Boxing Day: Magic Realm

After many years I finally treated myself to a game I have wanted for years.  Avalon Hill's "Magic Realm."

The game looks like a board game, but there are a lot of RPG elements as well.  And the game is notoriously difficult to learn. 

I have no experience with this game. At all. But I just knew I wanted it.   So instead of a review here are some other reviews.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Realm
• https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/22/magic-realm
• https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1323202/critical-look-magic-realm-and-roleplaying
• https://therewillbe.games/articles-analysis/5389-one-mechanic-review-magic-realm

So it looks like I have some learning ahead of me!

I also have no idea if my game is complete or not. I like what I have seen so far.

Friday Night Videos: Christmas Eve Music

It's Christmas Eve in my part of the world!

While I am not a Christian I do love the secular holiday aspects of Christmas. Getting together with family. Relaxing at the end of the year. Making some great food (homemade pizzas tonight) and yes giving presents.

So let's get this Christmas going with some of my favorite Christmas songs!

Here are some of my all-time favorites.

Santa Claus and the Friday the 13th Christmas Special for NIGHT SHIFT

Been working a lot on NIGHT SHIFT lately so I see everything through this lens.  So when one of my friends on Facebook posted this idea, you know I had to run with it. 

Not too far-fetched, as the images of Santa and Father Christmas come to us from the legends of Odin wandering the land in disguise, giving gifts to children.

So for NIGHT SHIFT imagine this.  It is December 13, but it is also Friday the 13th (the next time this happens is December 2024).  A group of kids are back from college and getting ready for Christmas.  They all get together and talk about how they all nearly died at Camp Crystal Lake one summer.  The memories and the date summon Jason Voorhees to start killing again.

I imagine a sad and angry Santa Claus (I mean if Jason is real, why not Santa).  

"I knew those children Freya!" he tells Mrs. Claus. "Billy. Susie. Ann. They were on the Nice List most of the time. They were all good kids!"    

Mrs. Claus watched him for a moment, she then reached into her dress and pulls out a large iron key on a silver chain.  Santa stands, takes the offered key.  He goes and unlocks a cabinet. Inside is a large golden spear.  "Ah, Gungnir old friend. It is time again." He removes his jolly red coat to reveal his muscled frame donned in fine mail. 

Mrs. Claus hands him his shield saying "Remind him who you were, Grímnir. Who you are."

He walks out of his workshop in the driving snow (in slow motion no less) as two ravens fly into the scene to fly in front of him.

Santa Claus
20th Level Chosen One
Supernatural

Strength: 20 (+4) s
Dexterity: 17 (+2) 
Constitution: 14 (+1)
Intelligence: 16 (+2) 
Wisdom: 18 (+3) P
Charisma: 20 (+4) s

HP: 110 (20d8+20)
AC: 2
Fate Points: 1d10

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +8/+6/+4
Melee bonus: +10  Ranged bonus: +6
Saves: +6 to all

Special Abilities: Increased Ability (Str), Brutal Warrior, Stunning Blow, Killing Blow, Supernatural Attacks, Difficult to Surprise, Improved Initiative, Improved Defense, Survival Skills  (13th level), Mental Resistance, Regeneration.

Supernatural Ability: Body Control

For a game I would have the PCs being hunted by Jason and the only one that can save them is Santa.  That is of course if they can remind him that he had once been Odin.

--

Joe and Becky were running for their lives. 

The monster in the hockey mask had killed Gary and it was now after them.  Becky was hurt and limping.  Joe was trying to hold her up while they ran. Both were terrified. Joe was looking behind and he no longer saw the monster and he didn't notice the limb and he tripped, bringing him and Becky down.   They looked up and saw the monster. The monster raised his machete to bring down on the teens. Joe heard a scream that he thought was Becky's, but he soon realized it was his own.   Instead of the sound of metal on flesh, the sound was metal on metal.

Joe looked up and to his complete astonishment, he saw.

"Santa?" Joe asked, surprised.

"Ho. Ho. Ho." Santa said, but there was no mirth in it. His spear held back the machete. "Now, foul draugr. Not these children."  Santa knocked the undead slasher back with his spear. "Not during MY season!" 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Winter Solstice and a Return to Hyperborea

Today is the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and last night I got my PDF copies of the new Hyperborea RPG, formerly Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea.  

Hyperborea has long been part of my "older, colder" version of D&D. And winter is a great time for it. This new version has a lot going for it and I can't wait to dig into it.  There is so much to like here.

It also is a good time to revisit the witch family, The Winters, and my favorite member Tanith.

I detailed Tanith for the 2nd Edition of the Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea RPG. 

Tanith Winters

Female Hyperborean Witch 12th level

Alignment: Neutral (but it is likely she will move towards Evil at some point)

ST 10 [+0 +0 2:6 2%]
DX 14 [+1 +0 3:6 8%]
CN 13 [+1 +0 80% 3:6 8%]
IN 16 [+1 75%]
WS 12 [+0]
CH 16 [+1 8 +1]

Age: 30
AC: 4
HD: 9+3
hp: 38
FA: 5
CA: 12
#Attacks: 1/1
Damage: 1d4 (dagger), 1d4 (sling)
SV: 11 (+2 Transformation, +2 Sorcery)
ML: 12

Abilities
Alchemy, Brew Decoction, Familiar, Read Magic, Scroll Use, Scroll Writing, Sorcery, Dance of Beguilement, Effigy, Henchmen, Broom Enchantment, LAdyship

Spells
First level (5+1): Charm Person, Light, Scare, Shocking Grasp, Sleep, Write Spell
Second level (5+1): Darkness, Extrasensory Perception, Identity, Ray of Enfeeblement, Ungovernable Hideous Laughter
Third level (4+1): Continous Darkness, Slow, Phantasm, Wind Wall, Starlight
Fourth level (4): Freeze Surface, Moonlight, Mirror Mirror, Transfer Wounds
Fifth level (3): Cause Lycanthropy, Control Winds, Transform to Winter Wolf

Sixth level (2): Control Lycanthrope, Freezing Sphere

Languages: Common, Hellenic (Hyperborean), Old Norse, Speak with the Dead, Speak with Nature Spirits
Size: M (Height: 5'2", 114lbs)
Move: 40
Saving Throw Modifiers: Transformation +2, Sorcery +2
Secondary Skill: Weaver (almost all Winters women begin as weavers)
God: Lunaqqua

Snowy Owl Familiar ("Beira"): AL N; SZ S; MV 10 (Fly 80); DX 15; AC 7; HD 1/4 (hp 5); #AT 3/1 (claw, claw, bite); D 1/1/1; SV 17; ML 5; XP 11

Normal Gear
Winter robes, winter cloak, clothing, daggers (2), backpack, woolen blanket, chalk, ink and quill, polished steel mirror, incendiary oil, parchment (4), soft leather pouch (2), small sack (2), tinderbox, torches (2), wineskin (mead), writing stick, iron rations (one week), spellbook (contains all prepared spells), 1 gp, 5 sp

--

Tanith has been an interesting character so far.  In the few games, I have run her she has become surprisingly power-hungry.  She seeks to control the Winters family which is going to bring her is direct conflict with Grandmother Winter.

With this new Hyperboria RPG out I am also going to explore her relationship with her god Lunaqqua.

Monstrous Mondays: The Confessor

This creature began with a picture posted to the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Facebook group, and I thought it might be fun to stat up.  The original posters asked, "in game terms, what is this?"

Here is what I posted in response. 

It is a "Confessor." It appears in areas of profound sadness. It feeds on the professed guilt of those who sit next to it. You have to confess your worst guilt to it. If you do, it leaves. If you don't or lie to it then it attacks as a specter.

It seemed to go over well, so here are some full stats.

What struck me about it was the white "robes" it is wearing, the bench seems to have room for someone else to sit next to it, and it is out in the daylight.

This is an undead creature, but a special one.

CONFESSOR
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 3
MOVE:  0" (special)
HIT DICE:  10+10 (55 hp)
% IN  LAIR:  100%
TREASURE  TYPE:  Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS:  1
DAMAGE/ATTACK:  1d10 + Energy Drain
SPECIAL  ATTACKS:  Compell, Energy Drain
SPECIAL  DEFENSES:  +1 or better weapon to hit
MAGIC  RESISTANCE:  25%
INTELLIGENCE:  Average
ALIGNMENT:  Chaotic  Evil (Chaotic Neutral)
SIZE:  M  (6' tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY:  Nil

The confessor is a special undead appearing in places of great sorrow.  They are found sitting alone waiting for someone to sit down next to them.  Humanoids are compelled to do so unless they make a saving throw vs. spells.   If a victim fails the save they sit down next to the confessor. This is all the magic does, what the victim does next is up to them.  If they make the save the confessor still will beckon any living humanoid to come to sit next to it. 

Once someone sits next to the confessor it will then ask them to confess their deepest guilt. The character then has to confess their worst guilt to it. If they do and are honest, it leaves. If they don't or lie to it then it attacks as a 10 HD undead creature.  Its touch does 1d10 hp of damage and drains one energy level as per a specter.  They can and do move about in the daylight and are not harmed by it.  

They can be turned by a cleric as a Lich.  Unless the confessor hears a confession they will return on on the next sunset.  Anyone killed by a confessor will remain as a spirit helplessly haunting the area around the confessor; wordlessly screaming out their warnings to others. 

--

Have to admit, I thought of this.

Friday Night Videos: Remembering Mike Nesmith

Not everything I post here is game-related.

Friday Night Videos is a prime example.  And in truth, there might not be a Friday Night Videos (or even an MTV as we used to know it) without the pioneering work of Mike Nesmith.

Nesmith, who passed away on December 10 at the age of 78 was one of the members of the fake rock band, The Monkees.  LAter he created the show PopClips that was later sold to Time Warner and gave us MTV.  This is not a surprise since the Monkees show was essentially a surreal sitcom with music video sensibilities.  It played in reruns to kids like me that would grow up into teens with MTV.

Mike Nesmith is the Godfather of Music Videos.  Yes, there were music videos before, some WAY before, but he turned them into entertainment for the masses.

So here's Nes and some of my favorite songs he has written.

He also was featured on songs written by others. 

His best though, is one he wrote and performed and became something of a signature song.

Weren't they good, they made me happy.  Miss yeah Nes.

Tea with the Witches

Been crazy busy at work. That time of year.  But one big project is done and I am down to the last few courses in this contact hour audit I have been doing for weeks.  

I have been neglecting things here so here is a quick one.  I got some art made of a scene crucial to the "War of the Witch Queens"  back story.  The scene is called "Tea With the Witches" and it takes place in The Simbul's castle in the Forgotten Realms.

I want to send out a hearty thank you to Brian Brinlee for doing such a great job with this. Here are the witches pictured. Left to right (clockwise, never widdershins when dealing with witches):

Sagarassi the Sea Witch (Krynn/Dragonlance), Iggwilv the Witch Queen (Oerth/Greyhawk), The Simbul, Witch Queen of Aglarond (Toril/The Forgotten Realms and where this is taking place), Larina (my OC), Feiya the Pathfinder iconic witch (Golarion/Pathfinder).

They are playing Pentacles, a game played with five people using Tarroka cards.

Hopefully regular posting will resume next week!