Numenera: Edge of the Sun

 An interesting book at 160 pages.

Makes for an interesting part of Numenera as a whole, as well as gives the GM a broad canvas to use in conjunction with his/her existing Numenera Campaign,

Definitely built for a more experienced party of players whom have explored enough of the Ninth World to know what's going on, the adventures provided can be something stewing until a later date. HOWEVER, GM's having knowledge of what's in this book will be able to lay out a whole host of hook-lines and sinkers, dropping crumbs of knowledge and potential motivations for the more powerful NPC's the players may face during their lower to mid levels. 

The information given in this book provide key motivations to certain NPC's that players could encounter within their primary years of adventures. As I'm going to do my best not to spoil things for player-readers, the GM can expect a lot of reference material on this new location, along with the types of lifeforms that could be encountered. There is also a lot of "Jade Colossus" influence as well. Random tables galore for the exploring, and a lot of cyphers geared towards the exploration to be had.

What lays on the edge of the Sun does have an important purpose. It's not something the players may have to worry about... now... but there will be a need to have the players eventually face the unknown, buckle up, and become prepared to decide the fate of the Ninth World in this one.

Is it worth getting?

A clever GM will find this book motivating. It will give the GM some aid in giving the ENTIRE Numenera campaign a significant finale. 

As it stands alone as a book, it would seem a little "too much" to just plop players into it. The GM's best bet with this book is to read it over, understand what is at stake for the Ninth world. Then use this knowledge to build adventure arcs with the current array of powers that interact currently with, or eventually with, the Players. Mold ideas of what the Enemies of the Players might know of this plot, and have these Enemies work to their own ends to achieve their goals in the Edge of the Sun. 

Depending on how much you may use Varjellen, Visitants, or even the Octipoids... each one of these, the GM could devote some motivations towards the plot of this book... creating some clever and twisted arcs... and space battles... skies the limit.

But it will take some considerable note-taking for the GM and thought... but it's a good exercise for the brain, and this book will give you some fuel to work with. 

The book is worth it for the potential it unlocks for having an really cool ending of a great campaign.

RE-Organizing Blog

 So, due to this blog being about various games that interest myself, there are additional things about each game that I might want to follow up with. However not everyone viewing this blog might take an interest in ALL of these games. So I will be creating categories to organize all my posts to make it easier to pick a game and see all relevant posts about it.

This will also allow me to post more blogging "blurbs" about each, without having to re-reference each game in the posts.

Lately been doing a ton of painting, I have a bunch of new games (Bloodbourne, Infinity Defiance, Aliens, and a ton more mini's being painted from the fantasy/wizkids line) and some new equipment including an affordable airbrush/compressor combo that I'm putting through the stress. Also new brushes and my overview on what I think works best so far for brushes.  

INNOVATION OVERLOOKED...

 Now, I'm not one to put anyone on a high pedestal just because of the color of their skin, or sexual orientation. I have played and will forever play with ANYONE that is good at playing role-playing games. I'll even play with those who are not-so-good at the craft in order to further their skills if they are willing to learn and participate in earnest. I don't look at role-playing gaming as some tool to wank-out on, it's there to enjoy as a group as we create a tale and endure it's hardships. If you want to jack-off, watch some porn.

Even with the smatterings of preachiness outside of their products, Monte Cook is one ass-kicker of a company. If you have never played using the Cypher System (Numenera) you have possibly missed a massively awesome take on the mechanics in role-playing games, as of recent decades.

Cypher System takes a lot of calculus-crunch out of the game so it's really easy to learn and play through. It's complexities lie within the way you build your character, and they are built to be quite varied in specs as well as interlaced with hooks into your fellow Player Characters to the right and left of you.

Yes, you will have some kind of relevance to your comrades in some way, even in some of your abilities. In some cases, these PC relations will help each other become mechanically stronger when you work together as a team.

The next relevant aspect of this system, is that the Game Master does not roll dice. Unless you are playing without Intrusion Cards, then the GM will roll on random tables from time to time.
As I'm usually a GM, I find this system freeing, I'm no longer bound to the adversaries that the players face, I actually suggest ways to overcome difficulties, and my mind is free to explore where the game goes next as I'm no longer preoccupied with tending the game with die rolling.

Do NOT pass on Numenera, The Strange, or any of the Cypher System RPG's. If someone offers you a place at the table, TAKE IT. 
I took a chance on it, due to Monte's previous offerings in the past. Planescape Torment is still one of my favorites. The Art in MCG products is of the highest quality as well. 

Despite of what you think of Monte Cook, the guy is a pure genius in RPG design.

 

Walking Dead... Mini Painting

 

So, no... I'm not away... lol

I've started painting a wack of miniatures from the Walking Dead (No Sanctuary) board game and it's 2 major expansions.

One of my kids is helping with painting as well. We are attempting to get the 80-90-ish minis painted for a possible Halloween gaming session. My wife is a HUGE walking dead fan and she has no idea we are working on this... 

I got the main game and the 2 expansions at 40% off at my local game store, which was a sweet deal.

I have to say, there was a bit of fixing needed on the miniatures, as they are pre-assembled, and the slotted bases are quite mis-aligned, having variances in spacing. I had to break out the milliput and make a batch of milli-butter (milliput mixed with Iso-alcohol to make a slurry) and fill in these gaps.

I painted them with black primer and dry-brushed a grey over top to bring out the details.

The sculpts are not the best, but I have seen worse. These shouldn't take too long to get painted as long as I don't lose focus.

Holidays...

 So, perhaps a couple of you peeps out there realized my lack of posting lately.

I'm off work on paid holidays, got to use up these hours before cut-off after Fall. Retail kicks it up a notch from Fall until Christmas, and they don't allow management to take time off during the busiest part of the year.

I'm currently visiting with friends I've known since grade-school, jamming with old musician friends and hanging out with who's left of us that are still alive.

Going back to my old hometown (this is a 12 hr drive, so very far away) last October, I realized that my move (4 years prior) was the best thing I've done. The old stomping grounds is a tourist area that is now ravaged by an overpopulation of homeless, bussed in from other areas to clean up other cities of their degenerates and mentally ill. Little did I know that my hometown would be the landfill.

Think about that, it could be used as an adventure trope in sci-fi or Fantasy.

BTW, I'm not in the USA, I'm in the Northern part of Canada, the oil-rich region. Times are actually not bad considering the cuts in the oil and gas industry, this city I'm in is still booming and there is a lot of opportunity to be had.

Anyways, I thought I'd pop in here and let you folks know, I'll be following up on Cha'alt and Metamorphosis Alpha and some other acquisitions. Also a full expose on my painting progress on DEEP MADNESS.

The Grind to paint minis...

Sometimes, there is a call to action...

The players, who know you are a SCI-FI gamemaster, with a hundred or so SCI-FI fully painted miniatures, say... "hey, can you GM a fantasy game?"

So I take the players on and of course, my miniature collection has very, very few Fantasy figures.

So, I went to my local store and pick out a set of minis that look like the players characters... then I collect up Gnolls, Orcs, Goblins... a giant, an Ogre... 30+ some odd miniatures later, you have a problem when game time is a week away and you hold down a full time job and you got a family as well.

Well, the only solution is to stylize... and so I have, Statuesque Miniatures.

So we mount our subject onto a 25mm base, this being a Barbarian Gal from Reaper bones...

and we mix up a bit of milliput to blend out the mini-base to the miniature, I usually do this in batches, getting as many miniatures based as possible. This stuff is sticky and messy on your fingers. It does dry rather quickly and rock hard. A couple of hours tops.

I try to get the appearance of rough ground on these bases so you squish it onto the base with fingers, then use a dental tool to help mash it on solid... and damp down with my fingers to pat it down evenly.

A grey primer works, I'm also trying to match the natural grey color of the Wizkids minis, fresh out of the package. This bones figure needs to look like a grey Wizkid mini... note the other minis and the effect I'm going for.

After the base primer is dry, it resembles the same grey as the others, time to wash it.

I use a combo of black primer, Airbrush Thinner and Airbrush flow improver (All Vallejo as well).

And with a final dusting of grey once again as a drybrush...

Looks good enough to tabletop for now...

All the minis are painted like this and when I finally have time to mass-paint all of these, I'll break out the colored paints and go at it. They are ready for color when the time comes.

Building Worlds... D&D and all RPG's

So there has been a lot of "outsiders" looking into RPG's in general and displaying their disdain for the genre. Outsider: meaning someone with very limited information on how RPG's work, feeling that what is written in the rules is LAW, and have contempt for any "triggering" content.

The DM/GM has to read his participants, gauging what will promote situations in the game, resulting in the participants resolving the situation, resulting in catharsis.

It's part of the DM/GM's job to create something that "triggers" the participants, so they play with an emotional attachment to resolve.

Without this, the game becomes a theme-park and the goal is XP... which leads to the game being dismissive and unmemorable.

NPC's are the DM/GM's tools to evoke conflicts or aid in such conflicts. They must portray a persona that comes from the imagination of what a good villain or commoner in the imagined world would be.

Many DM/GM's will use voice acting and even accents to portray these NPC's.

I once had a game of Space 1889, Victorian, Jules Verne era Sci-fi.

One of the most beloved NPC's I made was the manservant Gungi Jim, companion to the lead player's character, the very British, Matthew Cross.

I used a pseudo India influenced accent to bring the NPC to life.

Cross was eventually joined with a US Gunslinger and a Canadian Inventor (no longer remember the characters names, this was back when the game first came out in the 80's)

Cross' main antagonist was Danton Mignon Monet... a French aristocrat, that was attempting to woo Cross' love-interest Miss Stephanie.

Monet was based on the powder poof white-wigged Casanova, complete with white makeup and fake beauty mark... and he was a bondage fanatic... (I knew this would really, REALLY irk the RL player).

Stephanie's kidnapping and the search for ancient treasures in the Amazon ruined cities (complete with giant scorpions, pythons, and giant Cyclopian-Centaurs... French mercenaries under Monet's command...

THIS was the most memorable campaign for all the players involved. and is STILL talked about to this day almost 40 years later.

With the incursion of SJW policing, how would you then re-create this masterpiece of brain-candy?

No matter what the SJW's write within the rule books... Roleplaying games are not chained to the rules. Any mechanics system that players gravitate towards, will be used to invent new worlds with all kinds of "triggering" tropes, and there is nothing they can do about it.

Even the setting promoted (Faerun/Sword Coast, Ravenloft. Theros...) will be torn asunder by DM's that will cannibalize the parts they deem fit for their group and add their own twists and creative ingenuity. Making EVERY world different and diverse in their own way through the gameplay between participants in the game. 

Take heed readers, that you are empowered to create ANYTHING you want, if you have the audience/participants willing to interact with it. You can use any "trigger" to have at your disposal to give participants, for the best game experience possible.

The players will either enjoy it or leave it for another game suited for their tastes.