  Rather there are three larger races beneath humans that are considerable benefit and influence to Hy Braseal

• Serathia - Female Snake Women -  The largest demi-human population, they were created by Hy Braseal sorceresses millenia ago.  Concentrated in the temple-cities, they rule over mystical enclaves and serve priestly advisors and assistants.  Often feared or revered, it is rumored they breed with captured males.  Only female infants are created, although there is no notations what happend to male offspring, or the men used in the breeding process. 
  
  
  
• Huldari - "Troll-Dwarves" - Found in deep jungle communes and stone-forged hill cities. Small in number but vital for architecture, animal-bonding, and elemental rites.  Only society that is remotely egalitarian, the Huldari men hold higher standing in Hy Braseal culture than actual Human men.
  
  
  
• Ilekari - an amphibian race found in river-delta temples and wetland enclaves. Known for oracles, weather-magic, and song-craft.
  
  
  

Geography of Note: 

Lepharate - The capital city is so varied and outrageous in its multiple descriptions, that it's exotic look much be true. A coastal city of basalt spires and the jade-green glass observatory of Lanaege, skyline rises like a puzzle of towers and bridges. Barges-ferries, with a male attendants, traverse the tidewaters.   At the city's heart, the Spiral Lexicon ascends—a living tower made of ink-stone and memoryroot, its surface scrolling with animated script. In the shipyards, not only are ships built Huldari and human craftsmen, but actual sea-beasts from our nightmares are shaped in rune-cradles emerge from briny birthing pools, tentacles coiled around ceremonial scaffolding. 

The Star-Womb Caldera - An enormous dormant volcanic crater, its black stone floor covered in luminous constellations of embedded crystal. Strange auroras hang low overhead. Seen as the site where the first spell-mothers were born.

The Flower-Mirage of Shunem Vale - Tucked in the jungle highlands beyond Cibolallan, Shunem Vale appears only at dawn and dusk—its mist-choked valley suddenly bursting into view with miles of bioluminescent blossoms, pulsing like heartbeat fireflies. Visitors describe whispers riding the wind and spectral shapes moving through the petals. 

The Black Moon Gate of Nahet-Phera - A ruin of impossible age near the western shore, the Black Moon Gate is a crescent-shaped archway built from star-metal and obsidian. When moonlight passes through its arc, visions of alternate pasts or possible futures ripple across the ground. From reports, the few foreign explorers who pass beneath it return unchanged—or at all.

Mentions of the Country in the Blog: None

GM Notes:  I've got a lot of random notes on countries in my personal game world.  Some are encyclopedic, others are just a few lines, or a listing in "Top Ten Countries for Herbalism."  

I try to standardize my gazetteer to a format similar to the Epic of Aerth for the old Dangerous Journeys game. Since I transplanted my world onto that map twenty five years ago, I'm digging into the references to flesh out my own version.  

Hy Braseal is not one of those processes.  I had planned on making an Amazonian Warrior-Priestess for Hackmaster for the 2025 #CharacterCreationChallenge.  A lot Wikipedia diving for data, with some ChatGPT to blend it into a nice smoothie of Egyptian, Greek, and Atlantean (Senzar) influences.  

I had most of the character concept for Thalia Garmistis, Warrior-Priestess of Hecate set up, but never got the time to roll up stats, especially with other character pushed back from previous years.    Thalia sits as a project for January 31,2026 for next year's #CharacterCreationChallenge, and I had created a gazetteer placeholder for Hy Braseal/Amazonia to keep all the cool info I created and crafted off of AI.  

Of course, there is an aptly vague entry for Hy Braseal in Epic of Aerth, so way back during a quiet Memorial Day morning this year, I sat down and constructed this realm, which my players will never see the light of day. 

I'm an active ChatGPT user for data mining and ideas, and let's not talk about how many pictures I've generated on Nightcafe.  I use the "AI" tag to note posts that I've crossed a personal line to how much data and text was generated.  Initial names were changed to bastardize Hellenistic Egyptian, the three demi-human races were proposed and wildly changed (the Huldari are equatorial and tropical versions of the trolls in Frozen, Nightcafe was only so cooperative), and the Egyptian God/Greek Sisterhood concept I wildly altered from working on Thalia originally.  To be honest, only the the Geography of Note, and the descriptions used to image generation through Nightcafe,  were pulled word for word.  

And Thalia Garmistis - War Priest of the Heqet, Sister of Hecate, will be ready for next year.  

Mepacon 49 Review

As the loyal blog readers know, I didn't attend Fall-In 2025 down in Lancaster  this month, my first autumnal absence in many years.   To make up for it, I applied all my gaming energy to being a mere attendant at Mepacon 49, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Not to make the folks who run this thing feel old, but MEPAcon (Mid-Eastern Pennsylvania Gaming Convention) started at the turn on the century, trying to focus on gaming in the Lehigh Valley.  That's been a long an circuitous journey moving through the years between Wind Gap, Easton, a trip over the bridge into Phillipsburg, New Jersey, a few spots around the Scranton area and the Poconos, before returning to Bethlehem a few years ago, and finding a spot off the Fogelsville exit this year.  

Friday

I did manage to get down pre-rush hour on Friday.  The Delta by Marriott Hotel is right off I-78 and PA Route 100, within immediate walking distance of a Burger King and a Taco Bell.   I was dreading some ulterior forces working against the con when I couldn't find parking in the first two lots, and the overflow lot at 50% capacity on a Friday afternoon.  

Picking up my pre-reg was  a breeze (no QR code printing yet, but they did print out badges and raffle tickets ahead of time) and I quickly discovered why the parking lot was as full as it was.  

The picture above is a 3pm shot of the main ballroom.  ON A FRIDAY afternoon for a local con!   Definitely a good problem to have.  

The conference/ballroom space was divided to a larger main ball room, a room for all the D&D Organized Play, and a room for minis, other games, and a utilitarian space for the LARPers.    I perused the vendors bordering the main ballroom  and good lured into a party game "Two Rooms and a Boom". 

The players are all secretly part of a red faction or a blue faction and are randomly assigned to two teams.  The objective simple.  Question your fellow teammates, have the leader of the group "exchange hostages" with the other team for a few rounds, and once that continues until the final round, if the "President" (Blue Team) is in the same room as the "Bomber" (Red Team), the red team wins.  If they don't end up like that, the Blue Team wins.    We played five games of that, adding additional complications to the objectives.  It was fun, and I was warmed up for the con.

The "others" in Two Rooms and a Bomb

For my second game, I got into Hairfoot Jousting.  I was a originally excited about the release of this game, but less so as more information came out.  While it was not going to usurp our traditional jousting rules for the HMGS cons, it looked fun enough to give it a shot... and there was a weasel calling my name. 

Hairfoot Jousting

Our two teams of three went after each other with abandon and a complete lack of direction.  The mechanics were pretty simple, but the one thing that took a while for use to adapt to was the almost random movement of the mounts.  Every turn you rolled a d6 for a random movement template, and you must complete your movement unless stopped, so while you might be able to attack multiple foes, you could also hit your teammates or run into the fence.  I do believe that out of my ten hit points, I only took  four points from actually jousting combat.     I reminded me of Car Wars, but with random turning maneuvers, not taking speed into consideration.  It definitely has it's place for a quick convention game.

FASA Leviathan's miniatures game in the flesh!

That night, I had just slated myself for a Battletech game, when my friend Ed, convention director emeritus (He founded the convention), dragged me back into the conference room for his D&D game. 

He had me at "gnome"

I knew I was trapped when he handed bananas to everyone. 

Our little gnome group needed to retrieve an escaped goose, and while they were out there, investigate strange goings on at the community trash heap.  

The goose was rescued, the curse of the trash heap lifted.... and puns filled the air.  

The LARP room

After the game, I drove down to Wawa for a late dinner and drove to Easton to stay over my Mom's.  

Saturday

I woke up early enough to grab dinner at the Palmer Diner (I've been going there for forty years, the only thing that seems to change are the prices...)

Fantasy Treasure Hunt game that was much simpler than even Mordheim.

Honestly, my first concern for Saturday wasn't gaming, but getting my minis in the painting contest and my stuff into the auction.   I'll start my two part-rant about the auction with the huge disclaimer that in regards to the convention history, I'm the old biased guy sitting in the back, complaining how the green the grass was at the auction in years past. 

<History Lesson Time> When Ed and awesome group of friends who started the con, they were essentially taking over the reins of the Bogglecon local one day conventions of the 90s.  That organizer fell ill and couldn't continue... so the Mepacon crew took that model... which included the acution.

The auction originally was a "dollar auction": everything from a beat up module to a box of Magic cards would start at a dollar opening bid.  They've revised a number of concepts over the last 25 years,  like buyout pricing... and minimum opening bids based on a percentage value of said buyouts.  

I'm lucky to have checked out the new rules for this year before I arrived.... and I completely understand where they came from and why they did it

1.   Everyone could have five "guaranteed" items for the auction.  These would be represented by a sticker on the auction slip.
2.  Anyone registering as a VIP, could have 15 items for the auction.  Likewise a mere common registrant could pay $10 to move up to 15 items .
3. Buyouts were still there for all items, so they established "MEPACON Marketplace," next to the tables.  You could place unlimited items in the Marketplace, and if they didn't get bought out, and if the auction crew got through the "guaranteed" items, they would start pulling items for auction from the Marketplace table, subject to time and their whims.

Needless to say, I brought in two bins of stuff, put nothing officially in the auction, and with the limited space, put a half-filled bin of stuff back into the car. 

More on that later....

</ History Lesson Time>

I was greatly pleased to see the miniature painting paint and take was back and better than ever.  Run by Brad Frable, and sponsored by Reaper, it was well-organized and a relaxing spot.  I actually finished two gnomes of mine that were close to completion, finishing a free Reaper frig and starting a second won later in the day.  

Quigley's Cakes

One of the cool things amongst all the vendors was a number of small press game manufacturers not only selling and doing demos of their games, but others playtesting their games that hadn't been produced yet!    I did get to play a fun little card and token game "Devil's Bargain"   I did well with getting enough points, but the other players owned my soul in some capacity.  

Dinner was on site, sitting at the hotel bar.  Certainly not dirt cheap, but I spent less there Saturday night for a beer and a brew than at a local brew pub Sunday night for a burger and a soda.  

The Bar... mere feet away from the ballrooms.  Beer and food were good.

These folks are part of the "Who's Who" of Mepacon

The Main Event:  Six o'clock, the convention shuts down...  chairs all turn to the corner of the ballroom and the announcements are made, miniatures winners declared, and the auction begins. 

I did not win any mini prizes: that usually goes to Father/Son duo who always but in great work.  

<Auction Rant>  Another fun fact about the olden days of Mepacon: I was the auctioneer for the first couple cons.   I felt like I was having an aneurysm burst when the first item of the auction was a miscellaneous oversized board game that I probably ignored on my review of solicitations over the year."

" 'xxxxxx' the boardgame, opening bid, $36...."

*Crickets* 

It looked like the opening bid was 75% of buyout, rounded down...  Seven of the first ten items were like this and did not reach a bid... luckily the pricing and bidding improved the further they progressed.  

I first observed this back in Mepacon 43, but the glut of auction items are now board games of various shapes and sizes... has reached overabundance in the auction.    And whereas bidding in previous years were almost insane (more than retail for in-stock items that were sitting on vendor's tables discounted),  this year there were only wild pricing for a few out of print, Kickstarter exclusive, or charity items.  

My good news: all but three items were bought out in the marketplace, and I was okay bringing those three home. 

</Auction Rant>

Gnome sighting at the auction!

I chilled afterwards.  My buddy Wooly and his wife Jenny planned on showing up Sunday, and arrived at their hotel early, so I convinced him to come over, check out the site, and have a beer, before I drove him back and headed to my Mom's one more time. 

Sunday

Apparently everyone in Easton at 8am was grabbing coffee at Dunkin', so a quick stop to the empty drive-thru at the McDonald's across the street and I was on the road, Warren Zevon blaring from the stereo.  

I was shocked just how busy the main ballroom was for a Sunday morning.    There's a reason why Mepacon is getting folks paying $30 for a one-day pass, while HMGS people gripe that there's nothing going on... and it's technically free.

Sunday was packed until 3...

But for me, it was Battletech Sunday.  

It was a decade since I last played B'Tech, and over thirty since I played it at a con, but with Wooly and Jenny in from Johnstown just for Sunday it was a requirement.    As a bonus, our friend Droz, who runs stuff for Catalyst, was acting in a civilian, casual player mode.  

It was glorious.

It was there "Get to  Da Choppa" campaign event.... the player team trying to get a convoy of trucks to the drop ship on the other side of the table.  In the end, no one died, no Mech on our side was scrapped, and all the trucks made it.   By the grace of God, my tiny Commando suffered a whopping FOUR points of damage, while others right next to me were missing arms and partial torsos.  Even better I have credits and xp for their one going campaign, if I choose to return.  

"Old Man Wooly" and Droz ponder the final turns.

We capped off the weekend with a trip to BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, with special appearances by our friends Scott and Nate.  I did realize late that we did have a quorum to restart the Hackmaster campaign, but alas, I was stuck in the middle of the curved booth and couldn't get my dice.  It was a great time by all.  

The Hotel:  The Delta by Marriott really was a great site, nothing was spread out, and the bar/food was great and reasonable.   After years of trying to grow this con, after years of planning and changes, they finally cracked over 400 attendees.   Of course, this brings up the biggest concern: Scalability.  

They've over 400, but there's no way they can fit 500, so early registration was emphasized during the "Main Event".... and there's really no reasonable place to move into gradually.  It's a good problem to have, and an even better reason to set up my events for Mepacon 50.

Events:   Fair and plentiful.  Most D&D was in the organized play room,  and the boardgames still dominated the main portion of the ballroom.  Catalyst had their own little wing for Battletech, and a lot of support.

The Swag:   The biggest purchase at the con were a bunch of 3-D printed fantasy animal figures from Solar Forge Miniatures, and a potential order from some sci-fi figures to expand Death Planet Iota.  I also snagged a copy of the softcover Mutant Crawl Classics for ten bucks! 

I didn't grab anything during the auction, but I did grab some great items cheap... sometimes "free to a good home" during the Marketplace buyouts:  A copy of the Ghostbusters International boxed set, some miscellaneous terrain pieces, a copy of 3-D chess from 1979, and the Star Wars (West End) Mos Eisley miniature set, still in the shrinkwrap!  Since I need half of those figures for new paintjobs, they'll definitely hit the queue after the holidays. 

Mepacon 50: A Golden Jubilee, will be back at the Delta, April 17-19, 2026.  More posts to follow, but I'm thinking a "best of" series of RPGs, with Maja running some gnome or sci-fi Fistful of Lead, so she can jump into the LARP.

From the conference room:  "Horizontal Jenga" or "Bob's First Day at the Crucifix Factory wasn't gong so well..."