My New Toy

For some time, I have been needing a graphic tablet. I held it off as I have been adverse to Photoshopped art, so I did not bother with it. Back in High School Computer Art and Illustration class, in the late '90s, I would draw stuff with just the mouse and I was really good at it. Unfortunately, this would prove bad an my wrists (although, normal computer-use is not helped matters ether). As an artist, I always felt more comfortable with traditional mediums, so I focused more on that. Although I have really developed my skills with penciling, line-drawing, painting (and if I had a way to get more green stuff, then miniature sculpting), but I know that the most efficient way to paint is with a tablet and a stylist. That is, if I make a mistake, I can 'undo' it, instead of whitewashing it out. I have a greater range of colors with a PC, and I can quickly make duplicates for multiple alterations (in case I want to work on paint schemes for vehicles and uniforms, or the like). And I can do a lot more things with an art program, then with traditional mediums.

So I looked into it, did some research and found most tablet computers (Androids, iPads and the like) to be too pricy or the systems were not to my liking. I then opted for a graphics tablet. The best one for my price-range was the $80 Wacom Bamboo (that is not a lot of money for most people, but for me, its a lot). Some money I got for the Holidays and the last commission has sent me over the budget for the device. I ordered it last week, and it came yesterday.

It is fun! The writing recognition takes too much initiative with how it thinks the letters should be (I'm quite dependent on spell-checkers, but I hate those that make mistakes that are WAAAYYY off base), but I don't really use that program, nor did I get it for that. Although, I'm still getting the hang of the drawing and painting, it handles great! I have found on DeviantArt, tutorials on using art programs — namely Gimp. They give great advice on many of the advanced functions, as well as tips on exploiting them.

As a plus, it also works as a mouse. Hell, it works better then a mouse! THIS GRAPHIC TABLET MAKES ME HATE MY MOUSE EVEN MORE!!! I never did liked the mouse! I always found them to be awkward and unintuitive, and they are wrong on the wrist (in fact, I changed my mouse to left-handed, to save my drawing-hand from further injury, and it really helped). I would rather have graphics tablets the default peripheral them the goddamn mouse!

Some day, I will get a tablet computer. But until then, I'm going to make the most out of my new toy! =D

Metamorphica Update

I have just added The Metamorphica (that highly useful book of mutations I talked about on my last post) to RPGGeek.com. If you are a member, then you can add to the page, or even start a topic on it's forum.

Oh, and happy Gobbler Day.

The Metamorphica

 Last week, I ordered The Metamorphica from Lulu.com (here is the free copy, and here is the printed copy), and it came in yesterday. When I found out about it two weeks ago, and download it, it was something that I had to get, as an electronic copy dose not compare to a physical copy (dead-tree editions are good, but I would settle on the file, if I had an e-reader to read it from). As far as mutation/super-power lists go, this is the most extensive and versatile! This book is not bound to a single rule system, so it can be used in nearly any system, if you don't mind adding the rules for each mutation. Thankfully, many are superficial traits with little or no barrings to the rules. They are written like the descriptions from first edition Gamma World, but expunged of all mechanics, save for range and duration, and even still, they are listed on random tables. And there are lots and lots of random tables! The entire mutation list can be rolled by a single roll of a d1000 (like a normal d00/d% roll, but with an extra die for the hundreds), or rolled by categories, using more exotic rolls with bonuses in increments of hundreds (see below). The categories are:

1-200 Body: Form (d200)
201-400 Body: Function (d200+200, or d400 for both)
401-500 Mind: Behaviours (d100+400)
501-600 Mind:Cognition (d100+500, d200+400 for both, or d600 with all above)
601-700 Psychic Powers (d100+600, d300+400 with mind, or d700 will all above)
701-1000 Supernatural Attributes (d300+700, d400+600 with psychic, or d600+400 with psychic and mind)

Body: Form are the physical mutations that effect how you look, and makes you appear freakish. Body: Function are the physical mutations that effect how you use your body, but dose not always effect how you appear. Mind: Behaviours are the mental mutations that effect the way you think. As they are neurological impulsion and insanity, they can be used on normal people who have been exposed to stress... or eldrich forces! Mind: Cognition are the mental mutations that effect who your brain works. They work like natural talents or mental disabilities. Psychic Powers are paranormal mental mutations that provides control over other minds and physical states. Supernatural Attributes are paranormal abilities you would find with superheros and mythological creatures. The master table is easy to read, and notes the page numbers in a clear but subdued way. This method of indexing is a big plus.

Naturally, you will not find a 200-sided die for sale (as if the 100-sided gulf ball was not bad enough), but you can workout your own system of rolling. For example, you can roll a d200 by replacing the d10 for the '10s' with a d20. Something like a d300 (and no d30 at hand) you can roll d% normally, but with a d3 multiplier die (1 = +100; 2 = +200; 3 = +0 - the highest roll always gives nothing in this method).

Following this big list, there are a useful notes and charts in the four appendices. The first appendix has additional tables for this or that. This is great if you want to come up with strange, new creatures, or to full in some details from the master list, if you don't want to choose your own bodily form. Appendix 2 is good for making mutants, with an appearance change table, beneficial and detrimental mental and physical mutations, quick physical mutant features, and quick superhero powers. Appendix 3 has notes and a few tables for making a character by genre. They include lab-experiments you would see in an old B-move or video game, comic book superheroes, Gamma World-styled post-apocalyptic mutants, and the demonic aberrations you'll find in the old Realm of Chaos books from Warhammer Fantasy Battle. The last appendix has notes on making mutants by genotype. This includes Beastlings, Demons, Mutant Hordes, Mutant Plants, Uplifted Animals, and Xenobiology. The book ends with three pages of bibliography, that helped made the book. Naturally, most of these are role-playing books, but a number of them are works of fiction, with a good number of them being by H.P. Lovecraft.

The cover has an evocative image of a medusa-like woman, with tentacle-hair in place of snakes, and white all around. The interior art is simple, minimal and seem to serve as bookends for a chapter to fill what would otherwise be empty space. They are a mixed bag of styles, but are otherwise OK. The interior layout is simple, and without a lot of fancy fonts or decorations (boarders or fancy headers). The book is a softcover, digest-size book. Without rule content or a lot of artwork, the book packs A LOT for a 154 pages.

The Good: This is a highly indispensable supplement for any post-apocalypse science fantasy, superhero, space opera, pulp-horror, sword & sorcery, and mad-science themed games or settings. It is also well laid out. You would find more mutants than you'll know what to do with them!

The Bad: The lack of rules means you'll have to do a lot of paperwork, if they are not covered by the rules of your choice.

I can not highly recommend this book enough!

Spoiler Alert!

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." 

"Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father? You should have a seat, I have something huge to tell you."

I Took One of Those Silly Star Trek Polls

I found it here, and I said to my self "Oh, what the hell! It has been awhile since I took one of those silly personality polls." Here are my results:

Your results:
You are Jean-Luc Picard

Jean-Luc Picard 85% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 75% Spock 67% Deanna Troi 65% Will Riker 60% Worf 55% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 55% Chekov 45% Beverly Crusher 45% James T. Kirk (Captain) 40% Uhura 40% Mr. Sulu 40% Data 39% Mr. Scott 30% Geordi LaForge 20%

A lover of Shakespeare and other   fine literature. You have a decisive mind   and a firm hand in dealing with others.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Quiz

So somehow I'm the most proper Englishman of all Frenchmen. Although, characters following Picard was no surprise. I just figured that I would top-out at Spock or McCoy. Well, that was a neat little poll - I guess.

Post end, Warp Factor 3. Engage! *WOOSH!!!*

The Decimator

OK, this started as a one-note joke. So here I post it.

The Decimator

No. Enc.:	n/a
Movement:	120' (40')
Armor Class:	6
Hit Dice:	50 hp
Attacks:	1
Damage:	1d6 or target shrinks
Save:	L5
Morale:	n/a
Hoard Class:	none

The Decimator is an android fitted with a shrink-ray arm-cannon. Anyone hit by the ray must save vs energy, or get reduced to a tenth of it's original size, so a 6-foot man will shrink down to 7 inches (this is much better worked out in metric). The target has a tenth of it's original hit points, and counts have 10-points less of STR (minimum: 1) vs larger (normal-size) creatures. This can last for so many days, or is permanent (its up to the ML). They look like cheap knock-off (skinless) T-800 "Infiltrator" Terminators. They tend to cry in a loud, shrill voice: "Decimate! Decimate!" If you know where to find it, you can press a "suicide switch" (you must attack it, but it gets a free attack) that would set off incinerators, which would (literally) decimate the unit to nothing more then a single hand.

Someone with skill, can rig a defeated Decimator's arm-cannon and power-supply into portable shrink-ray cannon.

WTF Blogger?!?

OK, so I'm checking out my (recently updated) Blogger watch list to check on the blogs of folks I'm watching, and lo and behold, my list is flooded with posts form some "ngoceh" at the Personal Finance Tips blog. What the hell is going on here? I do not have this douche on watch! I do not give a damn about the glorified circle-jerk that goes on between Wallstreet fatcats! And I cant get rid of the posts, and they have flooded my watch list like a cockroach infestation, as the fucker dont shut up!

Damn, I hate these arbitrary updates! >=(