GnomeCon, Recon and the status of the games

Hello everyone in gamer internet world. I have been really busy since coming back from Megacon and have been remiss in posting. Please accept my apologizes for the slow-down of posts as we are in a busy season of our lives which includes the 'day job' and other actual real-life situations. I hope everyone is doing well!

First off let me say that I have been honored by being asked to host a panel at Gnomecon this year. The panel will happen on Saturday and the topic will be Independent Game Design though if people want to break out into a GM advice panel after I would welcome the chance to share what I know about that topic as well.

Secondly I will be running demos of It Came From Beyond the Still at both Gnomecon and Recon this year. I will be using some of the Miniature Building Authorities wonderful terrain as well as a mixture of Murch, Copplestone and other Hillbilly types. If you've ever wanted to take it to them alien varmints this is your chance!

Thirdly the ICFBTS: Somethings in the Sauce proceeds at break neck speed and I am about 1/2 way completed with the book. Several fans have jumped on board for both the print version of the original book and this stand-alone version. You heard right. It Came From Beyond the Still: Somethings in the Sauce is a stand-alone version that will have all of the rules you need to play and will be completely compatible with the original.

Lastly the progress on When the Navy Walked: Earthin the Hollow World has proceeded very smoothly. I anticipate an April release date right on schedule with what we have planned. This version will include much more background information for the various factions as well as new rules for tunneling and dinosaurs, new scenarios, edges/flaws and new army lists.

Yesterday we got in a game of Pirates of the Caribbean Life while I updated the ICFBTS:SITS Cultists lists. I lost. It was still pretty good. I recommend that version if only because you get to shoot your opponent.

Hope to see you at the cons!

It Came from Beyond the Still - Print Version Out Soon!

The print version should be out within the month of March. It will contain all current supplements including Weapons Closet and Men in Plaid and those other guys. There are eight scenarios in this book. Should be a lot of fun for treating them alien varmints to a hog washing cow tipping varmint trappin good time!

WTNW Update

I am working on the print version of It Came From Beyond the Still. It will feature all of the current supplements of ICFBTS and additional original artwork by Scrying Eye Games' James Miller. I am also working on getting the Earthin book out. This will be the last WTNW supplement before we start working on the Skirmish version "Saving the World Just Before Tea". I have decided to make the Skirmish version an RPG Lite game featuring heroes and villains. We also have plans to continue working on Blackflags and Merchantmen the piracy throughout the ages miniatures game. Lastly, the ICFBTS: Somethings in the Sauce featuring Elder Gods and Zombies. Beware Pikacthulhu! Should be a lot of fun!

Free When the Navy Walked - Quick Play

Interested in an alternative to Dystopian Wars but do not want to spend the money on a new game system? Why not check out the free Quick Play rules of When the Navy Walked available from Here

MegaCon Pics

MegaCon was a blast! I got to run several Pathfinder Society games including the Battle Royal for this year - The Blood of Absalom. We had fourteen or so tables filled with six people of various tiers. I ran tier 1-2 and we had a great time playing the game. The short attention span games were a blast. I forgot how much fun it was to play the one shots at cons. Almost all of them were brand new to gaming. We played two star wars games, one Pathfinder game and one Traveler game. These SAST games featured the maps of Scrying Eye Games. There were so many cool costumes and the media guests included Bab five's Londo, Vir and Sheraton.

The R2 Builders group had a Dalek that they were parading around. A really cool wall-sized game of Xwing versus Death Star trench was enjoyed and one guy was dressed as a Space Marine.

Scratch Built Ships

Recently I've started contemplating making my own VSF contraptions in 28mm for the Skirmish version of WTNW and yes for Gaslight as well. J has convinced me of the many splendors of Gaslight and once I am done with the WTNW Skirmish rules I intend on giving Buck's rules a try.

For those of you who are interested in scratch built home-brew models for vsf and the period I have assembled a few goodies.

Check out the Russian shallow sea ship over at Bringing Up the Rear. While you are there be sure to give a good read of the stoyline that is developing between the Russians, French and Americans in the South China Seas. Very inspirational stuff!

Here is a beautiful walker that has been under construction for some time. The HMSW Gargantua by Colonel O'Truth is what most of us inspire to make but the Colonel does it with such panache and genteel demeanor that we all must sit back, sip our tea and say jolly good show mate! The Queen (God Bless Her) would be quite pleased!

When the Navy Walked -AARs and Game Pics

I have heard from many fans of the rules over the past year and would love to read some AARs or see some game pics. If you have some please email them to me and I will put them up on my blog or you can put them on your blog and share with the world! I love to see people having fun with the game. Look for our Inner Earth supplement coming soon as well as the skirmish variant "Saving the World Just Before Tea"!

Superdungeon - A Hill to Climb

Having defeated the Ogre Mage and his Hill Giants the party followed the routing giants toward the mountains where they encountered several goblin sentries and some other giant kin. The party rests outside of arrow distance while they make plans to overcome the hill and enter the Land of the Giants. To Be Continued in two weeks:

Megacon

Megacon's fast approaching. Are you going to be there?

Dragonlance - 100 Years Later - Harkangel Shoves Off

I wish I would have taken some photos of last nights game. In the Dragonalance game they signed aboard the Harkangel with Captain Frost and company. The Harkangel is a rip off of Captain Harkness' ship from the anime with several steampunk modifications plus magical accoutrements.

The captain took a day to allow his crew to show each party member to their respective duty stations. Some were tanners while others were riggers and gunners. They enjoyed the descriptions of the sails and how the airship moved around rather quickly.

At first the party had problems trying to navigate and properly work together with the crew to sail the ship but after some growing pains which tacked on three more days to Hi Lo the party seemed to get the hang of it.

While cruising at altitude of 6,000 feet they saw through the spy glass something happening just east of the swamps. Asking the captain's permission they decided to take a closer look. At about 2000 feet they saw that the lead sloop was flying the colors of Palanthas and was being chased by two brigs flying no colors and a schooner. The lizardmen crew of the other three ships left no doubt as to the nature of the attack.

A battle ensued where the party was able to test their new gunning skills and ship skills with the helpful assistance of the three lizardmen ships. It was a good but quick battle that lasted all of a minute of extended combat rounds. What I mean by this is while we did use the standard rounds I told the party that the actual time was over several minutes as the guns were reloaded and fired and the ship moved closer. In actual time the battle took about thirty minutes but ended wit the rescue of the Palantas sloop and the defeat of the lizardmen.

Several spectacular things happened during the battle. Delilah got a critical hit on the large blackscale lizardman on the lead ship causing him to lose much of his health. She did this while up in the rigging of the airship as it was grappling with the larger brig. Telane the gunmage used the ships cannons to effect sinking the schooner and blasting large holes in the sides of the brigs. Kas the kender used his bullets to cause much superstition to the lizardmen who thought his magic the evil of the sea witch. The witch Galandra tossed magic at the lizardmen while the gunmage used burning hands to torch the rigging and several lizardmen from the smaller of the brigs. Finally, Xotchil provided much needed cover with her ranged attacks and healing while the centaur Firenaze blasted the enemy with his magic. The party of gnomes aboard the ship also used their crossbows to devastating effect while lead by Kas. The lizardmen tossed spear volley after spear volley at the Harkangel and the ship took damage from the lizardmen's artillery.

The highlights of the roleplaying portions of the game. Before the party left dock Kas the Kender found a Gnome Flinger mounted at the stern of the ship and used it to travel across Palanthas before shipping out with the crew. Xotchil made an excellent meal which was enjoyed by he party in the captain's quarters. There was much roleplaying between the crew and the party. The party was impressed with both the charisma of the crew and their manners toward the ladies.

Stingy GMs

Just wanted to share with the blogosphere that I got called the stingiest DM that one of my players ever gamed with. Funny because I use the wealth charts in the books. Makes one wonder what's really out there eh? It is no secret that I am against monty haul games but I try to at least let the players have something. The intrinsic problem IMHO with dnd in general is the need to have all of these different magical items, weapons, gears and who dads to get anything done. Oh sure magic is cool and all. I mean what would The Seeker be without his Sword of Truth and where would Authur be without Excalibur or Harry without his wand. The thing is do they really need to have a magic item in every slot? If magic is that plentiful then why doesn't everyone have it? Shouldn't a housewife be able to use it to clean her house up? Shouldn't it be available to everyone? Why doesn't the priest use raise dead on his best parishioners? This is why I instituted the slotted weapon idea in the Dragonlance game. To keep the monty haul down to a minimum. Oh sure there is magic in the world but when it becomes so plentiful that you get something magical at every encounter is it really all that magical anymore?

Superdungeon - Session 29

The party was ambushed  by a cyclops and his retinue of hill giants accompanied by a handful of ogre kin; their lot being affected with various mutations. In among the rocks the party could make out the heads of the various giant kin and something else - an Ogre Mage! The party at first felt it better to not deal with the ogre mage directly but all too soon Meg charged head first into the ogre mage's circle.

Then Vayne taking the shape of a dinosaur rushed at the cyclops. As he bit down he noticed his face change back to that of the dhampyr. The giant was protected from magic and his shifted nature was somehow affected! The battle raged on with Tyne and Quanlian providing support for an enlarged Sigrid while the cleric of the group used her spells to heal the druid after he was smashed by boulders and the mighty weapon of the cyclops.

We ended the game mid battle on a grim note. Will the party be triumphant? Has the Ogre Mage met his match? Will the party be defeated? Stay tuned!