#RPGaDay2026 - Day 1 - "Discipline"

We have finally made it #RPGaDay2026 !

I'm coming into #RPGaDay this year with a different perspective.  Over a dozen years of questions and prompts and certain topics are rehashed repeatedly.  I won't link any older post, rather a

Day 1's prompt starts with a serious turn, "Discipline," and I'm grateful the recent onslaught of Dungeons & Daddies ads on social media will NOT steer me in that direction. 

The suggested question is, "Share a character or fellow player who is a strong example of discipline."

He might disagree, but my paragon of discipline would be Hoyce.

Blippy, Hoyce, and Henry, at Hoyce's bachelor party.

For a guy I originally knew as "the veggie hat" guy in college,  a large burly bearded man, aged into a bald, surly older man, he might not be the obvious first choice, but in our Monday night online game, he is the glue that keeps everything together. 

We're using his Google Meet subscription to run the game, so we're already eternally grateful.  He's the first player online Monday nights.   Heck, he's the first person I talked to when this years prompts came up, and we powered through all of them efficiently.

As a player, Hoyce has always been disciplined.  He sticks with his character's structure mechanically, he knows the character background and looks for ways to further develop it.     He adheres to character personality and goals. 

Whether he's a gnome titan warrior, a womanizing bard before it went viral, a Sips'kud Bounty Hunter in Star Wars, or 10-foot tall mutant sunflower in Gamma World, I know he'll play the character concept tight.

Heck, he's the last player to create an Illuminati University character using GURPs, and if that doesn't involve a little discipline for a first time player, I don't what it does.  

I can truly say that when he mentions his own home campaign, spun off from my own campaign, his skill at GMing is such that I actively listen to his own stories... 

Alternative Question:  Share a character or fellow player who is a strong example of discipline

#RPGaDay2025 - Day 16 - Overcome

Day 16 of #RPGaDay and the word today is "Overcome"

Again, I defaulted to my players...  and we must confer that Sonny Helianthus, mutant sunflower examiner in our Gamma World 4th Edition campaign is a badass.

Background:

The short version: 

Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers,  are spending the winter scouting around KIA Academy.  They have suffered a disastrous result trying to rescue some blue-skinned Kirothians from a "wizard" and his "demon" allies.

The long version:  

Our heroes loved the advanced technology, good roads and solid climate control of KIA Academy.  What they didn't appreciate was KIA's penchant to use their second class citizens, many mutants and animals as front-line shock troops in their battle.  They had encountered the blue-skinned, pointy eared "Kirothians" while scouting for KIA Academy.  Determining that two unknown warring factions known as "Wizards" and "Human Living Metal" were fighting in the area, and fearful what KIA would do to the Kirothians, the De Facto Explorers took them under their wing. circumvented the technological haven, and tried to deliver them in Fair-Town.  

At some point, they encountered another small enclave of these folks, who kept claiming they had been transported magically to a new land.  These new Kirthoians were quite fearful, some group of demon-worshippers had kidnapped a significant portion of their community, and it sounded like they would be sacrificed to some true demon.  

The Explorers went into the hills, with Weapons of the Ancients, wiping out the smaller, singular monsters.  But as they entered the massive chamber, with thirteen Kirothians, all tied to poles equidistant around a massive pit... things got worse.  

With the obvious forces of evil converging on the spot, and our well-armed heroes petrified, it was Sonny the fairly passive giant (9' tall) sunflower who teleported towards the Kirothians to try to free them.   Instead of rescuing them, he found himself trapped in a personal-sized force field, one of which appeared to surround each sacrifice. 

Sonny did have the mutation Explosive Seeds, allowing him to fire explosive sunflower seeds like a missile weapon.  He allow could expand all his seeds in such a manner, a "Death Blossom" if you would. 

Sonny went full Death Blossom, rolling a crit, maxing damage, enough to tear open his force field, the force fields of most around him, and killing five Kirothians as collateral damage.  But it was perfect timing, for,  at that moment, that the demon emerged from the pit...

Nightcafe

There was chaos, the mighty warriors and scouts of the De Facto Explorers turned tail and ran back the the enclave of the second group of Kirothians.   

Sonny arrived a day later, with eight of the thirteen kidnapped Kirothians that survived, freeing all of them, and evading the demon's minions.  Considering this would be followed up on his rescue of Lathar, the fragile and awkward sunflower proved to have greater mettle than the rest of the party. .

#RPGaDay2025 - Day 13 - Darkness

Day 13 of #RPGaDay, and "Darkness" was a pretty neat idea for a prompt.  So neat, I wasn't even sure where to go.  I died in enough variations of Zork "You've been eaten by a Grue" that I try not to use too much darkness against the PCs.  

I even went in front of my players with a few of these, and Hoyce, one of friends and gaming buddies for over 25 years, didn't pull out some war story for our college days.  He brought out a simple tale of a barbarian being rescued in the middle of the night, from a dragon, by a giant sunflower in Gamma World.  

It had started out just like any other day: scaring off brigands, the mammals in the party drinking too much, and Sonny Helianthus, the mutant sunflower, preventing the pure-strain human Lathar from going through with a duel request against an ex-girlfriend.  

He was returning to the inn with the good news that at least Lathar's ex had common sense (she always did), only to find him missing... but with obvious signs of a struggle.  

After a few spectacular perception rolls (for a plant with a Sense stat of 5 or 6...), he uncovered a camp of degenerate humans.   A very passed out, very naked Lathar was strapped to the front a ski-trike...   He was a "totem" to lure out "The Beast". 

With a roar of the engines, the vehicle peeled out into the darkness...

And Sonny, against his better judgement, used his teleportation mutation to put himself on the back of the vehicle.  

There was gunfire, there were stunts, there was a very angry, fire-breathing monster that the humans were using Lathar as bait to lure it out.  

Nightcafe

In the end, Sonny was the Beast, recovering Lathar, turning the others into local authorities, and finally collapsing into his soil back at the inn, allowing for another dream sequence...

(Probably NSFW) DJ Shadow - Nobody Speak feat. Run The Jewels (Official Video)

Friend of the blog, and friend of the Viscount, Hoyce McGurgle, just revealed this gem to me this weekend.  

It is not lyrically appropriately, not most reader's musical genre of choice, and it has NOTHING to do with gaming, but few music videos have given me a deep visceral reaction. 

It feels like a natural progression, and escalation over twenty years since Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice video with Christopher Walken. 

(AD&D 2nd Edition) Donavin Hellavic, Thief #CharacterCreationChallenge

I still have a host of books, pdfs, and character sheets around my office, trying desperately to keep a healthy variety of PCs for this #CharacterCreationChallenge, but they don't call it a challenge if it's easy (unless it's on TikTok).  

I've tried to produce new material for most days, but then I realized I still have unviewed PCs for a game long lost.  

My buddy Hoyce moved back into the area from Boston and wanted to set up a group for a new AD&D game.  It would be one super-session per month on the weekends, and at best I (and the Mrs) were 50/50 on me travelling an extra hour to game.  Still, I cobbled together a 1st level character and half the background.  

I never made it to a session, and Hoyce eventually moved back to Boston.  We now game together in our weekly Star Wars d6 Campaign.

DONAVIN HELLAVIC. 1st Level Human Thief

STR   12
INT      9
WIS   12
DEX   17   +2,  +2,  MINUS 3
CON   16   +2
CHA   10  

HIT POINTS   7
ARMOR CLASS 3

SKILLS
COMMON
COMMON  R/W
APPRAISING  9
TUMBLING   17
INTIMIDATION   11

WP   THROWING DAGGER,SHORTSWORD

STUDDED LEATHER
4 THROWING DAGGERS
BELT/2 BELT POUCHES
BOOTS
CLOAK
GLOVES
BREECHES
TUNIC

47GP


THIEVES SKILLS
PP  20
OL  25
F/RT  25
MS  15
HS  10
DN  25
CW  60
RL  25
BACKSTAB X2

1. AGE 19
2. Both parents are loving, alive, and well.  Father middle class assistant to a merchant.  Mother passed awa 12 ears ago and father remarried, new step sister
3. sister 25, brother 21, sister, 9
4. What do your siblings do?
5. single  
6. famil  lmc,  he is ulc
7. middle class kid mixed up with gang and criminal elements.    Fence 
8. religious  mc god

1. Does your character have children?
2. What social class is your character from?
3. How has their upbringing affected their world view?
4. How did your character get started in their chosen class?
5. Does your character have any heroes or inspirational figures?
6. Does your character have any significant personal items?
7. Is your character religious?
8. Is your character guided by a prophecy?
9. What is your character’s view on magic?
10. Has your character ever served in the military?
11. Has your character ever been arrested? What for?
12. How did your character meet his current adventuring companions?
13. Has your character ever crossed anyone?
14. Does your character have any enemies?
15. What are your character’s goals in life?
16. How important is the accumulation of wealth?
17. If your character died tomorrow what would they be remembered for?
18. Where did your character learn or train their skills?
    
    
    

#RPGaDay2021 - Day 31 - Thanks All Around

The final day of #RPGaDay2021 is upon us, and it's not a stretch to believe that the last word would be "THANK."

So let's thank my current gaming group.  

To Steve, my old college roommate. He's the guy in the group who intentionally plays "fun" disruptive characters.  Echellon, the priest of the "Oriental" god of the sea (and pigeon fancier) and Fonzie Schlepprock (a chronic liar Gnome Titan in Hackmaster that successfully kept the ruse that he was a famous general... at least to the human communities) were my favorites.  With online gaming, his characters started serious (a dragonborn priest or paladin whose only schtick was throat singing for his prayers), but as much as I think his initial concept of his Star Wars character was frivolous, things have gotten dark over the weeks of #RPGaDay2021.   Not Dark Side Point worthy, just cutthroat business dark that I don't usually see from him.  His one legendary character away from my table was  Benverho, an "asshole wizard" in a different college group.  Thanks for making  Ne'vets Aharo in Star Wars  the "bad" version of Benverho, and making my scheduled turns in the campaign direction even more delectable. 

To Jim, the "Gnome King" himself.  Thanks for heeding the call when I reached out for new players for Monday night, even though you had never actually role-played before!  Tarrie Prolek is the perfect starter character, always referring to the boss cause he's "under contract", even if he isn't.   Your musical numbers are far superior to anything else in Star Wars since Max Reebo in 1983. 

To Sean, the brother of Steve's best friend.  You got lured into playing by your brother, and even with most of the original group gone, thankfully you've stuck it out.  We give both you and your Wookie, Frokazza, a hard time because you're part of the group, and thankfully, you know that.  Congrats on the new job!

To Hoyce, another college buddy. Prior to online gaming we've rarely had the chance to game together over the 15 years.  Thanks for actually missing the online Day of Sloth IOU game, but expressing enough interest and availability to join the Star Wars game full-time.  I don't know how the partied survived before your character arrived.  Seriously, statistically-speaking they should have all been dead weeks before.  I'm far too lenient as a GM.

To Maja, my daughter.  Thanks for bailing us out when we needed an extra player to push through the "Bo'Non'as and Oopsa" side campaign.  With such crazy schedules that we barely get time to game at home, it was nice to play something, even if you were still in your bedroom down the hall. 

To Chris, one of the original guys well before me in the Monday night session.  I barely knew you dude, but thanks for the memories.

To Jeff, the Godfather of the Monday night game, and original DM of the 5e game.  Thanks for getting this thing going, and thanks for all the hours you poured into the game.  Andaras was quirky enough to keep us permanently on our toes, and we left so many storylines wide open.  We're going to have to return, whenever you get your stuff screwing up Monday nights squared away.   It's your group.  I'll keep them coming until your ready, even if you have a few new players by that point. 

 

To Balls, another college buddy that, like Steve, I've been able to play with pretty consistently over the years.   Thanks for letting it slide that this little online shin-ding was occurring, thus securing that I"m never productive at home on a Monday night.   Like Jeff, your spot at the table, real and virtual, is always guaranteed.

#RPGaDay2021 - Day 30 - Two Quick Mentions

The Penultimate Day of #RPGaDay2021 is upon us!

The single word of the day is "Mention" and this brings up to recent mentions.

One: The admission from Jim (Tarrie in my Star Wars d6 campaign) that our Monday night group was his first ever attempt at role-playing.  He's been a hardcore wargaming (historical, sci-fi, and fantasy, the whole gamut) for a long time, but he answered my call for fresh blood awhile back and has done admirably, even if Tarrie vacillates  between doing nothing, being impulsive, or just breaking out into show tunes.

Two: Another player in the Star Wars d6 group, Hoyce, made a game time decision not to attend a session early this month, due to a migraine. I have no issue with the absence, especially for the reason given, but the giving a vague recap after the session seemed appropriate:

No worries sir, feel better and next week you can deal with the fallout of Steve not being able to make that session…. Plus the repercussions of two imperial boarding parties, Tarrie sleeping with the client's wife, and a possible point blank gunfight with a local crime boss in a confined space.

You know, a normal session. dead to

What to Run at Mepacon Spring 2020?

Alright, it's official, my Birthday Extravaganza will be at Mepacon, April 24-26, 2020 at the Mountain Laurel Resort in White Haven, Pennsylvania.

So, the next question I have to figure out is, "What do I want to run/play over the weekend?"

The Mepacon website hasn't even been changed from last weekend's Middle-Earth theme, but theme for Spring 2020 is "Anime and Animation."  The theme isn't a hard, fast rule, but I like to consider them while I ponder my games.

*Theme* Cthulhu Comes to Springfield - The legendary Simpsons Toon game hasn't changed much since the mid-90's, but it's due to be pulled out of the archives.

*Theme* My Little Pony - Seriously, the MLP games I've run before at the con have been short, fun, and well-attended with a mix of players.  Of course, this will be the first con that my daughter Maja is not getting in for free, so I might see if she wants to take over the Pony reins.

*Theme* Octonauts - I got no takers on my version of the Disney Jr show during Mepacon's Aquatic theme.

Car Wars - a - Palooza -   The original birthday concept was a hotel conference room with friends, food, and heavy duty flaming oil jets with the Steve Jackson.  With the Steve Jackson Pocket Box Kickstarter getting fulfilled, I could come in ready to bear...

From wargamedork.blogspot.com

The Battle of Yellowstone - At Mepacon Fall, I spoke about my Gnome Wars game for the Battle of Yellowstone, documenting the US Cavalry's occupation of the National Park during the 19th Century.   It's a high concept game for a convention like Mepacon, that doesn't have a strong wargaming streak, but it might work.  I'm also planning on running this at Cold Wars for the Wargames in Education block, so it should be easy to pack up and transport.

Hackmaster 4th Edition - The Burning Trogs Redux -  With the right attendees to the soiree, I'd love an unofficial evening of crunchy, exploding dice with my favorite Trogs.

Diplomacy - Another unscheduled event, but a potentially horrible idea of running Diplomacy for a select group, preferably in the hotel bar.

Risus (anything) - Risus isn't my go-to convention game, but I'd certainly dig some sort of fun, with the right set-up.  If I have to run it, it might be a great bookend opposite a two-hour My Little Pony game.

Samurai Swords -  Okay, my college roommate Steve would have to bring his copy to run, but my lone game of Samurai Swords is one the fondest (and scariest) moments in the college basement. #AngryHoyce

Maybe some old-school Axis and Allies with 3rd party expansions???

Contemptible Little Armies - Second Samoan Civil War -  It's my birthday, I love skirmishes in the Second Samoan Civil War, I'll run a game if I want to, dagnabbit!

I was running con games for a decade before this picture at Mepacon I, circa 2000.

Anything nostalgic.... We focused on D&D, Battletech, and my Samoa game for the last gala.  More Battletech?  Legions of Steel?  Battlelords of the 23rd Century? A Wrestlerama tournament?  BURNING PLASTIC????

It's maddening!

Emron.... er, Emeron Unleashed

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, especially for a GM.

My Georic campaign has been adopted by some of my fellow friends over the years.

My friend Hoyce, famed for Zorin Redrock in the Burning Trogs Rule!, Talis Makolin in Ballad of the Pigeon God, and Dr Eric Bowsfield in my Cthulhu game, was one of the players who took the basics of the campaign world (third, or even fourth-hand I believe) put his own take on things and carved out a successful corner of his "Goric" world for almost two decades of gaming. 

Hoyce, in the rocking chair as part of the Boston Experimental Theatre, circa 2007, I didn't even know this and other pictures existed....  and he is credited as Hoyce McGurgle.(not his real name)

Follow me here, it's a little loopy for me.

I originally placed the land of Emron in the far off corner of my original map.  A carbon copy of Glantri in the D&D Known World, when our friend TOWN (The Other White Nate) ran a parallel game to mine at college, to avoid cross-campaign contamination, I let him take complete control over it.  I only made the the PCs in my campaign make a quick (and disastrous visit).  The rest was Nate's; adding characters, tweaking geography and politics, etc.  TOWN dropped out of school, and Hoyce ultimately took over the mantle that game and a number of others over the years. 

When I retrofitted the campaign to fit the fantasy Epic of Aerth, my Emron naturally assumed the territory of Italy and the Balkans, with heavy politics and magistocracies reigning supreme for Hackmaster.  The princes (and princesses) were fleshed out, geo-politics expanded, with new threats, orcish and Atlantean. 

For Hoyce, the last two decades have allowed him to tweak Emron into completely opposite directions, filling in the blank canvas all around.  After years of gameplay, it's now called the Kingdom of Emeron, an Anglicized version of the original concept, but still as awesome as ever.

He's been writing up his current campaign on his blog, Hoyce's Gaming. I'm not a fan of Wordpress and at the time of this writing there are over sixty entries, so I've taken up my rights as the initial shadow concept from long long ago, and collected (and linked) the stories to a page on this blog, Emeron Unleashed. 

Obviously things aren't going to jive with some of the stories, but as I would back in the college days, by Viscount Decree, everything in Hoyce's Emeron campaign will affect the Emron in my Georic, only 100 years later than the dates on the post (1259 is perfect for the setting... I might be able to make the Great Chasm a  reality with 115 years since the last campaign.

So by all means, check out Hoyce's blog, read to your heart's content, and see how much Hoyce, and his players, love that game.  

#RPGaDay 2018 Day 5: Favorite Recurring NPC?

The theme for the first weekend of topics for #RPGaDay 2018 is NPC, and after covering the most memorable NPCs on Saturday, Sunday is "Favorite Recurring NPC?"   To be honest, most of the favorite NPCs in any game are usually the recurring ones.  With only minor overuse, any good NPC can become beloved or reviled.

After reviewing with my players, the favorite recurring NPCs (plural) in my campaign are those from my "The Burning Trogs Rule!"" Hackmaster 4th Edition campaign.

In addition to adding humor to the core AD&D system, Hackmaster's Quirks and Flaws system made for some interesting characters.

Whitey Smallfoot - Halfling Cleric of Yondalla
Whitey was the first and only Hackmaster character I forbid at the table.  Created by my friend Hoyce, Whitey was such a sad combination of physical flaws and societal miscues that he would probably only make a session or two in the campaign.

A one-eyed, lispy, truthful, accident prone, narcoleptic/sound sleeper, sleep chattering, trick knee, migraine suffering, albino, stuttering halfling with male pattern baldness (and facial scars from probably falling asleep next to the fire and not waking up a few times too many), Whitey was not hero material.

But when Hoyce's next character concept, Gnome Titan fighter Zorin Redrock, hit a certain level, his ability to gain a sidekick was immediately filled with Brendlar "Whitey" Smallfoot.

Whitey, before the facial scars.... using some old Fraim Brothers art

Whitey was a beloved sidekick.  Besides being some comic relief, he proved to be a very effective cleric and healer (although the verbal component of the spells took fore-ever to complete.   Whitey somehow survived the entire campaign, and at last glance, runs Zorin's Demurli estate in Trebeizond while the gnome titan finances a revenge-fueled hunt for the Slavers of Roark.

Coreena Ruddledater - Pre-teen Halfling Torchbearer
Somewhere in the early days of the campaign, the Burning Trogs participated in black market slavery, a transaction so heinous, there's no mention of it in the campaign journal.

On one of their early visits to Frandor's Keep, a flood of people fleeing the frontier from the orc hordes overwhelmed the keep.  In the chaos of people desperately trying to resupply and head towards bigger civilizations in Marakeikos, the party was accosted by a halfling man and his wife.  They offered their nine-year old daughter Coreena to them, and if twenty years memory is correct, there were no strings attached, no money to be exchanged.  They just couldn't take care of her while fleeing the orcs.

The Trogs weren't a friendly bunch, but they wouldn't leave a child to die, so they took her... and made her a torchbearer.

The very first mention of Coreena is a few sessions later, after she survived a few dungeon crawls as the party torch bearer, and she was given free and permanent membership within the Burning Trogs.

As Whitey was comic relief and extra healing, little Coreena proved a bit of a bane to the group.  She always seemed to right around the edge of the blast radius of a fireball and the unlucky recipient of a poison trap.  The fact that the Trogs only needed to use Raise Dead on her twice is a sheer miracle and proof that she was a resilient little girl.

By mid-way through the campaign, the Trogs were being a bit more selective to the adventures they would take her on, usually letting her stay and help at the Trog's headquarters in Celsior.

After the campaign, we've assumed that she's gone to school, and university, all on the group's dime, in honor for her heroic efforts at such an early age.

Walter - Backstabbing Property Manager
When the Burning Trogs' HQ was first set-up, Half-Elf Valkyrie of Sif, Cecelia Darkspruce hired a local man named Walter to watch over and maintain the property.  He was well-paid and seemed trusting, until the party left their very pregnant thief, Nina, there to rest and give birth.  Within a short time it was discovered that monies set aside to pay taxes were missing, supplies were dwindling, and Nina was either clueless to all of this, or had been seduced in her post-partum distress.

Cecelia was furious, went into a violent rage, and for the first and only time in any of my games, cast a curse upon the disloyal man.  The now-disfigured man was cast out of town.  There were rumors of him lurking about the outskirts of town, but the Trogs never saw him again.

Now, the follow-up is slated for the Burning Trogs Redux actual plays still in development, but Walter survived, and thrived while constantly believing that the Trogs wronged him, not the other way around.  His rage, greed, and bitterness turned him to the evil ways of Kanar the Dark and he serves a strange master/mistress in the southern mountains of Marakeikos.

Honorable Mention : Ambrose Mogens, Call of Cthulhu

There aren't that many recurring NPCs in my on-hiatus Call of Cthulhu game.  Most die as a plot device or have limited services.

Ambrose Mogens hosted a Christmas Charity ball in New York City which united the new investigators and the old (The Pennywell Hangmen.  He then played a significant role in some dark machinations in The Half-Moon.  The investigators may have set his estate in Queens on fire, but Mogens got additonal test subjects for his horrible experiments through the party.  

Fun fact:  The "Eight Foot Tall Asian" terrorizing the party in Masks of Nylarathotep?  One of the old PCs transformed.    

Mogens established an unsteady truce with some of the Investigators, providing money and services for information and secrets man was not meant to know, possibly helping them on their globe trotting journey to stop a dark god.... the same god Mogens paid heed to, but with different forms and motivations.  He may have also killed the US Ambassador to Japan for them PLUS set them up to serve him in the future, but that's where we stopped.... for now. 

The Noob GM on Cannibal Halfing Gaming

A friend of mine (specifically a friend of The Hoyce, so in turn, a friend of mine), has written an article on her first experience on gamemastering and some advice for those taking the plunge.

Cannibal Halfling Gaming

This Was Madness, This... Was... SATLOF!

I'm sure we've had worse months that this November, but it's flipped us for a doozy.

With everything else happening, the normal holiday bum rush of activity has us going into a tizzy.  To top things off, my 25th high school reunion was scheduled to take place this past Saturday, and having missed my 20th, I felt some obligation to attend.

But there is always SATLOF.

Back in college, my roommate Steve (known for Professor O'Hara, Fonzie, and Echelon) introduced our extended group to FATLOF, the Friday After Thanksgiving Left-Over Feast.  He and his high school friends would get together on Black Friday, bring some leftovers from the previous day's festivities, and eat too much, imbibe a little trash can punch, and play some games.  Our social group, The Society of Neffs, ultimately adopted the same concept on Saturdays, hence the SATLOF.

For nearly two decades, we have kept that date open, as the one time our college friends, as well as extended friends and family, may have a chance to meet up and reconnect.  The festivities have moved south over the years, now occurring in Nate's home in South Allentown.

We got to the shin-dig just in time for food to served, and despite a few cancellations due to picking up the Post-Thanksgiving crud, I was happy to see my friend from high school, Scott, decide to eschew the reunion for SATLOF.

The trash can punch has gone away to give actual children fewer reason for Children & Youth to show up, but there was a fine collection of micro-brews from Old Forge Brewing in Danville, PA that offset the desire to fill a container full of fruit punch and any cheap liquor available in a plastic container.

By the time we got food in our bellies, caught up on everyone's situations, and redirected the kid's pirate game (which was really a LARP) away from the basement bar, it was time to breakout a game.

Steve made the choice easier by breaking out yet another Kickstarter find:  Family Plot, a puntastic card game.

We caught up on some LARPs some of the guys were writing/running, discussed our current group's online game debacle, and then realizing that our incompetent segment of the group at large is far more advanced than we think.

We also learned of the Narwhal Song.... and that companies make Christmas decorations with these elusive Arctic sea mammals.

I've already been informed that the 30th Reunion will take place on SATLOF 2022, so I have four years to get the other missing members of the group to SATLOF, before I may have to take a year off.  

#RPGaDay 2016 Day #27 Most Unusual Circumstance or Location in Which You've Gamed

I'm a traditional gamer who's quite comfortable at the dining room table, basement, attic, garage, back deck, or even in the car on a road trip. The craziest I usually get is some Risus: IOU around the firepit after our Day of Sloth picnic. Sorry, no impromptu games in crack houses,  hospital ER waiting rooms, or on a submarine (and the kids were too young for a real RPG on the last cruise).

If that's the case then the only option I can offer is kicking off my friend Hoyce's bachelor party weekend with a rousing Call of Cthulhu game.   

The idea of renting a house in the Poconos to play games, grill meat, and watch The Big Lebowski was a fantastic idea.   

I don't wish divorce on Hoyce, but I would repeat that weekend in a heartbeat. 
 

(Wayback Wednesday) Hackmaster in Wooly's Attic

This is a picture of our Hackmaster game in the attic of Wooly's house in South Side Easton, circa 2002.   I've used it on and off for the picture in the header (pic with Gaming with the Gnomies in it).   If we get to play Hackmaster, it may reappear.

(L-R) Wooly, Scott, Nichols, Dalcin, Hoyce, Balls, and my fat belly behind the screen.

Sorry, no Cheetos, although the Taco Bell cups might have Mountain Dew.

(TBT) The Other Georic Campaign

Throwback Thursday:  1999, The "other" AD&D campaign being run by my friend and next door dorm neighbor TOWN (The Other White Nate).   I ran the core game on Saturdays, and TOWN branched off his own campaign on Fridays (and any other time the group could get together and focused it in Emron. 

TOWN's campaign turned into a 3e version under Nate (Doc Millheim or Cecelia in my games) and Hoyce took it over.  A modified version of the campaign is still being run as the current game Hoyce is running (AD&D) that I haven't had a chance to participate.

(L to R)  Doug [RIP], Jess, Jeremy, some dude, Hoyce, Nicole, and Steve with a Hat.

This is Madness... This is SATLOF 2015!

Our extended group, both gamer and general weirdo alike, had a lot more mandatory high holy days than we had before.  Halloween and Paupuno Day (Super Bowl Sunday) are both run by Steve and attendance is nothing like it was before.   I have the day of Day of Sloth, and that has declined over the years to the point that this year we effectively had a secret enclave.

Nate has SATLOF, and while the numbers have declined, it is a can't-miss occasion for the core group.

SATLOF (Saturday After Thanksgiving Left Over Feast) was originally a concept (born of Steve's high school friend FATLOF) where everyone brought their leftovers for a party and pig-off two days after Thanksgiving.   It's evolved over the years, to where Nate essentially cooks a turkey with all the fixings, and we all bring a non-leftover item to the festivities (We took responsibilities for corn and rolls.)  Lots of good food, lots of good booze, and perhaps a game or two.

Outside forces have changed the holiday.  Nate moving to Allentown scared away a number of the Pocono attendees.  Kids have certainly changed the dynamic, but since there's more of them now they distract themselves.  And the desire to get completely faced has been whittled down to two or three participants.

This year, the front of the  food line was graced with this disturbing image.  

Of all the aluminum foil clad dishes, one was empty with another picture inside it and  "You chose ... Poorly..."  Food was great as always.

We managed to shed the children and meet at the basement bar for gaming and liquor.    Steve broke out Eggs and Empires, and it still ran great with six players.

The Silver Gnome overlooks the fate of the Empire.

I then broke down and played my first-ever game of Cards Against Humanity.    I stand by all my previous claims, although I must admit it was a raucous good time.  As my girls were quietly playing on the other side of the basement, I was given the questionable cards to read alot, essentially a parental filter.  Luckily, I only needed to rework one card.  

We got 15 minutes of game talk in, solidifying the 13th for the first game of the 2nd Edition AD&D campaign Hoyce wants to start.  I covered Spirit of '77 with a few of them, and we had a hasty debate about using Goodberries on unconscious characters.

The International Sign for a Par-Tay!

I had a great time, the girls had a fun time playing with some ... boys (???), and even my wife enjoyed herself.  So long as there are toys, I don't think I need to bring along kids games for the group, but it's a good cross-section for a playtest.

Wargaming Miscellany: I Have Been to Fortress Louisbourg

In the distant days of studying history in the scenic Poconos, my friend Hoyce perseverated over the impenetrable fortress at Louisbourg.  He went so far as to make it the subject of his Master's thesis, tenatively titling it "The Titantic of Forts."

Between then and now we had a few pie-in-the-sky attempts to make a pilgrimage to Canada to visit it, and perhaps do some more research, but the time and finances never matched up.

Apparently, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia is a stop of British cruises of Canada and America and Bob Cordery of Wargaming Miscellany recently took a tour.

From Wargaming Miscellany

Now when I hit my millions, I need to plan a gaming-focuses North Atlantic cruise, just to have a mandatory tour of Louisbourg? 

Sounds good to me!

Gaming Plan for 2016

Another crazy, productive year is behind me.  What can I reasonably shoot for in 2016 (Which by my heretical ways runs October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016)?

Most of my goals fell flat this past year, and many that didn't were short lived.  Let's prioritze this list a bit better this year, shall we?

My Girls:  The whole reason I try to play as many games as I do.  Sure, it's not Squad Leader, but it's not (always) Candyland either.   Activities with the girls:

• Savage Showdown:  We're still early in, but the ladies like their skirmish level game and I've got tons of scenarios.  Plus, it allows me to paint individual figures most of the time.
• Role-Playing:  Between a Revival of Dungeons and Ponies, A Village on the Hill, TWERPS, T.I.A.R.A. and some Kids TV games based off of Scavengers, I have way too much potential here. Plastic Tanks and Princesses are mandatory.
• Kid's Game:  My main failure at #30GamesAMonth, beyond scheduling, time, and energy.  Not enough quick kid/family games for ages 6 and under.  Time to start accumulating games for ages 9 and under, especially dice games.

Call of Cthulhu:  The game has sort of stalled, being in a long term campaign storyline versus the series of one-offs tied into a campaign can do that.  My goal is to progress through Cairo, maybe Kenya before the money dries up, and tie-up some loose ends before we turn our attentions elsewhere.  The group might make it the Shanghai (not this year at least), and we can keep going.   If I happen to grab Invictus, we might take a breather to recharge interest in the game and our batteries. 

Hackmaster:  The Burning Trogs are coming back, ten years later, and revenge is on their minds.   I'm definitely more enthused at the prospect of mega sessions of crunchy gaming than CoC at this second, but there's a lot of work to be done to get to the first session.

Emereon - AD&D, 2nd Edition:  As if that's bad enough, the return of the wise and and insufferable Hoyce to Pennsylvania has instill desire in him to restart his AD&D game.  My street ruffian made good is halfway finished, but I don't know where the time to game will come from.  #NerdWorldProblems.

Samoa:  I'm sticking with the first half of my Samoa goal from last year: The great thing about painting up all the Samoans is that I can pop them of the shelf and have a skirmish any time I want to. Village raids were commonplace, so a few huts and that's all I need.   I might add a few more figures and some paper huts and BOOM, there's my game for Cold Wars... without borrowing stuff from other gamers.

Conventions:  Fall-In! (Daddy-Daughter Weekend - Paying Attendee), Cold Wars (Guys Weekend - Gnomes and Samoa), Mepacon Spring 2016 (Birthday Weekend - To Be Determined).   That's it.

Gnome Wars: It's the original inspiration for the blog.  It shall never go away, even if I'm just doing the joust for Fall-In!  Perhaps I'll try to assemble enough material to run the Battle of Yellowstone for Fall-In! 2016, without borrowing stuff from other players.  I'd like the girls to be re-interested in them so I we can play another game or two of the Astro-Surfian War.    And after I recharge and get motivated by the Gnomes at Fall-In! I'll go back to writing.

Frostgrave/Mordheim: Frostgrave is reviving fantasy skirmish.  It might be worth a gander. 

Painting:  Nothing grandiose again... or perhaps... just a bit:

• Gnomes:  still a LOT of touch up to do, and perhaps the Irish... or Germans... or Australian Cav get finally get finished
• Martians:  the bin o' GW/Heartbreaker goblins I've snagged on the cheap is calling my name, and the paint schemes I have for them are fairly unique and inspiring.  I have some cheapo spider to practic on first (for the girls, of course).
• Samoa:  Whatever I buy must go the front of the queue.
• Terrain:  Palm Trees forever!  Must build up the jungle terrain.
• Battletech:  I've got 18 more to go.   When the system was hitting all cylinders over the summer, it was fun to paint them up.
• Operation Tom Sawyer II:  Keep mixing things up, prepping for the next Savage Worlds game, and just make sure painting isn't a chore.
• Professional Painting:  I've said it most years, I'll finally have the UNE Pioneer and Behemoth painted up a la Planetstorm.  Get a quote at Fall-In!, drop them off at Cold Wars.

2015 Gaming Year in Review

Like a contorted hockey season, my gaming year is officially over.

The Blog
2013-2014 was a banner year and 2014-2015 blew that out of the water.   I averaged more than a post a day and my hits went up about 20%.  Somebody's reading this!  Of course, a spam hit from Italy overinflated my growth post-Historicon.  I hate Italy.

The Top Ten Blog Posts of the Last Twelve Months
1. Battle of Isandlwana, Family Style
2. Cold Wars 2015 - Friday
3. History of the Gnome World, Part One
4. The Board
5. Mandatory Holiday Swag
6. Plunder from the Tomb
7. The Lost Shrine of Tu'Lip
8. Sphinx Head by Maja
9. RPGaDay (2014) Favorite Con Game
10. Reaper Bones Kickstarter Launches in June

The readers have spoken, so family-fun AARs it shall remain!

The Best Laid Plans
So, looking back at my plans back in October 2014, the year appears to be a dismal failure.

• Car Wars?  Nothing, save jumping on the Arenas Kickstarter
• Samoa?  Outside of restoring some beat up figs, the island was quiet.
• Home?  Filed deep into my records.  I'll try not to mention it again.
• The Gnomish Space Marines?  Despite hyping some playtesting at Mepacon, I was forced to cancel and haven't looked at things since.

So what has happened?

The FLGS
Emerald Vale moved down the street and expanded it's square footage and inventory, while reducing its owners from two to one.   I did some Sunday night booster drafts last Fall, and lived la vida loca at a midnight pre-release tournament.    I actually haven't played Magic since, although I did acquire one of my beloved Ihf-Biff Efreets, put it in the Treefolk Deck, and shoved that in a drawer.

They seem to be doing well with Magic, Infinity, Games Workshop, Heroclix, and an unusally active Blood Bowl group (when did Blood Bowl get expensive... along with everything else?). 

It is the one place in my life that I've encountered vaping, and as much as the smell of cigarettes on someone coming in from a smoke break disgusts me, the idea of someone vaping while playing a game makes me want to smash their faces in with a lead pipe.  If it's permitted in the game area, I'll avoid game nights. 

Now, I've discovered that the one owner has gotten out and the other is moving the store again to another location within a quarter mile. Joy of joys.

They're also not particularly responsive to my idiot proof special orders I've submitted from my Apathy of the New Releases columns.  Nothing comes out till October, but I've yet to know if anything was even ordered.

My only 5-gnome-out-of-5 gnome review, Pop's Culture Shoppe, is finalizing their webstore, and I'm tempted to avoid close proximity, eschew Amazon discounts, and pay for shipping and handling if Pop's can just communicate and get my stuff to me.

For now, the FLGS is getting drink and chip purchases for the kids when we make a futile run there.

Cold Wars 2015
We got back to the core group (Steve, Brian, and myself) for the "Guy's Weekend" and we had a good time. I played in a Western using Blood and Swash,  a WW2 game using Doctor Who Miniatures Game, Two types of Jousts, including blowing through the competition to win the Gnome Joust!  As I plan for Fall-In! in November, I'll try to plan a weekend like that, just with a six year old in tow.  I'll go light on the Mad Elf.

Kickstarter
My Kickstarter addiction resolves most issues that I have with my FLGS. 
Car Wars Arenas  - ON TIME/EARLY
De Horrore Cosmico  - DELIVERED - ON TIME
Pyramid of the Lost King  - LATE, VERY VERY LATE
Reaper Bones III (Add-ons Only) - JUST COMPLETED.  CAN ADD ON MORE THROUGH MAY
Scavengers RPG - PLAYTEST PDF ARRIVED, A WEE BIT LATE
Tales of the Caribbean   - CAMPAIGN JUST STARTED
Star Patrol: Carrier Commander - CAMPAIGN JUST STARTED

Of the old stuff from last year that's still pending, only the RAFM CoC minis are still outstanding, and it's just a matter of shipping them from Canada.

The Mini-Birthday Throwdown
Unlike last year's epic throwdown, this was a small affair with Brian and Steve involving Harbor, Battletech, Tiny Epic Defender, and a cutthroat game of Connect Four.  

Operation Tom Sawyer
My plan to clear off the painting table was a moderate success.  Only 53 new items painted, but I fixed up most of my Samoan armies and Gnome armies (207 total).   I also whitewashed the table and have some tiny projects in the queue for once.

Games
#30GamesAMonth:   Thirty different games over thirty days in September was a grandiose task that real life crushed like a steel-toe boot. 

Gnome Wars: Not Much this year.  The kids have been happy with smaller scale 25mm skirmish/role-playing.

Magic:  I have quenched my thirst for the game for another decade.  It was enjoyable while it lasted.

Zombie Dice:  Zombie Dice has become the go-to game in the family.  It's quick, it's simple enough for Millie, and Maja tries to teach every person that walks in the door. 

CoC - People were maimed in England, but in Egypt, the gloves have come off.  Character death may be a way of life in Cairo.  The players have been warned.

Savage Showdown: I've tried using this stripped down version of Savage Worlds to replace T.I.A.R.A. and Gnome Wars, and so far, the kids like it.  Fast and simple, until the special rules kick in.

Of course, the biggest news of the year occurred last month, when the beloved Hoyce returned to the area.  We're desperately trying to arrange CoC, Hackmaster, and 2nd Edition AD&D games with him, as well as convincing him to become another fella on the guys weekend to Cold Wars 2016.!

The 2015 Gaming with the Gnomies Awards!
Best Kickstarter:  De Horrore Cosmico.  Great book, great communication, and I don't even own a copy of Cthulhu Invictus!  It's that good.

Worst Kickstarter:  Reaper Bones II  - Somehow RAFM, now with a ten-month delay, gets a pass because the minis are awesome.  They share the same fate as Chaosium, not having enough money to ship crap out.  Perhaps I just expect a company as professional as Reaper being able to schedule in enough delays into production so late when an item is late, it's still early according to Kickstarter guidelines.  It could be far, far worse, as some of the $1 pledges I've made are for projects that will never see light of day.

Best Game:  ZOMBIE DICE.  Although the Risus IOU game was the best role-playing session,  this game keeps our family together.  Can't beat that.

Best RPG Buy: Cold Harvest - Stalinist Era scenario.  Who's worse, the Mythos or the humans?

Best Minis Buy:  The Battletech Introductory Boxed Set I got from my wife for Christmas.  Sure, it's more expensive than the old Games Workshop boxed sets that I use to gauge "expensive." but it comes with soooo many minis, and  a better painting guide than GW produces (and charges additional for).

Best "Other Purchase"  The spice rack my wife got me for my paints ranks up there, but the Windsword Miniatures Sphinx Head that Maja painted wins out. 

 

Too Lazy for the Day of Sloth

Ever since I moved to Wilkes-Barre to live with my wife many moons ago, the Sunday before Labor Day has been the Day of Sloth, a pot-luck picnic for all our friends and family.  While the mundanes eat and go, the gamers tended to congregate in certain areas and game till the wee hours (aka, my wife kicked them out).

Between all the troubles I vaguely allude to on this blog, declining attendance, and a chaotic work schedule, I decided (with no argument from my wife) to not host the party for this year, and see where it goes in 2016.

Outside of three or four people inquiring about the lack of the regular Facebook event, most people didn't even bother, so I think I made the right call.  Those who did inquire were disappointed, but understood.  The threat of the first-week-of-school stomach bug hitting the kids and spreading made a few of those more relieved.

But my wife had a plan.    After hearing me go on and on about the arrival of our friend Hoyce and his wife from Boston to the Poconos and the restarting the old Hackmaster campaign, she contacted a few of the people I mentioned in the stories and lo' and behold, most of the group arrived on Sunday afternoon!

We talked shop regarding Call of Cthulhu, relaunching Hackmaster, and Hoyce re-starting his 2nd Edition campaign world, which directly evolved from the group's Friday night game that The Other White Nate (TOWN) ran.  Hoyce took over the reigns when Town went back to western PA and a lot has happened in his version of "Emeron" and the White Wizard Dillman.  He plans on restarting it and letting me be an actual player.

There's gotta be a catch with that.  If not, I'll create one.

We did play the Day of Sloth traditional Risus - Illuminati University (IOU) game.  It was fitting, as Hoyce was the first player to ever create a character for the game, and nine years later, he finally managed to run Mister Bipp.

Actual play to follow, but it was cathartic to let loose and role-play with no inhibitions.  We have grown old and become a group of bastards, and after missing the game for two (?) years, it's interesting on how the cliche Bill Cosby Fanatic (1) creates a different result than originally designed.

After talking it over with the Mrs, the Day of Sloth is scheduled to go off as normal next year on Sunday, September 4th.  Considering last year we had one gamer attend and 30+ mundanes, I'd hope the ratio is a bit more even next year.