Category Archives: RPGs

Movies I Want to See

“Real Life” keeps getting in the way of movies.

The last new release I saw was Godzilla and I enjoyed it. I would have enjoyed it more if I had not heard the “review” on NPR the day of release. A review doesn’t tell the movie, it explains it. If I did a review paper for school, way back when, I would have gotten a poor grade. The movie was more true to the original Godzilla movies of my youth.

Before that, I saw Captain America, Winter Soldier. I also enjoyed that.

Anyway, the list…

  • Maleficent
  • How To Train Your Dragon
  • X-Men: Days of Future Past.
  • Amazing Spider Man II
  • Edge of Tomorrow

I have too many other activities and interests. I own a home with a yard and have a dog. All supported by my full time job.

Most of my leisure time has been directed at playing D&D with my son and his girlfriend on weekends. We have had 5 sessions, I think? It has been a lot of fun. We had to cancel last weekend, but so far, we are on for Sunday! I can’t wait.

GenCon 2014

I have always wanted to go to GenCon since high school, back when it was in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

I was seriously considering going this year. I have the time off and I can make the financing for a room for a few nights work without selling the debt load.

Indianapolis is only 3 hours 45 minutes from home.

I just found out today that I have to go to Illinois and make a big presentation to attract some new business. I’m not a sales rep, but I know the program, etc.

I may see about taking time off around that and swing by GenCon on my way home, just a day to say I went.

I will see how things play out.

Some family things are going on that will affect a lot of what I do between now and then.

Origins 2014

I just learned that Origins starts tomorrow. I have heard of Origins, but it does not stick in my mind like GenCon or other local cons.

I need to get these on my calendar ahead of time. It’s only about a 4 1/2 hour drive, only about 45 min further than to Indianapolis from home.

Real life gets in the way of fun.

If I didn’t have to be on client site to do training on Monday, I would figure out a way to go.

It also interferes with an organization that is having a picnic on Saturday that I had already planned to attend.

The good news is that my son and his girlfriend want to play some more on Sunday!

Play Time – June 1, 2014

My son and his girlfriend came over and we played all day and until 10:30 pm.

Most of it was role playing as they managed to catch the baron in a gap in his schedule and they presented him a magic longsword, shield and silver circlet they recovered from one of the tombs they looted. It surprised me that they did not keep the magic items, since one of them is a half-elf fighter/magic user, she could have used the bonuses. They were thinking larger and wanting favor. They also gave a 5,000 s.p. (I use the silver standard) necklace for the baron’s bride to be. I determined that the sword and shield belonged to a long-dead knight, and named them “Foe-Bane” and “Defender”, which I determined before they decided to give them away. The captain of the guard would not allow a gift until either the town wizard or the town sage ruled on them, because security was so tight.

After they found out what they were, they go to see the baron, and get in to talk to the captain. The captain has heard of these items as a boy. He sends word and the baron is available. So now they get to meet the baron. I rolled and the baron was available. I rolled again and he invited them to the wedding, etc. The baron did advise them to get better clothes, since they were running around in their ratty battle worn and blood stained clothes.

It is funny how I determined the course of events, and how they decided to insert themselves into the narrative. The King and court, ambassadors, nobles, etc. all showed up because the bride is the king’s niece, and he was he guardian as she was orphaned young. The king elevated the baron to a marcher lord over the peninsula and the ancient city. The baron’s role of keeping the nasties from going north into the kingdom has expanded to subdue the nasties and expand the kingdom.

The PCs were able to watch the ceremony through the doors of the temple.

They managed to get to meet the baron and his new bride after the ceremony, and were then introduced to the king and queen by the baron, and spoke with a couple of other powerful NPCs.

There are now so many plot hooks and red herrings that they know about, that the players can’t do more than I am ready for without abandoning their plans and leaving the area for parts unknown. Since they have declared their plans, “To take over the world.” With their cleared kobold warren as their base, I don’t see them going outside the present boundaries of the sandbox.

This is great as it further limits my focus. I need to fill in a few things here and there, but it feels so much more manageable now that I know where they plan to go.

It is so cool and fun to know that they have enjoyed our sessions and want to do more.

I can’t wait to do more planning and preparation AND the next session!

Text – Game On!

My son texted me last night asking if I was up for another game session on Sunday. Like he had to ask? I think it was to make sure I didn’t have other plans.

I have been working on things slowly for the next session, because it will involve a lot of role playing, I am trying to make sure I don’t generate a lot of new hooks, which I tend to do when I really get into it.

I got in a couple hours of organizational stuff.

Today, I just need to fill in the gaps of things I left open ended and undefined.

What are the NPC’s up to that don’t have time for the players? (I think I really had them going that it was some big plot point. Who knows, it might be….)

What are the names of all the major NPCs that will be in town for the baron’s wedding? I know who they are, I just need names. For a few I need stats, age, and descriptions. For the ones that they won’t end up in combat, I think I can glide over the stats.

Oops. I just realized that for certain classed NPCs, I need to think about henchmen, which there will be some….

This is one way to flesh out a sandbox, have a big event with lots of powerful people.

Well, I better quit with the writing and get on with the planning.