tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-325711373984914952024-03-10T16:08:58.380-06:00The Vanishing TowerFantasy is the playground of the inappropriate.Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.comBlogger486125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-86493531298303551012023-12-18T18:30:00.005-07:002023-12-18T20:23:38.201-07:00OSR Wilderness Fundraiser Delivers, again (cont.)<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYAfHBD_uCAXXQ_mAlpfp6hlGEwyprLjuEV_ien3W1gt9W1jeKRZC7kX053y83hI2Nl-oReD0JzhTZn-DVSxBLtEjulkxZexc-bUdfbvZAPnhwM71gFyyX1mT44ZnoeGZENaEF31AUoaqlTjizZlxipGzU3cxOP2TZH5kfNLw-G7TLdott_BpA3CJug/s800/croo.png" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYAfHBD_uCAXXQ_mAlpfp6hlGEwyprLjuEV_ien3W1gt9W1jeKRZC7kX053y83hI2Nl-oReD0JzhTZn-DVSxBLtEjulkxZexc-bUdfbvZAPnhwM71gFyyX1mT44ZnoeGZENaEF31AUoaqlTjizZlxipGzU3cxOP2TZH5kfNLw-G7TLdott_BpA3CJug/s320/croo.png" width="320" /></a>Continued <a href="https://vanishingtower.blogspot.com/2021/09/osr-wilderness-gaming-fundraiser.html?showComment=1702316559344#c5590320920984974465" target="_blank">from this initial announcement</a>, that is. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mission OSR II can be reported a success. This "ascent" is happening much later in the hiking season than should be attempted for the seriousness of the mission so I do not feel bad about just getting to the Highlands Center at the Zealand Trailhead. This time of the year the actual trailhead is gated. This has the effect of turning a 5-1/2 mile hike into an 11 mile hike. In icy snow with higher than usual river crossings. The weather on Wednesday was for shit too. Whiteout conditions closed in on I93 just as I hit my old hometown and punched through Franconia Notch. My brother took the right onto Route 302 towards Bretton Woods and pointed the way to the AMC Center's dusted lot. The wind was fierce and icy blasts bit hard into my face as I hustled across the snow-drifted entry into the massive conference center. My triple layer of base layer, fleece, and down sweater were pathetically inadequate for any real hiking on a day like today.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Luck was with the Irish though. The caretakers for Zealand Hut Croo were scheduled to attend high-level meetings the very next day. The front desk receptionist was sure to make sure the game kit got into their hands and into the cabin. I was too tired to take any photos on site, but here are the photos of the finished product which was delivered. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLRJRuw8QLgw8wFtpzIgEimYIYmxs2lSsnMBT2nCu6TNFcDRV4W65JbU2uBWpJ5x0McIuXU7j1xmyGmkS6AkmcvsAyRA7AsLiHfgzgKtkun1kKrsMt3kAui_3AiB2E14-_MsSwKVwz4D3vGoWTDJbfSGdLBr62zEbR2mLPdOytKF96vimwXhQeua4Ng/s800/croo3.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLRJRuw8QLgw8wFtpzIgEimYIYmxs2lSsnMBT2nCu6TNFcDRV4W65JbU2uBWpJ5x0McIuXU7j1xmyGmkS6AkmcvsAyRA7AsLiHfgzgKtkun1kKrsMt3kAui_3AiB2E14-_MsSwKVwz4D3vGoWTDJbfSGdLBr62zEbR2mLPdOytKF96vimwXhQeua4Ng/s320/croo3.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0I3qeMy2bKc7oAETaK5VzcBBMrHn49tNiPnqpLaZXxWnU_Cupq0M9UEuMrybxR6DVGpcLEQIYdC0pxPYAPJ61odNn2BXbCHUzk9TOJ9AWOkfRO-UVy7CkkDU4jg9dEkj6pCFa5eKttLTr81ZNRLzrx7S6wRJRFF-dsiabAyA8xVpTcNtd6T3PFu0HTQ/s800/croo2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0I3qeMy2bKc7oAETaK5VzcBBMrHn49tNiPnqpLaZXxWnU_Cupq0M9UEuMrybxR6DVGpcLEQIYdC0pxPYAPJ61odNn2BXbCHUzk9TOJ9AWOkfRO-UVy7CkkDU4jg9dEkj6pCFa5eKttLTr81ZNRLzrx7S6wRJRFF-dsiabAyA8xVpTcNtd6T3PFu0HTQ/s320/croo2.png" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-88410479700580833622023-12-06T20:29:00.007-07:002023-12-06T20:46:13.961-07:00Gaming & Garbage<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFnNy-tNz9TeuKYbBhaSjeUWjkvUi40NmvFFIrIqMFbqvD_3Rd6QxXkJSyFIZnst-xk8BZ8dW-VZZdK3aGvsOY71Mn91fT6IJRei8r4F7W4PND3439B5L-rxtSdItovUptvDIHh9GIab6I51CewNx7iSMoNNkyQP5tLkUieML5zgBl7RaZCrNFwHX8Q/s2000/Pen-and-Paper-Games.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFnNy-tNz9TeuKYbBhaSjeUWjkvUi40NmvFFIrIqMFbqvD_3Rd6QxXkJSyFIZnst-xk8BZ8dW-VZZdK3aGvsOY71Mn91fT6IJRei8r4F7W4PND3439B5L-rxtSdItovUptvDIHh9GIab6I51CewNx7iSMoNNkyQP5tLkUieML5zgBl7RaZCrNFwHX8Q/s320/Pen-and-Paper-Games.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I'm hitting the road in a few days and it will involve some gaming projects. It is time off for me so I </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">will get a chance to isolate and write. I will also be visiting friends and family. So chance to game face-to-face with old acquaintances. Who have also been active in the game industry. One has been an artist for some of the coolest independent creators out there, come to find out. Had him do the new maps in Shrine of the Keepers! The other friend published a board game with Ultra Pro which went on to a second printing. Which is good in the board game business. </span></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What I cherish most about these two friendships is I got the two of them back into TTRPG's.<a href="https://vanishingtower.blogspot.com/2012/08/first-game-out-west-was-back-east.html"> I wrote about getting a face to face game going like 11 years ago</a> when I started this blog. It was this 7 hour long session which got my illustrating friend to active in engaging the industry to sell his illustrations. And he has been doing well. The other friend dragged me to Gencon 2017 to help him with his board game. He couldn't believe I was still playing rpg's. I hadn't been. Just rediscovered them. I got him into my online Basic DnD game which renewed his interest. He went on to run a Gamma World 1E campaign which, while short lived at 20 or so sessions, it was epic Gamma World. A setting guide has come of it and I will be working on getting it closer to publication with him this coming week. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KYt46pHbXVrRb1lutiP2zK3PmTeKn2Qe3FyIEkRgjwVbftqByZWeZ5I6Y0fDeh9zKiSUaQmzDH9A9foRv_kUrhJ1SWV5zmuHj3hpmbv1Gl3qACNXF1KrXU4rgEcecMiiXdafTIQEVUDxH7Bzhyphenhyphenyp3c8sNARmxm4xta_jqdf_r4NF_CyPX17eV3utyA/s1600/basic.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KYt46pHbXVrRb1lutiP2zK3PmTeKn2Qe3FyIEkRgjwVbftqByZWeZ5I6Y0fDeh9zKiSUaQmzDH9A9foRv_kUrhJ1SWV5zmuHj3hpmbv1Gl3qACNXF1KrXU4rgEcecMiiXdafTIQEVUDxH7Bzhyphenhyphenyp3c8sNARmxm4xta_jqdf_r4NF_CyPX17eV3utyA/s320/basic.png" width="261" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh yes, <a href="https://vanishingtower.blogspot.com/2021/09/osr-wilderness-gaming-fundraiser.html">I will be able to deliver another slip case to an AMC Hut with Basic Fantasy Roleplaying Game and adventures inside</a>. A gift for the Croo of volunteers which run the huts each summer. This will be the second one (the first being delivered to Madison Springs Hut) and I will be delivering it to the Zealand Falls Hut. This hut is open year round so will be accessible this time of the year instead of being closed up. Hopefully I won't have to do much post-holing along the trail. Not sure what the snow conditions are like in New Hampshire right now. </span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">And I am going to finish the week off with getting my parents in a game of DnD. It is about time I got my parents involved in a game which I vexed them to no end with as a child. I would not get my nose out from game books when I found rpg's for the first time. My singleness of focus at times would freak them out. Time to stop being so selfish with my passions. I will get Mom, Dad, my brother and his wife and they will have fun damn it! I probably should live stream it....</span><p></p></div>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-47125483409504950302023-11-25T22:13:00.002-07:002023-11-25T22:13:28.826-07:00SPI's Kharkov Wargame Live Play<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_X1XKHKLSb5v_tkK97KsJOCg1v2uD8TosrxJYTx2CDJmBP2n3wAGEFWByhMlFZIfwW84fvgiPUBKvpR2U43_d39j2luZyFFmrh2YY33FUnozv3kOJB-G7vaWQNA1Xn3RVTugbLdIskFM7a6jUW1WqwxTl5BEGhm4W9FBmKMNyNSpcstK7_vGatrgKFw/s4032/INITIAL_SETUP.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Karla;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_X1XKHKLSb5v_tkK97KsJOCg1v2uD8TosrxJYTx2CDJmBP2n3wAGEFWByhMlFZIfwW84fvgiPUBKvpR2U43_d39j2luZyFFmrh2YY33FUnozv3kOJB-G7vaWQNA1Xn3RVTugbLdIskFM7a6jUW1WqwxTl5BEGhm4W9FBmKMNyNSpcstK7_vGatrgKFw/s320/INITIAL_SETUP.png" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Karla;"> I just finished playing (solo) the first 5 turns of <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4207/kharkov-soviet-spring-offensive-1942" target="_blank">Kharkov The Soviet Spring Offensive</a> from SPI. It is a game out of the magazine Strategy & Tactics May-June 1978 issue. After playing out the first two turn I fired up the YouTube channel and started a live stream. Played turns 3, 4, and 5 online. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0xO2ob2F_VmeGZW8xvHvVp7A9puHxFVtcEUefhUosSbx2dcQ7V6hZVEK9DfFW6nB0w4oOaHBFZ0gTAD9BMiYiJbHLS49rg5d8EDiUcgHoe3P7zgXDvjZOW8Un-KP_1Oc82KoD_b6c0xND9Hh4F2A-_pLR1nvHzxzCfvIPXsec586QHX9FeFW4HKtIA/s4032/6th%20army%20out%20west.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Karla;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0xO2ob2F_VmeGZW8xvHvVp7A9puHxFVtcEUefhUosSbx2dcQ7V6hZVEK9DfFW6nB0w4oOaHBFZ0gTAD9BMiYiJbHLS49rg5d8EDiUcgHoe3P7zgXDvjZOW8Un-KP_1Oc82KoD_b6c0xND9Hh4F2A-_pLR1nvHzxzCfvIPXsec586QHX9FeFW4HKtIA/s320/6th%20army%20out%20west.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Karla;">The Russian 28th army broke out easily in the north, and 6th army began enveloping the German units south-southeast of Kharkov. The high mark of the Spring Offensive includes taking (but not keeping) one of the Kharkov city hexes, scoring 2 victory points each turn for breaking the German front line, cutting supply to those German units in the pocket formed by the surrounding 6th, and running several units far out west threatening to take Poltava!</span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">As the look of turn 6 shapes up it is apparent it is a race against time to take Poltava before these Russian units are cut off and out of supply. Operation Fredricus was unleashed on turn 5 and the Russian southern front line <i>evaporated</i> and Panzer spearheads cut straight to the Donets River. The German's historical result of bagging the whole Russian offensive and annihilating it is clearly evident on the game board!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">You can see the video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/phY22P8tdDI?si=XvIkdJqpRdimhF6-" target="_blank">here</a>. The live stream scheduled for tomorrow morning where I finish the rest of the game (turns 6-10) is found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@vanishingtowerpress2786/streams" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p><span style="font-family: Karla;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-46128897404804288382023-11-07T07:59:00.006-07:002023-12-02T19:25:25.592-07:00Wellington's Victory House Rules<p> I love almost everything about the TSR monster wargame Wellington's Victory. Except the ability to stack 9 skirmish units together and bulldoze through formed infantry. I, for some time, did not believe this issue actually existed and were just so much grognard grumblings. But then I found it, the rule in the book which allows this. I had missed this rule all these years. Probably because it isn't how I envision skirmish units being used in a Napoleon-era battle. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIbhkwzMj7Cde747qbvu8kbGOFnhQ1Ub2nEOm4RcyyTGxPevn7SBDzKpz_U6IH4hNOz9s4lx9cuZsdls5z2aU9vPE-RGWDvonUB2ZVlAhviilbk1oRgzJFcBofUhONWIgmaRdszWJ32zpSwzkWdO8NKc4Ovq-IBPgn4Ot_BXILqLARUAc6JP97zSS_g/s1476/pic3086716.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1476" data-original-width="1138" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIbhkwzMj7Cde747qbvu8kbGOFnhQ1Ub2nEOm4RcyyTGxPevn7SBDzKpz_U6IH4hNOz9s4lx9cuZsdls5z2aU9vPE-RGWDvonUB2ZVlAhviilbk1oRgzJFcBofUhONWIgmaRdszWJ32zpSwzkWdO8NKc4Ovq-IBPgn4Ot_BXILqLARUAc6JP97zSS_g/s320/pic3086716.png" width="247" /></a></div><p>The discussions and variants are legion on solving this niggling stone in the shoe of an otherwise great game. Last I had the game on the table was this time last year. Well, Vassal actually (it is a 'monster' game) because it is the only reasonable way for me to keep a game set up over a long period of time. And I couldn't move very far into the game with this issue weighing on my mind. </p><p>Another year, as I have pointed out, has passed by as fast as summer in the Rockies, and I have a set of "house" rules I am going to try out and see how it modifies the game. The rules are as such:</p><p><span style="color: red;"><b>Still playing the game right now RAW. I have some morale check questions for skirmish units I need to parse out answers for. Until then I cannot try variants because there as yet not be a "problem" needing fixing.</b></span></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-68124334693877364032023-11-05T08:57:00.002-07:002023-11-05T08:57:38.328-07:00The Press on Nerd’s Variety Cast<p> I get interviewed by Jason on all things USR and then some!</p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2AqxZqRfYz9ZXjwOIj4BPs?si=HZonwaaeQIeZA3mGD2je4A">Nerd’s Variety Cast</a></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-71859387485337537602023-10-25T09:53:00.000-06:002023-10-25T09:53:02.595-06:00Super Simple Death Save for Dungeons & Dragons<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> This is an old-school take and most likely not relevant to 5e of the worlds most popular board game. But for your OSR game it fits the tropes of early play. Also, someone has probably already thought of this and has put it out there. I just haven't seen it yet. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifalTeOM0j3Tmsg6kO07tVPuTc49I-i76SgYN5sYLrpby4t82mYgodO_MopfJO_n1Nviv0B5LSaZzq4HOE9pu4UI-7eWkfSlXLhiCZkWAYDOvyeOMWejMDkrLqsMIKYUJmDGb4VS7hEXGdrgGNvnE0e4DyMAjwAF-RF3sjWX0JmQfzmN4FIN4_VLD9QA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="717" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifalTeOM0j3Tmsg6kO07tVPuTc49I-i76SgYN5sYLrpby4t82mYgodO_MopfJO_n1Nviv0B5LSaZzq4HOE9pu4UI-7eWkfSlXLhiCZkWAYDOvyeOMWejMDkrLqsMIKYUJmDGb4VS7hEXGdrgGNvnE0e4DyMAjwAF-RF3sjWX0JmQfzmN4FIN4_VLD9QA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">When the PC reaches zero Hit Points, instead of death they may choose to reduce their Hit Die to the next smaller die size. Only have a d4 Hit Die? To bad, no death save for you.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbG_IWJINd48ESNrv2zj4phazN2YeBkPlNI7kCnC8rjxxGsEOCL92T6Hj4FWi0XmG8DhfnECP1KKnbGup6HE1DYPkkAkf7n0YL7VNcrFt9rwk46aJEA1-iCuM6Biyo6kjVdHpBmmZwWD-GeyKfCEj8RMqMWgykGslJLV81CHqx5GFQrKXKrzhd91Psuw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbG_IWJINd48ESNrv2zj4phazN2YeBkPlNI7kCnC8rjxxGsEOCL92T6Hj4FWi0XmG8DhfnECP1KKnbGup6HE1DYPkkAkf7n0YL7VNcrFt9rwk46aJEA1-iCuM6Biyo6kjVdHpBmmZwWD-GeyKfCEj8RMqMWgykGslJLV81CHqx5GFQrKXKrzhd91Psuw" width="320" /></a></div>This means Magic-User and Thief class do not get a death save, they follow the standard zero Hit Points and you are dead. Outside of the Fighter, all other classes have a d6 Hit Die, so these classes get to cheat death once. With the Fighter having a d8 Hit Die they get to save from death twice. <br /><p></p><p>It should be noted the save is automatic, there is no roll to make. And just to be clear, this does mean, moving forward, the PC rolls this new lower die for all additional levels reached.</p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-65360518473314838312023-10-23T11:41:00.001-06:002023-10-23T11:41:59.131-06:00Even Heroes Bleed is Back!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jCb1FU39ehx4jiNJeEbF-1Unoq_GDU6KuKo3L0XTpJlvgW9Te8RpYicmyb3dSGAxtRRfItYW_IKIe1c8k8PCWT9wPd9Zd33OIp7gOiA76a9RQtcBj6So78OqcTmkZhYLfI8jFIWAyE2BCfwmKGE5XJ6Krx51O8Tw6f2gxFX2Zt2cdkpa1iyax5cfqA/s2048/2E3D6B8B-6E59-4502-8FE8-F891779F8FD2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jCb1FU39ehx4jiNJeEbF-1Unoq_GDU6KuKo3L0XTpJlvgW9Te8RpYicmyb3dSGAxtRRfItYW_IKIe1c8k8PCWT9wPd9Zd33OIp7gOiA76a9RQtcBj6So78OqcTmkZhYLfI8jFIWAyE2BCfwmKGE5XJ6Krx51O8Tw6f2gxFX2Zt2cdkpa1iyax5cfqA/s320/2E3D6B8B-6E59-4502-8FE8-F891779F8FD2.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /> <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vanishing-tower/id1371795988?i=1000513458154" target="_blank">The “Even Heroes Bleed” (EHB for those legions of fans) campaign</a> has been revived, with the possibility of new heroes! <p></p><p>Continuing my road trip through old school games, EHB uses the BoHSE (Blood of Heroes Special Edition) rules, which is a 2000 retroclone of DC Heroes 3rd Edition from the now defunct Mayfair Games.</p><p>It has come to be my super hero game of choice. It does so much which modern claim to offer as new, such as narrative control, meta-currency, rules for social interaction and simple resolution mechanics. I have used it for over 2 years in regular play. Until schedules changed, and it stopped.... May, June I think. </p><p>But now it has resumed with a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/U9OLeKA62RU?si=eW5TTl8wDkN5crzQ" target="_blank">lead-off solo session with the indomitable Olympian</a>. This adventure falls right after the conclusion of “The Sinister Secrets of Starhold”, and featured Olympian turning his attention to the continued attacks by magically -embued EE’s running riot in Capitol City. Not being magically inclined, the Kordarian Paragon of Power stopped at the last scene of a serious magical attack; the Hunniford Library. There is a librarian knowledgeable in the occult at the library. He hopes to get answers which will help him track down these threats. </p><p>But first he checks in on Donna Hannah, the late Dr Avery’s granddaughter, and now a living elemental of air. She is no longer staying at the mansion, preferring to lead a “normal” life back at CCSU. Everything being all good on the home front, the librarian and super hero concoct a means to track the “Lance of Unending Pain”, the artifact stolen by Black Paladin. But it is going to take a bag of cats....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0_IFksYnJcXtuVID6EPCBMOfnIfex_zBHeuCxMBgpenToqOqdGwn_sYqTFoiK_mboYd6zysRtb14QZxoDvcYtwmrAe-VFaCOLj6CkK2BIxZGO6WwpJUNoZ7uU5LJi2YeMTGCtPIKiXUimdTD8ppBgyWuO8hhMDiJlUFMLeiVrC-yBFw3nkEdJ08axg/s2560/1008170901.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0_IFksYnJcXtuVID6EPCBMOfnIfex_zBHeuCxMBgpenToqOqdGwn_sYqTFoiK_mboYd6zysRtb14QZxoDvcYtwmrAe-VFaCOLj6CkK2BIxZGO6WwpJUNoZ7uU5LJi2YeMTGCtPIKiXUimdTD8ppBgyWuO8hhMDiJlUFMLeiVrC-yBFw3nkEdJ08axg/s320/1008170901.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I love the fully realized campaign games I have been playing since returning to ttrpgs. Without one the blog and podcast seem relatively pointless. Because the general purpose of this blog is to chronicle my journeys into fully realized campaign games I never managed as a kid. Counting them off they are pulp sword & sorcery, age of sail, black powder Cthulhu, B/X D&D, Traveller/Space Opera, and now supers. </p><p>The line up appears to be the Olympian, Mettle, and Pirlvag. Mr. Zoozoo and Bug have scheduling conflicts, and a new player in Vietnam is hungry to join in. The dooms which stalk the peace of Capitol City is about to go to 11! </p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-44561852732492653772023-10-04T07:44:00.003-06:002023-10-04T07:44:37.164-06:00Delta Green First Time<p><span style="font-family: Montserrat;"> It happens ever so often, I throw out a willingness to run something specific for a one-shot and a few people respond and it gets off the ground for one, two, or three sessions as the particular plot is played out. Most of the times nothing happens. Time doesn't work or no interest in the game proposed. This time I tried something a wincey different, I offered to run whatever a small group of players wanted to to try out. This got three to four people wanting to play Delta Green. Perfect! </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Montserrat;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6pOo6t3t71Th9sir6jVP_zHWM-P6cPwUeZjCewUJchlP8uv0nUA6DQZNLd2sFtuz3tGtv5IN7m2N6BWUvEoj7HMs3lMFr4wJSK3dkm_QzoHxdDlGTmQCI2DWOa7FEljQUvbou3idOZu7Np-TqXLy6ENsKRsoIAAjmdmgSZJEBJZ3sMJhpsnLmMVPfdQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6pOo6t3t71Th9sir6jVP_zHWM-P6cPwUeZjCewUJchlP8uv0nUA6DQZNLd2sFtuz3tGtv5IN7m2N6BWUvEoj7HMs3lMFr4wJSK3dkm_QzoHxdDlGTmQCI2DWOa7FEljQUvbou3idOZu7Np-TqXLy6ENsKRsoIAAjmdmgSZJEBJZ3sMJhpsnLmMVPfdQ" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Montserrat;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat;">Delta Green is modern conspiracy horror. Federal Agents leading a double life as secret commandos on the front lines of supernatural conflict. Built on the venerable BRP game system from Chaosium, the game puts a focus on sanity damage and damage to relationship "Bonds". Otherwise it is straight-up monster hunting in the Cthulhu Mythos. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat;">The group consisted of some gents from Kansas and one from the UK. I used the scenario from the quick-start rules "Last Things Last" for the evenings action. I opened the adventure at Baughman's apartment. The DG agents (two of them) were sweeping the late Claud Baughman's apartment for any Cthulhu contraband the former "Friendly" may have hidden or retained in his domicile. The conspiracy must be concealed! The other two players, as regular uninitiated civilians, show up at Baughman's for their own reasons and an awkward conversation begins. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat;">This is a big part of the game, and really any session of Delta Green, coming up with valid, palatable reasons disparate individuals would work together on strange, deadly shit, let alone trust each other. We spent some time going around on this until we were all satisfied the opening made "sense". After that the game went pretty straight forward, they followed the breadcrumbs, uncovered contraband, confronted by new adversaries looking for something at the second site location, and uncovered the true horror that waited for them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Montserrat;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm_0XcPfAC5se7NmnRdn8F1LB5QX3BqKrYw1KxH4rUYUe2pdIaFeiHs2t56dhoxzogFWbaakgW-jfubS3ABP_68egd5gXPo7vmgqFLXAQwDCo0AoqTO6cMlb4czcVufybjfhevmw2rz2G2LmivCf5Zpwa9cri9Ro1dlUCpNdajkN0xe02EGN7LhqC2KQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1183" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm_0XcPfAC5se7NmnRdn8F1LB5QX3BqKrYw1KxH4rUYUe2pdIaFeiHs2t56dhoxzogFWbaakgW-jfubS3ABP_68egd5gXPo7vmgqFLXAQwDCo0AoqTO6cMlb4czcVufybjfhevmw2rz2G2LmivCf5Zpwa9cri9Ro1dlUCpNdajkN0xe02EGN7LhqC2KQ" width="183" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Montserrat;"><br />With bodies being burned and contraband secured the session wrapped up with enough material still open to play another session. Or at least we agreed to play another session. Talk about a possible continuation of a campaign was floated but none of us saw the time nor availability, so talk of a campaign was tabled, for now.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat;">The second session opened right where we last left off. We discussed whether players should get a skill check roll for chance of improvement to skills used last session. We decided not enough time had passed to warrant experience checks. The PCs also discussed their next move, which was nothing more than returning to Capitol City to their Handler and turning over the goods. The trip was immediately interrupted by more villains trying to ram them off the road. They failed Drive rolls so their 1995 Crown Victoria fishtailed into the guard rail coming to the stop. Their attackers demanded some of the contraband from the footlocker they took from Baughman's cabin. The PCs declined. This prompted the villains, one of them at least, to open up with a military-grade assault rifle and try and kill the lot of them. After much ammo was expended the thug with the machine gun was cut down and the Crown Vic was noticeably shot up. The women in the SUV, the last remaining villain, sped off in her suburban while the PCs debated whether to scope up the body in the road and speed after her, or just speed after her. They chose the latter. They decided there was nothing to tie them to the dead guy in the road (they are rural West Virginia at this point) so running down the last living mystery assailant was the best play.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat;">This second car chase goes better for the PCs, They come out on top and the woman is critically wounded (they blew her foot off with a shotgun). She just would not come quietly and tried to shoot her way out of her predicament. And cast magic! She had spoken some strange words, spells it appears. Had made one of the agents see nightmarish hallucinations and one of the civilians to shoot their handgun at an agent. As the session wound down we roleplayed the aftermath. The cops, their Federal Handler, the actual SAIC of the FBI offices in Capitol City, was brought in and we had a chance to go over consequences and next actions. I truly enjoyed playing their handler as they hashed out the events at a roadside stop under cover around some wet picnic tables in a morning drizzle. Smokes were smoked, and things supernatural hashed out. We roleplayed the civilians being introduced to the conspiracy and joining the "cause". At least long enough to find out what their prisoner/detainee wanted out of Baughman's stuff and what she intended to do with it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat;">All heady stuff, and a successful short-run adventure arc. What did I think? Well, I am well versed in the BRP game system and its many custom games using it, so as the Game Master I didn't have to fuss over rules much. I could spend time on maintaining fidelity with genre being played. Which is good because their is a lot to consider and hand-waving all these plot complications away is very unsatisfying way to play Delta Green. But once the PCs have settled into a good (enough) reason to get in a car with each other, armed with guns, and go out to a cabin in the woods.... well, the session can go for another couple of hours at least without bringing up another set of complications which has to be dealt with in the same manner. I had the usual tension of making sure I shut up often and force the PCs to talk to each other, not me. The more I could keep the conversation on their side of the table with me out of it was an intentional action. Really in a game set in "real-life" settings their is less as a Game Master you have to describe, feed into the Theater of the Mind engine environmentally-wise. Sights, sounds, smells, we all no what a wet highway and damp woods smell like. Which is a plus, because the action is not so much set-piece, site location exploration. It is interacting with people and getting away with what you are trying to do without getting arrested and trashing the character's life.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat;">So I find all modern games, set in contemporary earth must have strong, interesting NPCs to interact with. Feats and gunfights are cool. But when the players start talking in character with each other, arguing really, the game is playing well. As the GM I found my job was to be mindful of when I should interject and prod some forward action and when best to stay out of it and let the players talk their way into their next actions. Horror is tough. The intro adventure provided in the quick-start rules offers a good set up for players to get right into the complications the game sets up for the PCs. The end horror element is good. It's reveal was built up well and came at the right time in the action. I would have no problem recommending Delta Green for those wanting to play contemporary horror roleplaying!</span></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-62304123514815634982023-09-13T19:37:00.002-06:002023-09-20T07:34:59.076-06:00Treasure Island Reviews<p> There are two now posted on Drivethru.rpg. Ringing endorsements for the product all-in-all. Which is great because I don’t do this for the money. It is out there as a living thing. </p><p>Review link: <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/437116">https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/437116</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidr1C3r7arG1V4y7Ypy-XvjxXiPoVrv4F7DSa7ldbHyee6_6-dIAwWTjsB4PRjVO2dvR4oopJXdjHA9AJCf9T-7REZS4lgzcig5NIpdhZDKPpNDzwAojpCWrDzBdpTnl4OA7FNtYaq2gKNJeW2YMRAF9YqxqxnEqLQ0pkBRs3W5RLHMUjFF7HEKA-yxA/s620/pirates.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="620" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidr1C3r7arG1V4y7Ypy-XvjxXiPoVrv4F7DSa7ldbHyee6_6-dIAwWTjsB4PRjVO2dvR4oopJXdjHA9AJCf9T-7REZS4lgzcig5NIpdhZDKPpNDzwAojpCWrDzBdpTnl4OA7FNtYaq2gKNJeW2YMRAF9YqxqxnEqLQ0pkBRs3W5RLHMUjFF7HEKA-yxA/s320/pirates.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-71609311661868760442023-09-06T16:06:00.004-06:002023-09-08T17:50:58.077-06:00Western USR 3rd Edition Full Color PDF Available for Review!<p> <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/10OKwyMPaW9w1G1EMB5xG7ucQ2b6bweQX/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Here is a link to the new 3rd edition of USR</a>. This is the second of my publications to utilize AI-generated art. What I like about AI-generated art is it allows me to move forward with full-color publications without costing me my monthly mortgage. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiD54XvvdtwdSvkWLohQzpyhmywGTPv8FgjCBjNKuYiF8CLvZ1j8BvkwKgtvtOJQfQy95cnWvgfxSmTU7CkqASxLksE7KNgNHt4dEDq3hf0CVAjR1kxZaQ_rO_wJzpo_HY7fXsXdcb-FVKxBmHyXios34uuK9eNUROPak6Bmt6Pq8kH90faN9F0H0rQ/s1152/black%20gunslinger.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="896" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiD54XvvdtwdSvkWLohQzpyhmywGTPv8FgjCBjNKuYiF8CLvZ1j8BvkwKgtvtOJQfQy95cnWvgfxSmTU7CkqASxLksE7KNgNHt4dEDq3hf0CVAjR1kxZaQ_rO_wJzpo_HY7fXsXdcb-FVKxBmHyXios34uuK9eNUROPak6Bmt6Pq8kH90faN9F0H0rQ/s320/black%20gunslinger.png" width="249" /></a></div><p>I would love to pay real people to make real things for my books but my stuff has limited appeal and limited revenue potential so throwing serious cash at artwork is not feasible for the VTP. Not that I haven't done it. I truly enjoy satisfaction from paying other DIY'ers cash money for their contributions to my game books. Feeling connected to a greater hobby world through cash transactions is intention made manifest. But I still want to get books out and I want them to look as good as I can with the time available to me. </p><p>So please download for FREE my finished PDF copy of Western USR. This is the same copy which will be available on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/452231/Western-USR-3rd-Edition-Full-Color?term=western+usr?affiliate_id=414579" target="_blank">Drivethrurpg.com</a>, so yeah, a back door to free product. But please try and play it. Please shoot someone in the face utilizing the RAW, and tell me how it plays. Better yet, write a full on review of actual gameplay and I will send you a free softcover copy of the book with the actual full-color cover!</p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-21990217037990998762023-09-06T11:43:00.000-06:002023-09-06T11:43:01.740-06:00Shrine of the Keepers Now Available Full Color Hardback <p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond;">Yes, I have created my first full color publication. Shrine of the Keepers is now available as its own stand alone adventure module. I took the plunge and played around with AI to generate the full color illustrations for the adventure module. Here are some photos of the final product. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond;">It is 33 pages and by this time the adventure has been vetted for all typos, it is a clean manuscript. Hey, it is even complete with a 5e conversion guide so you can play the adventure with the world's most popular roleplaying game. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUebrnK7pfbBXSMDT1H-v71gvOJZ_Yfew9t-yUAPs7J_YujkiXGyHQLaQ3MZ_96DjJmrarCT9ACVLUxhII-BeBACsyrAV__XPWIySy3O1j0OpXBBugurFkWCDzCH72ShTMx49Q9hx2Z486tYkJb_DbOXgHtHqVDgocn67FJ3xoXvuqFfv1uZZpw0ubQ/s1079/pup.01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1013" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUebrnK7pfbBXSMDT1H-v71gvOJZ_Yfew9t-yUAPs7J_YujkiXGyHQLaQ3MZ_96DjJmrarCT9ACVLUxhII-BeBACsyrAV__XPWIySy3O1j0OpXBBugurFkWCDzCH72ShTMx49Q9hx2Z486tYkJb_DbOXgHtHqVDgocn67FJ3xoXvuqFfv1uZZpw0ubQ/s320/pup.01.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigglxfqbLgNpOoHJxOPEQo4OHs_xB13nObswuKEEYxWwBsMtpwomJ-S0Yf2xi19rVmYXnAalUQnIl5qjIVZbbWHfW2QubNPP-rsfUmOYdGmWj_rvHPE-JTuN-E3MkkRfyjTajnpEEjtUmythQlIDmI0UUMz4b1k6IpI_ZH5yeOsWs7X8uWblN7etRDHw/s1221/pup.02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1221" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigglxfqbLgNpOoHJxOPEQo4OHs_xB13nObswuKEEYxWwBsMtpwomJ-S0Yf2xi19rVmYXnAalUQnIl5qjIVZbbWHfW2QubNPP-rsfUmOYdGmWj_rvHPE-JTuN-E3MkkRfyjTajnpEEjtUmythQlIDmI0UUMz4b1k6IpI_ZH5yeOsWs7X8uWblN7etRDHw/s320/pup.02.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiordkrrbzI6JFOjN29gEAigmj-1Da6Yx4Y4BOsG8kH5LgRP4X2R_Ljuv2VSppJt6wzk4vpWD4zewM6oEjbHg_WRSTYqdNTlYG9WKT_-4eOCd7VTtE43nK_ISE8vui9nAla8Wq0Czw09SBXMyN-0LX9QeP5P0Vam12z2QMVXeM1z_kpyCJSt2tLL3nQZw/s945/pup.03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="685" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiordkrrbzI6JFOjN29gEAigmj-1Da6Yx4Y4BOsG8kH5LgRP4X2R_Ljuv2VSppJt6wzk4vpWD4zewM6oEjbHg_WRSTYqdNTlYG9WKT_-4eOCd7VTtE43nK_ISE8vui9nAla8Wq0Czw09SBXMyN-0LX9QeP5P0Vam12z2QMVXeM1z_kpyCJSt2tLL3nQZw/s320/pup.03.png" width="232" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9UfABHorL5que1V_vgtbemuBMtlqU_-GESLHO68_JYvqWa80VsgKYh6tP-xcvE6n5IDQ_xm2V2hRGdeRkEfDx9Q0EZMfvsVcQrbbhYQWK0wYe4Tkomu5rlzHkRiSLHSmqZXDSjyIK-lG-qd_xWc21D8NVjeR4oMVgVb7h1rxjT5OyeBu0rGF3GyNwQ/s1401/pup.04.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="1401" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9UfABHorL5que1V_vgtbemuBMtlqU_-GESLHO68_JYvqWa80VsgKYh6tP-xcvE6n5IDQ_xm2V2hRGdeRkEfDx9Q0EZMfvsVcQrbbhYQWK0wYe4Tkomu5rlzHkRiSLHSmqZXDSjyIK-lG-qd_xWc21D8NVjeR4oMVgVb7h1rxjT5OyeBu0rGF3GyNwQ/s320/pup.04.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: EB Garamond;">This 33 page adventure is available as a <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/444193/Shrine-of-the-Keepers?term=shrine+of+the+keepers?affiliate_id=414579" target="_blank">POD publication from Drivethrurpg.com</a>. Get your blood-soaked copy today!</span><p></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-2938468294434849002023-05-10T11:49:00.003-06:002023-05-10T11:51:46.382-06:00First Professional Writing Gig Now Available: Treasure Island!<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.nightowlworkshop.com/" target="_blank">Night Owl Workshop</a> has just released the PDF version of <i><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/437116/Treasure-Island-Adventure?term=treasure+island?affiliate_id=414579" target="_blank">Treasure Island Adventure</a></i> for your old-school roleplaying game. Ostensibly written for their game <i><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/207144/Freebooters?term=Freebooters%21?affiliate_id=414579" target="_blank">Freebooters!</a></i>, the adventure is compatible with all the usual suspects.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1S3G5ONO62OuuEwGAFeb5n_h1joY59B6BqsCPJX5o9t3_0MYTsxcS-zSTpC6Mc7i36LJd2dwxyCNV2KPPMfDAAdqscRwlpAUg3wtj0a9OhdSGzU5FYMp2eecAmgt3rsUnK71t0Hv3rkiCCUmtukKl-oU7ZB3PhnH4nu5GkDRk5QWSq243FIVDs0/s1400/treasure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1400" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1S3G5ONO62OuuEwGAFeb5n_h1joY59B6BqsCPJX5o9t3_0MYTsxcS-zSTpC6Mc7i36LJd2dwxyCNV2KPPMfDAAdqscRwlpAUg3wtj0a9OhdSGzU5FYMp2eecAmgt3rsUnK71t0Hv3rkiCCUmtukKl-oU7ZB3PhnH4nu5GkDRk5QWSq243FIVDs0/s320/treasure.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;">What do you get? The Admiral Benbow, breakdowns on all the principle characters found in the novel, city crawling rules and tables for the busy shipping port of Bristol, England, and the complete environs of the island itself. Best of all, you get a solid structure in which to work the novel as a true ttrpg adventure opportunity! </div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: medium;">This is my first "professional" writing gig and I acquired the contract from Thomas Denmark because I responded to his open call for a writer for this project. That's how it rolls in the ttrpg industry. Just force yourself in the room and say you want at it! I'm glad he took a chance on an unknown person because the subject matter is one I hold a great fondness for. I have read <i>Treasure Island </i>numerous times since a kid, so the material I was to write about was very familiar. I have also held up the novel as a master class in pace. The story moves with such a heart-pounding pace I find it a true marvel of excellent adventure writing. I chuckled the first time I learned Robert Louis Stevenson was fond of cocaine. I wonder how much this influenced the "pace" of his writing?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: medium;">Any-who, I think I nailed it. If you are looking for an old-school adventure on the Spanish Main you may not do better than this obscure output from the Vanishing Tower Press! </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond;">Full disclosure; I tried to complete a second writing assignment for Night Owl and failed miserably. So, first important freelance writing tip I can offer is don't take an assignment that you can't immediately see a "great" idea forming up worthy of a published adventure. I tried to force myself just to "produce" and I don't have it in me. I need to write on something I am passionate about achieving, or I won't get very far. Fortunately, the public is only going to see this output, </span><span style="font-family: "EB Garamond";"> </span><span style="font-family: "EB Garamond";">buy a great adventure book, and when </span><span style="font-family: "EB Garamond";">compared to my other adventure and gaming products find I can consistently put out fun, and useable stuff.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: medium;">And not all I wrote for Night Owl Workshop made it into this book. I wrote up two cool-ass adventures based on my <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/97426/Renaissance--D100-black-powder-SRD?term=renaissance+?affiliate_id=414579"><i>Renaissance</i> </a>campaign I ran in the <i>Clockwork & Chivalry </i>setting from Cakebread & Walton. The cartography needed for these two adventures was holding up release of the book so it will be released as a separate adventure package. I'm okay with that. It actually creates two more products I can list to the accomplishments of the Vanishing Tower Press.</span></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-32500347499947655152022-12-25T08:09:00.003-07:002022-12-25T08:09:14.833-07:00Game Master Advice I Never See<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond;">Surprisingly, to me, given the sheer amount of threads started by folks on this topic, I never see much reference to the source material of the genre being suggested as something essential. I mean being steeped in the genre being run. Not just a cursory read of a few books or watching a couple of movies. I mean a deep dive as if one were taking a course study in college. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-aQolhOPQ7ks0R_Q9cQc3otvsLiKrx8vKlX-hbj3ye6aFSygU4n7FgN4s4NNY2kpELaVg-NXDO-EpH7wbKjdv53CyttsqeeVztwF6NUatIV85uP4XOheqvArYM9tJlzDhximniVyqRWg_SGM5YCQ_j7dY2-tdTU-b-iTebKIyJ_hBuoOoA1JTeQ/s576/X2q9HXkKjMTlFFDNiHp3--3--ipec9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="384" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-aQolhOPQ7ks0R_Q9cQc3otvsLiKrx8vKlX-hbj3ye6aFSygU4n7FgN4s4NNY2kpELaVg-NXDO-EpH7wbKjdv53CyttsqeeVztwF6NUatIV85uP4XOheqvArYM9tJlzDhximniVyqRWg_SGM5YCQ_j7dY2-tdTU-b-iTebKIyJ_hBuoOoA1JTeQ/s320/X2q9HXkKjMTlFFDNiHp3--3--ipec9.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond;">To be an effective, to be a "good", "great" Dungeon Master, Game Master, Keeper, Star Master and what not, you need to be extremely versed in the genre being run. If you are planning on running a supers game you should be reading comic books all the time. If you have never read comic books much you should go back in time and work your way back up to the present. The grand sweep of the comic tradition should be a topic you can nimbly navigate, process and use at the table. Many folks today seem to be asking how to run a cyberpunk game. Much product is being suggested as the platform of use, but rarely is their an insistence on the asking individual to read a fuck-ton of cyberpunk novels. I would even go so far as recommending extensive reading of the latest technology publications available to the laymen drafting out the latest developments in technology. Climate crisis, political efforts of social constructs, and corporate bloat, basically a master of current events with a bedrock knowledge of cyberpunk literature since William Gibson jump-started the genre. The catalogue of horror literature is incredibly vast. How many Keepers are knowledgeable of Mary Shelly's masterpiece, all of Lovecraft's work into your King and Barker? The horror Game Master also has the task of diving into the incredibly vast library of horror films. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond;">Why? Why would one need to become a scholar of a particular genre to be a good Game Master? It is the underpinning, scaffold, colossal structure supporting every decision the game's referee will make at the table. Creating your mind into a rolodex of genre tropes transcends mechanics and system </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRNYFTn_wYu_ek-cX3AUud1Jwjnb2QNCEJ3VXiySBQgh5YM0Qno_rnIPP7mD_F7zlKmNQACVB6C5xQ1-sJyw3VQNfPHMKjL8I-bbm448MPrDrlNKyuaihEmkvJ7_eY7KxdOCdDH1IsDRyyhCQe6IRF-2UCCmgV_Q2n520EtgJHJLzjvT4qs_2b1Y/s512/z5Qzx14lJCG8tXq1BOYj--4--g28i8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRNYFTn_wYu_ek-cX3AUud1Jwjnb2QNCEJ3VXiySBQgh5YM0Qno_rnIPP7mD_F7zlKmNQACVB6C5xQ1-sJyw3VQNfPHMKjL8I-bbm448MPrDrlNKyuaihEmkvJ7_eY7KxdOCdDH1IsDRyyhCQe6IRF-2UCCmgV_Q2n520EtgJHJLzjvT4qs_2b1Y/s320/z5Qzx14lJCG8tXq1BOYj--4--g28i8.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: EB Garamond;"></span></div><span style="font-family: EB Garamond;"><div style="text-align: justify;">in such a degree to almost make game of choice irrelevant. When a Game Master becomes pitch-perfect in breadth and scope of genre, when what they speak has absolute fidelity with the genre being run experiences such as "immersion" and "living world" are a matter of course, not something all at the table are struggling to achieve. Only through extensive reading of source material will a Game Master ever hope to achieve greatness. The benefits of scholarly-level pursuits in the genre being run are so transformative it will take much more than this simple blog post has time to dive into (or more accurately, my time). I, for one, have too much reading on my plate to attend to this task. But my direct experience has shown the more knowledgeable of a genre and its tropes I have the better the game and the better my skill at running. My mind becomes a tea kettle constantly steaming at high heat, always needing additional water to be added. The experience becomes... scalding. </div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond;">The benefits of being a studied master of the genre blow all other considerations being debated on the subject away. Random encounter tables write themselves, adventure ideas come unbidden, thorny knots of character interaction become organic growth under good sun and good soil.</span></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-14983629480791110072022-12-24T08:23:00.005-07:002022-12-24T08:23:41.827-07:00More MEGS DC Heroes Action<p>The game has been chugging along for a solid two years now with no signs of slowing down! The current roster of superheroes inhabiting Capitol City are Mettle, a master of magnetic control, Olympian, Kordarian of tremendous strength, Mr. Zozo, a demon inhabiting a human host, and Perperbog, an Inuit Shaman of mystic might.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://anchor.fm/vanishingtower/episodes/Even-Heroes-Bleed-Issue-37--part-two-DC-Heroes-actual-play-session-e1sm50u" target="_blank">Even Heroes Bleed Issue #37, part two</a><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLd6Jf63uqn1X2I65qMcZLoi3Qbfx0tc2z0AvRoroo1xAl9S7rgKXhXvjPKmh0CEQnmZIAFFJpk22fv37wVBXZretTuscYIp4Pt6nqLtIc_vT8M4QQL8df3JFuhM_X1_B3wxITkm1q5eQSLQg7utCnJvQKW6_3B2Z-ClqJtxgzzoB3llYEFyewQno/s647/WIDOW%20OF%20RIGHTEOUS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="647" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLd6Jf63uqn1X2I65qMcZLoi3Qbfx0tc2z0AvRoroo1xAl9S7rgKXhXvjPKmh0CEQnmZIAFFJpk22fv37wVBXZretTuscYIp4Pt6nqLtIc_vT8M4QQL8df3JFuhM_X1_B3wxITkm1q5eQSLQg7utCnJvQKW6_3B2Z-ClqJtxgzzoB3llYEFyewQno/s320/WIDOW%20OF%20RIGHTEOUS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-78526824602339203812022-12-23T21:18:00.006-07:002022-12-24T06:00:34.446-07:00Deluxe USR Sword & Sorcery Session<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Karla;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJg1s9_o2tPeicw_iblT9uDZ7qkx3Vj7DZcPhfU-Ra8htJc9X9o5aAneQZw-yKYr45V0QFAzRj5QFTbb-AwDYnh9x6XXQzB1f6spFMBVjSJMCmeUrGwfwa8xPPndzKXdt5IIg5psfXKRdf-SG3u_8l85OvPMyZ0AgAKQpio9RgFJY3iRM2_AhqaM/s926/necromancer%20notes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJg1s9_o2tPeicw_iblT9uDZ7qkx3Vj7DZcPhfU-Ra8htJc9X9o5aAneQZw-yKYr45V0QFAzRj5QFTbb-AwDYnh9x6XXQzB1f6spFMBVjSJMCmeUrGwfwa8xPPndzKXdt5IIg5psfXKRdf-SG3u_8l85OvPMyZ0AgAKQpio9RgFJY3iRM2_AhqaM/s320/necromancer%20notes.jpg" width="299" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Karla;"><div style="text-align: justify;">With some judicious holiday hours off I decided to actually
run a game of Deluxe USR Sword & Sorcery instead of laboring on the third
and final book of the trilogy. I offered up the introductory adventure from the
setting guide (the third book), Shrine of the Keepers. A venerable adventure I
wrote back in 2012 for the first playtest of this game. Wow, USR Sword &
Sorcery has a first edition!</div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Karla;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">I was much pleased to get many enthusiastic answers and
interest to the game session. After I sorted out the time slot, I ended up with
4 rogues. A goodly number, for the pulpy nature of classic sword and sorcery
does not lend itself to large parties of dungeon delvers. The roll call
consisted of Hackon Rinson-Hunter, Nosarat-Hunter, Patty-Warrior, and Votwin-Sailor.
The adventure was to begin in Zul-Bazzir in the world of Xoth and two of the
players rolled for nation of origin. This came up as Khora, the Island of Sea
Reavers, and Khazastan, the might empire across the great desert east of
Zul-Bazzir. The other two I just declared they were locals of Khazastani and Jairan
heritage. Character creation was done at the “table” for USR Sword &
Sorcery is a rules-lite system and creating a character is dead simple. Gear,
on the other hand is a pricey proposition. Armor and fine weapons are well out
of reach for a starting character in the world of Xoth. The wealth disparity
between the rich and powerful and everyone else is vast. This meant, outside of
some favored weapons I granted the Warrior and Sailor, the group possessed no
armor. I take that back, Hackon was able to purchase a shield to complement his
sling and club.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">The set up for Shrine of the Keepers is one of simple
robbery. It is late night, and the group is finishing up hours of carousing and
look to settle their tab. Unfortunately, whatever silver they had left on their
person was gone. I slinking thief twirling their coin pouches good be seen slipping
through the rowdy crowd and exiting the wine bar. A swift pursuit began as the
players leapt after the thief, all the while the wine tender hollering for his
payment. They chased the fleet-footed scoundrel through the warren of alleyways
in the slums of Zul-Bazzir. They lost sight of the thief and as they wondered
which way to continue the chase when a blood-curdling scream pierced the night
now far away. Descending on the scene they were just in time to hear the death
rattle of the thieving dog. His body was slashed and ravaged. Their coin purse gone.
The crafty hunters searched the ground for tracks. The night was full of light
from the twin moons of Xoth, and they could pick the tread of sandaled feet
leading down an alley which ended in a walled courtyard. The single large door
for the gate left slightly ajar. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Karla;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM0fYw1-nfevXd2_bX4mUZupypxEd5cjWe0H39D2pf8Ci4SUBHw8mg27NveNaPBe9Ix1AURupaF951_t25UXqtkEisnj4XFHQoiu81lJCa4xQjQkQawFP06mHlRONszqTVgPsxs4uZqRMgUv1WmQ9nIWyEbqLKtC7hamNpRRbq13n_pMyZfM2JbQ/s764/belit.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM0fYw1-nfevXd2_bX4mUZupypxEd5cjWe0H39D2pf8Ci4SUBHw8mg27NveNaPBe9Ix1AURupaF951_t25UXqtkEisnj4XFHQoiu81lJCa4xQjQkQawFP06mHlRONszqTVgPsxs4uZqRMgUv1WmQ9nIWyEbqLKtC7hamNpRRbq13n_pMyZfM2JbQ/s320/belit.png" width="223" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Karla;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">A passing city guard, drawn to the scene by the dying scream
of the thief, quickly assessed the situation and cautioned the party to let go
their loss. The open gate led to the temple of the Seekers. These
demon-worshipping cultists were not to be trifled with. The Seekers keep what
they take and only fools and madmen would risk causing their wrath. They predictably
ignored the watchman’s sober advice (and it is a one-shot gaming session), and
cautiously approached the open gate. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">The courtyard beyond was illuminated by the moonlight and
the hunters again could see the tread of sandaled crossing the dusty ground to
the entrance of the Shrine of the Keepers. A wide stone building unadorned.
Black smoke issued forth from somewhere out of the roof. In the middle of the
temple’s simple facade a wide set of steps led into the building fronted by
three wide pillars evenly spaced across the entranceway. They slinked up the steps
into a wide unlit chamber. The slanting rays of the twin moons revealed large
bronze doors directly across from the staired entry. Open archways gaped to the
left and right, one had the flickering of torchlight coming from it. The other,
darkness. All was quiet and no further tracks could be discerned indicating
which way the group of cultists had travelled. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">While they debated which course of action they should take,
their brief exploration of the entrance chamber revealed a door to the left of
the mammoth pair of bronze portals, discreetly hidden behind a tapestry writ
large with obscene images and runes of dreaded black speech. The group globed
onto this hidden door and desired to pass through it. It was locked, but the
sailor worked one of his arrows (he carried a bow) and rolled well enough on his
non-contested attribute roll (NCAR) to spring the latch. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">Their exploration of the hallway beyond found them abruptly
entering a bald priest’s quarters, the owner present. They had interrupted the robed
priest in the middle of scratching his meaningless ramblings upon parchment. He
quickly leapt from his chair and brandished a dagger gauging the danger in which
had come upon him. Hackon boldly charged with raised club. The priest,
considering his odds poor, ran to another door close by, opened it looking to
escape. Votwin had his bow at the ready and made a called shot against the
priest’s legs. His shot was a success, the damage great, and the priest fell to
the floor incapacitated. The rest of the party followed, and before Hackon
could fast-talk information from the wounded man, was stabbed repeatedly
through the chest and killed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">The group made a thorough search of the main level of the
temple, encountering four priests loitering in a room of tall shelves stacked
with scrolls (they were dispatched in close hand to hand fighting), a sunken
chamber filled with granite sarcophagi, a room heated to a blast furnace by a
coal-fueled fireplace burning a pile of human bones, and a room with a large,
lurid stone idol adorned with candles holding a bronze platter with a decent
pile of gold and silver coins upon it. Besides doorways leading out of this room
a narrow set of stone stairs descended to a lower level. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Karla; text-align: justify;">The group had no stomach for the lower reaches of the shrine,
but they had yet to gain significant loot to leave. They continued their search
of the upper level until they found the chambers of the high priest. There they
were confronted by 4 priests and 2armed temple guards. Here they experienced
the benefits of armor as the priests were cut down by quick thrusts and Votwin’s
rain of arrows. But the 2 guards presented a hardier challenge and before they
were hacked down, they grievously injured Hackon and Nosorat. Facing no further
opposition they then looted the high-priest’s chamber of valuables and quickly
left with their loot into the late night streets of Zul-Bazzir sleeping under the twin moons of Xoth once again.</span></div><span style="font-family: Karla;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZZRk1kFiU6xL97kDQP_ASjMAoTfVYEZ7W74GwkhoeFvBb9iOYsnLPcfmwCLT4qYi5Og2dqEL-PU0RW_y4ALPTBdYS5rzWexKSfkw_tlbf9rLxsep7K9da_7t9v3Ad_VCsfE2mcIB-2g54w6AR9WQW1lWmDtWmAuKNO_1zEK_ftqhhphg8w_MYoE/s576/crazed%20cultist.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="384" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZZRk1kFiU6xL97kDQP_ASjMAoTfVYEZ7W74GwkhoeFvBb9iOYsnLPcfmwCLT4qYi5Og2dqEL-PU0RW_y4ALPTBdYS5rzWexKSfkw_tlbf9rLxsep7K9da_7t9v3Ad_VCsfE2mcIB-2g54w6AR9WQW1lWmDtWmAuKNO_1zEK_ftqhhphg8w_MYoE/s320/crazed%20cultist.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></span></span></div><o:p></o:p><p></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-80206486464021339212022-12-20T20:37:00.006-07:002022-12-20T20:37:55.445-07:00Even Heroes Bleed Continues To Rock and Roll<p><span style="font-family: Lora;"> This latest episode of the MEGS powered super hero game I've been running. The group of heroes has bulked out to four now. Mettle, Olympian, Mr. Zozo, and now introducing the Arctic Shaman Perperbog!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Lora;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/5Rhp1zKFVvb"><span style="font-family: Lora;">Even Heroes Bleed Issue #37 part one</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBtNmATRRb6REcYoQELTz6H-aWJwWo_sSTP4MZMabSIvtFRKNJpOqdKD1iayDBIIWwDLQy06zpXL1I_iqpoHmCfnAY4ocZLWJe9hnJpAfLK_r2x6nnm7UIN47mic4DGhPdUGv2C6LjLNvosCtpEIujIr2_qJbRxhNikCENq6sZpwyqGpKdo2rQXM/s1143/230px-Statuette_of_Athena_(3rd_cent._A.D.)_in_the_National_Archaeological_Museum_of_Athens_on_14_April_2018_(cropped).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="662" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBtNmATRRb6REcYoQELTz6H-aWJwWo_sSTP4MZMabSIvtFRKNJpOqdKD1iayDBIIWwDLQy06zpXL1I_iqpoHmCfnAY4ocZLWJe9hnJpAfLK_r2x6nnm7UIN47mic4DGhPdUGv2C6LjLNvosCtpEIujIr2_qJbRxhNikCENq6sZpwyqGpKdo2rQXM/s320/230px-Statuette_of_Athena_(3rd_cent._A.D.)_in_the_National_Archaeological_Museum_of_Athens_on_14_April_2018_(cropped).png" width="185" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-39107164792305267922022-12-16T16:23:00.005-07:002022-12-16T16:23:39.638-07:00End of the Year Round-Up<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Karla;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7a2M9xoZxqP4uP0KjG9ZpaUUG82pT6Kkl47LP8GZFLm2jXyCK9VqUgWVokujy8bs5sdDdBydNKAd8vOAkbO6QJVKepLyZWbYBZPOtLKLQpfqXknnSIC7PRhCjBNW4LpIe2puNGGvIRDBaRR7oczTmoadkDSXSLQYeEZHXtQJrOLC6BojSeorz3tg/s809/quarry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="809" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7a2M9xoZxqP4uP0KjG9ZpaUUG82pT6Kkl47LP8GZFLm2jXyCK9VqUgWVokujy8bs5sdDdBydNKAd8vOAkbO6QJVKepLyZWbYBZPOtLKLQpfqXknnSIC7PRhCjBNW4LpIe2puNGGvIRDBaRR7oczTmoadkDSXSLQYeEZHXtQJrOLC6BojSeorz3tg/s320/quarry.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Karla;">2022 is rapidly coming to a close and everything gaming is... good. I was real worried my DC Heroes/Blood of Heroes game was coming to an end because due to scheduling conflicts with work, but the players were actually happy with the change. Whew! I mean, nothing to get bitter over if it didn't. The two, two-and-a-half year mark seems to be about the time campaigns in the past have ended, and its always been the same reason. One of the players schedule changes. I take a bit of happiness in the fact when someone has to bow out the rest of the group decides to call the game. The relations and dynamics they all had free-reign to foster became paramount. So when that dynamic ends because someone has to shift their time commitments they (the group) says it has got to end. Validates my feeling everyone at the table played their A-game, and gave each and everyone of us helped create a truly remarkable game experience. I like the stance no game is better than anything less then a great game.</span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">But Even Heroes Bleed (name of the campaign) will continue into 2023. New player joined the group as well. An Artic Indian Spirit protecting the world from the dark side of the pantheon he is part of. Mr. Zozo, a demon paying rent in a human's body, just got a playmate. The Olympian and Mettle are still standing so a good solid group of 4 supers. Feels about right size-wise. I think we may even be able to bring plot threads to a conclusion. There has been a metric-ton of interesting activity in Capitol City, and while super villains have been taken down, taken out, and incarcerated, there are still prime movers out there who have yet to be discovered and violently prosecuted with extreme prejudice. Another development in the campaign has been the acquisition of a group headquarters outside of Mettle's loft apartment in Mint Ridge. With their involvement in the affairs of the late Dr. Avery and his granddaughter the mystic-soaked Avery Mansion has opened its doors to the group. Organic development of classic super hero tropes is what I live for in this campaign!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">Deluxe USR Sword and Sorcery got out. Finally. Well, two books out of three at least. Not to worry though, the setting book is well in hand and should be released in the first quarter of 2023. Then I can concentrate on the hard part of roleplaying; coming up with quality adventures which are not a pile of derivative slime. I don't know what these adventures will be, what they will look like, but the daydream portion of creative thought is my favorite part of design and publication.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">My once a month dive into FGU's Space Opera is progressing better than I could have hoped. Even though the three of us who make this game go only meet once a month for a couple of hours the session always feels fresh and full of potential. I attribute this to great players playing great characters, and blasters. Blasters are cool. I'm finding the biggest challenge running a sci-fi game is coming up with the BIG idea. The hall mark of all the good science fiction I've read over the years has been that BIG idea, that truly galaxy-sized blob of creative ideas which make you go wow this was a good read. Of course this big idea needs to maintain fidelity with the campaign universe we have been building through play, but there in lies the art, know? </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Karla;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3xFVcGLcLkwwz4MRioEgIZVoir1wan9sRIkyPR08bL8x1nsDRz9dQ-Z9tehRqiFtgGm-LmaSCHGuvieU7gm6S64nRD0OzGAkUIgcBmHpVFRnsU1LFcqi72n-okUj4ZftlN3SI_G0iIk5JXqxz9ubD_y2eXtIxDuDBwtHmutotjQbx9Ms-0c6Qlg/s703/uentshu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3xFVcGLcLkwwz4MRioEgIZVoir1wan9sRIkyPR08bL8x1nsDRz9dQ-Z9tehRqiFtgGm-LmaSCHGuvieU7gm6S64nRD0OzGAkUIgcBmHpVFRnsU1LFcqi72n-okUj4ZftlN3SI_G0iIk5JXqxz9ubD_y2eXtIxDuDBwtHmutotjQbx9Ms-0c6Qlg/s320/uentshu.jpg" width="182" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Karla;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">Looks like I am going to get a chance to be a player in a DC Heroes game too. Some time on the other side of the screen is going to feel good. Every chance I've had to run my favorite NPC in the current supers game puts me in touch with the shit I really love about supers. Drama combined with kick ass brawls and destruction on a large scale. Peanut butter and jelly I tell you. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">What do I want to see in 2023? A return to a few, solid game conventions. Ghengis Con in Denver being held this February probably won't happen, but I think I can get time off for North Texas. My other convention mission is to go to the Chaosium con. Fingers crossed right now for that gig. And great games of course. I'm continually trying to challenge myself to do "better" as a referee, self-evaluate, and dive deeper into the art. Yeah, ttrpg's are just a wee bit more than just a game for me. There is real valid art under the hood and I have been happily trying to rip out the plugs, oil, and engine block of the beast for nigh on ten years now. So I am completely jazzed about experiencing the fruits of the labor which will occur!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">Good gaming to you all, and I'll see you on the other side!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Karla;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Karla;"><br /></span></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-56960756167002308342022-11-18T18:55:00.003-07:002022-11-18T18:55:16.408-07:00Official Press Release for the Book<p> <b><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">VANISHING TOWER PRESS </span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CONTACT: </span></b><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jay Murphy, Vanishing
Tower Press,<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span><a href="mailto:jay@vanishingtowerpress.com" target="_blank"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: blue; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">jay@vanishingtowerpress.com</span></a></span><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First Two Books in
Deluxe USR Sword & Sorcery RPG Series Deliver Rules-Light Classic
Pulp-Fantasy </span></b><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aspen, CO - Vanishing
Tower Press is pleased to announce the release of the first two books for the<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span><i>Deluxe USR Sword & Sorcery</i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span>roleplaying game in print-on-demand (POD) format on
DriveThruRPG. <i>Deluxe USR Sword & Sorcery</i> delivers
classic pulp-fantasy using the Unbelievably Simple Roleplaying (USR) engine, a
rules-lite system customized for adventurers who live—and often die—by the
terrible swift sword. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/415041/USR-Sword--Sorcery-Deluxe-Book-One" target="_blank"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: blue; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">USR Sword & Sorcery Deluxe
Book One: Characters, Combat, and Carousing</span></a></span></i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"> </span><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span><i><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/415432/USR-Sword--Sorcery-Deluxe-Book-Two--USRSSD02" target="_blank"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: blue; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Book Two: Mass Combat and
Magic</span></a></i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span>feature never-before-printed mass
combat rules for the game, as well as carousing, an expanded magic
section, and more. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I grew up
reading Sword & Sorcery by Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, Lyn Carter,
and other writers who gave us heroes and anti-heroes that carved up their
world one sword stroke at a time," said Jay Murphy, the game's designer.
"This is a love letter to the genre and it utilizes a rules-light formula
that stays out of the way and lets game masters (called Crypt Keepers in the
game) and players get right into their own bold adventures."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The soft-cover POD
format in a comfortable A5 size, just like they did in the old days.<i> Book
One: Characters, Combat, and Carousing</i> is 50 pages B/W with a price of
$12.25. <i>Book Two: Mass Combat and Magic</i> is 40 pages B/W, with
a price of $12.06. The retro-styled game is written by adventure writer Jay
Murphy and includes new art by Jeremy Hart, Daniel Hernandez, Gennifer Bone,
Michael Gibbons, David Lewis Johnson, Earl Geier, Joyce Maureira, Luigi Castellani,
and Miguel Santos.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I believe the
artists commissioned for this project delivered illustrations which match the
fevered-pitch of combat prevalent in the wonderful books that inspired this
game," said Murphy. "The line art really give the books the feel of
the game's simple, but exhilarating, combat rules." <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Murphy has previously
published old-school adventures, including <i>Purging Woth Nrld Oekwn’s
Muddy Hole</i>, a 40-page adventure that pits PCs against a well-organized
tribe of troglodytes and alien slime, which 10 Foot Pole's Bryce Lynch
said was, "full of evocative writing and interesting interactive
encounters. And is non-standard as all get out."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Deluxe USR Sword &
Sorcery Book Three: Worlds of Adventure</span></i><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, featuring the sinister and savage world of Xoth,
will be released in the near future. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vanishing Tower Press
is happy to arrange interviews with the author and PDF copies for online
reviews. Direct all inquires to<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span><a href="mailto:jay@vanishingtowerpress.com" target="_blank"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: blue; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">jay@vanishingtowerpress.com</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-1318243756032738902022-11-16T19:21:00.006-07:002022-11-17T16:22:42.942-07:00USR Sword & Sorcery Deluxe Book One and Book Two are out!<p>Finally dragged these over the finish line. The size is in homage to the LBB's released at the dawn of roleplaying, and the first two books make a complete game. <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/415041/USR-Sword--Sorcery-Deluxe-Book-One?term=usr+swor">DriveThruRPG Link</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWLoXpUPKiliDqeFRztmpRp7c_Tw-l2m7YdZlHtHs-HXzvmKRQ4SWm7cX341X1t8_ifeKvsG-BaP6d1PjSsf_OOebTRBq8mDLD10-v20RogMvbDZahz7mVBWCz_TN0QlZV4EjUK9ZCGyDVw8D0Wo78rd2iBysnSlHi3ns-TmV_oWAQh0vcVyxEsA/s2000/Image.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWLoXpUPKiliDqeFRztmpRp7c_Tw-l2m7YdZlHtHs-HXzvmKRQ4SWm7cX341X1t8_ifeKvsG-BaP6d1PjSsf_OOebTRBq8mDLD10-v20RogMvbDZahz7mVBWCz_TN0QlZV4EjUK9ZCGyDVw8D0Wo78rd2iBysnSlHi3ns-TmV_oWAQh0vcVyxEsA/s320/Image.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Book three is still being rewritten and reedited. It is a much larger book (in page count) from the rules of the game. It is a setting book featuring the World of Xoth. Then I will have my own LRB's (little red books). <div><br /></div><div>I wish Drivethru RPG could produce boxes for our POD books. These little darlings are screaming to be put in a small red box with bad-ass art on the front.</div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of art, I finally can let people get a hold of the great line art I commissioned. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCa9OHE3xmqCR2z-7UOYmmDnh-eIJ80HDtEEhdz-SSPhkqXPBBSm2mVnFZrsxAlQMo8XBrW3TV23By7HO3_100w8XFoiCKOOjQuVUvCRDFmIZX4amgPj4WY_rxe6AWj4Si4S3ENz-WdqAivytl6-J_U_kAgD-hcrSWDjP1SVPERpiDBdJhzNLa8A/s2000/Image%5B5%5D.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCa9OHE3xmqCR2z-7UOYmmDnh-eIJ80HDtEEhdz-SSPhkqXPBBSm2mVnFZrsxAlQMo8XBrW3TV23By7HO3_100w8XFoiCKOOjQuVUvCRDFmIZX4amgPj4WY_rxe6AWj4Si4S3ENz-WdqAivytl6-J_U_kAgD-hcrSWDjP1SVPERpiDBdJhzNLa8A/s320/Image%5B5%5D.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>I went as heavy as I could featuring sword-swinging women in the book. Muscle-bound male barbarians have had all the attention over the last 90 years, so every piece I commissioned features the game's mascot; Dor Stryker! This artist hasn't captured her broken nose, but yeah, she is a little beat up and battle scarred while still displaying the physical power which traditionally makes for your Sword & Sorcery "hero".</div><div><br /></div><div>The system is still the rules-lite game you have come to love, but now you get Massed Combat rules and an expanded magic section (this is what makes up Book Two). The signature features of the game system are simultaneous combat, and carousing being the most effective means of healing Hits damage. Some have bemoaned the critical hits and dramatic fumbles mechanic as being too crunchy for a rules-lite game, but I have found the mechanic a lovely narrative tool in the blood-soaked contests PC's will find themselves in the center of. Others who have used the game for years love the tables, so there is that!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2f0NRd8lVcIOjgxP69eKzLji3agqC8zDHoaD6N1WP2KPD5ZYerR-e2oRHjcwqR3hUDhFJyan1zrMb2Nrnnoqj38eb6saZP6lMuUE6qyy-qz5Wn6xctC1PyladAMxKKps_E9ssVuwKrXViC7c2fQY8VInnjX722W5EvH21qqFf360ljOGB3adiI4/s2000/Image%5B1%5D.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2f0NRd8lVcIOjgxP69eKzLji3agqC8zDHoaD6N1WP2KPD5ZYerR-e2oRHjcwqR3hUDhFJyan1zrMb2Nrnnoqj38eb6saZP6lMuUE6qyy-qz5Wn6xctC1PyladAMxKKps_E9ssVuwKrXViC7c2fQY8VInnjX722W5EvH21qqFf360ljOGB3adiI4/s320/Image%5B1%5D.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The game was play-tested for three years (2012-2015) so I know it delivers true sword and sorcery feels unfettered by licensed property and well known fantasy worlds. </div><div><p>But these same features don't make the game a good "first" game for those new to roleplaying. There isn't anything really in the rule books which explain what a roleplaying game is and how "best" to play one. These slim books (50 and 40 pages are the page counts for the first two books) will serve players and crypt keepers who have a firm grasp of pulp fantasy adventures and know exactly what they want their game to look like. </p><p>The game is a solid scaffolding the crypt keeper can hang any sword and sorcery vision they have on and start adding their own colors, textures, and tones. For a long time I was content with the game not having a built-in setting. The game did exactly what <i><b>I</b></i> wanted it to do, that was the goal to begin with. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJN9R7EHe24xzDjIit2-GH4oGlZNYyLUoNLBi07935HpTj74Fb_0l2wvfgFmPOhBZ1P7Rz4DFwI-uEkDsulV0wlhVlkdxd1FpQlVCq_emqR7NZ5AO3wOQHC7YjtfpY4JzbBN559PC8NsbcGYlGStMadJ2NgGFYZ9HMBGv_hpUJS2GtdZjellkTuQ/s2000/Image%5B4%5D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJN9R7EHe24xzDjIit2-GH4oGlZNYyLUoNLBi07935HpTj74Fb_0l2wvfgFmPOhBZ1P7Rz4DFwI-uEkDsulV0wlhVlkdxd1FpQlVCq_emqR7NZ5AO3wOQHC7YjtfpY4JzbBN559PC8NsbcGYlGStMadJ2NgGFYZ9HMBGv_hpUJS2GtdZjellkTuQ/w400-h300/Image%5B4%5D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>But you can't have three Little Red Books with only two tomes, now can you? Fortunately there is a fantastic map which illustrates the fabulous primeval world known as Xoth. When I first wanted to run a true sword and sorcery campaign I did not want the game to be subservient to existing, well-known fantasy worlds from the storied history of pulp fantasy literature. I was surprised to find when I did many internet searches there wasn't really anything out there for options. I think my search terms were "Sword & Sorcery Campaign World", and you can imagine what search engines return. Nothing new, Except this evocative name Xoth. Totally metal and smelled of moldering crypts and vicious desert nomads, steaming jungles, and lost civilizations. So after letting my playtesting PC's roam from one end of the world to the other (they never did plunge south into the dark jungles, but one only has so much time do they?) I reached out to the creator about marrying my rules with their setting. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnNGCChm6cIFgB9vj0IJkE5vcCsE6UeJ6FktICw67iV4vW8YAmv-7X2O8kR__O8DgdBHZD6uakJe2xQdLep7I50PBtM3yS-2_3XAZLOYHuQy0zJIPaIHl4sqB4KKHcGumsIp1yAtwMs3jG3rRHO6CCveorFRybp5SC0z-NORz7bGjxRPJWELBqMc/s2016/battle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnNGCChm6cIFgB9vj0IJkE5vcCsE6UeJ6FktICw67iV4vW8YAmv-7X2O8kR__O8DgdBHZD6uakJe2xQdLep7I50PBtM3yS-2_3XAZLOYHuQy0zJIPaIHl4sqB4KKHcGumsIp1yAtwMs3jG3rRHO6CCveorFRybp5SC0z-NORz7bGjxRPJWELBqMc/w640-h480/battle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-78348462458195756202022-11-11T08:27:00.002-07:002022-11-11T08:27:14.216-07:00Who Killed Wargaming?<p> <em style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px;">This article is written by Greg Costikyan. The opinions expressed are his alone, and no other person or organization should be deemed in any way responsible for their expression here.</em></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px;"><a href="http://www.costik.com/spisins.html">Opens this gem of an article</a>. Appears to have been written in 1996. Packs much history in a short read. I found nothing in the article I could disagree with. <a href="http://www.costik.com/index.html">Here is a direct link to his home page.</a> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqwQPDpLJLZGcF-tB6xcTQcvhDy_ngjpw7XaXjUdY-TZ6jvo6l-nk10k0n5QRQVl7Xp3_iCmyTcfSGbSVW57KvoPncsFhwx6diaIhZrp0t6WvshcxDwx_4pHcxC5K6dbemV7CpznQNJfBuUHtIw1amzCc4XoYgEkHoKsPJme7KGSEGyZx6RJIy1o/s318/pw_costik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="318" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqwQPDpLJLZGcF-tB6xcTQcvhDy_ngjpw7XaXjUdY-TZ6jvo6l-nk10k0n5QRQVl7Xp3_iCmyTcfSGbSVW57KvoPncsFhwx6diaIhZrp0t6WvshcxDwx_4pHcxC5K6dbemV7CpznQNJfBuUHtIw1amzCc4XoYgEkHoKsPJme7KGSEGyZx6RJIy1o/s1600/pw_costik.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px;">My only knock I can give him is he is responsible for the original <i>Paranoia </i>roleplaying game. Fucking hate that game. But, being a wargame designer first, maybe it his middle-finger to the roleplaying hobby?</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px;">There are further articles (and books) he has written on gaming on the site and they all are thoughtful and steeped with actual experience in the whole hobby. I recommend any fanatic gamer/wargamer read everything he has on his site.</span></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-46467624827027972622022-10-30T22:11:00.003-06:002022-10-30T22:11:32.570-06:00Another Piece of Art for Deluxe USR Sword & Sorcery<p><span style="font-family: Karla;"> This is the draft of the latest pic for the book. Epic Werks Studio produced this gem. Dor Stryker in all her savage glory!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Karla;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg373B_Dund4kybH73xEfww3kYmh25RBUpBENcy-_Wm2nT1aw3Bbz4hdUImXp07fjIoUgP2F3ya8wHDFPA6Kyob2Y7lMyiyx0TUIl_do0L72krIn7NUvE36xl7bhyBq8LoN8bygYDIvYvcCl2KWhJqF2gxpIHqLGEvx_XFAnqdZGBEZFmb9sNTUh40/s640/Dor%20Stryker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="478" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg373B_Dund4kybH73xEfww3kYmh25RBUpBENcy-_Wm2nT1aw3Bbz4hdUImXp07fjIoUgP2F3ya8wHDFPA6Kyob2Y7lMyiyx0TUIl_do0L72krIn7NUvE36xl7bhyBq8LoN8bygYDIvYvcCl2KWhJqF2gxpIHqLGEvx_XFAnqdZGBEZFmb9sNTUh40/w478-h640/Dor%20Stryker.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">It gets inked tomorrow! It will end up in the setting book I reckon.</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Karla;"><br /></span><p></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-72195705945931267482022-10-28T06:37:00.003-06:002022-10-28T06:38:49.620-06:00Book One USR Sword & Sorcery Deluxe is done!<p><span style="font-family: Karla;"> After much agonizing over format for the publication I have decided to go with a throwback, retro look in honor of the LBB's of original Dungeons & Dragons and Classic Traveller. Three books total. Here is an image of the cover for Book 1.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFl-UStzmMpb3TxQfz8S09qeyZbZc7aPxLqNlcdK7qAePpXFcond8nawL24FDr7bjNokeLgWOxKUX-uj3A5Hv3Igg_o2puf04CfnBOiub0AcSQH1EN9bvm7iv0tar-Pwu9G5V0pmeWIHgdXFiP5HpUdN8Omj2wmm7erU8AlTHGuGvpYwaY2tSbag/s595/book%201%20cover%20image.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="423" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFl-UStzmMpb3TxQfz8S09qeyZbZc7aPxLqNlcdK7qAePpXFcond8nawL24FDr7bjNokeLgWOxKUX-uj3A5Hv3Igg_o2puf04CfnBOiub0AcSQH1EN9bvm7iv0tar-Pwu9G5V0pmeWIHgdXFiP5HpUdN8Omj2wmm7erU8AlTHGuGvpYwaY2tSbag/s320/book%201%20cover%20image.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Karla;">Blood red, of course, there will be Book One Characters, Combat, and Carousing; Book 2 Magic & Mass Combat; and Book 3 Worlds of Adventure. The third book should be the largest in page count because it will include a bestiary, notable NPCs, original adventures as well as a World of Xoth setting guide. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Karla;">The original art I commissioned is all black and white line drawings because this is what I dig, and all interior pages (so far) are black and white with a mix of one and two column text blocks with formatted tables where needed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Karla;">For the first three who request it I am offering an advanced PDF copy for your perusal. Email me directly at jay@vanishingtowerpress.com. While not a complete game in itself, you can run your own Sword & Sorcery adventures with just Book 1. You would just have to be someone who is comfortable with a minimalist rule set.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Karla;">Fuck, I am soo close to bringing this bitch home, Blood and Souls, Blood and Souls!</span></p><p><br /></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-26730488321632107242022-10-25T20:51:00.004-06:002022-10-25T20:53:19.495-06:00FGU's Space Opera, Lower Frontier Session #03Our small group rolled out our third session of Space Opera this afternoon. We had sound issues which gobbled up the first half hour of game time and therefore I did not manage to get the session on tape. But strange things went down and I need to capture them while they are still fresh in my mind.<div><br /></div><div>Domino (Xara, a clone) had touched the box which was heating up and making her palms itch. This happened less than two minutes before the orbital launch they boarded rendezvoused with a Kordarian research vessel. Whatever was in the box packed much energy in a small space and it exploded. "Something" downloaded into her mind, while at the same time the ship and Emma Jones the Space Marine were separated into atomic particles racing across the universe and then collapsing back into solid form, in an instant. Jones wouldn't have believed what she saw except the fact she felt her being spread across the universe and reforming again. A most unpleasant feeling. </div><div> </div><div>The duo now found themselves in the vehicle bay of the Kordarian ship, <i>Bear Killer. </i>The orbital's hatch slid back revealing a group of forbidding Kordarians. General Rath and his Science Director Kibosh Hiltbane were surprised to find these "unauthorized personnel" in the orbital. General Rath was flanked by two security guards while Director Hiltbane was accompanied by 4 lab assistants. Kordarians are on average 6'5" to 7' tall and really strong. General Rath demanded to know who the PCs were and if they did anything to the artifact which accompanied them. Domino was still coursing with tremendous energy. The fusion of the alien energy with her cloned consciousness had dumped an incomprehensible amount of information into her mind. She also became aware of her life span. See, clones have a built in life span dependent on the task they are being used for. And Domino was a "Red" clone. A clone with a thirty day life span. Testing her new-found powers she poured forth a hot wind which blew Rath across the floor. The General ordered his men to seize the two interlopers, and the Director shouted for them to be taken alive. </div><div><br /></div><div>"We do not know if either of them have tampered with the artifact!" he reasoned. General Rath told his guards to use their stun rods on the PCs. Domino grabbed the arm of the first Kordarian security guard coming at her while Jones rushed the other. Domino's touch sucked the life out of the tall guard and he toppled over, dead and withered. Jones got the other guard in a choke hold, but the guard was able to keep his feet by wedging his stun rod against Jones' forearm, preventing Jones from strangling him into unconsciousness. Domino told the two Kordarian leaders there was no need to fight. She would let Director Hiltbane examine her. </div><div><br /></div><div>"You will do as you are told," barked General Rath. "Your companion will be ejected into space otherwise." </div><div><br /></div><div>"To hell with that, no one is ejecting me into space." Jomes replied. </div><div><br /></div><div>"You will release my guard or I will kill you where you stand!" the general growled. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Give it your best shot!" and Emma released the guard, fists up, stance tensed for combat. This seemed to make the General's day. Kordarians are a violent race and never ones to turn down an opportunity to demonstrate their martial prowess.</div><div><br /></div><div>"This should be fun." He grinned and rushed the human space marine. The general ducked Jones first jab and answered with a devastating punch to Emma's face. Not only did the blow make her see stars, the Kordarian was cheating as well. His glove was wired with paralyzing stun energy. Face bloodied, Emma dropped to the deck unconscious. Domino was unmoved by the whole scene. As a clone, her empathy score is really low. She normally doesn't worry about anyone but herself. The Director and lab tenders took her to the lab while the remaining security guard threw Jones into the brig, on the General's orders.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Get it out of her, Director. The power of the artifact, it is mine! I demand results. </div><div><br /></div><div>"It is wise of you to comply." Hiltbane said as he strapped Domino to a medical chair in the Kordarian's lab. "There is an alien power which inhabited the artifact, and now it inhabits you. It is foolish of you to think you can survive this bonding. You have know idea what you have done. But do not worry, I am sure I can free from the danger you have put yourself in. Now to draw some blood."</div><div><br /></div><div>Domino observed this all impassively. Her emotional range was small, probably due to all the times she has been sheathed and re-sheathed for each contract her employers used her for. She was sure the Director would not be able to unbind what she was joined with. She was content to wait.</div><div><br /></div><div>Suddenly the klaxons rang and emergency lights flashed. General Rath came over the ship's intercoms, "Director Hiltbane, secure the prisoner. We must make a quick run up to Hyperspeed. The Cardinal has found us."</div><div><br /></div><div>"But how can that be General? No one knows we are in Golgotha system? </div><div><br /></div><div>"Have you searched the thieving human?" Without answering, Director Hiltbane searched through Domino's belongings. He pulled out the cell phone she had recovered during the Panumanic riots. </div><div><br /></div><div>"I'm afraid General she has a government communicator on her. The Cardinal's ship <i>Sanctified</i> would have no trouble tracking it." </div><div><br /></div><div>"Aargh!" Rath raged over the mic and abruptly hung up.</div><div> </div><div>All through the ship could be felt the rising power of the TISA drives as the <i>Bear Killer</i> made to escape. Unfortunately the<i> Sanctified </i>was three times the size of the Kordarian ship, and heavily armed. </div><div><br /></div><div>Jones, stuck in the brig, recognized the impact of Startorps as the <i>Bear Killer </i>was struck. 260* caliber she figured. A massive explosion made the whole ship shudder. The TISA drive whined and shut down.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hiltbane knew what this meant as much as every other Kordarian onboard knew. Their ship was dead in the water. The Cardinal's marines would soon be aboard to reclaim what Rath had stolen. </div><div><br /></div><div>"The Cardinal cannot let it be known he attacked a Kordarian vessel. He will leave none of us alive. We go now, back to the vehicle bay. We will escape in the orbital which brought you here," insisted the Kordarian medical director. </div><div><br /></div><div>Domino did not need further encouragement. The two of them ran into Emma Jones outside the vehicle bay. The damage had shorted out the magnetic locks to her cell, and she was heading to the vehicle bay with the same idea. None of them were orbital pilots, but Domino knew enough about computers to fire up an ignition sequence. The orbital spat out of the <i>Bear Killer</i>'s hull and plunged back down to the surface of Dismas. </div><div><br /></div><div>They landed far from Dismas City, out in the steppe land where only the giant Giga-Farms were found. The grassy plains being devoured and terraformed by gigantic, unmanned combines. Five of these behemoths could be seen approaching some 60 meters away. Jones and Domino's vision was drawn to activity visible on the remote farming machines. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Strange, there are Leo Tybins crawling all over them." Jones said. Being a native of Dismas, he knew of the indigenous humanoids which lived out in the wastelands. Leo Tybins are meter-and-a-half tall intelligent mammals. Very tribal, they resent the intrusion of the UCC's terraforming and farming vehicles gobbling up their land. But what could they do? They were few and only had the technology of the hunter-gatherer. Spears and bows and faith in their animist spirits were all they could muster. This Emma was relating to Domino and the Kordarian when a combine exploded in blue and yellow. Flames enveloped the machine and each of the combines remaining, in turn, blossomed in Nova bursts. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Well, somehow those primitives learned how to set and trigger Nova Detonators." said Domino. "And I also think they have found us." The tall grass waved and rustled as some 15-20 Leo Tybins revealed themselves. Gibbering and hooting they threatened with their spears. Hiltbane, the Kordarian, took this moment to jump back into the orbital and seal the door shut. Emma and Domino shrugged their shoulders, raised their hands, and allowed the intelligent animals lead them away.</div><div><br /></div><div>After an hour or so of marching they came to the Leo Tybins camp hidden among broken hills skirting a rugged range of mountains. There they were greeted by a human provocateur living among the Leo Tybin. He had some contrived "universal" translator and spoke rapidly with the native scouts. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Hello", he said warmly, "I am Roman Pirch. What brings the likes of you out here in the wastelands?" Domino told their tale and asked Roman the same thing in return. </div><div><br /></div><div>"I'm radicalizing these furry little rascals. They detest the UCC just as much as the Panumanic League. I believe there are thousands, maybe millions of Leo Tybin on Dismas. Living in burrows and underground labyrinths their true numbers are not known by human settlers or Kordarians which rule over us."</div><div><br /></div><div>He spoke once again to the Leo Tybins through his translator and he invited Emma and Domino to sit round the camp fire and sip bark tea. </div><div><br /></div><div>"They really like to blow things up. In another month I think I will have squads of them trained up to make raids on the cities infrastructure. I get enough of them excited about the prospects and I think I can turn them into a formidable army to even make the Kordarians think this planet isn't worth the trouble. Now, why don't you two convince me you are not UCC agents and I won't let my friends here cook you up for dinner?"</div><div><br /></div><div>(to be continued...)</div>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-69439491522568225872022-10-16T21:52:00.004-06:002022-10-16T21:53:30.596-06:00Even Heroes Bleed Issue 35 part one<p><span style="font-family: Lato;"> DC Heroes game (using <i>The Blood of Heroes </i>retro-clone), I finally got back on track with the "main" storyline today. The Olympian couldn't make it, but Mettle and Mr. Zozo were more than enough to plunge into the mysteries surrounding the unknown woman they saved from the Black Enchantress.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://anchor.fm/vanishingtower/episodes/DC-Heroes-Even-Heroes-Bleed-Issue-35-part-one-e1pc782" target="_blank">Even Heroes Bleed Issue 35 part 1</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNEvBHLYWrJy29kqnDsiP0Leh3LdZE3MecT4zGv9Ru8Sty0-Hj6sBmfdPCeyhK3cbEKxWbdVy59HehBW3WhdlfW5rg_MdcFDRi_lN0_IxDIVD-Pufn6_iIndPyffGFH6hvpRZw-YKri9yxNA13rarT-C6PWHW8wfrVij4JKfTrmhwSazvlUHLPn0/s436/coriolis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="436" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNEvBHLYWrJy29kqnDsiP0Leh3LdZE3MecT4zGv9Ru8Sty0-Hj6sBmfdPCeyhK3cbEKxWbdVy59HehBW3WhdlfW5rg_MdcFDRi_lN0_IxDIVD-Pufn6_iIndPyffGFH6hvpRZw-YKri9yxNA13rarT-C6PWHW8wfrVij4JKfTrmhwSazvlUHLPn0/w400-h196/coriolis.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32571137398491495.post-89727981162649361812022-10-13T19:14:00.003-06:002022-10-13T19:14:15.796-06:00Fantasy Adventure Journal Actual Photos<p> Copies landed on my doorstep today! Here are photos of the actual product, cover, interior pages, etc.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU1IcDgDCESW_KCtGhJb_1BO8uIDIQj6iiHwYUEgB-ajHoUODAm2wuyh7ORUUaqfkWYlK6npV6PkOldKW-JEj9-R3NpdXY9jjz4_eDwqkRBnvO1i5MF-3zqvMh8F3MtChwhtZKQYM6Aqo4IjTBRnTVMTKtiLRm_nvClTTB8kT1fS6LWf_GwsQOvk/s2016/IMG_0057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU1IcDgDCESW_KCtGhJb_1BO8uIDIQj6iiHwYUEgB-ajHoUODAm2wuyh7ORUUaqfkWYlK6npV6PkOldKW-JEj9-R3NpdXY9jjz4_eDwqkRBnvO1i5MF-3zqvMh8F3MtChwhtZKQYM6Aqo4IjTBRnTVMTKtiLRm_nvClTTB8kT1fS6LWf_GwsQOvk/s320/IMG_0057.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIbeY_vjarqIT3H2xYP74fH4XoGOVbGzAN0vWu2iWTW5pGJriXhsOLRwNoL_1QW2lEfP7PAUlkXovMC5AtEOwpFxmeYRwtmY2h4G0DCl3XCH7ghq2N0mmVtZ1bRnD3IRSff21K5QQ6V8QA-2mnERB8_Rd1FAyExdpIqpLwVuCmHapSodLJth_4H0/s2016/IMG_0058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIbeY_vjarqIT3H2xYP74fH4XoGOVbGzAN0vWu2iWTW5pGJriXhsOLRwNoL_1QW2lEfP7PAUlkXovMC5AtEOwpFxmeYRwtmY2h4G0DCl3XCH7ghq2N0mmVtZ1bRnD3IRSff21K5QQ6V8QA-2mnERB8_Rd1FAyExdpIqpLwVuCmHapSodLJth_4H0/s320/IMG_0058.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQPRDQ7nRgWXDIBDpVLthIMhF56kxcL4Tm7BL17tqmm4C-681klbvlB3qhdpILj16OMu4-RfaVurP4PWf5dvIv1k7-h6AULexa5C4U74uMDBOj93Cu2uLGtg3qpdmPqj6rGXD_Y7F1X2YwMpuvKxysjttCk_WJNEHr5F1lseAtmeI5TqlQIR6pdA/s2016/IMG_0060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQPRDQ7nRgWXDIBDpVLthIMhF56kxcL4Tm7BL17tqmm4C-681klbvlB3qhdpILj16OMu4-RfaVurP4PWf5dvIv1k7-h6AULexa5C4U74uMDBOj93Cu2uLGtg3qpdmPqj6rGXD_Y7F1X2YwMpuvKxysjttCk_WJNEHr5F1lseAtmeI5TqlQIR6pdA/s320/IMG_0060.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAJytuZ8qMA5rquDDKSUSmUUaK-rUUlzZR55_UaP1kKTANHXzgYCLxc1xNAVq04nh44HYOHk8OlbATk0COxICRwFj55yJPNs-MBNcrPYVZ-JBEs0x7Pt0EtIUCfySwucoHvi7FQvuey9tFBGRvQ0MifSDNcXI4hXOKi8eYKTne91pzPu4L70lLmE/s2016/IMG_0059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAJytuZ8qMA5rquDDKSUSmUUaK-rUUlzZR55_UaP1kKTANHXzgYCLxc1xNAVq04nh44HYOHk8OlbATk0COxICRwFj55yJPNs-MBNcrPYVZ-JBEs0x7Pt0EtIUCfySwucoHvi7FQvuey9tFBGRvQ0MifSDNcXI4hXOKi8eYKTne91pzPu4L70lLmE/s320/IMG_0059.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><br /></div><br />Jay Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00069789456292604679noreply@blogger.com0