Friday, October 8, 2010

Learn.


* = In order to start getting ready for Gladiatoral Warfare in D&D in two weekends I figured a little Planet Hulk would set the mood!

It’s Friday, it’s full of joy & mirth. Oh and it’s full of KNOWLEDGE!

PUHNJARB, THE CHAINS OF BLOOD!

So we’re back to D&D next Saturday and the party has found themselves slaves in the city of Puhnjarb. They’ll be thrust into the depths of the Slave Pens of Abdul-Baqi Adham as gladiators. They’ll be forced to deal with the politics of the Czarina, the Council Of Merchants, the Silver Lady, the Velvet Hand, and the Algul Court. All this and they are still trying to reach Pasha Bathes-In-Blood’s Gnoll horde before she makes it to The Black Ziggurat.

THE RED BOX TRAILER!

I saw this, and then realized it’s a friggin’ D&D commercial for TARGET! I have to say that regardless of how you feel about 4E, this is TITS! It’s metal, it’s D&D, it’s retro art, it’s everything that makes you want to retreat down into the basement with your friends, a case of Mountain Dew, two bags of Funions, and your Monster Manual. Just beautiful.

VAMPIRE WARS!

So I’m getting close to the end of this 700 plus page omnibus. I’ve seen the rise and fall of two of the Von Carnsteins, Vlad & Konrad. Now I’m into the tale of Mannfred. He’s been in the background since the rise of Konrad, being sure to let his ‘siblings’; Konrad, Pieter, Hans, & Fritz destroy one another after the death Vlad, the sire of all of them. As Mannfred makes his way through the Old World he gets to witness how the domains of humanity have turned on one another, making them ripe once again for a ruler of the Land of the Dead to encroach. I have enjoyed how Vlad, Konrad, and Mannfred are all different. Each has had distinct personalities, relationships, vestiges of humanity, and views on how to either control or consume the “cattle”. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the complex relationship between Vlad and his wife Isabella.

It really is in the background of the first book, but is explored fantastically at the beginning of the second book. It’s complicated, tragic, and at the same time appalling. And even though the book is about the Von Carnsteins, the real tale is about the de-humanization of Jon Skellen and Jerek “The White Wolf Of Middenhiem” Kruger or Jerek Von Carnstein as he’s known after succumbing to Vlad. Both of these characters are both pawns of the Von Carnsteins and masters either through force of arms, personality, loyalty, or treachery. Again as I’ve stated before this book is VERY ‘Warhammery’ there isn’t a lot of heroic characters to cling to, besides maybe Kallad Stormwarden. It’s dark, but I knew that going in, and I’m enjoying it immensely.

SUCKER PUNCH!

So Zach Snyder is going to helm the Nolan version of the Superman. I’m torn on the idea. Snyder, as you can see in the above trailer is all about making love to your eyes, but I have found him yet to make me significantly care about a character in his films. I liked 300, but it falls apart in subsequent viewings, and Watchmen is pitch perfect with tiny miniscule exceptions. The problem is once on film in someone else’s vision I found the characters completely unlikable. The film is still good, even great in some moments, and gets the material right to the point of a reverential tone, but it’s just missing something. Now this trailer is gorgeous, but I’ll save my thoughts until I see the whole, especially since the trailer is as if someone sucked all the goodness out of my imagination. So Snyder on the Man Of Steel is a double-edged sword. We could finally be getting the Superman film we’ve always dreamt of, OR we could get an unmitigated disaster. I’m at least hopeful.

BOARD GAME GEEK DOT COM FAN GENERATED CASTLE RAVENLOFT CONTENT!

There are a ton of amazing people floating around on Board Game Geek dot com, but I’m even more amazed by the folks that generate content; ninjadog, anarchy, Raven Bloodeyes, The Hound, shnar, Chromit90, & the man whose work I’ve spotlighted above Malgamus. These are titans of Photoshop and creativity taking the nuts and bolts of the Monster Manuals & Players Handbook and crafting them into content for the game. Not to mention the slew of custom scenarios created by folks. The user known as anarchy created an Artscow set of decks that I had purchased and finally received in the mail & they are INCREDIBLE, it’s some of the best money I’ve spent on an ‘unofficial’ expansion ever. I love the game, but the people who are using it as a tool set and creating deserve recognition, RESPEK(s), and admiration. Thank you.

It’s the end of the week so I’m here to give you…

RANDOM CRAP!

- Saturday it’s off to The Cloud for the nephew’s B-Day. I had forgotten just how many family members have B-Days this time of year. There is a whole lot of gift givin’ goin’ one.
- Sunday we’re meeting with Heidi for lunch at C.P.K. I’ve never eaten there, so I look forward to something new and different. She swears by it, so I’m sure it’ll be good.
- If I have to hear one more Michelle Bachman add I swear I’m going to start punching babies. You know the reality is I’m already tired of hearing ALL of these negative ads. If a crazy person who is running for office calls another candidate a “hypocritical politician” isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? You are all liars, cheats, hypocrites, and I’m beginning to wonder if your all not just a tad delusional, and I know some of you are just flat out nuts. So take your mudslinging somewhere else, because I’m really sick of hearing it.
- If you missed South Park’s premiere on Wednesday then shame on you. We learned that you have to REALLY Poor & REALLY Stupid to be not only a fan of NASCAR, but also to actually drive in NASCAR. Oh and that if you ingest Vagasil it’ll will make you a racist hillbilly.
- I owe a public apology to David. David I’m sorry that I cancelled last minute on Thursday. I misunderstood your e-mail, and I’m really sorry. I will try to not let it happen again. I know how frustrating it is for that to happen, and I feel like a piece of turd to in turn be the one doing it. So again I’m sorry.

And with that I’m OUT!

"Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death."


* = Hammerfast, a city of orcs, dwarves, and ghosts!

No comments:

Post a Comment