The Fisher King Vs. Searching For Bobby Fisher

* = It's sad but I feel like this an awful lot Monday through Friday...



So by now you’ve seen that the 3rd Episode of the, barely recognized and only nominally successful, Careers In Evil podcast is up. Dave and I had ‘Mighty’ Mike in to discuss our accumulated Nerdery, our divorces (both completed and pending), Mike’s disturbing hatred of Minivan’s and their owners, potential future Movie-A-Thons & we received TWO ‘readings’ from David. The readings were utterly and completely fantastic. So it turned out pretty well. I won’t know how well until I listen back and make some mental notes on how we can continue to have fun and tighten the process. I think having a guest really makes the Podcast more fun and improves the flow, otherwise Dave and I tend to get really intensely focused on things that only he and I would ever dig into that deep into, it gets a bit too self-masturbatory then. I did realize while we were recording that it also causes us both to SLOW down. I’ve never notice before, but we both feed off one another verbally and we get to ‘riffing’ and joking and we speed up to a break neck speed. Having guests makes us slow down. It also allows us to get a better handle on what we want to say and how we want to say it. It just improves the podcast and that’s a good thing. By the by I just checked to see how many folks have downloaded our little endeavor, and it’s almost 150 people. That blows my F’Ning mind! I don’t even know a 150 people. Oh internets you make me smile.


The Reaper Bones Kickstarter finally ended, and with it a slew of my cash. As you can see by this glorious picture (which you will have to make bigger on your own, I'm not here to hold you hand, your an adult for Gawd's sake!) I will be getting a literal CRAP TON of stuff to paint.

Even with the additional stuff, ‘Options’, I picked up I’m still under a dollar per mini. It’s INSANE! There are so many amazing sculpts and pieces in this purchase. I mean look at it! You could start any number of incredible campaigns. I’m thinking of doing just that by adding some things to my current campaign based out of this purchase;
- Giants, lots and lots of GIANTS! I picked up the ‘Optional’ Fire Giants and Frost Giants (not pictured here), so I’m contemplating doing a War Of Giants, with the PC’s trapped in the middle, perhaps as emissaries of peace for a nation the warring Giant Clans have chosen as their battleground. Perhaps it’s a ‘Romeo & Juliette’ situation where two star-crossed lovers from different clans (one Fire Giant & one Frost Giant) have caused their respective parents to choose war over a union of their diametrically opposed primal forces.
- ORCS! Again not pictured but I picked up 20 additional Orcs. Between this and all the Orcs I already have I’ve been contemplating an Orc Jihad. Perhaps the different breeds of Orcs have decided that only THEY are the true brood of Gruumsh, and all other ‘False Bloods’ must be purged. Having the PC’s in an outpost seen as a strategic point for multiple fanatics and their heavily armed and insane followers could be a hoot. Do they stay and slay every dirty Orc they can OR do they just try to survive long enough to get the ‘locals’ out and away from the bloodbath?
- Tellok The Thrice Damned has been raised from the dead again. He’s decided that this time the people of the Northern Kingdoms will either bow and follow in life or serve in Undeath. With his most trusted acolytes around him, he’s raised an army of the Undead like the Known World has never seen. The PC’s know they can never win in a war, but they also know that if you cut the ‘head’ off the ‘body’ will die. But how do you get to a recently resurrected, paranoid necromancer surrounded by his most loyal followers bent on world domination?
- PIRATES! Between these Pirates and the one’s I won in that drawing last year I’m thinking of doing a bit of a Pirating arc. EXCEPT I want to do it in the Underdark, I know that sounded filthy, your welcome David. The Somber Sea has never been fully charted, but it could be an incredible trade route through the Underdark for Dwarven Clans. The only problem is multiple vessels have disappeared in the last four months to never return, who or what is out in the murky depths, and do the PC’s have the wherewithal to shiver those timbers?
As you can see I have plenty of ideas, it’s just a matter of whether they get implemented in this run of D&D or if they go into the ‘Idea File’ for future campaigns.

With Gencon eating up a lot of gaming brethren across the Interweb(s) time we didn’t get a Pathfinder Shattered Star preview last week, the esoteric Erik Mona made up for it this week with TWO previews!

First up is The Caryatid Column. It’s a construct that looks like a column. Usually I would be sort of down on something like this, but the reality is I LOVE CONSTRUCTS! There I’m not afraid to admit it. I like being able to use statues that come alive as annoying sentries. These would be a good way to do that in a Big Bad’s lair. The other thing I dig about them is the paint job can be sort of ‘meh’, BUT if the sculpt is good you’ve got a winner. I dig the sculpt and can see getting some run out of this mini. I’m staying reserved on whether or not I’m buying any of the minis as of now since the Rise Of The Runelords minis are still outrageously expensive. I’m going to wait and see if they drop and price and how much. Otherwise Paizo and Wizkids may have priced these bad boys out of my budget.

The second mini this week is the Night Hag. I have the DDM Night Hag based on Wayne Reynolds picture, it’s a decent mini, but one I haven’t really ever used in a game. I like the look of this mini a lot because it looks from first glance as if it could double as a gypsy woman, or a fortune teller, or even a just a local with some ominous words for our Heroes. The pose is nice and the paint it simple and effective, I simply wish I had a bit larger picture to look at to see some of the detail work. Overall it’s a nice looking and multi-faceted game wise miniature, but I’m growing to expect this from this partnership, now if only we could some better prices in the secondary market.

Since I’m on the subject of buying miniatures today I finally broke down and spent a tiny bit of scratch on Dungeon Crawler Miniatures. I mean c’mon look at that cute little Mastiff!

I can’t wait to have a few of these in my game to either protect the PC’s or to savagely maul them. DC Miniatures is a small operation that is pumping out some outstanding miniatures relatively cheaply.  They have three sets including some keen tentacles of different origins, the mastiff's set which has a giant ant in it, a raven, and a kick ass upright coffin.  And not they put one out with some villagers or NPC's!  Seriously great stuff from a small company with a really cool Kickstarter starting at the end of August that might get some of my cash.  In fact they have a new line inspired by Reaper’s Bones that is called ‘Naturals’ which is simply unpainted versions of their miniatures.  This is what I went with since I had a hankering to paint these simple minis on my own.  Here's
where I picked mine up you should do the same!


You know I thought I had so much more to blather on and on about, but it turns out I don’t. How ‘bout some…

RANDOM CRAP!

- What happened to our early Fall? This 90 degree crap is for the birds.
- I need to get back to Patrick Troughton Doctor Who, it’s been calling me.
- Vikings game on Thursday Night, the first evening of our ‘Staycation’. I’m thinking that maybe David and I will have to play some type of board or card game while we watch as the Fourth Preseason game is always the ‘shits’.
- Trivia Death Match came and went, and Mighty Mike was the VICTOR! Surprisingly enough he faced Cassandra in the finale who CRUSHED Battlin’ Bob and myself in the playoff. I was so proud of my wife, who usually hates trivia, and how she accounted for herself, it was damn impressive. Keep that belt shiny Mike, because I’m coming for it!
- We need to start a list of things to do on this ‘Staycation’ so I don’t just veg out the entire time, because it is becoming more and more of a distinct possibility.

I feel like I’ve lost some ‘zip’ off my ‘fast ball’ here the last few weeks and I’m not sure why. I know I haven’t blogged as often as I used to, but I think the Podcast has made up for that. I just haven’t been as creative or as invested in a lot of the things that normally engage me obsessively. Perhaps it’s the stress of the place that pays me being SUPER busy of late. Maybe it’s some frustrations I’m dealing with in my life. Or it could just be that I’m a big ole crybaby and can’t stay focused. Whatever it is I’m hoping that this time off at home will recharge my batteries physically, emotionally, mentally, and most importantly creatively. I hope all of you who actually read this blight upon the collective mind of the internet(s) know how much I appreciate it and I hope you are taking a bit of time out of your busy existences to listen to the Podcast as well. So to sum up; THANK YOU.

“I met a lady down in Prathertown, two rocking chairs.
She said take a seat boy and I'll treat you fair.
Snake charmers cold infidels, get a running start.
Pick up the pieces in the graveyard and unbury my heart.
The wolf howls at midnight, the rooster at the dawn
Opossum minister where you been so long?
Montgomery Village kids, you just look like the type.
You sure you want to know the mysteries? You're but a trifling height.
Families in their den, staring at the box
Opossum minister hen done killed the fox.
Eyes like clouds know you stare.
Count the minutes by the rocking of chairs.
Prathertown unincorporated,
May you stay far unrelated to the wicked ways of Montgomery Village.
There's a darkness deep in their eyes, as if the sun don't rise.
Those poor afflicted people of Montgomery Village
Fake farmers, straight Jezebels, you know the score.
Pick up the pieces in the graveyard and leave 'em at the door.
The master-plan unfolds, silent sinister
Is there any hope left Opossum Minister?

Eyes like clouds know you stare.
Count the minutes by the rocking of chairs.
Prathertown unincorporated,
May you stay far unrelated to the wicked ways of Montgomery Village.
There's a darkness deep in their eyes, as if the sun don't rise.
Those poor afflicted people of Montgomery Village

Prathertown unincorporated,
May you stay far unrelated to the wicked ways of Montgomery Village.
There's a darkness deep in their eyes, as if the sun don't rise.
Those poor afflicted people of Montgomery Village”

* = The Flax Seed 'diet' continues to roll on and according to others they can see the weight coming off of me.  I don't see it.  However I'll stick to it, and try, TRY Sean Bean, to eat the suggested serving size...