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.

Roar! Ikoria lands with a thump

Commander, magic, MtG

Thanks to current events the physical release of the latest MtG block/set Ikoria was a little late hitting your FLGS. But now it is in our grubby hands. FLGS have been keeping the postal service busy shipping out orders of physical product.

My pre-order arrived this morning.

Although I loved the Greek inspired theme of Theros, and the fairy tale, Arthurian legend inspired Eldraine. Ikoria is the set that speaks to me a lot. A land of big creatures. Which is basically four of my Commander decks, Big Green Stompy, Horrors from the Deep, Dinosaurs Tribal and Dragons Tribal.

Thanks to not playing Standard now (I think I’ve documented those reasons enough on here) I can save money by target buying the singles I need. Although it was fun cracking open the packs that came with the Prerelease kit.

So below are some of the cards that caught me eye for various reasons, such as I like the art, it’s shiny, or will go into a deck I have.

Ikoria brings back cycling, keyword counters (I want to know how this interacts with Atraxa), introduces a new keyword mutate and companions (which I believe some are already calling broken).

Pretty happy with my pulls. But I know need to look at a list of all the cards and get the singles I’m interested in.

Just can’t wait to play the new Commander decks with friends. But patience is needed on that front. That day will come, but in the meantime vigilance and safety are the keywords.

Making plans

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A friend on twitter this morning said that they had a craving for fish and chips. I replied I missed playing board games with my friends.

Yes there are the app versions of some, and the various virtual table tops. But they are not the same as playing in person. Although I do prefer the app version of a game over the virtual table top equivalent. Plus most of my “gaming” has been against the AI. Not much online gaming has taken place for a while now, outside of my usual Star Realms, Epic the card game and Lost Cities games.

Now I realise that the time when it’s safe and allowed to get together in a social setting is still a little way off. But it doesn’t stop plans and lists being made.

For instance I have the games below that have been added to the collection (although technically the Targi expansion is on it’s way) during the madness.

For those wondering, yes that is another copy of Love Letter. This time it’s the latest version of the game printed by it’s new masters Z-Man games. This latest printing now plays up to six players, instead of four. Has new art. Which we could debate for ages whether it’s an improvement or not. Plus a couple of new cards with new abilities. So with all those changes it was inevitable that I’d get this.

Apart from Targi and it’s expansion, there is a theme in the above games. You could argue they are “filler games”. Games that play quickly in under 30 minutes.

Naturally I’m also keen to get back to having the D&D sessions running again. Plus with the new ikora themed Commander decks hitting playing a game or two with them with friends, which would be real cool. Plus having the opportunity to get a first game of Last Days is something I’m also excited about.

What games are you excited to play once this mess is over and it’s safe to do so?

Random Dungeon #9 AND Random Character #2

#randomcharacter, #randomdungeon, D&D, RPG

A twofer in today’s post.

Yep a random dungeon and a random character.

The elf wizard Torgil Silverleaf has asked your party to venture into a nearby dungeon to stop a group of cultists summoning a demon. Torgil has promised you some of his treasured magic items if you are successful.

I see this as the first level of a two or three level dungeon. Naturally the cultists will be found on the bottom level. I think this dungeon would be found in the ruins of a monastery. The cultists are in fact what remains of the monastic order that once occupied the monastery.

That’s the latest random stuff. I really do like how quick and simple this stuff is.

Below is an example of some of my none gaming activities, sourdough loaves and shortbread biscuits.

Random Character #1

#randomcharacter, D&D, RPG

Finally my set of RPG Character Dice Set II arrived this morning. They had been ordered what now seems an age ago, back at the start of February.

I first heard about them whilst watching a YouTube video by Arcane Library about being a minimalist DM.

Basically these dice allow you to create an NPC on the fly during a game. And for the undecided whilst creating a character it could be used to help defeat that indecision.

Here is a quick character created by rolling them.

Meet Nura Westbrook a halfling druid, who is Lawful Neutral. I chose the name randomly using the joker card name table from the Deck of Many Dungeons.

Nura is a ghostwise halfling from Chondalwood and is a guardian of the nesting grounds of the giant owls that her clan use as warrior mounts.

An egg was stolen and Nura has ventured out to recover the egg and bring justice to those that stole it.

Mothership An Initial Impression

RPG

Last night I fell asleep to the latest Roll for Crit live play that they uploaded, which this time was for the RPG Mothership. A game they decided to play in honour of Mother’s Day. Which I assume is this weekend for the Americans. The real Mothers Day was earlier in the year.

I must stress before I go any further I haven’t played this game yet. I only came across it last night. But wanted to share what I found out about the game with the world.

Mothership is a sci-fi horror RPG, that uses d10. It’s obvious by the look of the game that it has been influenced by the Alien movies.

So if for whatever reason the official Alien RPG doesn’t appeal to you, but you want that Sci-fi horror feel. Then Mothership just might be worth a look.

It is possible to play Mothership for free. The rules are available on DriveThruRPG on a pay what you feel basis. So if funds are tight at the moment then you can pay nothing for them.

The rules are short. Only 44 pages and that includes character sheets etc. So it’s not a heavy system.

What is missing that other RPG publishers normally include in their rules (along with more rules) is an introductory scenario. Plus advice on creating adventures for the system. Although there is plenty of advice out there on that subject. Some tips on creating a horror inspired adventure would have been welcome.

So if you want to play for completely free then you will have to prep an adventure yourself. However there are four modules plus two pamphlet modules from the publisher. The pamphlet modules are “double sided tri-fold brochure and contains all the information you need to play an excellent one-shot.” I like this idea and hope it gets picked up more by publishers/creators (although there is the one page dungeon). Including a pamphlet module in the rules would have been a great addition that would not have increased the page count drastically. Having said all this the actual cost of the modules isn’t a great amount (under $10 for the main ones, and $2 for the pamphlets).

I love that on the official website (and in the rules) are player cheat sheets (something that WOIN and the Judge Dredd RPG could do with), and all the other usual stuff you’d expect for an RPG like character sheets etc.

This looks like a cool alternative to the more costly official Alien RPG (which itself looks pretty cool) that would be ideal for running one shots, where there are not a lot of rules to remember.

Official Website

Random Dungeon #8

#randomdungeon, D&D, RPG

Back to using the Map and Dice Playing Cards to generate a random dungeon.

With the party entering this dungeon through the Grim Gate (Ace of Spades) I see this being a long forgotten dwarven outpost on the side of a mountain.

The path leading up to the Grim Gate is a small, worn trail, More likely to be dismissed as a goat path than once belonging to battle harden dwarven warriors.

I like the idea of stealing from Tolkien and Lord of the Rings and that famous door to Moria scene. So to get into the dungeon the party will have to work out how to open the Grim Gate. However each failed attempt increases the likely hood that some unseen horror will appear and attack the party. I’d use clues like the temperature starts to drop, they notice some rocks falling etc.