With record numbers of families hitting Gen Con this year this next Kickstarter is not a huge surprise.
The Baby Bestiary by Andreas Walters
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/metalweavedesigns/the-baby-bestiary
Infant and young versions of classic monsters.
This is exactly something my kids would have loved a couple of years ago and it would make a great gift to a younger gamer.
The art so far looks great. They are offering a book, a calendar, desktop wallpapers and post cards.
They have 3 weeks left and are already funded. So check them out.
Friday, August 22, 2014
#RPGaDAY Day 22, Best Secondhand RPG Purchase
#RPGaDAY Day 22, Best Secondhand RPG Purchase
In one of my many moves during college and grad school I lost a milk crate's worth of my 1st Edition books. I lost most of my modules, some Dungeon magazines, my Basic and Expert Sets and all my 1st Ed Hardbacks except my Deities and Demigods. I still had all my 2nd ed stuff, Ravenloft and some of my modules.
At first I was not too bummed out. I had 2nd ed and I was kind of getting out of D&D.
A few years later I saw some near mint 1st ed books on eBay. My wife saw them and told me to get them. Must have been something in the water because no one bidded on them.
I got a PHB, MM, DMG, and a FF all for about 60 bucks. At the time I called it a steal and I still do!
In one of my many moves during college and grad school I lost a milk crate's worth of my 1st Edition books. I lost most of my modules, some Dungeon magazines, my Basic and Expert Sets and all my 1st Ed Hardbacks except my Deities and Demigods. I still had all my 2nd ed stuff, Ravenloft and some of my modules.
At first I was not too bummed out. I had 2nd ed and I was kind of getting out of D&D.
A few years later I saw some near mint 1st ed books on eBay. My wife saw them and told me to get them. Must have been something in the water because no one bidded on them.
I got a PHB, MM, DMG, and a FF all for about 60 bucks. At the time I called it a steal and I still do!
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Cosplaying Drow
I am not sure what everyone thinks about this, but there is a good post on Cosplaying Drow.
http://blackroleplayersorganization.blogspot.com/2014/08/cosplaying-drow.html
I know there are some people out there reading this that are not going to "get it". And to be honest my understanding is academic at best. I belong to the power class. I am a well off, hetero, white male in a hobby predominated by white males. But that doesn't mean I don't have empathy or understanding.
To me a universally despised race that is inherently evil being depicted as dark skinned seemed to smack a little too much of racism or white-privilege at the least. I have prefered to make my Drow pale skinned like the monstrous Morlocks from H.G. Wells. Though I am also happy with purple or pale blue Drow (no offense to Scottish people).
No I don't see this as reverse racism since like most Irish descendants I tend to be more pale pink than anything else. My wife who has more Ukrainian in her background tends to be more reddish.
What are your thoughts?
I happen to agree with the original poster. It is not how some other might see things, but how the people who have been harmed might.
http://blackroleplayersorganization.blogspot.com/2014/08/cosplaying-drow.html
I know there are some people out there reading this that are not going to "get it". And to be honest my understanding is academic at best. I belong to the power class. I am a well off, hetero, white male in a hobby predominated by white males. But that doesn't mean I don't have empathy or understanding.
To me a universally despised race that is inherently evil being depicted as dark skinned seemed to smack a little too much of racism or white-privilege at the least. I have prefered to make my Drow pale skinned like the monstrous Morlocks from H.G. Wells. Though I am also happy with purple or pale blue Drow (no offense to Scottish people).
No I don't see this as reverse racism since like most Irish descendants I tend to be more pale pink than anything else. My wife who has more Ukrainian in her background tends to be more reddish.
What are your thoughts?
I happen to agree with the original poster. It is not how some other might see things, but how the people who have been harmed might.
#RPGaDAY Day 21, Favourite Licensed RPG
#RPGaDAY Day 21, Favourite Licensed RPG
Is this even a question? ;)
Ghosts of Albion is my baby. I will write other games, I might even write batter ones, but Ghosts was like nothing else.
I also enjoy Buffy, Elric, Call of Cthlhu (that is sorta licensed), the various DC Comics RPGs and more.
I'll also admit that d20 Star Wars is my favorite version of that game, but I like all versions of Star Trek.
Is this even a question? ;)
Ghosts of Albion is my baby. I will write other games, I might even write batter ones, but Ghosts was like nothing else.
I also enjoy Buffy, Elric, Call of Cthlhu (that is sorta licensed), the various DC Comics RPGs and more.
I'll also admit that d20 Star Wars is my favorite version of that game, but I like all versions of Star Trek.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Owl & Weasel Wednesday #6 July 1975
Page 1 of the issue describes the game we all know so well and it is interesting to read something like this; the game as something new and different. The editors admit they are already obsessed with it and there is even a dragon on the masthead, making the issue temporarily Dragon, Owl & Weasel.
The article is continued later in the issue. Steve Jackson describes the contents of the box, 3 "little" books and not thousands of pieces. Though he adds that he thinks $10.00 is "too much" to pay for the game. Some things never change really. Jackson concludes calling D&D a "modern classic".
Moving on in the issue. The Letters page has a letter complaining about the lack women in gaming. Again some things never changing.
Later on Steve Jackson discusses the costs of D&D. Again the $10.00 price tag is mentioned, but also $5.00 for Chainmail and "at least" $2.50 for dice. Minifigs are also mentioned with several genres mentioned. Additionally Games Workshop reports that they will be selling D&D in at least three weeks.
Page 11 is the second part of Percy Kenyon's coverage of Mah Jong. Interesting and more complicated than I realized. I mean I new Mah Jong was a strategy game (and not the solitaire version found on lots of computers) but I guess I didn't think about how detailed it was.
The back page features a TSR price listing of what will be soon available in the U.K.
The enthusiasm in this article abounds. Sitting here comfortably on the other side of nearly 40 years (and after the largest Gen Con on record) it is easy to forget that once upon a time this hobby of ours was new. Not just new, it had a start and that start is documented here. I am not trying to sound all sappy here. I am big proponent of always looking forward, but sometimes you have to look back to see where you have been. Sometimes it doesn't amount to much, other times the difference is so striking that it leaves you somewhat agape or stunned. This is one of those moments. Sure some of the actual words said are even the same (it costs too much, where are the women?) but these are the first times they have been said and that is something important.
Not sure what the next issues will bring, but for me I am looking for that joy of discovery of a new thing. But I guess that is what it is all about all the time really.
eta: The middle pages
#RPGaDAY Day 20, Will still play in 20 years time…
#RPGaDAY Day 20, Will still play in 20 years time…
Well.
I have been doing it this long (35 years) another 20 sounds reasonable.
Plus I could be retired then and really be an old, pain in the ass Grognard.
I could yell at the new kids and tell the how we used to do it back in the day.
Plus RPGs seem like a good way to keep your mind sharp and that is important in your later years.
It also looks like RPGs will still be around then too. Gen Con and D&D5 are both doing quite well now and there were a lot of small children there ready to take the hobby into the next generations.
Well.
I have been doing it this long (35 years) another 20 sounds reasonable.
Plus I could be retired then and really be an old, pain in the ass Grognard.
I could yell at the new kids and tell the how we used to do it back in the day.
Plus RPGs seem like a good way to keep your mind sharp and that is important in your later years.
It also looks like RPGs will still be around then too. Gen Con and D&D5 are both doing quite well now and there were a lot of small children there ready to take the hobby into the next generations.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Gen Con 2014 in Review. Part 2: The Games We Play
I have already mentioned that I spent a LOT of time playing D&D 5. That was really our plan from the very start. Plus we also went down a day early to enjoy ourselves a bit more.
Again, my wife has the bulk of the pictures.
We played a couple of demo games in the hall, but everyone was selling out of everything!
Went for our last session of D&D 5. I ran the last of Bone Hill for about 2 hours and Jon then DMed all of us through a Birthright adventure he had. Lots of fun.
Headed back to the room to pack.
Sunday
Ugh. Last day. We had to get my son's bunny from his cousin so we opted to skip the last day of the hall. Plus everyone was coming down with something so we wanted to get home.
All in all it was a great Gen Con. We barely scratched the surface of all there was to do. My oldest got to play Duke and we wanted to try that. Plus there was that game "I am not a Werewolf" or something that looked fun.
Next year I hope to get in more board games and demos.
Tuesday
Started with what has become a tradition for us. Loading up the car and heading out to breakfast. We got to Indy in record time from Chicago; not many people on the road when we left.
Hit the pool for a bit and then played some D&D 5 Keep on the Borderlands.
The boys had hit the left hand side first so all that was left was the Kobold and Orc caves. I was getting tired so I decided that without the influence of the Cult of Chaos the humanoids went back to their normal mode and killed each other off. The best part? My youngest got it and was all "whoa that evil cult was keeping them from fighting? How powerful are they?"
Wednesday
Got up, hit the breakfast and headed over to the Zoo. It was walking distance from the hotel and really nice. We were there all day. I thought it would be nice to take a more relaxed vacation and get in some things my wife enjoyed too. Plus Indy is always so good to the gamers that throwing some more money into their coffers seemed like the right thing to do.
We got our swag bags. The bags were nicer but the stuff they used to put in them was missed.
Opted for dinner at our hotel restaurant. Not bad, but (and I hate to say this) we are used to better food in Chicago.
We went to the J.W. Marriott open gaming room and caught a table just as a group was leaving and set up for L1 The Secret of Bone Hill. My wife joined us for this round. We had to look crazy with my 1st ed module, D&D 5 book and boxed set and a bunch of 3e/4e tiles. The characters managed to completely avoid going to Restenford at all. They went to see the gambling monks and pieced together enough information to hear about Bone Hill. Or as my wife put it, it was the name of the adventure so we had all better get there eventually.
The adventure went well and the group stopped for the night. The Exhibitor's hall opens in 10 hours and I needed to sleep.
Thursday
Got up, did breakfast and headed to the hall for opening day. The boys were quite excited.
Our general rule is that we have to scope out the hall first before committing to any purchases. My oldest ran into a friend and they were off. My youngest, my wife and I headed over to Steve Jackson Games to pick up Munchkin Adventure Time and spin the wheel. End of con tally on that: several card boxes, dice, munchkin cards and a cup.
Went to some other retailers. Stopped by DriveThru and Eden. Stopped by the one retailer where they were selling "Buy 1 get 3 Free" but all I picked up was GURPS Goblins.
Went to the WotC area and played some D&D 5 with the same characters as last night. Our DM was great and she really took the time to help out my kids. Sure they didn't really need it...but it is the effort I appreciate.
We headed out to the food trucks for dinner (loved them!) and finally came back to the hotel.
Went back to the Open Gaming tables and got a table just as someone was leaving again! We were starting to play a guy stopped by and asked if we were playing D&D 5 and if he could set in. Nice guy by the name of Jon. He looked every bit the grandfather he was and had mentioned he came to Gen Con specifically to try out D&D 5. He didn't care for it when he played it with another group that day and was actually going to give up on it. He took one of our characters and we started.
Well he loved 5e and really enjoyed how well it worked with the 1st ed adventure.
Friday
Busy day!
Hit the hall again. We played a game of Flapjacks and Sasquatches; which was a blast. Picked it up after playing. It is a dice and card game where everyone is a lumberjack and you have to cut down the most trees. Of course other lumberjacks are trying to stop you and there is the ever present danger of a Sasquatch rampage. Honestly I was expecting very little with this and I had a great time!
Played a 1950s inspired game of Ubiquity. It was a lot of fun but I think my youngest and I enjoyed it the most. Plus I wanted to get a good feel for Ubiquity. I have had Hollow Earth forever and Leagues of Adventure is just sitting there begging me to play it more.
Did a ton of walking around the hall. Finally headed back to the hotel room to get ready for the ENnies!
Did a ton of walking around the hall. Finally headed back to the hotel room to get ready for the ENnies!
(ok I had more pictures but they were blurry as hell)
It was really cool to see +Jen Page and The Dungeon Bastard in person and hanging out with the glitterati of the RPG scene reminded me just how small this business is.
Best Blog came up and I didn't win.
But I can't feel bad about that. All the winners were multi-author projects that even had editors. I have me. Plus it was so cool to see my Other Side banner up on the screen. Maybe next year right!
Oh and by now I am sure you have heard. Monte Cook, Paizo and Evil Hat took everything.
Missed my Mage game but I just had to show off Union Station to my wife. That is my absolute favorite place to run a game. If I am running Ghosts of Albion then I want to do it there.
Got back to the hotel. Headed to the Open Gaming Room for more D&D 5. We only played a couple of hours though. Which was good because everyone was making great time. Jon found us again and had to let us know how much he enjoyed the game. We got very, very close to finishing the game but we all started to turn into pumpkins by midnight.
Saturday
Who the hell let all these people in???
Seriously, I have not heard the numbers yet, but it had to be 60,000 people.
We ran into some other friends on our way to a game. We played some Dungeon Command. The 4e-ish tactical dungeon battle game. My youngest loved it and won. For his efforts he got a free Sting of Lolth set! I am not sure if you have seen these but they are full of pre-painted minis. Worth it for that alone.
We ran into some other friends on our way to a game. We played some Dungeon Command. The 4e-ish tactical dungeon battle game. My youngest loved it and won. For his efforts he got a free Sting of Lolth set! I am not sure if you have seen these but they are full of pre-painted minis. Worth it for that alone.
The cosplays were great! We make an effort every year to see the parade. Some people were saying there seemed to more this year, but I thought it was less.
We played a couple of demo games in the hall, but everyone was selling out of everything!
Went for our last session of D&D 5. I ran the last of Bone Hill for about 2 hours and Jon then DMed all of us through a Birthright adventure he had. Lots of fun.
Headed back to the room to pack.
Sunday
Ugh. Last day. We had to get my son's bunny from his cousin so we opted to skip the last day of the hall. Plus everyone was coming down with something so we wanted to get home.
All in all it was a great Gen Con. We barely scratched the surface of all there was to do. My oldest got to play Duke and we wanted to try that. Plus there was that game "I am not a Werewolf" or something that looked fun.
Next year I hope to get in more board games and demos.
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