Adventure Path-ing on the weekends.

In addition to the Shadowrun game I play in once a month, I run two separate monthly games with two very different groups. Both games use the Pathfinder RPG rules (boo all you want grognards) and both games I'm using the Adventure Paths just because its simpler and faster than me trying to write up a whole world from scratch again like I did when I ran my 2nd Ed D&D game back in the mid-90's.

Group 1 is currently deep into book 4 or 6 in the Rise of the Runelords AP. I have 6 players and its going along swimmingly from what I can tell and people are having fun.

Group 2 is at the last act of book 2 of 6 of The Carrion Crown AP. There are 3 players and myself running the NPC/PC cleric. Group 2 meets on sunday and this past sunday was alot of fun (more on that in another post).

As games happen I'll start blathering on a bit about the sessions and whatnot mostly just to share the stupidity that I enjoy with the rest of the interweb. I'll post up the adventuring party rosters and give an overview of what they did from the DM's perspective. In the event that a TPK occurred you'll probably won't hear from me again as one of the players may try to kill me for letting their beloved PC bite the big one. Of course I let the dice fall where they may and *never* fudge rolls.......

Stop laughing.

So prepare yourselves. I'm going even further full-on geek when I decide to update this blog again and its not 1235am and I have to get some sleep before work in the morning.

Join the Patrol!

A few of my friends know that I am what one might call an avid gamer. I like tabletop RPG's for not just enjoyable stories that you can help craft with your actions (and dice that betray you constantly...) but also for the social aspect of spending an afternoon with friends or with people that you meet for the first time that at least share a common love.

I also love Sci-Fi. Especially if its the almost pulpy-retro era sci-fi from the 40's and 50's. In fact one of the better Christmas gifts I received last year was from my friend Matt: The TSR Buck Rodgers RPG box set (out of print and it was in perfect condition). I've been wanting to play Buck for sometime with a certain group of metal heads that I know that dwell to the south of where I live. But a major stumbling block for me was the rule set used. Its based off the 2nd Ed D&D rules that I cannot wrap my head around anymore.

Enter Cosmic Patrol from Catalyst Game Labs. Which, I will add, I completely MISSED at GenCon 2011 when there. I swear to Cthulhu that it looked like a sci-fi novel rather than a rule book. But it is. Its a really REALLY simple story-based gaming system where there isn't a dedicated GM but everyone gets a turn to lead the team of intrepid Patrolmen on an exploration mission onto the polar caps of Mars, or a rescue mission to save the President of Lunar Colony 1 from the evil clutches of the bio droid robot menace. Yes, that was all off the top of my head. And yes its almost that simple to play from what I understand.

Hell the rules remind me more of Toon or the Viscount's perennial favorite rules fore IOU. Its fast, simple, still you roll dice but its storytelling. And storytelling in a way that White Wolf couldn't figure out how to do correctly. I like what I've seen. I will read my little book of 135 pages in paperback book size. I will love it because it has sparked some interesting stories to tell about space patrolmen with laser pistols and glass domed space helmets saving a red skinned amazon princess from the clutches of some evil mad scientist from the 3rd moon of Jupiter.

I also like that you can buy the PDF format for about $5 bucks from places like Drive Thru RPG or even Catalysts own store (Battleshop). And for the REALLY cheap bastards its done under creative commons license. Which means if you obtain it for free somehow online they won't try to sue you but ask politely to purchase it if you like it.

Which brings me back to my copy of the book. Apparently Jess wanted to show me this (because she KNEW I would adore this) at GenCon and she never got my attention away from the other stuff at Catalyst to show me. So when I found out it was a game and went looking it was out of print from the con with only a PDF available. I can't read PDF's for long periods. I stare at a computer screen at work all day and I just can't do it at home.  So she tracked one down through Ebay for the list price from the con. She is such a wonderful wife for doing this. Because when they do re-issue the physical book....it won't be as cool as mine. Cause my baby tracked mine down for me and mine says 'GenCon 2011 Special Edition'.

 Buck Rodgers.....here I come!

Deus Ex, hurricanes, leaking ceilings and lay offs.

Yeah, yeah, yeah...its been a few days but alot has gone to hell recently so forgive my tardiness in posting another riveting blog for the 3 that read this drivel.

And you can stop laughing now. I know nobody actually reads this.

First, due to the heavy driving rainfall brought on by Hurricane Irene (who I blame Steve Salomonsen for bringing back with him from the Outer Banks) our room has a new decorative waterfall in it every time it rains thanks to the leaky roof. The bitch of it all is its not our landlords responsibility to repair this. Its the condo associations. And we've been told that we're "on the list" but "not high priority". I'll make sure to remind the condo association that when they call me at work to report a bug problem and demand day before problem occurs time travel service.

Bunch of jerks.

So in between emptying buckets in the bedroom when it rains (and some of my colleagues have so eloquently stated "that's the most action that room has ever seen") I've kept busy with playing one of the best and most enjoyable games I've played in years......but its still not better than EDF.

                                 Deus Ex: Human Revolution (X360 version not PC one)

Anyways its the prequel to the cult classic and critically adored Deus Ex and Deus Ex: Invisible War. And, well, it sure lives up to the linage it was birthed from. Its a first person action/RPG/shooter that bends preconceived notions on just how to tell a good story but also how you PLAY the game itself. There is no right or wrong way to approach the challenges this presents to you as you lead Adam Jensen as he searches for the answers to who attacked the corp he worked for and who murdered his ex-girlfriend during the attack (also scientist). Guns blazing, complete stealth, hacking computers, taking bribes, being the very best humanity can offer or giving into becoming a slave to the machine through your augments.

Control wise its pretty standard shooter load out. And at first those who do play more shooters will see where things (like targeting and jumping) could have been tuned up and made more responsive. Graphics are really well done and atmospheric using a primary black and gold color scheme to give the whole game a very noir look. And it looks amazing. Just wait until you see what Detroit looks like with all the tall buildings, advertisements, slums, people....you can see where they took the look of Blade Runner as inspiration. Then when you get to China.....it gets better. Eidos manages to make the environment both open and welcoming as well as oppressive simultaneously.

Voice acting could have been better but that's just a nit pick from me. There was just times Adam sounded like Christian Bale doing the Batman voice from The Dark Knight. And the story is the real gem here. Its engaging, compelling and has enough plot twists to keep you guessing all the way to the very end and the 4 possible outcomes that occur. I invested about 20-25 hours and I could have kept going for another 80+.
I'm also into my 2nd play through this time bend more on all stealth and computer skills to get the job done. 3rd play through is all guns blazing. Its sublime folks. Go play and love it.

Finally its official that I'm getting furloughed again for the fall/winter (read: layoff). I'm out from October 1st through January 3rd 2012. It sucks but on the bright side I can clean up more in the townhouse and pack stuff back up as Jess & I are on the formal house hunt, Oh and I will have more time to keep up with this and keep spreading my juvenile opinion into the great information mesh.

And play Resistance 3.....which is the best game Insomniac has EVER MADE. I'll review it in depth but to give a small idea of just how much I'm enjoying it.....its *almost* beats out EDF for most fun playing games this year (so far).

In closing I do want to thank the folk that occasionally stop in to read my stream of consciousness of Internet babble. And please share your thoughts too. I always like explaining how people are wrong....er.....I love reading others opinions to cause healthy debate.