tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86930132429986076892024-02-06T22:20:14.974-08:00EPIC FAIL!A lazy-ass blog for my random ideas and frequent mad-rants.Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-15336770634733933132021-06-28T14:13:00.003-07:002021-06-28T14:13:42.939-07:00Semi-Player Characters<p>One of the burdens of being a Game Master is maintaining the
juggling act of: Running the game; Maintaining the flow of the
action/adventure/plot/story-flow and readjusting the flow due to players
always coming up with out-of-left-field actions/ideas; Playing the part
of every single NPC, from the major antagonists and supporting
characters, to the random one-note-joke "spear carrier" extra who is
just there to make a Warren Ellis-styled joke about a Farmer who brags
about fucking pigs. There is so much effort in running a game that I
find that I have to scale back on things for the sake of speed and
efficiency.<br /></p><div><br /></div><div>To deal with the game system, I
try to use simple, rules-lite game engines. For example, I find it
easier to broaden skills into the category of what a character archetype
(Soldier, Thief, Barbarian, Technician, Cowboy, etc.) could do then to
compile a long-ass list of skill areas (Melee Weapons, Rifles, Survival,
Pick-Pockets, Fashion, Mechanics, Electronics, etc., etc.), each with
their own set of sub-rules. This is the approach Barbarians of Lemuria
did with Heroic Careers. If you want to intimidate someone, you can use
Barbarian or Torturer. If you want to hide-in-plan-sight within an urban
area, you can use Beggar, Thief or Slave. Its all open-ended, and
subject to GM's approval. Also, the use of quick-and-simple combat
mechanic, that gives you a good amount of options, without dropping a
D20-styled grapple rules on you in the middle of the action, goes a long
way into resolving the mechanics quickly so we can focus more on
role-playing the action.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Dealing with the
herculean task of maintaining the flow of the game without holding the
players by their noses into a railroad adventure is a whole topic into itself, and not the topic I want to focus on right now. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>To
deal with having to play each an every NPC the players would run
across, I use SPCs, or Semi-Player Characters. I first did this with
intelligent magic items and magical familiars. Instead of acting the
part of the magic item or critter, I would have one of the players do
that for me, and not the player who is handing the item/critter, but another player as to get
more social interaction between them, and without the innate bias that
could occur with, let say: A morally questionable Fighter character
wielding an intelligent Holy Avenger sword. Outside of intelligent magic
items and magical familiars (or high-tech equipment/drones with AI), I
can use this for minor NPCs during non-critical social encounters. To do
this, I ether slip players index cards with normal NPC notes on them
(name, job, personality, motivation, quirks, etc.), or I can allow players, within reason, to write their own SPC notes, then allowing them to "go ham" with it.<br /></div><div><br /></div>SPCs are also good back-up or auxiliary PCs. That is, lets say that Steve plays Dominique, a human cleric, as his main PC and also plays Valerian, a half-orc Bouncer at the local pub. Steve only created Dominique as the party really needed a healer, and he end up playing Valerian
so he could still be in the action during scenes that takes place at
the local pub -- the hangout of the PCs between adventures --as Dominique's duties do not allow him to go boozing. On top of that, Steve is starting to get board with Dominique and really enjoys the loud snarkness of Valerian. When the group got a new player, Sarah, who really wants to play Cordelia, a Sea-elf Priestess of a water-based healing goddess, Steven asked if he could retire Dominique and play Valerian as his primary character (as a Fighter equal in level to Dominique), the DM agreed and allowed Dominique to remain, now tied to the temple or some other task, as a reoccurring SPC.Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-44514959921305393002020-06-06T07:11:00.004-07:002021-01-09T00:50:12.144-08:00These Colors Run Dead<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is a style of flag in the U.S. that is
pattered on the American flag, but is entirely black and while save to a
blue band running in the middle were it should be white. A more extreme
variant has it in a Punisher skull (like in the Marvel comics). This
flag is called the "Blue Lives Matter" flag to most, and "The Thin Blue
Line" flag to those who wave it. The idea is that the "thin blue line"
is the barrier between "Order" (good, law-abiding citizens) and "Chaos"
(deviant criminals and anarchists) and that law enforcement protects
"Order" from "Chaos". But that is bullshit!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For
one, law enforcement <u>is</u> the "Order"! They are its agents of
enforcement. And for another, freedom — true freedom; the type
Conservatives clam they want and Libertarians are more honest about — is
inherently chaotic. More over, the Punisher skull variant undermines
this, as it is naked display authority without justice. Cops who spot this would be less subtle with a Judge Dredd badge or if they pack Dirty Harry's Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum like they want the world to know that they are packing a baby-dick. Law enforcement idealizing a psycho who'll shoot a jaywalker is comically on the nose.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What
that flag is about is just fascism, plan is simple. It is about the
police-state. It is about subjugation of "The Other". It is about
enabling corruption by those in power. It is about maintaining a system
even when it is broken. It is the banner of the Evil Empire!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrko83B4xWwsEE4TS2Vx08O4hmaZQYPteHfRu0wIWvlOEaqv4s2YNg_qlE3kjkwOhI7vJym1DVwECC9z16J2hHQmoC_peeoy4AFVQPMPJR8N2-iWFlrry_jhnmcmAOuQsTcAd0bVlMx7O/s1600/thin-blue-line-nazi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="600" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrko83B4xWwsEE4TS2Vx08O4hmaZQYPteHfRu0wIWvlOEaqv4s2YNg_qlE3kjkwOhI7vJym1DVwECC9z16J2hHQmoC_peeoy4AFVQPMPJR8N2-iWFlrry_jhnmcmAOuQsTcAd0bVlMx7O/s320/thin-blue-line-nazi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There
is a reason why people are risking COVID-19 in protest. There is a
reason why the burning of the Third Precinct police station in
Minneapolis was a good thing. For too long, the police suffer from the
"If Your Only Tool Is a Hammer Then Every Problem Looks Like a Nail"
dilemma with their training. They are too reliant on firearm training
and lack de-escalation skills. Are are also no better than a gang. The
police culture — an informal wall of silence among members of law
enforcement — is more in keeping to frat boys and organized crime, which
puts the welfare of the so-called "bad apples" above any semblance of
justice, with "bad apples" being a comical euphemism used by police
agencies to dismiss individuals who were caught, despite them being the
products of law enforcement training (no to mention the fact that the
full statement is "one bad apple spoils the whole bunch", which is
appropriate but always with a dumb sense of irony).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I grew-up knowing how useless the police are when you live in a "red-lined" neighborhood. I grew-up
seeing how the police behave when they think know one is looking. I
grew-up knowing the actions law enforcement takes when someone crosses
them. I grew-up knowing that the wife and kids of a cop have no were to
turn to if they are abused by him, nor can they ever escape. I grew-up
hearing that the legal system dont give a damn about rape-victims how
cops who rape can just get away with it. And due to all that, I grew-up
with not respect for authority or the system.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Until
they get their shit together the social contract is broken. Their badge
— their authority — is meaningless. The scale and the gavel is
broken. People should see them no better than another street gang
(black people
been doing that forever) and we should fight to keep our streets safe.
This is nothing new in the US. In the '60s, The Black Panther Moment
formed to deal with racist cops. People forget that the most successful insurrection in the United States was the
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Athens_(1946)">Battle of Athens</a> in 1946, and that involved a shootout with over two-hundred Sharif Deputies (who were in a prison house rigging a local election) loosing
to scores of armed WWII veterans. (I don't think gun-rights activists ever bring this event up, ever. Even though is about good-guys-with-guns fighting tyranny and winning. Its like they don't want to alienate their blue-lives supporters.) I'm not saying that people should
embrace mindless mayhem and lawlessness, nor am I saying that we should
kill cops (I mean, outside of self-defense). No, we can do better! If
there is going to be stability, there needs to be accountability as well
as better methods of peacekeeping, and the only way to get there is to
dismantle the system and makes something better, even it its from the
ground-up.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Until then...</div>
<div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qu6r7Yd_iG8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qu6r7Yd_iG8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe> </div>
Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-82672076295703491302020-06-03T10:47:00.001-07:002020-06-03T10:47:48.611-07:00This Machine (Terrorist?) Kills Fascists!Well, it seems that as an <span class="js-about-item-abstr"> anti-fascist person — as any good American would be — I am now deemed a criminal terrorist.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="js-about-item-abstr">My little Punk Rock heart is now all a flutter. ;)</span><br />
<br />
<span class="js-about-item-abstr">Much like how the Russian and Chinese governments only allowing </span><span class="js-about-item-abstr"></span>"state-approved" (that is, pro-<span class="js-about-item-abstr">state</span>) Hip-hop/Rap and rock music within their countries, you can make almost anything infinitely cooler by having an authoritarian figure and/or state tell people that something is criminal (not to mention the amazing underground scenes). And in the case of Punk Rock and Hip-hop, that gives a lot of creed to the genre and performers.<br />
<br />
So in these troubled times, just remember what we did back in WWII:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNnP36TLaMblCT3O0CyaMNShIYFBYA0HEWjeBqddY3k1ivn8gL8kDqBAgP4BfFhL23U4r5AHY7cN0ej7MxoV7FN0Z-5SQkud2sLHA2FSUjCpbMeLwwrsE8SL84ycBcUVVbycw04XFwPZw/s1600/nazi-punch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNnP36TLaMblCT3O0CyaMNShIYFBYA0HEWjeBqddY3k1ivn8gL8kDqBAgP4BfFhL23U4r5AHY7cN0ej7MxoV7FN0Z-5SQkud2sLHA2FSUjCpbMeLwwrsE8SL84ycBcUVVbycw04XFwPZw/s320/nazi-punch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>THIS...</b></i> is how you make 'Merica great again!</div>
<br />
And to all the folks who like to march goosestep to the drums of a dickless "strong leader", well...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZty0SX5mxsMoIl6zHd59S-8Peqeu43FV0398pPikSsC0BH9xTevH0bdHVYfaqaaT3wS-dN2hoOSGqXv8UlSYqozQbbo747LmNWBOtl5aC5EGeW42C6tF8yw8V7aMNstADuGiEewvk6W4/s1600/followyourleader2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="357" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZty0SX5mxsMoIl6zHd59S-8Peqeu43FV0398pPikSsC0BH9xTevH0bdHVYfaqaaT3wS-dN2hoOSGqXv8UlSYqozQbbo747LmNWBOtl5aC5EGeW42C6tF8yw8V7aMNstADuGiEewvk6W4/s320/followyourleader2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Oh, and for anyone who is going to bitch that I'm calling Corporal Bone-Spurs "Another Hitler", I am not, as that would be giving him waaay too much credit. He is just a dumber, frumpier <span class="module__title__link">Mussolini.</span>Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-91432311506983271662020-03-18T22:17:00.000-07:002020-03-18T22:17:37.379-07:00Toilet Paper ShortageThings would be way better if more folks knew how to use these properly:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy231lac0TlG6dwgX_CKbPPymzzMBwSDiXr01w9_SpqxXdjz7gniMTewQoc_wb1CF47g7g39k4YfAecs943rMYRR7hK4Xmh-NWXLIpS-jdrvluIV9mEsBXaFgE0amzqQEbtjb_FB5ZxVaz/s1600/Three-Seashells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy231lac0TlG6dwgX_CKbPPymzzMBwSDiXr01w9_SpqxXdjz7gniMTewQoc_wb1CF47g7g39k4YfAecs943rMYRR7hK4Xmh-NWXLIpS-jdrvluIV9mEsBXaFgE0amzqQEbtjb_FB5ZxVaz/s1600/Three-Seashells.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
That is all. Go about your business of being stuck at home.Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-22755241269992147252020-01-18T20:10:00.000-08:002020-01-18T20:10:07.274-08:00The Star Warriors SettingSome time ago, on a Blog not too far away...<br /><br /><i>[plays loud orchestral music]</i><br />
<br />
<div>
Years ago on the <i><a href="http://sorcerersskull.blogspot.com/">Blog From the Sorcerer's Skull</a></i>, the owner "Tray"
came up with a neat little pulp space setting that takes place in the
far-off Azuran System called <b><i>The Star Warriors</i></b>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At
first it comes off as just another Star Wars-inspired setting with an
evil regime (the Authority), a battle between an order of heroic mystic
space knights (the Star Knights) verses an order of evil occult space
sorcerers (the Dark Star Warriors) with a supernatural element that is
the source light and dark magic (The Enigma Source and Anti-Source), and
with some wild west added for flavoring. But when you really look at
it, it was inspired by the Vega star system from the Green Lantern
comics and the Micronauts' Homeworld from the Marvel comic, as well as a
number of obscure '80s toy lines, like the Lords of Light, Power Lords, BraveStarr, etc. (The 1980s was a sea of obscure cartoons and toy lines.)</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
(Although, it should be said that after Star Wars cough lightning in a bottle, just about everyone wanted to create "the next Star Wars", so the '80s was full of wannabe Star Wars films. And the cartoon-toy craze of the 1980s was due to the successes of Star Wars mechanizing.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At first, I tried to come up with comprehensive background details on
history, customs, costumes, military ranks, etc., as well as stock NPCs
both good and bad, but it quickly occurred to me that it was too much
detail for a sandbox. Having a good foundation is fine, but I still want
the setting to be open-ended enough to make it malleable, without
binding myself into a straitjacket. Nor do I want to front-load a butch
of powerful NPC heroes to steal the player-character's thunder. After
all, if the setting already has powerful heroes in play, what is the
point of the player character. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That is the
charm about the setting. Even with how fantastic the Star Wars setting
is, the glut of background information ("canon" and "legends"), as well
as the limitations placed in the well-established setting, makes it hard
to run as a role-playing setting. The Star Warriors is a rough outline
fresh for adventure and individual world-building. I take whats there
and add my own flavoring to the stew, in service to my own games. I see
this setting as a place where you'll find 17th century pirates
as space-pirates in rocketships; Barsoomian-like people going through
space in elegant Spelljammer-like ships; space gypsies; space-elves
that look like the nymphish woman in an old Leiji Matsumoto anime; a
backwater barbarian hero who is applying his/herself as a great space
adventurer; and so on
and so forth. Pure kitchen-sink fantasy... <b>IN SPACE!!!</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You can find more info about the setting <a href="http://sorcerersskull.blogspot.com/2020/01/weird-revisited-map-of-azuran-system.html">here</a>, <a href="http://sorcerersskull.blogspot.com/2015/12/star-warriors-3-worlds.html">here</a>, <a href="http://sorcerersskull.blogspot.com/2015/12/star-warriors.html">here</a>, <a href="http://sorcerersskull.blogspot.com/2016/01/a-star-warriors-summary.html">here</a> and <a href="http://sorcerersskull.blogspot.com/2016/01/star-warriors-bad-guys.html">here</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here are my ideas:</div>
<div>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>NEW ORGANIZATIONS</b></span></div>
<br /><b>THE CONSORTIUM</b><br />This
large, powerful corporate conglomerate is the Authority's principle
ship and weapon manufacturer. Both entities believes that they are more
pivotal to the stability of the Azuran system than the other, buy they
are so inescapably codependent off one another that nether side can get
control of the other without undoing them both. But that does not stop
the scheming and power-plays. The corporate leaders live apart from the
common people; in the an orbiting space station above Omicron, the Sky
Follower — once a splendid garden park open for anyone to enjoy.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /><b>AUTHORITY ENFORCERS</b><br />Enforcers
form the backbone of the Authority. Covered in black armored spacesuits
and armed with lethal weapons and training, Authority Enforcers are
fanatically loyal to Authority High Command. They are soldiers who also
serve as law enforcement. The most elite become the infamous Night Watch
Enforcers — the Authority's covert commandos and secret police. Good
citizens of the Azuran System would be wise to not cross Enforcers as
the Authority does not tolerate dissension!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>FREEDOM FIGHTERS</b><br />Although
treated as a monolithic terrorist organization by the Authority,
Freedom Fighters are individual insurgence groups with their own
leadership, goals and... methods. They range from small bands of scrappy
rebellious youth, to well-armed fleets ships and guerrilla fighters;
from noble renegade Star Knights, to heartless desperadoes. Without a
great leader to unite them, each group bravely and desperately fights a
hopeless battle to brake the iron grip of the evil Authority.<br /><br /><b>ELYSIA'S RESISTANCE FLEET</b><br />Formed
form the survivors of the conquest of Elysia by the Authority, they
form a scrappy but well-disciplined and well-armed fleet. They have a
good number of warships and fighters, and with the right planing and
strategy, could take down an Authority's armada head on, but with
limited resources, it would be a pyrrhic victory at best. They lack
dedicated troops and are dependent on allies for ground battles. When
confronted with Authority Enforcers, all they have are technicians and
pilots with sidearms.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>THE WAYFARERS</b><br />Travailing in old but well-decorated rocketships, these
spacerborne free-spirited vagabonds are a mix of tramp traders,
grifters, entertainers and mystics. They are not trusted by civilized
people and the Authority see them all with suspect. People seek them out
for their fortunetelling abilities, to acquire rare and exotic (and
often illicit) goods, or to take in their exotic performances. Their
strange music and dance are said to induce an unearthly ecstasy! Whilst
there are those who want them to settle down, the wild heart of a
Wayfarer will never allow it.</div>
<div>
<br /><b>SPACE PIRATES</b><br />In the
chaotic reaches of the Azuran system, space bandits pray on helpless
merchant ships and passenger liners. Pirates are feared through out the
Azuran System! A few Captains are bold enough to dare strike Authority
supply convoys. Vary few pirates are noble, as most are just in it for
wealth. Although seen as nothing more than a fairy tale by hopeful
youth, there is a legend of a roguish Space Pirate Captain who is driven
by revenge and justice to defeat the Authority.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>THE BLACK STAR PIRATES</b><br />The
most infamous Space Piratefleet in the whole Azuran system! Their
brutality is the stuff of legends and nightmares! While most Space
Pirates would keep prisoners for the sake of slavers and ransoms, they
have been known to kill off whole ships of crew and passengers,
including on luxury ships full of rich passengers, from time-to-time as a
stark reminder to the Azuran System that they are a force not to be
reckoned with. As they have a robust trading center for slaves and
stolen goods at the well-guarded space fortress on Skull Rock, they are
the most well-equipped pirate fleet in the Azuran system. The bounty on
an individual Black Star Pirate Ship is enough to buy a small moon!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>NEW WORLDS</b></span></div>
<br /><b>Omicron: The Industrial Planet</b><br />This
ancient planet is covered in layers of urban expansion. Once the
economic center of the Azuran system, the collapses of the Solar
Alliance brought an era of warring corporate feudal states within
Omicron that help gave rise to the Authority that filled the power
vacuum left by the Alliance. Through the Authority, the corporations
coalesced into a single corporate entity: The Consortium. The
upper-levels are made up of Consortium-controlled businesses, while the
mid-levels are made up of Consortium-controlled communities, both
enforced with a heavy hand by Authority peacekeepers. The lower-levels
are a lawless den of scum and villainy out of the reach of the
Authority. It is infamous for bing the birthplace of the system's worst
criminals, bounty hunters and guerilla fighters. But much of the
population of the lower-levels are just poor, desperate people. The
people of this world are historically hardworking, industrious and
practical in nature. Before the collapses of the Solar Alliance they
were also a fairly easy-going and philanthropic people, but now they are
cynical and aggressively militant. The whole planet is a powder-keg of
political and economic discontentment, just waiting for the Authority to
loosen their iron grasp on Omicron.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>(This world is located at the one of the unnamed planets near Authority Prime, Elysia and Computronia; see first link above for system map)</i></div>
<div>
<br /><b>Skull Rock: The Space Pirate Hideout</b><br />The
notorious Skull Rock is the hidden base of the dread Black Star
Pirates. It is a large hollow asteroid within The Outer Belt. Time and
time again, attempts to destroy Skull Rock ended horribly for Authority
fleets thanks in large part for the dangers of navigating The Outer
Belt, as well as the ambush tactics deployed by the pirates. Smugglers,
slave merchants and Wayfarers are often welcome to the Grand Trading
Hall of Skull Rock. The bounty in Skull Rock could buy a whole planet!</div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>(This asteroid is found outside the "ring of life" that makes up the solar system</i><i><i>; see first link above for system map</i>)</i></div>
Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-85522985487286153102019-12-04T22:45:00.000-08:002019-12-04T22:47:32.811-08:00The Mandalorian (Spoilery)I Just got done watching the first four episodes of The Mandalorian.<br />
<br />
<b>HOLY STUCK-UP, HALF-WITTED, SCRUFFY-LOOKING NURF-HERDER ON A TAUNTAUN!!! THAT WAS GREAT!! IT HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, ALL THE WHILE HITTING ALL THE HIGH NOTES!!! I HAVE NOT BEEN THIS EXCITED ABOUT STAR WARS SINCE SEEING YODA IN <i>THE LAST JEDI</i> OR WATCHING THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR THE FIRST TIME!!</b><br />
<br />
<b>*takes deep breath*</b><br />
<br />
OK...<br />
<br />
Yes, I love it.<br />
<br />
The new series takes the original Boba Fett form the <i>Hoilday Special</i> — twin-prong zap-rifle and all — and puts him in an Akira Kurosawa-inspired Spaghetti Western and the seminal manga <i>Lone Wolf and Cub</i>. It is a well-written and well-acted cinematic series with just the right amount of practical vs CGI effects and lots of beautiful props and locations. You'll find a lot of hommage to the Star Wars franchise and the media that inspired it (Spaghetti Westerns, Kurosawa films, <i>Lone Wolf and Cub</i>, etc.).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBjs_NOJD0czudyX5yi2neYd-fuOqQiTWyzyiXWLMhbQxMQbjJvbbsOYMMpfQHTVsN_oKZoHbKb2GU_fCH4ZgxiFjJdcWT1aJQdLjuTYyMJUyFnpxSG3jaqJtJmeyf5yj-OxwUmpSrNn0/s1600/lone-wolf-and-cub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBjs_NOJD0czudyX5yi2neYd-fuOqQiTWyzyiXWLMhbQxMQbjJvbbsOYMMpfQHTVsN_oKZoHbKb2GU_fCH4ZgxiFjJdcWT1aJQdLjuTYyMJUyFnpxSG3jaqJtJmeyf5yj-OxwUmpSrNn0/s400/lone-wolf-and-cub.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Its basically is... <b>IN SPAAACE!!!</b></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm going to assume everyone and there dog knows about "Baby Yoda". The internet cant get enough of the Baby Yoda (by the way, he is not actually Yoda, but for the lack of a species name). You can already find memes of him on YouTube (search "Baby Yoda Car Radio"). And yes, he is key to the plot. I know I'm not the only one wanting to sodomize the corpse of Walt Disney with a thick wad of cash to get a damn Baby Yoda plushy for the holidays. IT BETTER BE DAMN KUWT AN NOT SOME SOULLESS-EYED <i>FUNKO POPS</i> FIGURE!!!<br />
<br />
In a nutshell, the series is about a faceless Mandalorian Bounty Hunter named Dyn Jarren was hired to recover someone, no questions asked. Once he found him, the nameless "Child", he goes on the run to keep the child safe. That is it! Its an on going series with a big mystery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBshqj0-4ej42hIqY-kjDgkwvMWE66cAdf_H4X0xWDSiENpMF58vAhScIBkPDljXJyiIIRSrMy1J0VpMijk-fw_4XKUsUiaIThnSvAjExShyyYlFuqzUcItKZo168XEo-0HkVNjv91gyD/s1600/baby-yoda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBshqj0-4ej42hIqY-kjDgkwvMWE66cAdf_H4X0xWDSiENpMF58vAhScIBkPDljXJyiIIRSrMy1J0VpMijk-fw_4XKUsUiaIThnSvAjExShyyYlFuqzUcItKZo168XEo-0HkVNjv91gyD/s400/baby-yoda.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>ALL HAIL OUR NEW HYPNOTAOD!!!</b></span></div>
<br />
Unless you are one of those pedantic souls who cannot stand to see a highly unnoticeable boom-mic, or one of those stupid asshats who bitch about Star Trek (of all things) having "too much diversity", then, chances are, you are not going to like anything good, you miserable pieces of shit! For everyone else, I highly recommend it. So far, 5-out-of-5!<br />
<br />
Is it worth getting a Disney+ subscription? Fuck no! They are a shitty company and I question their cyber-security. Plus, in the Information Age, why pay for something when you can pirate! ARRRGGG!!! (Or if you really like it, buy the physical media.)Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-73225335457766636872019-10-23T04:34:00.000-07:002019-10-23T04:34:22.855-07:00Dead in the Water (for MCC RPG)<div>
Hello everyone!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If it seems that I have not posted in awhile, that because I have been caught up with real life — the bane of all RPG players.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I
was working on another art project with Tim Snider and the final
product came in my mailbox. Unlike the other projects, this one is for
<i>Goodman Games</i>' <b>Mutant Crawl Classic</b> (instead of <b>Mutant Future</b>), and this
one showcase a painting I did for him years ago on the cover (while
working on the last <b>Mutant Future</b>-based supplement). I was so happy to
see one of my pictures on the cover, I wanted to shout it from the
rooftop, but them I remembered I have a Blog (pardon the dust... and
cobwebs... and the old Christmas boxes... and the dead hookers).</div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXxlglV1ZYam8iNloMkI8mJDzfU9HAtrWIk_PfAGySgV7mViqI5TCgPFnCulEwiY1ALUZb-aeN1BnPYwPFsZUUjZr96RGqr1tu-iheDOv1ds1ct0PzGA3UqOFYUbwjWWN1Ykl_N5SZxEe/s1600/DeadWaterCover-FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1236" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXxlglV1ZYam8iNloMkI8mJDzfU9HAtrWIk_PfAGySgV7mViqI5TCgPFnCulEwiY1ALUZb-aeN1BnPYwPFsZUUjZr96RGqr1tu-iheDOv1ds1ct0PzGA3UqOFYUbwjWWN1Ykl_N5SZxEe/s320/DeadWaterCover-FINAL.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div>
The 16-page booklet — first featured at <b>Gamehole Con</b> in Madison, WI —
is a simple "funnel adventure", for 12 to 16 zero-level characters. For
those unfamiliar with <b>Mutant Crawl Classic</b>, as a standard rule, players
start with multiple characters due to the high mortality rate at
level-zero — once they gain a level, they play a single character with a class, and all the abilities that comes with it. If you cannot tell, where <b>Mutant Future</b> is the spiritual successor of 2nd ed. <b>Gamma World</b>, <b>MCC</b> feels like a successor of 4th ed. <b>GW</b>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
The
adventure that takes place in <i>The Rainbow Sea</i>, on the legendary <i>Island
of Fire</i>, where horrible mutants that stalk a local fishing village
dwell! Your mission is to head out it the island and deal with these
foul creatures.Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-73125702122689491562019-02-14T06:31:00.000-08:002019-02-14T06:31:18.682-08:00Oh Zak...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQQJ41uzumHEemd43zumWGRC0ClfSASUWH52zpSYtWeJkhstxIE_WvCLSb6Zpn7GFnXJtW61W83NXYur2JFu2-CN2XaSSZyPzteQs58gfUrSmON4I1sLbQAFaggEJrFZ9h0QR104aJue3/s1600/BurningBag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQQJ41uzumHEemd43zumWGRC0ClfSASUWH52zpSYtWeJkhstxIE_WvCLSb6Zpn7GFnXJtW61W83NXYur2JFu2-CN2XaSSZyPzteQs58gfUrSmON4I1sLbQAFaggEJrFZ9h0QR104aJue3/s1600/BurningBag.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Picture of Zak S., aka Zak Smith, aka Zak Sabbeth, aka Zak Shitbag.</span></div>
<br />
I just found out about this today.<br />
<br />
Why am I not suppressed?<br />
<br />
For those not in the know, epic-level shit-starter Zak "S" Smith of <i>Playing D&D with Porn Stars</i> Blog and <i>I Hit It With My Axe</i> v-blog was just <i>#MeToo</i>-ed at the beginning of the week. In a nutshell, his ex-girlfriends -- Mandy, Jennifer, and Hannah and Vivka -- came foward to tell the world about his menially, emotionally and sexually abusive behavior towards them.<br />
<br />
You can read it <a href="https://www.facebook.com/amandapatricianagy/posts/10215845527064252">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I read their posts. I have no doubts about the honesty of the women that came forward. What they said about him is too specific and are the types of things people seldom think of when it comes to abuse. He is a narcissistic ass who treats people like shit and then looses his shit when people throw this shit right back at him. I recognize the patters, and I have known too many assholes like that!<br />
<br />
Years ago, I used to follow his blog, and it had some good stuff on it. Some time after, I noticed how toxic he is, and they way he overreacts to anyone who disagrees with him. I hate the term "SJW" and I considered people threw that term around (along with "cuck" and "NPC" -- outside RPGs and video games) to be self-deluded shit-heels, but Zak acts as the poster boy of what Alt-Right wankers call "SJWs". Although, in Zak's case, he does not care about anyone else to really care about the equality of others, especially women. Much like a rich prick who throws a million to charity and a further 2-million to make sure the while world knows it, Zak puts on the badge of "social inclusiveness" to make himself look good.<br />
<br />
While there are going to be apologists who will take his side, they can kiss my ass, along with those asshats who would start a campaign of threats and harassment on the woman... well they can choke on my dick! Well, people are dropping him left and right like the burning bag of shit that he is. His ability to find sites to publish his stuff is now limited. He is already banned from a number of forums (to be fair, he was already banned from many sides for being such a toxic person).<br />
<br />
I wish to thank the woman for being brave enough to speak out about him, as the internet gets really nasty with women who do so. That kind of added abuse should also not be tolerated. I wish the women well and godspeed.Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-52398733199819232722018-12-25T13:59:00.001-08:002018-12-25T13:59:35.795-08:00Happy Holidays!Tis the season to be naughty, <span class="st">Fa-la-la-<wbr></wbr>la-la, la-la-la-la!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">Whatever holiday you celebrate, eat & drink well, fuck hard, and enjoy your bounties.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">Happy Holidays, you awesome motherfuckers! <b>_\,,/</b></span><br />
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<br />
<span class="st"> </span><img alt="https://www-s.mlo.me/upen/v/tb2013/tb201311/tb20131115/3f600caf-aaad-40a2-a13a-056f43038257.jpg" class="shrinkToFit" height="400" src="https://www-s.mlo.me/upen/v/tb2013/tb201311/tb20131115/3f600caf-aaad-40a2-a13a-056f43038257.jpg" width="300" />Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-13955667707699242492018-11-04T19:18:00.001-08:002018-11-04T19:20:10.664-08:00My DriveThruRPG POD HaulFor those do don't know, the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/">DriveThruRPG</a> website offers not just game books in a digital Portable Document Format (PDF), but also physical Print-On-Demand (POD) copies, much like with <a href="http://lulu.com/">Lulu.com</a>. I have a TON of PDFs on my computer and backups storage mediums (disks, USB sticks, etc.), along with a small tablet to read them, and I love that I have access to a lot of gaming resources (legal or otherwise) at my finger-tip, but I also like to run games with actual physical books instead of fumbling through a sea of digital files that cannot be booked-marked or recalled with any amount of speed. Here is something about having books right there at your desk and in your shelf. Plus, a number of the current PODs are for old, discontinued products, with a good number providing extra income to their creator (although, I could care less about WotC or who ever took over White Wolf Publishing).<br />
<br />
Mind you, in a number of cases, retro-clone POD books are cheap enough to buy out of hand, but I still have to save-up for them. It this case, I had to save up for months to buy these "big books": <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXVUMALj7z96alFgPGBjwt-c1QMfFhtUzTQhP7e-e4qM-Ocf7QQGTrWcfCZGMJ3ZtEnWgI8-8wIsBnapb4sFJqkGC-wYtyULb_ThP59rB-R3rgJkMEx6ORDp-VlLEB1miQYyc04aj2Ot_/s1600/Tekumel-1e-reprint-cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="869" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXVUMALj7z96alFgPGBjwt-c1QMfFhtUzTQhP7e-e4qM-Ocf7QQGTrWcfCZGMJ3ZtEnWgI8-8wIsBnapb4sFJqkGC-wYtyULb_ThP59rB-R3rgJkMEx6ORDp-VlLEB1miQYyc04aj2Ot_/s400/Tekumel-1e-reprint-cover.png" width="297" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
OK, firstly, months back I got the re-print of the classic <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/2060/TEKUMELR--Empire-of-the-Petal-Throne-TSR"><b>Empire of the Petal Throne: The World of Tékumel</b></a>.<br />
<br />
For a while I was reading through some pirated PDFs about the setting and fell in love with it. It is a rich and beautiful backdrop deep in history and culture. To me, this is true fantasy, as its far beyond the mundane and ordinary fantasy we see everywhere today. This is not a setting like Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms where you can jump right in without effort. Tékumel requires a bit of research (and some mental adjustment) to get into. I know this is really off-putting to most, but I eat the setting details up like candy. As a fan of the Barsoom Saga, I'll usually fall back on the Tsolyáni culture to round-out the Barsoom people... or a derivative there off. Buying the hardcopy felt great, as I know it would go to Baker's estate.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEwAY3gCqXq0NTjqYiGcDpLo8cHCCROPEYqm0zq6t1Na7kj-mkJ2E50qsP46bpLSrSVeUwBSj4kA5a1tlOCbwEDZNrPUAoMxaQmckH5igadNXo5DwfAy1-AYKI0KQvocduiGBcylvths1/s1600/Tekumel-2e-b1-reprint-cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="612" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEwAY3gCqXq0NTjqYiGcDpLo8cHCCROPEYqm0zq6t1Na7kj-mkJ2E50qsP46bpLSrSVeUwBSj4kA5a1tlOCbwEDZNrPUAoMxaQmckH5igadNXo5DwfAy1-AYKI0KQvocduiGBcylvths1/s400/Tekumel-2e-b1-reprint-cover.png" width="308" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I quite enjoyed the book, but I could care less about the rules. I'm more interested in the setting itself, so I put my sights on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/141869/The-Tekumel-Sourcebook--Swords--Glory-Vol-1"><b>Swords and Glory vol. 1: Tékumel Source Book</b></a>, which I ordered last month, along with the next book...<br />
<br />
For few a years now, I have been in an '80s nostalgia-driven classic cyberpunk kick. Back in the '90s I was into the cyberpunk genre, but the only thing available was <b>Shadowrun</b>, but I never liked that game. All I wanted was pure, unadulterated cyberpunk! No punk-rock elves! No street-mages! No dragon-CEOs! I have a number of cyberpunk RPGs on my files — <b>Shadowrun</b>, <b>Cyberspace</b>, <b>GURPS Cyberpunk</b>, <b>C.O.P.S.</b>, etc. — and I like to mix things up, but the cyberpunk backdrop that really stood out is Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. It has all the right mix of elements: Gibson/Sterling-styled "<i>Mirrorshades</i>" cyber-punks; <i>Bladerunner</i>-like backdrop; <i>Tech Noir</i>-styled bars bathed in blue & pink bisexual neon lighting; <i>OCP</i>-like Machiavellian corporate politics; <i>Mad Max</i>-styled Nomads (and <i>Water World</i>-styled Pirate-bikers for good measure) <i>Rage Against the Machine</i>-like Rockerboys; weapons, gear and vehicles that look like concept art form late-'80s OVA-era anime; a sex-positive attitude towards nudity and sexuality; and a fashion sense and outlook that is so entrenched in the 1980s.<br />
<br />
<br />
Now, I'm not a fan of the <i>Cyberpunk 2020</i> rules: I find the game mechanics to be dull and I never liked Humanity Loss, as I see it as a wonky limiter on the number of cybernetics that you can install. Plus it makes no sense that a few cosmetic implants that change your physical features in smalls ways (color-changing hair/eyes/skin, glow-in-the-dark tattoos, etc.) and things that folks do even think about (blood-filters, contraceptive implants, and the like), above and beyond the major mental and physical alterations, would push someone into becoming a murderous psychopath. (If anything, only have the cool, useful things strip one's psyche.) It also has a strange aversion to recreational drug-use in that "Reefer Madness" sort of way. I don't care what Maximum Mike said: Cyberpunk is vary much "Dungeons & Drug-Dealers"! Much like in the real-world, safe recreational drug-use is a skill all its own (hell, even as a kid I was taught: "Even with weed, always know the person you are buying drugs from!"), and drug-dealers do not last long peddling bad shit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpBffoWHzk1T1FAQRbRt-Y7uSgmtBEt__VT06q9S8QDs5Ne9M2_7y8yrTHZAZ3wkqZe07Dfh1kR_jm4ro03LsPP85YQiS9AwI6jbB1I8vZPNaLBBZ-xHLnBqvUuYtZg2V7ylnjXNF6Xfo/s1600/CP2020cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpBffoWHzk1T1FAQRbRt-Y7uSgmtBEt__VT06q9S8QDs5Ne9M2_7y8yrTHZAZ3wkqZe07Dfh1kR_jm4ro03LsPP85YQiS9AwI6jbB1I8vZPNaLBBZ-xHLnBqvUuYtZg2V7ylnjXNF6Xfo/s400/CP2020cover.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
<br />
But still, I bought the reprint of <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/50354/Cyberpunk-2020-The-Second-Edition-Version-201"><b>Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.</b></a> (second edition, version 2.01). You might be asking way I would put money down on a system I don't care for. The truth is, I see the Cyberpunk 2020 setting as a foundation for my own cyberpunk games. I can add, mix, alter and remove things as I see fit, using a rule-system of my own choosing. I have a ton of other cyberpunk-related books, RPGs, movies and anime to work with. More over, there is a a great resource for <b>EVERYTHING</b> Cyberpunk 2020-related called <a href="http://datafortress2020.com/"><b>Datafortress 2020</b></a>! It list every item, weapon, armor, cyberware, lifestyle and vehicle found throughout the history of CP2020 and than some. It expands on Night City. Goes into the major military conflicts in Africa and South America. And it really flesh out the Nomad culture. (All while using a lot of images found on countless search results.) I highly recommend that site, even if you are not into the CP2020 setting.<br />
<br />
The Tékumel Source Book and Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. reprints arrived a day before Halloween and I have been reading both. The Tékumel Source Book is full of great information, but lacks page numbers with it indexing. Everything is in 1.XYZ index numbers with the "1" being the book, the "X" being a section of a broad topic and "Y" and "Z" going into more and more specific topics. As such, I'm having to write the section headers and index numbers on the top corners of each page to be able to find everything as the sub-section headers tend to get buried it the walls of texts. Due to a lack of artwork, I cannot rely on them to "landmark" sections, so I'm more dependent on the indexing. The top-page headers I put in looks like this (bun in pencil):<br />
<br />
<b>Early History — The Historical Empires<br />1.200 — 1.310</b><br />
<br />
Besides that issue, I really enjoy what it has too offer. Its going to take more time to fully absorb it, but so damn worth it!<br />
<br />
Beyond the rules, the Cyberpunk 2020 book is great! The artwork is good, although I wised that it was a little less prudish. I have seen the non-English CP2020 books, and they have less restraint. (Although, if I had my way, Tim Bradstreet, with his hard realistic, film noir style, would totally be apart of their artist pool.) What I really enjoy about the game is how it is presented like a series of magazine articles with magazine adds here and there for notable equipment. I love this! It really adds to game immersion. When you read the start of the chapters it really casual and, much like actual magazine articles, you'll find quotes from the chapter placed in sidebars as large, bold text to really highlight what the section is about. You'll find newspaper articles related to a situation only to turn the page and find a game scenario about it. You'll find quotes form the likes of Johnny Silverhand, a rebel Rockerboy, Morgan Blackhand, the "Solo's Solo", and Maximum Mike, who is essentially the Word-of-God for the game (the game was written by Mike Pondsmith). With all the art, tables and sidebars, is hard to to get lost in this book.<br />
<br />
In both cases, the books kind of suffers from the black & white line illustrations due to how both setting love vivid colors. In Tékumel, they love bright, contrasting colors. Houses, clothing, banners, the works: Bathed in bright colors with a lot of meaning. Cyberpunk maybe a futuristic film noir, but it is covered in Hajime Sorayama-styled chrome, with the bold color contrast of Patrick Nagel, and the aforementioned blue-N-pink bisexual neon lighting. (Although, that would have made the reprints more expensive and time-consuming.) Also, I'm not above altering the artwork of a new or reprint RPG, if I have issue with it — I did this for my Crimson Blades books and some others. Being line art, it makes my job way more easy.<br />
<br />
If there is one thing I wish DriveThruRPG had for Tékumel is<b> Book of Ebon Bindings</b>. Is is a book about demonology and the occult. Damn good stuff!Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-53041229579412837072018-10-08T19:17:00.000-07:002018-10-08T19:17:52.153-07:00Old-School Cyberpunk (and Nostalgia)For some years now I have been rally into Cyberpunk-genre gaming, mostly out of '80s and '90s nostalgia.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sPoyaAaAHVpvI_nVRSAShOjH0oE79R0nrtmaswBVvjD19hdgYXW1b9ZU_96Q8ch9pGVZc6DSXJix8Kh_aNlZTF98Pwz5tTWkzSGYS0oZkGo6N_rcl9NN4c5p66P-aHUIJzt4fSccFofZ/s1600/tumblr_mjzkr5ukpi1s084zro1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sPoyaAaAHVpvI_nVRSAShOjH0oE79R0nrtmaswBVvjD19hdgYXW1b9ZU_96Q8ch9pGVZc6DSXJix8Kh_aNlZTF98Pwz5tTWkzSGYS0oZkGo6N_rcl9NN4c5p66P-aHUIJzt4fSccFofZ/s400/tumblr_mjzkr5ukpi1s084zro1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I
grew-up in the '80s, will all the cheesy cartoons, comic books, and
blood-n-boob filled action & horror films that came with it. On top
of that, being from the San Fransisco Bay Area, I was exposed to the
Puck scene, the Hip-Hop scene, sci-fi/fantasy/comic/RPG conventions, and
bootleg "Japanimation" more-or-less at once. It was neat, but I was
mostly in the background as a child too young to really understand a lot
of it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I started to come in to my own as a
young teen in the '90s. By then, I was into heavy metal, discovering a
lot of legally made "dubbed" anime (before then, you had to rely on
bootlegs having subtitles or own a magazine that lists the translations)
that came of the OVA video market, and I was running my own D&D
games. The '90s anime market had a wide range of genre, but the one that
really stood out was cyberpunk, with titles like Akira, Appleseed,
Battle Angel Alita, Bubblegum Crisis, Ghost in the Shell, etc. (Much of
it was inspired by American films from the '80s) Back in the '90s, I
mostly played D&D, Battletech, 1e Gamma World. My first exposure to
cyberpunk gaming was Shadowrun (2e). It was classic cyberpunk mixed with
fantasy elements. I never liked that combination. By the time I
discovered SR, the Tolkien elements of fantasy — elves, orcs,
overly-useful magic, etc. — was wearing thin on me. All I wanted was a
pure cyberpunk game and I was unaware of Cyberpunk 2020 or ICE's
Cyberspace. It felt like everyone was playing 2e AD&D, Shadowrun or
Vampire, without much variation.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I finally discovered Cyberpunk 2020 in the mid-2000s.
The site that really got me to looking into CP2020 is an old site called
Datafortress 2020 by Deric "Wisdom000" Bernier. It is a great resource
of CP2020 that helps expand upon the setting, often using anime and
images found across the internet.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With
Cyberpunk 2020, I found the rules to be... well... Dull. In a nutshell,
it was basically "Roll a d10, add relevant attribute, skill and any
other adjustment vs a static Target Number." With rules, I want
something with more pizazz with the game mechanics, as well as a focus
on actual role-playing. On top of that, it also had a "Humanity Cost"
for getting fitted with cybernetics, with the ultimate cost being
Cyberpsychosis: A mental infliction that turns a character into ether an
emotionless introvert who balls-up in the corner and withers away, or a
mindless berserker that must murder-fuck EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING!!! I
was never a fan of this rule. I see it as a cheap game-balance mechanic
to limit the amount of cybernetic a character have at one time. To me,
the best limitation to what you can have installed is power and
maintenance. That is, some of the more powerful cybernetics would
require a lot of power. You might have to use some of the internal areas
of a cyber-limb to mount batteries, while a whole cyborg body would
require portable motor! Maintenance goes without saying. Its silly to
think that you get your right arm replaced and it would stay as good as a
natural arm: A cyberarm cannot mend its own cuts and brakes, and you
still have to keep it oiled and what have you. If anything, you should
be able to mount any number of cosmetic, superficial cyberwear, like any
fashionwear, sensory-enchantments, the Mr. Studd™ sexual implant (yes,
this is a thing), Skinweave, etc. After all, being able to go "full
cyborg" should be an achievement into itself, and not something that is
relegated to a murderous corporate attack-dog.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And yet, I still really like it! The game gets "Cyberpunk" right! The
chrome, the fashion, the scene, the punk! You can never downplay the
fashion or the "punk" enough. Its high-tech lowlife adventure! Cyberpunk
took a lot form other fiction and it is better for it. You'll find a
lot of great content with it its rulebook and supplements. The art is great. Although, its a
shame that is mostly black & white (the cyberpunk future is best
viewed in that punk-n-blue neon-back-lit "bisexual lighting"), and a
number of the more risqué artwork found in the French language editions
was altered or expunged from the English edition, which is a big no-no,
as cyberpunk is supposed be erotic. Another great part of CP2020 is that
due to people getting disenfranchised by the mega-corporations (aka, the only employers in town), they avoided becoming homeless rats in the urban war-zones by coming free-roving families called the Nomads. Beyond "The Sprawl" of the big cities, fly-over country is an endless
landscape of dead farmlands, suburban ruins, old decayed roads, lawless gangs of bloodthirsty raiders, the Nomads trying to survive in the wild countrysides of North America. Basically, Cyberpunk 2020 goes into Mad Max territory.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIJHNcJ2da8y2LLGXfg0cZNAiChOvclkoPit1dxeVmAgBEbtKGeScQbq4wacyAK76FzLASkuG2LUN_6NQd0GKBA7FwvQTURQvfABV1ya9h4Fk8a114mOD8ykrVHyipGezuqto_6LAngWv/s1600/3925447885_1480562764_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIJHNcJ2da8y2LLGXfg0cZNAiChOvclkoPit1dxeVmAgBEbtKGeScQbq4wacyAK76FzLASkuG2LUN_6NQd0GKBA7FwvQTURQvfABV1ya9h4Fk8a114mOD8ykrVHyipGezuqto_6LAngWv/s400/3925447885_1480562764_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
In
this game, you can freely sample classic cyberpunk novels, '80s sci-fi
action films, '90s cyberpunk anime, post-apocalyptic biker films, and
even the stranger cyberpunk films of the '90s. You can watch
Bladerunner, Freejack, and Crime Zone for the urban backdrop, Robocop (1
& 2) for the corporate backdrop and corporate-controlled media, Mad
Max (The Road Warrior, Beyond Thunderdome, and any number of their
imitators) for the Nomad communities, Liquid Sky (and Patrick Nagel's
art, and Jem and the Holograms) for the fashion, '80s punk for the rebel
Rockboy scene, Hackers for Netrunner scene, Strange Days for the
directive stories, and so much more!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Mind you,
I'm still not a fan of the rules, and I will use a system that will
strike my fancy. In the past I'd use Dream Pod-9's Silhouette system.
Right now, its something more cobbled together from a number of
different rule systems. I will ape content from Shadowrun, Cyberspace
and any other cyberpunk game I can find. I find the Cyberpunk 2020
setting to be easy and available.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Unsurprisingly,
Cyberpunk 2020 is going to see new life with the upcoming video game
Cyberpunk 2077 by CD Projekt RED and tabletop RPG Cyberpunk Red by
R.Talsorian Games. Here is the tailer for the video game:</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UjxS9ciNlII/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UjxS9ciNlII?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-54691842871679430822017-10-31T17:09:00.003-07:002018-03-06T07:57:50.081-08:00Colder Than A......well...<br />
<br />
...actually...<br />
<br />
They are quit hot. 😉 😍<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aGtaslKEby7xxzG_poUKoCfYYqk5G0mC6bKTIyqrsNzdCnf92XjUWuD72V1oiM4bv11JF7ShWvRf5Oq_2KkP1Ge_yd6Nm24n66doUsrHDnG6irwsry9ZtBJSsL8tbuqKO3zqqUYh-Nf1/s1600/WitchsTits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="850" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aGtaslKEby7xxzG_poUKoCfYYqk5G0mC6bKTIyqrsNzdCnf92XjUWuD72V1oiM4bv11JF7ShWvRf5Oq_2KkP1Ge_yd6Nm24n66doUsrHDnG6irwsry9ZtBJSsL8tbuqKO3zqqUYh-Nf1/s640/WitchsTits.jpg" width="451" /></a><span style="color: #e69138;"><b> </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>HAPPY HALLOWEEN!</b></span></span></div>
<br />Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-88309509195712047942016-05-21T11:07:00.000-07:002016-05-21T11:07:29.325-07:00Battles of the Mechacyberoids<i><b>Battles of the Mechacyberoids</b></i> is a setting that I just came up with. Years ago, at the old (now defunct) <i>Goblinoid Games</i> forum, we were fooling around with the character generation system used in <i>Mini-Six</i> during its beta-testing stage. We were making stats for all sorts of characters, established and original. Among them, I managed to make stats for some of the Gen-1 Transformers, namely Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Megatron and Starscream. One of the key things with this was the use of scale. In the rules, scale determines size and firepower (and the resistance there of). Bumblebee had the smallest scale in any form, while everyone else were huge in size. Although, the rules did not cover scale in chargen, it was a neat gimmick. After that, I have been thinking about a Transformer-inspired that was different enough to be its own thing. Only until now, did it hit me...<br />
<br />
This setting is a cross between super sentai fiction (think <i>Voltron</i> and <i>Power Rangers</i>) and cartoons with giant transformable robots (<i>Transformers</i>; <i>Go-Bots</i>), with some magical girl transformations (<i>Cutie Honey</i>; <i>Sailor Moon</i>). I wanted to make a setting about giant transformable robots, but to do so, without being reliant on human sidekicks — such characters, often teenagers, were used as intermediates between the young viewers, and the strange alien robots. I wanted the action to jump between human-scale and mecha/vehicle-scale without having to change characters. One of the key ideas came from <i>Transformers: Headmasters</i>; a strange take on later Gen-1 Transformers, where alien humans had the idea of turning Cybertronian heads into transformable exo-suits, allowing humans to serve as a supporting brain, while leaving the Cybertronian in alt-mode (vehicle mode) when not together. I just dropped the human partner, and made it so that the giant robot can detach its own head in order to transform into an artificial human. "Mechacyberoids" is a working title, but it is based on the long-winded titles found in a lot of old '70s-'80s giant robot anime.<br />
<br />
In this setting, some alien cyborg drones called the <i>Mechacyberoids</i>, who in their natural state, resemble giant robotic bugs, found their way on earth in the late '70s to early '80s. They were on a mission by their master, the dreaded Cybergorgon, to secure an artifact (a blue gowning dodecahedron) that is believed to had fell on earth. While there, they discovered a strange form of life that could threaten the mission. Initially, they though the machines and cities were a living hive collective. Without a means to communicate, first contact was not pretty. They damaged cities, killed bystanders and had a deadly conflict with the US military. To understand the treat better, they took on new forms. Initially, they formed into vehicles and moved aimless round cities and highways. On further examination, it was revealed that smaller beings that called themselves "humanity" were in control. From there on, they separated their own heads form their bodies, and human form...<br />
<br />
After years of close contact, the Mechacyberoids began to understand humanity better and became enamored with human idols and culture. They exist in two bodies: a human form; and a telepathically-linked vehicle. Their human body is mechanical, covered by life-like holographic skin. They have the ability to pull out weapons and tools from out of nowhere, and to transform into "soldier mode." The transformation is vary much like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWRC1pHI6c0">Cutie Honey</a>, and when done, they are in a cool outfit, covered in armor plating and assessors (HUD-set, hover-feet, jet packs, bunny-ear antenna, utility belt, etc.). Their vehicular body can change into "battle mode", where weapons and other equipment (wings, ram-plates, grapple arms, etc.) fold out of the body. The transformation is vary much like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2Z1yLO9C-Q">M.A.S.K.</a> When the threat gets too big, they can transform their vehicle bodies into "robot mode", jump onto the torso to transform their human body into the giant robot's head. Their giant robot bodies resemble the classic Transformers. Their giant robot bodies are build and armed for battle. Unlike Transformers, their vehicle forms are not fixed to one type of vehicle, but change their alt-mode takes time to scan and reconfigure. And also unlike Transformers (which never had any concept of scale), they are bound by their default size.<br />
<br />
They can also combine freely, creating "Gestalt" (aka Combiner) forms form nearly all combinations of fully-formed giant robot Mechacyberoids. A Gestalt form increases the size and power by the number of Mechacyberoids formed into it. The only problem is that all the joined Mechacyberoids form a telepathic link, and they all need to be unified in thought and action in order to function. Normally, in the past, Mechacyberoid drones could work freely in this mode in great numbers, but the differing identities that came with human contact, had made this a difficult feat. (This is vary much like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fJN8bffTW4">Fusion</a> in <i>Steven Universe</i>, but more mechanical.)<br />
<br />
These earth-bound Mechacyberoids pass off as normal people, living one human lifestyle or another. Although, unable to start families, they do engage in human relationships. They have no sense of gender or sexuality, but they have embraced such concepts and take on these identities as part of their "human role." They have two names: A "human name" that is part of their human identity; and their "true name" that would sound like a strange nickname to most people, but is the name chosen, and used with each other, that reflect their unique identity or dispossession. For example, a transformable dump truck was named <i>Granite</i>, as "he" is a stubborn oaf who throws his weight around, without an ounce of grace. As a human, his false identity is <i>Arnold James Bolton</i>, a construction worker from Mechanicsburg, Ohio. Despite their attempts as being as human as possible, they tend to exaggerate what is expected of them in their human roles based on what they see in media. For example, a Mechacyberoid living as a normal husbands, might emulate a fictional husband from an old TV sitcom (smoking jacket, penny loafers, and all). A Mechacyberoid who wants to "protect and serve" might join a local police department and act out a fictional TV/movie cop (short fuse, over-sized pistol and all), or dress in a loud outfit and fight crime as a costumed vigilantly (cape, tights and all).<br />
<br />
As enamored they are with human ways, they all know that if Cybergorgon finds the earth, he will consume it, turn it into a dead planet. He would also see any free-thinking Mechacyberoid as an abomination that would infect other Mechacyberoids with its corruption, and thus destroy any humanoid Mechacyberoids. And if he gets the artifact, he would become an unstoppable force in the cosmoses. As such, there are four factions with the earth-bound Mechacyberoids: The Guardians; The Renegades; The Rogues; and The Loyalists. (all are working titles)<br />
<br />
<b>The Guardians</b> were founded by a noble leader who dreams of a future were humans and Mechacyberoids live together in harmony. Their primary goal is to keep the earth a secret form Cybergorgon, and to keep the artifact from him. They also seek to defend the earth, when Cybergorgon's forces come looking for answers.<br />
<br />
<b>The Renegades</b> are ruled be a power-hungry despot, who wants to secure the artifact, in order to defeat Cybergorgon and take his place as the master of the galaxy. Followers are drawn be the more proactive defense against Cybergorgon, and are more willing to sacrifice the earth and its people, if need be. They look down at humans for being weak on all levels. As the Guardians and Renegades cannot see eye-to-eye on most things, they are always at conflict with each other.<br />
<br />
<b>The Rogues</b> are, for the most part, self-indulgent hedonists. They do want to keep earth a secret, but they do not want to engage in outright rebellion. They would rather lay low and hope Cybergorgon forgets about them. They have no leader or unified ideals. They mostly operate as gangs. They make up the majority of Mechacyberoids on earth.<br />
<br />
<b>The Loyalists</b> want to continue the mission and hopes that Cybergorgon would forgive them for the delay. As they are seen as a threat all other factions, they operate in secret, trying to rebuild the communication network damaged by Guardians and Renegades forces. They have no regard for humans. Thankfully, they are few in number.<br />
<br />
<b>Cybergorgon</b> resembles a large spaceship with three mechanical dragon heads, each mounted on a long articulated "Doc Ock" styled neck. Without any human contact, he has not concept of empathy or free agency. As he built this Mechacyberoid as semi-autonomous tools, he expect all his drones to serve him, and sacrifice themselves, if need be, without hesitation.<br />
<br />
So far, it is a premise with a lot of room to build upon. I have no idea when I'll make a sourcebook for this, and I want to stock it with some key players and items. As this is new, I'm still coming up with new ideas, and even this basic premise would likely face revision.Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-81374794592139779902016-05-13T00:31:00.001-07:002016-05-13T00:33:49.193-07:00Crimson Blades 2 Review<i>(Yes, I made is review of this game before, but that was a test of CharGen; this is an actual review. Pardon the spelling errors and the length of the review; that is how I review things.)</i><br />
<br />
A while back, I purchased the first edition
of <b><i>Crimson Blades: Crimson Blades Dark Fantasy RPG</i></b> (core rulebook) and
the <i><b>Crimson Lords Dark Fantasy RPG Supplement</b></i>. Together, they were a
great ruleset, offering a lot of neat rules and ideas. That I found out
that there was a new edition in the works, and Simon was nice enough to
send me files with a sample of the newer rules and content. Although,
largely unchanged in setting, save for a better map, rule-wise, it was
way better that what came before. The rules are more consistent and
easier to run. I love it!<br />
<br />
Originally, the second edition was
going to be in a box-set, much like <i>Astonishing Swordsmen &
Sorcerers of Hyperborea</i>, containing sheets, fold-up map, (possibly) dice
and four rule booklets, each dedicated to a content of the game:<br />
<br />
<b>Crimson Blades: Characters & Combat<br />Crimson Scrolls: Sorcery & Summoning<br />Crimson Lords: Manors & Monsters<br />Crimson Lands: Legends & Locales</b><br />
<br />
Through reasons beyond his control, he was unable to make that happen, so he published the game in a single book.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGPCMKNAstv45bfgraenF6vAH773lRa5yvuISAmOU-m08H6QI3dQQo5JL5JL1-c0ECQEFbmS3mjsLOg0JHlOtv_d-KsytwtuFeRNOpQB2ujrIxf59SC1abQg2Wa7iZAVggXUHcaNyCaW1/s1600/Crimson+Blades+2+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGPCMKNAstv45bfgraenF6vAH773lRa5yvuISAmOU-m08H6QI3dQQo5JL5JL1-c0ECQEFbmS3mjsLOg0JHlOtv_d-KsytwtuFeRNOpQB2ujrIxf59SC1abQg2Wa7iZAVggXUHcaNyCaW1/s400/Crimson+Blades+2+Cover.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>"For the honor of Greyskull!!"</b></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Sorry, it was that sword that made me say that)</span></div>
<br />
<br />
______________________________________<br />
<br />
The
rules are simple and play like the old Basic/Expert D&D rules, but
the game uses d6s exclusively. The game is tailored to play in the sort
of fantasy seen with Conan of Cimmeria and Elric of Melniboné.<br />
<br />
The
biggest change between editions is how it handles dice rolls. In the
first edition, what you need to roll was based on how you kick-down and
hear though doors: roll a d6, with a set number (e.g. 4+; lower, the
better) based on ability score or class ability (respectively). Some
tasks (including saves) would be based on ability scores, and would not
change through level progression, while other tasks would be based on
level, with no consideration to high or low ability. Doing anything
"untrained" would require a roll of 6 or more on a single die. The
second edition streamline the possess by requiring only 4+ on a single
die to succeed, high and low ability adjusting all rolls (from -1 to
+2), and granting additional dice (thus increasing ones chances of
rolling a successful die) through level progression. This also removes a
number of ability-based checks like Strength Feat, Lore Roll, Notice
Roll and the like.<br />
<br />
One of the biggest hooks that got me into the
game in the first place is how it handles Hit Dice. Unlike D&D, Hit
Dice is not equal to one's level. Hit Dice in this game determines two
things: Hit Point total and attacks per turn. Also unlike D&D, you
do not keep a running tally of Hit Points per level. Every time you gain
a new level, you re-roll your hit points. If you rolled higher that
your old total, record the new score. If it equal to or less, than keep
the old total. Although, in the new rules, you'll always get the minimum
of one hit point per level, which makes hit point totals per level less
stagnate. Hit Dice also features a bonus that is added to hit point
rolls, but is only applicable to the current level and has no effect on
combat rolls. Your Hit Dice is also the number of attack dice you can
roll in a single turn. If you have two or more HD, you can use them on a
single enemy, or split them between different opponents. You may
convert extra dice for bonuses (for yourself or to aid an ally in
combat), in order no hit tougher targets. Heavy weapons on the other
hand use only one attack die, but the damage dice rolled is equal to
your HD, and it is totaled! What that means is that instead of handling
damage dice per attack, each effected by Strength and armor, heavy
weapons can dish out more damage, with armor being less effective.
Originally, defense was much like AC, where armor effected the
opponent's ability to hit. Now, AC — called Defence Class (DC) — is
based on DEX, shield-use and level bonuses. Armor now absorbs damage,
making it possible to not take any damage.<br />
<br />
The effects of this
system, compared to D&D, is to prevent high level characters from
becoming human pincushions, with the trade off being that high level
characters are granted more killing power. If find this option to be way
better than D&D, as characters who gain level can quickly cut
through mobs and down powerful beasts, instead of being bloated
meat-shield, who spend all day hacking at monsters.<br />
<br />
Another neat
rule is its simple encumbrance system. A thing to note, is that I tend
to ignore encumbrance. I handle movement and what a character can carry
in the laziest way possible. This "Thing" system is insanely simple, and
reminds me of the Stone-based (units of 14 lbs.) encumbrance systems
used in some of the newer retro-clones. In this game, weapons, armor and
gear are rated as "Things." Most weapons, as well as the shield, count
as a "Thing." Armor range for one to four "Things." The clothes on your
back, some basic adventuring gear and pocket change all counts as only
one Thing, but beyond this, what you are carrying is subject to the DM's
discretion. In D&D, the thresholds to how much a character can
carry is ether static (Basic/Expert), or requires a separate lists,
based on STR score (Advanced). The amount of Things a character can
carry are such a low numbers, that STR bonus adjusts them without
complication.<br />
<br />
Your class options in this game are: Barbarian,
Griot, Fighter, Mountebank, Thief, Sorcerer, Wayfarer, and the inhuman
Dendrelyssi race. This is not a game about characters turning into
virtual demigods, so levels are caped at 10th level for all classes.
Also, you cannot
multi-class.<br />
<br />
<b>Fighters</b> are your basic D&D Fighter, but with
the ability to preform the kinds of stunts you'll see in Errol Flynn
films. <b>Barbarians</b> are your typical berserkers with survival skills and a
reliance on agility than heavy armor. <b>Griot</b> are African-styled Bards.
Unlike the standard D&D Bard, a Griot can summon spirits to
supplement their knowledge. They also have a lot of political clout.
<b>Wayfarers</b> play out like D&D Monks, but are strange runaways with
mystic abilities. <b>Thieves</b> are like their D&D equivalent, but are
focused towards tomb-robbing and second-story work, and possesses no
slight-of-hand ability. That ability goes to <b>Mountebanks</b>, who are like
Thieves in many ways, but their skills are based on being con-artists.
Where a Thief still uses Dexterity as a Prime Requisite, the Mountebank
uses Charisma. <b>Sorcerers</b> are like D&D Magic-Users, but they can use
meany types of weapons, and can even wear armor. They also benefit from
the new rules governing the summoning of unearthly spirits, but not to
the same degree as the Dendrelyssi. The <b>Dendrelyssi</b> are a race of
white-skin dark elves. Much like D&D Elves, they are as skilled with
a sword, as they are skilled with the mystic arts. Their ability to
cast spells is weak compared to Sorcerers, but they are exceptional
summoners.<br />
<br />
Most of the classes have a special skills akin to
Thieves' Abilities. They have between three to six skills. The player
sets priorities to each skill. The priorities are set as Primary,
Secondary and Teriary. From the start, Primary skills offers the best
odds of success, while Teriary skills have the lowest odds. As
characters progress in level, the odds improve more rapidly with Primary
skills as they grant two dice and give more dice sooner, while Teriary
skills start you with one die improve only slightly. Mountebanks and
Thieves, who have six skills each, can set two skills for each priority.
Wayfarers on the other hand, only have four skills, so they can only
place one skill in Primary and in Secondary, with the remaining two in
Teriary. Saving throws use the same rule. You have the same set of saves
as in 3e D&D, with Fort, Ref and Will. Saves by default advance as
Teriary skills, but a favorite save, as determine by class, is treated
as a Primary skill.<br />
<br />
There are other classes, but they are NPCs
only. In this case, they are the Fleshcrafter, Merchant, Royal Redeemer
and Witch. Fleshcrafters are Dendrelyssi who are skilled in torture and
surgery. Merchants are expert hagglers and travelers. The Royal Redeemer
are inquisitors who hunt down Dendrelyssi and their sympathizers. And
the Witch has a limited cast spells ability (though her familiar), but
can brew potions.<br />
<br />
Much like Elric of Melniboné, the game is set
to the "eternal balance of order and discord", and as such, you can
choose to play as Lawful, Neutral or Chaotic. The book makes good note
of each of their strengths and shortcomings, without making any side
inherently good or evil. Its mostly about being conservative in your
outlook (Lawful), or being recalcitrant (Chaotic).<br />
<br />
The spell
system in this game is the same as D&D, and does not offer much in
new rules or ideas. The rules for summoning are wholly original.
Whenever a class gains the ability to summon, the player must determine
what kind of spirit the character can summon. The are: Elementals (air,
earth, fire and water), Demons (of Combat, Desire, Knowledge, Pain,
Possession, Protection and Travel) and Undead (corporeal and
non-corporeal). Dendrelyssi and Sorcerers can choose what type of spirit
they can summon — if they meet Intelligent requirements — then they
must roll to see would type they are able to summon. Some classes, like
the Griot, are limited to Undead or Demons of Knowledge, while Merchants
can call on Demons of Travel. Intelligent and powerful summoners can
even summon the lords of these spirits: Elementals Rules, Demon Lords,
Liches or Vampires. Instead of the usual D&D-styled magic items,
demons can be installed in objects or even people. Demons of Combat can
be placed inside weapons to imbue great power to the welder. Demons of
Protection can be placed in armor, doors, locks, chests and any other
barriers. These items can be dangerous and fickle to use, but they can
be awesomely game-braking in the right hands, and that is not a bad
thing.<br />
<br />
Beyond the core dice mechanics, another major change
between edition is the complete removal of Experience Points. The reason
for this is that the game is not a dungeon-crawl, nor a hack-n-slash.
The goal of this game is to focus on adventure, exploration, mystery,
intrigue, drama, politics or anything else that motivates the players
beyond just mindless (and eventually boring) killing and looting. In
fact, there are no Treasure Types, nor list of random treasure to be
fund in this book. The system to rate monsters and encounters by level
is still there to help the GM rate the difficulty of an encounter should
it get bloody, but is no longer a critical component to the game. Based
on how you look at it, this may be a good thing or a bad thing, but to
me, it really cuts-down on the time it takes to do a post-game audit.<br />
<br />
Weapons
are categorized into Weapon Class (Vary Light, Light, Medium and
Heavy), and further divided into melee, throwing and range, with example
for each. Weapon Class are the same as weapons sizes in Basic D&D,
but with different damage dice, or in the case of Heavy, the way you
apply damage (although, Medium and Heavy weapons have the same d6 damage
dice). Vary Light is basically an unarmed strike or throwing
stars/darts (d2 damage die). Armor is categorized into Armor Class
(Light, Medium-Light, Medium and Medium-Heavy and Heavy), with each
class determining weight (in "Things"), Damage Reduction, Defence Class
and penalty to physical actions that requires agility or stealth.<br />
<br />
______________________________________<br />
<br />
The
game comes with a setting installed called The Crimson Lands. The world
was once ruled by a race of amoral, degenerate albino-like elves called
the Dendrelyssi, who treated other races, not notably humans, as slaves
and lab rats. They are like D&D Drows with their cruel and wicked
nature, but they
are modeled on the appearance of Elric of Melniboné, with their pale
skin, although there eyes are whited-out instead of being pink. They
used demons and sorcery to maintain their vast empire. Long ago, their
empire crumbed, humans rebelled — eventually forming their own nations —
and the ageless Dendrelyssi are barren and slowly dying out. The
Crimson Lands is made of around half a dozen small continents,
surrounded by several large islands and <span class="st" data-hveid="205">archipelagos. There are around a dozen of human nations, with the </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">Dendrelyssi largely contains to an </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">small continent to the east. Language is mostly derivative of High </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><span class="st" data-hveid="205">Dendrelyssi</span>: the language of </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><span class="st" data-hveid="205">Dendrelyssi royalty.</span></span> As the lands are covered in the ruins of ancient </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">Dendrelyssi
cities and temples, there are a lot of strange mysteries and horrors
lurking in the shadows, waiting to be uncovered by the greedy and
foolish.<br /><br />Braking from the standard quasi-medieval </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">esthetic</span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"> overused in most fantasy RPGs, </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">Crimson
Blades tries for a greater sense of orientalism that inspired pulp
fantasy in the first place. The art chosen for the book (mostly public
domain and stock art form Sine Normine Publishing) evokes an </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><span class="st" data-hveid="205">oriental</span> </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><span class="st" data-hveid="205">esthetic throughout.</span>Save for Goblins and Beastmen, you'll find a lack of </span>Tolkienesque races<span class="st" data-hveid="205">.
You will find some Lovecraftian, along with classical Greek creatures,
as well as some iconic D&D monsters with a name-change in the
monster list. Much like the 5e monster list, there are a good number of
typical human NPC types (</span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">Bandits, Cultists, Townfolk, etc.</span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">), and vary few </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><span class="st" data-hveid="205">Orc-like
humanoid adventure fodder. After a while in D&D, all those
Goblinoids become the same, so having more human types available is
refreshing in any RPG. The one predominant </span></span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><span class="st" data-hveid="205">humanoid</span></span></span> monster found in the Crimson Lands are the Beastmen. </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">They include a list of </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">minor
mutations akin to the Hoards of Hades from the MMII, thus keeping them
from looking all the same. In a way, they are like Broo form </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">RuneQuest</span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">, but way primitive and beastly.</span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"> </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"></span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">Even with all the added killing-power
of high-level character's, there are monsters that surpass the ability of a party of </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">10th level characters</span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"> to slay. Like in any RPG, such monsters help keep players on their toes, and when used </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">sparingly, is good to give the players a memorable encounter, without </span><span class="st" data-hveid="205">loosing all awe</span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"> to ease or repetition.</span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><br /></span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"></span><br />
The
book is filled with DM advice that helps adventure go beyond the
generic dungeon setting. You'll find find hooks and ideas for running
adventures in a wide range of environments (cities, wilderness, seas,
old ruins, etc.), and without throwing huge lists of random encounters
(although, is a list, but its only takes up a single page). The primary
advice is not to railroad the party into a pre-scripted story, as players
would just derail such efforts, but to allow the players to determine
where they want to go, and to figure out their own way out of a given
situation. One of the fun things I enjoy doing, is reading the list of
hooks and figuring what book or movie the ideas came form. Some people
might find that unoriginal or lacking in creativity, but any DM worth
their salt knows how that the best adventures takes liberally form great
works of fiction, and the less the players know, the better! I do this a
lot. Plus, anyone who casually pitches the idea to incorporate the
premise of Alien (1979) in a fantasy game is a winner in my book,
because, even with all the clues and foreshadowing, the players will
still fall for it. Yes, if they figure it out off the bat, likely avoid
it the situation (as they should). But in most cases, they would find
out once they are neck-deep into the adventure, and when they do, they
go into total panic mode! (Its good to be DM!)<br />
<br />
______________________________________<br />
<br />
So
yeah, this game does a lot differently. The rules are simple enough to
be altered easily. With some changes here are there, you can use the
rules for nearly any setting. The setting by itself strays from the same
old vanilla fantasy. Which I find <span class="st" data-hveid="205"><span class="st" data-hveid="205">strange
and funny, as I need an escape like this, for my escapist hobby.
Although, I have not had a chance to get the full feel of the game as I
have not had the change to house-rule the hell out of the game. I don't
always run a game "by the book", so I cant wait to see would I'll add,
and what I'll drop. I'm like a grease-monkey with RPGs. To me, tweaking a
game engine is high art and a way of life. I know there are rules form
Conan (Mongoose Publishing) and 5e D&D that might work well with
this game.</span></span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><br />Recently,
I discovered an old, iconic third-party D&D setting form Judges
Guild called The Wilderlands. I quite enjoy the premises of the setting,
but their are a number of minor issues I would change about it (and not
the odd skin colors; as a Carcosaian fan, I don't mind that much at
all). If I was to run a </span></span><span class="st" data-hveid="205"><span class="st" data-hveid="205">Wilderlands-inspired setting, I would strongly consider run it with this ruleset.</span></span>Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-14946910500476197252016-02-23T16:33:00.001-08:002018-03-06T07:57:25.417-08:00The Potential of HeroMachine 3Not not long ago, I made a pic to highlight the capabilities of the
<a href="http://www.heromachine.com/">HeroMachine 3</a> app, based on a set of
videos by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQsww3gmaPiX6uufpuEw_h9pB87FMwX57">this guy</a>.
There are limits on what you can do on HeroMachine 2, but with HM3, you can
do a lot more. Even with the wider options, HM3 is still limited with its
features, so people find creative ways to make the most with whats
available, and come with novel ways of getting around the limits. One of the most
common things is to re-purpose objects into different things by tilting
and reshaping them. It is neat what you can do with the fading and
transparency of some of the background objects to emulate the effect
lighting and shadowing. It is also good to learn how the "masking"
feature works, as you can get a lot of neat results form it. Experiment!
Dick around! It is a lot of fun!<br />
<br />
Not too long ago, I <a href="http://prespos.freeforums.net/thread/1410/heromachine-character-creator">posted</a>
the image on this one forum based on D&D and free-speech, but to
the chagrin of the founder/administrator — Prespos — the perverts at
ProBoards have issue with breasts. They see it as
pornography, and if he dose not take action on pics like them, ProBoards would
pull the whole site down. I do not fault Prespos for this, as he hates the restrictions more than me, but he wants to keep the site running. ProBoards is
run by faggots who would rather make things kosher for the sake of the
ad sponsors. Sponsors should not care who they get advertised to, as longs as someone see the ads. Simply put, if I was to run a forum, I would not use them,
and for their shameless and draconian policy, I will maintain my AdBlock
on all the ProBoards forums I frequent.<br />
<br />
OK, enough with that shit,
here is this the picture. Basically, it is a slightly drunk sunbather
lying on the beach, dressed as God intended... well, as how I'm used to
seeing beach-goes dressed, growing-up in the San Fransisco Bay Area.
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZo3Iiln9s-0yHsP_WXwgmYPoV2WW-eJdzirweUIvhWIft-BwHIwjW2lu6HDOxae9_6rW3nU9Ruks3CKxQp_j6tWtbaCw8iUH40m3LRPT1t1BZFlH74J5d2qpmZhMbiyxTTMfaHQF0eF6/s1600/Sunbather+1.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZo3Iiln9s-0yHsP_WXwgmYPoV2WW-eJdzirweUIvhWIft-BwHIwjW2lu6HDOxae9_6rW3nU9Ruks3CKxQp_j6tWtbaCw8iUH40m3LRPT1t1BZFlH74J5d2qpmZhMbiyxTTMfaHQF0eF6/s400/Sunbather+1.png" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(click for full-size image)</i></span></div>
<br />
Who knew such a simple little program can do so much? _\\\Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-37078313904787269702015-10-09T09:41:00.000-07:002015-10-09T09:41:14.816-07:00Reflections of an Old-School OtakuAnime... A collective of animation that had achieved such mainstream
success it is now a catch-all category to anything that even emulates its
style, regardless of its origins, even if its its a cheap cash-grab made
by people who see the medium as profitable to exploit, without any
understanding or respect for what they are emulating.<br /><br />The
mainstream success can largely be contributed to a cartoon lineup called
Toonami on Cartoon Network. In 1997, Toonami was an afternoon
showcase of western cartoons and some anime thrown in. If you wanted
less-edited anime (that was toned down to PG-13 violence, with mild
cussing and nothing too risqué), you watch their midnight run. Beyond
shows like Gundam Wing and Big-O, one of the most approachable anime
aired was Cowboy Bebop. Cowboy Bebop tanked in Japan, but it was a huge success in
North America, with it's recognizable archetypes and pop culture
references (most episodes were a nod to some American movie, and show titles
based on music and album titles). This was when most adult anime fans of
today first got their feet wet with the hobby. To an anime historian,
Cowboy Bebop is a milestone, with BCB (Before Cowboy Bebop) and ACB
(After Cowboy Bebop) used by some of the younger fans. Since then, there
have been a number of TV outlets for anime, and even dedicated
Netflix-styled subscription-based net-channels like CrunchyRoll.<br /><br />Before this mainstream success, Japaneses anime had different name — Japanimation — and it was a whole other hobby, with a
whole other fan-following. In the years BCB, the hobby was so obscure, mainstream culture had yet to find any real
labels or stereotypes placed on the medium or fanship, much less be on their radar, and
finding <u>anything</u> or <u>anyone</u> within the hobby was like a
grand quest to
find <i>The Fabled Legendary Treasure of Epic Legends</i> that would supposedly
make you wet yourself over its greatness! Mind you, there was no
internet — or what we know as in internet — so we had to brave our
greatest enemy: that blinding ball of light that appears in that big
blue room the inhabitants call "The Great Outdoors." Braving horrible
skin-blisters and possible permanent blindness, we old-school otaku (for
a lack of a better name, as we just called ourselves "fans") set forth
seeking others like ourselves in darken holes called "Comic Book Shops,"
and grand pilgrimages to massive gathering halls called "Conventions."
There, we meet new people, talk about our interests, and establish
networks to help acquire the items we quest for, namely bootlegs. Before
the the early-to-mid-'90s, were you could find OVAs
(made-for-home-video movies or mini-series) in the "special interest"
isles of video rental stores, we had to find and buy them through
underground networks of pirated videos.<br /><br />How this worked, was that
sailors who worked in the US Navy and US Coast Guard would be stationed
in Japan for a time, were they setup VCRs in their barracks to recorded
shows that aired on Japanese television. Thankfully, the Betamax was a
highly popular recording system in Japan, as it produce higher quality
video than the VHS — unfortunately, that was the standard system
in the US. So, when the sailors come home, they sell their tapes to people who would use those tapes as master copes for a massive collection of
bootlegs. They would duplicate the shit out of the master copy, and then
those copes would be further and further duplicated into granny-as-shit
copes. This is a lot like the first "wood-grain box" edition of
OD&D, where only one-hundred copes of D&D were published so far,
and sold out quickly, so most people had to contend with granny
multi-generation Xerox copes of the rules until TSR were able to get
more copes to market. They also used video equipment to add translated
subtitles (of differing quality) in an old video font that would become
harder and harder to read with each new generation. Those bootlegs would
then get distributed in conventions, and were sold as
"behind the counter merchandise" at comic book shops, where they were not
advertised to the general public (they were technically illegal
contraband). Although, fans know when a comic book shop sold bootlegs
and other anime merchandise (typically toys and model kits), as they
would have posters of anime series and characters covering the front
widows alongside more iconic scifi characters and comic book superheroes. As a kid,
there was no better sight then a storefront with posters and cardboard
standies of Captain Harlock, Astroboy and obscure fighting robots
standing shoulder-to-shoulder to the likes of Capt. Kirk, Boba Fett,
Wolverine, and Superman! (There was also Doctor Who, but I did not know
who he was until I was much older.)<br /><br />In those days, D&D, comic
books and Japanimation often gone hand-in-hand. You not just found
bootlegs and rare collectibles at comic book shops; people used to
hangout in the backroom to play role-playing games. It got nerds out of
their dungeons and meet fellow nerds; to play fun games, and watch
"cartoons" the FCC and whinny, uptight parent groups would never allow
on television. Yeah, one of the big appeals with anime is how ultra
violent they can be, and the fact that they casually show T&A in
programs targeted at children, but the truth is, you can see all that in
R-Rated movies that fulled theaters in the '80s. But where Hollywood
spends millions to produce scifi/fantasy spectaculars, animation can
produce more of the same results, and have room to explore characters,
concepts and settings, while taking greater risks, like mixing genres. For example, Leiji Matsumoto (of Space Battleship Yamato
(Starblazers), Captain Harlock, and Galaxy Express 999 fame) likes to
take mythologies and fairylands, and craft them into grand space epics
with normal Earth-bound vehicles (sailing ships, steam trains, etc.)
made into spaceships. While watching the series, you are pulled more and more into his worlds, full of memorable characters. His works are imaginative, beautiful, and make for
great settings to role-play in. To me, he was Miyazaki, before Miyazaki.<br /><br />Well, that was my experience as a
kid in the '80s. With a Navel base, a Coast Guard base, lots of comic
book shops, conventions that felt like monthly events, and two nerdy
parents, there was a lot going on in the San Fransisco bay area for anime fans like myself. In the
'90s, there was a growing market of OVAs that was a big thing for me.
Yeah, much of the videos were mindless schlock, but I loved them no
less. There were some great titles, like Akura, Ghost in the Shell, and
Macross Plus. There was a also steady flood of localized anime like
Robotech, Technoman Blade, Ronin Warriors, Samuri Pizza Cats (surprising
funny, if you're old enough to get the jokes), and Dragonball (DBZ
sucked balls, but the original series was great in the same way as the
works of Matsumoto, as above). In the mid-or late-'90s, a PBS station in
San Jose played uncut anime (subbed and dubbed) like Urusei Yatsura,
Evangelion, Key the Metal Idol, alongside great British scifi like
Doctor Who, Blake's 7 and Red Dwarf. The level of nerdity was off the
charts!! Then there was Toonami in the late '90s that showcased a ton of
anime, Anime Unleashed on G4 in '03, were found Last Exile and Serial
Experiments Lain, AZN Television/International Channel was were I
discovered Armored Trooper Votoms and The Irresponsible Captain Tylor,
and now... Well, I dont have cable anymore ($90+/month for fucking
basic! Are they out of their fucking minds!?) Now there are all sorts of
options. Yeah, I have Netflix and Hulu, but their stocks are limited. I
quickly found out that there are quite a number of subscription-free
sites were I can see almost any anime I want!<br /><br />Goddamn, video streaming would
have been pure fantasy as a kid! If I had this option as a kid, I would
likely missed out on great shows like Pirates of Darkwater, Fox's Peter
Pan and the Pirates (that cartoon was strangely dark), Batman the
Animated Series (best of the '90s), Animaniacs, Disney Afternoon and so
on, as I would be too caught-up with all the edgy Japanese stuff, while
dismissing the aforementioned stuff as safe, happy "cartoons." Don't get
me wrong, as a kid, I loved all kind of animation, but back then,
Japanimation used to be a bitch find, so you appreciated whatever you
could get your hands on, regardless if its good or not. They were was so
culturally obscure, it made you feel special, and with the adult
content; a little rebellious. Because of all that, it felt like <u>all</u>
anime was superior. And with that mentality, I had an elitist attitude
about it, which I grew out of as I matured, as I learned that many
titles I mindlessly advocated were just plain shit, while I have been
too dismissive with western titles for their lack of mature content.
Plus, I learned that "mature content" does not always mean it actually
"mature." For example, as a kid, I was annoyed to learn that Voltron was
heavily edited form the original series do to heavy violence. I was
annoyed by how grown-ups changed a good show to make it more "kid
friendly," despite seeing violence all the time in movies. But getting the chance to
see the original GoLion series (the original title) as an adult, I was
annoyed by how overly violent the show was. Basically, it was going form one
extreme to another. The level of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MCyhyYjweU">violence and brutality</a>
on display undermined all the drama, tragedy and pathos the characters
are going through, and the bad guys are even more cartoonishly evil then
its western counterpart! Had they tone down the violence to PG-13
levels and rewrote Prince Sincline/Lotor as a more sympathetic and
misguided character, then Voltron could have been a more superior
program to GoLion as far as storytelling and character depth. If they
are going to make changes for the sake of a western audience, then do it
right!<br /><br />Nowadays, I have the luxury to be choosy with what anime I
want to be invested in, to were I can better avoid dead end shit like
Bleach and Inuyasha. There is such a glut of titles available to me, I
can't sort though them all! I really want to find great titles, but most
of them have the mentality of people who never grew past high-school — nothing but angsty-ass teens and overly-sexualized junior high-age girls! Plus, they also have to compete with some great western shows I
have been caught-up with. The current is Steven Universe, which is a
surprisingly deep and brilliant show, with a lot of pathos, that takes me back to why I
really love shows Captain Harlock and Dragonball so much. And, if I
want a truly weird and obscure collective of animation make me feel cool
and special, I'll go headlong into European animation... hum...? Euro-may? <img alt=" ;)" src="http://images.proboards.com/v5/smiley/wink.png" /><br /><br />Western cartoons... Japaneses/Koren anime... European animation... Its all good! <img alt=" 8-)" src="http://images.proboards.com/v5/smiley/cool.png" />Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-9916381317236949112015-07-12T08:13:00.000-07:002016-02-23T20:28:54.347-08:00A Review of Battledroids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KQp02DkOid3x0GAMwYNLvYp3GRpKXDmLAc0QBlnIxKeiI2t2F710ThZ9cV1RqlcPAyiD9YT0YJiMhxsnWN0U8TZxgwwvG8p3Ktfm5lmE9jVuyKlJFdQg3n_vmj7590KVk54kAzDfMeT-/s1600/Battledroids+Box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KQp02DkOid3x0GAMwYNLvYp3GRpKXDmLAc0QBlnIxKeiI2t2F710ThZ9cV1RqlcPAyiD9YT0YJiMhxsnWN0U8TZxgwwvG8p3Ktfm5lmE9jVuyKlJFdQg3n_vmj7590KVk54kAzDfMeT-/s400/Battledroids+Box.jpg" width="345" /></a></div>
Back before Battletech was Battletech, it was called Battledroids: The Game of Armored Combat. The name-change was do to the threat of legal action by George "No Sense of Irony" Lucas over the use of "Droid" as an abbreviation to "android." As such, Battlemechs ('Mechs) were called Battledroids ('Droids), and Mechwarriors were called Droidswarriors. The rule-set lists the following Battledroids: Stinger, Wasp, Shadow Hawk, Phoenix Hawk, Griffin, Archer, Crusader, Warhammer, Rifleman and Marauder. (The Locust, Wolverine, Thunderbolt and BattleMaster were not used in this set.) This review will compare Battledroids to its successor, second edition Battletech — hence forth called Battletech.<br />
<br />
In Battledroids, a single hex represented 33 meters (100 feet), instead of 30, as seen in all other Battletech rule-sets. The Record Sheets used in Battledroids note all the same basic information seen in Battletech Record Sheets, but the Armor and Internal Structure Diagrams shows a fat, squat 'Droid that looks like a Dreadnought combat walker form Warhammer 40,000, with all the little circle used to track damage replaced by boxes that forms a set of grids. <br />
<br />
Like in the Battletech rule booklet, Battledroids divide its rules into four play levels: Basic; Advanced; Expert; and Optional.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Basic Battledroids</b></span><br />
Where the basic rules in Battletech, called <i>Battlemech Training</i>, used a dedicated laser-boat — the <i><b>CHM-3 Chameleon</b></i> Training Scout — to teach new players about heat build-up and heat conservation, Basic Battledroids completely omits heat rules. The basic rules also do not include Piloting skill rolls, anything related to falling, dropping or standing up, and the combat system are far different form the normal Battletech rules. The line-of-sight role are the same, but to-hit is different and damage is completely different.<br />
<br />
Basic Battledroids have the following stats:<br />
<br />
Move; Jump; Armor; Contact; Short; Medium; and Long.<br />
<br />
Instead of using different weapons with different ranges and attack power, all 'Droids have variable Damage Values within the following ranges: Contact (1 hex); Short (2-3); Medium (4-10); and Long (11-21). For example, Stingers and Wasps, with their short-range firepower, have Damage Values scores in contact-, short- and medium-ranges, but nothing at long-range. The Griffin on the other hand has good medium- and long range firepower with its particle cannon and long-range missiles, but its short-range value is the lowest, with contact-range only good do to its ability to punch. A 'Droid's base to-hit is 4 for Contact range, and 6 for all other ranges.<br />
<br />
Now here is where things get really different: A 'Droid's Armor Value is rated form 5 to 11, where Stingers and Wasps have 5, and Archers with 11 (the highest Armor Value noted in this rule-set). Being hit at the left/right flanks lowers a 'Droid's Armor Value by 1, while being hit at the rear lowers it by 2. Once the players determine the attacker's Damage Value and the defender's Armor Value, the attacker compares the scores to the Armor Penetration Table to figure out the number needed for a Penetration Roll. If the player succeeds, the attacking player rolls on the Damage Effects Table. The effects of the table are similar to a simplified version of the Vehicle Critical Tables seen in Citytech and onward, with results like "Battledroid destroyed", "Weapons destroyed" or "Battledroid cannot move or fire for X-turn(s)."<br />
<br />
It is a neat introduction system that allows for quick combat resolution. Unfortunately, the rules need a bit of work to make it feel more complete. Also, it lacks the strategy that comes with exclusion of heat and ammo rules.<br />
<br />
Personally, I would have Medium-range as 4-9 and Long-range at 10-18, and Extreme-Range (to account for LRMs) an 19-21, with base to-hit being at: Contact at 6; Short at 4; Medium at 6, and Long and Extreme at 8. This is all new and novel to me, and I feel compelled to make something better of it.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Advanced Battledroids</b></span><br />
Here you learn to use Armor and Internal Structure Diagrams, Heat Scales, hit locations (but Critical Hit Charts are not used), and basic physical attacks (punching and kicking only). As the rules for critical hits are not listed, body parts must be fully destroyed — all armor and structural boxes marked-off — to ether cripple (for arms, legs, side torso) or destroy (for head or center torso) the 'Droid. The Sequence of Play is like <i>Advanced Gunnery</i> (form 2nd ed BT), but the Attack Phase divides into a Weapons Fire Phase and a Physical Attack Phase.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Expert Battledroids</b></span><br />
The Expect rules expand on the Advanced rules with the inclusion of rules for falling, dropping and standing up, critical hits, injuries to Droidswarriors, aimed shots and expanded physical attacks (pushing and charging, plus the Domino Effect).<br />
<br />
The Advanced and Expert rules do not bring anything new to the table, if you all ready played Battletech before. Moving on...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Optional Rules</b></span><br />
These are the rules to expand upon the Advanced/Expert rules. Like with Battletech, it includes rules for clearing woods, starting fires, clubs, variable Droidswarrior skills, and Battledroid design. One rule included that was lacking in Battletech, until their inclusion in Citytech, where rules for conventional forces: infantry, jeeps and tanks.<br />
<br />
The infantry rules are kinda neat. For one thing, an infantry unit is made-up of 9-men squads, instead of the 28-men platoons established in Citytech. You would not find infantry armed only with riles, as this a "game of armor combat." Instead they are armed around a man-portable support weapon, like a machine gun or missiles launcher. Unlike the current rules where one soldier dies per point of damage, in this edition, one point of damage can kills the <u>entire</u> squad, with the surplus damage transferring to any other squad in the hex! (Up to 10 squads can full a hex.) Their only real defense is that infantry are small and can quickly find cover, impose a +2 penalty to a 'Droid's to-hit. Also, you still have to count ammunition, which is pointless, given how quickly they die.<br />
<br />
<br />
There is no Vehicle Design system for making unique vehicles; they are all prefab units. Compared to their Citytech counterparts, they are completely weak! Even a light, poorly-armed 'Droid can take a group of conventional forces without much effort. It may not sound fair, but this is a war where 'Droids are the "kings of the battlefield." Plus, the Citytech Vehicle Design system made it possible to field tanks that can hold their own, if not make short work of Battledroids.<br />
<br />
All tanks get 4 MPs for movement, or 3 if they fire any weapons, while Jeeps have 6 MP (5 when shooting), and infantry only have 1 MP. They cannot enter heavy woods, lakes, burning areas or elevation changes greater that one level, while infantry ignore all terrain casts, and cannot enter lakes or burning areas. When a tank takes a hit, it can take damage in three location: the Armor, Tracks or Turret. Tanks have 20 points of armor up front, 10 at the sides, 8 at the rear and 5 for the turret (I suspect that this was a typo, where it should have been a 15). If any section of armor is deduce to zero, the tank is destroyed — if the rear armor was destroyed, then a fire starts on a 9+. If the tracks were hit, the tank is immobile. Jeeps only have 5, and do not require a special hit location roll. Like with infantry, any attack that destroys a jeep outright can transfer surplus damage to any other jeep in the same hex. And just like infantry, Jeeps are harder to hit, but with a +1 penalty to-hit. Normally only one 'Droid unit can occupy a hex. But with conventional forces, ether two vehicles or one vehicle and a 'droid can occupy a single hex, and up to ten squads can pile on a single hex without any consideration of 'droids or vehicles.<br />
<br />
There are three tanks in the game:<br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>SCR-8N Scorpion</b></i> — no turret, three SRM-6 with 15 shots per launcher installed in the front</li>
<li><i><b>HNT-3R Hunter</b></i> — no turret, one LRM-20 with 18 shots installed in the front</li>
<li><i><b>VDE-3T Vedette</b></i> — turret-mounted Autocanon/5 with 40 shots and machine gun with 200 shots</li>
</ul>
The jeeps and infantry can be armed with one of the following weapons:<br />
<ul>
<li>Machine gun with 10 shots for jeeps; 25 for infantry</li>
<li>2-pack short-range missile launcher with 5 shots for jeeps; 12 for infantry</li>
</ul>
<b>Here are some houserules for Infantry:</b><br />
If multiple vehicles and infantry occupy a single hex and are attacked by a power weapon, the order of damage is as follows: Jeeps > APCs > Infantry (Jeeps are vulnerable, but APCs provide cover).<br />
<br />
<b>APC:</b> This is like a Jeep, but with 10 points of armor, and they can also carry a squad of troops.<br />
<br />
<b>Towed-artillery:</b> An artillery piece is immobile, unless moved by a jeep, APC or tank; it takes one turn to setup. They attack like an Autocannon but requires a turn to reload, and cannot attack anything within six hexes. As they are crewed by exposed men, they take damage like an infantry unit.<br />
<br />
With Battledroid design, there are a number of things that were ruled-out by Battletech. Firstly, the rules allow for 5-ton 'Droids. I did the calculations, and found that whet you are left with is something that is slow for its size (up to 5 MP on a 25 Omni Engine) and completely unarmed and unprotected (.5-ton for internal structure; .5-ton for the engine; 3-tons for cockpit; 1-ton for gyroscope). Unless you houserule a smaller cockpit option, all you are left is a useless micro-droid with a large baby-head. The second, is that jump jets weight .5 tons, regardless of 'droid's tonnage, and there are no limits on the number you can place on a 'droid. In fact, the Griffin, which has a walk MP of 5, has 6 jump jets. This lack of limits could allow for heavy 'Droids with only 1 MP to jump great distances, beyond what a maximum-sized engine for their size would allow for normal walking/running movement. And lastly, ALL heat sinks — including the ten free heat sinks that comes with the engine — takes-up space. This is good if you have ammo, as they would soak-up hits, but bad if you are piling-on a lot of weapons and extra heat sinks. Although, now it makes more sense why the Critical Hit Table includes 12 slots for the arms and torso sections. (Personally, I can make do with less.)<br />
<br />
If are are interested in 5-ton Micromechs in your games (don't think of them as <i>"Inner Sphere Protomechs"</i>, but as <i>"What if FASA ripped off the designs form Armored Troopers VOTOMS"</i>), the internal structure boxes are as following: CT - 3; LRT - 2; Arms - 1; Legs - 1. Maximum armor is 27 points, or up to 1.5 tons of armor.<br />
<br />
<b>Here are some houserules for cockpits:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Mico-cockpit</b> (5-15) - 1-ton; 1 internal structure box; up to 3-points of armor; no backup sensor; no life-support; no ejection seat; +2 to pilot injury rolls; 3 free critical slots</li>
<li><b>Small-cockpit</b> (5-25) - 2-ton; 2 internal structure box; up to 6-points of armor; no backup sensor; no ejection seat; +1 to pilot injury rolls; 1 free critical slots</li>
<li><b>Normal-cockpit</b> (20-100) - 3-ton; 3 internal structure box; up to 9-points of armor; 1 passenger; 1 free critical slots</li>
<li><b>Command-cockpit</b> (80-100) - 4-ton; 3 internal structure box; up to 9-points of armor; +2 intuitive for commanders; no free critical slots (used as extra cockpit slot)</li>
<li><b>Armored-cockpit</b> (60-100) - 5-ton; 4 internal structure box; up to 12-points of armor; 1 passenger; -1 to pilot injury rolls; no free critical slots (used as backup sensors)</li>
</ul>
In the middle of the booklet, with the sheets, there are ten stat-block for the Battledroids. Many of 'Droids have armor placements that differ form what are seen in Battletech, and a few of the stats are full of errors. The Wasp and Stinger are 1-ton overweight (going to armor) and 5 more points of armor then what the extra ton allows. The Crusader is .5 tons underweight, with 8 less points to armor. The Rifleman mounts an over-sized engine (VOX 260 instead of the 240 Pitban; 60 tons x 4 MP = 240 Engine Rating), thus loosing 2 tons — when fixed, it mounts two medium lasers.<br />
<br />
And finally, we have the fluff...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Dark Age: The Succession Wars</b></span><br />
Now, you could have read much of this on <a href="http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Battledroids">Sarna.net</a>, but whet it does not state is what was in the Battledroids fluff, that was left out in Battletech. Where the setting text was (literally) marginalized in the sidebars throughout the Battletech rulebook, the setting text in Battledroids took-up their own pages in the back. If you read Battletech, its all the same (save for a lot of "droid" being thrown around): Weapons of the Succession Wars; The Warlords; Soldiers of the Succession Wars; Mercenary Companies; Battledroids Regimental Organization; The Bandit Kings; and Battledroid Warfare. The last part was left out in Battletech.<br />
<br />
That is a shame, as to me, Battledroid Warfare was something that feels missing form the second edition Battletech rulebook, as it gives a clear step-by-step Campaign Timetable of a planetary assault, noted in "D-Day" (Drop-Day) with "D-X Days" and "D+X Days"; gives clear motive to such an undertaking: (water, minerals, manufacturing centers, spare parts depots, or the occasional treasure hunt for Star League-era lostech); and notes the lengths pirates and Bandit Kings takes to steal clean water from planets. Much of this gives greater context to the military operations of the 31st millennia. <br />
<br />
At the end of the page, it notes an example scenario called Skirmish on Mesa 7. Basically, a Davion scouting party, found Wolf Dragoons presence on the recently discovered planet of Mesa 7, and the Davions are trying to discover what they are hiding, while the Wolf Dragoons want to keep their presence on the planet a secret. It is such a small inclusion that four to six such scenarios could have been squeezed in a single page.<br />
<br />
All and all, it was a neat read that gave a lot of historical context in the game's development. The game is buggy with errors here and there, but that is what you get for a first edition. I have been so enamored with the Succession Wars since I first discovered the 2nd edition rulebook, some 15 years ago. The lost rules are worth trying out.Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-19456705149471875402015-04-09T00:42:00.001-07:002015-04-09T00:42:48.371-07:00Testing Out Crimson Blades CharGenFor those who don't know,
<b><i>Crimson Blades</i></b> is an D&D-styled game by Simon Washbourne of
<i>Barbarians of Lemuria</i> fame. The rules are simple and uses only d6s —
to-hits, hit points, damage, saves, etc. The setting found in Crimson
Blades is the Crimson Lands, a dark-fantasy/sword & sorcery world
shaped by decadent, dying race of dark elves based on Elric of
Melniboné.<br />
<br />
Not too long ago, I purchased the Crimson Blades core
rulebook and the Crimson Lords rule supplement. Later I found out that
the game is going through a major rule overhaul and is going to be
divided into four core rulebooks — <i>Crimson Blades</i>, <i>Crimson Scrolls</i>,
<i>Crimson Lords</i> and <i>Crimson Lands</i> — for an upcoming box set. The best rule
change is the way it streamlined the way you make rolls. In the
original rules, you only roll one die, but the target number lowers as
your character gains level. For example, the primary skill of a Thief is
rated as "3+", or a three or better on a d6 roll. In the new rules, you
can gain additional dice during advancement for different rolls, and
you only need a 5 or 6 for success. The primary skill of a Thief is now
rated as "2D", or two dice rolled to get a 5+ on at least one die. The
rules also changed defense form a third edition D&D model (adjusted
for d6 rolls) where DEX and armor adjust a single <i>Armor Class</i> score, to a Conan
D20-like model with a basic dodge defense score (adjusted by DEX and
shield-use), called <i>Defense Class</i>, and <i>Damage Reduction</i> for body armor.
There are a number of other changes. All around, this is a greatly
improved system, but I would get into the details in an other, fuller review.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Jgj4SIze4coc1hj5CD6N7S6N-gm6Bdlkqxf6Nc2IM01iykHOQWh0KcA6wbv3gpCBa-1WcboMKDLERlybxTIGZBsehwpoXHq07iumG2q-2rwwHEMiE5VZUvwmgZQUCWBJ4ejhV_R70r_t/s1600/Morgan+Ironwolf+by+Santiago+''Quellion''+Iborra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://quellion.deviantart.com/art/Morgan-Ironwolf-106597584" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Jgj4SIze4coc1hj5CD6N7S6N-gm6Bdlkqxf6Nc2IM01iykHOQWh0KcA6wbv3gpCBa-1WcboMKDLERlybxTIGZBsehwpoXHq07iumG2q-2rwwHEMiE5VZUvwmgZQUCWBJ4ejhV_R70r_t/s1600/Morgan+Ironwolf+by+Santiago+''Quellion''%2BIborra.jpg" height="320" title="" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Original picture can be found <a href="http://quellion.deviantart.com/art/Morgan-Ironwolf-106597584" target="_blank">here</a>. (not mine)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here is what a (revised) Crimson Blades
character looks like using my favorite old-school D&D "Iconic" as an
example: <b>Morgan Ironwolf</b>. (from <i>Basic D&D, 2nd ed</i>)<br />
<br />
In the Basic D&D rulebook, she is a first level Lawful human Fighter. That matches up with what is available in CB.<br />
<br />
Using
the same Ability scores rolled (no point allocation are used in CB),
she has: STR 15, INT 7, WIS 11, DEX 13, CON 14 and CHA 8. The revised
Crimson Blades rules use a uniformed adjustment array, and eliminates a
number of the derived stats (namely, Feat of Strength, Lore and Notice).
The Ability adjustments are: STR +1, INT -1, WIS +0, DEX +0, CON +1 and
CHA +0. The adjustments are so spread out compared to Basic, point
allocation makes no difference in squeezing-out an extra +1 to STR.<br />
<br />
A
<b>Strength</b> score of 15 means a +1 to melee damage, "Things" carried,
grappling, throwing, breaking down doors, pulling/lifting/dragging heavy
objects, etc.<br />
<br />
A <b>Dexterity</b> score of 13 means no adjustments to rolling to hit, Defense Class, or Reflex saves.<br />
<br />
A <b>Constitution</b> score of 14 means a +1 to Hit Points or Fortitude saves.<br />
<br />
A
<b>Intelligence</b> score of 7 means a -1 to figuring out problems, and is
granted no additional languages. She is unable to cast spells or summon.<br />
<br />
A <b>Wisdom</b> score of 11 means no adjustments to Willpower saves or to notice things.<br />
<br />
A <b>Charisma</b> score of 8 means no adjustments to influence people, and she has up to 4 loyal hirelings.<br />
<br />
As a Fighter, she meets the 9+ STR class requirement.<br />
<br />
She
has the option to choose Fort or Ref as her primary save, and chooses
Fortitude. At first level, normal saves are only one die (1D), while a
primary save uses two dice (2D). Her saves are: Fort 2D+1, Ref 1D and
Will 1D.<br />
<br />
Her Hit Dice is "1d6(+2)" at first level, meaning that
she rolls one die for attacks-per-round and Hit Points with the the
bonus applied to the later. With CON, her Hit Point roll is 1d6+3. As a 5
was rolled in the book, she gets 8 Hit Points.<br />
<br />
She gets no Defense Class bonus form DEX or class. The base Defense Class score is 3.<br />
<br />
She
can use any weapon or armor, including shields. Her <i>Armour Training</i>
allows her to ignore DC penalties for wearing medium-heavy or heavy
armor. She can choose one type of weapon to be her <i>Favored Weapon</i>, which
grains an extra Hit Die to attacks and <i>Fighter Stunt</i> rolls while
wielding her preferred weapon. As she starts with a sword as her primary
weapon, her <i>Favored Weapon</i> is (normal) <i>Swords</i>. She is also capable of
preforming special actions in combat, like disarming foes, cutting rope with an arrow, unblousing a woman with the sword-tip and the like with a <i>Fighter Stunt</i> roll. It is
equal to her Hit Die plus STR or DEX. (In her case, STR.)<br />
<br />
The
revised Crimson Blades rules dropped Experience Points in favor of
Adventure quotas. As she is a fresh character, her (total completed)
Adventures is marked as 0, with only one Adventure needed to reach
second level.<br />
<br />
As noted, her Alignment is Lawful. Unlike Basic
D&D, Alignment is not about morality, but an adherence to order,
balance or discord on a social and cosmic level. In her case, "Law
implies honor, trustworthiness, obedience to authority, and reliability.
On the downside, lawfulness can include closed-mindedness, reactionary
adherence to tradition, judgmentalness, and a lack of adaptability.
Those who consciously promote lawfulness say that only lawful behavior
creates a society in which people can depend on each other and make the
right decisions in full confidence that others will act as they should."<br />
<br />
I
ran into a problem were the cost of mail armor and the bow are much
more than what is printed in Basic D&D and goes beyond her original
budget of 110 gold pieces, so I added the end result. Silvered weapons
are not apart of the CB equipment lists, so it was dropped. I added some
additional equipment to round-out her gear. Here is her inventory:<br />
<br />
<big>•</big> Mail armor<br />
<big>•</big> Shield<br />
<big>•</big> Sword<br />
<big>•</big> Bow<br />
<big>•</big> Quiver of 20 arrows<br />
<big>•</big> Average cloths<br />
<big>•</big> Backpack<br />
<big>•</big> Bedroll<br />
<big>•</big> Bottle of wine<br />
<big>•</big> Leather flask<br />
<big>•</big> Hemp rope, 50'<br />
<big>•</big> Pole, 10'<br />
<big>•</big> Sack<br />
<big>•</big> Iron spikes, x12<br />
<big>•</big> Torches, x6 <br />
<big>•</big> Trail rations, 7 days<br />
<big>•</big> 2gp<br />
<br />
Her mail armor can absorb 3 points of damage, per hit, and her shield raiser her Defense Class by one, making it 4.<br />
<br />
With
her sword, her attack roll is 2D, with a damage die of 1D+1. And with
her bow, her attack roll is 1D, with a damage die of 1D.<br />
<br />
With all her armor, weapons and gear, she counts as having 7 "Things" — an abstract system of encumbrance. (Her cloths and gear counts as one thing.) <br />
<br />
Her
above average Strength pushes her encumbrance to allow her to carry 6
things and not effect her rate of movement, but since it is one over,
her speed is reduced to 9 yards a round.<br />
<br />
Lets use assume that she
is from Dralucia, a fairly wealthy and well-connected nation that make a
great starting point in the Crimson Lands. Her primary language is
Dralucian, and since reading & writing counts as a language in
itself, she is illiterate.<br />
<br />
And finally, here is her card:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUd3Qn_aSG_eFrUw8tHFZX6JgiFGOrZKvdte_xUktb4eeLEXoHBdmyAVZIBvPIGAK6zE-BmBS4txG1hmu7rEbcEWfjzqHOsRKEf5-IZp1XaJ5f5G6FDnVYEZth7A6J9rs0DUF2-QqFGxq0/s1600/Morgan+Ironwolf+CL+Sheet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUd3Qn_aSG_eFrUw8tHFZX6JgiFGOrZKvdte_xUktb4eeLEXoHBdmyAVZIBvPIGAK6zE-BmBS4txG1hmu7rEbcEWfjzqHOsRKEf5-IZp1XaJ5f5G6FDnVYEZth7A6J9rs0DUF2-QqFGxq0/s1600/Morgan+Ironwolf+CL+Sheet.png" height="261" width="400" /></a></div>
Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-58503190326681236662015-02-25T14:10:00.001-08:002015-02-25T14:10:36.893-08:00Military Structure of Mars (part I)
The military structure on Barsoom (Mars) was laid out in the books
(<i>Chessmen of Mars</i>, I think?), but they were fairly simple. So
I made my own. I posted in the <i>Warriors of Mars (1974)</i>
sub-forum on the <i>Original D&D Discussion</i> community. The
following are not canonical to the Barsoom Saga.<br />
<br />
Here I added the Odthan and Zeethan ranks. The idea of an Odthan
is that they are exceptional soldiers but without the authority that
comes with being an officer. The Zeethan ranks separates combat
personnel and technical specialists. Zeethans are capable fighters by
their own right but their training and combat experiences is geared
towards technical tasks and auxiliary support. There are some other
non-military ranks near the end.<br />
<br />
It should be noted that the way I have it, people are by default
warriors. A person can choose to become a pacifist by taking an oath
at a temple or gathering hall, were one sheds one's battle-harness
(effectively naked) and time and ritual are required to brake the
oath. A pacifist cannot take up arms, must submit if "conquered,"
and attacking an unarmed pacifist is considered weak and
dishonorable. Only pacifists can become Healers or Diplomats.
Chivalry is gender-neutral: all non-pacifist men and woman are
treated as combinations, while pacifists are treated as "woman
and children" on Earth.<br />
<br />
<h3 class="western">
<b>Military Ranks</b></h3>
Everyone who holds such rank have pledged fealty to a Jed or
Jeddak, who also provides their equipment and supplies.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Than</b> <i>(warrior)</i> are regulars within an army. Like
Panthan, they are rank-and-file personal who serve as infantrymen,
cavalrymen, sailors, marines, scouts, guards, etc. But unlike
Panthan, they are loyalists and are not as expendable. Unlike the
canonical notes, they have one upright feather (instead of two)
noting their rank. They get standard pay.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Hythan</b> <i>(icon-warrior)</i> are the seen as the bravest
and most reliable solider in a group. In a troop formation, they are
given the honor holding the unit's shield icon. This is a
man-portable force-field generator that also serves as the unit's war
banner. If he should fall, his unit becomes vulnerable to radium
gunfire. They have a small upright feather on the left-side of their
main feather. Their pay is x1.5 standard.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Odthan</b> <i>(greater-warrior)</i> are veteran and elite
troops. They are troops who proven themselves in combat, but lack the
traits (tactics and leadership) to become an officer. They are given
better treatment and priority over common troops. They are usually
put into reserve, given critical assignments or guard important
figures. Their rank feather is flanked by two shorter feathers. They
get duplicity (x2) pay.<br />
<br /><b>Padwar</b> <i>(junior-officer)</i> are lieutenants. Unlike
Earth lieutenants, one has to earn his way to this rank. They have
two feathers noting their rank. Their pay is x2.5 standard. There are
three tiers to this rank: <br /> • Apprentices — They serve as
aids to a Dwar, as they learn about tactics and leadership.<br /> •
Commander — They are squad leaders in command of ten men, a team of
two-man flyers or a patrol boat.<br /> • Staffer — They serve
under a Dwar's command staff.<br />
<br /><b>Dwar</b> <i>(lower-officer)</i> are the Martian equivalent
of an army Captain or naval Commander. They have three feathers
noting their rank. Their pay is x5 standard. There are two tiers to
this rank:<br /> • Commander — They command an <i>Utan</i>
(100 men) or a Frigate-size ship with outriders (small two-man flyers
or patrol boats).<br /> • Staffer — They serve under a
Teedwar's command staff.<br />
<br /><b>Teedwar</b> <i>(middle-officer)</i> are the Martian
equivalent of an army Major or naval Captain. They have four feathers
noting their rank. Their pay is x10 standard. There are two tiers to
this rank:<br /> • Commander — They command a Dar (1,000 men)
or a Cruiser-size ship with Frigate-size escorts.<br /> •
Staffer — They serve under a Odwar's command staff.<br />
<br /><b>Odwar</b> <i>(higher-officer)</i> are the Martian
equivalent of an army General or naval Admiral. They have five
feathers noting their rank. Their pay is x20 standard. There are two
tiers to this rank:<br /> • Commander — They command an <i>Umak</i>
(10,000 men) or an entire fleet from a Battleship-size ship.<br /> •
Staffer — They serve under a Jedwar's command staff.<br />
<br /><b>Jedwar</b> <i>(chief-officer)</i> are the
Commander-and-Chief of an entire national army, and are subordinates
only to a Jed or Jeddak. They have five feathers separated by six
short feathers to note their rank. Their pay is x50 standard.<br />
<br /><b>Jed/Jeddak</b> <i>(chief/chief-supreme)</i> is a leader of
an entire nation, and is the Martian equivalent of a King. A Jed
controls a city state, while a Jeddak controls several cities. Do to
their access to the treasury and a royal stipend, they have no
salary. They have a crown with several feathers.<br />
<br />
<h3 class="western">
<b>Technical Ranks</b></h3>
As above, they are members of a national military, but they are
not expected to fight in the front lines unless something on the
front line needs fixing.<br />
<br /><b>Zeethan</b> <i>(technical-warrior)</i> are specialist
troops. They are technicians, artillery gunners, sappers, etc. They
have a small upright feather on the right-side of their main feather.
Their pay is x1.5 standard.<br />
<br /><b>Zeewar</b> <i>(technical-officer)</i> are like Warrant
Offices, but with authority over Zeethan and Panzeethan personal, and
are highly skilled engineers. They have two and a half feathers
noting their rank. Their pay is x2.5 standard. There are two tiers to
this rank:<br /> • Apprentices — They serve as aids and
apprentices to a Jedzee, as they learn about leadership and more
technical fields.<br /> • Commander — They are department
heads or commanders of technical teams on the field.<br />
<br /><b>Jedzee</b> <i>(chief-technician)</i> are the Chief
Engineers on a ship, or field commanders of an Engineer Corp. They
have three and a half feathers noting their rank. Their pay is x5
standard.<br />
<br />
<h3 class="western">
<b>Mercenary Ranks</b></h3>
Here are the ranks of the free agents. They serve no master, but
fight for the right for money and a free pass within a city state.<br />
<br /><b>Panthan</b> <i>(free-warrior)</i> are basically
mercenaries. They are seen as the least loyal and most expendable.
Unlike Gorthan, they have nothing to prove and only fight for money.
They must supply their own equipment and transport, and buy their own
food and supplies. They have one downward feather noting their rank.
They get standard pay.<br />
<br /><b>Panzeethan</b> <i>(free-technical-warrior)</i> are
specialist mercenary troops. They are hired technicians, artillery
gunners, sappers, etc. They have a small downward feather on the
right-side of their main feather. Their pay is x1.5 standard.<br />
<br />
<h3 class="western">
<b>Other Ranks</b></h3>
Although they are not seen as rank and file troops or officers, I
include these ranks, as they usually seen working alongside the military.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Gorthan</b> <i>(bonded-warrior)</i> are captured and enslaved,
petty criminals, or disgraced soldiers who are proving their loyalty
and honor by serving as highly expendable troops, akin to Panthan
troops, but without pay — basically penal/slave troops. This is
considered a rank of distress and shame. They have no feather, and
are striped of there battle-harness — effectively naked — save
for a singe belt, a sword and wrist & ankle-bands of a slave.
They are still provided for with food (mostly Usa) and board, as with
any slave.<br />
<br /><b>Healers</b> (for a lack of a better name) are pacifists
under oath, so attacking one is considered highly disgraceful and
cowardly. They have a distinct dress, pouches for medical supplies
and large colorful plumes. They will treat or lend comfort to anyone
injured, regardless of their status or race.
<br />
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Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-34394454546218690542015-02-23T17:59:00.001-08:002015-02-23T17:59:30.568-08:00WTF Blogger!?I got this notice saying that Blogger is cracking down on nudity.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiit4vO5D-fed8nZzDFS8KZJVr5LwATu1LpmMrNqAx8VzfxG5En2rM8PtGnxudkbcfeP060IrQhOxtwMv__K_kxDjNBqNZXtPIOMkoC4QfkSZgfk6AiZgxLb5do4vfs7iCHPjmjQelRTTDI/s1600/Blogger+Policy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiit4vO5D-fed8nZzDFS8KZJVr5LwATu1LpmMrNqAx8VzfxG5En2rM8PtGnxudkbcfeP060IrQhOxtwMv__K_kxDjNBqNZXtPIOMkoC4QfkSZgfk6AiZgxLb5do4vfs7iCHPjmjQelRTTDI/s1600/Blogger+Policy.png" height="289" width="320" /></a></div>
In this case, they making sites privet if they post any nudity. I hate when sites do this. Yes, they want to cut down on the adult content, and I understand that they don't want people to post hardcore, XXX-Rated stuff on it, but this gets iffy as nudity and artistic outlooks are highly subjective.<br />
<br />
There is a stigma with nudity in the western world that is perverted into itself, and for reasons that eludes me, is affiliated with sex. Also the obsession with breasts — more specifically nipples — being "obscene" is a weird joke! I do not see topless women as an obscenity, and I see people who do as perverts.<br />
<br />
As it is, the Mature Content warning is a huge hassle — for the reader and the editor. When I go to <i>Playing D&D With Porn Stars</i>, I get the disclaimer, but the jump does a number to my browser. When I used the disclaimer for a short time, it was messing up my posts while changing and checking the doodads. I end up stopping it out of frustration! Since my only real "objectionable" post was on chainmail bikinis and armored loincloths, it feels like no big thing. But still, T&A are ALWAYS on the table with this blog.<br />
<br />In my experience, sites that tighten their belts on content only make things worse, and ultimately the administrators turn thuggish if they feel the clients are not complying enough. This is more then just nudity or adult content. This goes with religion, politics, language, criticizing the admins. Amplify this, by the fact that Blogger is own by Goggle — the company with the "<span class="st">Midas Touch</span>" of shitty business decisions! <span class="st">"Don't be evil" my ass!</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">As far as content go, I will stay the course.</span>Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-169181410708398222014-11-15T08:33:00.002-08:002014-11-15T08:33:56.475-08:005e ThoulI was screwing around with the 5e system, to get a better understanding of the mechanics. For most people, its about CharGen and character-building, but I also like to toy around with custom monsters. So I decided to make a Thoul (from Moldvay's Basic rulebook) based on the Ghoul, Hobgoblin, and Troll stats form the free <i><b>Dungeon Master’s Basic Rules</b> (<span style="font-size: x-small;">version 0.2</span>)</i> file. Here is what I done:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thoul</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Medium humanoid (goblinoid), lawful evil</i></span><br />
<b>===================================</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Armor Class</b> 16 (natural + chain mail)<br /><b>Hit Points</b> 33 (5d8+10)<br /><b>Speed</b> 30 ft.</span><br />
<b>===================================</b><br />
<b>-STR --- DEX --- CON --- INT --- WIS --- CHA</b><br />
14 <span style="font-size: x-small;">(<b>+2</b>)</span> - 13 <span style="font-size: x-small;">(<b>+1</b>)</span> - 12 <span style="font-size: x-small;">(<b>+1</b>) -</span> 8 <span style="font-size: x-small;">(<b>-1</b>)</span> - 10<span style="font-size: x-small;"> (<b>+0</b>) -</span> 8 <span style="font-size: x-small;">(<b>−1</b>)</span><br />
<b>===================================</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Skills</b> Perception +1<br /><b>Senses</b> darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11<br /><b>Languages</b> Common, Goblin<br /><b>Challenge</b> 1 (200 XP)</span><br />
<b>===================================</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Keen Smell.</b></i> The thoul has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.<br /><br /><i><b>Regeneration.</b></i> The thoul regains 3 hit points at the start of its turn. If the thoul takes acid or fire damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of the troll’s next turn. The thoul dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Actions</span></u>______________________________</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Thouls can ether be armed or unarmed.<br /><br /><i><b>Longsword.</b> Melee Weapon Attack:</i> +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage, or 7 (1d10 + 2) slashing damage if used with two hands.<br /><br /><i><b>Claws.</b> Melee Weapon Attack:</i> +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage. If the target is a creature other than an elf or undead, it must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.</span><br />
<br />
A Thoul is a magical combination of a ghoul, a hobgoblin, and a troll. It is rumored that they are the result of a twisted experiment by an unknown wizard trying to create an army of inhuman super-soldiers. To all but goblinoids, thouls look exactly like hobgoblins. Anyone who are familiar with goblinoids could tell them apart. They usually from into bands of mercenaries, but sometimes they serve as bodyguards of a powerful hobgoblin ruler.<br />
<br />Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-5688919395577498722014-07-27T17:14:00.001-07:002014-07-27T17:14:48.524-07:00Datafortress 2020 is Back!For those who don't know, <a href="http://datafortress2020.com/" target="_blank">Datafortress 2020</a> is the best damn <i>Cyberpunk 2020</i> site on the net! The guy who runs it, Wisdom000, had over the years put a lot of effort and love into the site, with some help for the CP2020 community. It is full of great articles and supplements. It covers a wide range of topics, and includes a wide assortment of new goods, environments and inspirations to be used in CP2020, or even your own cyberpunk game, including <i>Shadowrun</i>.<br /><br />Beyond just the cyberpunk genre, the Nomad culture from CP2020 had always maintain a <i>Mad Max</i> vibe about it. For those post-apocalypses fans who like there post-apocalypses fiction to be hard-edged and styled like an '80s <i>Road Warrior</i>-clone — bikers, big hear, assless-chaps and all — I highly recommend checking out <a href="http://datafortress2020.com/dust/dust.html" target="_blank">Dust in the Wind</a>, <a href="http://datafortress2020.com/nomad/NomadMarket.html" target="_blank">The Nomad Market</a> and <a href="http://datafortress2020.com/nomad/shopping.html" target="_blank">Shop the Nomad Market</a>. There are so much you take form them!<br /><br />If you have the time and printer ink, you can download the sourcebooks. If some of the pages go to dead links, don't fret. It is a large site being moved into a new domain, and Wisdom000 is still getting the kinks out. Also be forewarned that some pages might still be graphic-heavy (this was changed by using smaller images), and there are no shortage of risqué art (just harmless T&A pics).<br /><br />I hope you guys enjoy the site? Enjoy!Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-29886425108479747782014-07-13T16:49:00.001-07:002014-07-13T16:55:18.021-07:00Deviant Database 2.0 Teaser Art<a href="http://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/2014/07/deviant-database-20-for-mutant-future.html" target="_blank">Sniderman</a> released another book of mutants in the second installment of the <i>Deviant Database</i> for the <i>Mutant Future</i> role-playing game. He needed some art, and I submitted four. This time around, a dozen artists came to his call. The <i>Deviant Database 2.0 </i>list over forty mutants, with most of them illustrated, a few even have two pics to them.<br />
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Here is a teaser of what I did, and soon I would add the pics to my <a href="http://malcadon.deviantart.com/gallery/" target="_blank">DeviantArt gallery</a>.<br />
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The mutants I drew (from top left to bottom right) are the <i>Whorebeast</i>, <i>Mako</i>, <i>Bog Ghoul</i>, and <i>Clotted One</i> (AKA “<i>Scab</i>”).</div>
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I have been reading them on and off. So far, they are great! They would really keep the players on their toes.Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-21413203935724649172014-07-11T18:53:00.001-07:002018-03-06T07:56:27.556-08:00Its Hotter than a Witch's Tit......while dressed as a topless Amazon! ;p<br />
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Enjoy this nice OD&D mockup. I hope this makes summer a little more bearable for you guys?Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8693013242998607689.post-4614050575342541072014-06-25T12:22:00.002-07:002018-03-06T07:56:06.627-08:00Gamma World and Mad Max Don't MixOne odd issue I have with how people (mostly artists) try to portray <i>Gamma World</i>, and by extension <i>Mutant Future</i>, is how people try to make it look and feel like a <i>Mad Max</i> movie. Now don't get me wrong, I like the '80s-glam, <i>Mad Max</i>-inspired style of post-apocalypses movies (including all the clones that came of it), but to me it is a poor fit. That is, what you look past all leather-clad bikers and over use of hairspray, it is largely a serious, hard-edge genre that relies on there being an apocalypses sometime in the near future. The ecosystems have collapsed to nuclear fallout, once civilized people look like malnourished people from a hard-hit Third World country, animals are so scarce, people are having to eat diseased rats, and it uses a lot of modern technology — especially guns and heavily modified “Road Warrior” cars. Given the desperate, hard-edge nature of this genre, I tend to call it “Rat-Eater” fiction. I even call the future scenes from <i>The Terminator</i> movies “Rat-Eater” segments.<br />
<br />
Now, <i>Gamma World</i> has always been called out for being silly and goofy, but most people do not understand the nature of the setting. <i>Gamma World</i> was the product of the era of <i>Silver Age of Comic Books</i> (1950s-'70s). For those that don't know, the <i>Silver Age of Comics</i> was an era of dramatic super-science, strange scenarios, weird worlds, and lots of campy elements. To think of how this relates to <i>Gamma World</i>, imagine if the first edition was illustrated by Jack Kirby. Let that sink in for a second... This is the guy who took the basic outline of <i>Planet of the Apes</i> and turned it into <i>Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth</i>, and turned the comic book adaptation of <i>2001: A Space Odyssey</i> into a crazy-ass acid trip... More so then the end of movie. <i>Gamma World</i> takes place after the people of a <i>Jetson</i>-styled future blew themselves up. The aftermath was a world where green-glowing radiation gave people and wildlife comic book-like mutations. Imagine a world with anthropomorphic animals, plant-men, mobile sentient plants, three-tittied bimbos, people that would make the <i>X-Men</i> look quaint... All in a world littered with the ruins of a once super-technological civilization, engulfed by the growth of ever mutating ecosystems!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAPEh5HVSyNMgATZ67AvpMyJcSBfsbD6L6g4F70capTuCEp4DTBGfGZzEsvUAvGTd6yk1p1FaDM7o9sttW-oL_xVvljCSTc2d3dAYPd2_v014shEdmf5WhIzPA89oU9lIGBLW9JvIMzE2/s1600/4tits.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAPEh5HVSyNMgATZ67AvpMyJcSBfsbD6L6g4F70capTuCEp4DTBGfGZzEsvUAvGTd6yk1p1FaDM7o9sttW-oL_xVvljCSTc2d3dAYPd2_v014shEdmf5WhIzPA89oU9lIGBLW9JvIMzE2/s1600/4tits.png" width="225" /></a></div>
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<i>Why settle for just three? ;p </i></div>
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So yeah, they both have their cool aspects, but in the end, one is oil, and the other is... Well...? <i>The Colour Out of Space</i>. You can put some aspects of <i>Gamma World</i> into Rat-Eater, but it would loose its gritty, hard-edge feel. You can put some aspects of Rat-Eater into <i>Gamma World</i>, but they would quickly get overtaken by everything else. I mean, you could add leather-clad bikes with modern gear, but they would not stand a chance against all the mutants and tech-users that haunt such strange world such as <i>Gamma World</i>. On top of that, the Rat-Eater elements would just be seen as another odd element. That is, the leather-clad bikers would use high-tech gear (hover-bikes and blasters) and have leather-clad three-tittied bimbos with them. In other words, mothafuckin' <i>Lobo</i>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZiXZhWOUsyryVzA_obDY5cVANZkjvz_7fZjTUhlHN7eHm9x3IGqdH4N77sMXvMIyCPzAoGxtSBgQHUMB4rYVx14zgE6I8ALLxJV0kKtMVPlnFsNsrTLW4Dkx_ezZq_W8O8-bteo__t0q/s1600/Lobo_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZiXZhWOUsyryVzA_obDY5cVANZkjvz_7fZjTUhlHN7eHm9x3IGqdH4N77sMXvMIyCPzAoGxtSBgQHUMB4rYVx14zgE6I8ALLxJV0kKtMVPlnFsNsrTLW4Dkx_ezZq_W8O8-bteo__t0q/s1600/Lobo_001.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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<i>Yeah, like that, but with the chick form the above pic.</i></div>
Malcadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.com4