A to Z Blogging Challenge: Why am I one letter off?
Posted: April 9, 2011 Filed under: A to Z, blogs 5 Comments
Every day I log into my blogger account and see the posts from the blogs that I have subscribed to. Like too many of my fellow bloggists, I have gotten sucked into the A to Z blogging challenge deal. Unfortunately, every day I look at the headlines and everyone else seems to be on the letter I did the day before… either they are too fast or I am too slow… I don’t know. Should I skip a day? Awww, fuck it. I’ll just claim that I am ‘ahead of the curve.’ I’m actually cheating at the A to Z blogging challenge. Right now I have finished my post for ‘the letter P’ and placed it in the queue where the Blogger software will plop it online on the proper day, making it look like I just wrote the thing. Don’t tell anyone. Some fellow bloggers have been grousing about the tedium of the blogging challenge… and I am starting to feel that. There have been more than a few entries that I ‘phoned in’ (like today’s “I is for initiative”). But it’s a kind of fun challenge so I think I’ll stick it out… and there may end up being a few gems in there.
A to Z: I is for Initiative
Posted: April 9, 2011 Filed under: A to Z, rules 1 Comment
I = Initiative. “Who strikes the first blow?” There are two different rules I am thinking of using (leaning towards option 2):
Option 1: At the start of each round, one dice is rolled for the players and one dice is rolled for the referee’s creatures. Ties can be re-rolled or may just indicate that each action occurs simultaneously. Whichever side gets the higher score goes first. The players can resolve their actions in whatever order seems appropriate (perhaps starting with the character who has the highest dexterity, then the second highest, etc.). The referee resolves the monster attacks in whatever order seems appropriate. After everyone has had a chance to perform an action, the round ends and a new round is begun.
Option 2: 1 dice is rolled for each individual character and/or each monster type (thus the DM might roll one dice for all of the orcs and another dice for all of the ogres if orcs and ogres were attacking together). One starts at the highest score and counts down to the lowest, resolving all actions in order. The type of dice used is based on the creatures dexterity; average monsters and creatures might use a d6, faster ones use a d8 or d12 and slower ones use a d4.
The Mule Abides
Posted: April 8, 2011 Filed under: blogs, OSR 3 Comments
A to Z: H is for Hook Horror
Posted: April 8, 2011 Filed under: A to Z, adventures, aldeboran, monsters 4 Comments
H is our letter for the day and today I will talk about “The Hook Horror” from the 1981 Fiend Folio. Fiend Folio is one of those books that I didn’t like when it came out because all of the critters in it seemed so weird and useless and lacking in logic… and then I grew up and stopped taking it all so seriously… or something like that. The hook horror lives in caves, is 9 feet tall, moves at 90 feet per turn, has an AC of 3 (which is pretty good) and has 2 attacks per turn that inflict 1-8 damage each. Weighing in at 5 hit dice, it is a little tougher than ogres (4+1 hit dice) and a little weaker than giants (8+ hit dice or more, unless you are talking about those pathetic Verbeeg). It bothers me that the hook horror is not described as being able to peck or bite with that massive beak (in the picture, his beak is bigger than his hooks). I’m thinking that would be something I would change with a house rule. The hook horror is nearly blind but has excellent hearing (therefore turning invisible won’t help you — HAH— but your magic user might find a use for that audible glamer spell). They communicate by clicking their exoskeletons. This makes them sound like they are insects, but in the drawing they look like a double-hand-amputee in an evil chicken suit. I actually like the drawing so I wouldn’t change that… even the lumpy sweater-vest and panties that the hook horror is wearing. 
Guard the rear! Your henchman has just been trepanned by a hook horror!
Boners
Posted: April 7, 2011 Filed under: politics 2 Comments
If the US Government shuts down tomorrow at midnight, the members of congress who shut it down by failing to approve a spending bill will continue to get paid even though no one else who works for the Federal Government will.
A to Z: G is for Gamma World
Posted: April 7, 2011 Filed under: A to Z, adventures, aldeboran, gamma world 1 Comment
This fascinating article from Outside Magazine by Henry Shukman describes a trip to the Chernobyl “exclusion zone” in The Ukraine more than twenty years after the reactor exploded.
Shukman describes how the area around Chernobyl has returned to a state of near wilderness. Elk, wolves, wild boar, lynx and other animals not seen outside of zoos in this part of Europe have returned and are prospering. The towns within the exclusion zone were abandoned right after the reactor failed and nature has been taking it all back; wood rots, iron rusts, ice and roots crumble away the asphalt and concrete.
But the exclusion zone might also be the world’s biggest unguided experiment in genome mutations. Researchers have discovered many species of plants and animals that are changing in unexpected ways. Some birch trees within the zone resemble tree-like giant feathers rather than the common birch tree. Bird populations exhibit unusually high rates of albinism. Animals inside the exclusion zone have higher levels of cancer than animals outside the zone.
Meanwhile, the ‘containment’ structure that was built over Chernobyl #4 (the reactor that caught fire) has begun to fail and the expected replacement structure is overdue. Engineers claim the containment structure was never adequate to begin with. In Japan, problems continue to plague the earthquake and tsunami damaged nuclear plants.
I’m not sure whether to be fascinated or scared to death.
‘Surge of the Wine Dark Sea’ art book now availible from Mythmere Games
Posted: April 6, 2011 Filed under: crass commercialism, portfolio, publishing 2 Comments
Matt Finch, mad genius behind Mythmere Games, emailed me this morning to let me know that ‘Surge of the Wine-Dark Sea’ is now available from Lulu — in either softcover or hardcover editions (or PDF).
This is an art book of art by artists of the OSR… and I have a few bits in it. As noted in the Lulu ad copy:
This full color book is filled fantasy and swords & sorcery illustrations by artists of the D&D “Old School Renaissance.” These artists have created the visual imagery of recent publications focusing on playing D&D by its early rules, including works by publishers Pacesetter Games, Mythmere Games, the First Edition Society, Frog God Games, Usherwood Adventures, and many others!
LotFP to release Exquisite Corpses!
Posted: April 6, 2011 Filed under: exquisite corpses, publishing 5 Comments
Finally it can be revealed! Raggi made the announcement on the LotFP blog this morning… we are working together to bring out a new edition of the Exquisite Corpses book for your flip-booking monster making pleasure. Visit LotFP for more details.
It will be new-and-improved, but this does not make existing Exquisite Corpses books obsolete… it will have new art (color monsters!), a better binding from a professional printer in Finland (as opposed to Lulu) and new content still under discussion/creation. We are also discussing ways to incorporate the previous edition’s content into the new edition.
Subject to change and the whims of fate, the new edition will feature:
- Color monster art for the ‘flip pages’
- New cover art
- Some new ‘base’ monsters for the flip pages (some will remain the same, some will change)
- More ‘base’ monsters (going from 26 ‘base’ creatures to 32!)
- Elimination of the handful of errors in the previous edition (while probably introducing a whole lot more new errors)
- Better printing and professional binding!
- New and improved higher price!
- New interior art (hopefully — if everything else gets worked out and subject to time)
I don’t know if James has announced yet when the book will be available… so stay tuned.
‘Surge of the Wine Dark Sea’ art book now availible from Mythmere Games
Posted: April 6, 2011 Filed under: art, crass commercialism, OSR, portfolio, publishing 2 Comments
Matt Finch, mad genius behind Mythmere Games, emailed me this morning to let me know that ‘Surge of the Wine-Dark Sea’ is now available from Lulu — in either softcover or hardcover editions (or PDF).
This is an art book of art by artists of the OSR… and I have a few bits in it. As noted in the Lulu ad copy:
This full color book is filled fantasy and swords & sorcery illustrations by artists of the D&D “Old School Renaissance.” These artists have created the visual imagery of recent publications focusing on playing D&D by its early rules, including works by publishers Pacesetter Games, Mythmere Games, the First Edition Society, Frog God Games, Usherwood Adventures, and many others!
LotFP to release Exquisite Corpses!
Posted: April 6, 2011 Filed under: exquisite corpses, publishing 5 Comments
Finally it can be revealed! Raggi made the announcement on the LotFP blog this morning… we are working together to bring out a new edition of the Exquisite Corpses book for your flip-booking monster making pleasure. Visit LotFP for more details.
It will be new-and-improved, but this does not make existing Exquisite Corpses books obsolete… it will have new art (color monsters!), a better binding from a professional printer in Finland (as opposed to Lulu) and new content still under discussion/creation. We are also discussing ways to incorporate the previous edition’s content into the new edition.
Subject to change and the whims of fate, the new edition will feature:
- Color monster art for the ‘flip pages’
- New cover art
- Some new ‘base’ monsters for the flip pages (some will remain the same, some will change)
- More ‘base’ monsters (going from 26 ‘base’ creatures to 32!)
- Elimination of the handful of errors in the previous edition (while probably introducing a whole lot more new errors)
- Better printing and professional binding!
- New and improved higher price!
- New interior art (hopefully — if everything else gets worked out and subject to time)
I don’t know if James has announced yet when the book will be available… so stay tuned.