[Fan Film Friday] METROID: THE SKY CALLS

Sanctions: Ops & Admin

This post is about the Ops & Admin expansion for the Sanctions RPG from Purple Crayon Games. Liam Thompson is the creator behind these offerings, and he is a friend of mine. I bought both the core rulebook and expansion with my own money and was not given a free pdf or print copy for review; in short, I liked the description of the products and took a chance like any other paying customer.  I am listed in the "Thanks" portion of the Sanctions core rules, but I did not contribute other than bouncing general ideas back and forth.  Finally, this post is more about spreading the word rather than a full-blown review.

The Sanctions rulebook introduced the brutal biopunk world of the year 2086.  This is a world ravaged by warfare and climate change with refugee citizens living in walled Plexes to offer some sort of protection from the threats outside such as mutants. Honestly, life inside the Plexes is not much better due to increased crimes such as murder, inhumane experiments, and more.  Laws have been changed to allow the use of "Sanctioned Operators" to take on policing duties, perform search and rescue missions, and other tasks.

Ops & Admin expands on the world of Sanctions by focusing on the operators. This 136-page manual is presented as a guide for new operators.  There is new information on Plex threats, going solo, gear, transportation, gadgets, and more.  One of my favorite things in the book are the in-world ads and promos featured throughout the sections.  A great example of this is the ad for Blox which is very reminiscent of Soylent Green. Having these little extra tidbits of world information mixed in among the pages immerses the reader in the world of Sanctions. 

There are some things that make the Ops & Admin book stand out from the previously released core rulebook. The original book was black and white throughout the interior while Ops & Admin has a large amount of color illustrations and the addition of the brown background on the pages make the book more appealing to the eye.  You can tell that Liam is getting more proficient with the word processing software he is using as this book is a definite step up in the layout.  In addition, there is now a disclaimer at the beginning of the book.

Some may not agree with these disclaimers on role-playing books, but I have no issue with their inclusion.  Palladium Books has been doing it for years and it never bother me with their books. I much prefer a creator sticking to their original vision and including a disclaimer instead of watering down their book in the hopes of attracting a wider audience.  

There is more I could discuss but this post is just a way to point out a new product I bought.  If you want to break outside of the fantasy genre using a simple D6 dice pool system in a bleak future, then the world of Sanctions just might be for you.  Both manuals are truly affordable - Sanctions at $15.83 and Ops & Admin at $13.45 - so it is really easy on the wallet; especially in this time when role-playing books commonly go for $40 and more.  If you like pdf's that option is available as well.

 

[Fan Film Friday] Metroid: A Live Action Short Film

Recent Happenings

 As the year is winding down to a close - ALREADY - and 2022 is approaching quickly I am posting about what I have been doing and what lies ahead for this blog.  

FOCUS: I had racked up a bunch of scheduled posts about fan films to help bulk up the posting in the second half of this year.  Instead of enhancing the experience, it became the focus because work got extremely demanding, and I coasted much more than I had envisioned.  I am going to reign in the focus back to games, related subjects, and geekery in general for most of the posts; anything else will serve to enhance the topics.

SUBJECTS: The games I plan to focus on in the coming year include AD&D (first and second edition), Arduin, Delving Deeper, and any other game that catches my interest such as Sanctions from Purple Crayon Games.  I also have projects of my own such as Grunts (a simple minis game using thhose little green Army men), Toldara (a campaign world for Delving Deeper or other old school games), and a secret project that I am keeping under wraps util it is further developed.  

OTHER: I set a goal of reaching 1,000 posts before the end of 2021 at The Ruins of Murkhill forums and I am currently approaching 1,100 posts.  I was also asked to be a member of the moderation team and I accepted.  I am pretty stoked about both accomplishments because the Ruins are my favorite old school gaming forums.  I will continue to post there in the future.  

That is a quick look back and forward at the blog. I really hope I can return to much greater posting in 2022.  What are your plans on your blog? 

[Fan Film Friday] METROID: FanFilm

Jason of House Vorheez [Delving Deeper Monster]

 I forgot to post this around Halloween but I had intended to "improve" and complete the information in this monster inspired by Jason Vorheez.  I thought it would be a fun project for that time of the year, but I never was completely satisfied with the entry.  Maybe I will complete it in the future?  It's time to do some Christmas time monsters and I haven't even begun.

[Fan Film Friday] A Metroid Fan Film: 30th Anniversary Special

[Fan Film Friday] METROID: Encounter at Ceres Colony

[Fan Film Friday] Power Rangers Unworthy: Episode 1

]Fan Film Friday] Power Rangers Immortal: The Movie

Return of Emperor's Choice and Arduin

If you have not heard yet Emperor's Choice has a new web presence and has begun taking and filling orders.  I immediately ordered the Arduin Trilogy reprint and I am waiting for it to arrive.  I missed out on the original versions of The Arduin Grimoire and the follow up volumes when I was much younger.  I did buy The Arduin Adventure because that was the only product I could find in the stores for some time.  It disappeared while I was serving in the Army but I did find out that The Arduin Adventure is included in this reprint!  I am pretty excited about finally having the original 3 volumes of Arduin plus replacing The Arduin Adventure.  Now I wait...

[Fan Film Friday] Power Rangers: Shattered Past (Episode 1)

[Fan Film Friday\ Power Rangers: Resurgence - PILOT (Episode 1)

The Power Rangers are the focus of the fan films for November.  

[Fan Film Friday] Ghostface

Ghostface is a fan film based on the Scream series.

Tangle Tree [Delving Deeper Monster]

 First impression of the Tangle Tree monster for my Toldara campaign; presented in Delving Deeper stats.

Tangle Tree

Number Appearing	Number in Lair	AC	Move Rate	HD	Lair Nearby	Treasure Type	Alignment
1	1	9	n/a	3	n/a	n/a*	C

TANGLE TREES appear to be just another tree found in a woodland area but are actually something much more sinister. A parasite that has turned the tree into a carnivorous creature waiting for unsuspecting prey to stop and rest in the shade provided by its' branches.  The Tangle Tree will slowly inch vines down to wrap around any creature caught unaware. The vines may be avoided on a roll lower than the character's Wisdom score on a D20.  If caught, the vines will begin pulling their prey towards a gaping maw that opens up in the lower section of the trunk area.  This process will take 2+1D6 rounds.  A successful Open Doors check will allow the character to muscle their way free but they may also use weapons to cut away if their arms are free from entanglement.

Tangle Trees are typically solitary in nature but there are rumors of wooded areas that have been completely overran by these foul creatures.  The tree is immobile and it does not have a separate lair.  The creature has no treasure of their own but there is a 25% chance that scattered remnants of past victims may lay strewn about nearby; use whichever MEN entry in the Treasure Type section seems appropriate.  Wise travelers know to inspect any area before stopping for rest. In addition to looking for remains, fire pressed against a tangle tree will cause it to shriek and any chopping or cutting on the limbs will produce blood instead of sap.

[Fan Film Friday] Halloween Night

This fan film features the slasher icon from the Halloween series, Michael Myers.  

[Fan Film Friday] BELIAL (a Basket Case Fan Film)

The Basket Case series were low budget entries into the horror genre.  Belial is a fan film shot in a very similar looking fashion to the original films.

Bone Guardian [Delving Deeper Monster]

First impression of a Bone Guardian for my Toldara campaign; presented in Delving Deeper stats.

 Bone Guardian

Number Appearing	Number  In Lair	AC	Move Rate	HD	Lair Nearby	Treasure Type	Alignment
1-3	n/a	7	7	2+1	n/a	n/a	N

BONE GUARDIANS are a stronger version of the skeletons brought forth by a magic-user or anti-cleric; unless stated otherwise in this description, the information in the skeleton entry also applies to Bone Guardians. Similar to skeletons, they can carry shields or wear armor, or both, which would improve their AC to 6 or 5, respectively. Bone Guardians are usually added to a group of normal skeletons as an extra layer of protection or deterrence.

[Fan Film Friday] Friday The 13th: Resurgence

I will continue the October horror fan films with another slasher icon, Jason Vorheez, in Friday the 13th: Resugence.

Still Digging DELVING DEEPER

I ordered a copy of Delving Deeper a while back.  I have been reading through different sections of the rulebook and the wheels are turning.  I have checked out many of the retro-clones, neo-clones, and games just barely inspired by one form of D&D or another and I think Delving Deeper may be my favorite of the bunch. It really feels like it is touching on all the bases for me.  This is a little weird because I never owned or played by the OD&D rules.  I started playing with a Holmes Basic set and the AD&D hardbacks.

I will admit that I was a little concerned about the rules using only the Fighter, Magic User, and Cleric classes with Thief being included as an optional class.  I understand the appeal now.  The simplicity has actually made it easier for me to add races to the game.  I have started converting my Toldara information over to the Delving Deeper system and it has been really smooth.  I have one player race ready and in a usable condition and I am working on the other race.  I will post that information soon.  I hope to actually put up a free pdf of all my additions at some point in the future.

Here is a preview of the Slarn character race; it is just the bare bones right now but I will be adding some artwork and the corresponding monster entry to go along with it.

SLARNS are often mistaken for the much more savage Lizardmen but are actually an entirely separate species of reptilian humanoids of roughly human size.  In contrast to the Lizardmen, the jaws of Slarns only protrude about 4 inches from their face and their tail is more of a short nub of approximately six inches.  Slarn typically populate the warmer climates such as jungles and tropical areas but they have been slowly expanding their reach in recent years.  It is not uncommon for Slarn to face a negative initial reaction in urban areas due to their similarity to Lizardmen.

Slarns may advance up to 6th level as a Fighter.  They usually prefer swords or spears as weapons and rely on their natural tough skin for protection since armor for them is very expensive due to the level of customization.  The scaly skin of the Slarn provides them the equivalent AC of Leather armor (7) and improves by 1 at every level after.  Slarns save vs. Breath Weapon as a Fighter 4 levels higher than their current level.  Slarns have a natural ability to blend in to background surfaces similar to the Thief ability to hide in shadows by changing the color of their scales. This is done undetected on a roll of 5-6 on a six-sided die at levels 1 and 2, a roll of 4-6 at levels 3 and 4, and a roll of 3-6 at levels 5 and 6.  Attacking negates any advantage of surprise from that point in the encounter. 

[Fan Film Friday] A Nightmare On Elm Street - Up All Night

October will be horror based fan films only.  I will begin with A Nightmare on Elm Street fan film, Up All Night.

A New Package Arrived....

I have been pretty busy the last few months since moving into my new house and with the summer being the busy time for the bus building business.  Things are leveling out and slowing back down to normal so I will be able to blog more often instead of relying on fan film posts. I have made some purchases in the meantime and the latest purchase had the following five books.

I received the AD&D books with the original covers as a gift from my Uncle in the summer of 1980; along with Deities & Demigods, the Monster Manual, and a ton of dice.  I would obtain the Monster Manual 2 and Unearthed Arcana later. I do not recall ever owning the Field Folio; no particular reason why other than I never did own it.  

I left for the Army and decided to not take my books with me because I did not want them getting screwed up or anything.  Well, they wound up missing when I came back from the Army 8 years later.  I am in the process of rebuilding my old collection all these years later.  I plan on getting both Monster Manuals and Unearthed Arcana again; this time I will even try to get a Fiend Folio.   

I never owned nor did I adopt my game to the AD&D 2nd Edition rules.  I browsed the books upon release when on my friends bought them but I pretty quickly developed a negative opinion because of the missing content - assassins,  half orcs, monks - and what felt like moving from the big table to the kids' table.

I admit that I never gave AD&D 2nd Edition a fair shake back in the day.  I have played a few one shots while I was in the Army and the game seems to play just fine.  I have also looked at some of the 2E retroclones and those really sparked my curiosity about giving the rules a second chance.

I was able to obtain the three core books along with the AD&D books so I am off to a good start.  I do like these black covers much better than the original covers so that was a bonus for me.  I actually thought the Monstrous Compendium loose leaf monster pages were a great idea in theory but turned out be be not so great in practice.  It is also kind of jarring to see the DMG so much smaller in thickness than the PHB when compared to the original AD&D books.  I am going to search for the Options books just to see how the game would change with the use of those add-ons.

Now I am off to do some reading...

[Fan Film Friday] SKYNET

[Fan Film Friday] INFILTRATOR

[Fan Film Friday] Crystal Peak - A Terminator Future War Fan Film

[Fan Film Friday] Terminator: No Fate

[Fan Film Friday] BLADE: EXISTENCE (2018 Fan Series )

[Fan Film Friday] DAYWALKER A Blade Fan Film

[Fan Film Friday] Blade Origins

[Fan Film Friday] Daywalker: Blade Origins

Diving in to DELVING DEEPER

I just received the print on demand version of the Delving Deeper Reference Rules Compendium in the mail Friday.  It is a 130 page digest-sized paperback book for $4.95 plus shipping; product details can be found here if you are interested in obtaining a copy.  If you are interested in the free pdfs then you can obtain them at the official forums at the immersive ink site.  I have the free pdfs and I will most likely have them printed out and spiral-bound at some point soon just to prevent any undue wear and tear on my copy of the rulebook.

I have not read through this entire book yet but I have read enough to know that I am definitely impressed with the work done to complete this volume. I never played or owned the OD&D rules but I have studied them a bit. I cut my teeth on Holmes and AD&D and later got heavily involved with the B/X rules.  Basically, I have a reasonable foundation and experience to comment on the book and its contents.  I will not pretend that this post is some sort of quasi-review but merely a recommendation and some first impressions from the reading I have done up to this point.

The DELVING DEEPER manual is  divided into three main sections.  The first section, HEROES & MAGIC, is where I have committed the most time in reading the contents.  This section is equivalent to the Men & Magic booklet from OD&D and the contents should be familiar to the reader.  Abilities are generated by rolling 3D6 in order; the order is similar to the old school way by listing them as Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma.  There are three classes - cleric, fighter, and magic-user - to choose from with thief being listed as an optional fourth.  Each class has a prime requisite that will affect the amount of experience needed to level; standard levels are 1-12 with Humans being allowed to continue on but there are level limits to the Halfling, Dwarf, and Elf.  Alignment is reduced to Law, Chaos, and Neutral.  There is a small section on hirelings, mercenaries, and retainers.  Cleric spells are detailed to 5th level while Magic-User spells are listed and defined to 6th level.  Like I mentioned previously, all of this should be really familiar.  Granted, there are some differences to avoid any legal entanglements but it is essentially OD&D presented in a clear and organized manner.  The rules even have descending AC.

I have not read as much of the remaining two sections of the rules but I have read enough to know the brevity and clarity continue on throughout the book.  The second section, DELVING & EXPLORATION, is where the referee's section of the rules begin.  It opens with a short section on campaign preparation and then details aspects such as creating the world, creating dungeons, combat, exploration (sections on underworld, wilderness, seafaring, and aerial).  The Campaign covers subjects such as strongholds, mass battles, enchanting magic items, and other worlds.

The third section, MONSTERS & TREASURES, is the final section of the rules. This section begins with a list of the monsters followed by a description of every monster. The monster descriptions are brief with most taking up no more space than three to five sentences. This is followed by a similar list and explanation for treasures.  

There is a brief look at DELVING DEEPER in this post.  It definitely has a lot of appeal for those seeing an old school experience and these rules are going to get a lot of use at my table.  If you want more options, there are other classes being developed over at the official forums mentioned above.  DELVING DEEPER is a welcome addition to my collection.  

[Fan Film Friday] Fallout: Crossroads (New Vegas Fan Film)

[Fan Film Friday] Fallout: Diaries Fan-Film

Latest Game Purchases

These nine books are my last two game purchases.  I bought all of this stuff from one buyer in two different shipments so I am putting it all together.  This post is just a sneak peek at it all and I will post about my impressions on these items in the near future....

Pretty Much Done

I am moved in and just taking care of small tasks like getting a bookcase or other similar items.  Things are rolling along smoothly so I decided to make a quick post with a few small updates.

Final Move

Barring any unforeseen life changes then this will be my final move.  I hate the whole process and I really do not want to undertake any more of them.  This was was not terrible or bad in any way at all.  I just hate the entire ordeal.

New Old Game Stuff

I bought another package of Dangerous Journeys items and I pretty much have all of the game products except for the run of Journeys magazine and maybe one rulebook.  I will have to double check.

Expanded (Game) Focus

I absolutely enjoy D&D and will continue to focus my gaming posts on the game and similar systems but these new purchases have really made me want to branch out into other games.  I am aiming to post more frequently about games other than D&D such as The Fantasy Trip, Dangerous Journeys, Palladium Fantasy, and others.

[Fan Film Friday] Fallout: Red Star

[Fan Film Friday] Fallout: Nuka Break - Complete Second Season

Moving In

I closed on my house and spent the holiday weekend moving in; if you can see the dog in the video you can tell the yard is chihuahua approved.  Now to do some tree trimming that wasn't done before I got here.  I'm making good progress and will be back to (somewhat) regular posting soon...

 

[Fan Film Friday] Fallout: Nuka Break - Complete First Season

[Fan Film Friday] Roll Initiative - Dungeons & Dragons Short Film

New OLD Stuff Has Arrived

The package I have been waiting on arrived Saturday. I am really happy with the packaging as none of the books came damaged or bent up or anything like that.  I will definitely buy from the seller again in the future; in fact, I have already put a bug in his ear about some other products I am looking for from his collection. A few random thoughts about the books have slipped through my mind so far.

The Palladium Role-Playing Game Revised Edition is not the edition my gaming group played as teens.  We played the black and red covered original edition.  The edition I bought is much closer to that one AND I have always intended to buy all three versions of the core book anyway so I only lack one at this point.

I only owned Mythus out of the Dangerous Journeys items I just bought.  I never owned Mythus Magick, the Bestiary, or the GM Screen so this is pretty cool to get a good number of products.  I am going to keep an eye out for Epic of Aerth and some other products.  Excuse me while I do some reading...

 

Update on The TSR Reprints I Want...

Back in November of 2012 I posted about The TSR Reprints I Want and I never followed up to that post.  I was scrolling through my reading list and noticed that post was still getting read from time to time as I passed by the stats portion of the page.  Just for fun I decided to revisit that post and see what is and what is not available now.

B/X D&D

Then: No pdf or print option available.

Now: The only option at the moment remains to be pdf for the Basic and/or Expert rules.

D&D Rules Cyclopedia

Then: No pdf or print option available.

Now: A range of options available for the Rules Cyclopedia from pdf, softcover book, hardcover book, and bundles with pdf and print together.

AD&D Unearthed Arcana

Then: No pdf or print option available.

Now: Several options for Unearthed Arcana including pdf, standard color hardcover, premium color hardcover, and bundles with pdf and print together.

Gamma World (1st Edition)

Then: No pdf or print option available.

Now: .Softcover, pdf, or a combo purchase for original Gamma World are available.

Gamma World (2nd Edition)

Then: No pdf or print option available.

Now: The only option available for Gamma World 2E is pdf.  

All of them are available in pdf and half of them are available in a print on demand format.    I have found my B/X books but I will most likely purchase the pdfs in the future to avoid further table use of my originals.  I will probably get them printed in a spiral binding.  The Rules Cyclopedia is a must buy for me.  I have had two copies over the years and parted ways with both of them regrettably.  Another must buy is Unearthed Arcana so I can replicate my old collection that needs replaced.  I had a copy of the original Gamma World  years ago so I will most likely get a printed copy soon.  Second edition is one I have never owed but I just might sprint for the pdf at some time in the near future.

Latest Gaming Purchase

I decided to visit  my two favorite local gaming stores  in Tulsa yesterday.  I have never had a bad experience at either Wizard's Asylum or Top Deck Games so I continue to buy from both stores.  I had previously purchased the ALIEN The Roleplaying Game core rules book months ago.  It is a great product and a welcome addition to my collection.

I have looked at several of the secondary products and I have plans on future purchases in the line.  I was holding off because what I really  wanted was the special dice for the game.  I know they are not required for play as two different colors of d6s would serve the same purpose.  I kept checking periodically but neither store had the dice in stock.  I could have ordered them but I never got around to doing so.

While I was browsing the games on the shelves yesterday I saw several products that caught my interest but I passed on the rest and decided to read the back of the ALIEN Starter Set.  In addition to the other goodies included in the box such as the trimmed down rules, an adventure, a map, cards, and counters it also came with two small plastic bags with the black and yellow dice in them so I bought it.  

[Fan Film Friday] The Roleplayers: A Dungeons and Dragons Fan Film

New OLD Stuff on the Way

Years ago I was browsing a bookstore in the local mall and ran across a new game called DANGEROUS JOURNEYS: Mythus by Gary Gygax.  I had no idea he was making a new game so I bought it since I enjoyed AD&D so much.  I was intrigued by the game and world information in the core book and always intended to buy more.  I was never able to buy much additional product beyond the magazine because the game was stopped shortly after that.  Eventually, I got rid of my copy.

Recently I check one of the For Sale postings on The Ruins of Murkhill forum to discover someone listed  four DANGEROUS JOURNEYS products - Mythus, Mythus Magick, Mythus GM Screen, and Mythus Bestiary - so I quickly contacted them.  The books are on the way so I can mark some items off my quest list.  

More posts in the future on these books are sure to come...

[Fan Film Friday] Fantopia - Dungeons and Dragons Inspired Fantasy Short Film

Gaming Magazines of the Past

I purchased digital copies of issues 27 and 28 of The Space Gamer from Warehouse 23 this weekend.  Those are the first two issues of the Steve Jackson Games run on the magazine.  Looking through the contents of these two issues has really made me nostalgic about the gaming magazines of the past.  I would frequently purchase an issue or two of something off the magazine shelf whenever I visited Starbase 21 back in the 80s and 90s.  I would continue that trend after that time with other stores and other magazines even when I had a long gaming slump after 2000.

I discovered my first role-playing magazine with Dragon.  I do not remember the exact issue but it was a relatively early one.  I would buy up every new issue at the store and eventually got a subscription.  I had a pretty impressive stack of issues going and I made the unfortunate decision at some point to remove the articles I found worthwhile and get rid of the other contents.  I have an old binder or two somewhere that has all of these articles; I hope I still do at this point.

I would pick up many more magazines over the years.  I enjoyed The Fantasy Gamer and would have preferred it stayed separate from The Space Gamer but I will take it either way honestly.  Nintendo Power also had a similar appeal to me with the maps and walkthroughs of games.  Shadis was a long time favorite of mine as well as Vortext.  Pyramid was a good magazine but it never grabbed my attention like old copies of The Space Gamer.  Finally, The Rifter was a great Palladium Books house publication. I wish that they would have focused that energy on updating old product and releasing new content but a new grab bag of useful articles was always welcome.  

Unfortunately, none of these magazines still exist today.  I know most everybody has moved to forums and a web presence.  I get the reasons why and I do not hate the forums.  I frequently several of them and post quite frequently at times at The Ruins of Murkhill.  I just wish there was still one good general gaming magazine around.  It is similar to the difference between a book and an e-reader for me.  Nothing beats the crisp, new smell of a new magazine (or book) in hand.  I could really go for laying on the couch with an issue in hand reading it until I got drowsy and decided to take a nap.  

[DragonRaid] Character Creation

I had planned on doing a step by step walkthrough of Character Creation for DragonRaid game.  I posted on The Ruins of Murkhill forums as a first draft to doing a post here.  I discovered that the process of LightRaider creation does not allow many choices.  I am not making any claims that you cannot create and interesting or worthwhile character.  I am just pointing out that there are very few choices to be made during the process.  

LightRaider creation is basically a marathon session of rolling a d10 and writing down the results on a LightRaider Worksheet.   This is done for all of the Character Strengths and most of the Physical Attributes.  The remaining statistics are figured by taking different Character Strengths or Physical Attributes and adding them together then dividing by a set number.  The only areas that offer you a choice of options are Weapon Abilities and Optional Character Abilities; there are 14 Weapon Abilities and you can pick 3 while there are 11 Optional Character Abilities and you can also pick 3 of those.  

Rather than make a new post about character creation here I will just reproduce my other posts below.

This is going to be a step by step walk through of character creation for the DragonRaid game.  Characters in DragonRaid are known as LightRaiders.  It may be surprising to know that the chapter on character creation in the rulebook is barely more than a page long.  This is probably where the LightRaider Worksheet comes in handy with all the formulas on it.  In addition to those two items I opened the bag of StarLots (d10s) included in the box.  So it begins...

STEP 1 - Character Strengths
Each character has 9 attributes that are determined by rolling d10 for the rating in each; higher is better.  I got:

(LO) Love = 10
(JO) Joy = 5
(PE) Peace = 10
(PA) Patience = 1
(KI) Kindness = 8
(GO) Goodness = 2
(FA) Faithfulness = 2
(GE) Gentleness = 4
(SC) Self-Control = 10

STEP 2 - Physical Attributes
Physical Vitality (PV) is determined by adding Character Strengths and dividing by 2.
*It takes a minimum of 19 to be a LightRaider.*

(PV) Physical Vitality = 26

Strength and Agility are determined by rolling a StarLot

(ST) Strength = 3
(AG) Agility = 10

STEP 3 - Character Abilities
These 8 abilities are determined by taking a various number of the previously determined ratings and figuring the average score.  For instance, Listening is determined by PE x2 + PA + SC = total / 4

(CO) Courage = 5
(LIS) Listening = 7
(EN) Endurance = 5
(QM) Quiet Move =6
(HO) Hope = 4
(VIS) Vision = 2
(KN) Knowledge = 2
(WIS) Wisdom = 7

STEP 4 - Armor
Like the Bible verse says to put on the "full armor of God"...

(BT) Belt of Truth = KN = 2
(BR) Breastplate of Righteousness = GO = 2
(SF) Shield of Fate = all character strengths/9 = 5
(HS) Helmet of Salvation = HO = 4
(SS) Sword of the Spirit = 1 (automatic)
(BGP) Boots of the Gospel of Peace = (LO+JO+PE+GO+FA)/5 = 5

STEP 5 - Weapon Abilities
All LightRaiders have Solo Battle = PE + EN + COx2 = total/4

(SB) Solo Battle = 6

Pick 3 more from a list of 14

Dagger = (CO+SC+SB+AG)/4 = 7
Sling = (HO+CO+SC)/3 = 6
Sword = (CO+EN+SB+AG)/4 = 6

At this point, the LightRaider Worksheet must be turned over to complete calculations.

STEP 6 - Defensive Abilities
All LightRaiders have the following three Defensive Abilities.

(EE) Evade Enemy = (PE+PA+SC)/3 = 7
(RFI) Recover From Injury = (HOx3+CO+EN)/5 = 4
(RT) Resist Torture = (JO+FAx2+SC+HO+CO+EN)/7 = 4

STEP 7 - Optional Character Abilities
Pick 3 from a list of 11 possibilities.

(CLS) Climb Skillfully = (JO+PE+PA+SCx2+EN+CO)/7 = 6
(SE) Sense Evil = (GOx2+KN+CO)/4 = 2
(TE) Track Enemy = (JO+PA+SC)/3 = 5

At this point, the LightRaider Worksheet is completely filled out.  The next step should be transferring the numbers to the LightRaider Character Sheet.

[Fan Film Friday] Dungeons & Dragons Concept Trailer

Fan Film Friday is a new feature of my blog.  I watch a ton of fan films on youtube and I recommend them to others that might be interested so I thought why not just add it to my blog. For the month of June, I am linking to D&D fan films; whether they are based on or just inspired by the game.   

Taps

Combat Ready! (Toying With an Old Idea)

I have a rotating list of projects that I keep working on in my spare time.  Some are in various stages of completion and will be finished someday.  One idea that seems to pop up most frequently is a simple wargame using those little green Army Men that should be instantly recognizable by most everyone.  I purchased a few sets at the Dollar General and Wal-Mart so I have a pretty sizable collection so far and I have spent around $12.  I thought I was done buying these figures until I went shopping earlier.

When I stumbled across these two packages at the Dollar Tree earlier I immediately thought that it was the perfect representation of what I am aiming for with the Combat Ready! rules.  Each package in the left picture was $1 so for $2 you get 10 dice and 35 figures; a small force of tan and one of green.  That would be perfect for a pick up and play battle system.

Now that I have plenty of material to playtest some rules with there are some things to take into consideration while designing the rules:

1.    I want a simple and satisfying game.  There is no need for page after page of complicated rules concerned with the smallest of details.  Advanced rules can be developed later.  The basic game should be easy to understand and implement.

2.   Simple stats such as Attack, Defense, and Special.  Other rules to consider would be sniper fire, supply drops, air support, getting lost, etc.  

3.    Movement should be done in a simple manner such as a measuring tape.

4.    The focus of the basic game will be on squad to platoon level engagements.  Larger forces tend to complicate game rules.  Maybe they can be covered in an advanced rule section?

5.    Your force will be assembled from what you have available instead of trying to assemble a rare collection of figures.

6.    My goal for the page count of the basic game is 6 to 12 pages.

7.    I know you can find other sets of these figures such as western themed, science fiction, etc. so maybe other genres can also be adapted? 

Just a few ideas to get started...

Baldur's Gate I & II Enhanced Edition PS4

I was browsing the local FTW (For The Win) Games and I discovered something I did not even know existed.  There is a PS4 version of Baldur's Gate I & II!  I played far into Baldur's Gate I and one of my CDs got scratched, lost, or faced some other catastrophe.  My point is that I never finished the game.  I wanted to complete it before moving on to the second one.  I never did move on to the second one.  I had intended to buy these games on Good old Games or some other similar site but then I found this version.

I have just started playing the original Baldur's Gate and I have yet to get very far into the game.  I was a little thrown off by the controls at first because I was used to the old keyboard and mouse.  My son and I persevered and we got the hang of it.  He is enjoying it so I looked for other old D&D games in the PS Store and found some more old favorites.  My next two purchases will most likely be the Planescape and Icewind Dale Enhance Edition and then the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance game.  I have had all of these games  in the past and it will be awesome to have all of them again and introduce my son to them.  There is more than one way to scratch the D&D itch and I am going to take full advantage of these offerings.

DragonRaid - a Closer Look (Part Four)

This is the final post in this series examining DragonRaid; this post was preceded by part one, part two, and part three   .  This post looks at the secondary material included in the box.

 

4 sheets of counters are included in the box.   

4 battle grids; 2 square and 2 hex.

1 Battle Worksheet (laminated).

Dice (not inked).

Coupon (a set of inked dice at a discount).

A flyer with a link to a reproduction of the audio cassette originally included.

2 pads of Character Worksheets (for character creation).

1 pad of Character Sheets.

DragonRaid themed note-taking sheets.

2 Bookmarks.

1 flyer for The Gryphon Heist.

An ink pen.

I have completed my examination of DragonRaid but I am not finished tinkering with the game.  I am going to go through character creation and try out a game session.  Look for more in the future...

DragonRaid - a Closer Look (Part Three)

 This post was preceded by part one and part two of this series.

Adventure Guidebooks

The boxed set includes three modules which are labeled as Adventure Guidebooks.  Of course, they serve the same purposes as modules in Dungeons & Dragons.  These adventures should be played in the order pictured to the left as each book is noted as  Adventure One, Two, or Three on their respective title page.  The shortest adventure is 43 pages while the longest one is 77 pages and each one comes with removable resources in the middle such as cue cards, player briefings, maps and even more types of visual aids.

Adventure Master Manual

The Adventure Master Manual is also labeled as a "Leader's Reference" on the cover.  This is the only book in the box to come in a 126 page loose-leaf three hole punched format.  My initial impression is that this book will be referenced at times so it will prevent wear and tear by having it in a binder.  The contents are split into nine sections. Most of the information seems to cover the skills associated with your responsibilities as an Adventure Master and improving your skill in those areas.   Other topics include handling game problems, the allegory of DragonRaid, witnessing to non-Christians, and an index.  At first glance the standout section of interest seems to be section seven, Game Aids.  Many of the charts and lists in this area could have been collected in a product similar to the Dungeon Master's Screen.  In fact, that is the only thing that seems to be "missing" from this boxed set but it certainly is not necessary for play.   

I am going to wrap this post up now so I keep it all on the topic of Adventure Master resources.  The next (and final) post will cover the rest of the material included in the box such as character sheets, battle grids, and more.

Resident Evil: Village - I Got It!

I have been waiting on Resident Evil Village since it was first announced.  I stopped on the way home from work yesterday and I  picked up the PS4 version.  I was wore out from work so my son has been playing the game.  He described it as "RE7 mixed with RE4" and that seems  accurate.  He seems to be really happy with the game and making  great progress so far has already beaten the initial difficulty setting of the game about 18 hours after I bought it.  He continued and the difficulty is a harder difficulty but new content opens up.  This should be interesting. 

I started playing Resident Evil on the original Playstation.  I have played all of the mainline games and most of the secondary games.  I have watched all of the movies and I have read all of the novels.  I am a fan but I am not an expert on all things RE-related.  I would like to try a roleplaying campaign based on Resident Evil at some point.  I know there are a few fan made adaptations out there like a D20 Resident Evil version, a Call of Cthulhu D20 version, and a Genesys version.  These all sound interesting but I have never tried any of them.

Have you played in a Resident Evil rpg?

Did you use one of these adaptations or something different?

What would you recommend?