Best RPGs of 2011?

I was thinking back on this past year and the absolute ton of material released.  While it is has been a good year in terms of quantity (rumors of the death of the hobby continue unabated since 1986), I am not sure I could name my favorite product from 2011.

My favorite purchases that were new in 2011 were the Heroes of the Feywild, Call of Cthulhu Anniversary Edition and the DC Adventures Heroes and Villains book.  There are others I know.  I reviewed them here.  But for the life of me, nothing is sticking out.

What were YOUR favorite games out in 2011?
Why did you like them?

Kid's Games

I have signed up to run some games at my kids' elementary school.

It is part of their after-school program.  So in February I am running 2 sessions of two-weeks each of D&D.  Totally introductory, 1st level.  I am even going to buy dice for the kids.

My plan was to run D&D 4e out of the new Red Box.  But this weekend I also picked up the new Pathfinder boxed set.  It is really, really nice.

The two are comparable on every level to be honest.  Figures or tokens for characters and monsters, maps, player's books, DM's books, a starting adventure.  Nice sturdy box and dice.
But now I find myself in the situation of which one to run?

Both have their merits and I know I could both justice and my audience justice with either.

I was talking to my friend Greg who runs a Pathfinder game with my son and his own kids.  He suggested run both, D&D4 one session and Pathfinder the next.
I think that is a great idea to be honest.  Though it is twice the work for me.

I would run the same adventure for 1st levels. So I might have to make something up.
Here is what I am looking for:

• Appropriate for new players 
• Plenty of chances for everyone to be a hero
• Should include teamwork
• I'd like them fight a dragon, even a small one, at the end

I guess the Pathfinder adventure is the box is close to that, but I have not checked it out in detail yet.  If so doing a 4e conversion will be easy.

Now before anyone says "Why aren't you play XXXX game?", simple, these are the ones I have chosen.  These are the ones that have the mainstream appeal and the kids will be able to then later go to the store and get them.  I am trying to entice the next generation of players and to do that I need to be able to steer them to product they can play on their own in their own groups.

I'll keep you all posted on what is going on with this.

All I Want for Christmas is...

The Dresden Files RPG.

I have been going back and forth on this one for a while, but I want to have my own hard copy now.
I bought the PDFs at DriveThru and I thought they were fantastic, but never thought I want the hard copies too.

Well now I do.

Gotta tell my kids.

Zatannurday: Deviant Art Research

I had post for today, but I am not quite done with it.
So instead I am posting the "surplus" of the research for that post (which you will see next week).

So here are some more Deviant Art Zatannas!



Zatanna 2 by ~Pencilbags on deviantART


Ame-comi Zatanna by *SANTI-IKARI on deviantART


ZATANNA II by ~LORENA-CARVALHO on deviantART


UnCD-annataZ by =windriderx23 on deviantART


Illustrious Bits Week 2 - Zatanna by *Ricber on deviantART


Zatanna by ~ronsalas on deviantART


Zatanna commission LCF by *manulupac on deviantART


Zatanna Dave Hoover by ~pressy24 on deviantART

Random Stuff Friday

I had a cool post for today, but on re-reading it this morning I realized it might need some edits first.  Game stats and trying to get day-job work in at the same time is not good for either.

So instead here are some random things I'd like to share with you.

My friend Kim Pauley has a new book coming out, "Cat Girl's Day Off" about a girl whose super power is the ability to talk to cats.  If it is like her last books, the "Sucks to Be Me" series, then is should be fun.  Expect to see some stats for Natalie Ng here in the future!
http://www.kimberlypauley.com/2011/12/09/the-cover/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1037171487?ean=9781600608834&itm=8&usri=kimberly+pauley

Douglas Wall would like you all to check out his fun game "Adventures in Oz".
It is a fun game in and off itself, but I also think it is a good supplement, like an Oz source book for whatever game you are also playing now.  I already did a "Wicked" version of the main good guy, er, wait, sorry main witch (I can't help it, the Wicked Witch of the West IS the hero for me, has been since I was little).
I think you should check it out.
http://fdouglaswall.blogspot.com/2011/12/why-you-should-be-playing-adventures-in.html

IO9, the website obsessed with all things in geek culture has a cool "Rules of Magic" chart up and it is huge.
I did notice some errors, but they expected there would be some.
http://io9.com/5866306/the-rules-of-magic-according-to-the-greatest-fantasy-sagas-of-all-time

Enjoy!

You are playing what??!

I am sitting here.  Avoiding work. Starring lovingly at my stack of DC Heroes books and wondering why I don't have more of them.

This got me thinking.  What games are you all playing that you don't think anyone outside of your group is still playing?

For me it's True 20.  I still like it.
I'd love to get a good Superhero game going again; Silver Age Sentinels would be cool, V&V, DC Heroes, I am not picky.

What are you all playing that you are sure no one else is?

Now this is disapointing

Was checking on my stats today and noticed a few new hit coming from the OSR's pet troll.  Went there to see what "she" was saying and saw this instead.

Well.  At least she didn't get all dramatic and ragequit.  Or maybe she did, I might have missed it.
I was at least getting 5-6 hits from this blog a week.  What am I ever going to do about the loss of traffic.

Actually what I find most disturbing is the number of hits I am getting on my Houri write-up from a website forum of people looking for rape-themed RPGs.  Guys, not here.