May the Road to Adventure Go Ever On and On...

Happy New Year to one and all in the gaming blogosphere! May you have much high adventure in 2016! I dedicate Bowie's Ballad of the Adventurers to you!



Sickened by sun, with rainstorms lashing him rotten
A looted wreath crowning his tangled hair
Every moment of his youth apart from its dream was forgotten
Gone the roof overhead, but the sky was always there
Oh you, who are flung out, alike from heaven and from Hades
You murderers who've been so bitterly repaid
Why did you part from the mothers who nursed you as babies
It was peaceful and you slept and there you stayed
Still he explores and rakes the absinthe green oceans
Though his mother has given him up for lost
Grinning and cursing with a few odd tears of contrition
Always in search of that land where life seems best
Loafing through hells and flocked through paradises
Calm and grinning, with a vanishing face
At times he still dreams of a small field he recognises
With a blue sky overhead and nothing else

End-of-Year Elmore (Farewell to 2015!)

Well, here we are again: on the cusp of another new year! I will be making an effort to get at least some roleplaying in as 2016 progresses. The itch to roll the funny-looking polyhedrals never leaves me completely, and I'm sure I will have to scratch the itch before I go crazy!

I also want to make use of the board games that have been gathering dust on my shelves for too long...and I'm looking forward to getting the massive Conan board game finally!

What are your new year gaming resolutions?

I'll be back later today for my 40th post of the year...my 40th year!

Lost Post: I love Dragonlance, and I don't care who knows!

I'm about to wrap up the least productive writing year this blog has ever seen. Don't really feel great about it, but it is what it is. I have my reasons for my lack of attention. Long story short: I'm doing other things with my spare time other than gaming.

But gaming will always be on my mind and in my soul. Rest assured of that. Which means I will continue to occasionally haunt the roleplaying blogosphere and will post now and then here.

As for this soon-to-end year, I have some final plans: just for the proverbial shits and giggles, I'm going to post 40 posts this year, the year I turned 40. Please believe me when I say I didn't plan this out. That would just be too corny, even for me.

As one of my final 2015 posts, I've decided to dig out a post I started writing this year but never published. Call it a "lost post." I started it early in the year, and rereading it reminds me how one's priorities can change over the course of 365 days.

Here's the post:

I've put things off for too long.

I want to pay homage to the world of Krynn in campaign form. Not just from nostalgia, though that is part of it. No, I am truly inspired by the setting. I think it is definitely viable. And being inspired by a setting is what I need, to engage my full attention as a GM. Because as any long-term reader of this blog will tell you, I'm nothing if not riddled with Gamer ADD!

I tried to start a Dragonlance campaign once a few years back but didn't feel ready. But I feel it is now time.

Krynn needs a champion on the blogosphere, and I will take on that mantle!

So, how's this for a declaration: My choice for system mastery is Castles & Crusades! My choice for setting mastery is Dragonlance!

End post.

Wow, that was some hyperbolic stuff. How do I feel now? Well, I still love Dragonlance, and have since I was a kid. I won't ever apologize for that fact. The world may be a much-despised one among the grognard set, and perhaps the creative teams behind the setting did it a disservice over the years.

But I still want this blog, if and when I do write here, to be a haven for Dragonlance love.

As for C&C system mastery, well, I think I've had that for some time now. Even having not actually played using the rules for over a year, I'm very confident I could jump right back on that horse, no problem. I still think I would use that system to run an eventual Dragonlance campaign. It upholds the character archetypes that I still love to this day, and which are the solid backbone of the Dragonlance world.

Anyway, there you have it. A glimpse into the mind of this blogger. See you soon for another post!

Happy Holidays to All the Gaming Fools Out There!

Happy holidays to all you fellow gaming enthusiasts around the world! I hope the holiday spirits were kind to you! I was just reflecting on my own yuletide experience, both this year and years past...

The last few solar cycles I've received some gaming goodness during the Christmas holiday. Last year, it was the Dungeon Crawl Classics Chained Coffin box set and the Lamentations of the Flame Princess Rules & Magic hardcover. The year before that, it was the Lords of Gossamer and Shadow RPG.

This year, I don't have anything in my hands...yet. I'm looking forward to receiving the 4th printing (and associated stretch goal goodies) of Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG next Spring. Also, I'm hoping that the massive Conan board game Kickstarter will come to fruition soon, considering they've missed their October 2015 deadline. 

So what about YOU? Have you received a gaming product you're particularly psyched about, either this year or in the past?

End-of-Week Elmore (11/6/15)

End-of-Week Elmore 40th Birthday and Halloween Edition (10/30/15)

Well, I turned 40 this month. I'm not depressed about it. I find myself mystified, actually. I don't feel any different, other than a few more aches and pains, and feeling sleepy more often. But that's most likely because I don't take care of myself as well as I should, rather than just a function of age. 

I just don't feel 40. I still think of myself as that kid who likes roleplaying, from all those decades ago. I know, I know, 40 is the new 30, 40 is the best decade of your life, etc. I've heard all the conventional wisdom. I'm definitely feeling more in control of my destiny than ever before, so there's that.

What hasn't changed, and most likely never will, is my love for gaming. Even thought I'm not really roleplaying actively these days, I still have the feelings I had during my last long gaming dry spell: that it's a part of my essential being, a legacy of my youth beyond sheer nostalgia. 

I may not be keeping my finger constantly on the pulse of the roleplaying world at the moment, but I do keep my eyes open. For instance, there's that temptingly awesome-looking Kickstarter for the 4th printing of Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG!

And hey, Halloween's tomorrow, on a Saturday in a five-week October! It's been a great month! Of course, like any mature adult, I elected to celebrate my birthday at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (pics forthcoming)! So, my 40's were ushered in with style and a feeling of good things to come! I don't intend on letting too much of this next decade pass before I roleplay again!

Hope you're having a great Halloween where ever you may be! 

End-of-Week Elmore (10/16/15)

End-of-Week Elmore (9/11/15)

End-of-Week Elmore (9/4/15)

End-of-Week Elmore (8/28/15)

End-of-Week Elmore (8/21/15)

Hungry like the wolf!

Start-of-Week Palencar (8/7/15)

I've decided that if I miss my "End-of-Week" art posts, I'll do the damn things on Mondays!

I was first exposed to John Jude Palencar's haunting, surreal art from the covers of the Del Rey collections of H.P. Lovecraft stories. Here's one of them:

I'm particularly fond of his pieces that incorporate heavy doses of symbolic imagery, such as the one above.

Here's one that makes me think of the "hellscapes" of Bruegel and Bosch:

End-of-Week Elmore (7/24/15)

Okay...what?

What's up with this one, Larry? Wish I could have been there for the creative process for this particular piece. Perhaps certain "magical" substances were involved?

I call this one "Ms. Centaur Goes to Washington."

End-of-Week Elmore (7/17/15)

End-of-Week Elmore (7/10/15)

Okay, first, here's your Elmore illo for the week!

Second, I know it's very belated, but I'd like to say that I had a great time on Free RPG Day at my old RPG stomping grounds: All Things Fun!

Here's a pic of my humble haul (of which I consider the Dungeon Crawl Classics GM screen from Goodman Games to be the crown jewel):

Early next week, I'm going to post in  more detail about the good bit of gaming I got up to on the day, complete with pics! Until then, have a great weekend, and happy gaming!

End-of-Week Elmore (6/26/15)

End-of-Week Elmore (6/19/15)

End-of-Week Conan Score! (6/12/15)

I love library book sales! My county's library system has a massive sale a couple times a year at the large main branch, and I always try to get there for at least a quick glance over the tables. And I usually find some treasure hidden there. 

For instance, the annual summer sale just happened to be held this week, when I'm off between jobs. Low and behold, as I stopped by and perused, my eye fell upon the beauty pictured above: a collection of Howard tales, a book club edition from 1977. 

(It's not shiny cause it's awesome, it's shiny cause someone covered it in plastic!)

Cover artist is Ken Kelly, of course. For a long time I mistook his work for that of Frazetta. As it turns out, that was for good reason: Kelly is the nephew of Frazetta's wife! So Kelly had access to study Frazetta's work pretty directly.

The book also has some interior art from Conan's Weird Tales days:

THAT'S RIGHT, you didn't read that wrong: this bad boy was edited by none other than Karl Edward Wagner!

And don't let the title fool you, there's more inside than Howard's great "Red Nails":

And check out the sweet map of Hyboria:

Just thought I'd share! Have you ever had a sweet score from an old book sale? 

Have a great gaming weekend, all! 

End-of-an-Era Elmore (6/5/15)

I started this here blog on June 30, 2010 (damn, almost FIVE YEARS ago!), and at the time I was working in Center City Philadelphia. I had been missing roleplaying for years, and in my despair had started surfing the web looking for a sign, seeking a glimpse of the current state of the hobby I'd left behind years before.

 

I discovered the OSR, and the rest is, of course, history destiny! At the time, I didn't know how I was going to start actively roleplaying again, but I knew it was going to happen! I assumed it would be by gathering up some old friends who I used to roleplay with, back in my youth. And indeed, I ran a few sessions with some willing friends. But my old pals weren't as interested in gaming as I was, so it was back to the drawing board...

 

For the first time in my life, I tried gaming with strangers. Yes, in my youth I'd only gamed with friends, but now that was no longer a sufficient option. So, I found a group online and met with them for a basement Pathfinder session or two...which didn't end well. No harm, no foul, I was an old-school guy looking for a different experience than what they were offering.

 

There were no game stores in my home area at the time, so I began to despair of finding an outlet for my gaming desires. Then, serendipity struck: in early 2011 I was laid off from my Philly-based job. Little did I know the wonderful silver lining to that unhappy event. The Gaming Gods, it seems, work in benevolent ways. Because the next job I found was not far from a New Jersey game store I'd admired for years but which had always seemed too far away: All Things Fun in West Berlin, New Jersey. Now, I was able to easily get to the store after work!

 

All Things Fun was where I met the Troll Lords, first of all! Secondly, it is also where I met an incredible group of people with which I gamed, and ran my first fantasy RPG campaign in well over a decade. I had, after so long, finally achieved my goal of returning to a consistent schedule of roleplaying! For several years, I gamed on Wednesday nights and it was glorious!

 

But my close proximity to All Things Fun came with a big price: two jobs that I really haven't enjoyed all that much. Indeed, there have been numerous times over the last several years when the only bright spot in my work circumstances was being able to game on Wednesday nights.

 

But after a while, even roleplaying couldn't cure the fact that I was unhappy with my career trajectory. The line of work I semi-stumbled into after college (proposal writing) is definitely one of those jobs where burnout is an ever-present threat. Add to that a succession of horrible managers and boring subject matter, and I was beaten down by the whole experience.

 

So, I finally had enough of the work-misery, and decided I needed to rally and take conscious control of my career. Thus, in addition to working my day job, I've been working on the side to change my work-path. It's been a helluva journey, and I'm making slow but steady progress in chasing a more fulfilling career.

 

But, as I've lamented here, this effort has taken me away from active roleplaying. I haven't seen my old Wednesday night group for probably about a year...honestly, I can't remember the last time I gamed with them. And that makes me very sad indeed. But ultimately, my suffering under two less-than-inspiring/fulfilling work environments has been the much more pressing problem.

 

So, I've recently made a move to escape the misery: I've taken a new job that seems to be a much better and, more importantly, a happier fit for me. I'll still be writing proposals, but it will be for a much more interesting industry. And in the meantime, I'll still have time to work on my "side hustle" and keep getting closer to an entirely new career.

 

However, the new gig is another job in Philadelphia. Which means, no more close proximity to All Things Fun.

 

Ugh. It's the end of an era. A truly bitter-sweet end. I've had so many great nights gaming in this area, it's going to be so strange not to be close by anymore. But again, my general happiness is a better thing to have, when it comes down to it.

 

So, I'm writing this post on my last day at my old job. I think I'm going to make a pilgrimage to All Things Fun today, to tell them it's once again going to be harder for me to get to the store.

 

However, in the last year or so, a game store has opened up not far from my house. And, I've gamed now and then with a few new local friends. So I have local options now that I didn't have when I was last working in Philadelphia.

 

In the end, I know the Gaming Gods are always looking out for me, and they'll get me back to the table somehow. I'm looking forward to the adventure ahead, at the table and beyond!

 

P.S. Sorry if this seemed like one of those posts where a blogger tells you he's not going to be blogging anymore! I'm not quitting, though I know my output is so minimal these days it may seem like I've already quit the scene!

End-of-Week Elmore (5/22/15)

Calling Dibs on Those Damn Dirty Apes

I'm an idiot.

Okay, that's harsh. I shouldn't say that about myself. How about this: I'm an inveterate dreamer and RPG lover, and said love makes me commit victimless crimes of roleplaying passion.

 

What sort of crimes, you ask? Well, how about this: despite my busy life and a self-imposed, indefinite hiatus from roleplaying in order to pursue other efforts, I've once again been daydreaming about doing my own variant of an OSR rule set.

 

Perhaps this urge has surfaced again because of the recent White Star release. Before that it was Warriors of the Red Planet and Jonathan Becker's excellent Five Ancient Kingdoms (this last offering, mind you, is more divergent from its D&D roots when it comes to mechanics, but it's still an offshoot). And let's not forget offerings such as Crypts & Things, Scarlet Heroes, and Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, to name a few.

 

What do all of these have in common? They've tied the old rules to specific settings/genres (more or less). And that's something I've been wanting to do, in connection with a specific setting: the Planet of the Apes franchise.

 

So, I hearby officially and publicly call dibs on this effort! So there! No one can steal this idea now! Or else I will have sour grapes (a reference to a recent, particularly dopey non-kerfuffle...feel free to read up on it if you have some time to waste).

 

Seriously, I've been thinking about this "ape OSR adaptation" for at least a year-and-a-half. I really want to do it, as I love the Planet of the Apes (PotA) series and I think it would be great as an OSR-based RPG. I love the original movies, as well as the recent reimaginings from the last few years. Heck, I even liked the Marky Mark remake (that's REALLY proof of my adoration for the franchise). I've also been collecting the numerous PotA comics produced by Boom! Studios.

 

I have to ask: am I alone in the RPG blogosphere when it comes to PotA love? Just want to get a roll call of other ape-ophiles out there! If you're out there, declare your ape loyalty! If I ever do this, I'll be doing this for you and me!

 

In my little corner of the world, my ape love has made me an outcast. Okay, once again I exaggerate. More like, no one else I know seems to like the PotA franchise. I get funny looks and bemused questions like "why do you like it so much?" Hell, I've been outright ridiculed for my ape-fection!

 

Has anyone else experienced such anti-PotA reactions? Is this a franchise that you either love or hate? At any rate, in order to break my loneliness and isolation, I'll be seeking out ape communities online. Seriously, gimme a shout if you love some apes!

 

I expect I'll do some blog musings on this whole effort, but again, it will be a slooooooow development process. I see no near-term creation efforts happening. Ultimately, if someone else decides to run with the idea, I say Godspeed to them and best of luck. Let me know when you're done and I'll check it out! But I'm going to do SOMETHING with this ape-game desire.

 

If I don't, they'll have to put me in the madhouse.

End-of-Week Elmore (5/15/15)

End-of-Week Elmore (5/8/15)

The dwarf hauling the loot wagon from the front is named Monty, of course.

End-of-Week Elmore (5/1/15)

Mayday! Mayday!

Heh, I am so funny!

In all seriousness, I hope 2015 isn't sucking the life out of you.

See what I did there, eh? EH?! If not, refer again to the illo above.

Anyway, have a great weekend, kids! I'm planning on getting me and the kids involved in some Free Comics Day action!

Delving into The Barrow

"They moved in the dark...Sharpened bone spears dipped in shit and poison, curved swords and wicked implements of pain and war, fierce masks of horn and brass, short horn bows pulled with fire-sharpened arrows..."

Sounds like a description of a small horde of orcs tracking a group of adventurers through a dungeon, doesn't it?

That's an excerpt from a novel I picked up recently called The Barrow. I'd read a couple reviews of the book that compared it, in some ways, to a D&D dungeon crawl. Several of those reviews didn't mean that as a compliment, or see that as a good thing.

Now, I know that dungeon crawls don't always translate to great fiction! I've (tried) to read some of the more questionable Wizards of the Coast fiction, trust me. So I know that trying to depict the dungeon crawl in fiction can come to very bad ends, from a fiction standpoint.

At any rate, as I dug further into the lore of The Barrow, I discovered the author, Mark Smylie, is also a visual artist. And when I saw his work, I realized he contributed greatly to one of the campaign setting books I own: Midgard. Here's an example of his work:

I wonder what sort of author he makes. I'll let you know when I read the novel! The illo above is from a comic series that Smylie created a while back. I haven't read those...

Anyway, as I usually do, I started wondering about his created world's viability as an RPG setting. You know, because I'm an insane person that can't seem to separate his fantasy novel reading from his RPG obsession. Nevermind that I haven't read the damn novel yet! Oy vey, my mind...

Well, sure enough, when I went to the website for The Barrow, I discovered that an RPG already exists! And, a second edition is in the works.

Sheesh, I don't have enough time at the moment to go deeper into this rabbit hole. But I intend to write more here as I read the novel and explore Smylie's world.

Note: go here if you want to read an excerpt from the novel.

End-of-Week Elmore (4/3/15)

Welcome to April! (could this be NSFW?)

I don't want to be another fool (see what I did there?) to screech in awestruck wonder that it's "already April 2015"! But come on, where is the time going this year, eh?!

 

Ah, spring! What red-blooded male doesn't start having images of fair maidens dancing in his head at this time, I ask you? Thus, the illo above, by a fine artist named David Palumbo that I just personally discovered. I find the image to be a mash-up of classical portraiture and modern art. What do you think? What pops into my mind is...this looks like something Rembrandt might have painted if he knew about cyberpunk.

 

I usually try to avoid serving too much "cheesecake" on this here blog, but then again, could the illo above actually be considered cheesecake? I find it tasteful, with a bit of eroticism thrown in. How about you? I guess it might be a bit NSFW.

 

Anyway, give Mr. Palumbo's site a peruse when you get a moment. Be warned, there are nekkid ladies in some spots, so his site I suppose should DEFINITELY be considered NSFW.

 

Well, my prudish musings are at an end! Enjoy!

Have I mentioned that I love Robotech?

Awww yeah! My childhood self would have crapped himself at this sight!

 

Note: If you can relate to this post, please comment below! I'd love to hear stories of your own Robotech nostalgia!

 

When I was a young teen, there was no Internet, no Netflix, no DVR. Heck, there were no DVD players. I guess there was laser disc. But there were VCRs. However, those things were clunky and not easy to program. And even if you programmed the damn thing, someone else in the house was going to mess things up. Because, you know, you're a kid. People don't respect your right to see your friggin' shows.

 

No, when I was a mere lad, there was none of the futuristic entertainment technology we take for granted today. Therefore, all TV was pretty much "appointment TV." Meaning, you got in front of that tube, or you didn't. And if you didn't, you missed that show you so desperately wanted to see. Too bad, so sad. Here's a tiny violin, playing just for you.

 

I'm about to get all "back in my day" right about now. Seriously, the kids these days (heh, I actually wrote that) don't know what it's like to be at the whim of the TV overlords. Nowadays, TV is all about "on-demand," of course. Now, we are the new rulers of our entertainment destiny.

 

But that's not what I had as a kid. Nope. As a kid, I had to book it home after school to catch the shows I loved.

 

One of those shows was Robotech. I loved the hell out of that show as a kid. I discovered the series at a tender young age, somewhere in the mid-80s. Robotech was something "new" back in the day. It was called "Japanimation" at the time, not anime. Wow, that sounds weird now. And maybe racist?

 

Anyway, there were only two times of day that Robotech came on back then. During the week, one channel showed it at 6 AM and 3 PM. Kid-me thought 6 AM was an ungodly time when no decent, sane person should be awake. And, school got out at 3 PM. You see my dilemma?

 

So, that school bell would ring, and I would force my chubby body to run as much as possible across town so that I could catch as much of the show as I could. I remember running through freezing cold, slipping on ice in my haste. I remember running through sweltering heat, until I arrived at home, chest heaving like a bellows and sweat pouring off of me.

 

I usually caught about 20 minutes of the show on a good day. But those were precious moments that made a huge impact on the burgeoning sci-fi fan in me.

 

On those rare serendipitous occasions when I actually got an episode on tape, I watched the hell out of it. Over and over, in awe of the sci-fi action, the giant robots battling, and the soap opera of the relationships between the characters. I mean, the show had a race of space giants that were as entranced as I was by the thought of kissing a girl. How could I not relate? How could I not love this show?

 

As time went on, as things happen, my interests moved on to other shows. I became absorbed with other pastimes, such as roleplaying of course. But my love of Robotech remained, lingering within me, and manifesting in an abiding passion for giant robots and space opera.

 

I even tried, once, to combine my love of roleplaying with Robotech. I bought a couple of the Robotech roleplaying books pumped out by Palladium...but never played the game. One of my big roleplaying regrets.

 

Recently, Robotech has made a resurgence in my mind. And, of course, I turned to the miracles of modern connectivity, and quickly found a certain 20-disc set. I bought it for a song. A gateway to hours upon hours of Robotech goodness that I never could have imagined as a kid!

 

 

I'm about to embark once again on a voyage into a space epic, one that will no doubt take me through time AND space. I give a nod to kid-me, to let him know that it's time to come home and enjoy one of his favorite shows in a way he never could. On his own terms, finally.

 

Come with me, young man. We have places to go, giant robots to pilot, and space ladies to woo!

End-of-Week Elmore (3/6/15)

End-of-Week Elmore (2/27/15)

End-of-Week Elmore & RC PSA (2/20/15)

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: In case you didn't know, the Rules Cyclopedia has been on sale this month at a deep discount through RPGNow! There's only two days left in the sale, so go grab the PDF for around $5 instead of the usual $25!

End-of-Week Elmore (2/13/15)

Happy Friday the 13th, fellow gamers! Instead of posting just some illo with a black cat in it, I give you...the Cat Lord himself (dressed in black, of course)! You may recognize this feline-friendly demigod from the AD&D Monster Manual II. I never got around to using him in-game during my many years of DMing, but perhaps I'll use him as an interesting antagonist/ally for my kids in our upcoming campaign. 

Time to Give My Kids a DAGGER!

Yes indeed, I've decided it's time again. Time to once again attempt some roleplaying with my kids, that is! In the past I've run them through some short home-made scenarios using the Basic D&D rules, but they were a year younger than they are now when I made those attempts. Now they're both over the age of five, and I think they will be better able to grasp the basic concepts.

 

Helping us this time around will be Dagger for Kids, the neat little booklet of truncated Basic D&D rules from Brave Halfling Publishing. I think there might still be too much going on for them in the way of rules when it comes to the Basic rules, so I'm going to use Dagger in conjunction with either the actual Basic books or something like Swords & Wizardry/Labyrinth Lord.

Getting my kids into roleplaying is going to be awesome, for a number of reasons:

• I get to be a DM again, in a more low-pressure environment/situation (and I can fit these games into my busy schedule on the fly, because my players live with me! No FLGS needed, we can just set up at the kitchen table and GO!).
• I get to share the hobby I love with my kids
• They benefit from time away from video games (which seem to be taking up more and more of their attention these days)
• They benefit from all the personal development goodness that roleplaying is basically proven to offer.
• I get to spend some quality imaginative and creative time with my kids, creating epic stories with them and bonding over shared adventure!

So, I'll be reporting back on our adventures soon. I hope to get our first game of 2015 going tomorrow night! Can't wait!

For good or ill, I'm heading into the Hyborean Age!

I did it, folks. With just over an hour to spare in the campaign, I finally decided to dive in and become a "King Level" backer for the Conan board game Kickstarter, by the relatively unknown company known as Monolith. How could I resist, when the game is now "the most successful board game in Kickstarter history"?

 

I know, I know. The game's original goal was "only" $80,000, but is now over $3.2 MILLION! On top of the core game, it has about a million stretch goals and add-ons that need to be delivered, and it's all supposed to happen by October of this year! Wowy wow wow, right?

 

Let's hope this doesn't become the most dramatic crash and burn in Kickstarter history, eh? But hey, I'm nothing if not an optimist. Me and 15,622 backers (and still counting for the next 45 minutes or so until the end of this thing, as I write this) couldn't be wrong, right?

 

The paraphrased words of Arnie's Conan come to mind:

“Crom, I have never prayed to you before. Valor pleases you, so I bid big on the Conan board game Kickstarter. Grant me one request: let this Kickstarter deliver on its promises! And if you do not listen, then to HELL with you…and please help me get a refund!”

"Hi, my name's Anthony, and I'm a Dungeon Master."

End-of-Week Elmore (2/6/15)

"I spy, with my little eye..."

End-of-Week Elmore (1/30/15)

FOLLOW ME!

By Crom, that's quite a Conan Kickstarter!

Have you seen this Kickstarter for an epic Conan-themed board game? Their original goal was $80,000 but they've raised over $1 million! And there's still 19 days left to go in the campaign!

 

Does anyone have any intel on the credentials of the company behind this effort? Are they legit? Should we put Erik Tenkar on alert (in case this is a "bum" Kickstarter in the making)?

There are many Chained Coffins, but this one is MINE!

 

Once again, I find myself wondering if I'm a masochist. I mean, I keep buying all these awesome gaming products, even though I'm not currently gaming much at all. But what can I say, I'm a gamer at heart and I love collecting and reading this stuff!

 

Case in point, I received my copy of The Chained Coffin box set from Goodman Games. I'm salivating over this incredible product of the imagination of Michael Curtis! Man, I want to get a game going based on this thing!

 

Let me walk you through an unboxing, eh?

 

 

First, above is shown the return label on the shipping box! That's Ol' Blackcloak, a malevolent supernatural being featured in the Chained Coffin. Nice touch, Goodman Games!

 

 

BAM! I opened up this puppy and there's the silver foil cover of the main module! Nice ambiance right there, eh?

 

 

Lurking under the main module is all the extra setting detail as well as bonus modules! Lots of mood-setting gaming goodness here, kids!

 

 

And there's the wonderfully strange wheels-within-wheels of the working puzzle wheel, for use during the course of the adventure! Friggin' sweet!

 

 

Oops,  the only imperfection in this whole glorious unboxing is the bottom part of the box. It's got a weird ding in one corner. Ah well, just a minor gripe about an otherwise cool product.

So there you have it, folks! I'd definitely suggest you try to get your hands on this bad boy! I've been reading through it when I get some spare moments, and it doesn't disappoint!