Maze Rats on family vacation!

Squeezed in a little session of Maze Rats while on family vacation. I love games where everything fits in one binder. This was their smiles during character creation. I didn't take pictures later on when their characters died one by one thanks to some random wilderness encounters.

Anyone have any relatively simple random hexcrawl rules they can share? I'm trying to invent my own using only d6 generated tables ala Maze Rats while using the Classic Dungeon Designer's Netbook #4 Old School Encounters Reference as a guide (http://kellri.blogspot.com/2008/07/cdd4-final-version-3.html).

I'm looking for a West Marches' style hexcrawl but with random generation for each hex, so no one knows what lays on the horizon not even the GM. They start in a frontier town and then pick a direction and try to survive. If only Ben Milton could make some rules like that.....

Let Chaos Reign!

I've been steadily working on my RPG.  Its gone through a few iterations.  Its even got a new name:  Let Chaos Reign.  I believe its at a point for people to play, minus a bestiary.  However, it shouldn't take a GM long to create some generic monsters or NPCs, in fact I was hoping to use similar stat blocks from other OSR D&D games so that players could use their favorite adventure modules.

Let Chaos Reign

Character Sheet

My Fantasy RPG - working title: Mythscape Legends

I have a working title:  Mythscape Legends!

Added more to the document.  So now we got all the character creation stuff, including equipment.  Also added in the combat section.

Mythscape Legends

My Fantasy RPG - a work in progress

I'm a huge fan of D&D and fantasy roleplaying games in general.  I remember holding a copy of the 1st edition D&D Basic Rulebook (the one by Tom Moldvay with the cover by Erol Otus).  I was real young at the time, I had found it in my brother's room and decided to trace all the pictures in it and color them (which I regret, now I wish I had a copy of my own).  I moved on to D&D 3e when I was in the Navy and have been hooked ever since.

I have the D&D 5e core rulebooks, even DM'ed a couple sessions for my children.  And while I really like D&D 5e and all the flavorful options that are included, I've watched how overwhelmed my kids are when it comes to character creation and keeping track of what they can do.  To us D&D fans who have already been integrated its no big deal.  But to kids who have NEVER played a pen-and-paper RPG, I can see how lost they become when deciding on what kind of character they want and then remembering all those abilities and searching for spells and etc.

We had also played other games, like Risus: the Anything RPG.  This opened up my eyes and theirs as well.  The idea of traits to represent everything.  No need to remember rules, just a simple word or phrase and you already have an idea what it does.

I decided to design my own RPG.  I took the classic D&D abilities, erased everything about classes/races/skills/feats/magic, and plugged in the concept of traits.  The player works with the GM to customize their character how they want.  No need to look in a rulebook except for prices on equipment.  

This may seem daunting at first, having to design every aspect of your character without following simple tables in some book with all the rules written out for you.  However, when all you have to do is roll dice for the 6 ability scores and then just write down what you want to be and not have to look in a book to figure out what they can do, it can be quite liberating.  At least, in theory.

Anyways, here is a copy of my fantasy RPG in progress:  My Fantasy RPG

And a character sheet also in progress:  Character sheet

Let me know what you think....

Four Against Darkness - paperback and updates

I'm a big fan of Ganesha Games' Four Against Darkness.  I've played it quite a few times.  It even inspired me to write up my own adventure and submit it to the great Andrea Sfiligoi himself, who decided to publish it.  That title was Dark Waters.

Well, the Four Against Darkness books have just been added to Lulu and Createspace for paperback printing.  Andrea Sfiligoi was gracious enough to send me a copy of 4AD and Dark Waters.  And they are perfect!

The core Four Against Darkness book is 90 pages and includes some recent minor updates, which if you purchased in pdf form is also updated.  Dark Waters comes in at 30 pages.

Yay, my first game publication!  I feel special.

In other news, I joined the Tiny Dungeon 2e kickstarter.

I love the cover art by Michael Leavenworth!

Although I tend to use D&D 5e for all my RPG gaming, I was feeling inspired by Tiny Dungeon's simplicity and the micro-setting concepts.  Perhaps I will be writing another gaming publication in the near future, for Tiny Dungeon maybe.  Then again, Four Against Darkness is also calling my name.  Or something original?  I don't know.  I like having too many options and ideas than not enough.

ALSO, this is my FIRST blog post in many months.  Lots of changes at the house, rearranging rooms, and helping out some family members by letting them stay with us for awhile, maybe for an indefinite amount of time.  So I no longer have a gaming room.  All my tabletop gaming stuff has been packed up (miniatures, terrain, gaming mats, paints, etc.), for who knows how long.  But from now on I will be focusing on more board games and RPGs and writing/drawing if possible.  Here's to a new future of gaming!

Psi-Paladins and Techno-Barbarians has arrived

Ganesha Games' had another kickstarter earlier this year for their Mutants and Death Ray Guns game (MDRG for short).  This supplement was for Psi-Paladins and Techno-Barbarians (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/9742092/psi-paladins-and-techno-barbarians-28mm-miniatures).

Its a relatively short supplement that introduces psychic mystics (ex: Jedi) and three heroes of the wastelands (ex: Thundarr the Barbarian).  I pledged for the highest tier so that I could get the miniatures, the game mat, and the paperback copies of MDRG and its first supplement Project Simian Ultra X.

First up were the paperback books.  MDRG is about 92 pages while Project Simian Ultra X (PSUX) is about 87 pages.  Fans of Song of Blades and Heroes will understand the rules easily, but the pages crammed with traits specifically for MDRG add a whole new layer to the game.  All the faction choices are unique, makes me wonder where its even possible to get miniatures to represent some of them.

The following 10 miniatures were part of my kickstarter pledge.  I did not add Lord Phalag and his minions, although those miniatures looked very characterful.  But I got the 4 Psi-Paladins, the 3 Techno-Barbarians, and 3 Combots.   They all came with clear bases, but I chose not to use them.

And here is the wasteland game mat, roughly 3' x 3'.  It appears to be an irradiated crater-filled deadzone.  Which is perfect for MDRG or for other sci-fi games.

Thundarr the Barbarian, Princess Ariel, and Ookla the Mok.  Well almost.  Its Dashar with his Photovoltaic Sword, Lady Azura the Blue Sorceress, and Ferragg the Lion of the Wasteland!

Well hopefully I can get them painted up soon and onto the tabletop.  I have yet to play MDRG, but as a veteran of other Ganesha Games I doubt there is much extra to learn other than new traits.  I'm also contemplating converting Warhammer 40k units over to it as well.

Grimdark Future - Dark Vengeance

Its been a long time since I've posted, but I've not been idle.  I got the Warhammer 40,000 starter box called Dark Vengeance and I finished painting and dipping them.  Just in time for Warhammer 40k 8th edition even though the starter box was for 7th edition!  And I haven't played Warhammer 40k since I think 3rd edition!

Anyways, just to see the minis on a board and throw some dice, I decided to use One Page Rules' Grimdark Future (which has gone through its own set of revisions and upgrades, found here: https://onepagerules.com/portfolio/grimdark-future/)

The Units

Battle Brothers (Dark Brothers - all have Dark Resolve):  Front - Captain (Energy Sword, Assault Rifle/Plasma Rifle), Psychic (Pistol, Energy Sword, Psychic (2)).  Back - Dark Destroyers (4 Assault Rifles, 1 Energy Sword, 3 Energy Fists, 1 Minigun)

Brother Bikers (3 Linked Assault Rifles, 1 Plasma Rifle, 1 Pistol/CCW), Battle Brothers [x5] (4 Assault Rifles, 1 Plasma Cannon), Battle Brothers [x5] (3 Assault Rifles, 1 Plasma Rifle, 1 Plasma Pistol/CCW)

Havoc Brothers:  Dark Psychic (Energy Sword, Plasma Pistol, Psychic (3)), Havoc Lord (Energy Sword, Assault Rifle/Fusion Rifle), Brute (Brute Fist, Heavy Fusion Rifle)

Havoc Chosen (2x Energy Claws, 2 Assault Rifles, 3 Pistols, 2 Energy Swords, 1 Energy Fist) with Veterans and Chosen

Cultists [10] (8 Pistol/CCW, 1 2x CCW, 1 Flamethrower), Cultists [10] (8 Assault Rifles, 1 Shotgun, 1 Light Machinegun)

Game One

Havoc right flank, Brute and rifle Cultists.

Havoc Lord and Chosen aim up the middle for easy objective token.

The other Cultists and Dark Psychic have the left flank.

Brother Bikers and Captain have the left flank opposite the Brute.

Both Battle Brother squads cover the middle.

The Psychic has their right flank opposite the Dark Psychic.  The Dark Destroyers are in Reserve.

The Brute heads for the Brother Bikers.

 

These Dark Brothers take aim on some already injured cultists....

...Plasma Cannon and friends wipe them out.

 

The Brother Bikers are wiped out by the Brute and cultists.

The Captain is hiding on the left with an objective as other Battle Brothers move up the middle.

The Dark Destroyers arrive and unleash fury on the Brute, who shrugs them off easily.

 

After a round of shooting and charging, only one Dark Destroyer remains and the cultists escaped.

The Havoc Lord and Psychic battle for the center token.

 

These Battle Brothers capture the token that their Captain died defending as the Brute lumbers his way forward.

The Dark Psychic prays for a miracle as he holds this objective in the final round....

...but a Plasma Cannon to the face wins! 

In the end, the Dark Brothers hold 3 objectives...

...Havoc Brothers have one.

Game Two

This time the Captain and Brother Bikers are across from the Cultists.

The Psychic and Battle Brother squad face the middle.

The other Battle Brother squad with Plasma Cannon hold the right, opposite the Brute, and the Dark Destroyers are in Reserve as usual.

The Brute gets to face off against the Plasma Cannon.

The Havoc Lord has joined the Chosen.

The rifle Cultists have the Dark Psychic assisting.

The other Cultists are hoping for a mad rush to the objective.

Advance and shoot!  But accomplish little! 

The Dark Psychic gives Dark Eye to his shooty Cultists who kill a Brother Biker!

Dark Destroyers pop up behind the other Cultist unit...

...no more Cultists.

Lots of shooting and some Battle  Brothers and Chosen are slain.

The Captain claims the objective in the back as the Dark Psychic tries to do something against those Dark Destroyers.

The Brute charges the Battle Brother squad with the Plasma Cannon.

The Psychic charges the Havoc Lord.

Cultists are about to feel the pain...

 

...and the Dark Psychic does as well.

In the end, the Havoc Lord and Brute contest one objective against the Brother Bikers.  Another objective is held by a Battle Brother squad.

The Dark Destroyers claim an objective as well as the Captain in the background.

Its great finally getting a couple games in.  Especially with some new miniatures.  Grimdark Future is a very light way of playing Warhammer 40k, minimal fuss, just miniatures and dice and fun.

I REALLY need to work on some new terrain.  These cardboard ruins need a little touch up and I just need more.  The green 4'x4' board has worked great for me as a gaming table, but I do believe its time I spiced things up somehow.  Of course it has to be inexpensive or DIY.  I've got LOTS of cardboard and styrofoam waiting to be used and a hot glue gun ready to roll.

And waiting patiently for Warhammer 40k 8th edition.  I think I will dip my toe a bit more into the Games Workshop pool.