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Thursday, May 27, 2021

#Reaper Sligg 2

 I previously painted up the Sligg Soldier from Bones 4, and this month got around to painting his companion the Sligg herder. 

Starting off with the usual soapy warm water scrub, I painted him with a roughtly 2:1 mix of Green Liner and clear coat. I find that the green liner doesn't work as well as the brown for adherence, and mixing in the clear coat seems to help.

I used a mix of Jungle Moss and Viper Green for the skin, Asmodeus Red for the back spikes, tipped with a sample orange-yellow paint. 

On the chest, I used the same sample color mixed with linen white. The yellow of the gloves is Callistra Yellow, and the metallic zapper is Retro Red Steel.

The cable is a blend of Armor and Hot Blue. The belt was painted with Earth Brown, and the eyes with Pure Black.  

I still hate the flat integrated base. I wish they'd have put some texture on it, or not attached it to a base.

 

 

Until I figure out what I'm doing with the base, I'm calling it done!

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

The Author is Dead (to me)

I have a number of book that I like on my shelves, both physical and digital, from authors who it turns out hold abhorrent beliefs or are just scumbags in real life. I hate that. Books that I enjoy reading, game books I liked using...

While it's pretty true, maybe universally true that everything you like is problematic to one extent or another, I want to spend my limited time enjoying things that are less problematic. I want to be able to recommend things that won't support people who's views I not only don't support, but actively oppose. 

Obviously that's easy when I know, but sometimes I don't, not until later.

And so, having supported someone that I won't going forward, I still have these books. 

I don't want to just trash them. I have a visceral revulsion to throwing away books. 

I could sell them, at least the physical ones. I could make a bit of cash for them, but I don't know that it's worth the effort. 

I can just continue to enjoy and use them, while making sure to note that the authors are crap if I have to reference them. 

I'm not sure what the answer is, or even if there is any particular answer that is right.

Monday, May 24, 2021

#Reaper Armored Vampires

 For whatever reason, April's theme was vampires for the Reaper Challenge League. I've already painted up most of my vampire minis, but digging through my collection I came upon these two fine bloodthirsty fellows. One is a warlord figure, the other was a ReaperCon mini for one of the factions a couple years back.

 

I knew I wanted to paint them in red armor, but getting the right shade was a challenge.

 

 Reds are really difficult to get right. If you aren't careful, you end up with pink, or orange, or even purple.  Looking rather flat here... I don't have a good description of what I did, since I was trying a whole bunch of things trying to get the look I wanted.

 
 
 
 
 
 
I think I came close to what I was going for. Good enough anyway. 
 

I didn't get the face quite as condescending as I was trying for, but I'm moderately pleased with them anyway.

Saturday, May 22, 2021

Stonehell: Kentucky Fried Cockatrice

 Session 168 was played on 9/17


Boris, Cleric 9 (Jeff)
Morgana, Mage 7 (Reggie)
Kili, Dwarf Cleric (Matt)

The spell slingers pack up and head to Rocky, looking for answers.

Q1. Where on the 5th level is Song’s lair?
A1. In the Space Out Of Time

Q2. Where is the area on the 5th level where people go in and don’t come out?
A2. Though the 5th level is full of dangers and death, the prison of K’Tulut is inescapable.

Q3. Who is K’Taulut?
A3. In the Before Time, K’Taulut was a power, a spirit, a god.

With these answers, and a promise to visit again soon, they head down to level 5 via the shaft from level 3, encounter a random jelly, and begin exploring the rooms and halls around the stairs. After the jelly, they find and kill a giant lizard, and collect the small stash of treasure. Then they come upon an ornate cobra throne. Not finding any traps, Morgana sits in it, and feels tingly. She jumps off, but seems okay otherwise.

In a large pillared hall, they’re attacked by a large snake that wraps Kili up and bites him. He’s squeezed tight, crunching his armor into his flesh before Morgana and Boris kill the snake and release him.  Passing through some broken doors they see some kobold writing, and ignore it. Deeper in they spy some chicken-like creatures in the darkness ahead. Pausing to decide what to do, Morgana casts lightning down the hall, frying the lizard-birds. Another pops it’s heads out angrily from a side passage, and Morgana casts “sleep” on it, which fails, and they kill it the old fashioned way. Checking around the dead and fried bodies, they find a nest with 7 eggs and some treasure. Collecting the bodies, eggs, and treasure, they head out.

Back in town, they deliver the bodies, and most of the eggs to the alchemist in return for some potions of stone to flesh. Morgana keeps one egg to try to raise it to be his familiar.

Gains: coins, gems, cockatrice eggs
Kills: Ochre Jelly, Cockatrices, Python, Tautara Lizard
Losses:

Sunday, May 9, 2021

April in Review

The Pandemic continues… But I’ve now received both of my Moderna shots!It isn’t a guarantee, but it’s as close as I’m gonna get.

In addition to that, we found a new apartment and moved already, which is part of the reason this month in review is so late, and why nothings been posted on the blog in a couple of weeks now. We’re still settling in, and figuring out how to best utilize the space, but it’s so nice to have extra rooms, and 2 balconies! A real embarrassment of riches there… So far the weather hasn’t been super conducive to using it, but I’m doing my best there.

Gaming
Nick the Pike continues his explorations of Rappan Athuk, though it’s been a couple of weeks since I last played.

I also just received my Stargrave Nickstarter. I haven’t downloaded the solo campaign but I will, and I’m going to get some games in!!

Miniatures
I managed to get a few things painted before packing everything up, but haven’t touched a brush since moving. Of everything I painted, I’m most proud of the crab, and entirely because of the can of Old Bay.


I’m planning on building some Stargrave minis on Monday after work, plus I need to paint up a few things for the Reaper Challenge League.


Media
Star Trek DS9 finished season 3, almost done with 4.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier


Goals - keeping it simple this month.
Play at least 1 game of Stargrave
Paint some minis
Play some D&D