The Free RPG Day mini-con at Crazy Squirrel was a blast. Jameece's boy decided not to go, which was disappointing . . . but I had a great time.
/rant
The first session featured a Pathfinder Society Organized Play session. Pathfinder is the true open successor to the best damn open edition of D&D ever: D&D 3.5. Sorry boys and girls, but D&D 4th Edition is now little more than a cash cow in the Hasbro farm alongside GI Joe and Strawberry Shortcake -- another brand to be milked, While every edition of a game changes a few things for the worse . . . . 4th Edition combined the elimination of some of the best races and classes in classic D&D with an insane number of basic rules changes and, in the change most galling to me, the licensing out of existence of any kind of 3rd party electronic tools. The D&D 4th edition system license basically forbids the creation of any sort of 3rd party character generation / maintenance software. Of course, Hasbro of the Coast just happens to have a licensed online tool that allows characters to be created for free but saving / maintaining the character data files requires a subscription to Dungeons and Dragons Insider at eight bucks or so a month. In another change, the core rulebooks are loaded with big type, huge illustrations, massive amounts of flavor text and a bare minimum of "crunchy" rules bits. This is a reversion to the classic RPG publishing paradigm TSR started in the 70s: put a bare minimum in the core books and sprinkle the crunch across dozens of supplements.
It's plain to me that the future of the hobby continues to lie in open gaming. At the mini con, there were exactly two D&D4e games -- and one specifically labeled as a "kid's game" at that . . . and counting my game, eight Pathfinder games. I checked the program of convention sponsored events (non OP) for this year's DunDraCon and there was more Pathfinder and D&D 3.x than 4.0 by a score of 21 to 12. In terms of organized play, the numbers at DDC were equal.
/end rant
Anyway, my PF OP game was a lot of fun. I went with a 1st level elven mage. I managed to expend my full spell load out (Thank Odinn for cantrips!), and avoid dying thanks to a great cleric.
For the second flight I ran an adventure in my own game world. One of the springtime traditions in one of my rural baronies is an annual paring back of the monster population to keep the baddies off the local farmers and blood the youth of the countryside. There were, of course, complications, like insane nihilistic druids, cute bunny rabbits the size Dobermans with an attitude to match, playful grenadier squirrels the size of gnomes and viscous weasels the size of couches . . . . fun times.
The third session was Traveller. I have not played or ran Trav is roughly forever. This was old-school Traveller, set in the Imperial Golden Age right after the Fifth Frontier War and before the Rebellion / Virus / TNE. Our ship mis-jumped in the aftermath of an assassination attempt with damaged drives and our only hope was another derelict vessel in a decaying orbit around a gas giant. Of course, between a stealth predator beast loose on the ship and a mad brain-in-a-jar mind-controlling some of us at bad times . . . it was a hoot. There was some good mature role playing all around in this one, and made the perfect end of the three course meal that was the games at this con.
The con was free of drama, personal issues, cheating and the other things that make gaming sometimes not-fun.
Crazy Squirrel is a rocking place to play for a lot of reasons. The game room has enough room, and more importantly, enough exits. Being there does not trigger my anxiety disorders. While they do charge to use the game room, they did not charge for Free RPG Day, you can pay or with canned goods when you do. Or, you can do as I did and buy a tee-shirt and not pay when wearing it. They have games to try out, wi-fi and snacks / drinks at reasonable prices.
I am looking forward to gaming there!
Showing posts with label DnD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DnD. Show all posts
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Monday, February 16, 2009
Back from DunDraCon . . .
The con went well, what time I was there. I'm sure if I had been able to get Saturday off, I would have had a chance to play in a 4th edition D&D game. Waaaah.
DDC was a throwback for me; for the first time in a long time nobody else from my home games was there. Back before 1998, I did almost all of my cons without anyone else with me. Between 1998 and this year, there was almost always one home-campaign player with me.
At any rate, the players and I had a very good time.
The table quotes were fun . . .
You're not a white human male so you can jump (addressed to a dwarf)
Now you know why they call me Nubs (occasionally fumbling dwarf)
You've gotta know how to work Lawful Good -- (a Paladin(!) addressing the issue of slavery . . . when his religion and national laws both say it's legal)
Here! Feel my nuts! (a halfling displaying magical acorns)
I'll lie! I'll Lie! (a liar)
If a Ranger falls in the forest, and there is nobody to hear him, does he make a sound? No, just a Reflex save (one possible answer to the age old question)
Ants? Are they Fire Ants?
Damn, we're LARPing!
That's some great cleavage! (warrior dropped three bad guys -- two with critical hits with the 3.5e Great Cleave feat)
----------------
Listening to: Midnight Syndicate - Dungeon
via FoxyTunes
DDC was a throwback for me; for the first time in a long time nobody else from my home games was there. Back before 1998, I did almost all of my cons without anyone else with me. Between 1998 and this year, there was almost always one home-campaign player with me.
At any rate, the players and I had a very good time.
The table quotes were fun . . .
You're not a white human male so you can jump (addressed to a dwarf)
Now you know why they call me Nubs (occasionally fumbling dwarf)
You've gotta know how to work Lawful Good -- (a Paladin(!) addressing the issue of slavery . . . when his religion and national laws both say it's legal)
Here! Feel my nuts! (a halfling displaying magical acorns)
I'll lie! I'll Lie! (a liar)
If a Ranger falls in the forest, and there is nobody to hear him, does he make a sound? No, just a Reflex save (one possible answer to the age old question)
Ants? Are they Fire Ants?
Damn, we're LARPing!
That's some great cleavage! (warrior dropped three bad guys -- two with critical hits with the 3.5e Great Cleave feat)
----------------
Listening to: Midnight Syndicate - Dungeon
via FoxyTunes
Friday, October 24, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
"Quick, where's my Sword of Porn Dragon Slaying?"
Hmmm...the Great Porn Dragon...
Is this new for 4th Edition?
I wonder what the D&D stat block looks like?
*shudder*
Is this new for 4th Edition?
I wonder what the D&D stat block looks like?
*shudder*
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
wtf did you expect?
| Your Ultimate Roleplaying Purity Score | ||
| Category | Your Score | Average |
| Hacklust | 6.6% Slew entire Asgardian Pantheon with one hand while blindfolded | 53.5% |
| Sensitive Roleplaying | 15.19% There is no player. There is only.... Zuul. | 54.7% |
| GM Experience | 10.87% Worldbuilder, storyteller... Master. | 69.3% |
| Systems Knowledge | 78.53% Local rules guru | 90.4% |
| Livin' La Vida Dorka | 8.05% Gaming is my life | 63.2% |
| You are 28.74% pure Average Score: 68.7% | ||
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
The Tribues to Gary Gygax roll in . . .
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Happy GM's Day...not!
D&D co-creator Gary Gygax checks out, soul heads for the Plane of Polyhedral Dice per the RSRD.
Monday, February 18, 2008
DunDraCon 32 Report
DDC Con Report
For the first time in three years, I've made it to a game con . . . and I feel fine.
That has not always been the case with respect to gaming the last year. I was very very close to writing a repeat of last year's April Fools post – and that post not being a joke. I've been feeling burned out on all fronts of the hobby, missing the fire and passion I used to put into my games. My game world was in a virtual stasis, I had all but ceased writing anything for it and I kept asking myself “Why bother with working on a game anymore – or even playing?”
This weekend reconnected me with why I game. I originally decided to attend DunDraCon 32 as a kind of last huzzah, a farewell of sorts. I'd run a game as I always do, and I'd play as many as I could. If the old magic wasn't back by the end of the weekend, then I'd leave the hobby for good.
I got to the con on Saturday morning just minutes before the start of my con-sponsored game. I had put that game together in what had become my usual style the last year or so; with a bit of background info and an outline as to possible events. When I came up with the game-world event that would frame this adventure a few months earlier – having the party put an end to the misconduct of a mercenary company – I did not have a clue as to how this would happen. I floundered for weeks looking for an important game world consequence of failure . . . .
Sometimes I feel as though I am channeling the game world, not writing or running it. Stuff flits into my conscious mind, my “this is cool!” alarm triggers, and an idea hits the pixels. Three separate bolts of deep channeling hit me a week before the DunDraCon that got me the skeleton of a plot and some approaches the party may take in completing the adventure. On Saturday I had more pages of players notes than I did DM notes. This was a bit of a worry because the DM I was two or three years ago was hyper-prepared. I'm a good improviser, but was I good enough?
Apparently I was.
I got what had to be the best group of players I've had outside of my home groups: no power-gamers, no stat-monkey munchkins, no spotlight hogs. Players who actually took the time to read the background I'd created and integrated it into their roleplaying. While not up to the deep-character / deep verse style of the Kitsune Chronicles players (the best damn roleplayers I know, period!), I was floored by the quality of player I'd gotten, and I was as underprepared as ever.
My players made all the difference. They managed to scheme, sneak, dissemble and when needed fight their way to victorious success in the scenario. As in years past, I created a convention adventure where party failure at this convention game would drive major plot threads, or in this case, literally enact a cosmic change in the game world.
Their play took my breath away. I found myself challenged to keep up with them, even when I was the DM, the supposedly all powerful demigod in charge. I still don't know quite how it hppened, but I walked out of the game a new DM.
My D&D game was only the setup for what was to come next. The next day I finally got to play a game I bought some time ago as a convention break-game – SJ Games' Munchkin. Reading a review on a website saying “Munchkin is cool!” or hearing a friend tell you “Munchkin is cool!” pales next to the moment when you get to play and finally get to say to one and all “Munchkin is cool!”
Munchkin is a card game of old-school dungeon-crawling: kick open the door, kill the monsters, steal their stuff, stab your buddy in the back and steal his stuff too. Be the first to get to level 10 and you win.
I got the box out and one player (me) became three (me, Iz and another) became five. It's a game that's pretty easy to learn, hard to master. You must be ruthless in ensuring that your buddies get the backstabbery they soooo richly deserve. While I did not win, I came very close and managed to pull off some pretty ruthless moves. At times I think they need to call this game “You Bastard!” because that's what you'll say when someone ices your perfect plan to kill the last monster you need to win. A willingness to engage in High Treachery is needed to win. If you aren't looking for a way to fsck your buddy, you aren't playing to win.
In meta terms, DDC seemed a much smaller con than it was back in 2002-3. The dealer room was tiny, the con less spread out. I suspect this is due to macroeconomic issues and worries.
The facilities in San Ramon were awesome as usual, the hotel staff was friendly if a bit bemused by the eclectic crowd that is Gamer Nation. The on-site food options were not insanely overpriced. I would have given a random testicle for decent bandwidth, though.
Finally, early Monday morning I was interviewed for a podcast: “Heroes of Science Fiction and Fantasy.” In it I discuss my adventure “The Agony of Kessel” and my favorite sf and fantasy media.
For the first time in three years, I've made it to a game con . . . and I feel fine.
That has not always been the case with respect to gaming the last year. I was very very close to writing a repeat of last year's April Fools post – and that post not being a joke. I've been feeling burned out on all fronts of the hobby, missing the fire and passion I used to put into my games. My game world was in a virtual stasis, I had all but ceased writing anything for it and I kept asking myself “Why bother with working on a game anymore – or even playing?”
This weekend reconnected me with why I game. I originally decided to attend DunDraCon 32 as a kind of last huzzah, a farewell of sorts. I'd run a game as I always do, and I'd play as many as I could. If the old magic wasn't back by the end of the weekend, then I'd leave the hobby for good.
I got to the con on Saturday morning just minutes before the start of my con-sponsored game. I had put that game together in what had become my usual style the last year or so; with a bit of background info and an outline as to possible events. When I came up with the game-world event that would frame this adventure a few months earlier – having the party put an end to the misconduct of a mercenary company – I did not have a clue as to how this would happen. I floundered for weeks looking for an important game world consequence of failure . . . .
Sometimes I feel as though I am channeling the game world, not writing or running it. Stuff flits into my conscious mind, my “this is cool!” alarm triggers, and an idea hits the pixels. Three separate bolts of deep channeling hit me a week before the DunDraCon that got me the skeleton of a plot and some approaches the party may take in completing the adventure. On Saturday I had more pages of players notes than I did DM notes. This was a bit of a worry because the DM I was two or three years ago was hyper-prepared. I'm a good improviser, but was I good enough?
Apparently I was.
I got what had to be the best group of players I've had outside of my home groups: no power-gamers, no stat-monkey munchkins, no spotlight hogs. Players who actually took the time to read the background I'd created and integrated it into their roleplaying. While not up to the deep-character / deep verse style of the Kitsune Chronicles players (the best damn roleplayers I know, period!), I was floored by the quality of player I'd gotten, and I was as underprepared as ever.
My players made all the difference. They managed to scheme, sneak, dissemble and when needed fight their way to victorious success in the scenario. As in years past, I created a convention adventure where party failure at this convention game would drive major plot threads, or in this case, literally enact a cosmic change in the game world.
Their play took my breath away. I found myself challenged to keep up with them, even when I was the DM, the supposedly all powerful demigod in charge. I still don't know quite how it hppened, but I walked out of the game a new DM.
My D&D game was only the setup for what was to come next. The next day I finally got to play a game I bought some time ago as a convention break-game – SJ Games' Munchkin. Reading a review on a website saying “Munchkin is cool!” or hearing a friend tell you “Munchkin is cool!” pales next to the moment when you get to play and finally get to say to one and all “Munchkin is cool!”
Munchkin is a card game of old-school dungeon-crawling: kick open the door, kill the monsters, steal their stuff, stab your buddy in the back and steal his stuff too. Be the first to get to level 10 and you win.
I got the box out and one player (me) became three (me, Iz and another) became five. It's a game that's pretty easy to learn, hard to master. You must be ruthless in ensuring that your buddies get the backstabbery they soooo richly deserve. While I did not win, I came very close and managed to pull off some pretty ruthless moves. At times I think they need to call this game “You Bastard!” because that's what you'll say when someone ices your perfect plan to kill the last monster you need to win. A willingness to engage in High Treachery is needed to win. If you aren't looking for a way to fsck your buddy, you aren't playing to win.
In meta terms, DDC seemed a much smaller con than it was back in 2002-3. The dealer room was tiny, the con less spread out. I suspect this is due to macroeconomic issues and worries.
The facilities in San Ramon were awesome as usual, the hotel staff was friendly if a bit bemused by the eclectic crowd that is Gamer Nation. The on-site food options were not insanely overpriced. I would have given a random testicle for decent bandwidth, though.
Finally, early Monday morning I was interviewed for a podcast: “Heroes of Science Fiction and Fantasy.” In it I discuss my adventure “The Agony of Kessel” and my favorite sf and fantasy media.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Praise Teh Sacred Google!
This. Is. C00l.
The Discordian in me loves this kind of stuff. Eris and Google -- BFF!
Google's High Holy Day is September 14, the anniversary of the date the domain google.com was registered. And, it's just five days before another geek holiday, Talk Like A Pirate Day. A holiday devoted to the discovery of truth and good, not to mention pirates, is a perfect antidote to the annual beating around the head and shoulders with the proverbial bloody shirt every Sept 11.
Of course the Dungeon Master in me beat them to it awhile ago.
----------------
Listening to: Seanan McGuire - Still Catch The Tide
via FoxyTunes
The Discordian in me loves this kind of stuff. Eris and Google -- BFF!
Google's High Holy Day is September 14, the anniversary of the date the domain google.com was registered. And, it's just five days before another geek holiday, Talk Like A Pirate Day. A holiday devoted to the discovery of truth and good, not to mention pirates, is a perfect antidote to the annual beating around the head and shoulders with the proverbial bloody shirt every Sept 11.
Of course the Dungeon Master in me beat them to it awhile ago.
----------------
Listening to: Seanan McGuire - Still Catch The Tide
via FoxyTunes
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
I like this . . .
New shirt from SJ Games . . .
If only it were available in sizes bigger than 3x!
----------------
Listening to: Emerald Rose - Never Split the Party
via FoxyTunes
If only it were available in sizes bigger than 3x!
----------------
Listening to: Emerald Rose - Never Split the Party
via FoxyTunes
Thursday, November 22, 2007
What Am I Thankful For?
A very partial list . . .
Physical: A great job, a roof over my head, enough cash to pay the bills, bandwidth and the means to use it.
Social: Mom, Dad, Ron, Sophia and Sam. Friends like Michelle, David, Kayla, Matt, Richard, Sammy, Duncan, Isabel, Tim, Kate, Sue, Rachael, Don, Rob, Kajir, Heather, Dave, Diane, Gene, Aries, Nika, Mystique, Harley, Rita, Bug, Shalyn and Hillary.
Other: An awesome health care team led by Dr. Nelson . . . the fact that the evil that is Shrub will be out of office in about a year . . . RT and e-Tran . . . PCJ and Panera . . .the music that helped save my life this year: Seanan McGuire, The Elders, Emerald Rose, Leslie Fish, James Blunt, Tempest, Escape Key, Flogging Molly, Roy Zimmerman, Loreena Mckinnett, Niel Young and Weird Al Yankovic.
Media: Serenity / Firefly, D&D, World of Warcraft.
Physical: A great job, a roof over my head, enough cash to pay the bills, bandwidth and the means to use it.
Social: Mom, Dad, Ron, Sophia and Sam. Friends like Michelle, David, Kayla, Matt, Richard, Sammy, Duncan, Isabel, Tim, Kate, Sue, Rachael, Don, Rob, Kajir, Heather, Dave, Diane, Gene, Aries, Nika, Mystique, Harley, Rita, Bug, Shalyn and Hillary.
Other: An awesome health care team led by Dr. Nelson . . . the fact that the evil that is Shrub will be out of office in about a year . . . RT and e-Tran . . . PCJ and Panera . . .the music that helped save my life this year: Seanan McGuire, The Elders, Emerald Rose, Leslie Fish, James Blunt, Tempest, Escape Key, Flogging Molly, Roy Zimmerman, Loreena Mckinnett, Niel Young and Weird Al Yankovic.
Media: Serenity / Firefly, D&D, World of Warcraft.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Something very nice this way comes or Bend it Like Bento
After coughing my lungs up all night, I feel semi human this evening.
Oh, the things you can learn from a RSS feed . . . I subscribe to the MacFixIt.com feed for Version Tracker. VT is a site that lists new software releases for Mac OS X, Mac OS Classic, Windows and Palm OS. New software releases including things like virus signature files for antivirus suites, security updates for core operating systems, and updates for applications major and minor. If you want to make a Mac so something that Apple has not provided a program for, say, ripping DVDs to your hard drive, look at Version Tracker. Want new iTunes visualizations or updates to World of Warcraft? VT's got 'em.
Something very interesting came in on the OS X feed tonight: FileMaker, a Mac software company so venerable that Apple bought it some years ago, has a public beta / trial version of Bento, their new personal database software application.
Database software is usually one of the most user-unfriendly of the common applications. On the one hand you have general purporse database apps like FileMaker Pro. dBase, Microsoft Access (an oxymoron if there ever was one!), etc that are very flexible tools for designing exactly the database you want to build. Very nice until you need to retrieve something from it. Then you need to learn a query language -- basically a specialized scripting computer language -- in order to search that database. On the other hand you have special-purpose applications like WotC's D&D eTools that are very easy to use -- no programming and no data structures knowledge needed -- but are one trick ponies, inflexible, unusable for anything else.
This gap has long been recognized by software developers. OpenOffice, NeoOffice, Claris Works, Microsoft Works (another oxymoron) and other suites have database programs that attempt to address the issue; all of these apps require a degree of familiarity with database software conventions and programming that is beyond most users, and is not worth the trouble for even someone like me to learn to use.
Bento hits the nail on the head. It is a very flexible database editing and search application aimed at folks who do not want or need to learn SQL. Three things about this app: Start with the source list / app work area of iTunes and the iLife and iWork applications; add to that drag and drop database design and tie that to Leopard's Spotlight metadata search functions and you have Bento in a nutshell. If you can make an iTunes playlist, you can make a functional and usable database.
My test of this nice little tool is the creation of NPC databases for D&D and Serenity.
Oh, the things you can learn from a RSS feed . . . I subscribe to the MacFixIt.com feed for Version Tracker. VT is a site that lists new software releases for Mac OS X, Mac OS Classic, Windows and Palm OS. New software releases including things like virus signature files for antivirus suites, security updates for core operating systems, and updates for applications major and minor. If you want to make a Mac so something that Apple has not provided a program for, say, ripping DVDs to your hard drive, look at Version Tracker. Want new iTunes visualizations or updates to World of Warcraft? VT's got 'em.
Something very interesting came in on the OS X feed tonight: FileMaker, a Mac software company so venerable that Apple bought it some years ago, has a public beta / trial version of Bento, their new personal database software application.
Database software is usually one of the most user-unfriendly of the common applications. On the one hand you have general purporse database apps like FileMaker Pro. dBase, Microsoft Access (an oxymoron if there ever was one!), etc that are very flexible tools for designing exactly the database you want to build. Very nice until you need to retrieve something from it. Then you need to learn a query language -- basically a specialized scripting computer language -- in order to search that database. On the other hand you have special-purpose applications like WotC's D&D eTools that are very easy to use -- no programming and no data structures knowledge needed -- but are one trick ponies, inflexible, unusable for anything else.
This gap has long been recognized by software developers. OpenOffice, NeoOffice, Claris Works, Microsoft Works (another oxymoron) and other suites have database programs that attempt to address the issue; all of these apps require a degree of familiarity with database software conventions and programming that is beyond most users, and is not worth the trouble for even someone like me to learn to use.
Bento hits the nail on the head. It is a very flexible database editing and search application aimed at folks who do not want or need to learn SQL. Three things about this app: Start with the source list / app work area of iTunes and the iLife and iWork applications; add to that drag and drop database design and tie that to Leopard's Spotlight metadata search functions and you have Bento in a nutshell. If you can make an iTunes playlist, you can make a functional and usable database.
My test of this nice little tool is the creation of NPC databases for D&D and Serenity.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
The few, the proud, the antisocial . . .
Hello. My name is RichO and I am an antisocial misanthrope.
Over the last couple of months, I've gone into a mode where I am not particularly interested in talking to anyone, no matter how close our relationship may be. Some of this has been my less-than-optimal health; pain in my legs will do this to me. At other times it's an overpowering urge to climb into a hole and pull it in after me.
I know, this is really strange coming from someone who spends his workdays talking to people on the telephone and his recreational time playing D&D or WoW. I don't really understand why this is so. I just don't feel like going out to the movies (most of which are excessively loud, overly expensive and just-plain-obnoxious), or hanging out with friends, barhopping / drinking (I tend to be a morose drunk that starts singing obnoxious songs like "Men of Harlech" in what I believe is the original Welsh from a bad recording of the movie Zulu) or doing the kinds of spur-of-the-moment things I'd grown accustomed to over the last year-plus. Of course, I don't feel like watching the evil that is television either.
What I want people to know is this: it's not about any of you, or my relationships with any of you. If I have an issue with you, I'll tell you all about it. It's about me and a need I'm feeling for isolation and control in my life. If I don't return your calls and my entry on your AIM buddy list is dark, it's not because I'm mad at you. Or crazy. Or involved in a new relationship. Or being recruited for a bizarre cult. Or recruiting for a bizarre cult. Or joining a mercenary company. Or commanding an elite strike force of GMs. Or modeling pants made from cabbage . . .
Music to muse by: True Believer, The Elders.
Over the last couple of months, I've gone into a mode where I am not particularly interested in talking to anyone, no matter how close our relationship may be. Some of this has been my less-than-optimal health; pain in my legs will do this to me. At other times it's an overpowering urge to climb into a hole and pull it in after me.
I know, this is really strange coming from someone who spends his workdays talking to people on the telephone and his recreational time playing D&D or WoW. I don't really understand why this is so. I just don't feel like going out to the movies (most of which are excessively loud, overly expensive and just-plain-obnoxious), or hanging out with friends, barhopping / drinking (I tend to be a morose drunk that starts singing obnoxious songs like "Men of Harlech" in what I believe is the original Welsh from a bad recording of the movie Zulu) or doing the kinds of spur-of-the-moment things I'd grown accustomed to over the last year-plus. Of course, I don't feel like watching the evil that is television either.
What I want people to know is this: it's not about any of you, or my relationships with any of you. If I have an issue with you, I'll tell you all about it. It's about me and a need I'm feeling for isolation and control in my life. If I don't return your calls and my entry on your AIM buddy list is dark, it's not because I'm mad at you. Or crazy. Or involved in a new relationship. Or being recruited for a bizarre cult. Or recruiting for a bizarre cult. Or joining a mercenary company. Or commanding an elite strike force of GMs. Or modeling pants made from cabbage . . .
Music to muse by: True Believer, The Elders.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Back to work . . . and a bit of play
I'm so very happy to be back to work after so much time off being sick. Not to mention being down over 35 lbs since I started watching my weight. At least it's going in the right direction while I'm watching it.
The next three months or so will be a nose to the grindstone time. Once I get all the debts I've accrued during this illness paid off, I'm rewarding myself with my first game convention trip in almost three years. Perhaps it'll be ConQuest SF over Labor Day, more likely next year's DunDraCon.
DDC would probably be a better choice; it usually falls around tax refund time anyway. I don't anticipate being completely caught up until August at the very least, which is right before ConQuest. It would not be right to spend the money to go to a con while these debts are unpaid.
In other gaming related news:
1. Given how well-received the "Fox Tails" Serenity game seems to be going, it looks like I'll be setting up a blog for the news from that game. It'll probably be on Blogger.
2. I just found out that Dragon and Dungeon magazines will cease publication in their current forms as of September 2007. According to Paizo Publishing, it's because the license from WotC has ended. This is the FIFTH bloody time I have subscribed to a gaming magazine and that magazine has ceased publication shortly after I subbed. It happened to Strategy and Tactics back in '82 when TSR bought the assets and not liabilities of SPI . . . to Space Gamer (" . . . the best gaming magazine there ever was, or ever will be . . .") in the late 80s when SJ Games changed its focus . . . AutoDuel Quarterly ("Drive Offensively!") in '93 or so when SJ Games changed its focus again. . . Challenge in '96 when GDW went out of business, and now Dragon! Fortunately, Paizo will not just take the money and run the way TSR did back in the day. Once I'm feeling a bit more flush, I'll subscribe to Pyramid . . .and hope for the best.
Then again, maybe it's time for a dose of the "Iz Mantra" aka Reason 31: "It's not all about you, Rich."
The next three months or so will be a nose to the grindstone time. Once I get all the debts I've accrued during this illness paid off, I'm rewarding myself with my first game convention trip in almost three years. Perhaps it'll be ConQuest SF over Labor Day, more likely next year's DunDraCon.
DDC would probably be a better choice; it usually falls around tax refund time anyway. I don't anticipate being completely caught up until August at the very least, which is right before ConQuest. It would not be right to spend the money to go to a con while these debts are unpaid.
In other gaming related news:
1. Given how well-received the "Fox Tails" Serenity game seems to be going, it looks like I'll be setting up a blog for the news from that game. It'll probably be on Blogger.
2. I just found out that Dragon and Dungeon magazines will cease publication in their current forms as of September 2007. According to Paizo Publishing, it's because the license from WotC has ended. This is the FIFTH bloody time I have subscribed to a gaming magazine and that magazine has ceased publication shortly after I subbed. It happened to Strategy and Tactics back in '82 when TSR bought the assets and not liabilities of SPI . . . to Space Gamer (" . . . the best gaming magazine there ever was, or ever will be . . .") in the late 80s when SJ Games changed its focus . . . AutoDuel Quarterly ("Drive Offensively!") in '93 or so when SJ Games changed its focus again. . . Challenge in '96 when GDW went out of business, and now Dragon! Fortunately, Paizo will not just take the money and run the way TSR did back in the day. Once I'm feeling a bit more flush, I'll subscribe to Pyramid . . .and hope for the best.
Then again, maybe it's time for a dose of the "Iz Mantra" aka Reason 31: "It's not all about you, Rich."
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Ten things that make me smile when I'm a bit down . . .
Right now, as I write this, I'm too damned fragged emotionally to be good company to anyone or to fall asleep.
When I'm in that state, I strive for complete control of my surroundings, what RTS players call "turtleing" -- I fort up, getting the hell away from people because I'm not at my best. My 1337 50ci@1 skillz are not mad enough to deal with social situations when I'm like this.
In Trek terms: shields up, red alert, phasers on desocialize, emoton torpedoes on overload.
When the ick subsides to the point where I'm no longer antisocial, I cheer myself by thinking of, visiting, doing / warching / reading these things (not in order of which has the highest "cheer me up" factor):
1. Michelle, David and Kaia. Hanging out with them helps keep me sane; the cats and I are old friends, and M's veggie cooking is teh r0xx0r.
2. A good book I've read before, any of my desert island books will work as does the 1632 series (alternate early modern history set up by a cosmic accident that drops a West Virginia mining town scirca 1997 smack in the middle of Germany during the height of the Thirty Years' War).
3. Iz. For far too many reasons to list here.
4. World of Warcraft. WoW's good for catharic venting onto poor virtual monsters.
5. Babylon 5. Best. TV. Space. Opera. Evah. Quotes like this one help me cope:
6. I come up with game stuff. As an immediate example: when I went looking for the above quote, I found another B5 quote from Marcus Cole that will find its way into my "In Hoc Signo Vinces" D&D game. I'm keeping that one to myself for now . . .
7. Hearing songs I havn't heard in a decade or more, and thinking back to where I was then.
8. Reviewing my weight loss so far
9. Looking back on where I was 1, 3, 5, and 10 years ago and comparing then to now. Now almost always comes off better. I've come a long way since then, but in life it's grow or die.
10. A crisp wind, warm sunshine, running water, green grass.
When I'm in that state, I strive for complete control of my surroundings, what RTS players call "turtleing" -- I fort up, getting the hell away from people because I'm not at my best. My 1337 50ci@1 skillz are not mad enough to deal with social situations when I'm like this.
In Trek terms: shields up, red alert, phasers on desocialize, emoton torpedoes on overload.
When the ick subsides to the point where I'm no longer antisocial, I cheer myself by thinking of, visiting, doing / warching / reading these things (not in order of which has the highest "cheer me up" factor):
1. Michelle, David and Kaia. Hanging out with them helps keep me sane; the cats and I are old friends, and M's veggie cooking is teh r0xx0r.
2. A good book I've read before, any of my desert island books will work as does the 1632 series (alternate early modern history set up by a cosmic accident that drops a West Virginia mining town scirca 1997 smack in the middle of Germany during the height of the Thirty Years' War).
3. Iz. For far too many reasons to list here.
4. World of Warcraft. WoW's good for catharic venting onto poor virtual monsters.
5. Babylon 5. Best. TV. Space. Opera. Evah. Quotes like this one help me cope:
"Then I will tell you a great secret, Captain. Perhaps the greatest of all time. The molecules of your body are the same molecules that make up this station and the nebula outside, that burn inside the stars themselves. We are starstuff, we are the universe made manifest, trying to figure itself out. As we have both learned, sometimes the universe requires a change of perspective."Firefly is NOT space opera, and is just as quotable.-- Delenn to Sheridan in Babylon 5:"A Distant Star"
6. I come up with game stuff. As an immediate example: when I went looking for the above quote, I found another B5 quote from Marcus Cole that will find its way into my "In Hoc Signo Vinces" D&D game. I'm keeping that one to myself for now . . .
7. Hearing songs I havn't heard in a decade or more, and thinking back to where I was then.
8. Reviewing my weight loss so far
9. Looking back on where I was 1, 3, 5, and 10 years ago and comparing then to now. Now almost always comes off better. I've come a long way since then, but in life it's grow or die.
10. A crisp wind, warm sunshine, running water, green grass.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Desert Island Books
Time for a comment game:
How would you answer the following question:
"If you could take ten and only ten books with you when you're marooned on a desert island / planet / plane of reality for the rest of your life, which ones would you take?"
My list:
1. The Fifth Sacred Thing, Starhawk.
2. Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein.
3. D&D v3.5 Core Book I: Player's Handbook
4. D&D v3.5 Core Book II: Dungeon Master's Guide
5. D&D v3.5 Core Book III: Monster Manual I
6. King Kelson's Bride, Katherine Kurtz
7. The Shadow of Saganami, David Weber
8. A Civil Campaign, Lios McMaster Bujold
9. A Distant Mirror, Barbara Tuchman
10. Guns of the South, Harry Turtledove
How would you answer the following question:
"If you could take ten and only ten books with you when you're marooned on a desert island / planet / plane of reality for the rest of your life, which ones would you take?"
My list:
1. The Fifth Sacred Thing, Starhawk.
2. Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein.
3. D&D v3.5 Core Book I: Player's Handbook
4. D&D v3.5 Core Book II: Dungeon Master's Guide
5. D&D v3.5 Core Book III: Monster Manual I
6. King Kelson's Bride, Katherine Kurtz
7. The Shadow of Saganami, David Weber
8. A Civil Campaign, Lios McMaster Bujold
9. A Distant Mirror, Barbara Tuchman
10. Guns of the South, Harry Turtledove
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