There's really not a lot of television programming that I like right now. I'm sick of reality shows. I tried watching the new Survivor, but after about two episodes I gave up. Same old thing, different people.
Arrow looks like it's going to be good. I enjoyed the pilot. A different take on the old DC character. It makes me want to play a superhero RPG! Heh....
Last season I didn't watch much of Supernatural. I don't know why, something else must have been on at the same time. I, for the most part, enjoy the show. I decided to watch it last night, and really enjoyed it. The thing is I was approaching it from a gamer's point of view, and that's not always a good thing. If you haven't seen this episode yet, and might want to, what follows is a spoiler.
The plot was that the brothers, Dean and Sam were trying to acquire a stone tablet, supposedly inscribed with some sort of invocation to banish all the demons and lock them in Hell. So they track it down, and find out it's going to be auctioned off. The auction is being held by Plutus, Greek God of wealth, and apparently he wants more wealth. Actually, I think a character called him the God of Greed. So they go to the auction, and soon determine they can't afford to bid on it.
There are several interest artifacts up for bid, one of which is Mjölnir, Thor's hammer! At the beginning of the episode, a small, old man was getting something out of his safe deposit box at a bank. Turns out to be a finger bone of Frost Giant. Weird. The old man then kills the bank employee. Of course this really doesn't have much to do with the plot, until later.
Anyway, lets cut to the chase, the old man bids the finger bone of the Frost Giant for Mjölnir, but Plutus isn't interested. Then the old man holds up a bag, and offers 1/5 of a virgin as well. Eeewww. I was wondering what he did with the rest of the bank employee? For some reason, Plutus accepts the bid. The old man, happily clutches the hammer. He's happy. He's heard muttering, "How I've missed you..."
Then the stone tablet comes up for bidding. A bidding war starts, and the mom of the prophet, who's the only one who can use the tablet, bids her own soul. Plutus agrees. Then later, after the auction, they start to make the transaction and things go to heck. Plutus is killed, and one of his henchmen. Big trouble for the brothers.
To even the odds, Sam borrows Mjölnir, and smites Plutus's right hand "man", who had betrayed Plutus. The old man wants his hammer back, and Sam looks reluctant to give it up. I know I sure wouldn't! Then Sam asks the old man, where he got 1/5 of a virgin. The old man, who at this point I'm thinking is either a very under-powered Thor or Odin, due to a lack of worshippers, get's this sheepish look on his face. Oops. Sam smites the old man, and he disappears. Nothing left but the old man's clothes. Back to Asgard I guess. The hammer is left next to clothes. Whaaaaaaaat?
At this point something comes up, and I miss a bit, so I don't know if the hammer is retrieved or was left lying on the warehouse floor? All I know is the gamer in me is screaming. Keep the hammer! If you spend your life hunting and fighting supernatural evil, Thor's hammer would come in handy. At least in my opinion.
For those wondering, and didn't watch the show, the bad guy got the tablet, but not the prophet. The prophet and his mom no longer trust the Winchester's, and go into hiding. The brothers go on their way, without Mjölnir, as far as I know...
This is how I would have ended the episode.
Sam puts Mjölnir in the trunk of the car.
Dean: So you're keeping the hammer?
Sam: Yeah...
Dean: Okaaaaaaaay.
I have a feeling if gamers wrote television shows they would be much, much different.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
[ Magic Item ] Sylvan Jar
A Sylvan Jar is a minor magic item used to store medicinal and magical herbs, as well as potions, salves, ointments, etc. Anything stored in a Sylvan Jar will stay fresh, and retain it's potency for an indefinite amount of time. They can be clear or colored, and are usually etched with vines, or plants, as a decoration. Some are labeled with Elvish glyphs to indicate it's contents. The jars can come in all shapes and sizes, but large ones are rare. A jar will have either a cork, or glass stopper, and the effect will not work if the stopper is missing, or left off the jar too long. Although the jars are extremely durable, they can be broken.
The secret to the creation of a Sylvan Jar has long been lost, and many glassblowers would pay dearly to learn the secret of creating them. Rumors abound of a long, lost tome that describes how they are made.
These are highly prized by alchemists and herbalists, and most will pay a good price to acquire a Sylvan Jar.
The secret to the creation of a Sylvan Jar has long been lost, and many glassblowers would pay dearly to learn the secret of creating them. Rumors abound of a long, lost tome that describes how they are made.
These are highly prized by alchemists and herbalists, and most will pay a good price to acquire a Sylvan Jar.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Same Flavor, Less Crunch, and Hopefully with the Same Amount of PUNCH!
No, I'm not talking about a breakfast cereal or snack chips. I'm talking about Rolemaster Unified.
I downloaded the playtest PDFs of Character Law, and Spell Law, and so far I like what I'm reading. RMU is not nearly as crunchy as RMSS ( Rolemaster Standard System. ), and is looking to be very playable.
I've been participating in the Official ICE Forums, and discussing the new version of Rolemaster in the playtest forums. It's been interesting, and fun for the most part.
I'm hoping things don't get changed too much. There's a lot of different ideas being put forth in the playtest forums, and some I don't like at all. No levels?!?!? Anyway, it's still early in the process, and I'm looking forward to seeing the final versions. The Arms Law PDF hasn't been released yet, I guess it's still in beta playtesting.
One cool thing is that I managed to get the spreadsheet to work. All I had to do was load it into OpenOffice, but now they have versions for both Excel and OpenOffice! Man, does this make chargen easy in RM! It's still being designed, but once it's finished it's going to be wonderous. The trick is formating it, so a print out doesn't look too "junky". I've been trying to work on that, but I've had very little success.
Anyway, I alway had a great time playing and running Rolemaster. Hopefully, RMU will be good, if not a great game.
I'm also working on a spreadsheet for GURPS 4E. My spreadsheet design skills are poor at best, and I've got a long way to go. I know Steve Jackson Games has a program to do that, but I'm cheap. Maybe I'll get it in the future, but for now, a spreadsheet will work just fine.
I downloaded the playtest PDFs of Character Law, and Spell Law, and so far I like what I'm reading. RMU is not nearly as crunchy as RMSS ( Rolemaster Standard System. ), and is looking to be very playable.
I've been participating in the Official ICE Forums, and discussing the new version of Rolemaster in the playtest forums. It's been interesting, and fun for the most part.
I'm hoping things don't get changed too much. There's a lot of different ideas being put forth in the playtest forums, and some I don't like at all. No levels?!?!? Anyway, it's still early in the process, and I'm looking forward to seeing the final versions. The Arms Law PDF hasn't been released yet, I guess it's still in beta playtesting.
One cool thing is that I managed to get the spreadsheet to work. All I had to do was load it into OpenOffice, but now they have versions for both Excel and OpenOffice! Man, does this make chargen easy in RM! It's still being designed, but once it's finished it's going to be wonderous. The trick is formating it, so a print out doesn't look too "junky". I've been trying to work on that, but I've had very little success.
Anyway, I alway had a great time playing and running Rolemaster. Hopefully, RMU will be good, if not a great game.
I'm also working on a spreadsheet for GURPS 4E. My spreadsheet design skills are poor at best, and I've got a long way to go. I know Steve Jackson Games has a program to do that, but I'm cheap. Maybe I'll get it in the future, but for now, a spreadsheet will work just fine.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
[ Kinship ] The Arrival of Fred the Nerd
Fred clutched his backpack close to his chest. Riding the subway late Saturday night, after spending the day at the NYC Comicon, he was still feeling the high of the con. It had been a great day. He managed to fill some holes in his comic book collection, got a couple of autographed photos, and picked up a copy of an out of print RPG he had been looking for. The only other person on the subway car was a scruffy looking man, who was asleep.
Then the lights went out, and suddenly Fred knew someone was standing before him.
It became cold, and Fred shivered. Then the lights came back on, and standing before him was a person in black robes. A very tall person. At first Fred thought the person was in costume, and had been at the con. However, Fred suddenly knew that wasn't the case.
The robed figure lowered his head toward the seated Fred. The face was pale, bony to the point of looking almost completely skeletal. Inches from his own face, Fred saw the glowing eyes, and then the face grinned. As the lips curled back, Fred saw teeth as black as obsidian, and pointed as a sharks. Ironically it's breath smelled of grass after a Spring rain.
Then in a voice raspy as sandpaper on rusted metal, the figure spoke...
"You are now free..."
Raising an arm, the monstrous figure grasped Fred's shoulder, a cold shock shuddering through out Fred's body. Peace came with the darkness, and the last thing Fred heard was a melodical laugh.
An indeterminate amount of time later, Fred woke up. Looking around he appeared to be in an alley, but it was daytime. Sitting up, he sees graffiti on a brick wall...
Spray painted in red it read: Kinship NO WAY OUT!
Fred the Nerd knew he wasn't in New York City anymore...
Fred the Nerd [ 55 Points ] 45 Unspent Points
Age: 19 5'1" 110 lbs. Skinny [ -5 ]
ST 9 [-10], DX 11 [20], IQ 12 [40], HT 10
HP 9, Will 12, Per 12, FP 10
Basic Lift 16, Damage: Thr 1d-2/Sw 1d-1;
Basic Speed 5, Basic Move 5;
Dodge 7, Parry 8 ( unarmed ), Block -;
DR 0.
Advantages and Perks
Common Sense [ 10 ], Eidetic Memory [ 5 ], Luck [ 15 ]
Disadvantages and Quirks
Combat Paralysis [ -15 ], Collects Comic Books [ -1 ], Collects Action Figures [ -1 ], Curious [ -5 ], Gullibility [ -10 ], Imaginative [ -1 ], Loner [ -5 ],
Minor Addiction/Caffeine [ -1 ], Trekkie [ -1 ] Weirdness Magnet [ -15 ]
Skills
Area Knowledge/New York City - 13 [ 2 ],
Artist/Drawing - 13 [ 8 ],
Biology - 10 [ 1 ], Chemistry - 11 [ 2 ],
Computer Operation/TL8 - 16 [ 8 ],
Games/RPGs - 14 [ 4 ], Hobby Skill/Comic Books - 14 [ 4 ],
Hobby Skill/Science Fiction - 14 [ 4 ],
Writing -12 [ 2 ]
Possessions
Backpack: laptop computer, digital camera, jar of peanut butter, spoon, 3 issues of Uncanny X-Men 101, 102, 103 ( all near mint ), sketch pad, small box of drawing pencils and pens, GURPS Basic Set 3E softcover, bag of dice, cell phone
He's wearing faded jeans, and a Captain America t-shirt. The con badge is still hanging around his neck. He has a wallet with about $10, some loose change, keys, and a pack of gum in his pockets. He's wearing some inexpensive atheltic shoes.
Poor Fred the Nerd is now in Kinship due to the manifestation of his Weirdness Magnet. He's not a combat orientated character, and it will remain to be seen if he becomes zombie chow or worse. He does have unspent points ( I decided he was a 100 point character ) so once the Sheriff assigns Fred a weapon he can begin training. His combat paralysis may very will be his doom however...
Fred the Nerd is the first GURPS 4E character I have made. It was fun, and not that different than GURPS 3E. I'm a bit rusty so hopefully there are no mistakes.
Then the lights went out, and suddenly Fred knew someone was standing before him.
It became cold, and Fred shivered. Then the lights came back on, and standing before him was a person in black robes. A very tall person. At first Fred thought the person was in costume, and had been at the con. However, Fred suddenly knew that wasn't the case.
The robed figure lowered his head toward the seated Fred. The face was pale, bony to the point of looking almost completely skeletal. Inches from his own face, Fred saw the glowing eyes, and then the face grinned. As the lips curled back, Fred saw teeth as black as obsidian, and pointed as a sharks. Ironically it's breath smelled of grass after a Spring rain.
Then in a voice raspy as sandpaper on rusted metal, the figure spoke...
"You are now free..."
Raising an arm, the monstrous figure grasped Fred's shoulder, a cold shock shuddering through out Fred's body. Peace came with the darkness, and the last thing Fred heard was a melodical laugh.
An indeterminate amount of time later, Fred woke up. Looking around he appeared to be in an alley, but it was daytime. Sitting up, he sees graffiti on a brick wall...
Spray painted in red it read: Kinship NO WAY OUT!
Fred the Nerd knew he wasn't in New York City anymore...
Fred the Nerd ( GURPS 4E NPC )
Fred the Nerd [ 55 Points ] 45 Unspent Points
Age: 19 5'1" 110 lbs. Skinny [ -5 ]
ST 9 [-10], DX 11 [20], IQ 12 [40], HT 10
HP 9, Will 12, Per 12, FP 10
Basic Lift 16, Damage: Thr 1d-2/Sw 1d-1;
Basic Speed 5, Basic Move 5;
Dodge 7, Parry 8 ( unarmed ), Block -;
DR 0.
Advantages and Perks
Common Sense [ 10 ], Eidetic Memory [ 5 ], Luck [ 15 ]
Disadvantages and Quirks
Combat Paralysis [ -15 ], Collects Comic Books [ -1 ], Collects Action Figures [ -1 ], Curious [ -5 ], Gullibility [ -10 ], Imaginative [ -1 ], Loner [ -5 ],
Minor Addiction/Caffeine [ -1 ], Trekkie [ -1 ] Weirdness Magnet [ -15 ]
Skills
Area Knowledge/New York City - 13 [ 2 ],
Artist/Drawing - 13 [ 8 ],
Biology - 10 [ 1 ], Chemistry - 11 [ 2 ],
Computer Operation/TL8 - 16 [ 8 ],
Games/RPGs - 14 [ 4 ], Hobby Skill/Comic Books - 14 [ 4 ],
Hobby Skill/Science Fiction - 14 [ 4 ],
Writing -12 [ 2 ]
Possessions
Backpack: laptop computer, digital camera, jar of peanut butter, spoon, 3 issues of Uncanny X-Men 101, 102, 103 ( all near mint ), sketch pad, small box of drawing pencils and pens, GURPS Basic Set 3E softcover, bag of dice, cell phone
He's wearing faded jeans, and a Captain America t-shirt. The con badge is still hanging around his neck. He has a wallet with about $10, some loose change, keys, and a pack of gum in his pockets. He's wearing some inexpensive atheltic shoes.
Poor Fred the Nerd is now in Kinship due to the manifestation of his Weirdness Magnet. He's not a combat orientated character, and it will remain to be seen if he becomes zombie chow or worse. He does have unspent points ( I decided he was a 100 point character ) so once the Sheriff assigns Fred a weapon he can begin training. His combat paralysis may very will be his doom however...
Fred the Nerd is the first GURPS 4E character I have made. It was fun, and not that different than GURPS 3E. I'm a bit rusty so hopefully there are no mistakes.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Rolemaster Unified
Once I read that Rolemaster was being "reworked" for publication I had to find out what was going on. So I went to the Iron Crown Enterprises website, and sure enough, a revised version of Rolemaster is coming out. ICE has also undergone a change in ownership.
Now I like the Rolemaster Standard System, but from what I've read so far, this new version looks good.
They're calling it Rolemaster Unified. Two of the core books are in public playtest, and you can download the PDF's. The two PDF's available are, Spell Law, and Character Law. There's also a Excel spreadsheet to help in creating characters, but since I can't use Excel, it doesn't do me any good. Oh well.
I've skimmed both, and plan on an in depth reading later this week. As I mentioned before, I like what I'm reading. Character creation is somewhat different, and gives two options for stats. You can generate the ten stats randomly, or spend points on them. It's been done both ways in past editions, but I like the option of picking which method. In RMSS you generated your stats by assigning points. In earlier versions I believe it was always random. I plan on creating a character later this week in both RMSS and RMU and comparing the two rule sets.
It really looks like they are streamlining things somewhat, and this could be a good thing. RMU could be more "playable" than RMSS, and this is also a good thing!
One drawback to this "new" Rolemaster is that I'm spending far too much time in the Official ICE forums...
This was kind of a quickly written post, but I will have more on what was always one of my favorite RPG's later this week.
Now I like the Rolemaster Standard System, but from what I've read so far, this new version looks good.
They're calling it Rolemaster Unified. Two of the core books are in public playtest, and you can download the PDF's. The two PDF's available are, Spell Law, and Character Law. There's also a Excel spreadsheet to help in creating characters, but since I can't use Excel, it doesn't do me any good. Oh well.
I've skimmed both, and plan on an in depth reading later this week. As I mentioned before, I like what I'm reading. Character creation is somewhat different, and gives two options for stats. You can generate the ten stats randomly, or spend points on them. It's been done both ways in past editions, but I like the option of picking which method. In RMSS you generated your stats by assigning points. In earlier versions I believe it was always random. I plan on creating a character later this week in both RMSS and RMU and comparing the two rule sets.
It really looks like they are streamlining things somewhat, and this could be a good thing. RMU could be more "playable" than RMSS, and this is also a good thing!
One drawback to this "new" Rolemaster is that I'm spending far too much time in the Official ICE forums...
This was kind of a quickly written post, but I will have more on what was always one of my favorite RPG's later this week.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
I Trudge Onward in the Blogging World
First of all, I want to thank those bloggers that kept me on their blogrolls. So, "Thank you!". I've decided to continue blogging, and hopefully coming up with some stuff worth blogging about.
I've thought one solution would be to use a patchwork method. Using a variety of sources, I could patch together a fantasy sandbox world. There's plenty of free material on the web. An almost endless variety of dungeons, and other adventures that could be used without any or very little preparation.
The only problem I could see is that it wouldn't feel... cohesive. Well, it would feel that way to me, maybe not the players. I guess that's not really a problem, just my opinion. With a little work, I'm sure it could be made to feel cohesive.
In fact, in the early days of role playing, I think a lot of players used the patchwork method. I can imagine most DM's used the TSR modules set in their own worlds, along with some of their own creations. It worked for the most part, and was enjoyable. In fact, I think I probably had more fun in the early days of role playing, than later in life. Maybe because it was all so new, and exciting?
I guess, in the long run, it doesn't really matter, unless it's going to be a multi-year, long running campaign? I don't see that happening for me anytime soon, and I'm not getting any younger. So I think I can get away with just getting enough together for a few gaming sessions, and feel good about it. In fact I think I've got a good idea to base a few game sessions around. I'll have more on this idea later this week.
Until next time, Happy Gaming!
The Sandbox Dilemma
I'm sure this topic has been discussed ad nauseam in blogs and elsewhere, but it's something I have been thinking about. How much is enough when it comes to a sandbox setting? ( I think I may have written about this before? I didn't go back and check... ) Unless, you are using published material, who has the time to fully flesh out a fantasy campaign? Much less a star-spanning science fiction campaign?I've thought one solution would be to use a patchwork method. Using a variety of sources, I could patch together a fantasy sandbox world. There's plenty of free material on the web. An almost endless variety of dungeons, and other adventures that could be used without any or very little preparation.
The only problem I could see is that it wouldn't feel... cohesive. Well, it would feel that way to me, maybe not the players. I guess that's not really a problem, just my opinion. With a little work, I'm sure it could be made to feel cohesive.
In fact, in the early days of role playing, I think a lot of players used the patchwork method. I can imagine most DM's used the TSR modules set in their own worlds, along with some of their own creations. It worked for the most part, and was enjoyable. In fact, I think I probably had more fun in the early days of role playing, than later in life. Maybe because it was all so new, and exciting?
I guess, in the long run, it doesn't really matter, unless it's going to be a multi-year, long running campaign? I don't see that happening for me anytime soon, and I'm not getting any younger. So I think I can get away with just getting enough together for a few gaming sessions, and feel good about it. In fact I think I've got a good idea to base a few game sessions around. I'll have more on this idea later this week.
Rolemaster Gets a New Edition?
Okay. Fine. This happens after I've reacquired many of the Rolemaster Standard books I want. I guess I need to go check their website. UGH. Oh well, who am I kidding? If the books are priced right then I will be buying them. In fact I will probably buy more than one copy. I've been a Rolemaster aficionado since the beginning.Until next time, Happy Gaming!
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Where Have I Been?
Wow. It's been almost seven months since I made a blog entry. I've been trying to decide if I want to continue or not, and to whomever's still reading, I still haven't decided. Over the past couple of days I've been reading gaming blogs, which I haven't done much of in a long while. ( I used to read many blogs just about every day. ) I stopped reading them about the same time I stopped blogging. I've also been looking at my sad, neglected blog, and the declining number of views, and wonder if there was any point?
I like gaming, I like reading and writing about gaming, but after two, close, personal losses, my sister and dad, I just lost interest. I was getting fairly gung ho there for a while. The blogging community does that to a person, or at least to me. I find it inspiring and synergistic, and I'm trying to get back into the groove. It's just been difficult.
I'm not sure how much I've missed in the last seven months in the gaming sphere of blogs. I know I missed one great kick starter thing by Reaper Miniatures, which, ironically, I'm kicking myself over. I'm also wondering who's still blogging, and who's not? What's the latest "thing" or meme? I don't think I have the energy to go read seven months worth of gaming blogs to find out...
I also missed an entire summer of local conventions. I haven't gamed, not even any computer games. I haven't done much writing, no drawing, last week I did start designing a dungeon, but I lost interest. The little writing I did was for an idea for a GURPS 4E campaign I was going to run for a couple of friends, but it looks like that may not happen now. I haven't touched a single miniature, or made any terrain. So it's been a nonproductive seven months, but I needed the time. I've been a bit reclusive, and to tell you the truth I'm not looking forward to the upcoming holiday season.
Oh yeah! I did purchase three GURPS 4E books! I The Basic Set Characters, Campaigns, and Powers. So I'm really excited about working on a new GURPS campaign, or maybe work on my Kinship Campaign for GURPS.
The good news is I finally had surgery. When I went in for the pre-surgical evaluation the day before, the doctors looked at my nose, and said that I had rhinophyma. They seemed more concerned with that than the cyst. The surgeon said he could do both on the same day, so I said fine, just do it. They ended doing one more thing, so three procedures in two and a half hours, and I'm glad that it's finally done. I've spent the last couple of weeks recovering, and I'm now feeling much better. Still have a couple of more things to deal with, but then I should be golden, at least in the health department. Emotionally and socially, things have been the pits, but I'm going to work on those as well.
Writing wise, it's difficult to shake off the dust and cobwebs, but I think the old juice is coming back.
I like gaming, I like reading and writing about gaming, but after two, close, personal losses, my sister and dad, I just lost interest. I was getting fairly gung ho there for a while. The blogging community does that to a person, or at least to me. I find it inspiring and synergistic, and I'm trying to get back into the groove. It's just been difficult.
I'm not sure how much I've missed in the last seven months in the gaming sphere of blogs. I know I missed one great kick starter thing by Reaper Miniatures, which, ironically, I'm kicking myself over. I'm also wondering who's still blogging, and who's not? What's the latest "thing" or meme? I don't think I have the energy to go read seven months worth of gaming blogs to find out...
I also missed an entire summer of local conventions. I haven't gamed, not even any computer games. I haven't done much writing, no drawing, last week I did start designing a dungeon, but I lost interest. The little writing I did was for an idea for a GURPS 4E campaign I was going to run for a couple of friends, but it looks like that may not happen now. I haven't touched a single miniature, or made any terrain. So it's been a nonproductive seven months, but I needed the time. I've been a bit reclusive, and to tell you the truth I'm not looking forward to the upcoming holiday season.
Oh yeah! I did purchase three GURPS 4E books! I The Basic Set Characters, Campaigns, and Powers. So I'm really excited about working on a new GURPS campaign, or maybe work on my Kinship Campaign for GURPS.
The good news is I finally had surgery. When I went in for the pre-surgical evaluation the day before, the doctors looked at my nose, and said that I had rhinophyma. They seemed more concerned with that than the cyst. The surgeon said he could do both on the same day, so I said fine, just do it. They ended doing one more thing, so three procedures in two and a half hours, and I'm glad that it's finally done. I've spent the last couple of weeks recovering, and I'm now feeling much better. Still have a couple of more things to deal with, but then I should be golden, at least in the health department. Emotionally and socially, things have been the pits, but I'm going to work on those as well.
Writing wise, it's difficult to shake off the dust and cobwebs, but I think the old juice is coming back.
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