Caver, Ho!

My favorite acquisition at Origins was my Caver mini from Severed Books. Because he's a real one, Justin from Severed Books brought one just for me.

Originally introduced in Caver and Cube Book 1, Cavers are a combo of familiar, fantasy mech, and mobile base of operations. They've also been features in Stone Over Sky and Darkest Rock. While all three books are compatible, Stone Over Sky is system neutral and Darkest Rock is designed for Mork Borg. Both books included at least one new Caver class. 

The minis are solid af. They are 6.25 inches tall and way about 2 pounds. They have two caps on top that can be removed to conveniently place minis (see below). I LOVE my Caver, but haven't had him painted yet. I'm not good at painting, so I will probably have a friend take a crack at it.

While I'm still working out details my next game will include a Caver. If I stick with Heroes of the Borderlands, then I'll probably go with my idea that the cultists' base is actually a caver. If I don't I was thinking it would be fun if after going to the canyon and defeating evil, the party find a random new cave. If I don't go with a Borderlands game, it's no sweat. Caver's can be dropped into any setting that includes powerful magic. The game will be a 5.5 one and I think the new Bastion rules will be perfect for customizing the interior of the Caver.

If you can't tell I'm excited. Have you ever used anything like this in your game? Would you be interested? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Frogmen and Wrasslin'

I haven’t really posted this week because I started my job Monday. I think I’m going to like it. In other awesomeness, I’ve also found a place to move into next month. That should mean regular gaming will occur. This past weekend I attended the fifth annual Loveland Frogman Festival and GCW Presents “So Alive." I had a fantastic time at both. I spent most of my Frogman time hanging out with Eric and Josh from Bloat Games. They are the best and it's always a wonderful time when I get to see them. My friend Holly of Holly Who Art was also there (and a sponsor). I also got to see my friends Creep It Real. Check out their Frogman songs.

I probably spent too much, but I snagged some cool stuff. Y'all know I love public domain supers and I finally had a chance to grab a physical copy of one. I've not done Dracula stats, but now I have too. I also grabbed another Savage Dragon issue I didn't have. While it took me a a second to understand how to read them, I also grabbed some really cool oversized cryptid d6's from P House Games.

I also picked up some cool cryptid figures from Archie McPhee. They are perfect for D&D and other tabletop games. Here they are with a few D&D minis and some Archie McPhee glowing zombies I picked up a few months ago.

After visiting Loveland (near Cincy) I headed home and then made my way to Columbus to watch a Game Changer Wrestling show. I won't go too much into it, but I will say I had an amazing time! In addition to badass wrestling there were wrestling zombies and circus clowns. Oh and an entire ballroom full of people singing Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus.

So yeah, I had an awesome weekend. It was a great way to end my birthday week.

Never Dawn

CMON has released a Zombicide: White Death tie-in comic featuring Lacuna Coil. You can download it for free here.

Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game

I do not need another Zombicide game. I have three now that just sit on my shelf. They are great games and gorgeous, just haven’t really played them much.

I also think the Marvels Zombies thing has been done to death. It’s a cool idea for sure, but it’s just been used over and over.

Both those thoughts aside, I NEED THIS! I know it’s going to be expensive, but if I can swing the core game, X-Men expansion, and Galactus, I will get them. I love the idea that you can play heroic mode or zombie mode. 

Expect me to talk about this one more when the Kickstarter launches.

Zombicide: Undead or Alive

I love the Zombicide games and CMON make great miniatures. Combine that with my love of the weird west and you know Zombicide: Undead or Alive Kickstarter has my interest. I can't guarantee I'll back it, but I probably will (especially since I could really use some weird west minis).

Gelatinous Cube D6

 Recently my gelatinous cube d6 from Severed Books arrived. It is awesome. Check it out.

You can pre-order your own here.

Night of the Living Dead and the Public Domain

I know because of an error that the film Night of the Living Dead is in the public domain. However, does that mean the IP can be used to create other media? One of the reasons this came to mind is that I was reminded that CMON is doing a licensed Zombicide Night of the Living Dead

CMON just finished their extremely successful Kickstarter for Zombicide 2nd Edition (which I backed). This one will launch soon and wasn't a part of the of the just completed one because of licensing things.

Did CMON need the licence to make this or did they talk to the estates and film makers to make this look more official? I'm not a copyright law expert (or even novice) so I really don't know. The reason I'm asking is that I think it would be great for someone like Bloat Games to release a supplement purely based on the movie. I also thought about doing a standalone game in zine format based on it. I'm just not sure of the legality.

Looking on DriveThruRPG I see an art pack and an adventure that expressly say Night of the Living Dead. I snagged the adventure using some credit and it has pics from the film and basically recreates that. I'm curious if anyone knows the legality of this.

Wicked Foundations: Tales of Terror 5e Miniatures Kickstarter

Tales of Terror: Dark Managerie, by Wicked Foundations, is a horror miniatures Kickstarter project ending soon. The miniatures look gorgeous and creepy, reminiscent of something you'd see in a video game like Bloodborne or Dark Souls. Everyone that backs the project will receive a pdf of Tales of Terror: Dark Menagerie, which will will include 5th edition stats for the various miniatures. There is also a tier (the cheapest) that nets you no minis, but a physical copy of the monster stats. 

If you want a sample, you can download the beta of the monster stats for free, for a limited time. While these stats are "beta," the pdf looks phenomenal! Check out the playtest stats for the monsters here.

Dragon Frog Kickstarter

I came across something cool today and thought I'd share. Dark-Platypus studios currently has a Kickstarter for a Dragon Frog miniature that's in it's last days. The miniature is huge sized and is a great mix of frog and black dragon.

You can head over to the Kickstarter to back it and get a free pdf mini-bestiary of the miniatures for 5e. According the background in the pdf the dragon frog is the daughter of a lonely black dragon and a monstrous frog. She uses her armies of monstrous frogs and polliwogs (her own children) to war with her father and get his attention. 

Even if you don't back the Kickstarter, snag the pdf for some cool ideas.

Beard or No Beard

Thanks to my good friend, Tim Knight, I've recently discovered Northumbrian Tin Soldier. While looking at their site, I noticed they have several bearded dwarven lady miniatures.

What are you feelings about dwarven women and beards? While it's not common to see in mainstream D&D artwork, I've always imagined traditional dwarven women with facial hair (or at least a nice thick set of muttonchops). Dwarven ladies that shave are beards are rebels (much like Violet in Rat Queens) or those that spend more time with non-dwarves than their kin.

What are you thoughts? Do your female dwarves typically have facial hair?

The Honorable Knight

I'm not currently running any games in Waterdeep. I don't need a colossal statue miniature. However, I want this beautiful thing. A premium figure from Wizkids: Icons of the Realms, this miniature is the Honorable Knight, walking statue of Watereep. The "miniature" is 11 inches tall and comes in two pieces. The retail price is 59.99. You can find more info about it here.

Twas The Night Before Krampus

A few months back I bought a Krampus mini.  Earlier this month I asked my friend Stew to paint it. Not only did he do a great job painting it, he also made a cool piece of horror themed Christmas terrain. Check it out!

Printible Mini For All Your Super Cameo Needs

David Okum of Okum Arts Games has a wonderful gaming tribute to Stan Lee on his Patreon. Follow this link to get your own printable Stan Lee miniature (with bonus effects). 

DCC Cover Craft

I was looking for DCC vids on Youtube and came across this. DM Scotty recreated the original cover and has three videos that show you how to do it. I thought it was too cool to not share.

Tales of Dungeons and Doggies Kickstarter

Animal Adventures: Tales of Dungeons and Doggies Kickstarter is a miniatures and 5e rules project going on right now. Here are the doggies.

There's only one pledge level and for it you get the minis above. These are scaled to 25 and 20 mm bases. In addition to the minis you get two pdfs. The first contains OGL 5th edition racial rules for playing intelligent canines. It also inclused unique racial feats and class options, info on a doggie diety, and magic items designed for man's best friend. Finally each of the minis has an associated character. In addition, you'll get the pdf for an adventure called "Who'll Let The Dogs Out."

The minis are adorable and I think I'd be cool with intelligent doggos in my game. Plus the minis could work well for animal companions and familiars. The project has 12 days left and you should check it out. I really how they do Cats and Catacombs next!

Origins 2018 Recap

Well Origins 2018 has come and gone and I had a great time.

Wednesday
 I skipped because I had a work conference that day.

Thursday

I ran into Eric from Bloat Games early Thursday morning.

My first con purchase was some moonshine d6's. I thought they'd be perfect for Portsmaw! They are from Black Oak Workshop. I got the second set because I spent more than $10 at the booth (and had the con coupon).

 My first game of the con was DCC Lankhmar with Michael Curtis. I was super stoked for this. Though I don't know too much about Lankhmar, I love DCC and Michael Curtis is one of my favorite adventure writers. I had a lot of fun and will have playtest credits when the adventure is released. I also met Jason Hobbs of Hobbs and Friends of the OSR.

I spent most of my money at the  Goodman Games booth. This is what i picked up. I got the Grimtooth adventures because Trapsylvania is supposed to come to Kickstarter soon. Primate Tales is one that I've been looking forward to. Expect a review soon.

I was able to get my copy signed by the chief editor and writers. Brett Brooks even did a sketch in it for me.

I ran into Egg Embry. I didn't get a pic because my phone was dead, but it was cool to meet him in person. I skipped my learn to play Shadowrun session because it was later than I realized.

Friday
My feet really hurt Friday and I couldn't get parking within a mile so I decided to rest. I missed learning to play Through the Breach and the Kobold Midnight Massacre. I was disappointed, but I need to recuperate.

Saturday

Goodman Games had their Free RPG Day swag and were giving it out free. I have a DCC quickstart, but this one has a new adventure.

I am no master painter, but I'm happy with the two minis I did at the "paint and take." The first is supposed to be a goliath and the second is a pulpy masked hero.

The other players of my 9 am Survive This!! - Zombies session were a no show but I did have a great conversation with Eric Bloat. I also snagged the new Dark Places & Demogorgons book. Expect a review soon.

I picked up these cards from Crit Games. While they aren't a must have, they are going to be super helpful in my next 5e game.

 I ran into my old character, Kyle.

I skipped my Cosmic Patrol session to play in Jason Hobb DCC Free RPG Day adventure. I also snagged the first two issues of his zine. Big surprise, expect a review soon.

I ended Saturday night with Dark Places & Demogorgons. One the way to the session I ran into my gaming fam from back home. It was great. I didn't have much time to talk, but I got hugs and that means a lot to me.  So, the session got real dark, real fast. One player straight up murdered a bully with a crowbar. However, we kind of rewound it and ultimately it was a blast. My skateboarder shanked a chupacabra twice while riding his board. It was totally tubular!

Sunday

Sunday I just hit the exhibit hall with my son. He played in the Battletech pods. He couldn't make his mech move, but I could hear him laughing the whole time so it was worth it. He got a bunch of dice, because he wants to be a dice collector (his words). I want to give a shoutout to  Black Oak Workshop. Grayson go three oversized dice from them and the owner asked if he had a dice bag. When Grayson said no, he just gave him one for free. It was a super kind gesture and I really appreciate it.

Custom TMNT Minis? Sign Me Up!

I just got a new email from Hero Forge and I decided to take a screen shot of what really got me excited about it. These will be perfect for Vigilante City if you're wanting to do a TMNT character. These also work perfect for D&D's Tortles.

The Rest Of The Green Horde Has Arrived!

The second half of the Zombicide Green Horde Kickstarter has arrived. It was 100+ dollars but it was definitely worth it. Hell even if I never play the game, the minis are worth the price.

All of the starter and stretch goal minis

Standard orc walkers

Orc fatties

Goblin runners

 

Orc necromancers and abominations

Special abominations, special necromancers, zombie giant, feral dragon and fatty bursters

Survivors and siege weapons

All of my fantasy Zombicide miniatures 

Spell Effects Miniatures

While entirely unnecessary, these are really cool and I'm definitely getting them!

These have been created by Wizkids and will retail for 25. They've also produced Wall of Fire/Wall of Ice sets that will come with six wall pieces of each type and be the same price. I'm not as excited about the wall, but the spell effects are sweet! Both of these are supposed to drop in July.