[In The Game] Jousting

Jousting is awesome. I think there should be more of it in games we play. Jousters are the rock-stars of the medieval times. And whether you are running a historical game or a complete fantasy, it's got it's place, either on the road or in a tourney. A chance for your players to grab that glory and ride down their enemies on horseback with a lance.

It lasted nearly 700 years! The first recorded tourney was in 1066. Henry II of France, the king, died as a result of this sport. The friggin' King of France took part. It was that popular. It lasted nearly 700 years! And now it's a popular draw in Las Vegas and at ren faires all around the world.

I hope that at some point soon, jousting becomes the thing to do in RPGs.

[Resources] The Russian Tsars

Wikipedia has a lot on the Russian Tsars, including the last one, Nicholas II of the House of Romanov, and later claimants to his throne.

If you'd ever want to run a game about the decline and fall of a Noble House, the assassination of a King and the loss of a Kingdom, you couldn't do any worse than something from history. Especially this history.

[Auld Lang 'Zine] 1001+1 Nights, Issue #6

Issue #6, One Thousand and One Nights and One Night RPG Campaign Design 'zine

Issue no. 6 of One Thousand and One Nights and One Night Campaign Design 'zine was published May 2007.

I continued this issue with Part 2 of my D20 Fantasy Campaign, adding more info like two races of Humans, the Thyatir and the Suldar, both of which are different element-aspected (earth and fire, respectively), and Hobbits. I also included the Vir, a template that is added to any race (but goblinoid) that I let my players have when I ran it for the Corvis Monkey Troupe.

I limited the character classes to Bards, Warlocks, Fighters, Clerics, Paladins, Wizards, and Berserkers and Sidhe Scholars (both from a Dragon Magazine article) and ran the game using the excellent module Three Days to Kill by John Tynes.

Due to my schedule at the time, I didn't have any game notes to add to the issue.

[Resources] Book of Durrow

The Book of Durrow is a 7th century manuscript of the Christian Gospels. It was created at Durrow Abbey in Ireland (or possibly Northumbria, Northern England). The book is made up of 248 vellum sheets as well as six carpet pages, which are pages of art including geometrical shapes and animals, circular knots, triskeles, and spirals.

Durrow Abbey was a famous school, one of the "Universities of the West" of those times. The abbeys in that part of Ireland were frequent targets of Viking raids but somehow the Book of Durrow survived, until it disappeared after the abbey disolved in the 16th century.

Where the book went after that, no one knew but a century later it was found in the possession of a farmer (who stored it in his cow shed).

What and where was the Book during that century? That is a mystery that could consume a party of time-traveling adventurers, a quest for a group of medieval monks, a secret text for a cotery of hermetic mages or the solution to a epic mission for a bunch of young untried knights.

[Missing in Gaming] Realms of the Sun Book 2: Heart of Stone

In order to complete my Everway collection, I still need a few more books, including the two Realms of the Sun books. I previously mentioned the first book and this one is the second book. Heart of Stone is 76 pages and was published by Rubicon Games in 1997.

Again, I can't find this one for all the searching I do, both in bookshops around the Seattle area and online.

Maybe one day I will find them both. Maybe you can help. If you've seen this book in a local shop, let me know!

[My Collection] Cadillacs and Dinosaurs

You may be wondering what this has to do with Atomic Thursday (and wondering where the next installment for the D.C. Campaign is but don't worry, I'll get back to it).

Well, a long time ago, back in 1986, a guy named Mark Schultz wrote and drew a comic called Xenozoic Tales. This comic was set in a post-apocalyptic future, where mankind has just come out of generational bomb shelters and had limited technology in a world populated by a vast array of dinosaurs.

The comic spanned a decade, spawned a TV cartoon show, computer games, candy bars and collectible cards.

And GDW turned it into an RPG written by Frank Chadwick in 1990. RPG.net has a few reviews (1, 2) and Dark Horse comics has two trade paperbacks of the comic.

[Auld Lang 'Zine] 1001+1 Nights, Issue #5

Issue #5, One Thousand and One Nights and One Night RPG Campaign Design 'zine

The 5th issue of One Thousand and One Nights and One Night Campaign Design 'zine was published in May 2007.

This issue I cover the first part of a two part D20 Campaign that I worked up, including two standard races for the game: The Glittergold Cave Elves and the Elessars, a race of stone beings. I also had rules for adding more magic in the game by having everyone in the world able to use cantrips. For some setting style, I added a Elizabethan twist to the world, including standard clothing and weapons (longswords and black powder weapons).

I had four links in my game notes page, three of which still work: The Hypertext D20 SRD Spell Lists, MJ Young's Cantrips and Rose Magic: Orizons and Cantrips.

[Resources] Hessian Soldiers

Everyone needs good mercenaries, even the most powerful countries on Earth.

The British used the Hessians extensively during the American Revolution, fielding over 30,000. Most were conscripts sold to the King of England by German Princes and, while they were universally called Hessians, 12,000 were actually from Hesse-Kassel.

Only about 1200 were killed in action out of the over 7,000 dead (the rest died of illnesses and disease), while another 5,000 stayed in America at the end of the war. The other 17,000 went home to Germany, probably to fight in more wars for their German Princes.

The position of a mercenary in a foreign land is tenuous at best and downright hazardous at worst. Besides the regular fighting to deal with, there is the problems with the locals. And not speaking the lingua franca is a pretty major obstacle. Next time your characters are strangers in a strange land, think about that and try to include it in your games.

And after the conflict, your PCs may stay.

[My Collection] Serenity

Yes, I like Firefly TV show and the Serenity movie. I listen to The Signal podcast. I don't dress up as a Browncoat, however.

I also like the game, so I've collected the 5 books (so far) from Margaret Weis Productions. I've played in a couple of sessions and have an appreciation for the Cortex system, moreso because of the Leverage: the Quickstart Job (another MWP product I will be purchasing) game I played at Go Play Northwest in June.

There are a few reviews on the main book and supplements on RPG.net (1, 2, 3, 4). If you've played it, I'd be interested in hearing about it.

[Auld Lang 'Zine] 1001+1 Nights, Issue #4

Issue #4, One Thousand and One Nights and One Night RPG Campaign Design 'zine

The 4th issue of One Thousand and One Nights and One Night Campaign Design 'zine was published in April 2007.

I present two characters that I played in a couple of past campaigns: the first appearance of Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Torpington from a GURPS Forgotten Realm campaign and a young U.S. Marine pilot in a Vietnam War-era game.

The Forgotten Realm campaign was set in Cormyr and my PC was a knight-mage from Shadowdale, sent to Cormyr to recover from wounds after a fight with the Zhentarim.

I also wrote up a bit on my friend GMs Savage Worlds Combat at the Speed of Heat. This chronicled my first experience with the system that, over three years later, it's still my system of choice.

I also talk a bit about character design in My Style and mention an online dungeon builder (and the link still works: Gozzy's Cartographic Emporium).

[Labyrinth Lord] The Red Fists War Band

The Red Fists War Band is a local marauding band in my Ashford Valley setting. Made up of outcasts from a variety of tribes, clans, cities and nations, they've banded together for mutual protection as well as an opportunity for loot.

Currently an orc named Pink runs the crew, which includes 13 Orcs, 7 Goblins, 3 Hobgoblins, 2 Gnolls, 15 Human Bandits, a Human Necromancer and his three Elven Skeletons, and a lone Dwarf [*].

Pink the Orc (see my 'zine, One Thousand and One Nights and One Night, Issue #20) was born like many Orcs, yet he managed to survive to adulthood. After killing his last brother in a scuffle about some mushrooms, he convinced a couple of other orcs to follow him on a raid to a nearby human settlement. Success was sweet and Pink ate well of human flesh.

He and his followers joined the Red Fists and in short order he murdered the old leader Kraz and took over. After a shake-up in the war bands hierarchy, resulting in a few more deaths, he appointed Nevlan the Necromancer and Joshtin the Bandit as his chief lieutenants. His "Council of Elders" includes the two Gnolls, Grick and Grack, the Dwarf Evor Ironhammer and Old Miller the Bandit.

Between the lot of them, they're bad news. They fight smart and retreat as necessary, conserving their strength. They plan each raid, using some of the Human Bandits as advanced scouts to settlements or farms, then brutally kill all witnesses. They love ambush and turning the tables on foes.

Most of the band fear that Nevlan will animate their dead bodies after their untimely demise. So far that hasn't happened but I wonder what event would push them to that? Lately, though, they've run afoul of the Rangers of Hollow Wood, and are currently on the move out of that territory. Where will they go next?

[*] Sure, not a uniform Orc band, but still pretty cool. If you don't like it, then talk to Pink. I'm sure he'd be amenable to changing your mind ....

Pink the Orc; Alignment: Chaotic; Armor Class: 5; Hit Dice: 2d8, Hit Points: 16; Attacks: longsword (1d8+1); Save: F2; Morale: 9.

Nevlan the Necromancer; Human, Magic-User, Level 9; Alignment: Chaotic; Abilities: Strength 9, Dexterity 13,Constitution 10, Intelligence 15, Wisdom 11, Charisma 12. Armor Class: 8 (-1 Dex); Hit Dice: 9d4, Hit Points: 12. Attacks: dagger (1d4). Languages: Common, Elvish; Special Abilities: Spells (Magic Missile, Charm Person, Protection from Good, Invisibility, Levitate, Web, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Protection from Normal Missiles, Charm Monster, Polymorph Others, Animate Dead), Scroll with Sleep.

Joshtin the Bandit (1 Normal Man); Alignment: Chaotic; Armor Class: 4 (chain & shield); Hit Dice: 1d8, Hit Points: 8; Attacks: longsword (1d8), short bow (1d6); Save: NM; Morale: 8.

Grick and Grack (2 Gnolls); Alignment: Chaotic; Armor Class: 5; Hit Dice: 2d8, Hit Points: 12; Attacks: longsword (1d8+1), longbow (1d8+1); Save: F2; Morale: 8.

Evor Ironhammer (1 Dwarf); Alignment: Neutral; Armor Class: 4; Hit Dice: 1d8, Hit Points: 6; Attacks: hammer (1d6) and heavy crossbow (1d8); Save: D1; morale: 8, Special abilities: mining.

Old Miller (1 Normal Man); Alignment: Chaotic; Armor Class: 4 (chain & shield); Hit Dice: 1d8, Hit Points: 3; Attacks: longsword (1d8), short bow (1d6); Save: NM; Morale: 6.

Elven Skeletons (3); Alignment: Chaotic; Armor Class: 7; Hit Dice: 1d8, Hit Points: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3; Attacks: short sword (1d6) or spear (1d6); Save: F1; Morale: 12.

Orcs (13); Alignment: Chaotic; Armor Class: 6; Hit Dice: 1d8, Hit Points: 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1; Attacks: short sword (1d6), short bow (1d6); Save: F1; Morale: 5.

Brigands (13 Normal Men); Alignment: Chaotic; Armor Class: 6 (leather armor & shield) or 4 (chain & shield); Hit Dice: 1d8, Hit Points: 6, 5, 5, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1; Attacks: short sword (1d6) or longsword (1d8), short bow (1d6); Save: NM; Morale: 5. Half the bandits have leather armor, shields and short swords and the other half have chain mail, shields and longswords. The bandits that have chain mail also have horses.

[Vids] Tales of the Gold Monkey

Tales of the Gold Monkey was a 1982 action/adventure show starring Stephen Collins (as pilot Jake Cutter) and Caitlin O'Heaney (as spy Sarah Stickney White and Jake's love interest) set in the Pacific during the late 1930s, right before the start of World War II. It was created by Donald Bellisario (of Magnum, P.I. fame) in response to Raiders of the Lost Ark. It had a one-eyed Jack Russell Terrier named Jack who, when asked a question, barked once for No and twice for Yes. I loved this show as a kid and was excited when it was released on DVD this year.

But would it survive the Nostalgia Train?

I got the first disk from Netflix which included the two-part Pilot (with John Hillerman from Magnum, P.I. as the baddie), Shanghaied and Black Pearl. All of these episodes were excellent and had tons of good for ideas for my Distinguished Flying Cross Savage Worlds setting. I plan on getting the other five DVDs (18 episodes) from Netflix soon.

I also found a website dedicated to the show at Goldmonkey.com, with pictures, information and an episode guide. And you can find information on Leo the Dog, who played Jack, at TV Acres. He sadly passed away at age 21 on April 6, 1989.

[Books] Nuclear War Survival Skills

As a break from my D.C. Campaign, I figure a good bit of info for players and GM alike would be found here.

Cresson Kearny wrote this book and it's available free in PDF, all 510 pages of it. Cresson, a Rhodes Scholar , had quite a varied career: civil engineer, geologist, jungle expert, a stint in the Army during WWII (including missions in the OSS in China), researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, civil defense expert.

Hell, his history would make a great background for a character.

If you're interested in a hard copy, you can get the book from Amazon for $20 (giftwrapping extra).

[Auld Lang 'Zine] 1001+1 Nights, Issue #3

Issue #3, One Thousand and One Nights and One Night RPG Campaign Design 'zine

My third issue of One Thousand and One Nights and One Night Campaign Design 'zine was published in April 2007. I think I really hit my stride with this one. The whole issue was filled with using the old D&D module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands in different settings, and I think it rocks.

I was real proud with my four different keeps: a police station in teenage gangland, a fort on an island in a pirate setting, at a starport in deep space or a military outpost in the Stargate universe.

My game notes link to various threads I started around the 'net on this issue, two of which still work: Alternate B2s (RPG.net) and Alternate B2s (ENWorld).