[Book Recommendation] Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

This book was recommended to me and I'm going to grab it through the Libby app. It was mentioned like this:

...like Samone and his coffee plants...

Ooh, that's a memory I'd not retrieved in a while. First here's the book.

My stepbrother played in a Dark Sun campaign that I ran back in the day, and he played a Halfling Druid/Thief that had a home base just east of Gulg at a small hidden hot-spring oasis. At some point, he tried coffee and decided to grow his own along with other food for himself. This book mentioned above is about an adventurer who retired and opened a coffee shop.

I've queued this up from my library, but I may purchase a copy if I like it enough. Check it out for yourself!

Troll Lord Games

For the home of Castles & Crusades, check out Troll Lord Games and their Facebook page.

What Kind of Wizard Are You?

Created with QuizFarm.com. You scored as Enchantment. You are an Enchanter. You cast spells to affect another creature's mind. You can make them angry, sad, pumped up, or even your friend. You'd make a great diplomat I'm sure.

Enchantment		80%
Transmutation		70%
Conjuration		70%
Universal		60%
Divination		60%
Evocation		50%
Abjuration		50%
Illusion		50%
Necromancy		40%

Want to find out What Kind of Wizard Are You?

"My Art is Being Ignored!"

Like most DMs, I've been in that spot where I've put in a lot of hard work to develop a game session, but the players seem to be trashing it or wrecking it. Who better to dispense advice than Jason Nelson-Brown in his Wizards.com - Save My Game article.

Understand this -- Your players will never, Never, EVER be as interested in the fine details of your world and your campaign as you are.

Pretty much lays it out there plainly.

Jenniverse.com - Toymallet

I don't know if I've mentioned it previously, but I do not play miniatures games, although I must admit the idea caught my interest briefly. A lot of table-top role-players will get into miniatures as an offshoot of their main hobby and for some folks there is no separation. The type of games I'm referring to here are Warhammer, Warhammer 40k, D&D Battlesystem or the newer D&D Miniatures. I really do get the attraction and there have been times that I wished I had the time, energy and finances to devote to these games.

However, one thing has always held me back. There are really two aspects to getting into these games. The first half is the planning, strategy and the actual gameplay. At it's core, this is the fun part. The second half is the preparation, planning, collecting and painting. Mostly, there is a lot of detailed painting that those who seriously get into mass table-top strategy combat. This is where I lose interest. I appreciate the artistry and the patience it must take, but I'm not really going to sit down patiently and do it myself. I've been told that you can buy pre-painted units or just play with them unpainted. But I'd bet the purists that someone might play against would sneer. Perhaps the fact that the miniatures are still expensive would be reason enough.

Warhammer - Romans vs Macedonians

Originally uploaded by oldstudent1955

Perhaps that's why Jennifer Reitz' Toymallet interested me immediately. The book is a free product that is a parody of Games Workshop, creators of Warhammer and Warhammer 40k. The book is readable online or downloadable as a .PDF. It details how to play a table-top war game with terrain and dice and soldiers using whatever random cheap toys and figures that the gamer might already have around the house. Plastic green army men, hello kitty figurines, gumby toys and just about anything can be used to build an army. Now, be clear on the understanding that although this is in some ways a 'parody' of actual miniatures wargames, it is in fact a 100% real game, play-tested and complete. It's also simple and easy to learn with rules that make a lot of sense right off the page.

Miniature Gaming on the Cheap

Welcome to the world of totally cheap tabletop wargaming! Why spend buckets of cash on a superior, worthwhile product when you can download this crappy cheap ass parody of Warhammer 40K? Now you too can roll fistfulls of dice to see who split whos testicl...

I'd love to play this game. I have action figures and little plastic guys that would work well. More importantly, the concept of this game could be quickly dropped into the middle of any campaign if the players are called to lead a battle. Check out Jenniverse.com for more information.

There's a precedent for this in my experience, because at least one Dark Sun adventure that incorporated the older Battlesystem rules at the surprise climax of the adventure. The PCs can become embroiled in a massive battle that they lead against the invaders. This would make that battle possible without acquiring all those pewter figures and get right down to the fast-paced battle. I love it!

More Information On Miniatures Gaming

• Wizards.com - D&D Miniatures
• Wikipedia: Miniature Wargaming
• Final Liberation: Warhammer Epic 40,000 for PC - Final Liberation looks and feels like a traditional turn-based wargame, but meticulous gameplay balance and dozens of imaginative units set it apart.
• Design & Development: Dreamblade
• Miniatures & Games
• Dragon Avenue - D&D Miniatures

Twenty Sided » How to Find a Gaming Group

Here is a great read from Shamus Young's Twenty Sided for any beginning gamer looking to get a non-gamer interested in the hobby. I'm hoping it helps someone to start a group.

Occasionally I get emails from people expressing interest in playing D&D. I'm pretty flattered that they would come to me for advice. Being well-connected to the hobby and being able to make fun of the hobby are two different things, and I have much more of the latter. I feel bad that I can't help people more, particularly since many of them decided to try out roleplaying based on what they read here at the site.

The Fear the Boot podcast tackles this very subject this week. They are talking about gamers who have lost their existing group, but their advice works just as well for newcomers. I also stand by advice I gave a long time ago: Buy the two core D&D rulebooks - the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Player's Handbook. Give them a read, and have a friend roll up a character "just to help you practice". The dice are very appealing and the process of making up a character is a lot of fun. They are very likely to become hooked right then.

Agree or disagree? Comment below or go to Twenty Sided.

Dungeon Tile Mapper -- v1.2.0

Creating and sharing dungeon maps online has become even easier. Check out the following example.

Here is a great tool that I saw today on Wizards.com

You've probably seen our Dungeon Tiles previews in our monthly "Previews" article series and may even have scored a copy of these cool tiles. By now you probably have hundreds of cool dungeon designs running around your head. But how can you create these dungeons and share them with your friends?

They are hosting the Dungeon Tile Tool, created by a fan of the game. There is an online version, or a version you can download to your local machine. Try it out for yourself at Wizards.com.

Seraph Inn

Here is another fantasy-based online comic I've been reading lately.

The story of Inverloch centers around a young man named Acheron, from a horned wolf-like race called the da'kor. After a chance encounter with an elf, he finds himself setting out on a seemingly innocent mission - that of trying to locate Kayn'dar, another elf who has been missing for the past twelve years.

Please visit Seraph Inn to follow Acheron's adventures in Inverlock by Sarah Ellerton.

Portrait by Yosai

This one made me really laugh. I believe it is a parody of a Reagan quote.

There is something eminently laughable about the dichotomy of the Paladin. They are agents of goodness and lawfulness by training, but they --like all mortals-- are not perfect. To the Paladin, this lack of perfection is sometimes ignored. One of the best examples of the story of a stereotypical Paladin "in game" is in Order of the Stick in the form of Miko Miyazaki. Though she was a side character, her arrival and eventual downfall seems a grand story unto itself.

Dungeons and Dragons - Leeroy Jenkins Wannabes

I'll have to find the animated version of this, as it's much funnier.

A reprisal of an old audio file by Dr. Demento about the evil of dungeons and dragons preformed by me and my friends. I spelt Tony wrong on the video. I will soon post an outtakes video. Enjoy.

See this video on Google Video.

Star Wars vs. D&D - Google Video

Here is another spoof video. This time the clip makes fun of Dungeons & Dragons and Star Wars at the same time.

See the full video on Google Video.

Fear of Girls© - Google Video

I love spoofs about gaming and gaming critics. Partly this stems from the fact that they sometimes closely match my experiences. I read or watch them and think Hey, I've totally done that! The other reason I like them is that I think this is a hobby where it would be very easy for people to take things too seriously. If you can't laugh at yourself (or a parody of yourself) you are in just such a danger. Here is a great one which is sure to be a classic.

See more about Fear of Girls© on Google Video.

Anti-D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) Spoof

There have always been critics of Dungeons & Dragons and they have made some serious warning videos. Here is a spoof of those warning videos that is funny.

Did he say "drownding"? And what does the banana have to do with anything? See the larger version of this video on Google Video.