Gaming and More Gaming!

[Black Jack Rackham]

Ok since Laura isn't/can't/won't/doesn't/not checking her email. Here's my schedule for next week. No gaming next weekend because South Sea Stories II (a Call of Cthulhu weekend convention) is up. I will be running Suffer, The Children a Dark Ages Cthulhu scenario I wrote some time ago.

As for how this weekend went, lots of running around, then today went for my once-a-month game up in NH. We played Stormbringer (4th ed.) Boy did that bring back memories. The scenario was just like something out of one of the books (weird island shows up in the middle of a sea battle, turns out the island moves through time/dimensions and is the prison of a dead and forgotten god/demon).

Next month's session is a Left 4 Dead scenario using GURPS. I think it's happening on my daughters b-day so I will probably miss it (but then we'll be at Disney so, there's always that).

[Rebecca Iavelli]

Laura WOULD check her e-mails all the time, IFthe new Msn mail, my dial-up and my Un-updateable Microsoft Windows XP would work together, but since MSN updated their mail, my e-mail refuses to open because it saids the line isn't private!

Maybe someday I will get WiFi and a new computer, but right now I need what money I have available for when I get my car.

[salamanca]

you people have phones you can talk into.

[Rebecca Iavelli]

Mark, how did the convention go yesterday? Usually you give an update, but haven't seen anything yet, so I thought I would ask. Also, what are we playing this Sunday, Boardgames?

[Black Jack Rackham]

Game was great fun. lots of questions, and puzzled/worried looks. Interestingly though, they got all the way to the end and...completely missed out on what was happening... one of the players (Christine Crabb) told me in retrospect that all the clues had been there, they just didn't put them all together until I explained it.

My favorite part? I have never, Never, NEVER, ended a game right on time... until Sunday!

As for what's coming up.

BUSY weekend. Friday is the boy's (now with Kelly) RPG night (not sure what we're going to do, they're kind of in a state of transition).

Saturday is (or might be) Modern Era Champions at the FLGS

And Sunday is, as you mentioned, boardgames! Remember, we're going 1-5 now so Earl can get to dance class.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Was supposed to be My Wacky Gaming Weekend this past week, but had enough no-shows that we decided to wait for them (and since Laura wants to change what she's running, we're going to do Wacky Gaming Weekend next week). Instead we played Sentinels of the Multiverse. Used the iPad app called Sidekick that helps you keep track of things, and I learned that you can also use Sidekick to keep track of what cards you have. I am missing a metric shitton of promos. Took a look at prices for promos on ebay and immediately said there is no way in hell I'm gonna get everything.

BUT it turns out someone did a pdf of all the promos so even if I don't have the original cards I can still play with the promos!

Next up is Wacky Gaming Weekend Part 2!

[Black Jack Rackham]

Boardgames today! WOOO and I even got a couple of new cards for Sentinels of the Multiverse for just this occasion!

[Black Jack Rackham]

No Sentinels, instead it was Takenoko and Betrayal at the House on the Hill. I handily won Takenoko (using my never-fail strategy of grabbing up as many of the landscaping objective cards as possible). Then was handily defeated by Eric and his betrayal (I chalk it up to my having never actually been a survivor and not knowing that I wasn't supposed to help him kill us all).

Fortunately BHH was a quick game so we had time for another, and THIS time I was the betrayer. So, of course, I killed them all. Kill, kill, kill. It was uber creepy this time, and actually disturbed me (AWESOME I know!)

Next week, Mark's Wacky Gaming Weekend returns to Viking land and we find out how the PCs will do against something HORRIBLE!

[salamanca]

Betrayal is not my friend. played a couple games last weekend. first room I explored in every game resulted in me getting dropped into the basement where I never found the stairs back out. so I spent the games NOT being involved in anything.

[Lady Grace]

After another 2 month hiatus, I was back in the GM saddle again. Brenna wasn't able to make, but I had planned for such a contingency and all honestly, it makes things less coincidental.

Ulfen is charming little orphan children with his pet goat when Luc enters the scene and things get awkward. See, if you recall, Ulfen had been told at the party that Luc is a war criminal in Eisen and boy, did that piss off Ulfen. Luc offers to buy Ulfen a drink to talk matters out and present his side of the story. Much soul baring is done! Much liquor is consumed! A table is stabbed and a waiter is traumatized! But, in the end, Ulfen believes the Montaigne and now wants to find out just what the hell happened as much as Luc does.

And then they hear the telltale cries of a goat in trouble.

Rushing back outside, little orphan Sara is crying as a larger sullen-faced red-headed orphan Eisen boy is tormenting her and poor Francis. The boys step in and try their damnedest to get through to Fritz to not be a bully. Ulfen tries to teach the boy some fighting techniques to instill some discipline in the brat, however Luc picks up on the fact that it seems Fritz is learning the wrong lessons (ie, how to hit people better and harder). The brat eventually runs off after Ulfen soaks a shot to the nuts.

The boys decide to visit Greta (one of Luc's former squad) and see if her brother is willing to speak to them. Actually, Luc goes as Ulfen sneaks his goat back up into his lodgings. Erich is in BAD mental shape, plagued by nightmares, but he eventually reveals a few tidbits. 1. He didn't fire the cannon first. Another man by the name of Jean-Christophe Vacher did and he followed suit, thinking the order was given. 2. He claims he saw a building on fire BEFORE the cannons went off. & 3. He thinks he's being followed. Luc is uneasy. What he little he remembered about Vacher was that he was a very unambitious and unassuming man. Unfortunately, Greta thinks he's in Freiburg now. Luc promises to visit the siblings again soon in better tidings.

Luc meets up with Ulfen and relays the news. They check in with Glenna to see if she has any further info. She's just as surprised about it possibly being Vacher as anyone and confirms Luc's thoughts that, if it wasn't a horrible accident, then someone else must have ordered him to do it. Which could have been anyone as he was pushed around a LOT. She confirms that she also heard he was in Freiburg and says she'll see if there's any further info she can find out. Now that Ulfen heard about Heidmoor, she dropped the flirting and was a lot more subdued around him.

(Also, I make Mike paranoid before arriving at Glenna's by having him make a few perception checks along the way. Yeah, someone's following him and they're DAMN good at it.)

Leaving for the Guildhouse, the boys hear the Orphan Matron frantically trying to find Sara. Some of the other orphans say Fritz was talking to her, claiming he found pirate treasure in the forest and wanted to show it to her. Cue the boys in protective mode as it's getting dark out and nobody has tracking. However, in those woods, they find the terrified girl up in a tree, crying, clinging to the trunk protective and sporting a fresh new bruise over her eye. Luc goes up the tree to get her down, but while he's up there, he thinks he sees a clearing among the trees -- and the breeze is blowing in the scent of blood.

Ulfen gets Sara back to town while Luc bravely/foolishly stays to investigate. The Montaigne finds Fritz. Well, bits of him anyway. Torn pieces of flesh and bone and clothes. He starts to hear an odd ticking sound and follows it to a small still pool in the dark forest and there appears to be a young girl crouched by it. Ulfen returns at this point and calls out to her in Castillian if she's all right.

"All I wanted was a playmate...HE gets to have a playmate! Why couldn't I have one?" The boys hear this response as if it were in their respective native tongues. And the ticking noise is coming from her. She giggles. "He should have been my playmate..."

"Who are you?" More giggling. "I'm Tink! Where's the girl...she could be my playmate. Aww, you took her back?" "Is that what you want? Someone to 'play' with you...you want US to 'play' with you now?" "You can't play with me -- you're too OLD! He hit me with a stick, you know..." "That's what you do, you pick on those weaker than yourself!" "Play...or prey."

And she turns her head to reveal bulging eyes, sinewy leathery bumpy green skin and a long snout filled with sharp sharp teeth still stained with blood. Mike misses his fear check at this point. Still in the little girl voice, she says "Bones are sweet, but flesh is sweeter."

Ulfen rises to the challenge, broadsword at the ready! He dares her with a "What are you going to do NOW?!" comment. Tink sighs wistfully "Well! I say we..."

My voice drops several octaves at this point as I cock my own head and bare my teeth into a growl "...roll for Initiative, [BLEEP]ERS!"

The look of shock on Steve's face afterwards filled the subcockles of my black heart with glee. And, unfortunately for him, she acted twice before Ulfen and savaged him with two vicious bites. To Ulfen's credit, he soaked the 38 from the two rolls. Unfortunately, he then missed the Resolve check I asked for and passed out, now in the thrall of the mother of all acid trips. Images flashed in and out of his tiny brain. of purple oceans, a handsome young man smiling, an older man with a with his left arm tucked behind his back who looks like he's related to Ulfen's mother, a ship wrecked against rocky shoals bearing the name "Rudiger's Joy".

Luc knows he's outmatched, but attempts to thrust his rapier into the monster, hoping to pin it to the ground. A game effort, but it just won't work. Still, he manages to make a strange observation...that the unholy creature seemed to have an odd look on its face when she bit the Eisen. Like Ulfen's taste seemed familar...

"He will DIE unless you leave. Now is not the right time..."

Luc takes the hint to retreat with the unconscious Eisen. The creature slips back into the pool without disturbing the waters. And, with the creature gone, the ticking sound stops.

Ulfen wakes up to a goat trying not to chew his bandages. We left things there.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Lots of gaming this weekend. Tomorrow is my other group, I'm going to be running an Elric of Melnibone scenario I thought of just a few days ago. Then Sunday I get a break for Boardgames.

But the break will be short lived as next week I have Mark's Wacky Gaming Weekend before I get ready to leave for Origins.

And worse, I have yet to even read the system or write up the adventure (though I do have a pretty good idea of what to do with it).

[Black Jack Rackham]

The Elric game went well (though I didn't realize that RuneQuest (or really RQ II) is just a ripoff of Basic Roleplaying, the system they use for Call of Cthulhu).

My recurring problem is, I write an adventure that's suitable for a 4 hour con game but when we play all relaxed-like it tends to go about twice as long. So I either need to shorten the scenarios or make them 2-parters.

[Lady Grace]

Ulfen was MIA, but I had planned for this. He's recovering from his injuries as...

So, the Black Bishop made Soledad an offer...find out more about Luc and either confirm he's a war criminal wanted in Eisen (thereby gaining allies in Eisen to fight for them in Castille's war against Montaigne) or "convince" him it'd be in his best interest to seek the "sanctity of the Church" (and give up any Montaigne military secrets) if he's not (otherwise he's getting sent to the bloodthirsty Eisen for vengeance anyway). In return, the Bishop offered to use his vast resources and connections to help Soledad track down the murderers of her family.

And she's tempted...

After the Bishop and his men leave, about an hour later a servant from Soledad's old life arrives, bearing correspondence. He's worried that someone may have followed him -- and that someone may have cracked open the letters before he could get them to Soledad. The 1st letter is from a Vodacce who was making an offer on a hunting lodge that Soledad's husband was tending to. He was expressing concern about the murders, didn't want to pressure her about the sale and offered his assistance if she needed it. He added he had an associate in the University Library named Paolo if she wanted to get word to him. The other letter was from the Explorers Society, expressing worry about something that Soledad's husband found and asked for insight on. Professor McCoy mentions he can go into more detail once he arrives in Altamira in about a week.


Luc arrives to tell Soledad what happened in the last game. Well, the child-eating creature part. Meanwhile, Soledad only offers vague info as to how her day was. She insists on staying behind to put her servant up somewhere while Luc checks in with the Explorers (and I start doing heavy improv stuff at this point because Soledad is being reticent). Luc is told that it sounds like a Sidhe might have taken up residence in the forest, but they can't be certain. Of course, one of their fellows from Avalon who knows more about this stuff is expected in town in about a week. By the way, has the Alcade been told?

The Alcade is told -- and they find out that the pool has disappeared...

Soledad wants to find Paolo! I start making Mike paranoid by asking for Perception checks. They head to the Library, where the librarian mentions while they have a few Vodacce students, the only Vodacce they have at the library is a groundskeeper...who's had his tongue cut out. Still, they check with him anyway and he hands them a card to a perfumer in Altamira. Head out, more Perception checks...this time Soledad sees something! Someone ducking into an alley out the corner of her eye... She gamely goes to confront!


And botches. So, she slips into a pile of refuse.

Luc spies a boot print. No doors or windows whoever it was could have slipped into. Just a bunch of shadows and a wall that MIGHT be climbable, but if it was, whoever did it had to have inhuman speed. If Porte was used, they would have heard the scream of reality being torn open. Luc asks about if there are any critters nearby, thinking shapeshifter. I grin evilly and tell him no.

Keep walking. Another perception check! This time Mike sees someone (a hooded cloaked figure) up on a roof -- across the street. And the street is too wide to jump across. Luc tells Soledad to continue on while he goes to confront this strange figure...

Soledad reaches the perfumer and chats up the gloved Montaigne lady running the shop. She says that yes, she works for the Vodacce and can get correspondence to him within a day. Without asking how this could be possible, Soledad dictates a letter to her servant to be sent to Polidori, asking him if he could come to Altamira. Also, she gets a much-needed free sample of some perfume. Meanwhile, we have a chase scene up on the rooftops! Unfortunately, Luc can't catch up and whoever it was gets away. But Luc finds another boot print -- and it's larger than the one in the alley.

Soledad leaves the shop, the two of them catch up and we leave things there. Next up, a breather episode....

[Lady Grace]

"YOU! There's a bounty out on you, isn't there?!" This is what greeted Soledad's poor servant. The sister found Juan Carlos being confronted by a rather large and belligerent Eisen with a bronze swordsman pin. The Eisen announces himself as Xavier Von Teufel, recently arrived from Barcino after it was invaded by the Montaigne. He hassles the sister a little bit about her servant, then goes over to immediately harass a nearby man, accusing him of having a bounty on his head.

Meanwhile, Luc is on his way to the Guildhouse. He easily spies a nearby carriage coming down the street and is about to get out of the way, when he's tackled by a far too enthusiatic woman who swears she's just SAVED! HIS! LIFE! As the Sgt. nearly has his eyes poked out by her bosoms, she says her name is Antonia and she's a Knight of Elaine recently from Barcino and she's looking for the Guildhouse so she can check in like a proper Swordswoman should. Luc says he was just on his way there, which elicits another round of boobs in face as the "knight" gushes on about them being siblings of the sword.

At the Guildhouse, Ulfen is finally recovered from his wounds after his incident with the creature in the forest. The Guild Master chides him about hiding Francis, then explains he's making preparations due to an influx of refugees coming in from Barcino due to the war. As if on cue, Ulfen hears an argument outside. One of Altamira's finest is harassing/hitting on one of those new arrivals, a VERY angry Castillian Swordswoman named Esperanza who is really tempted to draw her blade and gut the pervert. Ulfen manages to diffuse the situation. Luc and his new "friend" show up. Esperanza glares at the Montaigne while Antonia obliviously gushes.

The boys take this cue to exit. Ulfen wants to check in with the Explorers and see if there's any new news, when suddenly...

"YOU! There's a bounty out on you, isn't there?!"

Xavier gets into Luc's face, accusing him of being guilty of SOMETHING since he's a damn dirty Montaigne. Then he gets in Ulfen's face about him being a damn dirty Vaticine. The boys win the battle of wits, convincing Xavier to go bother the Alcalde. At the Explorers, there's no new news, but Ulfen is given the name of a Professor from Avalon who is supposed to be arriving in Altamira within a week who might be able to help as he's more knowledgeable about the Sidhe.

Time to check in with Soledad, who is preparing a breakfast for some of the new arrivals from Barcino. Luc feels exceptionally uncomfortable and wonders if he's putting people in danger here. The trio touches base about what they've all gone through. Soledad admits the Bishop visited her, wanting her to spy on Luc. Luc's discomfort grows, offering to leave Altamira so as to not compromise the sister. Meanwhile, Soledad lets out a little bit more information about her situation, how a Professor her late husband was in contact with is supposed to be coming to the city wanting to talk to her -- and Ulfen recognizes the name as the man the Explorers mentioned to him. She also brings up about how she and Luc were followed by two people last time around...

...so cue a paranoid Luc looking around to see if anyone is listening in. And lo and behold, the bastard's new dice works and he makes the check. He spies a man, about 6'0, lean with close cropped black hair -- fairly non-descript actually -- who appears to be interested in what's being said. Luc starts to approach and he walks away. Luc tries to get closer and he leaves the church. Luc doesn't know who he is, just that he seems too light-skinned to be either Castillian or Vodacce, not hairy enough to be Ussuran and not Nordic enough to be Vendel/Vesten. Spooked, the trio goes off to a more secure alcove wondering what next.

"What Next" is they get word that their presences are requested at the Guild of San Marcos for a meeting. The Guildmaster wants to welcome the new arrivals from Barcino, but also stress there will be NO bad blood in his streets. That the Guild must be above the war. However, he understands the need to relieve tension and stress and so, he's having a friendly tournament to entertain Altamira. Ulfen & Luc sign up, Soledad abstains. Fortunately, I've planned for this.

Back at the church, the Bishop arrives for another friendly chat with Soledad. He presses the good sister for details, stressing for her to "do the right thing", especially now with a damn dirty Objectionist bounty hunter in town making noise. Soledad tries to beg off. The Bishop asks if she's participating in the tournament. When she says no, he then invites her to join him in his personal box. Against her better judgement, she agrees.

The boys check in with the Alcalde, asking if there's been any incidents targeting any Montaigne recently. Negative -- and the Alcalde stresses they've been keeping an eye out just in case due to all the new arrivals. He also stresses that if Luc is being hassled or assaulted to please let them know. Cue the Alcalde griping about Xavier already being a headache.

Tournament time! Ulfen squeaks by Antonia (much to my surprise as I wanted him to just kick her ass -- Robertson when played right has some nasty tricks). Xavier PWNs the horndog who was hitting on Esperanza. And Luc deals with a very angry Esperanza with a huge chip on her shoulder about the Montaigne. Still, the Sgt. prevails. He sees his various comrades in the stands. Ulfen then kicks Luc's butt for the honor of facing Xavier. It's time for our MAIN EVENT~!

Which doesn't happen as, when they call Xavier's name, he fails to show up. Quick check of the venue and they find the belligerent Eisen dead! No wounds on him and everyone was sharing the same craft services...maybe he just died of a heart attack? Luc looks around JUST in case. He heads outside where he sees that same non-descript man from the church. He offers a smirk, then just calmly walks into a nearby dark alley. Luc tries to give chase!

And botches, crashing into a brick wall. He's out cold...

Eventually, he wakes up to a goat licking his face. Luc explains what happened to the others, but wonders if the man was following him. But, if he WAS following him, then why didn't he do anything to him while he was unconscious? He finds a bootprint, which matches the one found in the other alley. He also gives a quick description ("No, Mike, you can't remember if he was wearing gloves or not. However, you're sure his eyes weren't green.") and funnily enough, he kinda sounds like the guy Xavier hassled after Soledad chased him off Juan Carlos!

We left things there.

[Rebecca Iavelli]

So, Mark is up at OGC, and I am here with Jenny and the Kids, and we went to Targets today so that the kids could get something with their allowance. Kelly decided to get a game called Headbanz, which more or less is a cute game based off of Blind Mans Bluff. Each player (up to 6), wears a headband that holds a card. You can not see your card, but everyone else can, so you have to try to guess what you are by asking questions. On your turn, you turn over the timer and ask questions til the timer runs out, then you can try to guess what you are. It is actually harder than it seems, but it was a real cute game. The cards they have were like animals, objects, machines, and items. Scott won the game by guessing he was a tractor (I was a key, Jenny was a Umbrella and Kelly was a snowman).

Anyway, as we were putting the game away, Jenny and I were goofing off about it, saying how it would be to play it drunk, and then I mentioned that it should be done in a "Cards Against Humanity" version, for adults, and be called Head Banned (Banned from anything). So Jenny laughed and said "Yeah, like Granny in a Thong!" Oh that version would be soooo wrong, but so funny!

[salamanca]

They have an adult set. Still family safe but now you are complicated things like "Napoleon" or "the treaty of Versailles" (not sure if that one is actually in the box). There is also an Ellen DeGeneres version called "Heads Up" where you get no headbands to hold the cards. (Also available as a phone app for those willing to hand their phone to a drunk friend during play). And a Disney version.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Still a hairy month for gaming. We'll get to play this weekend, then I will go to the new game next week (was supposed to be the youngest's birthday party but we changed weeks), then no game for birthday party, then GenCon and finally BronyCon the week after that.

THEN we're finally done with the con season, and back to a regular gaming schedule!

[kenderleech]

My normal sunday group has failed to meet every week since origins. BUT! One of my older groups has reformed and we got in a stellar ten hour session on thursday afternoon, not counting food breaks. And broke in a newby. Who said "Ill probobly just waatch all night" and took less then an hour to jump in, head first, swinging off a dangling tapestry.

[Black Jack Rackham]

I am jealous

[salamanca]

took a copy of "Convert" (the placement game i bought at origins) to the renn faire sunday.

Hooked a cast member, a new cast member and had no less than 4 passersby stop, try to play a few pieces and ask where they can get it. I think it's got potential.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Been spending my days writing an idea I had for a Supernatural campaign. Two seasons in my mind so far, with two vastly different bad guys to deal with. The fun thing has been trying to keep in the spirit of the first, say, three seasons so everything is pretty episodic BUT still has enough hints I can add in a big bad.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Oh my god! I am actually going to get the group together today! Sure it's just board games (because that's what week we happened to land on) but still, GAMING!

Tried to convince them we should play Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder* (a card game about badly written pony romance) but for some reason they were reluctant (plus there's no way I'd have actually bought such a game).

*Yes, it really is a game. HERE'S the link!

[Black Jack Rackham]

We ended up playing Exploding Kitten, Art of War, and Bring Out Your Dead. The latter was fun and overall worth playing, BUT, the instructions are terrible. We had to do a whole lot of internet delving to get rulings on a number of basic questions.

This week it's back to Mark's Wacky Gaming Weekend, and the second half of Star Wars: Edge of the Empire!

[kenderleech]

5 hours of 7th sea.. the middle section of the second adventure in 'Mightier then the sword' No real highlights from it tho.


Then 3 hours of kobolds at my baby! King Torg was pleased! (all hail king torg!)

[Jungen]

I'm playing 7th Sea AS WE SPEAK! (Or, as I type, I guess.)