All posts by Darren

A new arrival and trivial organising

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As promised my prize from the Osprey competition arrived this morning.

Naturally the boxes didn’t remain sealed for long. As you can see the production quality is top notch, great custom insert, the now usual washed miniatures (that look great).

I may actually play this solo! Something I rarely do.

I also decided this morning to quickly organise my other (not D&D) RPG bits.

So instead of separate deck boxes containing the decks for Thunderbirds, Genesys, Paranoia and Alien. I’ve put them into a single large deck box, separated by dividers.

The custom dice for Alien, Genesys and the Paranoia computer die, along with some d6 dice (WOIN and Judge Dredd) have been split between two boxes. One of which also has some tokens and counters. I need a better solution for this. But for now it’ll do.

This will stop that little nagging feeling that was beginning to develop that I was going to lose one of the deck boxes.

There are also another couple of organising projects I need to do. The first is D&D related and involves getting the cards such as monsters, spells etc stored better.

The second is to create a “grab bag” for game nights that contains filler games such as Love Letter, Coup, D-Day Dice Pocket, and others. It just means I won’t have to hunt around, and make being organise easier. I may write a post about what is going into this.

Strontium Dog RPG first impressions

Judge Dredd, RPG, Strontium Dog

With the pdf of the Strontium Dog RPG in the hands of those that pre-ordered the physical version from the EN Publishing for a couple of weeks. I thought it was about time I shared some early thoughts/impressions.

First up I need to stress that this is not a stand alone RPG. So don’t go buying this thinking you have all you need to start play a Strontium Dog adventure. As the cover clearly points out you also need a copy of the Judge Dredd & The worlds of 2000 AD RPG. So factor that into the costings when you are considering to purchase this or not.

I should also point out that these thoughts are based on the pdf version of the rules. Granted it’s the version that was sent off to the printers by the publishers. So there should be no difference really.

I’m a fan of Strontium Dog and have been reading his stories since he appeared in the pages of Starlord and then made the jump to 2000 AD when the sales of Starlord forced it to be swallowed up by the better selling title.

I like what EN Publishing are doing with the characters they have access to. With Judge Dredd they are releasing campaign books that follow major story arcs from the comic strip, in the order that they appeared with comics. They are also not rushing them out, and making sure they release a quality product. So it is my hope that they continue this trend with Strontium Dog.

Within the pages you get no surprises, the expected rules for creating characters, equipment, setting information, some interconnected adventures, stats for NPCs and creatures/robots.

I think like me most people that get this source book will be wanting to create and play Strontium Dogs. When it comes to creating our character this rulebook basically replaces step 2 (choosing a species), step 4 (choose one of five careers) and step 9 (equipment). For the remaining steps of the character creation process you need that Judge Dredd rulebook.

Species wise we can either be a gronk, howler, human, mutant, robot or stix. But let’s face it most people are going to want to play a mutant of some kind. And there are nice tables that that cover corporeal, metabolic/metaphysical, and cosmetic mutations.

Strontium Dog careers are either civilian, outlaw, or S/D Agent. Compared to the Judges career paths the S/D Agent is pretty simple, and we get a much smaller, more easily digested diagram showing the flow of them.

Equipment we get the iconic electronux, der happy stick, plus generic details for blasters. Naturally there is a nice selection of bombs also to chose from with the obvious dimension warp and time bombs being amongst them. These two particularly can be game changing when used.

Which brings me to time travel and travelling to other dimensions. The rules do advise not to over use these within a campaign. I was hooping for more on the time travel front. What we basically have are some guidelines that amount to ‘keep it light and fun’ and a couple of paragraphs detailing a couple of options for handling time travel.

I like the tables for creating bounty contracts for an S/D Agent to go after.

The timeline with reference to the actual comic strips covered is a great touch.

We get a chapter of six interconnected contracts for S/D Agents to undertake. So these are basically adventures. I always look at this section pretty early on as this is the blue print for how the publisher sees an adventure to be planned. There was an absence of any maps here. I’d liked to have seen some pre-gen characters here as well, along with a generic floor plan or two of a starship.

Overall this lives up to the usual high standards that I’ve come to associate with EN Publishing. If you already have the core Judge Dredd rules, I think this is a no brainer if you are a Strontium Dog fan, or want a change of setting. However if you are coming into this as a Strontium Dog fan wanting to play as an S/D Agent in an RPG with your friends, and don’t already have the Judge Dredd rules, at roughly £70 to pick up both. I think you’d have to be a pretty dedicated fan, desperate to play an S/D Agent, with deep pockets. I just don’t think it’s worth in that scenario. Oh and I’m going to predict now that’s going to be my thoughts for when the Rogue Trooper rules come out.

Great start to the week

Judge Dredd

Over the weekend there was a “virtual con” on a boardgaming Facebook group that I belong to to to replace the void left by no UKGE this year (for the obvious reasons).

As part of that “virtual con” various publishers and stores ran competitions or promotions for the duration. Osprey Games publisher of Wildlands (and it’s expansions) plus the Judge Dredd themed version ran a competition to celebrate the release of the Dark Judges expansion for the Judge Dredd version. To enter all you had to do was leave a comment (which I did) and then a winner would be chosen at random.

This morning in the spare five minutes I had between finishing the weekly shop at our local Morrison’s and going into the B&M next door that opened its doors at 9am, I checked my email.

Strange a person I had never heard off wanted to connect on Messenger. I looked in the Facebook app and it was showing that the person had responded to a comment I had made. Curious. What had I said that the person would want to message me directly?

I looked at the Facebook post and my comment. Oh! I had won!

So you can guess I was quickly onto Messenger and replying to the guy with my address and thanking them.

Pretty excited about winning this. It’s something I would have eventually bought.

I own the original Wildlands and Undead expansion (which I did enjoy playing). I’d decided to hold out on getting the map pack and the adventurers expansion because I didn’t want to invest in the original knowing that the Judge Dredd one was being released. And at the time it was unclear if the two would be compatible. And if I had to choose I’m team JD every time.

After Judge Dredd Helter Skelter was released it wasn’t long before a pdf was released that allowed you to combine the two versions (You can pick up the official rules that allow you to use the original Wildlands with Helter Skelter HERE.)

Now with the new expansion the Dark Judges are added to the game along with solo rules.

As you can imagine I’m pretty excited about winning the game and expansion. Which may be here before the weekend. So keep an eye out for pictures of a happy me at the end of the week.

Impressions of the Alien RPG

Alien, RPG

Back in I think 1979 when the original Alien movie came out it became this infamous scary movie. A couple of years later when I finally got to see the film for the first time it didn’t disappoint. The hype was real. Then Aliens came out. And wow! I was in love with this franchise, the whole universe.

So this Alien RPG is something that ticks a lot of boxes for me.

For fans of the movies, books, comics, and video games the good news is the RPG is set before Alien 4. However Prometheus and Covenant are canon. which may or may not be good news depending on your view of the two movies. It should also be noted that the Alien v Predator movies are not canon in this setting.

As an aside as to what constitutes the Alien timeline, I did read on the internet somewhere, but never dug any further, that Bladerunner and Soldier (the Kurt Russel movie) were part of the Alien timeline! One day when I have nothing better to do I will dig into this a bit more.

I don’t think it will be a surprise to anyone that based on the setting the Alien RPG that the designers say it has three themes, space horror, sci-fi action and sense of wonder. The Year Zero Engine that the game uses has been adapted to support those themes.

The Alien RPG uses d6 dice. It helps to have two different colours for your dice. You can buy the official dice. There are two sets, a base set (black) and a stress set (yellow). They have a face hugger on the one face, and a cube on the six face (as shown in the photo below). But these are not required. Regular d6 can be used instead. And I like that. It winds me up when a system requires custom dice (FFG I’m looking at you). That’s just an excuse to fleece gamers. Even with these official dice I’m boarder line in recommending them because of the cost. Each pack gets you ten 16mm dice. But cheapest I’ve found is £15. In my opinion these shouldn’t be more than a tenner.

As an aid to playing the game it’s possible to get a deck of 55 cards that contains 22 weapon cards, 20 character cards, 3 vehicle cards and 10 initiative cards. I particularly like the initiative cards I find them useful in my D&D sessions. However the Alien RPG uses them with a twist. Instead of rolling a die to establish the initiative order, players and the GM on behalf of any NPCs draw a card at random to determine the order. Naturally this way of doing initiative can be replicated using regular playing cards with the ace acting as a one. The character cards match up with the characters in the rule book. So can be handed to players to reference if using them. These cards are nice and handy but not essential.

I actually like the official GM screen. Despite it just being three landscape panels. My preference would have been four like the official D&D screen. The side the players see has a piece of lovely atmospheric art. I thought the tables on the GM side were ones I would use during a game, particularly the panic roll table.

Let’s look at the rule book.

Basically the heart of the Alien RPG is a d6 dice pool made up from a combination of an attribute and skill, plus stress level. Roll at least one six and you succeed, roll a one on a stress dice and you are making a roll on the panic table. The more stress you have the more likely something bad happens.

There is an element of push your luck here on the attribute check, because you can decide to push your luck and reroll any none six dice results. You can do this once per check, although some talents may allow this to be done more than once. However there is a catch. You increase your stress level and have to add another stress die to the roll. So if you hit a one on those stress dice with the increased stress level you are more likely as I said above to have something bad happen to you.

The Alien RPG has two modes of play Cinematic and Campaign.

Cinematic is the Alien RPG version of a one shot. It uses pre-written scenarios and characters. The scenarios follow the dramatic arc of the Alien movies, high stakes, ramping up the pressure, and brutal. The chances of surviving are low. The rules contain an introductory Cinematic scenario, Hope’s Last Day. Plus there is an additional Cinematic scenario Chariot of the Gods that can be bought separately (although in August you can buy it as part of starter box set that includes maps, tokens, dice and cards). A brand new Cinematic scenario is also being published in August.

The other mode of play, Campaign sees players creating their own characters and exploring the Alien universe over several sessions.

The characters players create can be one of four careers, frontier colonist, space trucker, colonial marine or company rep. Naturally these are all humans. However with the agreement of the GM it is possible to be an Android within the game.

Characters have personal agendas that act slightly differently in the two modes. They can also have a buddy and rival.

I’m not familiar with the core system that Alien is based upon. But it does seem less complicated than some other systems like I have used or seen. Which is good in this case. Keeping things simple means they are less likely to get in the way and take players out of the game.

Having just four attributes and twelve skills for a character plus a talent contributes to this. It speeds up character creation and keeps the character sheets a lot simpler and easier to reference.

When playing a Campaign you need to chose one of the frameworks based around the three main careers of space trucker, colonial marine and frontier colonist. Within the refuel book there are tables that allow you to generate missions within those frameworks.

What I like about the rules is that it also caters for space travel and combat. So it is possible to have a planet/space exploration campaign that involves fighting it out with space pirates, rival corporations etc. And that really appeals to me that you have rules here that can switch between that close quarter horror to almost space opera!

With the majority of my RPG experience being D&D or similar where a grid based system on maps is used. Within the Alien RPG they use zones. Which should make it easier to do theatre of the mind, and also speed up combat. I’ve seen a similar system proposed for the Genesys RPG by fans.

But there is a tonne of information in this rule book along with some great art work. I love the guidance they give on running this style of game, the suggest further reading, the structure of a Cinematic scenario.

I’ve barely scratched the surface of this rulebook and what is covered. At 392 pages this is not a small rule book. And this would be a much bigger post if I went into real detail. I’ve just highlighted bits that have stood out to me so far.

If you are a fan of the movies then this is a must I think. The supporting accessories are pretty good and useful. I like this a lot. I just hope I can find some players locally to play a Cinematic scenario or two.

A couple more to watch to inspire Strontium Dog RPG games

Judge Dredd, RPG, Strontium Dog

I’m totally ashamed of myself.

How in the previous post did I forget to mention these two?

They are Westerns through and through. Two series that I love. Both watched more than once. And will be watched again and again.

So I find it hard to explain how I forgot to mention them. Old age. Failing memory.

Just go watch these two even if you aren’t planning on playing a Strontium Dog RPG session. They are that good!

Some inspiration for a Strontium Dog adventure/campaign

Judge Dredd, RPG, Strontium Dog, W.O.I.N.

I like doing lists. I’ve done one or two in the past about sources of inspiration for other RPGs. So with the Strontium Dog rules dropping digitally for the Judge Dredd and Worlds of 2000 A.D. system I thought I’d do one for that.

Strontium Dog can be looked on as a “sci-fi Spaghetti Western” crossed with “interstellar bounty hunting“.

Let’s get my disclaimer out of the way. This is by no means a comprehensive list. Just stuff that came to mind at the time of writing.

There is only one natural place to start and that’s the source material, the original comic strip. You can still pick up the collected reprints for a reasonable price. A good place to get the reading order is the wiki page.

I’m a western fan, and there are a lot (understatement) of films out there to call upon. So I’m recommending some of my favourites that I think are relevant.

First up are the two Trinity movies that I love starring Terence Hill and Bud Spencer.

When you are talking westerns you can’t miss out Clint Eastwood, especially his spaghetti western roles. However I’m recommending some of his other efforts that I feel are more fitting. And yes Pale Rider is a remake of High Plains Drifter.

These next two are most definitely classics, but look at what happens at the end for the gun fighter. An interesting idea to explore within an RPG.

I love these next ones. Definitely worth “borrowing” the plot lines for an adventure or two.

Battle Beyond the Stars is basically The Magnificent Seven in space. It’s a little cheesy and generic, but still worth a watch. Killjoys and Firefly are mentioned as sources of inspiration with in the Strontium Dog rules. So had to throw them in. Although Killjoys only spends at best a couple of seasons actually bounty hunting.

I hope these suggestions have helped, remind you of something I’ve missed.

A tweak to up my DM Game

D&D, RPG

A couple of days back I came across this tweet (below) with some great advice for DMs.

Naturally there was a conversation/comments by others to this piece of advice.

The first was from the poster themselves pointing folks to the DMs Guild and a 77 cents document ‘11 Inn and Tavern Events‘. Which lead me to another document there (a pay what you want) called ‘10 Night Time Wilderness Camping Events‘.

Another commentator pointed people to a reddit thread ‘Vignettes, encounters, and bits of color‘ with some very handy tables of similar encounters for a variety of situations such as dungeons, villages, rotting cities, etc.

Naturally I will be printing out these and adding them to my DM folder. I can’t wait to start using this idea in my campaign whenever that happens.

A couple of free RPGs to try

RPG

Last night I was “listening” to the latest YouTube live stream by the nerdarchy guys to fall to sleep to. During the interview/discussion they got to discussing other RPG systems.

The first that stood out as sounding interesting and worth further investigation was a RPG called Ironsworn. There were some keywords that made it sound of interest to me. Those being FREE (that’s always a big plus), doesn’t require a GM, plays co-op and solo as well as guided (they mean with a GM).

Skimming the downloaded pdf that I got this morning (did I mention it’s free?) Ironsworn is a dark fantasy setting based in a world called the Ironlands. To play you require d6 and d10 dice, character sheets and asset cards. The cards you can get the pdf for free and print yourself or get printed from DriveThruRPG.

The host and his guest then went on to discuss briefly the difference between D&D and RPGs created in the US and those from Europe. Apparently European RPGs tend to be more darker. That got me interested, a couple of examples they cited were Tales from the Loop, and Alien RPG. They also mentioned a German created RPG called Dark Eye that I’d never heard of, that was created in response to not being able to get D&D in the German language.

But the one that got me googling it was Degenesis. Visiting the website to investigate it more I was pleasantly surprised that this too is free to play.

I think the easiest way to get an idea about this futuristic (set 500 years or so in the future) post apocalyptic setting is to look at the YouTube videos the publishers/creators did for the RPG here.

The graphic design of this RPG and art is out of this world. It looks stunning. The system itself uses d6 dice.

Both look interesting and will join the growing list of RPGs I’d like to try to get to the table.

Strontium Dog RPG now available to pre-order

Judge Dredd, news, RPG, Strontium Dog, W.O.I.N.

It seems to be the week for pre-ordering RPG related stuff. Yesterday EN Publishing made it possible to pre-order the hardcover version of the Strontium Dog RPG rules from their website, along with being able to purchase the pdf version straight away.

If you pre-ordere the physical version you automatically get the pdf version as well free.

Not a bad deal. And one I took advantage of. So I now have the pdf version of the rules to read at my leasure, knowing that some point at the end of August I will get the hardcover posted to me.

The publisher also put up this morning on their Patreon page for patreons a short Strontium Dog adventure as well. Flicking through this adventure very quickly it is designed to be playable whilst going through the character creation process. Which is an intriguing twist to character creation. Plus there is a combat mission for the Strontium Dog Miniatures Game from Warlord Games. I’m sure at some point in the near future this will turn up on the publishers web store for non-patreons to buy it.

The one thing they need to do between now and the actual physical publish date is add to the resources section Strontium Dog related resources, such as character sheets, and some pre-gen characters.

We’ll look at sources of inspiration for adventures in another post. Probably the same one that I briefly look at the rules.

Pre-order Mythic Odysseys of Theros Bonuses

D&D, MtG, news, RPG

I really like how WotC seem to have gone the extra mile for the FLGS with the upcoming Mythic Odysseys of Theros (MOoT) release for D&D.

Naturally due to current events the actual physical release of MOoT has had to be pushed back to the 21st July from the 2nd June. These things happen. I’m surprised it wasn’t longer.

However WotC are still releasing the digital version of MOoT on D&D Beyond on the original release date. So players really desperate to play using this source book will still be able to do so.

In the meantime when announcing the above a couple of weeks ago WotC also added how they were also supporting the FLGS with this release and encouraging people to buy from their FLGS.

Normally when WotC release a new source book or adventure for D&D if you buy it from your FLGS you have the option (if your FLGS is a member of the WPN) of having the alternate art work cover or the regular cover. It’s a nice choice to have, you can choose the art that you prefer.

But as I said at the top of this post, WotC have gone the extra mile for the FLGS for this release.

If you pre-order now from your FLGS (and they are a WPN registered store) and you are one of the first twenty to do so, you should receive a 50% discount code for the digital version on D&D Beyond.

Plus as a special bonus, the first 25 customers will also receive a double sided 19″ x 13″ laminated map, featuring 4 key areas of Theros.

I think these are brilliant incentives to get MOoT from your FLGS. It’s why I pre-ordered this morning as soon as my FLGS opened up their pre-orders. Within minutes my FLGS had messaged me my discount code. And just as quick I had used it to pre-order it digitally on D&D Beyond.

Personally I think this discount should be a permanent thing they do when you buy a physical copy of a product. They did it with the Essentials Kit. I think they would see a bigger uptake of physical and digital.

The laminated map is a great idea. Especially the fact that it’s laminated! For me an inspired little extra to give away.

If this floats your boat, it’s worth getting that pre-order in. Forget it about it, and then get that pleasant surprise in the post late July.