Absolute Beginners Vs. Into The Night

* = Thank you Duke for the Meme.  Believe it or not it helped make a Monday bearable, and drastically changed my mood.  Sometimes its strange what the smallest gesture will do for you.  I'm going to have to keep that in mind and do similar things more often.  I bow to your wisdom on not only life sir, but more importantly on Godzilla!

I have this nasty tendency to get negative when things aren’t going my way or when I am having a hard time or stressed. Friday just didn’t come to fruition, real life got in the way of fake life. I applaud the fact that men I know take their responsibilities seriously and put them first. So I can’t really complain about that, nor should I. Father’s Day is the shits for me. It’s a twofold thing, I miss my Dad terribly. At times in life I have felt adrift in existence and he was always an anchor. Which is insanely messed up. He was a wreck a lot of the time, but he could always pull it together for me, always give me sound advice, always pull my sky high ideas at least into the clouds, and always tried to remind me to not let my emotions rule my life. I could use that. My job is my job is my job is my job is my job. I don’t hate it, I don’t love it, and a lot of the time I’m not sure I even like it. I definitely don’t ‘like like’ it. Remember that from when you were a kid? Strange. Watching my wife’s family yesterday just hammers home that feeling of loss. It compounds my feelings of being ‘a part and yet apart’. Maybe I simply can’t assimilate that well? I’m stressed, or more realistically post-stressed after last week’s plumbing fiasco. It’s fixed, and although it touched us up for four hundo, it could have been worse. I feel like I live a lot of my life in the midst of “it could be worse”, I really want to know why it can’t be “Better”. Don’t get me wrong there are many things in my life that are self-inflicted wounds; I’m really good at that. However there is also a lot of stuff that just seems like annoying circumstantial clown shoes nonsense. These things form like a Voltron of neurosis that makes me feel like crap

Which is made all the stranger since I really did have a good weekend. Friday night was a wash, but I hung out with Cassandra and we watched Silver Bullet (*** out of 5).

Beyond the special effects that make the Werewolf look a lot like the Masturbating Bear from Conan O’Brian this movie sort of holds up. I think its most likely due to King’s crafting a fun little werewolf tale, Gary Busey being Gary Busey, and Corey Haim rocking out in a motorcycle wheelchair. The tale itself is really simple; Werewolf starts killing in a small town, no one can figure out who is the creature, kids figure out, no one believes them, and the we get the climactic showdown. It’s a standard enough tale, but seen through that quirky Stephen King lens of a small town where everyone has believable baggage hiding just beneath the Norman Rockwell veneer. While watching it I kept thinking that King and David Lynch have far more in common than I ever would have thought. That sort of idea that behind the face we show the world as a society there lies this seedy, dark underbelly where horribleness lurks. I’m going to have ask Mighty Mike his thoughts on this idea since he is far more versed in Lynch than I am. Something to contemplate. Just think all that came out of watching a decent Werewolf movie from the 80’s.

I think that is part of my problem in life is I can’t shut my brain off. It’s literally roaring all the time. I can split its focus to other things like D&D, or a comic book idea, or in the past Podcast stuff, or any other number of inane and useless information and ideas. The rest of the time it is deconstructing everything I do. In my rush to be a ‘better me’ I lose a lot of that in over self-analysis. It isn’t a bad thing or unhealthy, but I think it taints a lot of my life in a way that saps some of the joy out of my existence. I have a difficult time enjoying anything I ‘make’, I look at too many interactions with others as this long form game devoid of anything other than some sort of strange Machiavellian ‘end game’, and I struggle to take things at face value. Perhaps it’s because I have overvalued people in the past and been hurt, sometimes through my own fault, and so I’m always sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop with everyone. I try to describe myself as a realist, but the reality is I’m just a pessimist in sheep’s clothing. I’m learning to be more indifferent, which in some ways has been a nice change and has relieved some stress, but I’ve got a long way to go. I’ve got to work not let indifference just become a new, easier form of apathy.

Apparently today I’m just stream of consciousness writing, because I have no idea where that last paragraph came from. Oh well, just sit back and enjoy the wave I suppose. It was another week so we received another Paizo/Wizkids preview, but this time it was NOT Skull & Shackles instead we received our first look at the next ‘Gravity Feed’ style release; Undead Horde! Just like We Be Goblins this will be a small set with some new stuff and some repaints. I’m not going to talk about the re-paints because I’m lazy, instead let’s talk new and shiny stuff!

First up is the Wight! This one fits the nautical theme of Skull & Shackles perfectly which is VERY cool. I really dig this miniature. The noose around the neck is outstanding, the colors are muted and understated, and there are a lot of small details like the barnacles on the midsection that give it a lot of personality. The best part about it is it doesn’t have to be a Wight. This bad boy easily could be a Zombie, and would be a perfect Zombie Crew member for any type of Undead Pirate Crew that may or may not be pestering the 2nd D&D Group at some point. This is a nice solid piece and a MUST BUY for me.

Next up is the Zombie and it is a perfect concept to sculpture example of Paizo and Wizkids partnership. I really dig it. The arrows sticking out of its torso, the slack jawed stare, and the drawn and gaunt skin all fit together to give us a rock solid Zombie. I have to say that I do dig that doesn’t feel the need to rely on gore to tale the tale, which was one of my problems with the DDM Zombies, too much intestines sticking out, not enough cool and interesting character to the models. I also like the stumbling, arms out, classic Zombie pose which to me screams FUN! This one has personality, looks like a Zombie, and isn’t dripping body parts or organs unnecessarily. For those reasons alone it becomes a MUST BUY.

Last but not least is the Graveknight! This miniature would be a PERFECT stand-in for Lord Soth if I was running something where I needed that particular character. It has a very knightly feel to it; it’s covered in strange accoutrements, and just has a cool look to it. I think I especially like the crazy helm and then the shield with the severed heads on it. Paizo & Wizkids make sure to pack these miniatures with a TON of personality and that helps take a relatively average miniature and elevates it to something special. I think this on is going to be a MUST BUY for me as well.

Speaking of tiny plastic ‘men’ I think my Reaper Bones Kickstarter package is VERY close to being shipped.

The picture shows the scale of Kaladrax and Nethyrmaul. They are both GIGANTIC! Hell even the ‘Frost Wyrm’ in the background is enormous compared to the 28mm basic, Medium characters. Looking at those miniatures it starts to set in just how LARGE a box of these bad boys is headed my way, and just how much painting I have in my future. I think Kaladrax won’t be overly difficult as it is going to be mainly Bone colored due to it being a Dracolich, but the shading will be really important, that and its monumentally cool looking base. THAT will be a challenge. I’m hoping this one really catches Cassandra’s eye and that takes it on as a project. Nethyrmaul will be even more difficult with all the dead flesh on his frame, especially in the facial region. At least with these massive pieces I can sort of try out some techniques that so far have been too difficult for my clumsy hands on smaller miniatures. Just seeing these makes me really wonder just how enormous Cthulhu is going to be. I’m thinking my package from Reaper is going to be GI-normous and way a ton. I’m very excited, as if you couldn’t tell.

Saturday night we hung out with Bobert, Zack Attack, & Lady Christy. We drank, we grilled, we drank, we board gamed, we drank, we hot tubbed, and we drank some more. There were burgers on the grill, which turned out pretty damn good. There were olives and jalapenos in my beer which was more than pretty damn good. Then we busted out some Pandemic (*** ½ out of 5) and some Zombie FLUXX (** ½ out of 5). I dug Pandemic; it was a lot like Zombie State but more cerebral and a tad less competitive. I think my brain was a bit pickled by the time we got to Zombie FLUXX, so while I enjoyed it I wasn’t blown away. I’ll need to give it another go. The group was a BLAST to play with and I think that made the game for me. The reality is anytime I board game with those four I have a great time. They are my ‘King Ghidorah Of Friendship’ and the bee’s knees of Board Games. Eventually there was hot tubbing and then a round of Cards Against Humanity. Before we realized it the clock was hitting 2:30am. I was exhausted and had to have my lovely better half take me home. I needed that night, so thank you to Cassandra, Bobert, Zack Attack, & Lady Christy.

Enough of the ‘touchy feeley’, how ‘bout we wrap this shindig up with some…

RANDOM CRAP!

- I’m started scripting out my idea of a comic/web comic/strip type thing that came to me on the trip to and from Mankato. It is based around the songs off the first disc of David Bowie’s greatest hits. I need to find an artist to work with. It revolves around a Superhero in therapy. It incorporates a lot of stuff I’ve had floating around in my head since I was a kid, but it’s a bit more skewed, a bit more influenced by the Venture Brothers, and a bit more personal at the same time. I don’t know if it is any good or if the idea makes sense, I really could benefit by having a co-writer, oh and an artist, to give me direction and rein me in a bit. And I need an artist, did I mention that. Desperately. Either way it’s another creative iron in the fire.

- Tonight we are going over Diamond Dave’s house to watch us some ‘Rasslin’. I’m disturbingly excited about this.

- I need to sit down with Mighty Mike and fill out our Deadzone survey, SO many good things there, so little cash.

- It sounds like Josie and I are going to smoke some more fish here pretty soon. My friend the world travellin’, jet settin’, IRS job havin’, coin collectin’, Transformer playin’ son of a gun made another giant haul of Salmon on his last fishing excursion and we need to cook it up. I’m looking forward to sitting around, getting caught up, and cooking some delicious fish!

- Speaking of Kickstarters, my favorite webcomic, Guilded Age is doing a Kickstarter to publish a collected Volume 2 AND do some short animations!

- We need to go see Man Of Steel and This Is The End immediately. This isn’t a suggestion, this is a DEMAND! You hear that Cassandra, not one, but TWO date night movies I’m throwing out there to you. Make it happen!

- It was pointed out to me today that it has been awhile since our last Fire Pit, I might have to rectify this very soon.

- Saturday is 2nd Group D&D. I’m very excited to see how it all shakes out. I’m going to try to ramp up the High Adventure vibe, incorporate the ‘2nd Great Darkness’ into their current situation, and pick up the pace of the game. I’ve changed my ideas on where things were heading, if I can capture a vibe I want to capture that first portion of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, with the tomb raid and the chasing natives. Except with more Dragons, Kobolds, sunless skies, explosions, and Dinosaurs. I think I can pull that off…

- My brother sent me a picture of my Nephew on Friday. He’s chilling with his new Mohawk. I lost my shit(s). I’ve realized that he’s growing up without me. That’s a tough thing for me. Sean & Maddy are amazing, they are fun, smart, and cool little kids. I love them with all my heart. Luke is my blood. When I’ve got to spend time with him it has cut a bit of the sting from not having children of my own. He’s into the same Nerdery I am, he’s smart like his father and mother, and is very gregarious. And to him I am this super cool Uncle who knows about MODOK, plays with LEGO’s, and watches cartoons with him. Sean and Maddy are far less interested in me that way. That coupled with the Father’s Day just really had it hit home that with my decision to live far away from my family I am choosing to be on the peripheral of their lives, and that is sort of a bitter sweet pill to swallow at times.

On that note, I think I’m done…

“With your long blonde hair
and your eyes of blue
The only thing I ever got from you
was sorrow
Sorrow
You acted funny trying
to spend my money

You're out there playing your high class games of sorrow
Sorrow

You never do what you know you oughta
Something tells me
you're a Devil's daughter
Sorrow, sorrow
Ahhhh, ah, ahhhh

I tried to find her
'Cause I can't resist her
(I tried to find her)
I never knew just how much I missed her
Sorrow
Sorrow

With your long blonde hair and your eyes of blue
The only thing I ever got from you was sorrow
Sorrow
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh

With your long blonde hair
I couldn’t sleep last night
With your long blonde hair”

* = JEALOUS!

Labyrinth Vs. Get Carter

* = This makes me remember that I have a NEW episode of The Venture Brothers to watch on the DVR to watch tonight.  REJOICE!









It was a busy weekend full of majesty, wonder, and let’s face it a LOT of laziness. I figure I’ll just give those of you who waste your time reading this blather a bit on each thing and then move on to reviewing lame stuff no one but me really cares about.

So Friday night we watched a marathon of terrible ‘Haunting’ television shows with Lady Christy, C-Fish, Greg, and the ‘Tiny Yeti’. I have to admit they were super funny and hokey, that was until we switched to a different show, I believe it was called Paranormal Witness, and then the mood changed.

That show is a great example of what you can do with higher production values, 'witnesses’ who don’t seem like folks who have suffered through long bouts of mental health issues or drug issues, and follow the tried and true horror story telling of not showing until adequate suspense has been established. The episode regarding the theatre was genuinely creepy and I think some of it had to do with the ‘witnesses’ themselves, all cops, who looked SO shaken by their experience that it drew you in. Then they hit you with a big time ‘JUMP’ moment of a ghost with a burning face popping out of nowhere. It was very effective and drew everyone back in. Eventually though my lack of sleep caught up with me and I wore down. Luckily Greg had a YouTube palate cleanser planned and left us with that. I have to admit I wouldn’t watch these shows in any other setting than this, but that I had a BLAST watching them with this group, laughing, making fun of things, and chatting. I look forward to doing it again.

Friday also gave us another Skull & Shackles preview to sort through;

First up is the mighty, and apparently eyeless, Admiral Thrune! I don’t know if you are seeing what I’m seeing, but it looks like they forgot the eyes on this miniature, if that’s true then that is the first MAJOR issue the Paizo and Wizkids have had in a preview. I’m hoping that it’s just the angle of the photo or a light issue, because overall I like this miniature. There isn’t a lot of dynamic action in its stance, but damn if it doesn’t come off as the height of arrogance. There is something insanely cocky about the pose with that massive mace over the shoulder, the dismissing tilt of the head, and the way that crossbow is sort of dangling nonchalantly. It is as if this character is saying I could kill you, but you just aren’t worth the work. When it comes to paint, sans the ‘invisible eyes’, I am a fan. The off-white, black, and gold work marvelously together. The back portion of the outfit flowing down and looking very ornate just add to the feeling that this is no ordinary ‘grunt’, but rather a force to be reckoned with. I’m sure this one will end up being a Rare, but if it’s reasonably priced on the secondary market it is a MUST BUY for me.

Next up is Hellknight Paralictor! I’m a fan of the ‘Hellknights’ in the Pathfinder setting. The idea of a Lawful Evil law enforcement just tickles the fancy of the DM in me. This miniature is no exception. The stance is again almost imperious, matching the tone of the previous Admiral Thrune miniature. The stance is VERY rigid however. It lacks the cock sure nature of its predecessor, although the slow walking forward pose works wonderfully. I’m really torn on the pose as you can see. Also I can’t really get a vibe on the face itself, it almost looks like it might be constructed of transparent plastic, if that turns out to be true than this piece quickly has a vast number of additional uses. The paint job is adequate considering it’s a heavily armored character, the off white is done well, although I really don’t care for the greenish-yellow top of the cape, in fact I really don’t like it. Overall this miniature is a hodge podge of things I really like and things that make me unsure about it. If it is an Uncommon or Common, and looks good in the hand I can see picking up a few of these pieces, otherwise it would be a PASS for me.

Since Admiral Thrune needs underlings to lord over our next preview is of the Chelish Marine. In the Pathfinder world Cheliax is a country where dealing with Devils is the rule not the exception, it is a truly fantastic setting to draw inspiration from. This one is most likely a Common miniature. It has the standard, “I’m a Guard” pose going for it, the paint job is passable, and you’ll need them in masse to have PC’s kill them in droves. However, it really does very little for me. It suffers from eyes that look like I painted them, which is NEVER a good thing, it feels far too plain to me, and even its long range harpoon like spear lacks some personality. Don’t get me wrong I’ll most likely grab up 3 to 5 of these bad boys for the 2nd D&D Group to kill in ship to ship combat, but only if they are really cheap. This one is another PASS for me.

Last but not least is the absolutely crazy looking Seaweed Siren! Good lord, this thing is simultaneously goofy and terrifying! Kudos to whoever designed this beastie. It looks and feels like some sort of strange Beholder with Sirens for eye stalks, and sweet crab legs. It is a PERFECT stand-in for a sea bred aberrant or for some sort of legendary monster that has sunk a hundred ships and feasted on the brine soaked man flesh of their crews. It just has a legendary and malignant feel to it. Just look at that sneer on its face! That thing is fantastic. The overall paintjob doesn’t blow you away, but it doesn’t have to. The crazy eyes, the face, the eyeless heads on stalks, those creepy, tiny legs, and its strange seaweed hair don’t need fancy tricks to give you a feeling of menace. This guy just radiates it naturally. I’m not sure the rarity level of this miniature, and frankly I don’t care. This one is a MUST BUY for anyone who gazes upon its strange form!

Speaking of D&D, Saturday was the first session in 1st Group where I was a player while Zack Attack ran the show. I finally had a chance to step out from behind the screen in the guise of Jericho Karris, Cleric of Pelor, and deal with the world I helped form. I have to admit something right of; the PC’s are HARD to deal with. I hope no one gets offended by that, but the other characters in the group are kind of dicks. Jericho was set up to be a friendly, honest, forthright, and GOOD PC to interact with a group full of hidden motivations, uncertainty, and secrets. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but DAMN! In that fact came some of the fun though. I’m beginning to get a feel for the character and the way he interacts with the other characters. He doesn’t trust Max at all, Drakel is a Teifling and is treated accordingly, Fie has taken to calling him ‘Jerry’ which he hates, and Adler was at best stand-offish and at worst adversarial with him early on. That being said there weren’t many opportunities to Role Play in that session as it was combat heavy. Oh and how GLORIOUS that was! I really thought that Zack pushed the group as a whole in the initial encounter by throwing wave after wave of Undead.

I am reminded just why Chillborne Zombies are a HUGE pain in the ass, just by the way he interspersed them SO effectively among the throng. It really had less to do with him being able to hurt us consistently with attacks and more about area affects and the sheer pressing number of enemies on the board. We just didn’t have the artillery to deal with them as effectively as we would have if Mick had been there. Alas she was out sick so we had to make do. So we just kept the meat grinder going, churning through them as best we could. The tension kept up when we ran into a room literally alive with the taint of Syd and full of half-formed Drow Clone spawn. I felt like we hit our rhythm here as a team and handled things pretty easily. All this despite the betrayal of my purple dice, it was a night of feast and famine as I’d fluxuate from rolling critical hits to critical misses and back again. Finally, we trudged deeper into Iskander’s foul dungeon and who did we meet? Well Syd of course, alive, well, and in charge of all the madness. I can’t state enough how fantastic and rewarding it is to have a PC’s character become THE campaign menace and really never change. He is basically the same Syd he was as a PC as he is now, just more powerful, more in the open about what he wants, and far more dangerous. He also had a strange alternate Max with him, visibly warped by the Far Realm that led to all sorts of questions to be volleyed Bob’s way. Syd had also ripped out ‘clones’ of the main PC’s, Jericho was excluded from this, and set them about finishing his ‘master plan’ at the site of Iskander’s dungeon. He then informed the party that he was off to continue corrupting the world. It was a friendly and joyous banter that Zack seemed to relish in which makes that character all the more nasty. He would have been ecstatic if any of the PC’s would have just joined him. Instead we were left, free from the goop that held us to track down the ‘clones’, stop Syd’s mad plan, and then hunt him to the ends of the Known World. Fantastically fun stuff!

Sunday I slept. Seriously, I slept like all day. The weather was perfect for it, and I was worn out. I got nothing of any consequence done, and really just retreated to my bed and passed out. When I was conscious I did finally partake of John Dies At The End (**** out of 5).

Don Coscarelli is a director who I enjoy. I love Bubba Ho-Tep, and so should you, he helped write The Beastmaster a movie quoted in my house to this day, and the Phantasm flicks were a HUGE part of my middle school years. This is one of those individuals who shaped my young mind when it comes to horror and sci-fi. So when I heard he was going to take this tale that I’d never read, but that was much talked about, and make it into a film I was IN! However at the same time I was trepedatious. C’mon it’s an adaptation and so often those things turn out to be shite. I think that’s why I waited so long to sit down and watch this. I wanted it to be good, wanted to be entertained so badly that I think if it had sucked it would have affected the way I fondly look back at those other film experiences from Mr. Coscarelli. I was not disappointed. At all. I have yet to read the book, but now will because of the film. I have to also tell you that this film is weird. And by weird I mean REALLY weird. It’s also fun, dark, gory, disturbing, goofy, and at times made me laugh out loud. The premise is simple, two slackers take a drug that enables them to see all the things that mankind is not meant to see, and in doing so get themselves involved in a multi-dimensional invasion plot. The movie has no rules you are aware of, no situation it won’t run headlong into, and in doing so really feels like you are slipping into an old comfortable pair of disturbingly fun shoes. Would I recommend this flick, yes. Yes, if you like weird stuff. Yes, if you enjoy horror movies that don’t take themselves seriously. Yes, if you love Clancy Brown and Paul Giamatti. Yes, if you like me had your childhood influenced shinning metal balls of death cruising at break neck speed through mausoleums, wish you had two ferrets as pets, and loved watching an old Elvis kill a Mummy in a nursing home. Otherwise this one may not be for you, and if that’s true you’ll never know what you are missing.

Anywho, I’ve bludgeoned you enough with my Nerdery, how ‘bout we wrap this up with a dose of…

RANDOM CRAP!

- 3rd Group D&D meets on Thursday, I have prep to do. Talking to some of the players online this week has made me adjust some of my plans. Not too many, but some. I think that I need to GRAB them early Thursday night and not let go. Oh and ramp up the fun as well, MINIONS!

- Friday night is the first Friday Night Smackdown! Bobert, Diamond Dave, & Mighty Mike will join me couch-side to draft for our Wrestling shows, to tweak wrestlers, and hopefully get in some matches. I have my fingers crossed that I’ll get a crazy roster full of the likes of Brett Hart, Kenta Kobashi, Ultra Mantis Black, Mark Henry, & CM Punk. Think of what I could do with that? MUHAhahahahaha!

- Speaking of Kenta Kobashi, the Japanese ‘king of kings’, ‘Mr. Puroseau’ himself, has retired. I can’t state enough just what a credit to Japanese Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling itself this man is/was.

His matches are things of beauty. He was the rare combination of size, unbelievable power, speed, and tenacity that could set a crowd on fire. He also could be a believable ‘baby face in peril’ because of his ability to connect with the audience even through the miracle of DVD. His moves were devastating, perfectly placed, and innovative. Things like the Burning Hammer, a move SO dangerous he only used it like eight times, a huge moonsault, a massive lariat, and his screwdriver suplex are all simply awe inspiring. His matches with Vader, Misawa, Stan Hansen, Kawada, Taue, & partner turned rival Jun Akiyama are the things of legend. They are perfection in the art form of Pro Wrestling. Kobashi was the consummate baby face Hoss who told a tale when he entered the ring. That story could be about defeat or victory it did not matter, what mattered is he entertained you. He made All Japan and then NOAH something to behold from the 90’s on. I’m firmly convinced that had he not suffered from so many debilitating knee injuries he might have given us one amazing run in the U.S. The man was/is my favorite wrestler all time, and I hope his retirement treats him as well as he treated all of us who watched his trials and tribulations in the ring. Remember, “God Is Not Dead, He Is Merely Retiring.” Fitting words for a man who blessed me with a love of Puroseau.

- I’m hoping to grill tomorrow, if the weather doesn’t poo poo it.

- We had every intention to paint miniatures yesterday, but like many things in life it didn’t happen. I have to blame it on the weather being SO conducive to sleeping. That wet, damp, cool breeze just is a siren song to my brain. All I want to do is sleep when it is upon us. Hell today’s fog makes me want to take a nap as well. Maybe this Saturday I can convince Cassandra to help me get some stuff done.

- Since we are on the topic of miniatures it appears that it’ll be awhile till I get my Reaper Bones Kickstarter miniatures. I’m not really that upset. Reaper has done a fantastic job of trying to keep us all informed about the situation as it unfolds. I think what strikes me most about the whole thing is I have yet to have ANY Kickstarter I’ve pledged to come out on time. I am currently waiting on four games, three of which are overdue. Two more games I pledged to don’t come out till the fall and winter, I’m sure they will be delayed. This is the crappy thing about Kickstarter, there is a tendency to overpromise on time frames. For the most part I’m ok with that as I think it’s just hard to get a game from concept to table. However I do have to state that the group that are, hopefully, bringing me Storm The Castle won’t be getting any future funding from me. If you haven’t delivered on your Kickstarter obligation for one project yet and go and start another one that just makes me feel like you are less worried about living up to your promises that helped you get my money and more worried about getting more money. THAT is the type of crap that gives Kickstarter a bad name. So if you are out there and internally debating whether or not to give your hard earned cash to someone’s project remember it can be a rewarding, fun, and fantastic experience, but expect delays because 90% of the time they will occur.

I think that’s all I got today…

“What are we coming to
No room for me, no fun for you
I think about a world to come
Where the books were found by the golden ones
Written in pain, written in awe
By a puzzled man who questioned
What we were here for
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though they're here to stay

Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)
Don't you know you're driving your
Mamas and papas insane
Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)
Don't you know you're driving your
Mamas and papas insane
Let me make it plain
You gotta make way for the homo superior

Look at your children
See their faces in golden rays
Don't kid yourself they belong to you
They're the start of a coming race
The earth is a bitch
We’ve finished our news
Homo sapiens have outgrown their use
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though they're here to stay

Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)
Don't you know you're driving your
Mamas and papas insane
Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)
Don't you know you're driving your
Mamas and papas insane
Let me make it plain
You gotta make way for the homo superior”

* = Words to live by...

Future Hunters Vs. Robo-Vampire

* = I'd vote for Skeletor.  He's consistent.

I wasn’t even supposed to be in my office today. I was scheduled to be on the road teachin’ fools about Serious Persistant Mental Illness, but alas it was NOT meant to be and find myself with a chance to blog. The thing is I don’t have a whole lot to write about, and I’m in sort of a mental haze, so how about I just throw out some…

RANDOM CRAP!

- The Venture Brothers Season 5 started. My lord it is full of WIN! If you watch and are an episode behind then avoid this little spot, because there be SPOILERS here.

WTF! Molotov isn’t dead? Dean has a new look, attitude, and “you guys” a possible love interest! Nikki is after another piece of the old Hankanator? Sgt. Hatred has tits! Gary is now the Sphinx Controller? August St. Cloud Vs. Billy Quiz Boy! My lord, that show is the ONE thing on television that NEVER lets me down. All the references to Charlton Heston’s 70’s Sci-Fi flicks, slavery, and Return Of The Jedi were absolutely masterful. My one complaint and it is a small one would be the lack of Brock. Because let's be honest you can never have too much of the Swedish Murder Machine wracking up a insane body count on my television.  However the AWESOMENESS that is the former Henchman 21, aka Gary, really filled in that gap. If I had to wait that long for a one hour episode that good then I’ll be happy to wait. I’m so glad the show is back and that we’ll be getting a Season 6 as well. ALL HAIL THE VENTURE BROTHERS!

- I took a pork loin Sunday, sliced it, seasoned it, grilled it, and then glazed it. They were amazing. Seriously, one of the best things I’ve grilled in a REALLY long time. That and the burgers were crazy good.

- Another week another Skull & Shackles preview.

First up is the Master Of Gales. This is a rock solid looking miniature. A human caster of some type, because honestly you could use him in a Pirate campaign, or as a war wizard, or even as a druid. He has an iconic look. I dig the sculpt because it has a power to it. It’s as if he’s calling down the thunder from the heavens. I like the dull, drab coloring of off white and dark browns as well. I think that if this mini is an Uncommon I might try to pick it up, if it’s a Rare I will mostly like pass on it. So if I have the funds it’s a MUST BUY.

Our only other preview this week was Whalebone Pilk. This bad boy is a Rare. This is a good example of what Wizkids has been able to do so well with their Pathfinder minis, the mixing of translucent effects with well painted miniatures. This gives you a very solid sense of this miniature as a serious undead menace. It looks like it is either forming and congealing out of ectoplasm or retreating into some sort of ghostly miasma. The paint is solid, and fits the miniature’s character perfectly. Believe it or not I also dig the sculpt, again like the Master Of Gales it is a bit understated, but it just exudes power. Now I know this one is a Rare and most likely will be pricey, but I think the fact that you are getting a rock star undead pirate makes it worthwhile and therefor a MUST BUY!

- Thank you Cassandra for mowing, I’m not sure you’ll ever know how much I appreciate it.

- The 3rd D&D Group met last week. I had a hoot running this hex crawl style group of all Evil characters. I kept it fast and loose encounter building wise, instead relying on some random monster tables I threw together.

I also tried to make sure these initial encounters were a bit easy just to give everyone a taste of how combat works since only one of the PC’s has played 4E before. I instead concentrated on interaction with NPC’s and the environment. We had a wonderful NPC moment prior to getting into the Underdark with a greedy Merchant. I thought it set the tone for the PC’s and they took the opportunity and RAN with it. I also used a number of random effects and rooms in the environment to give them some interesting things to explore. The scene in the abandoned shrine of Torog worked out PERFECTLY, as Karl, the Mul Cleric of The King That Crawls, really had a chance to shine. Mike’s random effects and deliberate pace of things in exploration were a perfect counterbalance to such a chaotic group. The thing that really surprised me was who stepped up and took charge and who didn’t. I’ll be intrigued to see how that plays out over our next sessions. It also was pretty amazing to run a group with a 4 to 2 testosterone to estrogen dynamic and yet the women clearly DOMINATED the play. Keddrin and Mick were the driving forces in combat and in role playing. Both were outstanding and had an incredibly fun and potentially disastrous stand-off with one another over a Kobold. It was fantastic. The group is VERY intriguing, fun, and interesting. The players themselves are a joy to run for. I greatly look forward to next week and Session 2!

- Speaking of D&D I am on the other side of the DM’s Screen this Saturday as Zack Attack has the reigns of the campaign for a few sessions. I am incredibly excited to play, and to see where it takes the group.

- Dungeon Crawl Miniatures has release photos of two new miniatures that should be released, I think the set is going to be called Forest Of Fear, sometime in the near future and that were NOT part of their Kickstarter.

First up is the massive Animated Tree! First off this damn thing could just be used as a tree, the sculpt has that much detail and subtlety in it. Secondly this is a VERY useful miniatures, which is what DCM prides itself on. You can use it as a Treant, as an animated object, or like I said before just a spooky looking tree. I like the coloration, although would have liked to see just a bit more blending done in the trunk. It looks like there are even some tiny mushrooms growing out of the trunk. Rock solid miniature that will most likely be a MUST BUY miniature for me, and most likely in multiples.

The other one is even better, it is the Standing Stone! The beauty of this is it can is actually modular. You can use it as an obelisk type block or in a very stone henge-y was as a passage or entrance. The runes carved in are fantastic, and dig the slight bits of color that have been effectively added into the recessed carvings. Just like the Animated Tree this thing looks to be MASSIVE, possibly Large in size. This thing will give me a TON of options in all three of the D&D groups. It is also a MUST BUY, and possibly in multiples.




- I wish this flu would just DIE already!

- The Deadzone Kickstarter is over.

They hit over a million dollars and honestly that last 24 hours was crazy, rivaling the Reaper Bones Kickstarter for insanity. I have yet to sit down with Mighty Mike and figure out what exactly what we will be using our copious pledge to acquire. We went with the Strike Team level pledge which was the ‘Sweet Spot’ money to miniatures. Having read the Beta Rules, and watched the play video I for one cannot wait to finally get stuck in with this game. I’m sure we have a long summer of killing one another in front of us.

- Speaking of killing things and Mighty Mike, the Movie-A-Thon of Friday was SPECTACULAR!

Future Hunter, starring Robert Patrick was pure insane bliss. C’mon it had Nazi’s, Amazons, pygmies, and Monguls! FRIGGIN’ MONGULS! This movie was bad in that glorious way were you you couldn’t stop riffing on it or laughing. It is one of the single best bad movies I’ve ever watched and that’s saying a lot. On the other hand, Robo Vampire was like watching an eight year old’s fever dream. It was like three movies all going on at once, and all bad.The turnout was tiny; Cassandra, Mike, Julie, Lady Christy, & Zack Attack. It was perfect. Everyone had a great time and that movie pack that Mike pulled those two flicks out of is PURE GOLD!

- I really need to get some painting done.

- Wink Vavasseur the diabolical Director Of Fun for Chikara has shut their doors. In fact at the iPPV, "Never Compromise", Sunday night during the Main Event of Icarus Vs. Eddie Kingston for the Chikara Grand Championship Vavasseur had his personal security force not only clear the ring, but the WHOLE damn arena.

The fans were livid and confused. The thing is it is a work. It’s part of the long form storytelling that sets Chikara apart. This season’s theme is Watchmen. There has been a distinct feel of ‘deconstructionism’ in the product since the end of the B.D.K. mega-invasion story. We’ve seen the ‘dark side’ of Chikara. You have to understand that this is a company that has time travel, evil Mexican Ice Cream, altered timelines, and Eye Of Tyr! It is giant comic book style storytelling with wrestling. It is a beautiful thing. However I think the Golden Age is over. We’re in a Dark Age in Chikara. It looks as if Kingston has gone rudo again, a lot of our ‘heroes’ like Quackenbush and Solider Ant aren’t on the roster anymore (Story wise), and now the doors are shut and the future shows are cancelled. Kudos to you Chikara for pushing the story telling envelope. Just as long as you are still in Minnesota during the summer.

I think that this is all I got today.

“Yeah

All I've ever wanted was destiny to be fulfilled
It is in my hands, I must not fail, I must not fail

Even through the darkest days
This fire burns always
This fire burns always

This is the proving ground
Misery begins to rise
Turn away from yesterday
Tomorrow's in my eyes (Oh!)

Nevermore to be held down
By the waves against me
Nevermore to be cast aside
This day is mine

Even through the darkest days
This fire burns always
This fire burns always

I will not be denied in this final hour
I will not be denied, this day is mine
This passion inside me is burning (Is burning)
This passion inside me is burning (Is burning)

Even through the darkest days
This fire burns always (always)
This fire burns (fire burns) always
Always (always)”

* = Just another in a long list of reasons I don't own a cat...

Leviathan Vs. Deep Six Nine

* = Bryan Danielson is there any lesson your wit, wisdom, and beard can't teach us?  The answer is NO!

The STAYCATION was amazing. It was truly incredible. We did very little of substance, but we had a good time with friends, played some board games, and then spent some quality time just the two of us. It was a good way to recharge our batteries. Surprisingly enough though the moment I returned to the place that pays me I had no other desire than to leave. I think that sometimes a strong dose of something that fun only makes what you have to do all the more annoying.

Life goes on though and I have bills to pay. I did have the opportunity though to finish a few books that I’d been diligently working on. The first one was Troy Denning’s ‘The Return Of The Archwizards’ (** ½ out of 5).

There is a reason I keep my reading in the Forgotten Realms setting to a minimum. The fact is there are WAY too many extremely powerful characters that are completely unlikable. This book is completely full of them, like chock full. I liked the story itself to be honest. An ancient enemy is freed, while a more subtle enemy makes its return in the guise of a savior. The world descends into war and as alliances shift and diplomacy fails only the will and bravery of a few will decide the fate of the Realms. It has a good epic feel to it, and therein lays one of the problems everyone and everything is so damn powerful that at no point did I feel like there was a connection point. To be honest I can’t even remember the main protagonists name, but even his love triangle doesn’t even really end it just becomes this strange polyamorous thing. He seems to be a character without a real center, sort of a story fulfilling cypher to nothing. He, in the end, just becomes forgettable. This book ends up feeling like a poorly constructed ‘Event Comic’; too much going on, no real direction, a whole lot of mindless fighting, and an ending that only feels like it is an introduction to another tale. In the end I’m glad I read it, as I’ll be using some of the ideas for my Shadar-Kai in the 3rd D&D Group, but overall it was a disappointment.

On the flips side I finally finished Mark Z. Danielewski’s ‘House Of Leaves’ (Infinite *’s out of 5).

I’ve been struggling with how to describe this book. I’m not sure any words I ever speak, write, or think about this book will ever do it justice. The mutability of this tome only adds to its mystery. It is what you want it to be. For me it is a terrifying horror tale, a beautiful and tragic love story, a glimpse into someone’s madness, a heartbreaking look into how a family is torn asunder, and so much more. This book is meant to disorientate, to put you on edge, force you to think and examine every detail, and make you desire and yet dread the flipping of the next page. In a book so full of bleak darkness the writing is so lush it is overwhelming at points. It never ceases to be amazing. Honestly I’m not even sure I understood every piece of minutia in this mammoth book, I don’t think that when I eventually re-read it I’ll figure out those mysteries, but that might be the appeal. You can revisit a book like this and take something away from it every time. This book inspired me, gave me nightmares, made me cry, made me laugh, and warmed my heart at points. I will never look at a dark hallway the same way again, ever. That might be the best compliment I can pay this book, it will stay with you, it will inspire you, and it will make you think. READ IT!

Another week another Skull & Shackles preview!

First up this week is the Golden Guardian. This is some strange six legged beastie that I am unfamiliar with. I have to be honest here I don’t like it. It looks and feels a bit too goofy for my tastes. I like the pose, it has action in those extra limbs coming up to eviscerate you, and the mouth has some sort of hungry smirk, but it still leaves me cold. And it isn’t the color either; the paint job is rock solid. There is some good shading from dark to light, the face is painted very well, and it has ‘shadow’ to it. For whatever reason I don’t dig on it, I think in the end it’s just the monster itself. I can’t get behind the visual representation, thus it is a PASS for me.

Next up is Jakaw, a Kenku Pirate! This has all the elements I was looking for in this set; A) It’s a Pirate B) It has a great sculpt C) It’s not a Human D) ALL OF THE ABOVE! I like Kenkus a lot, and have been using them in my games the last few years; this one will be PERFECT for the 2nd D&D Group. Looking at the miniature itself it has some action to the pose with the weight moving to its front foot as if it’s getting ready to cut you down. I dig the two blades and how they are exotic designs. The paint job is rock solid. The bright against the black of the feathers really causes it to pop out. Unfortunately I think it is a Rare piece, which is a shame. Overall this is a miniature that I’m going to try very hard to get my hands on it is a MUST BUY!

Last, but not least is the Duppy. That name is awful. Seriously, it is terrible. However, the idea of the monster, a sailor who died on land, is AMAZING! The miniature is one of the best I’ve seen. Look at the detail in the clear plastic! Coming out of the bottom are baying hounds, the pirate’s hands are solidifying, and it is looming in to take you to your DOOM! This piece is outstanding. The sculpt has incredible movement to it, the paint is minimal but with the translucent plastic really gives it a ton of depth, and the concept is jaw dropping. I need this miniature. This one should be a MUST BUY for any and every one.

Sunday night Cassandra and I finished Season 7 of Doctor Who (***** out of 5).

SPOILERS are on, so if you aren't caught up then stop reading.  You have been warned.  Every once in a while I get to the point where I wonder where ‘The Moff’ is going to take us, I start to doubt. THEN he crushes me with an incredible tale like ‘Hide’. The tone of the show has shifted dramatically with the Doctor having erased himself by and large from the galactic consciousness giving us smaller adventurers where the stakes seem so much higher. Don’t get me wrong Russell T. Davies’ style of Grant Morrison hyper adventure and pan-galactic stakes are AMAZING, however what we are getting now is an extension of what we had with the Ponds, more intimate tales. Clara as the ‘Impossible Girl’ finally makes sense, brilliant and sad sense. It also leaves us wondering how and if this will tie into the 50th Anniversary. I also have to point out that I adored Neil Gaiman’s ‘Nightmare In Silver’ episode. He did indeed make the Cybermen frightening again. Warwick Davis as the Emperor Of Mankind was an inspired casting choice. The whole thing felt like it was sort of mocking Warhammer 40K in a way and I loved every second of it. In the end we did NOT learn the name of the Doctor and I am happy with that. We did get a resolution, a touching one, to River Song. All that and in the end we see a NEW version of the Doctor, one that I am beyond excited about. Nothing is a better cliffhanger than “And Introducing John Hurt as The Doctor”! Damn you ‘Moff’ you are too amazing. This fall can’t come fast enough.

How about we wrap this exercise up with some…

RANDOM CRAP!

- The 3rd D&D Group starts tomorrow night. I have been hard at work figuring out the Hex Map, coming up with potential encounters, randomizers, and thinking of ‘set pieces’. The thing is I am FAR less excited about that than I am the Role Playing with this group which has all the potential to be outstanding. My hopes are high, my phasers are set for FUN, and tomorrow we’ll jump into that unknown together.

- Joe thanks for finding those two tomes for me, I can’t tell you how much help that is.

- Last night my lovely wife made some amazing Sriracha & Honey Chicken. It was succulent, spicy, and slightly sweet. I can’t wait to have it again.

- Diamond Dave Wheeler is BACK in Minnesota! Even though the creative titan from Mindblow Studios will be in Texas over the weekend it sounds as if we will be diving headlong into some fun next week. I can’t wait to show him WWE ’13.

- Movie-A-Thon and Fire Pit on Saturday night. Mike and I have chosen two amazing flicks from the 80’s. After we survive those flicks we’ll head outside, weather permitting, for a fire. Along with fall this is my favorite time of year.

- If the weather would lighten up I’d grill. Perhaps this weekend.

- The Deadzone Kickstarter has four days remaining. Four days for you to go and GIVE THEM YOUR MONEY! Seriously, Mighty Mike and I want more stuff.

- Holy CRAP!

Look at that lovely Kraken! It is AMAZING. That is the old DDM GINORMOUS Red Dragon. That thing is like the size of a toddler. You add the Kraken in for scale comparison AND that giant tentacle and you have a really cool visual. This monstrosity will be one of the mainstays of the 2nd D&D Group’s campaign. That paint job doesn’t disappoint either, it’s just a gorgeous miniature and worth EVERY penny I paid for it.

If that wasn’t enough we also got a little comparison shot of the Firbolg Skeleton as well. In the back is another Giant, a Frost Giant to be exact. In front is a medium Human Fighter, and to the side a small Goblin Cutter. I love the paint choices, they pop and give the thing a nice look even if the sculpt is slightly static. And yet I do love the sculpt; there is a lot of detail screaming out in the face and in those clothes. Dungeon Crawl Miniatures does not F’ around, they continue to ensure that I will be giving them my cash for years to come. Those miniatures can’t get here fast enough.

That’s all I got today…

“These are my famous last words!
My number's up, bridges well, burned

Oh, won't you let me twist your faith
It's getting kinda late but I don't wanna wait no more
Oh may I have this dance of days
Locked in your embrace
Passed your test of faith

Another time another place
Another line upon your face
Another in your way

Down crooked stairs and sideways glances
Comes the king of second chances
Now throw him in the flame

Whatever keeps you warm at night
(Whatever keeps you warm at night)
Whatever keeps you warm inside

Your bridges are burning down
They're all coming down
It's all coming round
You're burning them down
It's all coming round
They're all coming down
Your bridges are burning now

Oh let me put you in your place
I love it when you say
Giving everything away

Tell now what's in it for me
Tell me now what's in it for me
No one's getting this for free
Tell me now what's in it for me

Whatever keeps you warm at night
(Whatever keeps you warm at night)
Whatever keeps you warm inside

Your bridges are burning down
They're all coming down
It's all coming round
You're burning them down
It's all coming round
They're all coming down
Your bridges are burning down

Gather in the ashes
Everything thrown away
Gather in the ashes
Scatter as they blow away
Gather in the ashes
Everything thrown away
Gather in the ashes
Scatter as they blow away

Your bridges are burning down
They're all coming down
It's all coming round
You're burning them down
It's all coming round
They're all coming down
They're all coming down

Gather in the ashes (Your bridges are burning down)
Everything thrown away (They're all coming down)
Gather in the ashes(It's all coming round)
Scatter as they blow away

Gather in the ashes (You're burning them down)
Everything thrown away (It’s all coming round)
Gather in the ashes (They're all coming round)
Scatter as they blow away
Your bridges are burning down.”

* = Its true, I AM!

The Manhattan Project Vs. The Patient Gardener

* = I just want to eat Bacon.

The weekend simply wasn’t long enough. I needed a bit more time to shake this damnable cold that has set in, to wrap my head totally around the repercussions of last week’s events, and to recover from weekend itself. I needed more time, but there is never enough time. And we certainly can’t expect to get what we want. Instead I’m on the cusp of another week, albeit a short one, and I am already fried.

That of course could be the copious amounts of cold medicine flowing in my veins. I think it is simply a side effect of not sleeping well this weekend due to congestions and cough. I read back what I’ve just stumbled through and realize it all sounds so negative. It shouldn’t I had a wonderful weekend. In fact all things considered I had an amazing weekend. It started with a really low key Friday night fire. Cassandra, Lady Christy, Mick, Zack Attack, and I simply spent sometimes around a roaring flame hearing tales of ‘Mecky’, laughing, and enjoying the cool night air. I for one could have actually just blissfully fallen asleep beside the fire with that cool, wet air caressing my sore throat.

I didn’t though, instead I had a fitful night of sleep in my own bed and was up early to try and get all my D&D prep done. I actually did have it done this time, which is shocking I know. To me there was a lot riding on this session. The last 2nd Group session had gone SO badly I felt I might be losing Zack & Bob’s interest, and possibly their faith in my ability to run the game in a fashion they enjoyed. Couple that with the fact we were coming to the end of this part of our story and it is the lead in to Zack taking over the DM chair for a few sessions and I had lot to live up to.

Suffice to say I think I killed it. Seriously. Rarely ever am I happy with how a session goes, in fact at best I feel most sessions are acceptable. I feel like I can continuously get better at running the game, being a better manager of material and continuity, and get better at sharing the story telling experience. Saturday night was the culmination of the ‘Satellite’ chapter of the story. I had initial plans to pull it out to another session, had five more encounters planned, and a lot of potential side missions or snippets to lie in.

However, 24 hours before the game I had a sort of fever dream of I thought the game would play out, how I wanted to see it play out. I realized that I needed to edit down what I had, to refine some of the points, to still give the PC’s a chance to see some of the nastiness there, but also to just get on to the ‘good stuff’. Here’s my write up, be kind as I’m in a bit of a cough medicine haze.

So the session picked up with Pavel, the psychic spirit of the damaged mage now residing in his the body of his faithful hound, petitioning Max, Bob’s character, for help in escaping. I was pleasantly surprised to find Bob’s tactics with Pavel to not be heavy handed, but instead rather forthright and even slightly sly. At the same time Zack put some brakes on his character, Uwain’s, march into the cave tunnels without the rest of the party. I tried to relay that while the Mind Flayers had been in the satellite for hundreds of years they still hadn’t unlocked any of its secrets, they were dwellers there not its master. Also once the PC’s started bringing up Syd I wanted to make sure that they understood that his yearlong presence had drastically affected the satellite and contributed to their ability to move throughout its confines without greater resistance.

I’m not sure I pulled that off with the abbreviated version. Instead I laid out a massive cave encounter where the idea was a rush with non-combatants through overwhelming numbers of Drow Chattel & Thralls, a weak Illithid, another huge Umber Hulk, some Iron Defenders, a handful of Warforged Warriors, and an Illithid mastermind to get to the teleporter pad. I was pretty sure that the Group was going to be ‘smart’ and just rush through. What I didn’t count on was the PC’s being SMART and just crushing me. I’ve been around a lot of tables where the dynamic hits that point and a party becomes a Group, but I’ve never seen it play out quite the way it did Saturday night. It was like they all of a sudden just decided that they were done F’ing around and curb stomped me.

And it was beautiful. It was seriously one of the best moments in some time to see the Group work in such perfect harmony and so efficiently. By the end they had not just routed my forces they had utterly and completely annihilated them. It was a long combat, but satisfying as the players where having a blast while it was going on. I was going to bring more troops into the fight when it turned, but instead just let them bask in it, they more than deserved it.

This led them to the Vault area that they had been seeking. I was going put some traps there and some Shardsoul Servitors, but I decided that it was better if they just explored this abandoned area and soaked in what it was. Upon arriving they discovered that Syd had been busy as this level was permeated with his essence. They explored, and in the process found more clone tubes, which Mick annihilated, this was setting up perfectly for my ‘End Game’. Eventually Uwain got agitated by the group’s pace and marched off on his own and found another teleporter pad. The rest of the group squabbled a bit, and their Drow ‘companion’ had a complete and utter breakdown upon seeing that the clones that Mick had devastated were Drow children who all looked like her. Adler comforted her, much to my surprise. At that point in hugging her he felt a kick in her belly and realized she was with child. Was it the child of the wizard whose personality now resides in the dog, his dead fighter brother, or someone else, possibly Syd? They didn’t know, but Joe would not let her be harmed. It has been amazing to see Joe morph into an excellent little Role Player. Adler is a protective guy and seeing someone in anguish he took the moment to try and help her. It makes it feel like he is slowly becoming the moral center of the Group.

Eventually they found that one of the rooms had a Troll who was being slowly and recurrently being dissected, all the while having specimens taken from him by the tiny ‘bots that had attacked them upon entering the satellite. They put the Troll out of its misery before attempting to talk to him, and instead decided to search the room. At about that point I decided to finally get my finale into high gear.

The Drow woman began whispering to herself and then started pulling levers, in doing so releasing the canisters, the clones towards the planet and breaking up the satellite, all at the behest of Syd. The trap was sprung as Syd made sure the PC’s understood that he was ‘free’ and would be sending his message to the world in mass by releasing his ‘Children’. This put the group, mainly Joe, in a HUGE moral quandary since they had to restrain an ‘ally’ who was not in control of her faculties, but one they couldn’t harm without potentially killing her unborn child. I love doing things like this and hoping that the group does the most heroic thing possible.

At the same time the other unopened room slide open showing a frozen Elder Brain with some strange alien being stabbing into it arm deep. The alien came to awareness and began marching towards the doorway occupied by Uwain. At that point the physical structure of the satellite started to come apart. The Group was trying to rush back to the room that was sealed off in hopes of using it as a way to ride out re-entery. Uwain told them to run and said he’d hold of the oncoming alien monstrosity. In the end Max, aka Bobert, remembered he had an item that allowed for one teleport spell to a destination unknown given to him by his wife ‘The Seer’. He had the group hold hands and activated it.

Uwain went toe to toe with the alien and finally with very few hit points to spare slew the beast. He then began scanning the room as it hurtled towards the planet knowing that he would perish but very well might be resurrected again by the Raven Queen to do her bidding. Among the debris on the edge of the atmosphere he say a blinking light, similar to the lights in the alien he had slain and at that point his eyes melted and he burned.

On the surface the Group re-appeared a mile or so north of The Bleak Tower on the outskirts of one of the surrounding bergs. From there the sky darkened as pieces of the large asteroid the satellite was in began slamming into the planet throwing debris into the atmosphere effectively blocking out the sun. Their Drow companion dropped to her knees and began weeping. Finally she uttered in complete glee, “FINALLY, the 2nd Great Darkness has begun…”

This whole thing played out EXACTLEY how I thought it would with one exception. I thought Bob would leave the rest behind and save himself. He shocked me by playing the hero throughout this ‘Satellite’ adventure. Everyone else played their part perfectly. This wraps things up perfectly for Zack to take over. The Group is back planet side. They are far away from their home base of operations. A cataclysmic world altering event has just occurred, and they KNOW that Syd is still out there and more dangerous than ever.

I can’t wait to play.

Another week, another Skull & Shackles preview!

First up is the Common, Medium Sea Devil. I need some of these guys for the 2nd D&D Group’s adventures, and I don’t have a lot of DDM versions. However, I’m not too big a fan of this version of the monster. It seems head heavy, the pose is just ok, and it doesn’t fit well with the versions I already own. That being said, if it is cheap I’ll be buying a pile of these guys because it is a monster that is difficult to find, it should be cheap, it fits a need that I have, and the paint job looks tight. This one sort of becomes a MUST BUY by default.

Next up is the Sea Devil Champion. He also happens to be a Medium, Common miniature. I find this miniature far superior to the Sea Devil miniature and on par with the DDM Sahuagin Baron miniature I have that I love. This miniature doesn’t have the menace that his DDM counterpart has and appears a bit skinny. He also isn’t very dynamic in his pose, however I love his look. The paint job is solid and intricate. The armor looks fantastic. That mouth full of teeth is outstanding, and the colors really work perfectly together. This one is a MUST BUY and I’ll most likely try to find a handful of them possibly as my Sahuagin Baron’s entourage.

Finally, we have The Matron, who looks to be a Large, Uncommon miniature. I want to love this miniature, because who doesn’t want a ‘big bad’ to go with their forces? No one that’s who. I just don’t see too much in it that inspires me though. Again she suffers from the ‘action less’ pose that all of these Sea Devils seem burdened with. The paint job looks solid, and I do like the facial expression, especially those catfish like whiskers. It’s just that overall this miniature isn’t meeting a significant overall need; it isn’t visually inspiring enough to get me fired up, and fills an Adventure Path niche that I don’t personally want. It’s a good miniature, but one I think I’ll PASS on.

I think it’s time to wrap this up with some…

RANDOM CRAP!

- Damn Oklahoma, just damn. I hope the folks who I know down there are alright.

- I just had to let Dewey the Podcast is done. I hope that is the last time I have to do that.

- On a side note I’m looking into what I would need and what it would cost to crank the Podcast back up in my own basement. Some folks have offered some help, I think I might have found someone to co-host with, and in the next few months I should have the money. The question is do I want to? I think I do.

- I believe in The Shield.

- The Deadzone Kickstarter is under two weeks left! If you are interested in what is shaping up to be a fantastic little skirmish game then drop in and check it out.

- We need to get the Burt Reynolds Movie-A-Thon & the 2nd Annual Trivia Death Match on the calendar soon. I’m looking forward to both enjoying some late 70’s/early 80’s Reynolds ‘stache and attempting to get the Trivia Belt off of Mighty Mike’s waist.

- If it cools off I’ve been promised banana bread. COOL OFF!

- 3rd D&D Group is shaping up nicely. It is a group of folks I really don’t know, and that gives me some interesting challenges. It is also full of very nice and intelligent people who are all gung ho to get to playing, and that makes things VERY easy. Hopefully I can give them a game to remember.

- 5 day weekend starting Thursday. I can’t wait to try and sleep this cold off finally.

- Diamond Dave Wheeler is back at the end of the week! I’m pumped to start hanging out, get some painting done, watch some wrestling, and set up our twice a month WWE ’13 Night. I’m hoping I convince him to join the 1st D&D Group as well. Solid dude.

- It was damn good to see Joe on Saturday. Man do I miss working with that guy.

- I’m re-watching The Venture Brothers from the beginning. That first season is really strange now knowing what happens. What an amazing show.

I think that’s all I got today.

“His skin was soft as leather
I'm the weatherman
No one else more dedicated
I'm the weatherman
Well, hey kid
You got the right
But the choice to kill
No, Son of Sam
Will let you in to turn against
Addicted to the love of ourselves
I'm the weatherman
I tell no one else
I'm the weatherman

So go for the kill

Cause no one else cares
Go for the kill, Go for the kill
Go for the kill, Go for the kill
Go for the kill, Go for the kill
Go for the kill, Go for the kill

His skin was soft as leather
I'm the weatherman
There's no one else worth the dedication
I'm the weatherman
Cause hey kid
You got the heart without the ache
Pretentious thieves
Have you believe it's theirs to take
Addicted to the love of ourselves
I'm the weatherman
And tell no one else
I'm the weatherman

So go for the kill

Cause no one else cares
Go for the kill, Go for the kill
Go for the kill, Go for the kill
Go for the kill, Go for the kill
Go for the kill, Go for the kill

For here's the history we make
For luck of our Fathers
(If I could be anywhere I wouldn't be here)
No future or good night
(If I could be anywhere I wouldn't be here)
No future fans
(If I could be anywhere I wouldn't be here)

I sing for the melody and I sing for a reason
And I'll sing as the neglect for all that un-American

So go for the kill

Cause no one else cares
Go for the kill, Go for the kill
Go for the kill, Go for the kill
Go for the kill, Go for the kill
Go for the kill, Go for the kill

Go for the kill”

* = Indeed Scott, INDEED!