![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Dave Arneson, RIP
Apr. 10th, 2009 08:26 amDave Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, died on Tuesday.
No saving throw jokes, please.
No saving throw jokes, please.
RuneQuest/Basic Roleplaying Panel
Jan. 12th, 2009 10:27 amIf there's anyone out there who'd be interested in being on a panel about the RuneQuest/Basic Roleplaying system (and the many strange things that have been going on recently and in the last thirty-odd years with that system), please let Programming know - at the moment, I'm the only one on that panel.
It's currently scheduled for Sunday at 5 PM.
It's currently scheduled for Sunday at 5 PM.
RuneQuest/Basic Roleplaying Panel
Jan. 12th, 2009 10:27 amIf there's anyone out there who'd be interested in being on a panel about the RuneQuest/Basic Roleplaying system (and the many strange things that have been going on recently and in the last thirty-odd years with that system), please let Programming know - at the moment, I'm the only one on that panel.
It's currently scheduled for Sunday at 5 PM.
It's currently scheduled for Sunday at 5 PM.
D100 is here at last!
Jul. 20th, 2008 11:14 pmIt arrived in the mail on Saturday: the playtester's copy of Basic RolePlaying, The Chaosium Roleplaying System. I'm very excited and pleased. A few quick first impressions:
1. It's huge. 399 pages! I hope the size doesn't scare newcomers off.
2. The cover is cool; I like it a lot. But again, I have to wonder how it will look to newcomers:
3. They spelled my name right. Whew!
4. I'd been worried about the magic system. No more worries - the magic system is very much in the tradition of RQ and classic BRP. There are some slightly different names for spells, but classics such as Bladesharp are effectively unchanged (it's now called "Sharpen").
It's going to take me a LONG time to read and properly analyze this behemoth! I have GOT to find a group to play it with!
1. It's huge. 399 pages! I hope the size doesn't scare newcomers off.
2. The cover is cool; I like it a lot. But again, I have to wonder how it will look to newcomers:
3. They spelled my name right. Whew!
4. I'd been worried about the magic system. No more worries - the magic system is very much in the tradition of RQ and classic BRP. There are some slightly different names for spells, but classics such as Bladesharp are effectively unchanged (it's now called "Sharpen").
It's going to take me a LONG time to read and properly analyze this behemoth! I have GOT to find a group to play it with!
D100 is here at last!
Jul. 20th, 2008 11:14 pmIt arrived in the mail on Saturday: the playtester's copy of Basic RolePlaying, The Chaosium Roleplaying System. I'm very excited and pleased. A few quick first impressions:
1. It's huge. 399 pages! I hope the size doesn't scare newcomers off.
2. The cover is cool; I like it a lot. But again, I have to wonder how it will look to newcomers:
3. They spelled my name right. Whew!
4. I'd been worried about the magic system. No more worries - the magic system is very much in the tradition of RQ and classic BRP. There are some slightly different names for spells, but classics such as Bladesharp are effectively unchanged (it's now called "Sharpen").
It's going to take me a LONG time to read and properly analyze this behemoth! I have GOT to find a group to play it with!
1. It's huge. 399 pages! I hope the size doesn't scare newcomers off.
2. The cover is cool; I like it a lot. But again, I have to wonder how it will look to newcomers:
3. They spelled my name right. Whew!
4. I'd been worried about the magic system. No more worries - the magic system is very much in the tradition of RQ and classic BRP. There are some slightly different names for spells, but classics such as Bladesharp are effectively unchanged (it's now called "Sharpen").
It's going to take me a LONG time to read and properly analyze this behemoth! I have GOT to find a group to play it with!
1. Cast it on a friend who has fallen in battle with animals or monsters that attack by biting. Give your ally the most bitter, awful taste imaginable. With any luck the creatures will leave him/her alone after one taste.
2. Try casting a nasty flavor on yourself or allies before fighting such creatures (warning: the DM may rule that you yourself will also suffer the effects of the flavor in your own mouth. See if you can develop a tolerance for one particular bad taste. Also, if the bad flavor affects you, it should also affect your enemies if you cast it on them. Think of the possibilities!).
3. Give your whole body a pleasant flavor before that big date!
4. Make alcohol taste like water (this is particularly effective combined with a reversed Neutralize Alcohol spell). Instant magical Mickey Finn!
5. Make your boots taste like leaves, grass, stone, or water. That should make it very hard to track you by smell.
6. Make your rations taste bitter or poisonous, to keep pests and wild animals from eating them when you're not watching (keep another Flavor in reserve to give them a good flavor when you're ready to eat them, of course).
7. Flavor non-magical weapons to make them seem magical (assuming that the DM doesn't rule that there's no magical aura associated with the changed taste).
Anyone have any other ideas? There are clearly lots of possibilities.
2. Try casting a nasty flavor on yourself or allies before fighting such creatures (warning: the DM may rule that you yourself will also suffer the effects of the flavor in your own mouth. See if you can develop a tolerance for one particular bad taste. Also, if the bad flavor affects you, it should also affect your enemies if you cast it on them. Think of the possibilities!).
3. Give your whole body a pleasant flavor before that big date!
4. Make alcohol taste like water (this is particularly effective combined with a reversed Neutralize Alcohol spell). Instant magical Mickey Finn!
5. Make your boots taste like leaves, grass, stone, or water. That should make it very hard to track you by smell.
6. Make your rations taste bitter or poisonous, to keep pests and wild animals from eating them when you're not watching (keep another Flavor in reserve to give them a good flavor when you're ready to eat them, of course).
7. Flavor non-magical weapons to make them seem magical (assuming that the DM doesn't rule that there's no magical aura associated with the changed taste).
Anyone have any other ideas? There are clearly lots of possibilities.
1. Cast it on a friend who has fallen in battle with animals or monsters that attack by biting. Give your ally the most bitter, awful taste imaginable. With any luck the creatures will leave him/her alone after one taste.
2. Try casting a nasty flavor on yourself or allies before fighting such creatures (warning: the DM may rule that you yourself will also suffer the effects of the flavor in your own mouth. See if you can develop a tolerance for one particular bad taste. Also, if the bad flavor affects you, it should also affect your enemies if you cast it on them. Think of the possibilities!).
3. Give your whole body a pleasant flavor before that big date!
4. Make alcohol taste like water (this is particularly effective combined with a reversed Neutralize Alcohol spell). Instant magical Mickey Finn!
5. Make your boots taste like leaves, grass, stone, or water. That should make it very hard to track you by smell.
6. Make your rations taste bitter or poisonous, to keep pests and wild animals from eating them when you're not watching (keep another Flavor in reserve to give them a good flavor when you're ready to eat them, of course).
7. Flavor non-magical weapons to make them seem magical (assuming that the DM doesn't rule that there's no magical aura associated with the changed taste).
Anyone have any other ideas? There are clearly lots of possibilities.
2. Try casting a nasty flavor on yourself or allies before fighting such creatures (warning: the DM may rule that you yourself will also suffer the effects of the flavor in your own mouth. See if you can develop a tolerance for one particular bad taste. Also, if the bad flavor affects you, it should also affect your enemies if you cast it on them. Think of the possibilities!).
3. Give your whole body a pleasant flavor before that big date!
4. Make alcohol taste like water (this is particularly effective combined with a reversed Neutralize Alcohol spell). Instant magical Mickey Finn!
5. Make your boots taste like leaves, grass, stone, or water. That should make it very hard to track you by smell.
6. Make your rations taste bitter or poisonous, to keep pests and wild animals from eating them when you're not watching (keep another Flavor in reserve to give them a good flavor when you're ready to eat them, of course).
7. Flavor non-magical weapons to make them seem magical (assuming that the DM doesn't rule that there's no magical aura associated with the changed taste).
Anyone have any other ideas? There are clearly lots of possibilities.
Hackmaster
Sep. 19th, 2007 02:57 pmSometimes you just have to get silly.
At last night's Hackmaster session, as we were walking towards town, I suddenly had an idea. The Flavor cantrip works on "one object" - but the book doesn't say anything about it actually being edible.
And the spell also doesn't have a duration, which means that the flavor should last forever (or at least until it's eaten).
So suddenly it ocurred to me: why not flavor marbles? You could sell them to kids as - wait for it - Everlasting Gobstoppers! They'd never get used up, and the flavor would never go away.
You could charge a premium price. There would be few repeat sales (unless a kid lost their Gobstopper), but you could sell many Gobstoppers to the same kid by offering different flavors. And you could offer some truly unusual flavors, too! Chocolate. Mint, orange, lemon, lime, cherry...those are obvious. How about beer-flavored Gobstoppers for adults? Or coffee?
Heck, you could make special nasty-flavored ones (Dirt? Poop? Vomit?) for kids to trick their enemies with! Those would need to be sold under the table, of course - wouldn't want to damage public perception of the brand. But you could charge through the nose for them.
The marbles could be specially made, with some sort of mark to indicate the original Gobstoppers (accept no imitations). They'd be color-coded to indicate flavor, of course. You might even be able to sell gem Gobstoppers for the children of the nobility! "I've got a diamond Gobstopper in my mouth!"
Depending on the source (carved marble, or fired and glazed clay) one Flavor cantrip could be used to flavor hundreds of marbles. Ditto for a Color spell, to make the Gobstoppers really stand out.
I went on and on about the topic during the session, and really amused myself. I even changed my name from "Slobberin' Pete" to "Pete, the Candy Wizard". The elf we rescued last time turned out to be a minstrel, so I sent him on his way (he was leaving anyway) with the request that he make up songs about "Pete the Candy Wizard" and his wonderful new treats.
How about gum that never loses its flavor? Why not?
I just may end up as a tycoon, in the game. The Willy Wonka of Hackmaster! :D
At last night's Hackmaster session, as we were walking towards town, I suddenly had an idea. The Flavor cantrip works on "one object" - but the book doesn't say anything about it actually being edible.
And the spell also doesn't have a duration, which means that the flavor should last forever (or at least until it's eaten).
So suddenly it ocurred to me: why not flavor marbles? You could sell them to kids as - wait for it - Everlasting Gobstoppers! They'd never get used up, and the flavor would never go away.
You could charge a premium price. There would be few repeat sales (unless a kid lost their Gobstopper), but you could sell many Gobstoppers to the same kid by offering different flavors. And you could offer some truly unusual flavors, too! Chocolate. Mint, orange, lemon, lime, cherry...those are obvious. How about beer-flavored Gobstoppers for adults? Or coffee?
Heck, you could make special nasty-flavored ones (Dirt? Poop? Vomit?) for kids to trick their enemies with! Those would need to be sold under the table, of course - wouldn't want to damage public perception of the brand. But you could charge through the nose for them.
The marbles could be specially made, with some sort of mark to indicate the original Gobstoppers (accept no imitations). They'd be color-coded to indicate flavor, of course. You might even be able to sell gem Gobstoppers for the children of the nobility! "I've got a diamond Gobstopper in my mouth!"
Depending on the source (carved marble, or fired and glazed clay) one Flavor cantrip could be used to flavor hundreds of marbles. Ditto for a Color spell, to make the Gobstoppers really stand out.
I went on and on about the topic during the session, and really amused myself. I even changed my name from "Slobberin' Pete" to "Pete, the Candy Wizard". The elf we rescued last time turned out to be a minstrel, so I sent him on his way (he was leaving anyway) with the request that he make up songs about "Pete the Candy Wizard" and his wonderful new treats.
How about gum that never loses its flavor? Why not?
I just may end up as a tycoon, in the game. The Willy Wonka of Hackmaster! :D
Hackmaster
Sep. 19th, 2007 02:57 pmSometimes you just have to get silly.
At last night's Hackmaster session, as we were walking towards town, I suddenly had an idea. The Flavor cantrip works on "one object" - but the book doesn't say anything about it actually being edible.
And the spell also doesn't have a duration, which means that the flavor should last forever (or at least until it's eaten).
So suddenly it ocurred to me: why not flavor marbles? You could sell them to kids as - wait for it - Everlasting Gobstoppers! They'd never get used up, and the flavor would never go away.
You could charge a premium price. There would be few repeat sales (unless a kid lost their Gobstopper), but you could sell many Gobstoppers to the same kid by offering different flavors. And you could offer some truly unusual flavors, too! Chocolate. Mint, orange, lemon, lime, cherry...those are obvious. How about beer-flavored Gobstoppers for adults? Or coffee?
Heck, you could make special nasty-flavored ones (Dirt? Poop? Vomit?) for kids to trick their enemies with! Those would need to be sold under the table, of course - wouldn't want to damage public perception of the brand. But you could charge through the nose for them.
The marbles could be specially made, with some sort of mark to indicate the original Gobstoppers (accept no imitations). They'd be color-coded to indicate flavor, of course. You might even be able to sell gem Gobstoppers for the children of the nobility! "I've got a diamond Gobstopper in my mouth!"
Depending on the source (carved marble, or fired and glazed clay) one Flavor cantrip could be used to flavor hundreds of marbles. Ditto for a Color spell, to make the Gobstoppers really stand out.
I went on and on about the topic during the session, and really amused myself. I even changed my name from "Slobberin' Pete" to "Pete, the Candy Wizard". The elf we rescued last time turned out to be a minstrel, so I sent him on his way (he was leaving anyway) with the request that he make up songs about "Pete the Candy Wizard" and his wonderful new treats.
How about gum that never loses its flavor? Why not?
I just may end up as a tycoon, in the game. The Willy Wonka of Hackmaster! :D
At last night's Hackmaster session, as we were walking towards town, I suddenly had an idea. The Flavor cantrip works on "one object" - but the book doesn't say anything about it actually being edible.
And the spell also doesn't have a duration, which means that the flavor should last forever (or at least until it's eaten).
So suddenly it ocurred to me: why not flavor marbles? You could sell them to kids as - wait for it - Everlasting Gobstoppers! They'd never get used up, and the flavor would never go away.
You could charge a premium price. There would be few repeat sales (unless a kid lost their Gobstopper), but you could sell many Gobstoppers to the same kid by offering different flavors. And you could offer some truly unusual flavors, too! Chocolate. Mint, orange, lemon, lime, cherry...those are obvious. How about beer-flavored Gobstoppers for adults? Or coffee?
Heck, you could make special nasty-flavored ones (Dirt? Poop? Vomit?) for kids to trick their enemies with! Those would need to be sold under the table, of course - wouldn't want to damage public perception of the brand. But you could charge through the nose for them.
The marbles could be specially made, with some sort of mark to indicate the original Gobstoppers (accept no imitations). They'd be color-coded to indicate flavor, of course. You might even be able to sell gem Gobstoppers for the children of the nobility! "I've got a diamond Gobstopper in my mouth!"
Depending on the source (carved marble, or fired and glazed clay) one Flavor cantrip could be used to flavor hundreds of marbles. Ditto for a Color spell, to make the Gobstoppers really stand out.
I went on and on about the topic during the session, and really amused myself. I even changed my name from "Slobberin' Pete" to "Pete, the Candy Wizard". The elf we rescued last time turned out to be a minstrel, so I sent him on his way (he was leaving anyway) with the request that he make up songs about "Pete the Candy Wizard" and his wonderful new treats.
How about gum that never loses its flavor? Why not?
I just may end up as a tycoon, in the game. The Willy Wonka of Hackmaster! :D
"Made object"
May. 17th, 2007 02:38 pmCan anyone suggest a good word (one word only if at all possible) which could be used to designate a made or crafted item? "Artifact" is the only good one I can think of, and it can be misinterpreted in a roleplaying context.
I need to distinguish natural objects from artificial ones...hmm. "Artificial"? Maybe. Though that includes a connotation that isn't quite right.
I need to distinguish natural objects from artificial ones...hmm. "Artificial"? Maybe. Though that includes a connotation that isn't quite right.
"Made object"
May. 17th, 2007 02:38 pmCan anyone suggest a good word (one word only if at all possible) which could be used to designate a made or crafted item? "Artifact" is the only good one I can think of, and it can be misinterpreted in a roleplaying context.
I need to distinguish natural objects from artificial ones...hmm. "Artificial"? Maybe. Though that includes a connotation that isn't quite right.
I need to distinguish natural objects from artificial ones...hmm. "Artificial"? Maybe. Though that includes a connotation that isn't quite right.
More Geekiness
Apr. 6th, 2007 03:40 pmI forgot a few points in the TMNT post I did recently. Since this won't make any sense unless you've read that post first, here's a link.
Anyway, when we escaped from the experimental lab, we got a chance to grab some pieces of clothing. One of the things we grabbed was an Oakland Raiders cap. I spotted it as we were sorting through the clothes, grabbed it and said "Mine! Or I will help you not!". I wore it continually after that.
And later, when we were looting the 7/11, right after I said "Surprise!" and tusked the store clerk, I added "I'm a Tusking Raider."
I wonder how many of you will get that? I'll admit that I wouldn't have, if I hadn't read all three of the original Star Wars novels recently. Teri found an omnibus edition in a dump somewhere (and I'm not exaggerating, it really was a dump). Speaking of which, I have to say: George Lucas is a sucky writer. He got lucky with Star Wars, as Jar Jar Binks proved all too clearly.
I've been watching some of the later movies on cable at night lately, and I have to say: I could have scripted it better. The lines for Obi-Wan are a joke. I can only imagine that Alec Guiness improved his dialog during the first three movies. If the original novel (which is by Lucas) is taken from the pre-filming script, as I suspect, that's proof that I'm right.
Okay, enough geekiness.
Anyway, when we escaped from the experimental lab, we got a chance to grab some pieces of clothing. One of the things we grabbed was an Oakland Raiders cap. I spotted it as we were sorting through the clothes, grabbed it and said "Mine! Or I will help you not!". I wore it continually after that.
And later, when we were looting the 7/11, right after I said "Surprise!" and tusked the store clerk, I added "I'm a Tusking Raider."
I wonder how many of you will get that? I'll admit that I wouldn't have, if I hadn't read all three of the original Star Wars novels recently. Teri found an omnibus edition in a dump somewhere (and I'm not exaggerating, it really was a dump). Speaking of which, I have to say: George Lucas is a sucky writer. He got lucky with Star Wars, as Jar Jar Binks proved all too clearly.
I've been watching some of the later movies on cable at night lately, and I have to say: I could have scripted it better. The lines for Obi-Wan are a joke. I can only imagine that Alec Guiness improved his dialog during the first three movies. If the original novel (which is by Lucas) is taken from the pre-filming script, as I suspect, that's proof that I'm right.
Okay, enough geekiness.
More Geekiness
Apr. 6th, 2007 03:40 pmI forgot a few points in the TMNT post I did recently. Since this won't make any sense unless you've read that post first, here's a link.
Anyway, when we escaped from the experimental lab, we got a chance to grab some pieces of clothing. One of the things we grabbed was an Oakland Raiders cap. I spotted it as we were sorting through the clothes, grabbed it and said "Mine! Or I will help you not!". I wore it continually after that.
And later, when we were looting the 7/11, right after I said "Surprise!" and tusked the store clerk, I added "I'm a Tusking Raider."
I wonder how many of you will get that? I'll admit that I wouldn't have, if I hadn't read all three of the original Star Wars novels recently. Teri found an omnibus edition in a dump somewhere (and I'm not exaggerating, it really was a dump). Speaking of which, I have to say: George Lucas is a sucky writer. He got lucky with Star Wars, as Jar Jar Binks proved all too clearly.
I've been watching some of the later movies on cable at night lately, and I have to say: I could have scripted it better. The lines for Obi-Wan are a joke. I can only imagine that Alec Guiness improved his dialog during the first three movies. If the original novel (which is by Lucas) is taken from the pre-filming script, as I suspect, that's proof that I'm right.
Okay, enough geekiness.
Anyway, when we escaped from the experimental lab, we got a chance to grab some pieces of clothing. One of the things we grabbed was an Oakland Raiders cap. I spotted it as we were sorting through the clothes, grabbed it and said "Mine! Or I will help you not!". I wore it continually after that.
And later, when we were looting the 7/11, right after I said "Surprise!" and tusked the store clerk, I added "I'm a Tusking Raider."
I wonder how many of you will get that? I'll admit that I wouldn't have, if I hadn't read all three of the original Star Wars novels recently. Teri found an omnibus edition in a dump somewhere (and I'm not exaggerating, it really was a dump). Speaking of which, I have to say: George Lucas is a sucky writer. He got lucky with Star Wars, as Jar Jar Binks proved all too clearly.
I've been watching some of the later movies on cable at night lately, and I have to say: I could have scripted it better. The lines for Obi-Wan are a joke. I can only imagine that Alec Guiness improved his dialog during the first three movies. If the original novel (which is by Lucas) is taken from the pre-filming script, as I suspect, that's proof that I'm right.
Okay, enough geekiness.
Teenage Mutant Psychopaths
Apr. 4th, 2007 08:31 amI'm playing catch-up again. I was going to do a smörgåsbord post, but instead I'll break it up by topic.
My Tuesday D&D game has lost half its players. One of them moved away to live with his girlfriend; once he's settled in he may be able to come for an occasional game, but it will be a three or four hour drive. Unfortunately he was also the alternate DM, running the game with my angry chain-wielding dwarf.
His younger brother seems to have dropped out as well, as has another player who may return later. But that leaves us with just four people. We'll see about getting more. As it stands, it doesn't seem likely that I'll be able to run a RQ/BRP game any time soon.
In the meantime, we're playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - but it's not what you might expect. This wasn't the plan, but the three PCs seem to have rabies (not literally, of course). In our first session last week we escaped from a corporate building where we were being experimented on quite viciously. In the process, we killed a number of people.
Last night saw us on the run in a stolen van. We needed food and money, so we backed the van through the front doors of a quiet 7-11 late at night, jumped out, and went on a spree.
I should explain that the other PCs are a psionic killer poodle named Poochie, and an escaped Army-experimental wolverine with guns named Mordecai. I'm a mutant elephant with tusks that are very effective in combat. I've been playing dumb, for laughs.
The wolverine tried to shoot out the store camera and failed, so he went into the back room and stole the VCR with the tape. The poodle tried to kill and eat the store clerk. I was busy grabbing all the peanuts in the store and tossing them in the van. Once all the peanuts were gone, I grabbed all the circus peanuts (the giant orange marshmallow kind), and after that, I grabbed some food that I thought my companions might like: cans with pictures of dogs on them. This amused me because in the TMNT world the mutant animals eat human food, not dog food.
Like I said, I'm playing it stupid for laughs.
The poodle does relatively low damage, so he was chasing the clerk around for quite a while and taking bites out of him. Finally the clerk made a break for the front door. As he passed me (still busily looting), I said "Surprise!" in my stupid elephant voice and tusked him quite savagely in the hip. After that, he was dog-meat - literally.
I'm less vicious than the other two, but I'm uneducated and my few experiences with humans have been pretty negative. :D
As we drove north to the wolverine's lair, I sang "Mahna Mahna" 23,822 times.
While I'm at it, it's worth noting that Chaosium has sold the rights to make RPGs based on the Michael Moorcock books to Mongoose. I can't say I'm happy about that, because as far as I'm concerned Mongoose and their "RuneQuest" are shit. But I hope Chaosium got enough money from the sale to make a success out of d100/BRP.
My Tuesday D&D game has lost half its players. One of them moved away to live with his girlfriend; once he's settled in he may be able to come for an occasional game, but it will be a three or four hour drive. Unfortunately he was also the alternate DM, running the game with my angry chain-wielding dwarf.
His younger brother seems to have dropped out as well, as has another player who may return later. But that leaves us with just four people. We'll see about getting more. As it stands, it doesn't seem likely that I'll be able to run a RQ/BRP game any time soon.
In the meantime, we're playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - but it's not what you might expect. This wasn't the plan, but the three PCs seem to have rabies (not literally, of course). In our first session last week we escaped from a corporate building where we were being experimented on quite viciously. In the process, we killed a number of people.
Last night saw us on the run in a stolen van. We needed food and money, so we backed the van through the front doors of a quiet 7-11 late at night, jumped out, and went on a spree.
I should explain that the other PCs are a psionic killer poodle named Poochie, and an escaped Army-experimental wolverine with guns named Mordecai. I'm a mutant elephant with tusks that are very effective in combat. I've been playing dumb, for laughs.
The wolverine tried to shoot out the store camera and failed, so he went into the back room and stole the VCR with the tape. The poodle tried to kill and eat the store clerk. I was busy grabbing all the peanuts in the store and tossing them in the van. Once all the peanuts were gone, I grabbed all the circus peanuts (the giant orange marshmallow kind), and after that, I grabbed some food that I thought my companions might like: cans with pictures of dogs on them. This amused me because in the TMNT world the mutant animals eat human food, not dog food.
Like I said, I'm playing it stupid for laughs.
The poodle does relatively low damage, so he was chasing the clerk around for quite a while and taking bites out of him. Finally the clerk made a break for the front door. As he passed me (still busily looting), I said "Surprise!" in my stupid elephant voice and tusked him quite savagely in the hip. After that, he was dog-meat - literally.
I'm less vicious than the other two, but I'm uneducated and my few experiences with humans have been pretty negative. :D
As we drove north to the wolverine's lair, I sang "Mahna Mahna" 23,822 times.
While I'm at it, it's worth noting that Chaosium has sold the rights to make RPGs based on the Michael Moorcock books to Mongoose. I can't say I'm happy about that, because as far as I'm concerned Mongoose and their "RuneQuest" are shit. But I hope Chaosium got enough money from the sale to make a success out of d100/BRP.
Teenage Mutant Psychopaths
Apr. 4th, 2007 08:31 amI'm playing catch-up again. I was going to do a smörgåsbord post, but instead I'll break it up by topic.
My Tuesday D&D game has lost half its players. One of them moved away to live with his girlfriend; once he's settled in he may be able to come for an occasional game, but it will be a three or four hour drive. Unfortunately he was also the alternate DM, running the game with my angry chain-wielding dwarf.
His younger brother seems to have dropped out as well, as has another player who may return later. But that leaves us with just four people. We'll see about getting more. As it stands, it doesn't seem likely that I'll be able to run a RQ/BRP game any time soon.
In the meantime, we're playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - but it's not what you might expect. This wasn't the plan, but the three PCs seem to have rabies (not literally, of course). In our first session last week we escaped from a corporate building where we were being experimented on quite viciously. In the process, we killed a number of people.
Last night saw us on the run in a stolen van. We needed food and money, so we backed the van through the front doors of a quiet 7-11 late at night, jumped out, and went on a spree.
I should explain that the other PCs are a psionic killer poodle named Poochie, and an escaped Army-experimental wolverine with guns named Mordecai. I'm a mutant elephant with tusks that are very effective in combat. I've been playing dumb, for laughs.
The wolverine tried to shoot out the store camera and failed, so he went into the back room and stole the VCR with the tape. The poodle tried to kill and eat the store clerk. I was busy grabbing all the peanuts in the store and tossing them in the van. Once all the peanuts were gone, I grabbed all the circus peanuts (the giant orange marshmallow kind), and after that, I grabbed some food that I thought my companions might like: cans with pictures of dogs on them. This amused me because in the TMNT world the mutant animals eat human food, not dog food.
Like I said, I'm playing it stupid for laughs.
The poodle does relatively low damage, so he was chasing the clerk around for quite a while and taking bites out of him. Finally the clerk made a break for the front door. As he passed me (still busily looting), I said "Surprise!" in my stupid elephant voice and tusked him quite savagely in the hip. After that, he was dog-meat - literally.
I'm less vicious than the other two, but I'm uneducated and my few experiences with humans have been pretty negative. :D
As we drove north to the wolverine's lair, I sang "Mahna Mahna" 23,822 times.
While I'm at it, it's worth noting that Chaosium has sold the rights to make RPGs based on the Michael Moorcock books to Mongoose. I can't say I'm happy about that, because as far as I'm concerned Mongoose and their "RuneQuest" are shit. But I hope Chaosium got enough money from the sale to make a success out of d100/BRP.
My Tuesday D&D game has lost half its players. One of them moved away to live with his girlfriend; once he's settled in he may be able to come for an occasional game, but it will be a three or four hour drive. Unfortunately he was also the alternate DM, running the game with my angry chain-wielding dwarf.
His younger brother seems to have dropped out as well, as has another player who may return later. But that leaves us with just four people. We'll see about getting more. As it stands, it doesn't seem likely that I'll be able to run a RQ/BRP game any time soon.
In the meantime, we're playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - but it's not what you might expect. This wasn't the plan, but the three PCs seem to have rabies (not literally, of course). In our first session last week we escaped from a corporate building where we were being experimented on quite viciously. In the process, we killed a number of people.
Last night saw us on the run in a stolen van. We needed food and money, so we backed the van through the front doors of a quiet 7-11 late at night, jumped out, and went on a spree.
I should explain that the other PCs are a psionic killer poodle named Poochie, and an escaped Army-experimental wolverine with guns named Mordecai. I'm a mutant elephant with tusks that are very effective in combat. I've been playing dumb, for laughs.
The wolverine tried to shoot out the store camera and failed, so he went into the back room and stole the VCR with the tape. The poodle tried to kill and eat the store clerk. I was busy grabbing all the peanuts in the store and tossing them in the van. Once all the peanuts were gone, I grabbed all the circus peanuts (the giant orange marshmallow kind), and after that, I grabbed some food that I thought my companions might like: cans with pictures of dogs on them. This amused me because in the TMNT world the mutant animals eat human food, not dog food.
Like I said, I'm playing it stupid for laughs.
The poodle does relatively low damage, so he was chasing the clerk around for quite a while and taking bites out of him. Finally the clerk made a break for the front door. As he passed me (still busily looting), I said "Surprise!" in my stupid elephant voice and tusked him quite savagely in the hip. After that, he was dog-meat - literally.
I'm less vicious than the other two, but I'm uneducated and my few experiences with humans have been pretty negative. :D
As we drove north to the wolverine's lair, I sang "Mahna Mahna" 23,822 times.
While I'm at it, it's worth noting that Chaosium has sold the rights to make RPGs based on the Michael Moorcock books to Mongoose. I can't say I'm happy about that, because as far as I'm concerned Mongoose and their "RuneQuest" are shit. But I hope Chaosium got enough money from the sale to make a success out of d100/BRP.
Irony Games Gone?
Mar. 30th, 2007 02:00 pmI'm home today, and rather bored. So I'm taking the opportunity to clean up some of my old bookmarks. In the process, I discovered something odd: Irony Games seems to have partly disappeared. Their main page is now some sort of snarky political website instead.
But their online die roller (a wonderful tool) is still there. Does anyone know what's going on?
Incidentally, is it just me, or has LJ been totally dead for a while now? I'm almost tempted to do a "Peter is dead" post just to get a response!
Of course I'd never really do that. I'd expect (and deserve) to lose too many readers if I pulled shit like that.
But their online die roller (a wonderful tool) is still there. Does anyone know what's going on?
Incidentally, is it just me, or has LJ been totally dead for a while now? I'm almost tempted to do a "Peter is dead" post just to get a response!
Of course I'd never really do that. I'd expect (and deserve) to lose too many readers if I pulled shit like that.
Irony Games Gone?
Mar. 30th, 2007 02:00 pmI'm home today, and rather bored. So I'm taking the opportunity to clean up some of my old bookmarks. In the process, I discovered something odd: Irony Games seems to have partly disappeared. Their main page is now some sort of snarky political website instead.
But their online die roller (a wonderful tool) is still there. Does anyone know what's going on?
Incidentally, is it just me, or has LJ been totally dead for a while now? I'm almost tempted to do a "Peter is dead" post just to get a response!
Of course I'd never really do that. I'd expect (and deserve) to lose too many readers if I pulled shit like that.
But their online die roller (a wonderful tool) is still there. Does anyone know what's going on?
Incidentally, is it just me, or has LJ been totally dead for a while now? I'm almost tempted to do a "Peter is dead" post just to get a response!
Of course I'd never really do that. I'd expect (and deserve) to lose too many readers if I pulled shit like that.
For Zelda Fans
Apr. 29th, 2006 09:38 pmIf you haven't seen this video, or heard this song, you're in for a treat. Sebastian and I went INSANE for it today - I mean, we were both jumping up and down, dressing Sebastian in a green jacket and putting my old IFGS boffer sword in his hands, and singing the song over and over. I suspect that Teri thinks we're both crazy. 
That's our re-arranged back porch, which is an absolute delight to hang out in - and will be even more pleasant once we've moved some of the junk out of it that Teri plans to sell in a yard sale. That big tan object near the business end of the sword is a giant stuffed puppy; it's one of the things that Teri will be selling, since it's just too big for us to keep. I'm a little sad about it, as is Sebastian, but he's coping better than I am.
About the cover song: just for the heck of it, here are the lyrics. They were a little hard to understand, so I tracked them down online; since they were relatively hard to find, I thought I'd save anyone else the effort and post them here.
Incidentally, this cover version is often mis-attributed to System of a Down. Much as I'd like to claim it for my people (SoaD are all Armenian-Americans, I believe), it was actually done by a band called Joint Rabbit - who are, unfortunately, so obscure that they don't even rate an entry in AllMusic.com. Which is a pretty amazing level of obscurity. Pity, because the song is great.
Who knows? Maybe they're Armenian too.
That's our re-arranged back porch, which is an absolute delight to hang out in - and will be even more pleasant once we've moved some of the junk out of it that Teri plans to sell in a yard sale. That big tan object near the business end of the sword is a giant stuffed puppy; it's one of the things that Teri will be selling, since it's just too big for us to keep. I'm a little sad about it, as is Sebastian, but he's coping better than I am.
About the cover song: just for the heck of it, here are the lyrics. They were a little hard to understand, so I tracked them down online; since they were relatively hard to find, I thought I'd save anyone else the effort and post them here.
Link, he come to town
Come to save the Princess Zelda
Ganon took her away
Now the children don't play
But they will when Link saves the day
Hallelujah!
Now Link, fill up your hearts
So you can shoot your sword with power
And when you're feeling all down
The fairy will come around
So you'll be brave, and not a sissy coward
Now Link has saved the day
Put Ganon in his grave
So now Zelda is free
And now our hero shall be
Link! I think your name shall go down into history
Incidentally, this cover version is often mis-attributed to System of a Down. Much as I'd like to claim it for my people (SoaD are all Armenian-Americans, I believe), it was actually done by a band called Joint Rabbit - who are, unfortunately, so obscure that they don't even rate an entry in AllMusic.com. Which is a pretty amazing level of obscurity. Pity, because the song is great.
Who knows? Maybe they're Armenian too.
For Zelda Fans
Apr. 29th, 2006 09:38 pmIf you haven't seen this video, or heard this song, you're in for a treat. Sebastian and I went INSANE for it today - I mean, we were both jumping up and down, dressing Sebastian in a green jacket and putting my old IFGS boffer sword in his hands, and singing the song over and over. I suspect that Teri thinks we're both crazy. 
That's our re-arranged back porch, which is an absolute delight to hang out in - and will be even more pleasant once we've moved some of the junk out of it that Teri plans to sell in a yard sale. That big tan object near the business end of the sword is a giant stuffed puppy; it's one of the things that Teri will be selling, since it's just too big for us to keep. I'm a little sad about it, as is Sebastian, but he's coping better than I am.
About the cover song: just for the heck of it, here are the lyrics. They were a little hard to understand, so I tracked them down online; since they were relatively hard to find, I thought I'd save anyone else the effort and post them here.
Incidentally, this cover version is often mis-attributed to System of a Down. Much as I'd like to claim it for my people (SoaD are all Armenian-Americans, I believe), it was actually done by a band called Joint Rabbit - who are, unfortunately, so obscure that they don't even rate an entry in AllMusic.com. Which is a pretty amazing level of obscurity. Pity, because the song is great.
Who knows? Maybe they're Armenian too.
That's our re-arranged back porch, which is an absolute delight to hang out in - and will be even more pleasant once we've moved some of the junk out of it that Teri plans to sell in a yard sale. That big tan object near the business end of the sword is a giant stuffed puppy; it's one of the things that Teri will be selling, since it's just too big for us to keep. I'm a little sad about it, as is Sebastian, but he's coping better than I am.
About the cover song: just for the heck of it, here are the lyrics. They were a little hard to understand, so I tracked them down online; since they were relatively hard to find, I thought I'd save anyone else the effort and post them here.
Link, he come to town
Come to save the Princess Zelda
Ganon took her away
Now the children don't play
But they will when Link saves the day
Hallelujah!
Now Link, fill up your hearts
So you can shoot your sword with power
And when you're feeling all down
The fairy will come around
So you'll be brave, and not a sissy coward
Now Link has saved the day
Put Ganon in his grave
So now Zelda is free
And now our hero shall be
Link! I think your name shall go down into history
Incidentally, this cover version is often mis-attributed to System of a Down. Much as I'd like to claim it for my people (SoaD are all Armenian-Americans, I believe), it was actually done by a band called Joint Rabbit - who are, unfortunately, so obscure that they don't even rate an entry in AllMusic.com. Which is a pretty amazing level of obscurity. Pity, because the song is great.
Who knows? Maybe they're Armenian too.
