Homemade Miniatures

I created this pair of tentacles out of sculpy. woohoo!

More adventuring in Cromlech Tor

Yesterday saw an 8 hour game in Philotomy's Megadungeon. Actually, we spent a great deal of the session above ground. The updated campaign thread is here http://swordsandwizardry.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=537&start=50

This was the first time we've gotten together since before sometime in late spring and it was one of the best yet. We learned a great deal more about PJ's dungeon, and mapped out some new territory. Everybody was making good rolls and the new guy fit in well also. Hopefully we can meet up again soon. PJ was full of surprises this time with lots of interesting encounters. Even letting us draw our own map of an ideal ambush site at one point since we spent time scouting one out. I managed to drop a huge albino ape with a little help from our fighter. A pretty good feat for my puny 4hp Cleric considering it took 21 pts to drop the ape (14 from me on two lucky hits). Mythmere escaped one situation by the skin of his teeth as well, I really thought he was about to bite the farm when nearly the entire party fled some kind of undead thing that he managed to take out single handedly.

Fresh Paint

Been grabbing a few mini's here and there for a while now. Here's some Reaper skeletons and barrow rats along with a couple older mini's, "Fat Cleric" and and old school Gandalfy Wizard, I think they are Grenadier). These are the first mini's I've painted since I was about 13 years old, it was a lot of fun and I've done a few more since these but I don't have pics yet. These got an ink wash after this.

Game Report: HackMaster Basic: Basement of Zenopus

SPOILERS AHEAD!

So, last night I ran HackHamster's hacked old-school module "Basement of Zenopus" for some freinds. I had drawn up an oversize map to use for Salthaven. A bit of obligatory roleplay around the tavern got our party into the clues they needed to get into frame of mind for the dungeon crawl that was to come.

The group was composed of Dwar and Human Fighters, an Elf Mage, and a Halfling Thief.

Upon investigating the entrance chamber and it's exits they quickly deduced the nature of the illusionary rubble that blocked one of the passageways. Feeling that it must be hiding something, they continued beyond the mirage.

The sleeping goblin in the next room was a bit more trouble. The Dwarf almost bought the farm when the goblin awoke and fired of the booby trap. It escaped into the next area and the party gave chase. A good melee resulted with the goblins therein being slaughtered handily by the party.

After looting the area thoroughly they headed to the next area. Again, not heeding my clues of a spiked door with cobwebs and cold air blowing from underneath it, they pressed on.

The gigantic spiders trap lured them right in... "what's in the bucket?". Only one party member got bitten, the poison was quite lethal.

We ended the game here, agreeing to meet again and continue the adventure.

Main impressions of the system as a DM. The countdown initiative isn't too hard to keep track of, i found myself utilizing a grid and checking off boxes as each second went by. I could see where this would be a good job for a dry erase board, perhaps. Weapon speed took a few go-rounds for the group to get a handle on but they were soon into the groove, "Hacking!", "Jabbing!", "Firing!". Everyone enjoyed the penetration dice and the gritty realistic feel of the combat and felt that it seemed to make more sense than abstract rounds and hitpoints. We're going to keep trying it a couple more sessions but we did discuss possibly switching to swords and wizardy to cut down on math. The good thing is, I could still continue the campaign without really changing anything. :)

Big Gaming Weekend

I'm quite excited to report that I have three games in three days this weekend. Kicking off a new campaign tonight, it will either be S&W:Core + Skathro's Companion or HackMaster Basic. Either is fine with me, I'm letting the players pick, my notes will work either way since we are starting with Basement of Zenopus.

Tomorrow is Philotomy Jurament's game, he runs OD&D and knows the system inside and out. This will be our fifth or sixth session in his MegaDungeon and we have a new player at the table as well.

Sunday is the third session of a HackMaster Basic game that I have joined over at Midnight Comics in Katy. That game has been a hoot so far. We are still learning HM:B but it feels like D&D to me, even with its funky opposed roll system and countdown initiative.

All in all it looks to be a fun weekend of gaming. Hope I don't drive the wife crazy!

The Old Story Teller

A chartless "All the Dice"

For a few coppers, and old timer will spin you a yarn.

Use d6A if your d20 is Even. Use d6B if it is Odd.

d4 Listen to my tale...

A forgotten secret ...

A dark mystery ...

An ancient prophecy ...

A family legend ...

d6 (A) about ...

A Hero's death ...

A Hero's true love ...

A Hero's great feat ...

A Hero's greatest battle ...

A Hero's legendary weapon ...

A Hero's final resting place ...

d6 (B) about ...

Treasure in a monster's hoard ..

Treasure bestowed by the gods ...

Treasure lost at sea ...

Treasure across the ocean ...

Treasure hidden by time ...

Treasure guarded by great danger ...

d8 Where it occured...

Deep in a forest

On a battlefield

In a Castle

In a dungeon

In a tower

Buried in ruins

Atop a mountain

Inside a cave

d10 Our hero/the treausure's owner ...

was poisoned by a rival...

was slain in battle by an enemy ...

was double crossed by a friend ...

was framed by a family member ...

was murdered by a rival ...

vanished without a trace ...

was devoured by a monster ...

was trapped forever ...

was struck by a curse ...

was blackmailed by a confidant ...

d12 The results of which were ...

A riot in the capital lasting d20 days

a clan war lasting d20 weeks

a manhunt lasting d20 days

a prolonged war lasting d20 years

a family feud lasting d20 generations

a string of murders d20 deaths

a witch hunt resulting in d20 deaths

a quarantine lasting d20 months

the wrath of the gods destroying d20 people

military intervention lasting d20 weeks

a plague of monsters lasting d20 days

appearance of d20 unusual creatures