RPG a Day 2015, Day 17

Day 17: Favorite Fantasy RPG

No question.  Dungeons and Dragons.

 

 

Hail to the King baby.

RPG a Day 2015, Day 16

Day 16: Longest Game Session Played

Back in college I went over to my High School DM's house.  He had come down to college where I was because I had talked the place up so much.

We co ran a Ravenloft game, "Dreams of Ravenloft" where basically one of us ran I6 and the other I10.  Anytime the characters fell asleep they would wake up in the other reality.  Not know which one was real or not.

I went over on a Friday afternoon and we played straight to Sunday night.  This was back before cell phones so my roommates had no idea where I was.  So it was only about 56 hours, but it was 56 continuous hours, minus some time for naps.

Can't do that anymore.

Zatannurday: Constantine is Back!

Sort of.

Here is Constantine star actor Matt Ryan explaining.

The Trench Coat is being dusted off. #Constantine #Arrow @CW_Arrow @amellywood looking forward to it. #thisfall pic.twitter.com/fROWx4RJ9o

— Matt Ryan (@mattryanreal) August 11, 2015

Constantine is coming to the CW's Arrow, which for season 4 I have heard will be called "Green Arrow".

Here is another link, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/matt-ryan-constantine-arrow-814661

I am mostly avoiding spoilers, but this looks like it will be awesome and it is something that Stephen Amell, Oliver Queen himself, has wanted for a while now.   Adding John to the mix, even for one episode, changes or rather broadens Arrow's world.  We got super-science in season 2 and some magic in season 3.  Looks like season 4 might embrace the wakiness that is the DC Universe's magical realms.

Of course I have to ask...When will Zatanna be on?

RPG a Day 2015, Day 15

Day 15: Longest Campaign Played

I would have to say my Dragonslayers game which began with my oldest son around 2005 or so.  This year it will 10 years in.  Even my current Order of the Platinum Dragon game is a continuation of it.

Though technically it is a continuation of my Mystoerth game I began in 1980.

But let's just call it 10 years.

Friday Night Videos: Supernatural Collection

So my family and I binge watched Supernatural this past summer.  And by binge watched I mean just that. Nine Season on DVD/Blu-Ray all summer long.

I watched the show when it first came out but it freaked my wife out.  I kept up with it on my own for a bit, but that is hard to sustain really.  I followed the fandom more than the show itself after that. Had the RPG, sold it for something like $100 later on. Wish I had kept it though.

So my sister is really into the show and she let us borrow her season DVDs.  Well the rest was history.  My youngest loves it. Around Season 3 my wife REALLY got into it. Around Season 5 my oldest did too.  IT became our Summer Friday nights really.  Order pizza, watch Supernatural till past 11.  We only stopped for Gen Con.

Of course one of the best features of Supernatural is not just the good writing and characters that are likable and relatable, but also the music.

Sam: ...I swear man; you gotta update your cassette tape collection.
Dean: Why?
Sam: Well for one they are cassette tapes, and two— (Pulls out a few cassette tapes) Black Sabbath? Motorhead? Metallica? It’s the greatest hits of mullet rock.
Dean: (Grabs a cassette from Sam and pops it in the player) House rules, Sammy. Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cake hole.

I can totally relate. Growing up on a steady diet of metal and classic rock it was what growing up in the midwest meant.  I know my wife and kids don't get that part like I do, but that is fine.  Besides my kids love the music.

The best thing?  The music of Supernatural already plays like my "Greatest Hits" anyway!

If I ever get around running Chill again each adventure/episode is going to be named for a different classic rock song and I'll play it before we play.  Cheesy? Maybe. But I like cheese.

AC/DC are pretty much the go-to band when one mentions classic rock, Supernatural and even gaming.  Back in the 80s when D&D was getting a bad rap, AC/DC was right there with us.
"Back in Black" was featured in the pilot episode and is appropriate for the storyline.  From the album of the same name it debuted in 1980 and was the first to feature new lead singer Brian Johnson.  In fact can usually tell the age of an AC/DC fan by whether or not they still refer to Brian Johnson as "new".




Rush has enough street cred with gamers that there is little need anymore for me to give my reasons for posting this.  But "Fly By Night" also from an album of the same name, has a little bit more than average.  It was featured in the Episode 2 of Season 1 of Supernatural. Ok. It was featured in episode 2 of the Dead Alewives skit on D&D with an elf singing "Fly by Night" while carrying Mt. Dew.
Flyby Night was also the song I was listening too in the weekend I had my very first overnight D&D session in 8th grade.  I also listened to it when I wrote the very first draft of the witch.




Another group that barely need justification is Blue Öyster Cult.  Many songs from BÖC have been a part of Supernatural, my gaming and geekdom in general.  I could go on and on about the level of importance that "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" has had to my games, but that song has not been in the show yet.  One song though stands out both in terms of Supernatural and in my gaming life.
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was one of the first songs I ever heard from BÖC and band I associated with D&D from the earliest days.  It was also featured in Supernatural as a "theme" song for the Reapers, Angels of Death and psychopomps for souls.




CCR might not come to mind right away when thinking about RPGs or D&D but they are a staple of classic rock.  "Bad Moon Rising" has been used by me in any game that has a werewolf in it and I am certain I am not alone.  This song bridged Season 1 to Season 2.




"Hammer of the Gods...Valhalla I am coming..."  Was there ever a more D&D song than this?  Well...maybe "No Quarter", but either way it is Led Zeppelin. "Immigrant Song" has been played here before, buy like I said, just like the original Friday Night Videos, there will be repeats.




There are a lot of reason why Def Leppard needs to be included in this rather august group.  First, "Rock of Ages" was played in a very pivotal scene in Season 5 (and also in season 1).  Also Def Leppard was ALWAYS on MTV back in the days where we played D&D with MTV on in the background, hopping to get that one Iron Maiden song.  But also, and lets be honest.  Watch the video.  It's obvious they had no clue what the hell they were doing but who cares. Big swords. Big hair. Filmed in dungeon. Hooded cultists. A maiden playing chess with death.  This might not be the most 80s video out there.  But it is up there.




I don't recall if a Motörhead song actually appeared in the show or not.  I know Dean (or maybe Sam) used the alias of "Lemmy Kilmister"  but fuck it. Here is "Ace Of Spades".




"Carry on Wayward Son".  This song has been with me for so long.  I mentioned before I first heard it when I saw the movie Heroes, the Henry Winkler and Sally Field one.  Supernatural has really made this song their own.  This will feature in the season finale of what ever supernatural-like game I run.



Have not seen Season 10 yet.  Waiting for the Blu-Rays.

Kickstart Your Weekend - Castles & Crusades Mythos

I LOVE Castles & Crusades.  Really.  I love the game, the Troll Lord guys are great, and their books are all works of art.

I also love how C&C plays.  It really feels like AD&D 3rd edition to me. (NOT D&D 3e, but AD&D).

One of my favorite things about AD&D was using real world myths in my games.  Gods, Demi-Gods and Heroes, Deities & Demigods, countless other books from other publishers...these were my go to books back in the day.

So I am really happy to see that this one is funded and doing well.

http://bit.ly/mythosks
Not one, but three new book from Brian N. Young who brought us the Codex Celtarum and the Codex Nordica.   This time we have books for German, Slavic and Classical Greek myths.  Sure to be excellent.

RPG a Day 2015, Day 14

Day 14: Favorite RPG Accessory

I have had a lot I have sworn by over the years.  Many of those are now forgotten.

But there is one that has had staying power due to it's utility.
Dice Trays.

When you game with little kids two things tend to happen with dice.  They get lost and rolls get fudged.  It is what it is.

With these all rolls are made in the open and dice are not rolled off the table.

Plus my oldest son loves dice made from metal and those things will destroy a table top.
These trays have been great.