#RPGaDay2015 Part 3

Bonus questions from Zak.

1. Worst game you ever played

L5R. I don't know if it was just the DM, or if it was a bad system, or if it just wasn't the system for me, but I really just did not enjoy it.

2. Interesting rule embedded within otherwise baleful game

It's been a while, but Alternity had some interesting ideas that just ended up being too clunky together.

3. Game you never played but you knew it sucked just looking at it

FATAL? That's probably cheating. I could never get past the cover for Exalted.

4. Game you most wish didn't suck

Alternity. It was interesting and different, and the Star Drive setting was cool, and I wish they had done more with it.

5. Game about which you have the most mixed feelings

Just about any of the Star Trek games.

6. Old game most in need of an upgrade

Tales from the Floating Vagabond

7. Game you can run with the least prep

Basic D&D

8. Game with awful art (and who you wish you could hire to fix that)

I'm really tired of the Wade Reynolds style art. I'd like to see it replaced with something less overworked. I'm not sure who I'd pick to replace him.

9. Best houserule you've seen in action and now use in your own games.

In my 5e games, I allow inspiration to be used after the initial roll.

10. Game you've most changed your thoughts/feelings about

Monopoly. I loved it as a kid, and now... I just think it isn't a very good game.

11. Game you'd use to run just about any setting if you had to

D6 system.

12. Game that haunts you and you're not sure why

I know why I'm haunted by various games! There isn't one that niggles at the back of my skull.

13. Game that would probably be most fun to play a bee in

Nobilis, or a superhero game probably.

14. Best Star Wars game?

D6, though I have enjoyed the current version the times I've gotten to play it.

15. Game that's good in theory but you're kind of on the fence about it to be honest

40K RPG. It's such a great setting, but...

Sunday Inspirational Image: Creepy Bottles

What's in that creepy bottle?

1. Angel tears
2. Ectoplasm
3. Dirt from the grave of a murderer
4. Wisdom teeth from actual wise men (2d6 total)
5. Distilled nightmares
6. Wedding night virgin's blood
7. Demon spit
8. Witch's scabs, warts, and fingernail clippings
9. The last breath of a paladin
10. Left eyeballs of little boys (2d4)
11. Powdered Minotaur horn
12. The queen's favorite perfume

by andrea falaschi

Toothless Rat Taphouse

To enter this fine establishment you must turn off the main street into an unpleasant ally and almost immediately descend 5 stone steps to a nondescript wooden door. Hanging above the doorway is a small wooden placard with a stylized rat burned onto it. When you open the door to the taphouse the first thing you'll notice is the smell of pipeweed. Next you'll see the stuffed rodent of unusual size (R.O.U.S.) that sits in the corner by the door. It's clearly very old, missing some fur, and of course it's teeth. When you look around to the taproom proper, you'll see an assortment of round wooden tables, support posts rising from floor to ceiling, and a wide variety of stools and chairs. Along the back wall three large casks rest behind the unadorned bar. Two small dirty windows look out onto the street, between them is a dartboard, and a fireplace is centered on the far wall. The rooms illumination is provided by several oil lamps, the fireplace, and whatever dingy light manages to shine through the windows. The patrons of the Rat are mostly neighborhood workers who come by at lunch and in the evening for a pint and a game of knuckle bones or darts. It's a fairly quiet bar, rarely visited by those from outside the neighborhood.

The barkeep is a bald human with dark skin named Red. He usually wears a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, dark pants and leather suspenders. His left forearm is notably scarred, and Red will gladly launch into a telling of his battle with a pack of giant rats who had crawled up through the sewers and attacked him in the back room back when the bar was called simply "Red's". With each telling the rat pack grows in size, and recently he's added a rat king to the tale! The truth is that there was but a single giant rat, but the damage their fight caused made it seem like there were many more! Red will be thrilled to have adventurers in his bar, just so long as they treat him as a fellow monster slayer, rather than just as a simple barkeep. Should he not receive the treatment he feels he deserves he will quickly become very unwelcoming.

Red serves ale of middling quality for an average price, and he keeps on hand some harder drinks for those who desire them. He also keeps a hot soup or stew pot (or two) cooking in the fireplace for those who need something filling, of not particularly flavorful. The pot's contents vary by day, but usually contain a variety of root vegetables, bones from the butcher, occasional scraps of meat, and sometimes a whole rat if Red catches one in his store room.

Daily Specials
1. Rat Kebab with turnips and onion
2. Sun dried fruits and fish
3. Mushroom "steaks"
4. Apple stuffed pork belly
5. Wild berry cobbler
6. Demon eggs and pickled greens
7. Rice gruel and a bacon friend egg
8. Sausage rolls with peppers


Originally published back on 10/16/09, but the map, rat, and chart are new.

New Monster: Herder, Spore

Rathgar shuffled carefully away from the hole as several pellets impacted the wall on either side of him, bursting open and releasing a caustic greenish cloud that swirled around him. His eyes watered, and his nose burned as he tried to hold his breath, but the sensation in his nose was too much, and he sneezed, and then began to immediately cough. His companions hesitated at the edge of the cloud, pulling their cloaks around their faces.

Gasping for breath, Rathgar continued to cough, desperately trying to clear his lungs.

"Keep moving!" Allianora yelled. "I'll heal you when you're out of the cloud!"

Rathgar just continued to cough as more pellets exploded around him. The green mist began to cover everything with a fine and sticky powder. The color offset the blood that he began to cough up onto his balled fist.

Herder, Spore
Armor Class:7
Hit Dice: 2** (M)
Move: 90' (30')
Attacks: Spore Blast
Damage: Special
No. Appearing: 1d3 (2d3)
Save As: F3
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: J, L
Intelligence: 2
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value:30

Spore herders are a specialized species of aggressive and territorial ambulatory mushrooms standing between 4' and 5' tall. The top of their vine covered central stalk is covered with multiple smaller colorful mushroom caps. While mostly unintelligent, they do an admirable job of growing and expanding their gardens of giant mushrooms. Any intruders to their gardens are slain as quickly as possible, and used as fertilizer. Cat-sized creatures and smaller are ignored. When still they are indistinguishable from the other giant mushrooms in their gardens.

In combat, spore herders blast out a concentrated ball of spores that explodes on impact, creating a 5' cloud that persists for 1d4 rounds. Anyone in or passing through the cloud must make a saving throw vs poison or suffer from uncontrollable coughing (unable to take any action plus 1d3 damage/round until a successful saving throw is made). While still in the cloud, the save is made at -2. When killed, the spore herders they release one final blast of spores, creating a 10' cloud around them.

Terrain: Caverns, Dungeons

#RPGaDay2015 Part 2

17. Favorite fantasy RPG

Dungeons and Dragons. Really, is there any other choice? Not for me...

18. Favorite SF RPG

d6 Star Wars, thought Traveller is really cool too.

19. Favorite supers RPG

Don't have one.

20. Favorite horror RPG

Again, don't have one.

21. Favorite RPG setting

My own weird new world? Birthright. The original Forgotten Realms.

22. Perfect gaming environment

My dining room!

23. Perfect game for me

5e has me very happy at the moment. I don't know that there is a perfect game though...

24. Favorite house rule

In my 5e game, I let my players use their inspiration after they've made their initial roll.

25. Favorite revolutionary game mechanic

Reaction rolls at the beginning of an encounter.

26. Favorite inspiration for your game

My players and G+. Both are a constant and imaginative bunch. 

27. Favorite idea for merging two games into one.

I've got nothing... *shrug*

28. Favorite game you no longer play

Nick Mizer's Stonehell game on G+.

29. Favorite RPG website/blog

I'm going to have to go with G+. While there are many inspirational blogs that I love, G+ brings everything together.

30. Favorite RPG playing celebrity

Vin Diesel

31. Favorite non-RPG thing to come out of RPGing

My love of history and interest in architecture. 

#6MMRPC Week 12: Kaladrax's Base

Given my limited time this week, I'm going to call my progress a win. Especially since I don't really like the base. Actually, it isn't the base that bothers me, it's the way Kaladrax stands on it. Both of the connecting points are on his left side, which means he leans to the right.

So my plan is to (eventually) build a ruined tower base for him out of Hirst Arts blocks, and have him perched on top of it. However, that isn't a part of my 3 Dragons project, so for now I'll use the base he came with.

In earlier pictures, it looked like this:

Pretty bad start.... So I took those cheap craft paints you see there, inventively named 'dark grey' and 'grey' and went to town.

I've also decided that I couldn't deal with the over-sized skulls and treasure, so they're getting covered over with foliage.

As for Kaladrax himself (not pictured), I still need to finish with the gryphonne sepia. Then I will bring up the highlights. My plan is to use Dirty Bone, Graveyard Bone, and Splintered Bone as the increasingly lighter highlights. After that... I think I'm done! Aside from being massive, he isn't a very hard dragon to paint. Just intimidating.

And since I still can't find Hyrekia (metal) or the Bones Hyrekia's arm and staff, I'm going to paint another sorceress in her place. Like the base, it's only a temporary placeholder.

Sunday Inspirational Image: Cityscape

I was originally looking for some neat futuristic NYC/Gotham pictures when I came across this.

I haven't been able to find the original artist... It seems to be hosted at a whole bunch of wallpaper sites.