tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30998436001414303732024-03-17T20:30:16.106-05:00The Semi-Retired GamerA blog featuring the game related ramblings and ideas of a role-playing gamer since 1980. My interests include many games and gaming related topics, but my main focus will be on Open Ended Original Edition Old School Fantasy Adventure Sandbox Role Playing Games (OEOEFASRPG™) The Open-Ended Sandbox Exploration of Dungeons, Wilderness and Cities. Occasionally, other topics outside of gaming will be discussed here as well. Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.comBlogger638125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-43048729162416845782024-03-10T15:41:00.000-05:002024-03-10T15:41:28.275-05:00A Little Catch Up...<p style="text-align: justify;">I had planned on posting about my reading progress through the end of February, but my son and I came down with a wicked case of strep throat. That should have provided the opportunity for some prime reading time, but it did not happen. Consider me paused at the last update for anyone keeping score. Both of us were wiped out and he missed a week of school while I missed a week of work. I've been focused on getting us both caught back up in our respective responsibilities. It seems to be the case now, so I will return to <strike>regularly</strike> sporadically posting from time to time. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I did receive a copy of the three Cha'alt tomes from the recent <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vengersatanis/the-chaalt-experience-designing-worlds-like-a-fucking-boss" target="_blank">kickstarter</a> by Venger Satanis so I will be making some posts on those books as I make my way through them. As far as first impressions go, he made some excellent choices with artist and the book construction. These manuals are top notch quality and much better than many of the professional products I have purchased over the years. They are sturdy and I am not concerned with being overly cautious as I read through the contents. More to come on these in the future and I look forward to the fourth Cha'alt volume when it is released. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-72877210739491163582024-02-12T03:30:00.001-06:002024-02-12T03:30:00.129-06:00One of These Days.....<p style="text-align: justify;">I think all of us have some games in our collections that we have never played for one reason or another. I'm listing my top four games. Some of these games are new and some are old. I'm leaving out games that are similar to other games but vary in how they handle some aspect of the game system. Without further delay, let's look at the games. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>ALIEN The Role-Playing Game: </b>I have the starter set and the core rulebook so far and I would buy more books. I've been a fan of the original Alien movie and Aliens for many years. I have all 6 of the movies on DVD and I've read 10 of the novels so far. While opinions on later films differ, I find something of interest in all of them. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Ars Magica Third Edition:</b> I bought a copy of the core rulebook and <b style="font-style: italic;">Mythic Europe </b>last year from a friend that was thinning out his collection. I was intrigued by the focus of the game being on wizards when it was originally released, and I always intended to buy a copy. Years later and I finally own a copy. The reading has been interesting so far.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Dark Eye:</b> I have the three main rulebooks. I picked up the digest-sized versions because I could buy all three of them for basically the cost of the standard sized core rulebook. TDE fascinates me because it's basically "Germany's D&D" and the world is open and growing with fan contributions. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Lejendary Adventures:</b> I bought the three main books upon release. I know some complain about this game because it is so different from D&D in the rules, but I actually like the differences because it makes the game unique. I admit that it was a little challenging upon my first reading, but I did get it figured out when I changed my approach. I started with the definitions at the front and expanded out from there and everything clicked. I would have to refresh my memory, but I would play the game if the opportunity came.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The reason I havne't played these games is simple. I don't currently have a group and I haven't had one for years. I'm sure there are games that you have but you have never played so what are they?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-65096560187952143832024-02-05T01:00:00.001-06:002024-02-05T01:00:00.149-06:00Crafting Ultima-inspired Runes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLdsStDf8eeq7HVoNm_1m6QbMNOOvjRHyR5KRCJuEXE2tit3PC4UlZBetdAb9LCEmhTiO5upPgOihHY7-eSNW1w_ceSnjSC5LFCrUU9EUfO2IC6Hu5IGN1pJYaNAzFELlG1GOdr2jSh_6wdxNp47ssHYL8kWisKnqJbW8cYvE1Yyd1jAk3ImEruvDVYc-/s2356/runes2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="2356" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLdsStDf8eeq7HVoNm_1m6QbMNOOvjRHyR5KRCJuEXE2tit3PC4UlZBetdAb9LCEmhTiO5upPgOihHY7-eSNW1w_ceSnjSC5LFCrUU9EUfO2IC6Hu5IGN1pJYaNAzFELlG1GOdr2jSh_6wdxNp47ssHYL8kWisKnqJbW8cYvE1Yyd1jAk3ImEruvDVYc-/s320/runes2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Continuing on with crafting inspired by the Ultima series of role-playing games, The old boxes used to come with all sorts of little extras in them. I remember getting cloth maps, a coin, an ankh, and other stuff. I thought it would be cool to have some of these props to use in my games. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I decided to try using Crayola Model Magic for some Runes. After a few attempts I stumbled upon the method to use to get the desired results. I started with a piece that was approximately the size of a ping pong ball. I flattened these pieces until they were about half their original thickness. Then I turned the clay with the thin sides up and down and flattened it down to approximately one-quarter of the original ball size. Crayola Model Magic takes a while to dry, so I let the pieces sit while I searched for the Ultima Runes. I cut these Runes into the flat side of each piece and primed the entire piece with basic grey craft paint. I put a Strong Tone wash over the pieces of clay and let them dry. I used basic black to fill in the symbols. After they dried, I coated all of them with matte varnish. Now I can pull these out if the player character characters visit a fortune teller and use them as a prop. I ran out of Crayola Model Magic and need to buy some more to complete this set of Runes, but the stores around here have been sold out lately.</div></div><br /> <p></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-80345348205788857452024-01-31T02:30:00.004-06:002024-01-31T02:30:00.141-06:00January 2024 Reading Progress<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl209bjl_Uhyphenhyphen-Kt6-e79cINHvEVUT79ZevGwJTO-PZGTXuu6KO0Qd5PR7TB8CmFFhv7M5ATiR4JF4msvc0EHEdmMG-eO5SvFtSgkwZTI3sXqR2rX0MS55jbD84LBVaXltcIvPHXIjGDhHdxsOZ32pEeMTKLVJf1RQkFD48AvWg6OQqMJOr-7-g5hwQi6nN/s720/Murtagh.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfschxvK5z1r20QtM9H8Gfx2nkde34WIYQXEyI6s67BQWBEQtqyGCxBzp85VyBjuj7VCWq0kQKD-ggbFZVOpepuMPhRr_YTKcDEihZsuh3-uFooq_JZ_Nxh52ZII17m0iJyALKB2BZuD0Gto6oH8DELXFo3-yiQI9zYSsryIR0k5_eLRVQSh4raalkTZn/s720/Murtagh.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="720" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfschxvK5z1r20QtM9H8Gfx2nkde34WIYQXEyI6s67BQWBEQtqyGCxBzp85VyBjuj7VCWq0kQKD-ggbFZVOpepuMPhRr_YTKcDEihZsuh3-uFooq_JZ_Nxh52ZII17m0iJyALKB2BZuD0Gto6oH8DELXFo3-yiQI9zYSsryIR0k5_eLRVQSh4raalkTZn/s320/Murtagh.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I started off 2024 by reading <i style="font-weight: bold;">Murtagh</i> by Christopher Paolini. This is the fifth book written in the world of Alagaesia but not <i>the</i> fifth book of the series. I've read and enjoyed the original four books in <b>The Inheritance Cycle </b>and was looking forward to reading this book as well. My daughter bought it for me at Christmas, so I began reading it a few days after the holiday.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I enjoyed this fantasy tale quite a bit. I welcomed the change in focus from Eragon and Saphira to Murtagh and Thorn. I have no doubt there will be more books focused on Eragon but it's nice to see the series feature other characters. Although Eragon and Murtagh are both Dragon Riders - and half-brothers as well - there are plenty of differences between the two. They approach situations and obstacles differently. Murtagh is a little bit rougher in execution and a bit of a darker hero. Just as this book changes the central character, this book is also about change. Murtagh and Thorn are fighting to change by overcoming their enslavement by Galbatorix and the reputation that followed. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I find Paolini works to be a smooth read. I don't mean that in a negative manner at all. I mean that it's easy to follow and easy to read large chunks at one time. There is world building and lore sprinkled throughout the book, but it's not labor intensive to keep the facts straight. There are also several illustrations, a small section on Runes, and another brief appendix or two.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating:</b> I gave the book a 5-star rating on Goodreads. The site only allows full star ratings so that somewhat limits how accurately you can rate your experience. I definitely thought it was better than a flat 4 and somewhere closer to 5 so a 5 seemed closer than rating it lower. I'm not a professional reviewer by any means so when I rate a book, I'm just looking at stuff such as "did I struggle with staying interested" or "would I read more books in the series" and similar topics. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Progress:</b> I have completed 1 out of 8 books on my planned reading list this year.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Next: </b>My second book is <i style="font-weight: bold;">People of the Dark</i> by Robert E. Howard. I'm ending January with completely 24% of this book. Let's see what next month brings...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p><br /><br /></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-14672268330778315982024-01-22T03:30:00.001-06:002024-01-22T03:30:00.276-06:00Crafting a Moon Gate<p style="text-align: justify;">I'm a big fan of the Ultima series of computer role-playing games. I spent many hours playing them on various platforms over the years. One of the most memorable things about the older releases was the lore and the extras included in the boxes. They used to have small rulebooks reminiscent of the OD&D little brown books, cloth world maps, and maybe other stuff like coins. Of course, this type of stuff would influence my fantasy gaming and I would include similar items in my worlds. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.mobygames.com/screenshots/16730318-ultima-iv-quest-of-the-avatar-fm-towns-look-ma-its-a-moongate.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://cdn.mobygames.com/screenshots/16730318-ultima-iv-quest-of-the-avatar-fm-towns-look-ma-its-a-moongate.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The screenshot here shows a moon gate that has manifested in an open area of the game world. The idea behind the moon gates is simple. You can enter a moon gate when it appears to be instantly transported to another location. A simple form of fast travel that has appeared in many other games up to the modern day. The scroll of town portal from the Diablo series is one such example. I've used something similar in my games but it a very limited form; I didn't want an automatic get out of jail card for the players. I did, however, want some sort of magical gate that would show up in some locations depending on "if the stars were right" or some other arcane reason. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I got into miniatures a few years ago. You can clearly tell from my paint jobs that I am focused on utility and function rather than winning any competitions. I also downloaded the complete Ultima series from Good Old Games some time ago. Between these two events, I decided to try some crafting with some cheap clay so I would have a moon gate miniature to use in my games. I was going to do the entire thing in this clay, but I found some small wooden circles for just about a dollar that could serve as the base. I also stumbled across some cheap grass, sand, and rock at a local hobby shop, so I decided to go ahead and add those to the mix. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmOFWRVJBWaGfwAwb_44p_x3056zG-CQkApDvtVRwCr8lyjeTWdrCjVmKlbIFFYJhSHw3Qe7NRmErNIfcuM3xRUw36FuNnLS8WNEwC92DRupA3RKAqtxXJJpGYkMItatHs99gSaGGGcKk2waP3mwxZshbCReEsCdUnGMYzYXnEK1Tk6nlkOWlIXCG8duH/s1864/moongate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1864" data-original-width="1855" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmOFWRVJBWaGfwAwb_44p_x3056zG-CQkApDvtVRwCr8lyjeTWdrCjVmKlbIFFYJhSHw3Qe7NRmErNIfcuM3xRUw36FuNnLS8WNEwC92DRupA3RKAqtxXJJpGYkMItatHs99gSaGGGcKk2waP3mwxZshbCReEsCdUnGMYzYXnEK1Tk6nlkOWlIXCG8duH/w199-h200/moongate.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My results are pictured here. I'm not disappointed with the results as a first attempt. I'm going to do another one in the future and there are things I would do differently. First, the boulders with the runes and the moon gate were glued down first. On the next one, the first thing will be the moon gate, but the boulders will be glued down after the base terrain. I think that will help with the few small voids that can be seen. The small yellow spots were added to show a "magical effect" but I don't like how it turned out. I used several coats of gloss varnish to give it a gleaming appearance and I will do that again rather than using the yellow paint spots. I may try some more expensive clay on the next moon gate as well. I'm pretty pleased with this first attempt but I see areas to improve. I will add more stuff inspired by Ultima in the future. I'm not entirely sure what it will be but I think the runes might be on that list.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p><br /></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-55121560066167795692024-01-15T03:30:00.000-06:002024-01-15T03:30:00.132-06:00Chance Cards<p style="text-align: justify;">I've owned <b><i>Champions of ZED</i></b> and <b><i>Dragons at Dawn</i></b> for a while now. I enjoy pulling them out and reading through them both for inspiration. Both of these games have sections discussing <b><i>chance cards</i></b> and how to use them. The idea behind chance cards is pretty simple. The DM and the players use a stack of index cards to write down events that could take place in their campaign. At certain points in the campaign - the start of every game month, every 90 days in game, etc. - the DM will draw one of these cards and apply it to the campaign. The group could also use these cards to generate a background history for the campaign world as well. For example, the DM could want to use two events per year for the last 12 years of game time to develop a history for the campaign world. 16 cards would be drawn from the cards available and then the DM would string them together and get the history they wanted.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I know I could do this with some simple brainstorming, rolling on tables, or some other method but I want to do something different. I've become really interested in using the chance cards in my game for the physical aspect of it. I think that comes from two influences. First, I watch a lot of the videos put out by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@jimmurphy1591" target="_blank">Game Methuselah</a> on his YouTube channel. He mentioned writing the monster information on index cards and using them in game; basically, a map, notes, and a box of index cards to run his game. Second, since I began painting miniatures a few years ago I really want to start using them in my game as well. I never used them back in the day, but I've gotten the itch to use them now.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Do you use chance cards or something similar in your game?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-60679535790501794652024-01-08T01:00:00.028-06:002024-01-08T01:00:00.131-06:002024 Reading Plans<p style="text-align: justify;">After the disappointing low number of books read last year, I got motivated to do better this year. I typically read 12 or more books in a year, but I set a goal of 8 for 2024 because several of these novels are epic length fantasy over 1,000 pages. I am keeping a reading journal to help with this goal. If I can read more, I will. Without further delay, here are the novels I plan on reading this year.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strike><i style="font-weight: bold;">Poul Anderson (Three Hearts and Three Lions):</i> I've always wanted to read this for two reasons. I remember it being referred to as a fantasy classic by many readers and - I hope I'm recalling correctly here - it seems that many claim this has the best representation of a Paladin.</strike> <i>This book was read in 2023 and will be replaced by <b>Murtagh</b> by Christopher Paolini to keep my reading plan at 8 books for the year. </i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Ray Bradbury (The Martian Chronicles):</i> I remember seeing this book on the shelves of my middle school library and I also caught some of the PBS television mini-series. I've always intended to read it so 2024 will be the year I do so.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Brian Lee Durfee (The Forgetting Moon):</i> I stumbled upon his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@B.LEE.DbrianleedurfeeREVIEWS" target="_blank">YouTube Channel</a> while browsing the various "booktubers" looking for reviews of fantasy novels. This guy reads a ton of books, has an impressive home library, and has completed a trilogy of novels. His videos are funny because he doesn't hold back about how passionate he is about books, and he doesn't take things so seriously that he does a hundred takes to "get it right". </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Frank Herbert (Heretics of Dunge and Chapterhouse Dune):</i> I enjoyed the first four books so I'm going to complete the original six books. Maybe I'll give the expanded Dune universe novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson at some time.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Robert E. Howard (People of the Dark):</i> Howards' Conan tales are amazing! I enjoyed Shadow Kingdoms so I'm sure this collection will be excellent as well.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Paolini (Murtagh):</i> I got this as a Christmas gift from my daughter, so I added it to the list of books for 2024. I've read the entire Inheritance Cycle so I might as well continue on. They have always proven to be smooth reading that doesn't require a stack of notes to keep up so that's a bonus.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Brandon Sanderson (Oathbringer and Rhythm of War):</i> I really enjoyed the first two novels in The Stormlight Archives, and I need to get caught up with the series. The series is planned to be ten books at completion so it's a good time to not fall behind any further.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-8769069436191984672024-01-01T00:00:00.001-06:002024-01-01T00:00:00.131-06:00Happy New Year!<p style="text-align: justify;">It's a new year and I've been doing some reflection to see what I want to change in 2024. I have a short list spread over several areas that I could explain in this post. I'm not going to do that because it all boils down to just one change that will help me achieve the changes I want to make. I am striving for <b><i>a better work/life balance</i></b> in 2024. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I allowed work to become all-encompassing last year and this blog, my reading, and my creative endeavors suffered because of that decision. Don't get me wrong, work is important and there will be times that I have to completely focus on it <i>at that time </i>but working 55 to 65 hours a week for months at a time will burn you out. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Having the last three weeks off work recovering from having my gall bladder removed let that lesson really sink in. I had planned to bring my laptop home and be available "just in case" but my backup told me to "...relax and not do that. We got this while you're gone. I can always ask one of the other guys for help if I need it.". I did take my laptop home, but I didn't turn it on even just once. I didn't receive any texts saying the plant had to close down and I didn't see any stories on the news about my absence causing undue hardships to production. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The point? Take your time off and enjoy it. You can't be replaced at home, you can and <b>will</b> be replaced at work. I hope everyone has a great year! I'm looking forward to being more active. </p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-72431238501085328732023-12-27T07:13:00.002-06:002023-12-27T07:13:26.860-06:002023 Reading - UPDATED<p style="text-align: justify;">In my original <a href="https://semiretiredgamer.blogspot.com/2023/12/2023-reading.html" target="_blank">2023 Reading</a> post made earlier this month, I thought that I had quit reading for this year and was ready to pick it back up next year. I found myself on Christmas break from work and I decided to get a head start on one of next year's books I planned on reading. I wound up finishing the book I selected so I am updating my 2023 Reading post. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson:</i> I have planned on reading this book for some time now and just got around to it this year. I was really looking forward to this book because I knew it was part of Appendix N and I've always heard people say it has a great representation of a Paladin as the main character. After reading this book, what are my thoughts? I expect some pushback on my opinion.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I gave <b><i>Three Hearts and Three Lions</i></b> a score of 3 stars on Goodreads. If you're not familiar with Goodreads, books can be rated on a range of 1 - 5 stars. These ratings do not allow for partial scores such as 4.25 stars. It's not uncommon for members to give their partial score in their written and I did that in my review. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">My actual score for <b><i>Three Hearts and Three Lions</i></b> was 3.25 to 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the book and found it an easy read, but I had some issues. I prefer fantasy works to be on the epic or grander end of the spectrum. This book definitely felt like it was more on the mundane end. I prefer reading fantasy books with much more meat on the bone from lore and backstory. This book seemed to barely scratch the surface. It did do a good job of representing the conflict of Law and Chaos. I respect the fact that Three Hearts and Three Lions is a foundational work of modern fantasy, but it didn't match my personal tastes. </p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-32879938630978785712023-12-10T09:30:00.000-06:002023-12-10T09:30:18.744-06:002023 Reading<p style="text-align: justify;">I usually plan to read 12 books every year, but I failed to do so in 2023. I didn't even come close to reaching that goal. In fact, I only read 2 books this year! I made several attempts that turned out to be false starts that I never was able to recover from and continue on with those books for one of several reasons. I'm not going to post about any of those failures, but I will post some thoughts on the books I did complete in 2023. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Swan Song</i> by Robert McCammon:</b> I stumbled on to this book while I was browsing in one of the local bookstores. I had never heard of the book or the author, but I decided to take a chance on this one. I did watch a few YouTube reviews before reading this book and noticed it kept getting compared to <b><i>The Stand</i></b> by Stephen King. I was immediately interested as that's one of my favorite books. I wasn't disappointed at all in my decision to read this book. It does share many similar themes with <b><i>The Stand</i></b> and I think if you enjoyed one then you would enjoy the other. I think it could very well come down to you getting the most enjoyment out of whichever one you read first. I would read it again and I will definitely read more works by McCammon in the future. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Knight of the Demon Queen</i> by Barbra Hambly:</b> I decided to read this book because I enjoyed the first two books - <b><i>Dragonsbane</i> </b>and <b><i>Dragonshadow</i></b> - in her Winterlands series. I remember seeing the first book on the shelf several times at my high school library. I always intended to read it back then, but I wound up checking something else out before recalling my intentions to read <b><i>Dragonsbane</i></b>. One of my goals as an adult it to reading those books that caught my eye earlier in my life, but I never had gotten around to it. I found all four books in the series at a local used bookstore in very good condition and a really reasonable price, so I bought all of them. I enjoyed the first two books quite a bit and I was looking forward to reading all of them. The third book, <b><i>Knight of the Demon Queen</i></b>, started off good and was consistent with the feel and tone of the previous two books but I hit a snag later in the book. At that point, part of the story takes place in a futuristic cyberpunk setting. It felt completely out of place to me and my reading slowed to a crawl at this point. I struggled to complete the book and I was very thankful it returned to fantasy in the final chapter. It threw me for such a loop that I'm now re-evaluating whether or not I want to continue by reading the final book in the series.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-34919062700867327292023-11-26T14:10:00.000-06:002023-11-26T14:10:03.853-06:00Looking Ahead...<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I miss the days when this blog was much more active and I'm not happy with the minimal posting I've done over the last several years. I'm at a point where I need to make a decision about what I'm going to do moving forward. I'm not going to erase the contents of this blog, but I might just shut it down and leave it here in case anyone tis interested in the posts or some of the other content; I do have people still downloading the <b><i>Adventures in Fantasy</i></b> character sheet from time to time so that's cool. Some of the things that will affect my decision or my ability to post regularly will be discussed below.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>WORK COMMITMENTS</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In January of 2024 it will be one year since I accepted a position in the Quality Assurance department of my employer. Of course, the increased salary came with more responsibilities and more time commitments so that will definitely affect how often I can post on the blog. Fortunately, the decision to accept this position was the correct one because I do enjoy my job and the challenges tremendously. On top of that, we are in the process of launching two new models of school bus so that will definitely be demanding on my time as well. I would assume that from December of 2023 to the end of the first quarter of 2024, it will be the most challenging period for us.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>SUBJECT OF POSTS</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The main subject of this blog will still be roleplaying games and related subjects with various posts about reading, miniatures, fan films, and pretty much whatever else grabs my attention. I know the OGL drama seems to have settled down, but I think I'm going to look into moving away from using the OGL to post anything. I'm most likely gong to post nothing but house rules like new races, new monsters, etc. from my campaign but I think I'm going to play it safe and use a different format other than <b><i>Delving Deeper</i></b> to post the information. Make no mistake about it, Delving Deeper is still my game of choice and I will always recommend it and my home campaign will be ran using it. I just think for posting stuff in a public area such as this I'm going to use a format inspired by the old gaming products of the past that were "close but not quite D&D". Maybe I'm being too cautious? I'm not a lawyer by any means and I don't have the time to commit to writing a new clone from scratch at this point. I did take the time, however, to come up with this new format in a 2 page pdf. It still needs a little bit of tweaking, but I will post it here in the near future.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>POST FREQUENCY</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At this point, I think the best estimate I can make for 2024 is committing to post once per week. I can use whatever subject I like so the post may come any day of the week. I could post for "Miniature Monday" one week and then "Fan Film Friday" for the next. That does NOT mean I won't pick up the pace at some point but once a week should not be an unrealistic goal. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>REACHING THE DECISON</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I plan on evaluating progress every 90 days of 2024. I've also started bullet journaling for work and for home/recreation so that has helped me quite a bit. I like having concrete plans on paper that I can look at and track progress. I never used the bullet journal method before, but I used to track things much better and I lost that in my recreational activities, so it fell by the wayside and took a backseat. Hopefully, I can maintain a healthy and productive work/life balance from now on. It's not unhealthy right now but it is somewhat lopsided, and I need to correct the course. Let's see what happens on the road ahead...</div>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-59133685718986789832023-04-10T03:30:00.000-05:002023-04-10T03:30:00.175-05:00[Miniature Monday] Grave Wraith<p style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbl9QesTzr_GhAjhM49MRfpZLnS6yzEQ7DPh8p-OhrMfpoijEfKedCHb1m_Ai0yvmdUBxv60CKfckc_ZBXjCyVxUELEbEX61rF8v1NEMR7caKirDjqW7L9ISJMeo5y8TphYTc0SrXBKT473AUQ94B1Y12rHMgwwNiRIwJJIhkv1fXDODqERwquF0j_6A/s2104/1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2104" data-original-width="2104" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbl9QesTzr_GhAjhM49MRfpZLnS6yzEQ7DPh8p-OhrMfpoijEfKedCHb1m_Ai0yvmdUBxv60CKfckc_ZBXjCyVxUELEbEX61rF8v1NEMR7caKirDjqW7L9ISJMeo5y8TphYTc0SrXBKT473AUQ94B1Y12rHMgwwNiRIwJJIhkv1fXDODqERwquF0j_6A/w200-h200/1.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Ugh...work has been demanding lately. I just realized it's been a month or a little over since my last post. We had a four-day weekend at work, so I decided to paint this Grave Wraith miniature that I've been meaning to paint for a while. I began by opening the miniature, cleaning it with dish soap and water, and then mounting in on a base.</div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC79PUccJVchHg9qYsaza0wQRbWeJDiWiQMIt8UMB0K9elIVuAZ9T754Uo6C6mMxSmbrZittp57Wzry8zDYTNCMTyP6B60dlChCaXP46mb6dBiPA1zVqzBcDTUldhiEwpzoVWQy_BzTrov3t_stLinutcRIdJR6BqQ8mFYwKZwPNMvcrdXXJ91BBzTKw/s1478/3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1478" data-original-width="1365" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC79PUccJVchHg9qYsaza0wQRbWeJDiWiQMIt8UMB0K9elIVuAZ9T754Uo6C6mMxSmbrZittp57Wzry8zDYTNCMTyP6B60dlChCaXP46mb6dBiPA1zVqzBcDTUldhiEwpzoVWQy_BzTrov3t_stLinutcRIdJR6BqQ8mFYwKZwPNMvcrdXXJ91BBzTKw/w200-h231/3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The second step was painting the main color. I went with a Skeletor inspired color for the robe. I also decided to add in some black in the face area and a few other small areas.</div></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OBri_vx9_sIVDDnGN34KXQJ6AqDhrNlkG6VU8mPFZVTIgIQyGEMnXRHRC1SVYJwLG0VXzuHxqwkSgr7lx8aIDauoG-Lkx6PYakC8KFc79Fqj0cmCnKyCCxjuHg80FBeX0kjdRXC8l8DLPkGNfKJ16DHgruu26ivw6wVCVJZPYxmETASVHPOuVq4ebw/s1408/4.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1408" data-original-width="1360" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OBri_vx9_sIVDDnGN34KXQJ6AqDhrNlkG6VU8mPFZVTIgIQyGEMnXRHRC1SVYJwLG0VXzuHxqwkSgr7lx8aIDauoG-Lkx6PYakC8KFc79Fqj0cmCnKyCCxjuHg80FBeX0kjdRXC8l8DLPkGNfKJ16DHgruu26ivw6wVCVJZPYxmETASVHPOuVq4ebw/w193-h200/4.jpg" width="193" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Then I painted the gravestone and the sword as well as the tiny Skeletal fingers wrapped around the hilt of the sword.</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiacUoS--9HW5aOhE9Nt4JJIFywFSarXbasiK9a6_cKVT5GhlCu4ucQQ2hi4nD5dN-6pL45paE9cLkQzg_KNSucs65dUns1lXyzXR_Lu63v-UJo-bMznFsEF9KHDKXlm7tENq_ho4i0U3El1UgMBx6Il6zuFYWUpUzdsbDl2ABiYKu0AGYwThMgxUpSng/s1605/5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1605" data-original-width="1577" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiacUoS--9HW5aOhE9Nt4JJIFywFSarXbasiK9a6_cKVT5GhlCu4ucQQ2hi4nD5dN-6pL45paE9cLkQzg_KNSucs65dUns1lXyzXR_Lu63v-UJo-bMznFsEF9KHDKXlm7tENq_ho4i0U3El1UgMBx6Il6zuFYWUpUzdsbDl2ABiYKu0AGYwThMgxUpSng/w196-h200/5.jpg" width="196" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Then I painted the earthen area by the feet and gravestone.</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiieY_bKP276aQ6geZrnw8KJRXaXDdNprsp-1zGzztl8OZraE5ZXU1wf3CjvCAgTvX4GdJ2sNyOfMwjp8kvYCVGwYekLhvexZijXp3yzfbkM4RWxp0fOlNAHImnnuD2arehxBRKuZx1q2ImANF9bvpI8DuEbeUYCk0GmrLV7TzPhpXbZn_poWfqUaqQ/s1672/6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="1625" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiieY_bKP276aQ6geZrnw8KJRXaXDdNprsp-1zGzztl8OZraE5ZXU1wf3CjvCAgTvX4GdJ2sNyOfMwjp8kvYCVGwYekLhvexZijXp3yzfbkM4RWxp0fOlNAHImnnuD2arehxBRKuZx1q2ImANF9bvpI8DuEbeUYCk0GmrLV7TzPhpXbZn_poWfqUaqQ/w194-h200/6.jpg" width="194" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Next, I did some touchup in the areas that need it done.</div></span><div> <br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyZTdAX-i57iq8WSz0cqcTAQL9iN7XUl8CvxAkg8T_9eLByToXAtLk_7bmwAcZqIsPxuCNjQ64QxY3MR0L1-CwfjmQAuw7DrHNX69fnfPxbXjJ885sLlgwGm3YbEalCAehqjmhJx76dqq9mtSkVLMwZmE1-UqB8Yz3vqFRYw1YNFvIXY35Wwno4ZX_g/s1274/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="1204" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyZTdAX-i57iq8WSz0cqcTAQL9iN7XUl8CvxAkg8T_9eLByToXAtLk_7bmwAcZqIsPxuCNjQ64QxY3MR0L1-CwfjmQAuw7DrHNX69fnfPxbXjJ885sLlgwGm3YbEalCAehqjmhJx76dqq9mtSkVLMwZmE1-UqB8Yz3vqFRYw1YNFvIXY35Wwno4ZX_g/s320/7.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, I did a wash on the miniature and then put a coat of Brush on Sealer once the wash had dried. </div></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p></div>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-6811118844765499532023-03-06T04:00:00.001-06:002023-03-06T04:00:00.171-06:00[Miniature Monday] Naga Part II<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHW6cPllvCYPznxRvg2GWtL9adRiU34wrwvTCS_YsToMuKkaBBo7ZR3Sixj93ZA6ijhBrj-g7Q9iR42VQ-gkCdD8q_s7x-E1iOxDUq7ToOuC5KF_glE4SqI7XiZB00HZwV_2n35VYPD1Tm_vvZPsi5272UDy9tR4qe-MYImh4450m4ALJwG3dguLBfkw/s959/naga2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="824" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHW6cPllvCYPznxRvg2GWtL9adRiU34wrwvTCS_YsToMuKkaBBo7ZR3Sixj93ZA6ijhBrj-g7Q9iR42VQ-gkCdD8q_s7x-E1iOxDUq7ToOuC5KF_glE4SqI7XiZB00HZwV_2n35VYPD1Tm_vvZPsi5272UDy9tR4qe-MYImh4450m4ALJwG3dguLBfkw/w172-h200/naga2.jpg" width="172" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I completed the second Naga using mostly Vallejo Xpress Color paints for the majority of the miniature. I would have used them for all of the miniature but there are not metallic paints in the range as of yet and when I returned to buy more the display rack was already down to less than half full. It went much quicker than the Naga I painted in another post. I will definitely buy more of the Xpress Color paints because they make the process so much quicker to complete.</div></span><br /><p></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-2354434629835141832023-02-27T04:00:00.001-06:002023-02-27T04:00:00.180-06:00[Miniature Monday] Vallejo Xpress Color<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vug2A1_DOCZycOUIdCB7_qi33udx6l5eSiO3vM21rAl7UXzlf1NbMauEuzoFap3lzIkIyQ15MOpa3-O94TFEPPzZCsXGVrXP8PhWFa0fi0ZR82DwAhN-vApNAAYtcZNMTjUhB_IDq4D-lVixdyZDwbK1QPYSM5EjXLb_-tRC1NOo1XrBSvoo3xvsIw/s1130/xpress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1130" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vug2A1_DOCZycOUIdCB7_qi33udx6l5eSiO3vM21rAl7UXzlf1NbMauEuzoFap3lzIkIyQ15MOpa3-O94TFEPPzZCsXGVrXP8PhWFa0fi0ZR82DwAhN-vApNAAYtcZNMTjUhB_IDq4D-lVixdyZDwbK1QPYSM5EjXLb_-tRC1NOo1XrBSvoo3xvsIw/w200-h191/xpress.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I made a stop at one my local FLGS locations on Friday and noticed they had a rack of the Vallejo Xpress Color paints setup in their shop. I tried the standard Vallejo paints when I first started painting and I have remained a fan of them ever since. I have tried a variety of paints, but I still maintain a healthy selection of the Vallejo range in my collection. </div></span><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">After browsing through the rack, I decided to pick up three bottles of the Xpress Colors to test them out on an unpainted miniature this weekend. I still had an unpainted Naga miniature in my collection. I decided to paint it so I could compare it with the other one I painted a while back. I did not finish painting the Naga but it wasn't because I was disappointed with the results.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWB-vzWiKqNt2gtYLx_QE6sFBqdNA0xaIjgxRHo7nEfXXK6IXYRX-n6E33yYylY-f6s1x3ajRXXXBO9BEa_h-vuTQr3xlqV4a904GyHHTVf_obPExTmSwjc5z_2K7Df2-2Liu6v55xzCqqnYoMPf8UFOe5eZjY_UTFC0Hp5mVoKEmtfqghygimcI8XQ/s1860/minis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1860" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWB-vzWiKqNt2gtYLx_QE6sFBqdNA0xaIjgxRHo7nEfXXK6IXYRX-n6E33yYylY-f6s1x3ajRXXXBO9BEa_h-vuTQr3xlqV4a904GyHHTVf_obPExTmSwjc5z_2K7Df2-2Liu6v55xzCqqnYoMPf8UFOe5eZjY_UTFC0Hp5mVoKEmtfqghygimcI8XQ/w200-h153/minis.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I used Snake Green (far right) for most of the body and yellow for the mid-section of the front. You can tell the difference between the other Naga (left in the picture) and this new one. The reason I chose to stop painting is because I'm enjoying using this paint and I'm going back to pick up the other bottles before I continue painting. We get our bonus payout at work this week and that's going to be my splurge item. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The Xpress Color paint is really smooth and flows like milk. It's going to take a minor adjustment on my painting method but that's not a bad thing. I can skip the wet palette for these, and it seems like one coat will most likely do the trick. Simply put, I can paint more miniatures in a shorter amount of time. Since my miniatures are for in-game use rather than competition or showcase then that's perfect for me.</span><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <p></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-33687533382954711172023-02-20T04:00:00.000-06:002023-02-20T04:00:00.188-06:00[Miniature Monday] I Need a Working Space<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCKga631_wGXDw_NMVjpWTVS-klWVkMFpXcN9qZbNY-Jbc18aGYe3ob_e4bx9W7zR4w6vDRJ8ub3t1ckZ4wo5jfL2vWO87GdXdW72M2NszjB7kepCbz6kGSPbhPqEz6ZKOY10WkgIq2-2By6UzVAKUGby2jkks0yqhM0x1PCtU8emf0195qrBRgt8CA/s3174/slop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3174" data-original-width="2824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCKga631_wGXDw_NMVjpWTVS-klWVkMFpXcN9qZbNY-Jbc18aGYe3ob_e4bx9W7zR4w6vDRJ8ub3t1ckZ4wo5jfL2vWO87GdXdW72M2NszjB7kepCbz6kGSPbhPqEz6ZKOY10WkgIq2-2By6UzVAKUGby2jkks0yqhM0x1PCtU8emf0195qrBRgt8CA/s320/slop.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I have no completed miniature to showcase in this post but here's a look at my current painting area. Yes, it's part of my kitchen countertop and I need to change it. I'm going to be on the hunt for a reasonably priced desk or table and some sort of paint stands (or something similar) to get this mess moved from my kitchen to the other room. I always thought I was just going to have a few bottles of paint and a few miniatures because I intended to give this part of the hobby a try and put it back down. Now I have over 40 bottles of paints, several sets of brushes, and an accumulated collection of miniatures waiting to be painted. I'll update in the future when I get a dedicated space.</div></span> <p></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-87216337996089604952023-02-13T17:00:00.006-06:002023-02-13T17:00:45.684-06:00[Miniature Monday] Mind Flayer<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1Rznk1HoncTp0DD4Tityui266m8XLcSmn6WSBgY3MuTmDqB-JiJsaY0k2Vzc9QZxvYsdeOoVDwgafufMPtkVo8I10_wuQ91R4JYxSJxZQM82QvPAniMqPPcO6H_wrymKQcnzbJR2xGBMEnREbNT1WMvADggaxWuQLkUuaAwtJIh6QOS77HPuyVG9Ig/s948/illithid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="948" data-original-width="867" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1Rznk1HoncTp0DD4Tityui266m8XLcSmn6WSBgY3MuTmDqB-JiJsaY0k2Vzc9QZxvYsdeOoVDwgafufMPtkVo8I10_wuQ91R4JYxSJxZQM82QvPAniMqPPcO6H_wrymKQcnzbJR2xGBMEnREbNT1WMvADggaxWuQLkUuaAwtJIh6QOS77HPuyVG9Ig/s320/illithid.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I've had this miniature for a while, but I was holding off until I thought I was good enough to paint it reasonably well. I finally got tired of waiting and decided to give it a whirl. I didn't have to remove any paint or any major rework during the painting process so I'm pretty happy with the results. I now have a table ready Mind Flayer for my collection. I need to look into some of the other old monsters such as Beholders and Ropers sometime in the future.</div></span><p></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-27847735585419815562023-02-05T16:46:00.002-06:002023-02-05T16:46:27.888-06:0002/5 - 02/11 is a Wash<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">For the week of 02/05/2023 to 02/11/2023 there will be zero content posted other than this post. My new position at work finds me really enjoying what I'm doing but this week was a curve ball and required an extraordinary amount of overtime. I put in 70 hours, and I just don't have it in me. A temporary lull in posting and then it should pick back up soon. </span></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-50393942752465193102023-02-03T04:00:00.001-06:002023-02-03T04:00:00.192-06:00[Fan Film Friday] Never Hike Alone 2: A Friday the 13th Fan Film <div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">A sneak peek at the Friday the 13th fan film, Never Hike Alone 2.</span></div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/Jo20KveC3OE" width="480"></iframe><div><br /></div>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-13508543164266663932023-01-30T04:00:00.001-06:002023-01-30T04:00:00.188-06:00[Miniature Monday] Goblins<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhroR0bG8CTa_zY3CKfwy-Lu7vu3aDnxWsXoJuB8Z9yTZXef2YQhzHCaDACAD-qEo35l9z7C_kSsuhrFAUjE23vjACf9shWSJhIWXFsoNytyIPUZbQZ-3_gsN0pk6RSWvmi5mw7Hf8UV-Q2Wqq9oPSxs1FQRsPvXY6VkKaEzImZ9iZo8p41aO5dgCEw/s2153/goblins3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="2153" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhroR0bG8CTa_zY3CKfwy-Lu7vu3aDnxWsXoJuB8Z9yTZXef2YQhzHCaDACAD-qEo35l9z7C_kSsuhrFAUjE23vjACf9shWSJhIWXFsoNytyIPUZbQZ-3_gsN0pk6RSWvmi5mw7Hf8UV-Q2Wqq9oPSxs1FQRsPvXY6VkKaEzImZ9iZo8p41aO5dgCEw/w320-h170/goblins3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I began the paint job on these goblins almost 2 years ago. I only painted the exposed akin areas and then I closed on my house so were lost in the shuffle for a bit. During the last week I was at a point where I was between painting projects, so I settled on these Goblins. I was originally planning on painting only one of them. I wasn't really satisfied with the results, so I decided to continue on with some more. As you can see from the picture, I wound up painting three of the Goblin miniatures. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I know I've stated several times that I'm not a competition painter and I have no intention of becoming one. I kept thinking that the results would eventually turn out better, but it didn't matter what I tried to do to produce a better paint job. I'm really not happy with the results. I'm pretty much meh on these three Goblins. They do pass my arm length test of not resembling a blob of paint, but these are definitely the miniatures I am least satisfied with in my collection. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What are my thoughts on this experience? I did experiment with painting the base of one of the Goblins black. I do like that and may continue to do so but I will use the black circles instead of the tiled circles in the future. Maybe it's the lack of a strong contrast between the color of the Goblin skin and the clothing that doesn't quite work for me? Maybe my paints were properly thinned or mixed for this project? Maybe I'm overthinking it and being too critical? I honestly don't know on this one. I do have three more Goblins to paint so I will give it another go sometime down the road.</div></span> <p></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-32409782729652451622023-01-23T04:00:00.001-06:002023-01-23T04:00:00.181-06:00[Miniature Monday] Kobold<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2ctb1TRBI30wQ3ysp4chChHAEcEvW5WBQFqB7RHGwZAqP_imwi6n2PC3cA8hQWpwWXj52P3E62evA1g6ujUmI0X0uh1Nj-8VWP6IyZRShckjHqVcAteLomSLmFSrdZmqOKLx0uhhXjOkMS0ZU5HTy4I7MXiCHrPGINQZEbSjXlq_y9HL40Y4-4Arng/s1076/kobold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1076" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2ctb1TRBI30wQ3ysp4chChHAEcEvW5WBQFqB7RHGwZAqP_imwi6n2PC3cA8hQWpwWXj52P3E62evA1g6ujUmI0X0uh1Nj-8VWP6IyZRShckjHqVcAteLomSLmFSrdZmqOKLx0uhhXjOkMS0ZU5HTy4I7MXiCHrPGINQZEbSjXlq_y9HL40Y4-4Arng/w200-h191/kobold.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I completed my first Kobold miniature and I still have 5 more left to paint. This is one of the few tiny miniatures I have attempted. I am not disappointed in the results, but I do see some areas that need improvement. I need to give in and open up the smaller brushes I bought just for this size of figures. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><p></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-78568830388701965762023-01-18T04:00:00.001-06:002023-01-18T04:00:00.174-06:00Dungeon23 Part 6: Merchant Row<p style="text-align: justify;"><i>I'm starting my #Dungeon23 posts back up, but I can't guarantee that I will be posting something related to it every day of 2023. There are four main reasons for this decision. First, I want to post about other topics than the #Dungeon23. Second, I am treating my #Dungeon23 posts as an exercise in brainstorming a rough draft that will lead to an updated pdf compilation later. Third, I am most likely going to use statistics that are system agnostic or at least not tied to the OGL. Fourth, I accepted a new job at my employer, and I have no idea what the time commitment will be, so I need to maintain some sort of balance between all of my commitments. With that being said, let's move on to the next #Dungeon23 post.</i></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMFYvvBHsxNmJHP74tNxIaQLOCC8in3Z-vuzRD3kRn2JOyQNe7mwosUxW1g2EUU8WZ1lOX-p6nGqjbW-eeXe6PhjSNG7pF8HwyJXGSIurllLeVukXJoG3zEVFdGANB-K87T2JOBlkSCL-dPuXrsrLkGe5QlA1ff7KPAR74xSasJ9euYLJTz6oZ98IYg/s3060/merchant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1997" data-original-width="3060" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMFYvvBHsxNmJHP74tNxIaQLOCC8in3Z-vuzRD3kRn2JOyQNe7mwosUxW1g2EUU8WZ1lOX-p6nGqjbW-eeXe6PhjSNG7pF8HwyJXGSIurllLeVukXJoG3zEVFdGANB-K87T2JOBlkSCL-dPuXrsrLkGe5QlA1ff7KPAR74xSasJ9euYLJTz6oZ98IYg/w320-h209/merchant.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Remaining in the main square in the center of the City of Frane, travelers will notice there are tents, booths, and carts - <i>represented by the colored triangles</i> - arranged around the notice board. This area has been known as Merchant Row ever since it began years ago as a single row of tents and carts in the main square. It became a popular place to offer your goods over the years due to the convenience of not having a full shop to maintain and the reasonable rate of renting a spot. There is no upfront cost but any merchant wishing to sell on Merchant Row is required to file for a permit and agree to pay a fee equal to 10% of their profit at the end of their agreed rental period. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The merchants that set up on Merchant Row are varied and there is no guarantee that the same merchants will be there day to day. Some of the typical offerings include clothing, weaponry, a fortune teller, food vendors, and other offerings that come and go from time to time. Merchant Row is typically a festive area as there may be games offered or a minstrel performing as well. There is, however, a member of the city watch patrolling the area to check permits, look at bookkeeping from time to time, and settle any disputes that may arise. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><i>More to come...</i></span></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-51114316346676996312023-01-16T04:00:00.001-06:002023-01-16T04:00:00.178-06:00[Miniature Monday] Mimic<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7cnxHoED35CDqpoSVROMZZX9l_SHboTkducRle5qe6DIgjgu4fkqy4JI05LNtgSc06nn3iKrvGpDvKkuID-xXzXRqqEDym59qLLogG7ZqlhICVm8wAlge2sNPgRUN0OGZiKtqP33jvFjIsnWqfIB47Y0q6jHOouizem1lumkywc-BwKvPdVqjdJbxw/s1149/mimic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1091" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7cnxHoED35CDqpoSVROMZZX9l_SHboTkducRle5qe6DIgjgu4fkqy4JI05LNtgSc06nn3iKrvGpDvKkuID-xXzXRqqEDym59qLLogG7ZqlhICVm8wAlge2sNPgRUN0OGZiKtqP33jvFjIsnWqfIB47Y0q6jHOouizem1lumkywc-BwKvPdVqjdJbxw/s320/mimic.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Since my last two painted miniatures were a closed treasure chest followed by an open treasure chest full of gold coins in only seemed natural that a mimic should be next. It's not an "official D&D branded miniature" but rather a mocking beast from Reaper Bones. As you can see, it serves the purpose I'm going to use it for quite well. I was a little concerned with how the teeth and mouth would turn out, but after applying a wash to the miniature it obscured most of the problem areas that had me concerned. I know I still have a lot of improvement to do in some skill areas, but I'm definitely satisfied with the results. The main thing is that it passes the table use appearance test so it's all good. It also looks consistent with the other two chest miniatures. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl6KZ3fHBZ3ElMUmpxHlW3SkSTQJyVzvjn-qcG3ZtF6PfyZsp_NN0EmExzajs3L6Nv5FdDuPD82JkTANcnldc1PvBgcs_2frszhyHQ74FswSyc0XnKbu_b7vYELhoLGVTalZQhrdRzuIOnGAmSS-I2BTMkf7cDVg1jqIeHq0TykAk65IxtKNgJx1FNQ/s1705/chests.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="1705" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl6KZ3fHBZ3ElMUmpxHlW3SkSTQJyVzvjn-qcG3ZtF6PfyZsp_NN0EmExzajs3L6Nv5FdDuPD82JkTANcnldc1PvBgcs_2frszhyHQ74FswSyc0XnKbu_b7vYELhoLGVTalZQhrdRzuIOnGAmSS-I2BTMkf7cDVg1jqIeHq0TykAk65IxtKNgJx1FNQ/w400-h289/chests.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-44468905759753009382023-01-15T10:41:00.003-06:002023-01-15T10:41:24.640-06:00Talisman Adventures FRPG Core Rulebook<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2kRyVu4IkASDolEmfgBmT0cdCSesvwtQ4WBrZX4BZQ0kIH6yp78SOL_ObA33hDEji3uL96zgic9AHIpe_epqV_bbNBn_Gnd6CfwevaureYQa2RKqRtvd26ac-RtosutAXJD8Nd84bOo2_UzBjUfmJnzcvK9GGeVq-KVj8HkaZw5rAORC3ACr3_1WjA/s613/tal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="474" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2kRyVu4IkASDolEmfgBmT0cdCSesvwtQ4WBrZX4BZQ0kIH6yp78SOL_ObA33hDEji3uL96zgic9AHIpe_epqV_bbNBn_Gnd6CfwevaureYQa2RKqRtvd26ac-RtosutAXJD8Nd84bOo2_UzBjUfmJnzcvK9GGeVq-KVj8HkaZw5rAORC3ACr3_1WjA/w309-h400/tal.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">During a recent trip to Tulsa, I stopped at <a href="https://wizardscomicsandgames.com/index.php/" target="_blank">Wizard's Asylum</a> to browse through the shelves to see what was in stock. I saw a few things that caught my interest but nothing that just really took a hold on me. I decided to check out the bargain section at the back of the store before I left. I always enjoy seeing what they have to offer in that section. I'm glad I made that decision because I got lucky.</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I found a copy of the Talisman Adventures Fantasy Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook for 50% off the normal price of $49.99 and it was still in the shrink wrapping. I picked it up and turned it all around so I could inspect the condition. The book had no damage that I could see. The only reason it was in the bargain section was due to the fact that it was their only remaining copy and it had sat on the shelf unsold for a while. I didn't know much about the book, but I decided to go ahead and buy it for my collection. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I haven't done a deep dive or any serious reading of the rules yet, but I do like what I've seen so far. One thing I have noticed is these rules don't just follow the standard expectations of most fantasy roleplaying games. In addition to the Human, Elf, and Dwarf ancestries you can play a Ghoul, Leywalker, Sprite, or Troll. The character classes available include the Assassin, Druid, Minstrel, Priest, Prophet, Scout, Sorcerer, Thief, Warrior, and Wizard. As you can see, there is a mix of the standard options plus a few more. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I picked up this book with no prior experience with the Talisman board game or any previous experience with this fantasy roleplaying adaptation. As I previously mentioned, I haven't done any major reading so far but I'm digging what I've seen up to this point. I will definitely check out these rules in full detail and will make further posts on this game in the future.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Do you have any experience with this game?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Have you played the Talisman board game?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-86292654996514570512023-01-09T03:00:00.001-06:002023-01-09T03:00:00.195-06:00[Miniature Monday] Open Treasure Chest<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SsjFajZpj3TvC0xZdH5DADoT4yjPwEeTYgfqXMkDkIBxGDkY2BQLfDTREIQE13qHFz7LG9ighPsnKmbV89FCk_8hmvess7oW1rjdci5tH2BNBdJuLTwyOXRX_EMRCHTLZPuCfbVzS1PMjkWX0xaq-kgthIZKH8uWwGKnbBzoiyJQ8kuvmpJO23DSAA/s1252/chest2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="1252" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SsjFajZpj3TvC0xZdH5DADoT4yjPwEeTYgfqXMkDkIBxGDkY2BQLfDTREIQE13qHFz7LG9ighPsnKmbV89FCk_8hmvess7oW1rjdci5tH2BNBdJuLTwyOXRX_EMRCHTLZPuCfbVzS1PMjkWX0xaq-kgthIZKH8uWwGKnbBzoiyJQ8kuvmpJO23DSAA/w200-h184/chest2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">"Full of gold" is the answer to what's inside the chest. I tried to pain gold pieces, silver pieces, and maybe put a few gems in the chest but I was never satisfied with the results. After it dried, I decided to make it full of gold, so I painted that part again. I'm really satisfied with the results. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099843600141430373.post-9381182666529206732023-01-07T08:35:00.002-06:002023-01-07T09:02:25.059-06:00Dungeon23 on Hold - Waiting on FULL OGL update<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">As the old saying goes, "things change", and it looks like the OGL is changing in a big way. This new OGL version 1.1 goes in a completely different direction than OGL version 1.0a. My plan was to use Delving Deeper statistics for detailing any NPCs, magic items, monsters, etc. that might pop up during my #Dungeon23 posts. I have decided to hold off on any posts until after January 13th of 2023, because that keeps getting thrown around as some sort of cutoff date. I would like the full details that come with that date before continuing on with any support for any type of OGL product. I'm most definitely not a lawyer experienced in intellectual property law, copyright, trademark, contract law, or any other similar area. I'm just a gamer with a blog that gets a small bit of traffic and interaction from time to time. I like putting up stuff to support the games I like BUT now I have to decide whether to support any OGL game in my blog or use some sort of "fair use and no infringement intended" notice to any house rule posts I put on my blog. I suspect the OGL tab at the top of my blog will disappear at some point in the future. Make no mistake about it, I think Delving Deeper is one of the best games I have in my collection. I have no problem with it, but I do have a problem supporting the OGL.</span></p>Charlie Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899037807693796298noreply@blogger.com0