The Voracious Goddess #1

7th Continent

Having reclaimed my dining table from the MtG cards (an act that should worry WotC but doesn’t) I’m ready to start playing once again The 7th Continent.

It’s been nearly three years since I last played this game. Which is a shame. It really deserves having the love that playing it gives it.

Since I last played it there has been a new expansion What Goes Up, Must Come Down. Which adds two new curses plus a hot air balloon, a raft, three new explorers and a goat. It was joined by two smaller expansions as well (The Flying Roots and Creature Comforts).

Having been an original backer when I backed the new expansion I was also given an upgrade kit that replaced a handful of cards to make my original version the same as the reprint (ie 2.0).

Yesterday I spent the afternoon replacing cards, adding new ones, and undoing my previous saved game state.

I wanted to start afresh with all the new stuff mixed in.

Naturally I’m going to be boring you with my tales of exploration and adventure on here. I’ve got nothing better to do, have you?

So before I set off on my travels across The 7th Continent I thought I would document the setup for this curse.

In to the action deck are the four cards that come with the new Flying Roots expansion. Plus the new Comfort Creatures (not sure what that adds but it will be interesting to find out). Which with the Face the Elements and Fear the Devourers from the original Kickstarter make up the extra stuff I’m likely to bump into.

Because this is my first play in such a long time I’m using the original games easy mode (card 777) plus the new Prodigy Mode (5 learning from mistakes cards added to the action deck) PLUS the new Immortal Mode (card 888). This later mode is aimed at those more interested in exploring than surviving.

I’m also using the Pocket Watch from the base game.


With the What Goes Up, Must Come Down expansion we also got this rather cool fake leather binder to use instead of the Satchel and Journal card. So all the cards that would normally go under the said card will go in this instead.

Oh and the dice I will be using to track the usage of items will be the cool bone looking dice from the original Kickstarter.

I’ve decided to go with one of the new explorers from What Goes Up, Must Come Down, Anjika Patel.

The curse chosen is the one advised in the rulebook for first plays “The Voracious Goddess”. I didn’t get very far into it anyway three years ago, and can’t remember what I did. So it’s a good starting point.

Right that’s the setup time to go off into the unknown…

Some inspiration for campaigns from MtG

D&D, RPG

It’s taken me two days. But I’ve freed up my dining room table from all the MtG cards on it. I had been using the table as a “staging” area for my deck building efforts.

But considering my lack of playing and deck building I finally gave in and tied up the space. I’ll stick with my Commander decks and just tweak them for the time being.

But whilst I was tidying up the table I came across the following two bits of cardboard from the Amonkhet and Hour of Devastation Pre-release kits.

I immediately after looking at them felt these are pretty good ideas to to use in a campaign.

Forget the MtG small text for each challenge. It’s the titles.

I love the idea of sending a party on five trials to earn favour from a God. Each trial faced being themed around it’s title. Each one testing the members of the party as a group and individually.

A harder one to work in is the other card with The Five Hours. At the moment this speaks to me as being event based around time. I need to think more about this one.

I might have to go back and look at the lore for this block to see what ideas get created.

Onitama App

apps

Here we are once more with yet another quick look at an app version of a boardgame. This time it’s the really awesome two player abstract game Onitama.

The app version of the game implements the base game and the 16 card Sensei’s Path expansion (an in app purchase, the other in app purchase you can make is basically a couple of themed skins.)

Naturally the game looks nice. Although for me playing on an iPad would have liked the game to use landscape mode and not portrait. Or at least swap between the two intelligently depending on the orientation of the screen.

I’m fine with the top down view of the board. But a 3D view would have appealed more.

I’ve played this both online with Jonathan and solo against the AI. Naturally my preference is against friends. But the AI was a cool alternative with the option of setting how difficult the AI opponent is.

This is a solid implementation of the board game. If you are a fan of the game it’s worth getting.

Santorini App

apps

One benefit of the lockdown is that I’m discovering that there have been app versions of some of my favourite board games released that I somehow missed.

A good example of this is that I missed Santorini hitting the App Store.

In physical form this is a great abstract game that looks beautiful on the table. It’s quick to teach and learn. But that hides a complexity especially when you are using the God cards with their different and unique powers.

This app version of the game looks beautiful and captures the real game fantastically.

For your initial investment you get 34 of the Gods selected from the base game, Golden Fleece expansion and a promo. You can also buy a further 24 Gods in-game.

I’ve only played against the AI so far, there is online play. The AI can be set at various difficulty levels, which includes a God level. Which I haven’t been brave enough to try yet.

You can rotate the board around easily to get different views of the board. Which you will have to do. It’s just a nature of this 3D game as an app and in real life.

I really like the job the developer has done with this. I’m glad I came across it.

In response to Jonathan’s comment:

Carcassonne 2.0

apps

Carcassonne has been on iOS for years.

I’ve owned it for years, had all the expansions they added.

It was a good implementation of a board game classic.

But things change. Never developers pick up licenses, old ones lose them.

For whatever reason a new version of Carcassonne got released, and given a make over.

Where the previous version was a good looking game that accurately represented the physical game. The art used was the art from the tiles. With a 2D top down view.

This new version adds an isometric camera view (bottom left) to go alongside the 2D top down view and other graphical flourishes that make the game seem fresh.

Naturally you can easily swap between the two views to your hearts content, and settle on the one you prefer.

Some of the flourishes include animating the meeples so that they bounce on the board in the isometric view. Or at the press of the button you get to see which areas of the board are covered by farmer meeples(top left). Or the dragon tokens that keep count of the number of moves the dragon has taken, along with possible moves and where it has been (top right).

I also like how a city only gets built once it has been completed. Until then it is just a muddy outline.

I’ve only played against the AI at the moment. Which was something that wasn’t possible in the previous version (there were puzzles/challenges you could do, but that didn’t work for me). Sometimes the AI can take a couple of minutes or longer to make a move, which is annoying. But on the whole I’ve found the AI challenging but not over powering.

There is online play across platforms. However I’m not one for playing against strangers. I much prefer playing against friends. Said friends have not got this app yet. So this isn’t something I’ve used in this version. There is also a text chat option to. But I refer you the just made statement about online play.

The main drawback for me with this new version is that I’ve had to buy everything again.

But it does have my favourite expansions as in app purchases. These are The Abbot, The River, Inns & Cathedrals, Traders and Builders, The Princess and Dragon, and the Winter Edition (not purchased yet). I like what these add to the game, they extend it’s playing time. But that’s a compromise I’m prepared to make, as they add so much.

I really like this new version.

D&D Free Stuff From WotC

D&D, news, RPG

After a couple of days break I’m back. I’ve got my mojo back.

WotC have joined the throng of designers and publishers giving away free stuff to help out during these unsure and worrying times.

D&D (and any RPG) is one of those games that plays really well remotely using the various tools out there. I’m not going to go into the options and how to here. There are some great videos and articles (D&D Beyond, Sly Flourish, and Matt Colville to name a handful) out there on the interweb that cover all that.

But once you have chosen your path to online play (or it could be round a table if playing in the home). You are going to need the rules and a scenario.

That’s where WotC come in.

WotC each week day are releasing an Adventure League scenario and other content for free. The other content is usually a colouring page for younger people (although it can be used by more mature folks if that’s your thing).

“Content will be added daily, Monday-Friday. Check back each day for the latest free, downloadable content. Please note that certain adventures are being made free on the DMs Guild for a limited time, so be sure to grab them now while you can!”

Also on the page are links to the basic rules and pre-generated character sheets.

By visiting the page and picking up the free goodies you basically have everything to play D&D (except dice, pencil and paper and friends).

I’ve also included a link below to the Unearthed Arcana rules for sidekicks for anyone that wants to play D&D at home with their partner/room mate. It would have been nice of WotC to have released the final version of this as it appeared in the Essentials Kit alongside some sidekicks. But we can’t have everything. Maybe that’s for another day.

Just remember to grab the stuff off the DMs Guild now, even if you don’t think you will need to right away. It’s not staying free for ever.

Here is the LINK you need to get the free goodies.

Unearthed Arcana Sidekick rules.

Random Dungeon #6

#randomdungeon, D&D, RPG

For this latest random dungeon instead of using the quick and easy dungeon map cards. Which do create pretty looking dungeons. I’ve decided to go “old school” and use the tables in Appendix A: Random Dungeons of the DMG along with the tables from Chapter 5: Adventure Environments pages 99 – 101 of the same publication.

So for this random dungeon I used graph paper, pencil, and dice along side the above mentioned sections of the DMG.

Starting Area (1d10): 7

Dungeon Location: 59

Exotic Location: 4

Dungeon Creator: 17

Dungeon Purpose: 20

Dungeon History: 12

The entrance to our dungeon is in a mountain pass buried under an avalanche. The dungeon had been created by a liche to hold its hoard of treasure and magical items. The liche was destroyed by internal conflict. That conflict could be underlings rising up hoping to take the treasure for themselves.

Taking into account the entrance is under the debris of an avalanche any party wishing to enter must either enter through the secondary entrance if they can find it. Or successfully complete a group challenge or skill challenge to clear away the rubble to get to the entrance.

Starting Area (Room 1: 20) – Trap or trick designed to kill or capture creatures that enter the dungeon.

This room has a well in the centre.

Current state: 10 – pool of water, chamber’s original contents are water damaged.

Room 2: 1 – Antechamber for visiting dignitaries.

Current state: 5 – Holes, floor partially collapsed.

Room 3: 6 – Guardroom to defend against intruders.

Current state: 9 – used as a campsite.

Room 4: 4 – Barracks for guards.

Current state: 16 – Furniture wrecked but still present.

Room 5: 14 – Strong room or vault, for guarding the treasure hidden in the dungeon, accessible only by locked or secret door.

Current state: 19 – stripped bare.

Room 6: 10 – Kennel for trained beasts used to guard the treasure vault.

Current state: 15 – Furniture wrecked but still present.

Room 7: 2 – Armoury containing mundane and magic gear used by the treasure vault’s guards.

Current state: 12 – Furniture wrecked but still present.

Room 8: 11 – Kitchen for feeding guards.

Current state: 16 – Furniture wrecked but still present.

Room 9: 15 – Strong room or vault, for guarding the treasure hidden in the dungeon, accessible only by locked or secret door.

Current state: 12 – Furniture wrecked but still present.

Obviously there are a load more tables to use in Appendix A to determine obstacles, traps, monsters, treasure and magic items, plus how the rooms are decorated.

Yes my map isn’t the prettiest to look at. But it’s functional and does the job. And boy is that cross hatching boring to do.

Hope you liked the change,

Random Dungeon #5

#randomdungeon, D&D, RPG

Back to the random dungeon posts.

For the second time since getting them I’ve used the Deck of Many Dungeons to create this random dungeon.

I didn’t think when I was drawing the cards and had what was a “completed” dungeon that with a side entrance a goal complete card wasn’t required.

This struck me as a simple tomb for a party to stumble upon and explore whilst looking for the main dungeon.

Update on planning session 8 #4

D&D, RPG, session planning

SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one.

Considering the current events in the world, it will come as no surprise that our session 8 has been postponed until at the moment an undetermined date in the future.

There was one suggestion about doing the next session online but I’ve not found anything yet that I’m happy with that works well on an iPad (my main device).

I’m a big fan of Twin Peaks the tv show. It was so inspiring and ahead of its time back in the late eighties, early nineties when it was first aired. Reading the book The Diary of Laura Palmer (basically this was meant to be a copy of her diary the characters were reading on screen) while the series was on really drew me into the Twin Peaks universe. I had never felt that sort of immersion before. It was incredible.

But why am I telling you all this? During this lockdown we are meant to be observing (although one or two seem to be ignoring it) I started watching rewatching the original series. It’s still great tv.

However there is the scene below between a shot Agent Cooper and a mysterious giant in his hotel room at the start of the second season. Luckily for you, you don’t have to read me explaining it, you can watch the YouTube clip below.

While watching that episode and scene it struck me this would be a fantastic way to deliver clues/hooks to the players.

I have previously mentioned using a particular players unconscious prone state during combat as they are making saving throws as an opportunity for a devil to tempt them with an infernal contract.

But I also love borrowing this idea of spirits inhabiting living vessels. With the spirits becoming “real” in our realm of existence under certain conditions. Like a player being near to death.

This dual existence could be something a player or npc has without being aware of it.

I love the idea of using a players saving throw turn as an opportunity to give plot hooks or clues.

Another thing I’ve been looking at that also falls under planning for the future is a labyrinth design to use when the players encounter an island inspired by the Cretan Labyrinth of the minotaur legend. Naturally there aren’t any “maps” of that. It’s a myth, although the labyrinth may have existed.

However initial google searches show that the Egyptians were also labyrinth/maze builders. So I might with a bit more digging be able to “borrow” one of their ancient designs.

But I did come upon an ancient British labyrinth design that is from the Bronze Age and can be found in Cornwall.

This labyrinth carving can be seen at a place called the Rocky Valley near the alleged home of King Arthur Tintagel.

If I had to chose one today to be used straight away I’d go with the home grown Rocky Valley one. So that is telling me It e found my labyrinth to use when the island is found.

It’s weird where you find inspiration sometimes. It’s why I advise students to widen their horizons and have hobbies that are not just playing video games when it comes to game design. The same applies to being a DM. It’s why they include the inspiration appendix in the DMG and PG.

At least now I’ve captured my inspired ideas now.