A Little Catch Up...

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 regularly sporadically posting from time to time.  

I did receive a copy of the three Cha'alt tomes from the recent kickstarter 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. 

Wow! It's Been a While....

I finally got a new HP laptop and some really great internet service so I thought I would check out the old blog to see where I need to pick things back up at again.  Yikes!  I had not realized it had been 3 4 years (new year) since I last posted!!!  I really need to get back to blogging again.  I have a goal of easing my way back into the old routine so I will try to post once a week from this point on but that may increase.  Who knows?  So, in an attempt to catch up on some things here are some items that may be of interest.

Latest Gaming Purchases

Over the last few years I have purchased gaming products.  I have the three core D&D 5E books and Tasha's Cauldon of Everything.  I am enjoying these books and will try to get a game together some time soon.  I also have the Pathfinder 2E Core, Bestiary, and Lost Omens manuals.  I really dig the Pathfinder stuff also and I am looking forward to seeing how things develop with each.  I also picked up the Aliens RPG Core, Ogre, and the Dungeon Fantasy boxed set.  The last kickstarter project I backed was The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition by Steve Jackson Games.

New Gaming Interests

My son has gotten really interested in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40k that basically means I just got interested in both of them to at least a minimal level. I discovered that I can actually paint to a level that I am satisfied with so I have also begun painting Reaper miniatures to gather a collection of standard encounters; orcs, goblins, minotaurs, mind flayers, mimic, etc.  I may not be the best painter in the world but I am painting for in-game use and representation instead of painting competitions so it all works out in the end.

Other Stuff

I own the first two seasons of TITANS and I am really looking forward to the third season.  I have watched the entire Swamp Thing series twice and it is a shame it did not continue.  I have the first season of Doom Patrol on DVD but I just have not gotten around to watching it yet.

I have Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ so I have seen several other movies and shows.  I got caught up on The Walking Dead.  I am still enjoying the show; even without Carol or Rick.  I am watching all of The Orville at the moment and it is much better than I pictured.  I binged the entirety of The Mandalorian.  That show is amazing and much better than the sequel trilogy. 

On a personal note, I am in the process of house hunting at the current moment.  I am at a point in my life where I need to crap or get off the pot so I am seriously looking.  Fingers crossed on a quick and easy process.

The Future

Expect more posts to come.  I am going to try to maintain once a week for the immediate future. I suspect most of the posts will be about gaming and fandom in general but who knows... 

[Trailer] The Rangers: A Shadow Rising

I was browsing the 2015 trailers on YouTube and come across a low-budget film called The Rangers: A Shadow Rising.  The film is the end result of a successful kicstarter campaign by Ron Newcomb.  It looks reasonably well done for a little under $60,000 and I would wager it is probably better than some of the big budget Hollywood crap that they pump out.  It looks way better than any of the three D&D movies for whatever that is worth.  Maybe some of the people reading this will be interested...

SteamCraft Kickstarter Loot!

  

I was surprised when my wife got home with the mail in hand yesterday and I discovered that my rewards for backing the SteamCraft Supplements Edition Kickstarter had arrived.  I received the Wake the Dead introductory adventure trilogy in a combined format, the Shadows over Newport Neo-Victorian Gothic Horror Supplement, and a GM Screen.  I had not originally opted for the GM Screen but they threw that in because I had helped out with some feedback several times.  Pretty cool move!  I have some reading to do and I will post on these items in more detail at a later time...

A Little Bit of Necromancy...

I have not posted since my birthday two months ago so I will give a few words on what has been going on around here.  The slowed pace of posting has been due to work demands;  while that sucks for free time it is good for other things.  I do hope it cuts back a little bit though.    I would like to get back to posting at least once a week and will attempt to do so soon.  So, on to some assorted updates.

House Hunting: We are this close to making the jump to home ownership.  We have been browsing a lot but we have not found the perfect match yet.  There has been several that we really like but we also have to take into consideration the special attention that my oldest son will require at times in school.  We were assured that his current school would have an isolated classroom with a specially trained and certified teacher.  In short, the school failed to make that happen but they are not required to transport him to a school that is set up like that because they have a designated classroom; yeah, that's a loophole that means just because the space is there and the teacher is not then they do not have to provide that service.  I suspect that they get a tax break, kickback, discount, reimbursement or some other such incentive for just having the space available but that is unconfirmed.  There are two schools that are much better qualified but the rules say we have to be in the school district for him to attend.  I think we are on the right track and may have some packing to finish soon...

Reading: I am still plugging away at A Song of Ice and Fire.  I have currently read 617 pages of A Dance with Dragons, the fifth book of the series.  I am still enjoying the series but I am definitely going to do some lighter reading next;  maybe something similar to the Narnia or the Prydain books.  I am curious about taking on Jordan's Wheel of Time series or Sanderson's Mistborn series but I may wait until I get some less dense reading completed.  

Watching: I just completed watching the entire fourth season of The Walking Dead this weekend.  I may just be my favorite season yet. It was interesting to see everybody get separated and then come back together in the final episode.  The ending has me excited about seeing the conclusion of the Terminus story-line.  It looks like some intense stuff is coming soon on the show.  I am really curious about the spin off show coming soon.  I also discovered Deadwood and I am currently halfway through the second season.  If western gaming was as intense as this show then I would definitely be doing some!

Gaming: I am really interested in the Dragons at Dawn system after reading the rules.  Expect some posts about this great game in the future.  I have also started a new project - I am going to attempt a clone game of Adventures in Fantasy.  I can understand more and more of it with each examination but I would rather have the rules restated in a fashion that is more player friendly to understand.  I think there is a reasonably well done game hidden in the boxed set but it is a jumbled mess as the rules are currently presented.  No telling how long this will take but there will be some posts and previews coming soon...

Kickstarter: I recently received notification that the products rewarded for backing the SteamCraft RPG: The Supplements Edition project have been shipped!  There will be posts about the adventures and supplementary material I will receive in a short time.  This was the first Kickstarter I backed and I am looking forward to seeing the end results.  Hopefully, my shipment makes it today...

Playing Catch Up

Well, it has been almost a most without a post on this blog.  For anyone interested, I am not shuttering the windows and barring the doors.  The bus manufacturing business really picks up in the summer time and this year has been particularly busy so far.  While my pocket book might not be hurting, my free time has taken a hit so the blog had to be put on the back burner for a bit.  I suspect I will be posting somewhat regularly in the near future so here is a summary of what I have been doing and what is coming in the future.

Forums

While I have not had a lot of spare time to devote to blog posts, I have been reading and posting at OD&D Discussion and The Comeback Inn sporadically here and there.  I have become quite interested in further investigating gaming from the Arneson perspective.  I was even able to track down a copy of Dragons at Dawn through these boards.

A Second Look at Adventures in Fantasy

All of the discussion about Arneson and his gaming methods has prompted me to delve back in and take a second look at Adventures in Fantasy.  The main focus will begin on pointing out problem areas in the rules that need addressed.  Once that is completed, the solutions will be gathered together in a Book of House Rules & Clarifications.  From there, I plan on at least taking a serious look at assembling a game built in reaction to the problems I have had with AiF similar to the way T&T was developed as a reaction to D&D years ago.  Other posters at the forums above have expressed interest so I hope this little project takes off.

SteamCraft Kickstarter

The funding for the SteamCraft supplements has been successful with $2,077 of the $850 goal raised.  There is only 58 hours left to buy in.  If you are interested, then follow this link for details.  You can get the entire product line from core rules to all of these supplements & adventures in pdf or print through this offer and the prices are very reasonable.

Themed Posting

At some point in the future themed posting - Toldara Tuesday, Steampunk Saturday, etc. - will return to the blog on a consistent basis.

Vacation & MagiQuest

We recently went on a family vacation to Six Flags Over Texas and The Great Wolf Lodge for a very relaxing time away.  Among the various things to do on our stay, my 7 year old son noticed the live-action role playing game MagiQuest from all of the other young males wandering around pointing their wands at jewels, paintings, and treasure chests scattered around the resort. I am pretty confident about what my son enjoyed the most about vacation.  More details in a later post. 

Reading

I am currently reading A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin and Dragons at Dawn by D.H. Boggs. 

That should have all the bases covered.  I am going to return to enjoying the first Friday off in a while... 

SteamCraft Supplements Kickstarter Update

This is just a quick update on the SteamCraft RPG: The Supplements Edition kickstarter that I backed and mentioned a few posts ago.  The initial funding goal was met pretty quickly and by the third day or so the first stretch goal was reached!  The funding currently sits at $1,307 pledged on a $850 goal with 29 days left to pledge.  I have my fingers crossed that at least a few more of the stretch goals will be met.  This is their second kickstarter and it follows their successful kickstarter for the SteamCraft core rule book. 

For anyone interested in steampunk role-playing this is a great opportunity to go "all in" at two very reasonable price levels: $40 for pdf products and $75 for print products.  The products you will receive for funding at either of these levels include the SteamCraft RPG core rules, the Wake the Dead adventure parts one to three, and the Shadows Over Newport supplement. With either of these you will also receive a pdf of the Ironskeep Introductory Adventure that will teach the game to new players as they explore the city of Ironskeep and the nearby areas; this is the first stretch goal.  Either way you decided to go you will get six products for a very good price.

Kickstarter: I Finally Took the Plunge

I have been tempted several times and I actually came "this close" to backing one or two previous projects but I finally broke down and backed the SteamCraft RPG: The Supplements Edition kickstarter.  If this successfully funds then I will get the Wake the Dead trilogy of adventure modules, the Shadows Over Newport supplement, and a copy of the core rules for gift purposes.  Just getting the initial rewards will give me the SteamCraft hookup but I really hope at least a few of the stretch goals are reached.  Check it out!

Controversial or Fraudulent Kickstarters

A quick post interrupting the March Madness Obscure Game Challenge and then I will return to the scheduled posting...

Over at rpggeek.com there is a list of fraudulent or controversial kickstarter projects that anyone curious about contributing funds should read.  There are some familiar names on the list and I can see that I dodged a few bullets myself. I am just spreading the word about this for anyone interested.  I have also added a link to my Links page.  

Warage Card Game Kickstarter

I just ran across the Warage card game kickstarter and thought some of you guys might find it interesting. Warage is billed as a "role-playing card game with deck building" so it is not another trading card game. I have been looking for a fantasy themed card game and this just may be what I would like.  Warage was originally a European release that is crossing the waters to come to the United States.  The kickstarter here funded in 48 hours and it is approaching a stretch goal.  Might be worth a look...

Clockwork: Empire Roleplaying Game

I stumbled across the kickstarter for another steampunk game - Clockwork: Empire Roleplaying Game. It seems that steampunk is picking up some momentum with SteamCraft, Tephra, and now this game along with the others.  With 26 days left for funding at the project at 150% of the goal it looks like another success for the genre and it will be interesting to compare and contrast the game with other offerings in the same genre.  I downloaded the free quick start rules and will try to give them some proper attention in the next couple of days.  More later....  

[Kickstarter] SteamCraft: A Steampunk Tabletop RPG

I have been pretty impressed with Perilous Journeys because it took the concept of Lejendary Adventures and made it much easier to comprehend and use; for anyone that is interested, more information can be found at their website.  I have not been to their website in a while so I decided to visit earlier.

I was surprised to learn that they have a new game - SteamCraft - that they are trying to get into distribution in game stores.  All of the information about the kickstarter can be found on the StreamCraft Kickstarter page.  The game sounds interesting and the rewards for backing  include custom dice, signed books, and even some custom steampunk goggles.  Give it a look...