Og make FIRE!

A few weeks ago I received a very nice parcel in the post. All parcels are actually nice but this particular one was very nice because I didn't buy it, it was sent to me as a present. Inside were five perfectly cast Neanderthals sent to me by Alex from Russia. He was a member of my Tuesday crew when I was a minion in last years Challenge and I think this was a reward for the odd bonus point I might have put in his direction back then! 😉

These are 28mm, cast in white metal and other than a little bit of filing to be done on the base completely free of any caste lines or flash. The sculpture is fairly basic but actually, they painted up really well. I'm not really sure where I'm going to use them, but I did promise Alex I'd try and get them painted by the end of the Challenge, so here they are.

Actually come to think of it I could probably use these some pulp role-playing games that I have. Have an excellent little RPG we called Hollow Earth Expedition which is a proper 'land of the lost' type setting, and these guys would fit in their perfectly. 

Pointwise these are relatively simple. 5x28mm figures and the fire which I suppose should be a couple of points. If my math is correct these should take me to my target! Wo-hoo! Now I really, really, really need to get on with my Snow Lords Challenge!!!

Limping along together

A handful of The Delver's will be meeting later tonight and once again we will settled on a simple board game as our entertainment of choice for the evening. Its been a bit of a struggle getting the group together for a game recently. We all have the sort of busy lives that prohibit anything like a regular schedule of games and just getting together a minimum number of attendees can be difficult to say the least. Around midnight when the guys have gone home and I have finished tidying up I'll probably find myself thinking about where we are going and worrying about the future of the group, just like I do after most game nights.


[This has morphed into quite a long post and sort of an 'open letter' to The Delvers; so you might want to get comfortable and settle down before reading it. Alternatively just hit the +1 button below and pretend you've read it!]  


The Times They Are a-Changin'

According to the Bob Dylan song "Then you better start swimmin', Or you'll sink like a stone" and he was right. If we don't make an effort to change the format of our group it'll sink without trace and before we know it the Delvers will be no more. We've been discussing this issue for years as our schedules have got busier and the games have become fewer, but the catalyst for this latest round of naval gazing has been the demise of our 4e campaign. Our GM has effectively left the group (although he seems reluctant to admit it) and what started as one missed game night has turned into 8 months of missed games with no end in sight. Its not his fault, he has kids, commitments and a demanding job - life has temporarily got in the way of gaming for him.

Other members of the group have their own issues and commitments to deal with. Three are actors and the very nature of their work means they are either away on shoot's or tied up in the evening with performances etc. They make those game nights that they can, and we all appreciate the chance to meet up, share news and relax. Of the eight members of the group probably only two of us have something that could roughly be described as a 'regular' job with regular hours. So a rigid schedule of games is bound to fall foul of our lifestyles.

Multifaceted Gamers
Most of the gamers I know have more than one hobby. I have a theory that if you are inclined to take up a hobby you have already crossed an invisible dividing line between those that do and those that don't. Once across that line, the barriers to taking up another hobby - and another and another - are only limited by how much spare time you have. So most 'hobbyists' (for want of a better phrase) have multiple demands on their time, and gamers are no exception. I'm a roleplayer and a wargamer, and I love Photography, and reading, and painting, and living history, and... well, you get the picture.

So expecting every member of the group to have the same level of commitment to roleplaying games would be pointless. Aside from our busy careers and home lives most of us are also trying to find time to squeeze in several hobbies and spending days and weeks planning an RPG campaign is increasingly unrealistic. Our last GM discovered this last year and so far none of the other Delvers have been able to find the time commitment necessary to run a campaign of our own and I'm just as guilty. I started preparing a HEX campaign but progress stalled because I got sidetracked by other things (namely my 6mm North Africa project). The lesson I take from this is that we need a much simpler approach to RPG's with a focus on quick, single session games that don't require lots of planning.

Shiney!
I'm the only wargamer in the group but I can still see an element of the traditional gamers desire for 'the new' in my fellow roleplayer's. They may not be out buying miniatures (there are only two of us that own a painted mini let alone paint them) but the desire to try new stuff is as strong as it is in any wargamer. The drain on our collective wallets is constant and never ending.

Over the years we have indulged in Fantasy RPGs (D&D, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay), horror RPGs (Call of Cthulhu), Sci Fi RPG's (Dr Who, Traveller) and Super Hero RPGS (Marval Heroic) and there's a very real liklihood we will eventually play some Pulp games (HEX) as well. We've dabbled with CCG's (Babylon 5 and Magic: The Gathering) and countless boardgames of varying genre's. Variety is the spice of life as they say and you don't get much more varied than the gaming tastes of this group.

As a group we clearly like variety and don't like to be tied down to a particular game. We also all have different opinions about what makes a good RPG game. Some like them complex, others hark back to simpler days, some like miniatures based games others prefer pen and paper only. I think this goes some way to explaining why we have found it increasingly hard to hold down an RPG campaign, especially in recent years. With our erratic schedules it just takes too long between games for us to progress with a story or keep up to speed with the rules. Eventually some of us loose interest [Sorta like reading this post!] and when the group is in discord things just don't work properly.

Location, Location, Location
Another problem we have is the lack of a suitable games venue. For years most of the games have been at my house, but this has meant packing my family off upstairs out of the way. That was OK when the kids were little, and entertaining them was just a matter of finding a suitable film to watch on the bedroom TV. But my kids are getting older and don't want to be exiled upstairs whenever I have a game... and for that matter neither does my wife. She's a great sport, and dutifully trots off into internal exile on Friday nights, but its not fair on her and I know it.

When I win the lottery and buy a big house I'll make sure I have a large purpose built game room, but in the meantime we'll just have to make do with what we have. And what we have are seven semi regular players and therefore seven potential venues to meet at (hint, hint!). One of the advantages of sharing games around like this is that everyone gets a chance at an evening where they don't have to pay for a taxi or get the bus or a train. Hosting a game needn't be strenuous.

Put it out of it's misery, or find a solution
I remember reading a great article on GnomeStew a few years back about the GM that decided enough was enough and dissolved his gaming group. At the time I read it and thought "I'm glad that's not my group" but now I realise it is us.

We have reached a decisive moment in the Delver's history and we need to change what we do or the group will fall apart. Sooner or later we will call it quits and go our separate ways, and that scares me because I know that 'the group' has kept us in contact with each other even as our lives have diverged and members have moved away. More than that it has given us thousands of hours of shared adventures and stories that can never be replaced. I'll be an old man - sucking food through a straw - and I'll still be telling tales of my adventures in Greyhawk and Krynn, Pelinore, Ravenloft and the Forgotten Realms.


Ramming home my points in 'The Conclusion'
So there are my thoughts and ideas. We need a more flexible approach to game nights, with 'event' games rather than a schedule. If we are going to play RPG's we need to find systems that encourage single session adventures and are easy for the GM to prepare and run. When we aren't playing an RPG we need to embrace a broader range of games to keep things fresh and interesting. And we need to be a bit more creative with where we have games, sharing the load a little better. Whatever we do we need to do something, because the status quo just isn't working.

I hope it hasn't sounded like a long moaning rant, because I don't feel like that at all. My main concern is ensuring we stick together as a group and if that means shaking things up a bit then that can only be a good thing.

Death of a Leviathan

The Delvers met on Friday night, minus the Evil GM, which means that yet again we didn't play our by now moribund D&D4E campaign. I think the life has gone out of this particular beast and when we talked about it we realised that the last game was so long ago none of us can actually remember what we did or where the story was heading. But while one great leviathan breaths its last (at least for a while) others are bursting with new life. As several members of the group were in attendance we took the time to discuss the future direction of the Delvers, including a couple of alternative RPG's. 

The first of course is the Hollow Earth Expedition RPG that I have mentioned here before. I'm almost ready to run the first game (been a bit distracted with my new 6mm tanks!☺) but I wasn't quite comfortable to 'wing it' last night. I want a chance to play-test a few solo combats first, so I can be sure I understand the mechanics of the Ubiquity system properly before I try and run a game. Its one thing to improvise storytelling during a game but quite another to pretend you know the rules when you don't. Most of the group were quite positive about giving this game a try and hopefully we can have our first game session sometime in the next few weeks.

The other RPG we looked at was the Fantasy version of the Marvel Heroic RPG we played a few months ago. The core mechanics look to be the same and it seems like a very easy system to improvise with. It should be fun and will be a refreshing alternative to the increasingly rules-heavy system we play now. Both these 'alternative' RPG's are much simpler in design than D&D and require far less investment of time (and money) in order to just sit down and play. 

I've long been an advocate of going back to a much simpler and basic version of D&D in our group (the Basic system itself in fact) where the emphasis is on actual roleplaying rather than power gaming and rules management. I'm sure I've just committed some sort of heresy saying that (I expect the D&D community to dispatch an  angry mob forthwith) but as someone who has played this game in all its forms, for over 30 years, I think I have a valid opinion. Part of me hopes the 5th Edition currently in development will be simpler and more 'old school' but the realist in me knows that will never happen. 

Hex RPG coming together

As recently announced I have looking at writing and running a Hollow Earth Expedition role-playing game for The Delvers. We all seem to have lost heart in DandD 4e, especially as yet another edition is looming on the horizon. I'm still hoping we can complete our current campaign but in the meantime I thought I would give the Evil GM a breather and run something a little bit different. 

I'm rather enjoying getting back into story writing for an RPG game and my preparation is coming together quickly. There are several pre written starter adventures available online but I've never been one do things the easy way. I may well nick ideas from these scenarios but essentially I wanted our first adventure to be something original and potentially part of a much larger campaign arc. Obviously I can't discuss the details here (you never know, some of my friends might actually read my Blog!) but I want something that captures that cinematic and high adventure feel that you find in 'pulp' adventures like Dan Dare, Doc Savage, Flash Gordon and the like.

I have the framework for that first game laid out already, using the excellent (and Free!) flowchart program, Lucidchart. I am now working on some of the details but I'm deliberately trying to keep this part of the planning minimalist leaving descriptions and exposition brief. In short I'm putting faith in my improvisational skills...and its a scary but exhilarating prospect. I've bought some special dice for the game (yes I know I already have thousands of dice, but these are special) and I have even treated myself to the HEX GM's screen so I have all the essential rules to hand and won't need to rely on the rulebook too much during the game.

I'm not sure I can get everything finished in time for the DDD's next planned evening in a weeks time, but I'm confident I'll be ready to go before the following meeting. I'm rather looking forward to launching my players into an alternative 1936 where high adventure, secret cults and monsters abound and where magic and weird science merge in dramatic and unexpected ways.

WSS Issue 57 - Pulp Gaming

Issue 57 of the Wargaming Magazine Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy is on newsagent shelves and I snapped up a copy today. This magazine has had a bit of a rocky history when the English language edition ceased publication back in May 2010. However it returned with a new publisher (Karwansaray BV) and a new editor (in the form of Guy Bowers) in May of this year. I wasn't familiar with the magazine in its old guise but I have become a regular reader since its relaunch.

This months issue is themed around Pulp gaming in the 1920's. Although I'm not into playing the period straight (I like my gangsters mixed with secret cults and eldritch monsters) I have enjoyed this issue immensely. Its given me lots of ideas for my next Hollow Earth Expedition adventure which I am preparing at present. HEX is based in or around 1936, so a little after the period covered by this theme, but many of the miniatures and ideas covered could be utilised with minimal conversion.

As always with their themes there are plenty of ideas for models and scenery that I'm sure anyone into the period will find useful. The review of available miniatures was particularly interesting as it highlights manufacturers that carry suitable ranges.

Another good article is by Dr Phil Hendry who it seems has become an advocate of Dip for painting large units of miniatures. In fact he's the guy responsible for painting much of the Early Imperial Romans released by Warlord Games seen on their website. As a recent convert to the wonders of 'dip' I felt a certain kinship with Dr Phil's initially lukewarm feelings towards this technique. But like the good doctor I found that the finished product looks pretty good and its a great way to get lots of miniatures on the games table in a short time.

There is also a regular column by industry veteran Rick Priestly. Part two Of Dice and men - This gaming Life looks at the humble d6 and follows on from an equally interesting article last month about the d100. Both articles looks at the uses and restrictions implied by the choice of dice to the games designer and provide an interesting look inside the head of one of the most influential rules writers in our hobby.

The standard of presentation and range of content in this issue is high and its clean uncluttered design makes this easy to read. The reviews of new miniature releases at the beginning of the magazine are also very useful, not only for finding out about new releases but also for seeing new trends that are emerging (the shift from metal to resin for instance). All in all a very good read.

Dragonmeet 2010

On Saturday I went to Dragonmeet with my daughter for our annual pre-Christmas game convention / shopping trip. We usually spend a long morning watching games, shopping and talking to other gamers before heading off to Oxford Street and Covent Garden to soak up a little atmosphere. Despite the bitter cold attendance at the convention seemed higher this year than last, which has to be seen a good sign given the current economic climate.

Trade Hall at Dragonmeet 2010

I had a long chat with Jeff Combos author of the roleplaying game Hollow Earth Expedition. I've been intrigued by this game for a while and after spending a a very convivial 20 minutes talking to Jeff I decided to buy the core rulebook. The game is set in the tense and tumultuous 1930s and draws its influences from the literary works of genre giants like Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jules Verne, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This adventure RPG emphasises storytelling and roleplaying while providing an elegant framework for combat and action.

Jeff Combos signs my copy of Hollow Earth Expedition

The convention is very much focused on participation games with tables on two floors of the Kensington Town Hall. However there are also a small selection of excellent traders in attendance including smaller independent companies selling their games. One of the larger stalls was Leisure Games and I picked up the latest FOW rulebook (Das Book) at a very reasonable price.

Lots of Dragonmeet Loot

I also bought another set of gaming dice because... well just because. A gamer can never have enough dice. And besides they were shiny and called to me.

My Precious!

Another interesting stall was the Mongoose publishing stand. They always have an interesting selection of books on sale for their core games. One set that caught my eye was the Judge Dread game. Next to the range of books they also had a glass cabinet with various models to accompany the game, including one of Dread himself.

After we left the convention we headed over to London Graphics next to Covent Garden so I could pick up a couple of new Winsor and Newton Series 7 brushes. These are expensive but by far the best brushes I have ever owned and the ones I got a couple of years ago still look and perform as good as new. My daughter was also able to get me a Christmas present there (with a bit of hinting from me) so all in all it was a worthwhile diversion.

London Graphic Centre

Despite the cold we both had a nice day out and came home with a satisfactory volume of game loot. Dragonmeet continues to be an enjoyable event and one that I'm sure we will go to for many years to come.

Another mini for the Judge Dread game. This one features my new family Motto!

Turquoise Serpent

Here's a random picture from the vault. I took this on a trip to the British Museum in 2007. It is an wooden armament probably worn across the chest during ceremonial occasions. It measures 20 cm by 43 cm (8 in by 17 in) and dates to between 1400-1521.

"Serpent imagery is common throughout the religious iconography of Mesoamerica. The serpent is associated with several Mexica deities including Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent), Xiuhcoatl (Fire Serpent) and Mixcoatl (Cloud Serpent) or Coatlicue (She of the Serpent Skirt), the mother of the Mexica god Huitzilopochtli.The habit of snakes to shed their skin each year probably led to them being used to convey ideas concerning renewal and transformation. Likewise the ability of many species to move freely between water, earth and the forest canopy helped underline their symbolic role as intermediaries between the different layers of the cosmos (underworld, earth and sky)." (Source: British Museum) Aside from being a beautiful piece of art its also a powerful symbolic object that can be used as inspiration in many different RPG games. This could be a magical artifact in a D&D game or a priceless religious icon in a HEX game. There are many more objects like this in the Mesoamerican section and together they form one of the highlights of the British Museum.

More Hollow Earth with HEX

RPG News dot com announced a new supplement for the Hollow Earth Expedition game that I talked about a few weeks ago.

Mysteries of the Hollow Earth™ is a source book that expands Hollow Earth Expedition with even more details about the mysterious and dangerous Hollow Earth, filled with hungry dinosaurs, ferocious savages, and lost civilizations!

This looks like a fun game with plenty of elements from my favorite B Movies.

The Hollow Earth

I have been reading a lot about arctic customs and myths over recent months. I’m working on an adventure idea for my D&D campaign setting, The Isles of Ethos, which will take my players into the icy north. Many of the myths of the Inuit are fascinating and have spawned lots of ideas for my game, but it was a more western concept that has caught my attention. The Hollow Earth Theory. First off I should say that I don’t think it should be called a "Theory" - it would dignify this pseudo scientific hogwash with the trappings of legitimacy - especially as this myth is still perpetrated to this day by Internet kooks and shysters. However there was a time when the idea that the Earth had an inhabited inner world did not seem so ludicrous.
The Hollow Earth concept is an ancient one, and for many centuries made some sort of sense as the home of Hell, Svartalfheim, Hades or other subterranean realms. The idea had many proponents even into more modern times, including Edmund Halley on 1692, and even (in part) prompted the19th century US Polar expedition of 1838-1842.

In the 20th century the Hollow Earth myth was explored by the Thule Society which had close links to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi fascination with the occult. There are even theories that Hitler ordered a research journey to the Arctic to find an opening to this inner world. This is partly based on the claims of Admiral Dönitz who spoke during the Nuremberg Trials of "...an invisible fortification, in midst of the eternal ice". I hasten to add (in case my players are reading this) I’m not using this idea in my game but it would make a great game in its own right. Indeed Exile Studios produced the ENnie nominated Roleplaying game Hollow Earth Expedition in 2007. HEX is set in the 1930s where secret societies and villainous organizations (including the Thule Society) have a vested interest in the Hollow Earth.

As usual my game design research has lead me on a major tangent away from its original focus, and I don't think that's such a bad thing. In fact I'd go so far as to say this is one of my favorite things about game design and writing: you never know where you'll end up.