Chris Stevens – Page 24

Favorite Site of the Month – Nov/2010

I have a secret.

Outside of Stuffer Shack, Critical Hits might just be my favorite gaming blog. With a good group of writers, ranging from industry professionals to gaming enthusiasts, there is always a nice mix of articles to read.

To be fair, I have only been reading online for about a year, but I continue to find myself gravitating back toward Critical Hits – they just always seem to have the articles that interest me, or that I find useful in helping me get more out of the game (here’s my favorite).

Critical Hits just had their five-year birthday. You can read up on it here, where you’ll find info on what they’ve accomplished (including two Ennie nominations), some cools stats, and where they’re headed.

Critical Hits, Stuffer Shack’s site of the month for November 2010.

Rule #23: Zombies Don’t Like Propane. A Zombie Cataclysm Review

About a month ago I got a request to do a review for a new game, Zombie Cataclysm. I thought, “Sweet! Someone values my opinion, finally!” Then I thought, “Oh crap, what if I don’t like it? Can I do a negative review?” Then I said, “Sweet! Someone values my opinion, finally!” In the end, I just said to myself that I didn’t know the owners of this game, I don’t owe them anything, and that I could do this. Now, I don’t know the “correct” way to do a game review (or if there is correct way), so I’m just going to tell you:

My initial thoughts.
What the game offers.
How the game played.
My final thoughts.
Would I play it again?

So let’s get started…

This game is about killing zombies. No, this game is about YOU killing zombies. What would you do if your neighbors began turning into flesh eating walking dead? Well, now you get to find out.

By Lance Meyer and Joe Bozlinski
Paperback, 76 pages
Color Photographs
PDF $15, Paperback + PDF Bundle $23
No ISBN

MY INITIAL THOUGHTS

I’ve recently gotten into a lot of zombie movies, and I’ve actually wanted to try out a game of some zombie killing. So when I got the request I was immediately stoked. Then I was sent the PDF and was immediately disappointed. No art. It’s all photographs. It looks like the writer got a few gaming buddies together, gave some of them weapons, and others some zombie make-up, and then started taking pictures. Where’s my art, damn it?

The game was written and printed in Word, double-column, Times New Roman, left-aligned, on plain white paper. Aside from the various photographs, there’s no other graphics. The pages look like they were written and printed right off a home printer. If there is ever to be a second printing, I’d like to see the text justified, and each page to have some background graphic, like a little bit of blood (or something) – plain white paper just does not look professional.

Once you start reading, you quickly see that the writer is speaking directly to you. Most role-playing games read like a professional manual; this reads as if the writer is sitting right next to you, telling you about the game and its rules. At first, I was a little put off by this, but my opinion eventually changed, and I’ll explain why later.

You’ll immediately realize that this is a game written by a gamer, and published on a budget. Because of that, I felt that my play-testing of the game was going to be a bust. To be honest, I was not looking forward to it.

My initial thoughts: Disappointed.

WHAT THE GAME OFFERS

I’ve said it already, and I’ll say it again. Zombie Cataclysm is about YOU killing zombies. Or, it’s about you getting your brains eaten. Whichever.

I was happy to see that they have their own reason for the cataclysm, and even material for a long-term campaign. The book goes into detail about things your characters should be doing, and gives some options for survival.

Something that I found useful were the various encounter tables. For instance, the player characters are going to need supplies. They are going to need to raid some stores. There are easy-to-use (seemingly realistic) tables for determining how much a particular store has already been raided. So, nobody knows if a raiding run will be successful. Nice. There are also tables for hazards and roadblocks, random zombies roaming around – that kind of thing. It’s great because in most games, when the GM sets up an encounter, you usually expect to get through the “level appropriate” encounter with a “somewhat loss of resources.” Not necessarily so here. Letting the dice dictate the encounter really adds tension and drama. Again, nice.

When making your character, you’re expected to play yourself. Basically, when putting yourself down on paper, you’re given a lot of leeway when plugging in the numbers. The game has ways of determining your stat and skill ratings, but it all boils down to how you view yourself. If you think you’re smart enough to have an 18 Intelligence, based on the guidelines in the book, put it on your sheet. And no, the GM does not police your character.

Lots and lots of weapons. Hey, when you’re fighting zombies, you need to know how much damage a tire iron does.

Lots and lots of skills. Way too many skills. I don’t think in my zombie games, anyone is ever going to need to know how well they sing, or how skilled they are at crafting jewelry, or how proficient they are in 60 other skills.

The character sheet is not so much a character sheet as it is a giant list of skills. A designated place for weapons and gear would have been nice (and professional).

The game mechanic is so very “rules lite.” When reading the rules of the game, I was again disappointed. But, I have to remember that I’m definitely a “rules medium” kind of gamer, and this was nowhere near that. Actually, I’d have to call it “rules very lite.” For success-based skills, you roll a d20 and try to get under your skill rating. For difficult tasks, your skill rating is cut in half, and then cut in half again, etc. Opposed skills (like melee combat skills) are just the opposite – roll a d20 and add your skill rating – high roll wins.

HOW THE GAME PLAYED

So, we sit down at the table and the players start making their characters (themselves). I had already printed out the sheets, and highlighted about 12 skills on each sheet. We didn’t have all night to make characters, and I thought these 12 skills were the most relevant to the game.

After reading the book, I felt the game was designed to move quickly. Action and zombie-eating combats seemed to be a torrid gorefest of in-your-face violence. So, that’s how character creation went. I did not want to spend an hour letting everyone figure out if they had a 10 in Strength, or an 11. So, as we sped through character creation, I was actually pleased at how everyone at the table really got into statting themselves out. Does Colin really have an 18 Intelligence? Well, he is pretty smart, and according to the book, he does. Does Stacey really have a 16 Strength? Well, he is the strongest in our group, and according the book, he does. To be honest, I almost cared that some stats may have been… exaggerated. To be even more honest, I actually liked that they were. Character creation was just a fun 15 minutes for us, and I think it set the tone for the game.

Most of us in the group have children. So, right off the bat, I had to write them out of the game. They were all either on vacation somewhere or at a friend’s house (children really have no place in a zombie game).

I was a little peeved at the very start of the game due to Colin not paying attention…

I started the game by saying that everyone had just sat down to play Deathwatch (but that I couldn’t make it). I mentioned a loud noise, like a low-flying jetliner, and then later there was an odd snowfall, which they could see was actually some kind of ash. So, Colin is actually standing at his front door looking out and I’m thinking, “Dude, are you gonna play, or what? This is my first time running for this group and you’re not even interested.” No, he was actually in-character, “looking” at the ash outside, pseudo-larping his role in my game.

Nice.

And that’s how the night went. Immediately, people were bringing (physically bringing) baseball bats and flashlights to the table, they were closing blinds, talking about an access way into the attic, saying what parts of the house to avoid for fear of zombies seeing movement, and so on. I just about flipped over when Melissa brought the whole damn set of kitchen knives to the table. And, it was pure gold when people started discussing what they knew, or thought they knew about zombies (you know, Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, etc.). Of course, Stacey brought his big truck to gaming that night, so traversing over the hills was no problem (I did make sure to sideswipe his shiny new truck, though). On a side note, having a bunch of matchbox cars and trucks to put on your battle map is just cool, especially when some of them are flipped on their side.

I don’t know if it was the genre, or the fact that everyone was playing themselves, but the night just flowed. I kept the pace fast and furious, which brought everyone that much further into the game. In the end, lots of zombies were killed, three players had been bitten by zombies, and the players aren’t sure if any of those three are going to end up zombiefied. We’ll have to see next time…

I had a probelm with one part of the game, and that was movement. For a game that involves a lot of deadly combat with zombies, I think movement should be pretty clear, and not abstract, especially when it is very easy to get killed.

So, I made a quick and very effective house-rule. Cut your Speed rating in half, and that’s how many inches you can move in one action. It worked very well on the battle map, and no one ever had any problems.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

At the end of the night, I thanked everyone for playing. I reminded them that we played this game so that I could do a review, and I wanted some honest opinions.

Everyone agreed that this game was not professionally done, but that it was done well enough. With the exception of our one house-rule, we didn’t have any problems with the very rules-lite mechanics. I actually found that the rules-lite mechanics made it very easy to hand out bonuses and penalties on the spot. “You made your First Aid check? Cool, now he gets a… +2 bonus to stave off the zombie disease.” It was actually kind of refreshing.

None of us thought we could play it as a weekly campaign. We did, however, feel that we could play it as a filler game once every month or two, when we couldn’t play our regular game. We felt it was perfect for some good old-fashioned zombie kick-assery.

So, I flat-out asked them, “Really, on a scale of 1-10, how much fun did you have?” Immediately, everyone said they were at either a 9 or a 10 on the fun scale. They said this was a very fun night, and would definitely play it again. That made me happy, because that is exactly how I felt. I was really glad that the first time I ran a game for this group – it ended up being a win.

To be fair, I think you have to approach this kind of game a certain way. It needs to be fast, dangerous, and hilarious. The fact that you get to play yourself just adds to the mix. Sure, if you die, there are rules for making a normal character, but a lot of the fun is trying to stay alive simply because you have a lot more invested in your character (after all, he’s you).

Something else that grew on me. Earlier I said that the book is written as if the writer is talking directly to you. I also said that there was no art; just photos. Hell, I was actually concerned when I saw revolvers and bolt action rifles pressed up against the foreheads of some of these zombies.

But in the end, it all put me in the mood to play this slightly goofy game about killing zombies. Zombie Cataclysm isn’t trying to be the next Dungeons & Dragons; it’s trying to be exactly what it is: a game about killing freaking zombies. Sometimes I’m in the mood for watching a B-movie horror flick – and sometimes I’m in the mood for killing me some zombies. I think the tone of the book is just right for getting you into the game – and the charm just grows on you.

The price for the PDF alone is $15. I’m not really a PDF kind of guy, so for me, that’s a little on the steep side. I think $9.95 is more reasonable. If you have a few extra bucks and only want the PDF, then go ahead and get it here as an instant download.

However, for $23 you get both the paperback book and the PDF. That, to me, is a great deal. I would have bought that bundle, had I not gotten the PDF for free. Now, after having played the game, I would recommend the bundle. You can get the bundle at their homepage.

SO, WOULD I PLAY THE GAME AGAIN?

Hell yes. Except that next time I want to kill me some zombies! This is simply a great game to pull out for some good old-fashioned fun.

Oh, and the quote of the night was from Kayla, the seven year old who was watching us play. John left an empty propane tank in the garage, and took the full propane tank as fuel they might need. Kayla asks, “What, do zombies not like propane?”

No Kayla, no they don’t. Rule # 23: Zombies don’t like propane.

3D Battlemap Video Tutorial: The Warehouse Loft

Please enjoy this video tutorial. It’s my first, as well as a recreation of my first 3D Battlemap. The original was used in a 4E D&D game as a warehouse/living space for a dwarf merchant. The PCs had to meet with the merchant on the loft when the place was stormed. The players loved the encounter, and I’ll never forget it.

ITEMS USED:

This 3D Battlemap uses the wood floor from the Dragonshire Expansion Set 1, though this is completely optional.

Black (or white) Foam board
Tacky Glue
Box Cutter (Knife)
Ruler
Printer and Paper
Dragonshire Building Expansion Set 1 ($2.99, optional)

The Cleric Goes Demon!

Wouldn’t it be cool to have your funniest gaming story told as a web comic?

The Cleric Goes Demon!

There are plenty of webcomics out there, but few display YOUR story. Actually, I only know of one, and that’s XP – the Webcomic you share with Kyle Ferrin. All you have to do is go to his site, leave a comment, and if he can envision it into a three-panel strip, you’ll have your own comic! Who wouldn’t want that? Plus, its free. I’ll be thinking up some of my own post-haste.

The Cleric Goes Demon was submitted to XP by Dixon Trimline. To read the full story behind it, go here.

DunDraCon 35 – How to Enjoy My First Convention?

Let me tell you about my first convention: I was in middle school at the time, and I walked through some sci-fi thingy where they had a bunch of stuff that I can’t remember. Cool, huh?

I remember not really being all that impressed. Actually, I was downright disappointed. You see, I like comics, and had a good collection of X-men stuff, Spiderman stuff, Conan stuff, and my favorite – Groo. So for me to be at a comic book convention was pretty cool.

Unfortunately, as soon as I walked in, I saw comics that were selling for $10, $20, and $30+ bucks, and I said, “what the freak?! Who would pay that for a comic?” Mind you, I was used to walking into the 7-11 and picking up my Groo for a buck or two. When I saw that comics actually had covers with cardboard backing – all for the book’s protection, I wrote off comics right there. Ergo and ipso facto, I wrote off all conventions by association. Not once since then have I wanted to go to any convention. I was burned.

So, for the past two years I’ve been gaming off and on with John Lewis and Colin Dowling, and they’ve been telling me all these cool stories about their past gaming conventions. The getaways, the games, the gaming stuff, the fun gamers, the hot larpers… uh, and so on. They say it’s just a great atmosphere. So, my interest has been growing…

DunDraCon is coming up in a few months (four?), and I’ve decided to attend. Of course, this assumes that the jail can do without me – we’ll see, but that’s the plan, anyway. Aside from what I’ve been told, I really still have no idea what to expect. After hearing all these stories, I feel that I may be setting myself up for disappointment. So, I’m asking for a little help…

Assuming that I go to DunDraCon, how can I make it a great experience? I’m looking for any and all tips and advice that will help me enjoy the event, and make me look forward to future gaming conventions. Best comment with advice wins a free set of Mini Counters! – Cause that’s how I role.

Oh, you’ll also win if you send me the very first issue of Groo, in great condition, sealed in a hardcover, bullet-proof case, signed by the warrior himself.

[Random thought that has nothing to do with this article: I just had a birthday two days ago. I don’t know if it’s good or bad that just before my birthday I realized I was one year younger than I thought I was. I was sitting there arguing with my wife over it, culminating with me counting years on my fingers. So, one year younger – I don’t know if that’s a win or a loss.]

Reflavoring the Races for Classic Fantasy – Elves

When dealing with races in the Classic Fantasy setting, we look at taking certain D&D 4e races and reflavoring them into elves. After this, we’ll be converting dwarves, and then halflings. When that part of the series is finished, we’ll look into making certain monsters more monstrous, and then give some ideas on the setting itself.

For each of the following racial or subracial choices, all of the actual mechanical stats, powers, and traits are unchanged. It’s the flavor and descriptions that have been altered to describe an elf. Some of the traits or powers might need to be interpreted… creatively, but for the most part, mechanics are not affected. Again, take any of the following descriptions as a subrace, or rewrite one of your own design.

ELF

COMMON ELF (Elf) – The common elf uses the entry for Elf. He or she can be found in any elven settlement or region, living among any of the elven sub-races.
GREY ELF (Deva) – Grey elves are extremely long-lived. Most other elves regularly reach ages over 200 years, but grey elves are so long-lived they refer to their ages in decades. So, a grey elf who looks to be about thirty years old will say that he is thirty, but in reality he is really thirty decades old. Most elves can tell when they are speaking with a grey elf, non-elves cannot. It is rare for grey elves to venture away from their homeland, usually only doing so if they are greatly motivated.
DARK ELF (Drow) – As a whole, dark elves are shunned by the rest of elven society, purportedly because the dark elves have turned their backs on their brethren, seeking to become a wholly new race. According to the dark elves, evil gods and practicing the dark arts are entirely acceptable.
WARRIORS OF EVANTRELL (Gnoll) – After the beasts of the Darkwood attacked the South Corridor of the Great Elven Range, a contingent of warriors was formed to combat future attacks of those beasts. As these elven warriors continued to train, they eventually gained enough confidence to seek out the beasts and eradicate them first. Today, the pack of warriors continues to exist by way of tradition as opposed to need. Other elven communities don’t often talk about these embarrassing warriors (they’re aggressive to a fault), but don’t dismiss them because they know of their usefulness. According to most elves, these warriors are rude, crude, and rash, though to most humans they appear more tolerable than most elves. Swap out the languages to Elven and Common.
HUMAN-RAISED OR HALF-ELF (Half-Elf) – Play either a half-elf that somehow had differing parents, or an elf that was raised in a human community.
HIGH ELF (Eladrin) – High elves see themselves as being the most “good” of all the elves, and tend to live in stone cities carved out of mountains (not in the mountains). They prefer the more arcane and scholarly pursuits over the physical and artistic, though they see the importance in all schools. High elves tend to shun contact with human settlements, since humans have so much growing to do.
ELVES OF SET (Shadar-kai) – Not being content with the progress that the dark elves have made, these fanatics have branched away from their dark elf brothers, seeking to destroy elven society at its source (the high elves). elves of Set seek to undermine high elves at every opportunity.
ASHEN ELF (Tiefling) – A select few elves from various walks of life are endowed with the ashen mark – a symbol denoting their connection to fire. This is a relatively new occurrence in elven society, so no one really knows what it means. As such, ashen elves are (many times) feared by others, or at least viewed with suspicion.

Favorite Site of the Month – Oct/2010

When it comes to the online gaming ‘verse, I’m practically a baby. It seems like everyday I find a new gamer blog that peaks my interest. Even if some of these blogs have been around for years, and have tons of readers, they’re still new to me. Grognardia is one of these blogs. I came across it a few months ago, immediately fell in love with its rich content, and then lost it in a sea of gamer blogs. I recently found it again and couldn’t be happier. Chances are that you already know all about it, but if not, you should start reading. James writes well, and keeps you engaged and looking for more. There’s not a lot of bells and whistles – just a good, clean layout with tons of easy-to-read, useful gaming articles.

Grognardia, Stuffer Shack’s site of the month for October 2010.

Reflavoring the Races for Classic Fantasy: Humans

In many fantasy games (especially D&D 4e), the setting includes a wide array of races for players to choose from. By limiting the race selection to only a few base races (human, elf, dwarf, and halfling), you can bring back a more traditional and realistic feeling to the setting. Now, understanding that variety is the spice of life, we don’t want to limit the racial bonuses and special abilities from any of the races normally allowed. Therefore, all of the 4E race selections are still available to players, though with a twist.

There are a lot of races in 4e that offer really cool racial traits, like the Shifter, Deva, and Half-orc. Classic Fantasy does not restrict these traits, only the races that they belong to. Instead, each of these off-beat races has been reflavored into either a human, elf, dwarf, or halfling. This makes for several different types of the same race, which can be accounted for because of geographical locations, environmental conditions, and cultural differences. Think of humans on Earth, and how different and varied we are. The same is true of races in Classic Fantasy.

Humans are the most abundant race in the game, so they have the most variations. Even though the online Character Builder might print on your character sheet “Goliath,” you know that you’re actually just a tough, athletic human from the Northern Wood. If none of the choices appeal to you, by all means make up your own.

For each of the following racial or subracial choices, all of the actual mechanical stats, powers, and traits are unchanged. It’s the flavor and descriptions that have been altered to describe a human. Some of the traits or powers might need to be interpreted… creatively, but for the most part, mechanics are not affected. Again, take any of the following descriptions as a subrace, or rewrite one of your own design.

HUMANS

COMMON HUMAN (Human) – The common human uses the entry for Humans. He or she can be found in any human settlement or region, living among any of the human sub-races.
SHANJO WARRIORS (Bladeling) – Far to the East live the Shanjo people. In this region, volcanic activity continues to release toxins into the air, creating many acid rainstorms. However, over time, the Shanjo people, vegetation, and wildlife have grown accustomed to the cursed rains (developing a resistance to acid). The Shanjo Warriors have also developed a technique for picking up and throwing small objects (such as small pebbles, rocks, darts, daggers, etc.), also known as Razor Storm.
FILTH-MONGER (Bullywug) – You’re a disgusting, diseased degenerate. No, you don’t speak Primordial. Change the language to something else.
IMPERSONATOR (Changeling) – The impersonator is a master of disguise, pure and simple. For this character, the player must agree to call his shape changing ability “disguise,” realistically limiting it to appearances that he has set up ahead of time.
NORTHERN WOODSMEN (Goliath) – The Northern Wood is a lightly forested range of vast proportions. Most of the area is populated by nomadic tribes, forced to relocate frequently due to weather and range animals. All this moving and hunting has developed these humans into strong, athletic hunters. Most of the tribes are seen as barbaric, and indeed many of them are. They normally hold no allegiance to any kingdom, empire, or nation, and may war frequently amongst themselves.
TELEKKINETIC (Githyanki) – Swap out Deep Speech for a different, more appropriate language. You’re then left with a telekinetic psion.
DISCIPLES OF ASTEN (Githzerai) – Deep in the mountains of Asten live a people dedicated to defending against the Underdark. Asten was a man long dead, but forever remembered as a great hero, one who led several victories against the Drow (even the mountain range has been named after him). The majority of the humans living here are referred to as “Children of Asten,” while the warriors are called “Disciples of Asten.” All children are taught of the threat that the Underdark poses, the histories of war with those from the Underdark, how to speak Deep Speech (the language of the enemy), and how to stay focused on the task at hand. This is all in preparation for the next war with those from the Underdark, as untold millions of under-dwellers are still living under the Asten Mountains, waiting…
GIFTED (Kalashtar) – Some call you gifted, others call you cursed. You’re simply a rare and unusual human. It’s up to you to decide how (growing up) your family and community viewed your telepathic ability. Did they see it as a gift from the gods, or a curse from the devil? Even more importantly, how do you see yourself?
BANDIT BRUTE (Minotaur) – The Bandit Brute is, well, a brute. He charges head-strong into fights and generally loves the thrill of combat. Since a lot of his escapades take him into the wilderness, he’s picked up the Nature skill.
NIGHTFALL BEASTMEN (Orc) – Far to the North, deep in mountainous caves live several warring tribes. Food and wood is scarce, leading to fierce battles over territories. Also, the general area is mostly cut off from the more southern regions, making trade difficult at best, and deadly otherwise. Largely being cut off from the rest of society, the people of the North are less advanced in science and the arcane arts. Most warriors follow martial, primal, or shamanic pursuits. These people (as a whole) are referred to as Nightfall Beastmen because (1) much of the territory is under darkness for half of the year (giving them low-light vision), and (2) they are regarded as beasts by much of the rest of the southerly societies.
NIGHTRAIDER (Razorclaw Shifter) – The Nightraiders are a nomad pack of people who roam the western territories, performing night raids on villages and other communities almost nonstop. They stay on the move constantly, avoiding detection and eradication. Why has your character left the nomad pack?
REVENANT (Revenant) – You are a human revenant.
WHITE ROSE MONK (Shardmind) – High in the hills of the Seledian Range sits a rather large monastery of a very secretive and fiercely protective group of monks. It is rumored that these monks attempt to master their bodies and minds, with the sole purpose of extending life. What tricks and black magic they practice is unknown by others, but still of suspect. Why have you gone against the wishes of your leaders and left the monastery, before your training is complete?
WHITE ROSE WARRIORS (Warforged) – Having mastered the ways of the White Rose Monks, you’ve been pushed toward the more physical aspects of your training. Certain that your intended role in the temple is more than what you’ve been told (more than merely a monastic defender), you’ve left the temple in search of a life that includes less deception. You are your own master.
ELVEN ADOPTED (Wilden) – For whatever reason (decided by you), you lived with elves for at least twenty years, possibly from birth. Has your communal family largely rejected you, only hoping for you to move on, or have they adopted you with open arms? Are they wary of your desire to leave their lands, taking with you whatever elven secrets you have gleamed, or are they helpful and hopeful you will find your way?

Review: Check Out These Cool Dice from Q-Workshop!

For the longest time, I’ve meant to get some dice from Q-Workshop, but I kept putting it off. Then I read a great review by Bartoneus about them and I was sold. So, I made my order, got my dice, and couldn’t be happier.

Then, I was talking to my buddy Mateusz over there in Poland (all of us internet dudes are buddies, right?) and I mentioned that I was going to have a contest soon, and would be giving away some of his dice. So, he sent me some extras! Let me tell you about what came in the mail…

I open up the box and the first thing I see are the packages for their regular dice. I know what you’re thinking, “Who cares about the dice package?” Well, I do – It makes for a good first impression. Their newer Classic dice don’t get the same special treatment, but I can live with that.

First up, we have Q-Workshop’s Classic dice. I got two different sets: the Black and White Classic dice, and the Blue and Red Translucent dice (both retail for $4.95).

I have to say that at first I was disappointed by the Translucent Blue and Red dice. Not only do they not look like the picture from Q-Workshop’s website, but they were hard for me to read as well. I showed them to my wife and she said that they were simply beautiful. Then she went on to remind me that I’m partially color-blind, and have trouble seeing red. Damn you evil eyes! She said that she hoped no one picked these for the upcoming contest because she’d like them for herself. I said, “Yeah, good luck with that.”

Next up are the Black and White Classic dice. I gravitated towards these immediately, as they are more my style. They have the same design as the Translucent dice, but are solid black with white numbers. I can tell you that, regardless of the race/class of character that I might be playing, if he were a bit sinister-like, these would be the dice for him. I just think these dice would eat up any character that was associated with the words: honor, principled, or good. Hey, the dice want what the dice want. It’s best not to fight them on this.

Now for the Forest dice and the Celtic dice. I have to say, I love these, especially the Celtic 3D. These are the type of dice that I would use for a great character, one that I was proud of making and looked forward to playing. Both retail for $16.00.

The Forest dice have a very nice design, but they’re a little hard to read at first. However, after just a short while, I got used to it – that’s when I really started to appreciate them. These are perfect for Druids, Rangers, Seekers, Wilden, Wood Elves, etc. Obviously, they’re good for any nature-loving characters out there. I would use these over my favorite set of dice for any of those types of characters – it just adds a little something to the game, and helps reinforce a character’s character.

The Celtic 3D dice instantly found a place in my heart, and have moved into the top spot as my favorite set of dice. They have a nice design and a more solid contrast. They’re just cool. I’m pretty much going to use these for most of my player characters, and all of my NPCs when I run games. I just think that they’re that damn good. While the Classic dice are very easy on the pocketbook, the Forrest and Celtic dice come in at a heftier price tag (but not too hefty). I think they’re priced just right.

For the longest time, my group has had a ritual at the start of the gaming session: We take our huge bags of dice, dump them in front of us, and then handpick the dice that we’d be using for that night. We do this every time. Well, I can tell you that from now on I will be breaking that ritual, and pulling out my “Danger Dragon Dice Bag.”

So, to all of my old dice that have been residing in my velvety purple Crown Royal bag all these years – I’m sorry, but you just can’t share a bag with the new dice. Actually, we might even have to go our separate ways.

Q-Workshop, check them out.

Choose your own Horse Miniatures…

When I buy the horses for the Horse Mini sets and Adventurer’s Bundles, they come in assorted packs (I can’t buy several of the same horse; I have to buy the whole set). Because of this, I have to sell them in assorted sets – otherwise I would end up with a shortage of certain horses and a surplus of others. Several customers have asked for certain horses in their sets and offered to pay extra, so I finally decided to make it happen in one step.

Perhaps you have an adventure planned in which a carriage will be drawn by four white horses, or you need black horses for the bad guys, or perhaps your players want to choose specific horses for their characters before you buy them – you can now do that easily. This is an option that adds $4.99 to your bill, which in turn lets you choose any five horses, even the same horse multiple times. If you happen to select a bunch of horses that I have a large surplus of, I’ll refund your $4.99 (cause that’s how I role).

On the Horse Minis page (in the Store), there is an extra “Add to Cart” button.

~~Buy a set of Horse Minis (5) like normal~~
~~Click the optional “Add to Cart” button~~
~~In Paypal’s “Special Instructions” box, type in the names of the five horses that you want (or just email me)~~

~~That’s it, you’re done. You could also use the optional button when buying the Adventurer’s Bundle, if you wanted.~~

Hmmm, I think that’s it. If you have any questions, throw out a comment!