#RPGaDAY2024 Great Character Gear

 If you are talking Character Gear then there is only one name you need to know and that is Crazy Omar!

Omar's is something of a long standing tradition in my games.  It was something my old High School DM used in his games and he got it from his DM, a cousin that taught him how to play from the LBBs.  So there has been an Omar's in operation since the very first days of the game. 

They are both gone now. So I guess Omar is mine. Hmm. First time I have thought about that.

Omar (and no one calls him "Crazy" to his face) is the ultimate adventurer shopping center.  Starting characters go to get "Omar's Adventurers' Kit" which includes everything a starting character needs (torches, rope, spikes, backpack...) for 50 GP.   The contents vary from time to time (and depending on what system I am using at the time).  The price is somewhat less than buying the items separate, and the characters and Omar know this.  But Omar feels that the best customers are the ones that keep coming back and the only ones that come back are the well prepared ones.

"Omar" is the name of the Dwarf in charge. My Omar is the third Omar to run the store, and much like the Dread Pirate Roberts one retires and another takes his place. My oldest's Omar is a gnome, breaking with tradition in the best way possible.  If I use my character Johan as my yard stick, there has been an Omar in charge of Crazy Omar's for the better part of 250 years. Leading to the rumor that Omar is immortal. 

He always seen wearing a silk bathrobe, bunny slippers, a fez (either purple or red) and a monocle (of true seeing).  He walks around his shop greeting customers and singing dwarven opera at the top of his lungs. You have not heard true opera until you have heard the Dwarven version of "The Ring of the Nibelung" where Alberich is the hero and sung in the original Dwarven.

Crazy Omar's Adventures' Kit

You visit Omar for his Adventurer's Kit. 50 GP for everything a 1st level character could need or want. 

Item	Cost	Weight
Backpack	2 gp	5 lbs
Bedroll	1 gp	5 lbs
Mess Kit	2 sp	1 lb
Rations (10 days)	5 gp	20 lbs
Waterskin	2 sp	5 lbs (full)
Hempen Rope (50 feet)	1 gp	10 lbs
Tinderbox	5 sp	1 lb
Torches (10)	1 sp	10 lbs
Oil (2 flasks)	2 sp	2 lbs
Iron Spikes (10)	1 gp	5 lbs
Hammer	1 gp	3 lbs
Crowbar	2 gp	5 lbs
Lantern (Hooded)	5 gp	2 lbs
Flask (Empty)	2 cp	1.5 lbs
Chalk (5 pieces)	5 cp	0 lbs
Small Mirror	5 gp	0.5 lb
Pitons (10)	5 gp	5 lbs
Alchemist's Fire (1 flask)	50 gp	1 lb

Total Cost and Weight

• Total Cost: 74 gp 7 sp 7 cp
• Total Weight: 77 lbs (including a full waterskin)
• Priced to Sell: 50 GP!  Omar must be Crazy!

That list has changed over the years in both base price, weight and items. I am not even sure native 5e players use iron spikes anymore. My kids and their groups do because, well, me.

Hey. Maybe with this post Omar, and his namesakes, can live on in your games too. Just don't forget his fez and bunny slippers.

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I am participating in Dave Chapman's #RPGaDAY2024 for August. 

Dracula, The Hunters' Journals: 14 August Mina Murry's Journal (Cont.)

Lucy is seeing red eyes.

14 August.—On the East Cliff, reading and writing all day. Lucy seems to have become as much in love with the spot as I am, and it is hard to get her away from it when it is time to come home for lunch or tea or dinner. This afternoon she made a funny remark. We were coming home for dinner, and had come to the top of the steps up from the West Pier and stopped to look at the view, as we generally do. The setting sun, low down in the sky, was just dropping behind Kettleness; the red light was thrown over on the East Cliff and the old abbey, and seemed to bathe everything in a beautiful rosy glow. We were silent for a while, and suddenly Lucy murmured as if to herself:—

“His red eyes again! They are just the same.” It was such an odd expression, coming apropos of nothing, that it quite startled me. I slewed round a little, so as to see Lucy well without seeming to stare at her, and saw that she was in a half-dreamy state, with an odd look on her face that I could not quite make out; so I said nothing, but followed her eyes. She appeared to be looking over at our own seat, whereon was a dark figure seated alone. I was a little startled myself, for it seemed for an instant as if the stranger had great eyes like burning flames; but a second look dispelled the illusion. The red sunlight was shining on the windows of St. Mary’s Church behind our seat, and as the sun dipped there was just sufficient change in the refraction and reflection to make it appear as if the light moved. I called Lucy’s attention to the peculiar effect, and she became herself with a start, but she looked sad all the same; it may have been that she was thinking of that terrible night up there. We never refer to it; so I said nothing, and we went home to dinner. Lucy had a headache and went early to bed. I saw her asleep, and went out for a little stroll myself; I walked along the cliffs to the westward, and was full of sweet sadness, for I was thinking of Jonathan. When coming home—it was then bright moonlight, so bright that, though the front of our part of the Crescent was in shadow, everything could be well seen—I threw a glance up at our window, and saw Lucy’s head leaning out. I thought that perhaps she was looking out for me, so I opened my handkerchief and waved it. She did not notice or make any movement whatever. Just then, the moonlight crept round an angle of the building, and the light fell on the window. There distinctly was Lucy with her head lying up against the side of the window-sill and her eyes shut. She was fast asleep, and by her, seated on the window-sill, was something that looked like a good-sized bird. I was afraid she might get a chill, so I ran upstairs, but as I came into the room she was moving back to her bed, fast asleep, and breathing heavily; she was holding her hand to her throat, as though to protect it from cold.

I did not wake her, but tucked her up warmly; I have taken care that the door is locked and the window securely fastened.

She looks so sweet as she sleeps; but she is paler than is her wont, and there is a drawn, haggard look under her eyes which I do not like. I fear she is fretting about something. I wish I could find out what it is.

Notes: Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous

We catch our first glimpse of Dracula in England, the dark man sitting where Mina and Lucy normally sit to watch the sea. While it is sunset, it is still light outside. Giving our first book evidence that Dracula can move about during the daylight hours. Something seen in both the 1979 John Badham movie (even if he is destroyed by the sun in the end) and the 1992  Francis Ford Coppola movie. Mina and Jonathan will comment more on this later on.

We also get to hear about his red eyes. Are the pupils red? Do they glow red? Are they red like mine after playing Baldur's Gate 3 all night with my kids? I think they appear more like Christopher Lee's in his Dracula films rather than Gary Oldman's "Sith-like" eyes in his.

Dracula has found his prey and is enjoying himself. 

#RPGaDay2024 Compelling Characters

What makes for a Compelling character? What makes one for me and say not for you?

I'll talk about an NPC on the 22nd, so today I'll feature PCs.  As it turns out, I also just got some new art for a couple of my PCs Sinéad and Larina from artist Mondhut.

Sinéad Moonshadow

Larina Nix

I should think that these two don't really need introductions at this point. But briefly, Larina is my witch character I stat up in every game I play to see if I can make a witch in that game.  Sinéad is a sorcerer/bard that I am currently using in my exploration of the Forgotten Realms. Sinéad was also the character I used when I did my "perfect" run of Baldur's Gate.

What I had not realized until I started this post is that at no point in my histories of these character have they ever met.

Larina has had dealings with all my major characters over the years, being a near immortal witch will do that. Sinéad has interacted with Taryn, Larina's daughter, quite a bit. In fact when Sinéad was trapped in the Feywild she and Taryn met and decided that they must be sisters (both are half-elves). 

But Sinéad and Larina have never actually met.

They are compelling, to me, because I keep finding ways to use them. I also have my Johan character and he is every bit as compelling, but he is 100% a PC, so a lot of what happens to him (all the Johans) is largely due to the game he is in at the time. Larina and Sinéad bonuce a lot now as PCs, NPCs, and GMPCs. 

Check out Mondhut's Instagram if you can.

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I am participating in Dave Chapman's #RPGaDAY2024 for August. 

Dracula, The Hunters' Journals: 13 August Mina Murry's Journal (Cont.)

Mina worries about Lucy and her sleepwalking. 

13 August.—Another quiet day, and to bed with the key on my wrist as before. Again I awoke in the night, and found Lucy sitting up in bed, still asleep, pointing to the window. I got up quietly, and pulling aside the blind, looked out. It was brilliant moonlight, and the soft effect of the light over the sea and sky—merged together in one great, silent mystery—was beautiful beyond words. Between me and the moonlight flitted a great bat, coming and going in great whirling circles. Once or twice it came quite close, but was, I suppose, frightened at seeing me, and flitted away across the harbour towards the abbey. When I came back from the window Lucy had lain down again, and was sleeping peacefully. She did not stir again all night.

Notes: Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous

Prior to the discovery of the Americas, the bat had not been associated with the Vampire. The Vampire bat of South America was quickly adopted as the animal form of the Vampire. 

I have noted already that Stoker was a big fan of America, so the idea that he would also use the bat seems like a foregone conclusion. 

The bat flies back to the Abbey, where of course Dracula is now staying. Mina "scarred off" the bat and likely was the also the cause of Lucy's good night sleep.

Mail Call Tuesday: Swords & Wizardry, Basic Sorceress

 Some good things in my mail this week!

Up first the new Swords & Wizardry books from their most recent Kickstarter.

The books are top notch and look fantastic.  There are lots of new classes and monsers.

Even the GM's Screen is good.

Also got my Glow in the Dark Sorceress from ReAction / Super 7.

Pretty cool, really.

Maybe I should stat her up as a S&W Warlock sometime. There is no S&W Sorcerer. Or maybe I should make one.

#RPGaDAY2024 RPG Evocative Environments

 Evocative environments. Well. There are quite a few really. But one really stands out for me right now.

That is the Solar Frontier of Thirteen Parsecs.

Webb's First Deep Field

In Thirteen Parsecs the Solar Frontier is as far as humanity has gotten in space at that time. Why? Well there are a lot of reasons. We have many "Solar Frontiers" detailed in the book. Mine are Space Truckin' and Darker Stars.

In Space Truckin' the Solar Frontier is as far as we have gone due to technology. To get goods and service past the Frontier, and into what are known as The Hazard Lands, you need the services of the Space Truckers! What out for the CHiPs (Colony Hyperspace Patrols) and "Lot Lizards!"

In Darker Stars the Solar Frontier is a border between what we know of as "Normal Space" and the weird, science defying space of the Old Ones. It is space exploration meets cosmic horror.

Now, as of this writing we are in layout of Thirteen Parsecs (and let me just say this, Jason has OUT DONE himself on it!) BUT one of those Solar Frontiers will not make it to the final book. No worries, if you were a Backer then you still get both, just one as a PDF.

The one that does not make it will be expanded on and released as a stand-alone product.

I can't wait to get this all to you!

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I am participating in Dave Chapman's #RPGaDAY2024 for August. 

Dracula, The Hunters' Journals: 12 August Mina Murry's Journal (Cont.)

Mina worries about Lucy and Jonathan. 

12 August.—My expectations were wrong, for twice during the night I was wakened by Lucy trying to get out. She seemed, even in her sleep, to be a little impatient at finding the door shut, and went back to bed under a sort of protest. I woke with the dawn, and heard the birds chirping outside of the window. Lucy woke, too, and, I was glad to see, was even better than on the previous morning. All her old gaiety of manner seemed to have come back, and she came and snuggled in beside me and told me all about Arthur. I told her how anxious I was about Jonathan, and then she tried to comfort me. Well, she succeeded somewhat, for, though sympathy can’t alter facts, it can help to make them more bearable.

Notes: Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous

More journalling from Mina. 

Unknown to Mina, Johnathan has been in the care of Sister Agatha at the Hospital of St. Joseph and Ste. Mary, Buda-Pesth. Mina will get her letter, dated today, in about a week.