Dead Horse

Dead Horse
poor dead horsey

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Short post


I had both of these plastic toys as a child i kick my self daily for losing them... I had a sandbox on a small incline next to a creek. i flooded it regularly. Countless toys washed away over the summers. I still kick around the idea of doing a dig on the hill side to see if anything got burried.


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Staurt over at http://strangemagic.robertsongames.com/2011/10/big-thrills-with-cheap-monsters.html
Mentions a good point about using rubber monsters for minis.

I am always on the lookout for new beasties for my mini collection.
Some of the repurposed items i have are
Bag of bugs
Tube of horses
Party grab bag butterflys (some with wings removed make great giant ants)
My sculpity stuff
Rubber dinosaurs
Mage knight figs , DC hero figs , Dream blade figs WoW figs ...etc here is a pic of part of my mini cupboard.

I found a bag of reptiles crocs lizards frogs etc... i am slowly repainting to look less like cheap plastic (bottom right)
I forgot the Heroquest set of furnature and monsters. 
Above pic is the right hand side of the cupboard.. now the center...thats the bottom...
Thats the top....
This is the upper right section and below it...

The sculpity section.  The rat bases are casino chips with heroquest rats added

So remember you can find minis in most toy sections... dollar stores usually have plenty of rubber monster bags.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Not...Working for a livin.

Crazy week. Looking for employment since i graduated. Got very distracted this week.

Found a good sci-fi story from a mention over at Grognardia. "Black Destroyer" very good short story.
Seems to be the creature that inspired the AD&D displacer beast.

My adaptation of the creature...

Coeurl

No. Encountered: 1,2 (Mated pair) pride 2-20
Size: Medium
HD:  6d12
Move: 40 feet
AC: 19
Attack: Lash X2, 1d10 Bite 1d8
Special: Tentacles have a 10’ reach, Shimmer.
Saves: P
Int: Animal
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Type: Magical Beast
Treasure: Incidental
XP Value: 1950 +6

Coeurl are ambush predators. They hunt in prides. Coeurl have a lustrous black coat. The beast has six legs and a pair of long muscular tentacles at the foremost shoulder socket. Their eyes glow an eerie greenish hue.  They resemble a leopard in build with the extra appendages. The tentacles ends are studded with horn like ridges. The Coeurl strikes with these in a whip like manner causing horrible rends in exposed flesh. The Coeurl’s fur emits a curious effect. The fur’s shimmer causes them to appear to blink and waver like an optical illusion. It is very difficult to pin point the creature’s exact location. Ranged attacks suffer a -4 to hit from this.

Combat: In combat they are vicious and nearly fearless. They take advantage of their high armor class by fearlessly engaging multiple foes.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Zombies everywhere!

Wow, i never seen so many zombies. It took an hour for the entire zombie procession to go by. I would estimate there were 30 or so Anti Zombie Malitia. While estimates are over 3000 zombies.
Those end of the world games where it is survivors vs zombies... got no idea how bad it is for the survivors.

But any way some pics.... Anti zombie militia HQ

Some resistance photos..
Segway resistance member....
The horde arrives...my nephew Austin fleeing from them.

Some notable zombies...

JFK and Jackie O
The zombie with dead fetus dragging by umbilical cord was the most tasteless by far.
The relentless hord took an hour to pass my group by.

Next year i am going to be ready and join the Anti Zombie Resistance!

If you have a chance to visit a zombie walk, do it. Incredibly fun event.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Zombies!

In Omaha NE we have a small town that was annexed in the 1920s called Benson. I live in the area considered to be in Benson. (about a mile north of Benson proper). Today Benson is hosting a zombie walk.
estimations say 3000 people will show up for this event. One bar is hosting an anti zombie malitia (armed with nerf guns). Will post some picks after i go watch it.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Campaign styles

One disadvantage to playing with the same group for years and years is you learn your players styles and they learn yours. Sounds ideal but it really isnt. The group i have played with over the years has subtly changed as people come and people go. Over all the dynamic of this group is fundimentaly the same. They need their hands held. Drop my group of friends in a sandbox and they will blunder about hopelessly.

I prefere to run a sandboxy style game. This tends to make the occasions of play a bit rocky. If I try to drop a clue about future events or past history they will bird dog after it. They could never disern a clue from a plot hook. This forces me to need to run a railroady type game.
Personaly the last thing i want as a player is a railroad. If a DM pulls a railroad on me i strain against it at every turn. I know many people deride the railroad adventure, but my group seems to thrive on them.
The few con games we have played at my group has really shined. They take to railroads like a duck to water.
For me providing them a railroad with a few choices. Perhaps a train station (allowing access to a few railroads) works ok.
I have heard of DMs who drag and drop adventures which ever way the party go. Thats a bit too much for me. But it helps give the illusion of freedom.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

World complete

I finished the last of my world mapping! I am never doing that again.
Humm, guess this means my idea for a mystical earth game is shot down.
Used two pads of graph paper to map the thing.
Was a nice break from the grind of looking for work.

On a side note i finished my exel GM sheet... but i have no idea how/or if i can host it on blogger.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Worlds that ceased to be

My current campaign world is possibly the 6th or 7th I have invented.
Each world before has helped me shape what came next. My first world was a tiny corner of the world of Greyhawk. I wanted my own lands and kings and marvels...so i carved a niche in someone one elses world. I was unsatisfied. I needed a world more my own to shape. So i concieved...
Mantera
It was crude and poorly drawn but it was unique. I used it untill i went into the Army.

While i was in the Army i ran alot of games and had few long term regular players. I once again fell back on Greyhawk. Greyhawk was some place most gamers had heard of it. it worked for that time.

End of service and back home. Back with friends i knew from my childhood. gaming became more long term and players kept returning making great campaigns. My roommate at the time had a wonderful world he had developed partialy based on the Belgrade series. Since we alternated DMing it made sense to use the same world.
Antioch.... one contenant, mine... and his...

Some more maps of that world...

I used this world untill he moved out of state. After he left town i switched to the new HackMaster 4th ed.
I used the world provided in the book so the modules would fit easier and the world was loose enough i could insert anything i wanted.

There was an abortive campaign where i TPKed the group in the first night. It was an undisclosed world. I never mapped much of it. Only one map of the place exists.

After that i went back to Aldraazar but i used the GM perserve in the corner of the world map. Detailing and mapping that contenant untill it is where it is now. Mostly mapped and loosely filled. It has alot of room to grow and can adapt to fit in what i need added.

Now having hit the idea of using a mystical Earth where all our real life myths come from i am once again forging another world... will this one last?
How many worlds have you used?

DM reference 101

Over on the Troll Lords forum someone asked a good question.
'What books do you use when you DM?'

I have always used a hodge podge of source material and rules. Back in ancient past of the late 80's, when i DMed i mixed AD&D with basic. I also heavily drew on material in the Dragon.
As the years went by new suppliments added new sources for my games.
Fast forward to now.

I have spent the last couple years regathering books i had sold off, and aquiring books i had missed when published new.
So now i have my perfect DM library.  ta-da (yes i know i have posted the photot before)

The part of this i hadn't mentioned before... see all those spiral note books? Five of those are game logs.
Not a precise record of the games played, just a roll call of who was there to play and what date.
Some of the entries have a couple notes like dungeon played or what was roughly happening.

Reading back through those i came accross a couple nuggets of funny. Player quotes from days gone by...

'I am not healing you, you'll just get hurt again later'  party cleric
'I can't speak to my god today, you will have to wait till tomorrow'  party cleric again
'No matter how many times i save the world, i cant get a free beer out of it from anyone'
'Is the zombie dead yet?' 

All of this has me working on a session sheet. Fidling with it in Exel. will post a draft soon.
My goal is to better record the games for my own recollection in years to come.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

MegaDungeon, The Core.

My own personal mega-dungeon...way-oh...

Posting frenzy today as i keep finding stuff i want to post.

When i started Castles and Crusades i was struck how simple it was to run and decided i needed to finaly buckle down and develope my own mega-dungeon.
These are the maps of the first level shown connected.


Pasrt of the main entrance got cut off. It is just left of the stream in the large hall.


The next three maps south of the first three.

The other side of the cone. The entire dungeon is in a semi extinct volcano. Most of the maps butt up to the central shaft that descends very deep into the earth.

(All maps removed to preserve the dungeons mystery)

Relics and Artifacts of the real world.

Working on a new campaign. Set on Earth circa 573 (about 20 years after Rome was sacked).
Imagine the Roman emperor Justin II had turned to nefarious forces to save the city. I presuppose that the emperor made a pact with hell. This allows magic into our world in exchange for secrets of infernal summoning and some devilish troops.

The general time line is Rome was sacked in 546 by the Ostrogoths. With the fall of Rome its border troops are recalled. The emperor makes his pact in 548 and Rome rebuilds slowly.

The campaign will be in south east Britton. I am going with the last legion idea that it was a Roman officer who founded Camelot and became king Arthor. Mordred "killed Arthor in 565 and Camelot broke up.
Now that i have a fractured Britton with petty kingdoms and a fresh memory of nobility.

Now the important bits... Magic items
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mythological_objects
Thats a Wikipedia site that lists ALOT of real world mytholical items. So now i have a big list of magic i merely need to assign game stats to the items as the game plays out.

Of great import to the campaign are the thirteen treasures of Britton.
These were supposedly hidden by Merlin when Arthor was taken to Avalon. But for game purposes i will have them scattered about. Some lists of the thirteen list fifteen items so i am useing the larger list as more is better!

Thirteen treasures of Britton

1. White-Hilt, the Sword of Rhydderch Hael (Dyrnwyn, gleddyf Rhydderch Hael): "if a well-bornman drew it himself, it burst into flame from its hilt to its tip. And everyone who used to ask for it would receive; but because of this peculiarity everyone used to reject it. And therefore he was called Rhydderch the Generous."
2. The Hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir (Mwys Gwyddno Garanir): food for one man would be put in it, and when it was opened, food for a hundred men would be found in it.
3. The Horn of Brân Galed from the North (Corn Brân Galed o'r Gogledd): whatever drink might be wished for was found in it.
4. The Chariot of Morgan Mwynfawr (Car Morgan Mwynfawr): if a man went in it, he might wish to be wherever he would, and he would be there quickly.
5. The Halter of Clydno Eiddyn (Cebystr Clydno Eiddin), which was fixed to a staple at the foot of his bed: whatever horse he might wish for, he would find in the halter.
6. The Knife of Llawfrodedd Farchog (Cyllell Llawfrodedd Farchog), which would serve for twenty-four men to eat at table.
7. The Cauldron of Dyrnwch the Giant (Pair Dyrnwch Gawr): if meat for a coward were put in it to boil, it would never boil; but if meat for a brave man were put in it, it would boil quickly (and thus the brave could be distinguished from the cowardly).
8. The Whetstone of Tudwal Tudglyd (Hogalen Tudwal Tudclyd): if a brave man sharpened his sword on the whetstone, then the sword would certainly kill any man from whom it drew blood. If a cowardly man used the whetstone, though, his sword would refuse to draw blood at all.
9. The Coat of Padarn Beisrudd (Pais Badarn Beisrydd): if a well-born man put it on, it would be the right size for him; if a churl, it would not go upon him.
10-11. The Crock and the Dish of Rhygenydd the Cleric (Gren a desgyl Rhygenydd Ysgolhaig): whatever food might be wished for in them, it would be found.
12. The Chessboard of Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio (Gwyddbwyll Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio): if the pieces were set, they would play by themselves. The board was of gold, and the men of silver.
13 The Mantle of Arthur in Cornwall (Llen Arthyr yng Nghernyw): whoever was under it could not be seen, and he could see everyone.
14/15. Later lists also include two additional treasures, the Mantle of Tegau Eurfon and Eluned's Stone and Ring. Where these appear, one of the other treasures is dropped and the Crock and the Dish of Rhygenydd the Cleric are counted as one item. The new items come from literary, rather than traditional, material; the Mantle comes from a version of the Caradoc story, while Eluned's stone and ring come from the prose tale Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain.



Found one more...Sculpity Squid!


Friday, October 7, 2011

Dragons, the never ending search for good mini's

I am always on the look out for a good dragon mini. Currently i have 15 various representations for gaming.
They run the range of official D&D minis to plush, art pieces and toys.
Craft stores seem to carry a set of plastic toy knights and dragons. The dragons scale well for minis.
Any good ideas where to aquire good dragon minis? Feel free to share.

My dragons...(the purple plushie is named Rasta-fast he is a prominant npc in my world.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

High level characters you have played.

Thread over at Dragonsfoot got me digging through my old fold of characters.
What are your highest level characters? Mine are...
Flak 25th magic user. Played him in a local game club called S.O.R.E. (Society of Omaha Roleplaying Enthusists). I believe the DM who i ran him under was Mark Stone. Mark was a local celebrity DM. Everyone seemed to want to play in his world. I can remember being in 20 man groups playing his world.

Next entry...

Rahn of Velmar, Cavalier from the pages of Dragon 72. (pre Unearthed Arcana) I loved charing stuff full tilt with a heavy lance...
Next ...Falgrave the dwarven fighter... i used wishes to extend his max level beyond racial norms..
Technicaly he is my first character. First one played under a DM as opposed to just rolling guys up by your self.   Back side of his sheet.... (erased that one area i wrote hp totals on so much the sheet torn and wore very thin)

Lastly... Don Cordon , The Rouge Rose.... I played this paladin as cross between a three Musketeer and the french guys in Monty Pythons Holy Grail. He collected titles as you can see on his cover sheet.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Hot Elf Chick

This is a test to see if i can raise my views. Sorry if you feel cheated. Here is the hot elf babe...

Dice , my preferences

Like most gamers i am a nut about dice. I have probably close to a 1000 dice if not more. I once counted just D6's and counted over 300.
The point of this post, dice preferences.

I like Game Science dice when i game master. the crisp corners and clean color schemes make fair rollers that are easy to read. Localy these seem to be hard to come by so i have supplemented my arsonal with a coule of Chessex D20's. These are great dice for the platonic solids and D10's but for my D6's i like casino dice. The high precision ,high impact and flashy looking.

My current arsonal with my GM dice tower. (the tower was a Gen Con 07 purchase)
Odd balls in the back on the right hand side... D1000 from HackMaster, D24, 2 D16s (red and glow in the dark) D7 and D3. The main set are glow in the dark Game science. with a couple extra D4's a 12 and a 8 so i can roll 2 at a time. The huge pile of D20's the 4 clear are my main rollers. the orange and clear are 0-9 twice with +'s on one set of 0-9.

I am trying to get more casino dice from the near by gambling house. they have some nice purples over there.


Lastly a D20 that flashes when you roll a 20.
This is my Game Master library. 
Left to right Castles and Crusades, Gygax's fantasy world series, AD&D collection , Kenzer co goods and gear. Swords and sorcery monster book for the Scarred lands, and my Hack Master collection.
Some odds and ends in there also Fields of battle , citty of brass. Black Librum of Nartalus, catecomb guide and high level campaigns for 2e AD&D .

Yes i like to use them all in my world .

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Camera that time forgot....

I take all my blog photos with my wifes digital camera... i just noticed it seems to think we are in 2006.

Mapping the world

Inspuration struck me this last friday. So i dug out my world folder, colored pencils and some graph paper then proceeded to map like mad.
I should mention i have my world drawn on some large graph sheets. They would make a nice poster if hung up. While nice it is unweildly in actualy play. The scale of the map is a bit large for standard play also.
Some time back i undertook to map the world unto standard sized graph sheets at a closer scale.

Well i made the mistake of mapping around the area most played...bottom right area of the contenant. This redraw i started in the upper left corner and proceeded to map....oops the two groups didnt quite line up and i made a huge error in the earlier maps.
I did manage to get half the contenant upscaled...but now i need to redo all the other maps and finish the areas that were never mapped.

I forge ahead, if my insperation holds i think i could be complete in less than a week....
This is the 4 large maps laid together showing an overview of the contenant.

This shows the scale of the new maps to the old poster sized map. One graph sheet holds 3 lines of 4 squares both the large and small graph sheets have 10X10 grids. (makes scaling up easier)

This is the binder i keep the maps of the world in. Quite thick huh?