Halloween 2018 Sunday Funnies (Comic Strips)

Halloween is Wednesday. Sunday is waning away. Occasionally, I love reading the Sunday Funnies, the comic strip available within the Sunday newspapers, Comics Kingdom, and Go Comics. Haven't blogged about them in awhile. As Halloween is roughly three days away, why not blog about Halloween-oriented Sunday Funnies?


Ideally, I would have done this sooner. However, I was both distracted NFL football and the cloudy weather. For some strange reason, sun peaking through the clouds or blue skies are a prerequisite to my devouring the comics page on a Sunday. Reading them at night, just feels off. Yes, I am going to live blog my thoughts on each strip!


Once again, only the Halloween-themed strips will be mentioned. While I read strips like Prince Valiant, they won't be reference if there's no Halloween connection.


Note: if my blogging perks your interest in a given strip, many are available to be read online for limited time.


Let's begin.


Comics Kingdom


Sadly, none of the strips I follow, ie delivered by email, had a Halloween connection.




Go Comics


Frank and Earnest - A cheeky gag referencing retail stores tendency to erect displays for holidays months in advance as Ernie is trying on Christmas and Valentine's Day costumes on the same day as the Halloween party.


Cul de Sac - Despite warning from her brother, Alice accidentally loses all her Halloween candy when her dad surprises her. Pretty funny although the last panel felt flat for me. It's like 'oh look I received all the candy you hate!'


For Better and For Worse (note: the strip is also available via my local newspaper. For days when I don't read it, I follow FBFW on Go Comics) - Elizabeth is sewn a dinosaur costume by her mother. Punch line revolves around how quick the costume is fashioned versus how quick mending work is done.


Last Kiss - The one panel strip grew on me when I used to read the defunct Comics Buyer's Guide. This one is a tad adult-oriented as the non-costumed woman says to the guy dressed as a devil she's going as a nymphomaniac. I laughed.


Gasoline Alley - Slim volunteers at a haunted house dressed as skeleton. There's a very technical albeit out of the box description of a skeleton. Liked this one for the Halloween costuming visuals. Didn't flow too well. Would've been more effective during the old days when strips would receive more space on the Sunday page as it felt... choppy. Couple readings are required before understanding the scene transfers spooky to kooky.


Heathcliff - The strip depicts Heathcliff and an assortment of Halloween monsters (Frankenstein, Mummies, Ghosts, Witches, a vampire, a werewolf, and a skeleton) putting on a musical performance. Some spooky fun.




Sunday Newspaper


Zits - Nice play on Frankenstein before the strip's joke about Jeremy not being familiar with the song, 'Monster Mash' in addition to doing household chores.


Blondie - A real good strip where the possibility of kids trick or treating using drones is explored. Rarely do I find modern day Blondie strips funny but I chuckled here.


Hi & Lois - Bored Chip decides to do a trick while the family is pumpkin picking and pretends to be the Headless Horseman. I cracked grin.


Sally Forth - A multiple universe gag. Overall, it is neat the Sally Forth strip acknowledges since the Sunday strip happens on a day other than Halloween, the strip is chronologically set before Halloween.


Wizard of Id - The Wizard recruits a Giant Spider to create some Halloween décor to his wife's chagrin. If I read this during a sunny morning I would have guffawed.


Pickles - A joke about eating all the Halloween candy before the trick or treaters arrive. Okay, maybe I should have included spoilers for this one...


Peanuts Featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown - If I read the small print correctly, the strip was originally printed in 1971. Linus and a shade-wearing Snoopy sit in the pumpkin patch awaiting the Great Pumpkin. Linus wonders why Snoopy is wearing sunglasses at night. Snoopy infers it's a disguise. Pretty funny.


Rose is Rose - Kids go through process of carving a Jack O'lantern, which some chipmunks carry away. Cute little story.


Foxtrot - Drats! I forgot the geeky kid's name. Well, anyway... He announces to his sister that he's taking his lizard, Quincy, trick or treating as themselves. She remarks about the lack of imagination. Final panel depict Quincy going as the kid and kid going as Quincy. Talk about an inventive take on the 'going as yourself' costume.




There you have it. A quick rundown on today's Halloween-themed Sunday Comic Strips along with my thoughts on them as I read them just now.


Already said Halloween is three days away so... Next time.

Halloween '18 Edition of Official D&D 5E Rulings By Tweet

Months have passed since I last compiled official rulings on D&D 5E rules via Crawford's Twitter. Lack of rulings hasn't been an issue. I just haven't blogged about them. Instead of random rulings, I plan on lumping them according to a theme. Since Halloween is days away, the theme for the latest installment is Halloween.


Anyone who's glanced at Appendix N knows the works of H.P. Lovecraft inspired Gygax. As did the works of A. Merritt. Horror is an entrenched element of D&D. What separates D&D from those sources of inspiration is the protagonist have a chance, eventually, maybe, to defeat the horrors. The downside is some of those horrors... become mundane... as a result. Another thing is Dungeons & Dragons has evolved to the point where PCs could become the source of the horror as well, ie Necromancer & Warlock.


As such, I ignored anything from a PC perspective. If the ruling pertains to warlocks or necromantic powers, not included here. Furthermore, as much as I like Lovecraft, his influences aren't used along their original horror roots. Ergo, only mainstream Halloween monsters will be referenced here. Like vampires, werewolves, zombies, and the like.


So here ya go:


Levels don't influence stats of Animated Dead - The dreaded Necromancer casts Animate Dead on the corpses of a level 0 peasant and a level 20 fighter? They both rise and use the stats of a normal zombie. So no worrying over the 20 hit die zombie!


Vampire bite is unlikely to tranform during combat - Here's clarification stating hit point max must be reduced to zero before transformation occurs. Combat must really be proceeding poorly in an unorthodox manner for the victim here...


Reincarnate can't be used on undead - You encounter an undead creature. Hey, wouldn't it be cool if I cast Reincarnate on the undead creature? What will it come back as? DM: Spell fails. Undeath changes creature type. Depending on how other bring-back-from-the-dead spells work, this ruling may nullify them as well.

What if you really want to bring a zombie back to life? True Resurrection is the solution. Normally, I am used to Crawford referencing the books themselves. This particular answer is found within the errata.


Is tracking a vampire in mistform to its lair and staking it the only way of dispatching it once it becomes mist? - Many times Crawford will say 'read the text' but by using jargon.


What comes first? The vampire's bite or the grapple? - No, a vampire doesn't automatically hit if their grappling their target. However, the bite comes after the grapple.


What happens to Vampire Spawn when the Master is Destroyed - We destroyed the Master Vampire? All the Vampire Spawn go poof, right? No. They become free-willed, full-fledged vampires now. An instance where targeting the Big Bad right away may not be the best strategy...


Dead and Undead Attuning Items - Dead is a condition. Undeath is a creature type. So yeah, the vampire can attune magic items.


There ends the Halloween edition of Official D&D 5E Rulings By Tweet.


Happy Gaming and Halloween is four days away!

Halloween '18: OneBookShelf Expands Halloween PDF Treats

If you told me my next Halloween 2018 blog entry after my annual OneBookShelf Halloween Treats entry was a follow up, I wouldn't have believed them. Believe I had other blog entry topics in mind but I did whatever George R.R. Martin does while writing the next A Song of Ice and Fire novel and NOT blog. However, I said if I discovered anymore PDF Halloween Treats available on OneBookShelf site I'd blog about it. True to my word, there are new treats.


I just thought they'd recently discovered hidden gems. Instead, OBS expanded them to two more sites. They are Storytellers Vault and DM's Guild. Both links conveniently direct one to both the Halloween sale (31% off select PDFs) and the icon containing the Halloween treat.


Storyteller's Vault


Bat: New Blood - a scenario for Dark Ages Vampire (World of Darkness) where a Tremere and an alchemist have created alchemical blood...


Jack O'Lantern - Beckett's Vampire Folio 1: Carne's Rebellion for Vampire: The Masquerade


2nd Jack O' Lantern:  Same as the 1st...


3rd Jak O' Lantern: Demon Translation Guide - How to convert the Demons from Demon the Fallen to Demon the Descent (Chronicles of Darkness)


Going to assume only three treats are available.


DM's Guild


Ghost: Seasonal Surprises vol 1 - How to create a Halloween themed adventure for D&D 5E


Jack O' Lantern: Monsters of Horror (which one can acquire from a different site as well).


2nd Jack O' Lantern - A Night of Masks and Monsters (A Requiem of Wings #1) - 5E adventure for Characters level 3 of table of 3 - 6 PCs.


3rd Jack O' Lantern: Heroes of Mists - Expanding Curse of Strahd to fit the setting of Ravenloft more (for D&D 5E)


Surprised there were 4 treats here! Provided you didn't check out the other sites that is.  I'm assuming this will be all goodies though.


Halloween is 6 days away!


Next time.

Halloween '18: Tricks and Treats OneBookShelf-Style

Let's see. It's mid-October? Check. Check OneBookShelf sites DriveThru RPG, DriveThru Comics, and DriveThru Fiction to see whether they've commenced both the Halloween sale and the Halloween Icon Trick or Treat offerings? Heck, yes! Check. Way back in what seems like ages pass, the Drive Thru sites began a Jack O' Lantern search where you'd embark on scavenger hunt throughout an individual site for jack o' lantern icon. If you clicked on the link, you be rewarded with a treat (ex. a free e-book) or a trick (a gag). In recent years they've expanded the icon type beyond jack o'lantern to other Halloween icons. Think of it is a trick or treating OneBookShelf style!


I've participated on and off for YEARS. One major reason why I've accumulated quite the collection of e-books at OBS is due to the Trick or Treat event. This year, I am going to blog about each find per icon per site. Breaking from tradition of years past, I provided a link to the three sites in question in case any reader seeks a treat or trick. You'll have to create an account if you haven't done so already. Note: The event should last a week or two. Don't recall if they cancel it on Halloween or week before. It just started so it should last several days. I'm betting it'll last as long as Halloween sale does but don't quote me...




For those who prefer surprise thereby SPOILERS below.






Drive Thru RPG:


Witch Hat: Fear Can't Hurt You. A Halloween scenario.


Jack O'lantern: Monsters and Other Childish Things: Curriculum of Conspiracy


2nd Jack O'lantern: Head Shot! Zombie Apocalypse Action Role-Playing Game






Drive Thru Comics:


Witch Hat:Children of the Night - Community Content = new monsters for Ravenloft


Jack O'Lantern: Adam 2.0 Black Swan #1 graphic novel


Candy: 'Til Undeath Do Us Part E-book




Drive Thru Fiction:


Witch Hat: Monsters of Horror - Community Content = 6 movie monsters adapted to D&D 5E


Jack O'Lantern: Sins of the Father RPG


Ghost: The Black Spot - a storytelling RPG (Side note: I've apparently acquired a copy previously. Guessing a previous Trick or Treat?! Probably should read it sometime then...)


Interesting observation: If you're logged into the other sites at the same time, those finds appear at full price in the carts of the other sites. May want to search through the other sites one at a time or be prepared to remove stuff from the shopping cart. Perhaps that's trick! If you have multiple storefronts open at once, you must remove stuff from the carts or get charged!


There may be more than three tricks or treats per Drive Thru site; they're scattered about in places I am not used to. A true scavenger hunt indeed if that is the case. However, three treats (I'm assuming such...) per Drive Thru is enough for me. I am content.


Halloween is twelve days away!

SRM Combined FAQ ver 1.2 Is Like an Ad for Kill Code and Other Thoughts

After Tuesday, the next Shadowrun Missions Organized Play event at my FLGCS is mere couple weeks away. Chicago arc is winding down for us. The Neo-Tokyo rapidly approaches for our group. Catalyst released a Shadowrun supplement or two. Oh, the latest Combined FAQ released today. Among its highlights is enabling players of both the Chicago and Neo-Tokyo (yes, folks are playing Season 9 right now. We're a tad... behind.) arcs to incorporate the new combat and matrix splatbooks, Street Lethal and Kill Code, into their PCs.


For those who want to take a peek, here's Combined FAQ Ver 1.2. Since shared courtesy of Google Doc, I have no idea if they update the location with a different PDF. For all I know, my previous FAQ entry links to this version as well...


Thoughts


Reading the Kill Code section does a great job encouraging me to pick up a copy of the book. Or download as it's a mere ebook at the moment. Plus, it's not just for deckers and technomancers too. Wonder how cyberware such as Wired Reflexes is enhanced by something from a matrix book?! The prospect of  Technomancer groups similar to magical groups is pretty cool too.


Other changes of note...


The FAQ does point out Missions must deviate from Core Rules from time to time.


There's Shadowrun dice?! Sweet, my physical books count as NERPS!!! Awesome. Will come in handy in two weeks! Hmm, our group should make our own Shadowrun shirts...


Palming is addressed. Glad it's default-able in Missions.


Ways don't cost double Karma once play starts? Good change since PCs are confined to specific arcs.


Finally, PCs do have a specific list of chemicals they can use. Considering Neo-Tokyo's no gun policy the list may receive much use...


There's an errata for a Season 5 module too.


A nice incremental change here. Nothing earth-shattering but does expand options.


Happy Gaming!


Next time.

Tuesday Night Gaming Will Be A Regular Thing Again!

Before I begin, I want to apologize to any mobile users who view this blog's mobile version. On Saturday, when I mentioned the 'Halloween' label, I assumed one can see labels on the right-hand column. That is the case for the Web Version. The Web Version is the version I typically use for blogging purposes. Rarely, do I consult how this blog appears on mobile. Well, turns out I was wrong. The mobile version only lists posts. No links. No blog roll. No labels. So I apologize to any mobile readers scratching their heads.


How does labels relate to this blog post?


Well, as I mentioned at the beginning of the year, my FLGCS moved its organized game play events to Tuesday Nights. Back during the early days of this blog before my gaming drought, I participated in a regular Tuesday Game and would blog about it. I've included the label with my 'Five Take-Aways' because the sessions occurred on Tuesdays.

Simple enough, right?


However, it wasn't a regular thing because my schedule didn't allow it.


Thus, whenever I used the label it felt hollow. Wasn't a regular Tuesday Game.


Next month changes the dynamic. My schedule will soon allow me to game regularly on Tuesday nights at my FLGCS. Heck, I could play in a home campaign as I could attend reliably.


Does this mean I'll play every Tuesday night? Maybe. Significantly, more than once a month.Which is all that matters.


Will be nice to have a regular, as much as organized play is, Tuesday Night Game again.


Next time.

Halloween 2018: Blogging of Halloweens Past the Second

I am getting a jump on my Halloween blogging early this year. Maybe. Hopefully. Posting more than one or two posts before mid-month. Or thirteen days prior...


Last year, I compiled links to all my previous Halloween blogging along with a byline for entry. Make it easier for those that don't want to scroll down and click on the Halloween label. Time is money after all! Plus, clicking the label brings up EVERY Halloween labeled post so it's more convenient for the discriminating reader too. Since last year was the first, why not do a second?


I had the notion I would blog additional Halloween-related entries over the last year. Didn't quite happen. Funny, right?


We'll start with last year's compilation spanning entries from 2015 and 2016. I am NOT repeating the bylines here. C'mon... Think of it as Halloween scavenger hunt!


2017


D&D PC costume party - was my first original 2017 Halloween 2018 entry. Basically,  a game report (really should do more of those...) of when my Half-Orc Barbarian Grogg attended a costume party during Adventurers League module.


Three Halloween Links - Shared three links concerning unorthodox burial and funeral rites, Polish folklore of monsters,  and a Polish poem that inspired the Witcher.


Walking Dead Season 6 Marathon First Half - I marathoned season 6 of The Walking Dead on Netflix about half way. Here's what I thought of each episode. Should probably finish the season this year...


2017 OneBookShelf Halloween Jack O'Lantern Tricks and Treats Haul - 'Nuff said. Other than the tricks, I haven't read any of the free PDFs yet...


2017 Sunday Comics Page Thoughts - Aha! Something I did read! My two cents on the Halloween-themed Sunday Comic Strips in the Sunday Paper.


Shadowrun Missions Module that best fit a Halloween theme - A game report of a Shadowrun Missions module I felt could serve as perfect fit for Halloween night.


Halloween Night - My entry on All Hallows' Eve. A potpourri. Check it out... if you dare!!!


Technically, my post on October 1st combining Dave Arneson Game Day and Halloween counts as previous Halloween-related post as it precedes this compilation. So if you haven't read it yet, here it is for your convenience. Still haven't converted the Horsemen of the North to 5E yet...


Halloween is roughly 25 days away!


Next time.

Happy 68th Birthday Peanuts Gang!

Two historic occasions occurred upon this day. One, this will be my 365th blog entry. If I blogged daily, I've finally reached a full year's worth of blogging! Only took... er a decade and roughly four months to do so.


What's that, you say? You want to know what tonight's blog entry is really about? It's not enough for you to bask in my blogging accomplishment?


If you're response to my question is "Good Grief!", you're much closer to the second milestone and what today's blog entry is really about... The 68th anniversary of the Peanuts comic strip and the Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang!

Image courtesy of the Charles M. Schulz Museum

The Peanuts comic strip holds a fond place in my heart; and while my interest did wane at times, I've grown to appreciate the strip more and more the older I get. Plus, I find I identify with the characters more as I age while the stay the same age locked in comic strip time.

What better way to celebrate the Peanuts comic strip than a twenty minute video primer on Schultz, the comic strip itself, and its cultural impact? Runs about 20 minutes and there is an ad at around the 14 minute mark that lasts 2 minutes.



Pretty neat. I admit I never knew one or two of the bonus facts mentioned after the ad. No spoilers...

Speaking of Peanuts I do plan to finally kick that football, er read the holiday-oriented strips and blog about them this year. Unless the football is pulled away...

Happy 68th Birthday Peanuts comic strip!

Till my next 365th blog entry! Even if it takes another decade...

Next time.

Blog Spotlight: Never Say You Can't Combine Halloween with Dave Arneson Game Day

October 1st marks two special occasion to this gamer and blogger. One, Halloween is roughly thirty-one days away. Long-time blog readers will note Halloween receives a great deal of notice here. I've also played Dungeons & Dragons for ages. As such, I thank the creators of D&D, and by extension the inspiration for the hobby of table-top role-playing games, for hours of enjoyment. However, the early days of RPGs was very rough-and-tumble and one of the co-creators, Dave Arneson, didn't garner the attention and praise as much as he should. To rectify that, fans such as those at The Comeback Inn have declared October 1st, Dave Arneson's birthday as Dave Arneson Game Day. They have an event page too!


Who is Dave Arneson? Writer James Maliszewski  (his blog Grognardia is linked too within the blog roll to your left) wrote a quick primer on Arneson for Goodman Games (publishers of Dungeon Crawl Classics among other game lines). The Comeback Inn forums reproduces said piece here. Among Arneson's creations was the setting of Blackmoor. That's important for later...


I really wanted start October with a Halloween-related blog entry, while also blogging about Dave Arneson Game Day. A couple problems. First, Dave Arneson Game Day doesn't naturally lend itself to Halloween. Plus, I didn't really do much for it once again other than check out a couple links.


However, among those links was a blog entry from the blog, The Gnomish Embassy, which did in fact combine Halloween and Arneson's setting of Blackmoor. As such, it's time for another installment of Blog Spotlight where a hype another blogger's stuff!


The combination in question is the Horseman of the North! Remember the story Sleepy Hollow and legend of Headless Horseman? Well, the Horseman of the North is that very concept imported into the setting of Blackmoor! Only downside for this D&D player is that the stats are for the game Savage Worlds. While I am familiar with Savage Worlds rules, I am not fluent in them. So I can't speak so much for the stats. However, I do love the story of the Horseman of the North so once I acquaint myself more with Savage Worlds a 5E conversion could be in order. Well, unless the creator converts Horseman of the North first...


Heck, I should probably check out The Gnomish Embassy blog more thoroughly too!


Happy Dave Arneson Game Day!


Halloween is in 31 Days!


Happy Gaming!


Next time.

Initial Thoughts on DC Universe Streaming / Subscription Service

Couple weeks ago, IT launched. Mid-month strikes me as on odd time to kickoff a monthly streaming/subscription service yet DC decided it was the perfect time to officially launch its new DC Universe. Haven't binged any movies or television shows. Didn't chat all things on DC using the forums. Can't say I've spent hours reading any of the comics offered online. What I did do was sample enough of everything (except the forums) to get an initial first impression of DC Universe. Since October is literally a day way, now makes a good a day as any to give my two cents. If I waited until October, I may as well as wait until I've done all the above, right?


Forums: Pretty much stated in my opener, I never used them. Honestly, I don't really plan to. Unless of course actual folks on DC visit the forums. Then, I will participate gleefully. Interacting with creators is tremendous fun indeed.


Television: While none of the Arrowverse shows are available on DC Universe, there are plenty of gems. The cancelled-before-its-time Constantine is here. Birds of Prey. Heck, the live-action Superboy, which was among my wishlist when I was 'deciding', is among the shows offered. There's animated shows such as the classic Superfriends as well as Bat-man: the Animated Series. Initially, I thought only the first season was available for each show. Thought it was very strange that multiple seasons were mentioned until I noticed a dropdown box wherein the user can select a specific season.


The quality of the video is top-notch. Matches quality offered by the likes of Netflix and Hulu. Speaking of Hulu, fast-forwarding through an episode of Batman:TAS did NOT trigger any breaks for advertisements. Leads me to believe, there are no commercials! Another neat feature is one's progress on an episode is saved so you pick up right where left off. You can also add a series to your favorites.


Movies: Among the initial offerings are the Christopher Reeve Superman films along with the animated movies of which DC recently released a tenth anniversary collection. As a recent purchaser of said collection, only a small handful of them are available for streaming on DC Universe upon initial launch. So I don't feel foolish along that front... Did feel the movie selection was a bit low; but it is the initial launch. Other than that I haven't streamed any of the movies yet so that awaits further comment.


Comics: Initial selection is quite extensive.  Most recent comics offered digitally, ala Marvel Digital Comics - digital issues aren't available for purchase at the moment, stop at Rebirth issue 1s. That said, there's samplings of New 52, post-Crisis, and in-between. Dark Knight Returns is available to be read digitally online. Personally, I am pumped Johns/Eaglesham's Justice Society of America's first eleven issues are offered. Looking to become familiar with Captain Marvel/Shazam before the upcoming Shazam! movie? Well, Ordway's Power of Shazam! awaits your perusal.


I've read a smattering of comics online via several platforms from Nook Digital Comics to Dark Horse Digital to Marvel Digital Unlimited on my PC. Have to say DC Universe perfectly aligns the page with screen! Art and lettering is perfectly readable. No shrinking nor enlarging is required. Don't have to toggle from panel to panel nor toggle from panel readout to full page layout. Like television shows, DC Universe saves your progress on a given comic. Plus, titles can be added to a favorites list.


The two cons I see with the digital comics is there is much duplication among titles (which is rather odd) and I haven't noticed a search option yet. If offerings rotate, the bloated list is fine. Otherwise, searching through the comics library will become a hassle once it expands.


Overall, my initial impression of DC Universe is very favorable. A heavy user might worry about the size of the initial content. If this is your only streaming service and your first foray into digital comics, I could see one binging through the library within maybe six months. On the other hand, I don't forsee myself exhausting the initial launch within twelve months of my subscription. Maybe by the fifteenth month. However, the original programming such as Titans and Doom Patrol will have debuted by then. Quality-wise, I am quite pleased as well. We'll see how my opinion changes once what's new is well-acquainted.


Periodic updates to come.


Next time!

Five Take Aways from Shadowrun Missions on 9/25/18

Huzzah! After months passing without playing my Shadowrun Missions character Nox, tonight on Tuesday Night Game sessions at my FLGCS we finally did so. We were a little rusty especially with a couple of relatively new players. Yet, not as rusty as we've been after past the hiatus or two. The eighth and final season of the Chicago arc is definitely heating up. If the next mod or two were to begin In Media Res (start with action), I wouldn't be surprised. Learned the hard way that not preparing for any eventuality leaves my character at a disadvantage. Well, I am kind of exaggerating there as only my play style was impacted...


If you read yesterday blog entry, I did use reagents quite a bit this session. My combat mage did attempt to bind a couple elementals spending a Middle lifestyle's worth to do so. The one elemental played a pivotal role... Boosting spell limits with reagents had a moderate effect. Nothing too earth-shaking; but the original limit imposed by the spell's force was exceeded on both occasions.


Now the follow-up to yesterday's blog entry is out of the way AND the focus is off me, here's five take-aways from tonight's session of Shadowrun (5E) Missions.


Never leave home without grenades or an ambulance-rigged with autodoc - If you ever saw the series Firefly/movie Serenity, there's a scene involving Reavers when Jayne says to Mal 'Don't you wish I brought some grenades!' Shadow runs involve discrete missions. Setting-wise, grenades are a bad idea. A very, very bad idea. However, once again, without one of PCs carrying grenades (and a lot of C4!) we wouldn't have gotten far in the module. A different PC's character drives a converted ambulance equipped with autodoc (a device that's kind of like bacta tank from Star Wars), which helped quite a bit and could've helped more.


So if I attack an opponent while moving past, my opponent can't attempt to strike me and halt my movement?! - As D&D 5E rules, we're well aware of opportunity attacks when opponents moves by. Furthermore, some abilities grant the ability to halt movement. Shadowrun has an interrupt action called Intercept whereby a character can spend a portion of initiative to melee strike the moving character and potentially halt their progress. We've used that to great effect against NPCs as have NPCs done so to PCs. Well, there's a loophole to that rule. Very first sentence states that if a moving character doesn't attack them then... Major revelation.


If a blow knocks me prone, my wounds can prevent me from standing?! - Speaking of another rule we discovered tonight, we learned the potential difficulty inherent in standing prone when injured. After a PC was knocked prone by a sniper's bullet, we learned not only is it an action to stand but an attribute test modified by wound penalties is required to stand! Really affected the tempo of the scene...


A one-two combo of spending then later burning the same point of Edge leads to a heroic feat - One of the new PCs had to spend a point of Edge in order to carry a downed NPC out of a dangerous situation. Unfortunately, due to the Intercept interrupt action, said PC was placed subjected to a potential attack which would have impeded his progress with the hapless NPC. The player burnt the PC's spent Edge point to NOT be hit by the attack. By the game mechanics, the PC would not have evaded the attack otherwise. Very cool indeed.


Narration is a great way to speed our progress through the module - Its hard to tell if our rust and/or experience is what slows our progress through modules. Coupled with increasing epic scope of Season 8 Chicago modules, our table simply won't complete a module within a four hour time limit. The GM bypassed many encounters by narrating the outcomes based on input given by us. We'd easily spend multiple sessions if we played out every last scene. Not an option for us.


Once I actually blog my game reports, I did something new. Using my smartphone, I took photos of some of the combat scenes as we weren't using theater of the mind. Really should have snapped pictures sooner as describing the action can be a pain otherwise.


That's all.


Happy Gaming!


Next time.

SR5: Drams of Reagents Are Deceptively Expensive

If everything goes to plan, I will play Shadowrun Missions for the first time in months tomorrow. What better way to prepare than by updating my PC, Nox the Combat Mage, right? Yeah, I should've had Nox updated sooner but it beats updating the character tomorrow. How does that relate to tonight's topic?


Part of updating a character is spending nuyen. I've long come to the conclusion that magicians really should use reagents in Shadowrun, fifth edition.


Reagents are magical components by the way, which enhance magic or are required for specific magical skills such as spirit binding.


Normally, a mana-slinger won't need a ton of reagents to bolster spells or aid in summoning spirits. Improving the Force in drams on reagents won't drain the credstick. They're like pocket change, chummer. Spend more nuyen getting dirt from a contact.


Binding spirits, on the other hand, cost double digits per Force of the spirit bound. A magician's credstick won't be worth drek if multiple high force spirits are bound. A Force 6 spirit costs more than a low lifestyle in credits!


The summoner/binder magicians with multiple bound spirits can easily spend a High lifestyle worth of credits in reagents.


Mighty costly considering one dram is 20 nuyen.


Certainly explains why there aren't more than two bound spirits encountered at any given time too.


Definitely won't happen in Missions. Nox can afford it because the PC has been low cost maintenance.


So I have a new appreciation for the value of reagents and bound spirits.


Happy Gaming!


Next time.

Adventurers League: The Old Order Changeth!

Anyone who is followed the Marvel Comics series the Avengers is familiar with the phrase "The Old Order Changeth!". In all frankness, the same could be said of each season of Adventurers League. Starting yesterday, the 30th of August, Season 8 set in the urban sprawl of Waterdeep initiates the biggest change of them all.


Season 2: The adventurers go from Phlan to Mulmaster.


Season 3: Hillsfar replaces Mulmaster as the primary region. Oh, sanity loss is a major concern as the Madness rules are used a lot.


Season 4: Not only do the adventures leave the Moonsea area; but they leave Faerun altogether. PCs stumble about within the Demi-plane of Dread. Barovia to be precise. They're stuck there and can't leave until completing certain quest points.


Season 5: The focus of adventures leave Barovia unless they're unfortunate enough to be stuck there such as one of my PCs. I'd have to DM a couple modules to garner enough Downtime Days to free the PC. Been going on a couple years... but I digress. Anyway, the PCs operate within the Sword Coast. Region is dictated by level Tier.


Season 6: Regions, bah. We don't need to worry about a specific region. Let's go dungeon crawling instead!


Season 7: Bye, bye European environment! Jungle adventurers here we come! What, there's a death curse?! Death, pretty much means death unless you've reached Tier 3 Season 7 modules with a PC... Egads! Sure, came January, there was an opt out clause. However, you'd have to swear off much of the Season (Tiers 1 & 2). CCCs became... questionable.


Season 8: Huzzah! Resurrection magic is back again! Furthermore, plus PCs are once again operating on the Sword Coast. Waterdeep to be precise. However, Waterdeep is an urban sprawl compared to the Moonsea and is home to the mega-dungeon of Undermountain.


That, however, only scratches the surface of the changes. The experience, treasure, and gold system is changing. For example, under the old order, I wondered how a 5th level PC could afford to cast Revivify. 1,000 gold pieces is a luxury in Tier 1. After playing Tier 2 modules, the material cost is within reach. Under the new system, forget about it. You'll be lucky if a PC cleric has the resources to cast to Revivify!


A topic for another blog installment. I've only skimmed the rough draft of the new rules. Much reading awaits. Yet, a mammoth change invites further thoughts. So I will be blogging my opinion on them in the future.


Happy Gaming!


Next time.

Five Take-Aways: D&D 5E AL 8/28/18

If you recall, on Sunday I stated tonight's Shadowrun Missions event was cancelled yet would be willing and look forward to playing a session of Adventurers League using the fifth edition rules of Dungeons & Dragons. Well, the session is over and in the books or logsheets to use the AL vernacular. While I didn't planned to when I arranged to be able to game, it means I was once again able to play D&D for an unexpected fourth time during 2018. Without further ado, here's my fourth installment of my Five Take-aways for Adventurers League (AL).


DM makes or breaks puzzle modules - I played tonight's module with a different character (PC) previously. Quite sometime though so despite recording notes for a game session I've procrastinated on blogging, there really wasn't much meta-gaming on my end with any of the puzzles. The stuff I did recall through sheer circumstance my foreknowledge didn't alter my play albeit partially cause my PC had reasons to extreme cautious by that point. Heck, I almost repeated a foolhardy move I did prior! All told I enjoyed this repeat more than the first because of how the DM ran the module and the puzzles. Many of the puzzles/traps were more obnoxiously dangerous because the solutions required dumb luck or happenstance. All while being worn down in the process. The DM provided a sense of urgency by either upping or decreasing the threat urgency and thus motivating problem solving. However, we still finished a two-hour module after three hours though


Placing the PCs into faux-initiative order during tense situations keeps the pace going - As players whenever we roll initiative the game signals, 'hey this is a fraught situation!' and we act accordingly. This is an example of how a scene was played faster this time than the last time I played through it. Granted, the DM created an atmosphere where the clock was ticking so that helped too.


First time I sat at a table with an AL illegal PC - Adventurers League forbids Neutral Evil and Chaotic Evil PCs. The forbidden evil alignment PC didn't break the game largely due to the gross misunderstanding many have over alignments. Despite the player's grumblings Lawful Evil would have sufficed. What was really frustrating was being demanded to furnish proof! Which kind of leads me to...


May very well have encountered the first player that I would prefer not to play or DM for - Full disclosure: the player in question has probably every week so far this year. Compared to my whopping four times, I understand why he wouldn't consider me authority.  However, I knew the alignment restrictions before I began. Downloading or reading online the player's packets isn't difficult. Also, I did get rules issue wrong. After checking, I apologized for my error. However, I shouldn't have to provide concrete sources while he doesn't have to! He also struck as very belligerent. Maybe we just don't click. However, I don't want to deal with someone that I must operate professionally with to play a game. If we were mustering ourselves, I wouldn't muster with him. While I haven't DM'd for Adventurers League yet, I already know I wouldn't want to DM for him. I am a stickler for some things... Maybe DMing in AL isn't for me...


Arcana skill is more often than not a must in Adventurers League - No skill comes up in Adventurers League play requiring proficiency as the Arcana skill. Sure, you can stumble around without it. However, if a table doesn't include one PC with that skill figuring out the solution to some magical traps/puzzles become difficult if not downright impossible. Could be the modules I've played but Arcana proficiency is among the few consistently enforced.


Happy Gaming!


Next time.

SR5: So Magicians Can Now Shut Off Other Magician's Foci

We're nearing the end of the month so Shadowrun is on my mind again. After all, Tuesday Game Night at my FLGCS hosts a Shadowrun Missions event. More on that later...


Recently, I read portions of the magic section in the Core Rulebook that I really didn't bother too much with. The Enchanting section in particular. My Shadowrun Missions PC, Nox, doesn't possess any of the skills within the Enchanting skill group. Alchemy was strange, new, and something I wasn't quite ready for. As the Missions storyline progressed (and as I bought modules I had played during DM Day sale at DriveThru RPG...), I learned a magical trap was an alchemical preparation. Quick skimming conferred an Enchanting skill was required to disarm such a trap. My knowledge of Alchemy and Dispelling skills in a nutshell. Then with advent of Season 9 and the Neo-Tokyo reboot I embarked on a deeper dive...


Alchemy is neat but requires too much to worth my combat mage's karma at this stage. Unless there's a spellcaster at the table, I am not confident how well an alchemist would perform in Missions play. Although considering how I consider Sorcery is weakened in 5th edition, I may be overthinking Alchemy's apparent weakness too much.


Using Dispelling to disarm alchemical preparations set up as traps is cool. Much better than relying upon Counterspelling when the drek hits, eh? Can be used to shut off another Awakened's active foci within line of sight...


Can be used to turn off an active focus within line of sight?!


What a nice sustaining focus or weapon focus you have there, would be a shame if someone turned it off...


Yes, there's a contested role. Yes, there's drain involved. Yes, dispelling a focus is only a mere debuff. No, a threat won't be taken out directly.


However, I don't recall Magicians being able to shut off another's focus in prior editions of Shadowrun (Maybe they could in 4th...). Dispelling a focus is a means for a magician to deal with a magical threat in a fashion other PC's can't. You're summoned spirit is whirling dervish of death except against the adept with a weapon foci? The poor chummer better possess the power Killing Hands once you've turned it off. There's a magician with an active foci who has multiple magical effects going on? The sustained spell dissipates once the focus is dispelled. Their spellcasting isn't as potent you've target their power/spell foci.


The prospect of dispelling foci is a nifty enough trick that it's worth pumping karma into for my combat mage who in all practicality only has four more modules of play left. The conjurer PC, well a PC who summons and binds spirits better than my current PC, I am considering for the Neo-Tokyo arc would love to disarm antagonists armed with weapon foci to prolong his/her spirits' longevity.


Honestly, I wish I discovered this particular use of the Dispelling skill sooner. Hindsight's 20/20 I guess.


Back to the reason why Shadowrun is once again on my mind, Tuesday Night's Shadowrun Mission event? It wouldn't cancelled three consecutive months? Yeah... See August 30th marks the beginning of Adventurers League's eight season. As a consequence, all the DM's participating in DM's Quest rewards program have this week to finish up Season 7 modules. One of the players is among that number. Unfortunately, Shadowrun is pushed back another month. Again.


At least, I will be able to play D&D 5E AL again though!


Happy Gaming!


Next time.

WWE SummerSlam 2018: The Lesnar Ends with a Whimper

Just finished watching the 2018 edition of SummerSlam a mere half an hour. As one of the big four and a long-time cornerstone of WWE PPV's, this year's SummerSlam did not disappoint!


Heck, if you inverted the awfulness of last month's Extreme Rules, that was how good SummerSlam 2018 was. Not quite as good as WrestleMania 2018 but a solid PPV nonetheless. I would have felt okay paying old-fashioned PPV prices for it.


In fact, I was going to change formats since there's no point doing a match-by-match breakdown and do good, bad, and the ugly. Quite a bit of good. There's some things I didn't like *cough* the squash matches *cough* but writing them felt like padding.


The Lesnar loss was among them.


Don't get me wrong. Lesnar needed to lose the title. His reign had grown stale. He's fighting a match in UFC. Other than Strowman, no other Raw wrestler has been booked a credible winner than Reigns.


Yes, I am not a fan of Reigns. As a babyface, he's simply not at the level to be the Top Guy. However, I can accept him finally winning the belt and defeating Lesnar. The company would be damaged long-term if he hadn't.


Note: I have not yet Raw, probably won't, but I see the Shield has reunited. So I am guessing Reigns is now a heel. Fair enough.


I liked the irony of how by not costing the champion in the usual Money in the Bank fashion, Strowman cost Lesnar the title by distracting him.


Still, the match was meh. Lesnar was booked as being far more resilient in prior matches. Must not want to take bumps in preparation for his upcoming UFC fight? The story was more about surprises than a competitive match this time around.


When Reigns won and defeated Lesnar finally, it felt... anti-climatic... The Lesnar dominance lasted too long. Reigns wasn't the decisive victor. A whimper instead of a bang.


In any case, hopefully this means when Brock Lesnar does return to the WWE he isn't booked as an indestructible monster. Cause this first go-round proves booking him as invincible simply isn't worth devaluing the rest of the roster.


Next time.

Five Take-Aways: An Unexpected D&D 5E Adventurers League End of July Session

Tuesday night. The final Tuesday night of July. So Shadowrun Missions at my FLGCS Organized Game night, correct? Unfortunately, the misfortune plaguing Shadowrun during 2018 strikes again. Hopefully, next month we play once more... Emphasis on 'we' as I've missed several modules over the last year and a half.


Fortunately, the open RPG game night the final Tuesday of the month long since morphed into a replay day for D&D 5E Adventurers League Modules. Since we advance warning Shadowrun may very well be cancelled, I brought my D&D PCs. Meaning I got to play D&D for the first time in months. March 6th to be precise. Hadn't played Dungeons & Dragons in roughly five months! Feels good. Also means...


Here's another installment of my Five Take-Aways for D&D 5E AL! My third such during the year 2018. Wow, I have only played Dungeons & Dragons three times all year! Yep, no home games when not playing Adventurers League.


Five Take-Aways D&D 5E AL July 31st, 2018


1) Looking forward to Season 8 doing away with tracking experience points - The table I played at was Tier 2 (levels 5 - 10) with a potential of six players. One player hoping to advance a PC to Tier 3 dropped out and joined the Tier 1 table because with six PCs not enough XP would be awarded. A player hoping to advance to another TIER delayed PC advancement because a table of 6 deprives too much XP. Xanather's Guide to Everything introduces an experience point-less system of character advancement, old-timers would recognize it resembles the story award concept, and beginning Season 8 AL adopts a variant. A subject for another time; but tonight serves as another example why changes need to be made especially as regards mustering tables for AL events. The participants at my FLGCS aren't too picky; but still...


2) A party comprised mostly of a single class can be quite fun in an AL mod - Before the evening started, a regular remarked how fun having a table comprised of a single class could be. Coincidentally, my table comprised of four barbarians (granted none were alike but all shared the same class) and a sorcerer/warlock is fairly darn close to a table of all barbarians! Fortunately, the module didn't punish us for being mostly barbarians. A group of raging PCs was quite fun to play indeed. Furthermore, everyone got a chance to shine.


3) Appreciate sorcerers Twin Spell much more: Whether it was on Haste or Dragon Breath, the sorcerer player used Twin Spell metamagic to effective use. Other players have twinned spells quite a bit before. Just sunk into the ole noggin the tactic/ability is all.


4) Despite practically four or five months not playing D&D 5E, I didn't lose a step - Rather surprised I didn't forget much of what I knew about playing the latest iteration of D&D 5E nor how to play my Tier 2 PC after months not playing D&D. Yes, I've been a gamer for decades. Not what I am referring to. Sometimes you miss a step or two when you don't play a game for awhile. Didn't. Really speaks to the accessibility of the fifth edition rules. Once you grasp the fundamentals of the game and your PC you're golden. Sure, I had a hiccup with some rules. Not because I forgot but because I really haven't spent much time reading and mastering the rules. Kind of a throwback to when I started in the hobby when I didn't own a Player's Handbook. Does explain why I enjoy 5E so much...


5) The DM gradually revealing the "dungeon" was nice touch - The environment our PCs were exploring was such our characters would have no clue the nature of each location or how they relate to each. A dungeon exploration module in a nutshell. Just not framed that way. Rather than describing the dungeon or drawing the dungeon as we went along, the DM covered the map and gradually revealed portions as we explored. Don't see the approach often so it merits mentioning.


That's all.


Happy Gaming!


Next time.

The Elusive Teen Titans Giant 100 Page # 1!



About a couple weeks ago, I accepted I wouldn't find a copy of it. After all, I heard over the grapevine, the quantity of Teen Titans Giant 100 Page #1 Wal-Mart Exclusive was shorted. Had collected the other three; but no luck with the Teen Titans inaugural issue. After checking and re-checking to no avail, I threw in towel. Blogged my frustration even.

Today I was informed there was a re-stock. How odd? I thought. We are mere days away from August after all. Heck, the initial wave was stocked ahead of its street date in some places. Clearly, it must be the second issue. Ahead of schedule. Again. Sigh...

When I do wander over to the TCG aisle where DC Giant 100 Page are stocked, I am shocked and stand corrected.

Look what I found!

If you guessed by the picture displaying a copy of Teen Titans Giant 100 Page #1 held in my hand home means I finally own a copy, you'd guess right.

Yep, I own a copy of all four #1's!

Must say I am pleasantly surprised this baby fell into my lap. Wasn't expecting any re-stocks of the inaugural DC Giant 100 Page #1 Wal-Mart Exclusives this late during the month. Let alone the shorted Teen Titans. Definitely boosts my optimism for the program.

Bring on the second issues!

Next time.