Monthly Archives: July 2015

RPGs

Six Years!

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Today marks six years since I started this blog, way back in 2009. I had 29 posts in July and August that year, most of my posts were about past experiences as a player, more of a player’s journal. I was reading blogs of all the various OSR bloggers, several of whom ceased to blog, and decided I wanted to record my recollections and ideas. I didn’t pay attention and only a few weeks ago realized that last year was the big 5. Lots of bloggers seem to do that – get surprised when they hit certain milestones of time or number of posts.

2010 and 2011 were completely ignored – no blog posts. I got divorced in 2010, and had a lot of other things going on for a while there. I managed to read a few of my favorite blogs, and some disappeared in that time frame.

In 2012, when I finally dusted off my campaign notes and started playing with my sons, I managed a post that mentioned it. I also managed a post about random directions. It even had some tables!

2013 was ignored again. I played a time or two with my sons, but was not in or running any other games, and wasn’t following RPG blogs much.

Finally in January, 2014, I read about the D&D 40th Anniversary Blogging Challenge, so I signed up. Something about it being the 40th anniversary of D&D and my 36th year since I started with Holmes Blue Box, lit a fire. I posted blog posts in every month except January and September. My posting slowed in the summer when I was outside enjoying the short period of warm weather and sunshine we get in southwest Michigan. 2014 saw 226 posts, that’s almost 62% of the year. I hit 100 posts on March 17th, 2014.

I managed 27 posts in November, 2014 when I also participated in NaNoWriMo and over 60,000 words on a first draft of a novel. When I drafted this article in late March, I still had not written the last few chapters so I can start the second draft. I slowed to 8 posts in December, as it is the start of my busy time of year at work. [I still have to finish that first draft….]

January, 2015 saw 10 articles posted, and I started posting daily on January 28th. I reached 300 posts on March 4th., and 400 posts on May 9th. I did not pay attention to what my 200th post was.

So here I am, six years, almost 480 posts, an infrequent AD&D game with my sons, a Wednesday night AD&D G+/Roll20 game that has been going since March, 2014, and have played the last few sessions in +Roy Snyder’s DCC campaign. I have made a few contributions to the OSR and participated in some contests, and collaborative efforts. I ran my first session at a convention, made some new friends. Some I see somewhat regularly, and others I touch base with online.

I look forward to more games, more cons, more friends, and sharing and learning online!

 

RPGs

Soooo MANY SALES!

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ARG! Two days ago I posted that I was cutting back on RPG related purchases and today it’s all over the place that Lulu and Frog God Games are both having huge sales.

Oh well, discipline is easy when you grow up poor and used to making due. I have more than enough toys that I haven’t played with yet, so I will endure.

Now if such sales will be there when I am finally ready to make more purchases….

RPGs

Berserkers Explained

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Lindy Beige does a good job of explaining things. Sometimes he drones on past the point of having explained it, but I enjoy his videos.

So he debunks what most of us think of as berserkers in his latest video. Will that change how people play berserkers? Probably not.

I still find it interesting, and can see how a viking type campaign can use berserkers in a more historical way. Can you imagine how freaked players would be when they hear that they are greeted by the local lord’s berserker?

RPGs

Treasure Needed

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Why can’t the real world be more like D&D? I’ve been helping my son and his family and have some funds tied up that I could be spending on fun stuff. What I need is a dungeon to loot and get rich enough to not have to work for awhile.

So I have to cut back on some purchases, like Mythoard, and buying stuff online as it strikes my fancy. I need to make sure I have the funds for the two conventions I plan to attend in the Fall, Con On the Cob, in Ohio, and UCon, in Michigan.

I will have fewer reviews of new stuff. I guess that means I need to finish up reading things I have bought recently and get my reviews posted. I will have more time, now that my son and his family are not living with me. Not seeing my granddaughter every day and enjoying her smile is tough, but they’re close enough I can visit every day, if I wanted.

I’m looking forward to a slow weekend in a few days, when I don’t have to travel for work, or help do a move.

I’ll be doing a staycation the weekend after this coming weekend, so I can get more done on getting my AD&D campaign ready to go for online play. Hopefully, getting caught up on some projects around the house doesn’t take up too much time.

RPGs

Pluto & New Horizons

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The New Horizons probe does its flyby of Pluto today.

This is a big deal, technology and a sense of adventure all in one.

I am old enough that I remember knowing about the nine planets, when Pluto was still a planet, and how many moons Jupiter and Saturn had. Voyager 1 and 2 changed the count of the moons, as did subsequent probes, The count of moons around other planets has changed so much, I can’t remember the number of moons I had memorized way back when. It is that realization as a kid that we don’t know it all that grabbed my attention.

A solar system is so huge that it is easy for exploration and travel to reveal new features all the time. Even if everything in a system was mapped, interstellar bodies could be captured, or pass through a system.

If one planned a science fiction campaign limited to one system, there would be plenty of locations for the action.

RPGs

Monster Manual PDF Updated

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I just got the email that the Monster Manual PDF was updated. Based on last week’s email about the Player’s Handbook, I assume that means that the Monster Manual PDF with the Gygax Memorial cover will be available for sale tomorrow. It is not currently available for sale at the moment, just like last week.

So my guess is that next week will be the DMG.

I read a post last week on OSR Today thatsuggested WOTC might release one PDF to market each week in the build up to GenCon. I’m hoping this is a sign that is right.

Can the PDF’s for OD&D and Chainmail be far behind?  I would also like other manuals that I have a hard copy, but not a PDF, like Unearthed Arcana. I like some of the spells and weapons.

Well, my download finished, and just like the Player’s Handbook last week, it is the one with the Gygax Memorial cover. The artwork and text is crisp. The multi-creature stat blocks copy and stay in columns, for example, Beetles. There is only a single space between each column, but this is good. The table of contents and index do not have clickable links, but it is searchable. A welcome textual replacement at about 1/3 the size of the original Monster Manual PDF,

Here are what should be the valid [affiliate] links when they release the PDF for sale.

RPGNow

DriveThruRPG

DNDClassics

[UPDATE: Collected Errata for all AD&D 1st Edition Re-Prints at Dragonsfoot.}

RPGs

The Conquereor – 1956

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The medievalist.net has an article calling The Conqueror, starring John Wayne as the worst movie ever made.

It depends on what qualities you are judging this movie. John Wayne as Timojin, AKA Genghis Khan is a stretch. The acting and script may not be the best, but the action scenes, as I recall them from 30+ years ago were a lot of fun. I only saw the movie once.

I watched the trailer and the cavalry charges and other fighting scenes are cool. The clip with the dancers wasn’t bad either. Of course, my judgement is as a 1950’s action movie. There is action and adventure and challenges to the hero. There is also a love interest.

I don’t think this is the worst movie I have ever seen. I think it is one that I will track down and watch again. It fits a lot of the stereotypes of the fantasy adventure genre of RPG’s. If you play D&D or a similar FRPG, this movie should be a fun little diversion.

RPGs

Adventure Idea/Locale – Isle of Wights

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The way my mind works, I see or read something and it triggers an idea.

A year or two ago, I came up with an idea for an adventure setting/locale/module, The Isle of Wights. Quite obviously appropriated from the Isle of Wight. I haven’t done more than think about this, but it’s on my list of future projects.  If you think about it, use the name of any monster and pair it with Isle, Tower, Pit, or other noun and you have a module name.

Plenty of barrows, tombs, and catacombs would be needed, and shipwreck survivors, or the unwitting making landfall for provisions, would add to the supply of wights.

In addition, who says that the only undead on the island are wights? All many of undead and creeping and slimy things that are at home in a tomb or cemetery would be found there.

As per the AD&D Monster Manual, liches look like wights or mummies, and wraiths resemble wights.

Any adventurers who end up on this island without silver or magic weapons, holy water, and at least one cleric (of sufficiently high level), would not last long. Of course a few powerful wizards would come in handy.