Adventurer's League Season 2 (Upper Track part 1)

All right Game Fans, we’re continuing with our look at the 2nd season of the Adventurer’s League for Dungeons and Dragons, 5th edition.  Unlike last season, we’re not going to take these adventures in numeric order, but we’ve split them up into two different tracks based off of their suggested character level.  Today we’re looking at the first two adventures for the upper level track, DDEX 2-3 The Drowned Tower and DDEX 2-4 Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines.  Let’s dive in, and take a closer look at the next part of Season 2

The Hidden Wars (Star League Era)

While the Star League is often referred to as an era of peace and prosperity, there are several conflicts that help shape this period.  We’re going to briefly cover these topics and the effect that they had on the Star League at the time, and how they shaped future policy decisions.  There are four pivotal events that had lasting effects on the Star League and its member states.  

 

Gearing up for Cthulhu (Last step of Character Building)

All right Game Fans, it’s Halloween and we’re going to cover the last step of building an Investigator for Call of Cthulhu today.  The last thing we’re going to need for our Investigator is to gear up for the myriad of potential things you could bump into while investigating the Mythos. Bear in mind, you aren’t playing Oregon Trail, so you need to figure out exactly what your character has on hand, and what he or she can lay his or her grubby mitts on when the situation demands. Let’s take a closer look at equipping yourself in Call of Cthulhu.

Player's Choice (Half-Orcs)

Player's Choice (Half-Orc Edition)

So you’ve taken a hard look at Dungeons and Dragons and decided that it’s time to make your first character for Dungeons & Dragons.  First off, welcome to the family.  You’ve taken your first steps into a world of shared storytelling and high adventure.  We’re going to take a look at the process for building your character and go over the options you have available in the Player’s Handbook (we use the 5th edition, as it’s the most recent, and we think it’s one of the most accessible systems we’ve seen in a long time.).  So grab your scratch paper, your pencil, and your character sheet as we explore the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons.

Filling in the Background (Character Building advice for Call of Cthulhu)

All right Game Fans, we’re back to finish up our character building for Call of Cthulhu

We’ve Rolled our Attributes, generated our statistics, picked a profession, and assigned our skill points.  We’re coming in on the home stretch but we’re at one the most important parts of constructing a character, building the Backstory.  Let’s take a look at Building a Backstory, Call of Cthulhu style.  Call of Cthulhu gives you a lot of leeway for building a backstory, and they offer a variety of tables to help inspire you.  We’re going to use that narrative tool for building a backstory, to give you folks at home an idea of how the tables works.  

 

Puzzle Quest (Dungeon Mastering Advice)

All right Game Fans, today we’re going to talk about Puzzles and how to include in your encounters.  Puzzles are a staple of the fantasy genre and really came into their own with the rise of video games. Puzzles can include Movable blocks, hidden floor panels, and other combinations of environmentally based scenic elements  that can be manipulated to effect a change in the environment of the area.  They also represent password protected areas or barriers that prevent movement forward (The secret door into the Mines of Moria, for example).  Let’s take a closer look at puzzles and some of the best ways to incorporate them into your game, and some suggestions on puzzle traps to avoid.  

 

The Star League Era (Technology Ascendant)

Hey Game Fans, we’re back with another look at the Star League Era for Battletech.  Today we’re going to take a look at the Military technology of the Era and how it shaped both the Star League Era and the Eras that followed.  We’re going to feature specifically Unit types that have their time in the sun during this period as well, and hope you can see how many of the in-universe experts in Battletech refer to this as the peak of humankind’s technological development.  

 

Player's Choice (Half-Elf Edition)

So you’ve taken a hard look at Dungeons and Dragons and decided that it’s time to make your first character for Dungeons & Dragons.  First off, welcome to the family.  You’ve taken your first steps into a world of shared storytelling and high adventure.  We’re going to take a look at the process for building your character and go over the options you have available in the Player’s Handbook (we use the 5th edition, as it’s the most recent, and we think it’s one of the most accessible systems we’ve seen in a long time.).  So grab your scratch paper, your pencil, and your character sheet as we explore the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons.

Player's Choice (Gnome Edition)

So you’ve taken a hard look at Dungeons and Dragons and decided that it’s time to make your first character for Dungeons & Dragons.  First off, welcome to the family.  You’ve taken your first steps into a world of shared storytelling and high adventure.  We’re going to take a look at the process for building your character and go over the options you have available in the Player’s Handbook (we use the 5th edition, as it’s the most recent, and we think it’s one of the most accessible systems we’ve seen in a long time.).  So grab your scratch paper, your pencil, and your character sheet as we explore the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons.

The Reunification War (Battletech)

Hey Battletech Fans, we’re back with another feature on the Star League Era for Battletech.  Today we’re taking a look at the conflict that serves as the origin of the Star League, the Reunification War.  The Reunification War has several different perspectives to take a look at, and I’m going to cover the broadest strokes of that conflict.  If you’re interested in more, I strongly encourage you to dive into the Historical: Reunification War book from Catalyst Game Labs.  It’s the book i’m using to put this write up together for you, and will hopefully give you depth of details you’re looking for.

Adventurer's League Season 1 (Part VIII, the finale)

All right Game Fans, we’re back with our final look at the first season of Dungeons and Dragons organized play, The Tyranny of Dragons.  We’ve had a heck of a ride so far folks, but we’re at the final adventure in this season, DDEX 1-14, Escape From Phlan.  We will still be covering the Rise of Tiamat Hardcover adventure and take a bit of a break before we start the write up for Season 2.  We have looked at this from the perspective of participating in the Adventurer’s League organized play campaign, so we’ll focus on it from that and go from there.    Let’s see how this particular adventure season ends, and prepare to bid a fond farewell to the city of Phlan.  

DFA: Renegades Week 2

Hey Game Fans, Sorry we didn't post anything, we were out of the office with the flu.  Today we're back with a look at the second episode of Death From Above: Renegades.  For those not aware, Renegades is an eight week mini-series put on by Hyper-RPG and the fine folks at Zombie Orpheus Entertainment and is a parallel story to the main Death from Above plot.  It centers around Jackrabbit, a MechWarrior for a frontier/wild west style travelling show, and his two companions Cade and Mack.  The rest of the principal cast are Cotton, a successful mercenary MechCommander and Smalls, a young and freshly tested MechWarrior.  This week's episode starts with the return of Cotton's mercenary command and then things just go sort of wrong...

Player's Choice (Dragonborn Edition)

So you’ve taken a hard look at Dungeons and Dragons and decided that it’s time to make your first character for Dungeons & Dragons.  First off, welcome to the family.  You’ve taken your first steps into a world of shared storytelling and high adventure.  We’re going to take a look at the process for building your character and go over the options you have available in the Player’s Handbook (we use the 5th edition, as it’s the most recent, and we think it’s one of the most accessible systems we’ve seen in a long time.).  So grab your scratch paper, your pencil, and your character sheet as we explore the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons.

 

Adventurer's League Season 1 (Part 7)

ll right Game Fans, we’re back with another look at the first season of Dungeons and Dragons organized play, The Tyranny of Dragons.  We are looking at this from the perspective of participating in the Adventurer’s League organized play campaign, so we’ll focus on it from that and go from there.    Today we’re going to check out DDEX 1-12 Raiders of the Twilight Marsh, and DDEX 1-13 Pool of Radiance Resurgent

Player's Choice (Human Edition)

So you’ve taken a hard look at Dungeons and Dragons and decided that it’s time to make your first character for Dungeons & Dragons.  First off, welcome to the family.  You’ve taken your first steps into a world of shared storytelling and high adventure.  We’re going to take a look at the process for building your character and go over the options you have available in the Player’s Handbook (we use the 5th edition, as it’s the most recent, and we think it’s one of the most accessible systems we’ve seen in a long time.).  So grab your scratch paper, your pencil, and your character sheet as we explore the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons.

Caravaneers Warband (This is Not a Test)

First things first, we made a little boo boo in our last article.  Specialists are not an exclusive ⅓ ratio for determining their inclusion in a warband, they are inclusive ⅓ .  What this means is that as long as the ratio is 1 specialist plus 2 other guys is maintained, you can include as many specialists as you like.  The previous reported way was 1 specialist to 3 other guys, and is incorrect.  Our bad.  

Now then, onto our article for the day, a look at the Caravanners warband for This is Not a Test.  The Caravanners have a lot of options for a player, though they are the only warband in the core rulebook that has a single leader choice.  Let’s take a look at each section of the roster and see what fun we can find.

Creating an Investigator (Call of Cthulhu)

Hey Game Fans, today we’re going to take a closer look at building a character for the Call of Cthulhu 7th edition.  If you want to follow along, grab your copy of the Investigator’s Handbook, and I’ll try to give you page numbers to follow along with.  Sound Good?  Wonderful, let’s dive right into the atmospheric horror adventures of the Call of Cthulhu.

The Star League Era

The Star League is often looked back upon with nostalgia.  It was the last time that humanity was united under a single banner.  Technological revolutions, Scientific research, and colonization of new worlds rapidly changed the face of the Inner Sphere.  The Cameron dynasty, rulers of the Terran Hegemony (A state of technological advanced worlds around Terra), had united the five great houses of the Inner Sphere under their banner, and with the power of their armies, brought the Periphery to heel.  It was an age of peace, but it could not last.

Force Operations Part II (Rolling some dice and stuff)

Hey Battletech Fans, we’re back with another look at using the Contract rules in Campaign Operations.  Check back through our blog for anything with a title like Force Construction to figure out how we got here.  It’s January of 3025, and the Tombstones are ready to roll for their first assignment from the Comstar Overlords...i mean mercenary work.  As a government force, they always have the option to take a garrison contract which pays all of their peacetime costs if a different contract is unavailable.  Let’s dig right in.

Adventurer's League Season 1, Part 6

ll right Game Fans, we’re back with another look at the first season of Dungeons and Dragons organized play, The Tyranny of Dragons.  We are looking at this from the perspective of participating in the Adventurer’s League organized play campaign, so we’ll focus on it from that and go from there.    Today we’re going to check out DDEX 1-10 Tyranny in Phlan, and DDEX 1-11 Dark Pyramid of Sorcerer’s Isle