The Death Roll

What a long haul it's been!

Over two years ago we started a trend in our gaming club that remains one of the most popular features.  It's widely known that the games we run aren't shy about putting characters in the ground, and one of the most solemn and final things we do around here involves dead characters.  Yes folks, it's time to shed light on the Death Roll.

When a player dies (for real and without any hope of resurrection), the Game Master will draw forth the Death Roll.  In this tome is inscribed the name of the slain and the date and nature of his demise.  The other players intone "DUHN-DUHN DUHHHHhhhnnnn...." and the GM, in his own hand, illuminates the text with another entry.  So, every character at the Wargate who has met their untimely demise exists within this "tomb", interred with the memory of their existence.

Now, the Death Roll is so big it requires another volume.  We will continue this tradition until we can't any longer, that is, until the Wargate itself ceases to exist.  Hopefully, that time will not come soon (and it's not even on the horizon)!

So, as the first volume of the Death Roll is closed and a new one is opened, we take a moment here on the club's blog to take a look at the entirety of the Death Roll and see what has transpired since we started this morbid tradition.  What follows is the text of the Death Roll, with what game system the character belonged to added for the clarity of our online audience.

Take a look and compare the games and their lethality.  Only once have characters entered in the Death Roll been returned to active duty, their "seeming" death overturned by the DM as he revealed they had survived...but this is the lone exception to the standing rule that once a character is commended to the Roll, he is dead.  Truly and forever.

We now take a moment, and remember the Wargate's fallen.

1. Cephous of the Hold (Greg H.) - 08.01.2010:  Fell to Death (WFRP)
2. Imhol of Laurelorn (Henry) - 08.01.2010:  Fell to Death (WFRP)
3. Simon Doan (Dave) - 09.19.2010:  Shot by PC's (nWoD)
4. R. Spencer Fleming (Dave) - 10.24.2010:  Mass Suicide (nWoD)
5. Wyatt "Earp" Roberts (Skim) - 10.24.2010:  Mass Suicide (nWoD) - 
6. Ralph Wiggins (Greg H.) - 10.24.2010:  Mass Suicide (nWoD)
7. J.B. Anderson (Mark B.) - 10.24.2010:  Mass Suicide (nWoD)
8. Jay Calavero (Jaime) - 10.24.2010:  Mass Suicide (nWoD)
9. Randy Ball (Shawn M.) - 10.24.2010:  Mass Suicide (nWoD)
10. Kaliv Valdiz (Henry) - 10.24.2010:  Mass Suicide (nWoD)
11. Gigi Lamour (Ellen) - 10.24.2010:  Mass Suicide (nWoD)
12. Guisseppe Puzzo (Joe K.) - 10.24.2010:  Mass Suicide (nWoD)
13. Able (Greg H.) - 01.02.2011:  Head Crushed By Servitor (Dark Heresy)
14. Heinrich (Henry) - 02.27.2011:  Electric Lizard Pool (Pathfinder)
15. Art Vandelay (Shaun A.) - 02.27.2011:  Electric Lizard Pool (Pathfinder)
16. Chronyak (Joe K.) - 02.27.2011:  Electric Lizard Pool (Pathfinder)
17. Harska (Greg H.) - 02.27.2011:  Electric Lizard Pool (Pathfinder)
18. Nameless, AKA Steve French (Dave) - 02.27.2011:  Electric Lizard Pool (Pathfinder)
19. Feulgi Devito (Josh) - 02.27.2011:  Killed by She-Wolf (Pathfinder)
20. Sir Gregorious the Ugly (Greg H.) - 07.17.2011:  Killed by Hydra (Palladium RPG)
21. Slurg (Shawn M.) - 10.30.2011:  Killed by Dwarf (D&D 3.0)
22. Shartiz (Matt H.) - 10.30.2011:  Killed by Dwarf (D&D 3.0)
23. Scarlok (Greg H.) - 11.13.2011:  Killed by PC Snurg (Dave) (D&D 3.0)
24. Snarl the Skar (Greg H.) - 11.27.2011:  Killed by NPC Uri (D&D 3.0)
25. Darr'sloth (Jake B.) - 11.27.2011:  Killed by Giant Spider (D&D 3.0)
26. Snurg the Droop (Dave) - 12.04.2011:  Killed by PC Ching (Shawn M.) (D&D 3.0)
27. Karnarth (Greg) - 12.04.2011:  Killed by PC Targ (Dave) (D&D 3.0)
28. Targ (Dave) - 12.04.2011:  Hauled away by Mordor (D&D 3.0)
29. Talakus (Greg) - 01.01.2012:  Killed by PC Slikk (Josh) (D&D 3.0)
30. Blitz (Mark) - 01.01.2012:  Killed by PC Zrakh (Joe K.) (D&D 3.0)
31. Ching (Shawn M.) - 01.01.2012:  Killed by PC Slikk (Josh) (D&D 3.0) 
32. Skinner (Matt H.) - 01.01.2012:  Killed by PC Slikk (Josh) (D&D 3.0) 
33. Black Lorc (Jake B.) - 01.01.2012:  Killed by PC Slikk (Josh) (D&D 3.0)
34. Crumpwit Tumblewine (Shawn M.) - 02.26.2012:  Killed by PC Olo (Jerry) (WFRP)
35. Amendil (Shawn M.) - 05.20.2012:  Volcano Cave In (WFRP)
36. Jacque Chaucerez (Jake B.) - 05.20.2012:  Volcano Cave In (WFRP)
37. Olo Buttercreme (Jerry) - 05.20.2012:  Volcano Cave In (WFRP)
38. Stricken From Imperial Records
39. Stricken From Imperial Records
40. Stricken From Imperial Records
41. Stricken From Imperial Records
42. Ilsa Gustav (Ellen) - 05.20.2012:  Volcano Cave In (WFRP)
43. Grudal Skorgrimsson (Henry) - 05.20.2012:  Volcano Cave In (WFRP)
44. Exander Tul (Skim) - 05.27.2012:  Killed by Man-Feller (Pathfinder)
45. Angbornh Ingbaran (Dave) - 05.27.2012:  Killed by Kobold King's Mistress (Pathfinder)
46. Arjac (Dave) - 06.03.2012:  Killed by Angry Mob (Pathfinder)
47. Bonjon Loveleaf (Jerry) - 06.03.2012:  Killed by Angry Mob (Pathfinder)
48. Boris the Beautiful (Joe K.) - 06.03.2012:  Killed by Angry Mob (Pathfinder)
49. Carlyle Browning (Skim) - 06.03.2012:  Killed by Angry Mob (Pathfinder)
50. Elle McElferson (Jake B.) - 06.03.2012:  Killed by Angry Mob (Pathfinder)
51. Bilxob Xilbor (Dave) - 07.15.2012:  Burned Alive by PC Ralmarth (Jerry) (Pathfinder)
52. Lorcc Mac Dubh (Dave) - 09.30.2012:  Martyred to the Cause by NPC Chuin
53. Flarnagan of Fharlanghn (Josh) - 11.18.2012:  Killed by Moathouse Bandits (AD&D 1e)
54. Mac Olyn (Mark) - 12.02.2012:  Slain by Moathouse Zombies (AD&D 1e)
55. Sir William (Josh) - 12.02.2012:  Slain by Moathouse Zombies (AD&D 1e)
56. Em Cee Stubbs (Mark) 12.02.2012:  Slain by Moathouse Zombies (AD&D 1e)
57. Mannfred Finch (Skim) 12.09.2012:  Slain by Moathouse Bugbears (AD&D 1e)
58. Kran Stone (Shawn M.) 12.09.2012:  Slain by Moathouse Gnolls (AD&D 1e)

58 deaths in two years.  That's a little more than one death every two sessions, with some games (notably D&D and it's derivatives) being much more lethal than others.  Well, hopefully it will take two more years to fill the second volume of the Death Roll, but the current game is claiming lives quicker than any other game so far...while it might not have as many as some, it's certainly in the running for most lethal game.

Consider all that, and I'll see you on Game Day!

Terrain Log: Fantasy Village

Welcome to Hatesville. 

Earlier this year, the club's benefactors appropriated this awesome village from a caster in the UK.  I'm not sure what the brand name is, or if there even is one.  The caster no longer has these sets available, but they did have several sets and styles available, each one weighing in at around $220 US.  We got the one that had a lot of variety and best depicted what we thought of as a typical village.

Duplex Residence and Small Inn.

These are all made of good quality resin and are very resilient to chips from jostling.  The buildings are all made with removable roofs, and removable 2nd stories.  Best of all, they came entirely assembled and painted.  Well, part of that large price tag was shipping...but bang for buck this was a great deal compared to the alternatives we were looking at.

Church, Warehouse with Shop and Small Barn.

 The package was a great starter deal for a village in 28mm, and has served quite well over the past several months.  This was the first part of our "New Terrain" initiative that was a larger undertaking by the members of the club.  We'll be adding small doo-dads such as wells and fences and a host of other things to the village, but this collection is the basic building blocks we'll have when constructing new scenarios and placing terrain.

Residence and Large Home with Shop

 Those dark alleys make great spots to get ganked!  Keep your torch high, and remember:  when trodding the streets of Hatesville, make sure your blade is strapped close.  You never know who might rush at you from around the corner...

T-34 Tank Corps, 600 Points

T-34 Squadron and Company Commander (signaling).

I've decided not to do briefings like our other forces for the Flames of War armies.  There's enough going on about the Great War I felt I'd just leave the history pretty much alone...my own army having little in common with it's historical namesake.  A lot of different units bore the designation "6th", but I'm not going for full on historical accuracy with my gaming army.  That would be madness, tracking it all down and making sure it was all within the boundaries of what was then on the battlefields.  For my own 6th Guards Tankovy Batalon, they start the war in December 1941 at the battle for Moscow, and are entirely fictional.

We decided to start the club at Flames of War's recommended setting for low or introductory level play - 600 pts.  Well, browsing through the armor lists I noticed that I wasn't getting any heavy armor at that level.  Everyone agreed to play at 600 pts initially, so I had to find a company that would allow me to play at all our proscribed levels, 600, 1500 and 2000.  Looking through The Eastern Front, I knew I was going to be playing Soviets.  My partner, whom I usually play doubles with, wanted Rota Razvedki at first, but after another player dropped out decided to go full on infantry with a Strelkovy Batalon.

I found exactly what I needed in the plain old Tankovy Batalon.  It's not as flashy, not as elite as the other tank companies that carry several mixed types of chassis...but there's a lot to be said about a horde of T-34's...my chosen main battle tank!

The first squadron rumbles along a dirt road in the Moscow oblast.

At 600 pts there aren't very many, to be sure. I get six tanks, a total of 1 Company HQ tank and 1 Combat Platoon of 5 more T-34's.  This cost about $70 US, since I got 1 boxed set of T-34's and a single blister for the command tank.  Easy to paint up as well...there's really not much to it.  It was, however, the first time I used pigment powders on a model, and I used Flames of War's own line.  I also picked up some powders from Vallejo as well, and will definitely be experimenting with those pigments a lot more.  Overall, I liked how it turned out.  Carefully weathered decals and just a smidgen of No.2 pencil to show chips in the paint and voila!  Each tank turned out in about an hour, and thats with plenty of drying time for the various reagents.

I used some rubbing alcohol to bind the pigment before sealing it with a matte spray.  I inked the commanders with some GW Reikland Fleshshade and that turned out very cool.  This is the first project I've tackled at this scale, and it was very satisfying.  There's something about doing a bunch of tanks at once that can't really be expressed except as AWESOME.  Also, there's the fact I will get to collect an army that consists entirely of tanks to at least 2000 points...and no one will call be cheesy or beardy for it.

That's all for now from the Eastern Front!  Remember, only a few weeks of battles left for this season...so get to the 'gate early on Game Day to make sure your guns and blades aren't quiet for another week.  We're starting AD&D early to help smooth out the difficulties we had in the moathouse last week as well, so if you're dead or want to join the game we'll have a little extra time to sort things out.

See you on Game Day!

D&D Realms: Greyhawk Adventures

It's been since 1997 that I've gotten a chance to run a game on the Oerth.  Our group here, for the last month, has been based in the village of Hommlett in the Kron Hills - doing that thing you do when you're in Hommlett.  Though it's been quite some time, I remember this place like my long lost homeland - if I were from the Free City of Greyhawk.  For my players, it's a bit unfamiliar - like the Gygaxian traps that make this crazy dungeon crawl such a classic.

My players couldn't help but think they were going to kick in doors and take names, and that the Temple of Elemental Evil would be as much a pushover as most of my dungeons.  They are finding, by comparison, my homebrew dungeons are much more forgiving than the classic series we've kicked off.  Partly it's a dissonance of game design philosophy and partly that of adventure design.  The concepts AD&D 1e was built around are no longer in place for the larger gaming community.  It's like since 2004 or so, the MMO mentality has really taken over all aspects of gaming, so that the original designs don't seem to make sense in a context where you want a party to succeed at the adventure.  Also, a party with the newer concepts in mind will face a terrible dilemma once they start T1.

The original setting of Dungeons & Dragons, the world of Greyhawk is one of the most comprehensive and welcoming settings for any game anywhere, in my opinion.  There's a lot of material out there for the setting, and muddling through it all to place everything where it's supposed to be has been a fun chore.  Since I've separated all the editions' storylines, it's much easier to see the progress and development of the campaign setting and accompanying stories.  The idea with this particular setting is that it will sort of be the yardstick by which all others are compared.  We've started with 1e, but the only edition that Greyhawk doesn't have published adventures for is 4e.  Yes, I know about The Village of Hommletti for it, but I don't really count that.  That's more of a collector's thing.

So we will be visiting Oerth in every edition.  I'll be using almost exclusively the published adventures, ad-libbing only where needed.  The idea is that we experience the changes of Oerth from 1979 to 2008, in three editions and three storylines.

I also want to say if 4e had more Greyhawk material, I probably would have been on board from the beginning.

Greyhawk offers us a wide range of possible characters.  Though I'm restricting each game to each corresponding edition, anything and everything in D&D is on Oerth.  That means no restrictions on characters, except where placed by the basic rules.  In 2e, there's the Complete Humanoids Handbook, and in 3e...well, there's a lot more stuff.  Personally, I think the high water mark was 3.0 edition.  The "Option Explosion" happened, and (before the glut of splatbooks) the stuff that was available in hardcover, softcover and on the web was for me and my players a perfect cauldron of gaming goodness.

All the most fantastic of the D&D monsters are on Oerth as well.  Monsters that players have only heard about (jokingly or not) will rear their ugly head.  One example we learned from in the past few weeks is Green Slime.  Oh yeah, Green Slime is a nasty hazard, and I've read about it since the first Monster Manual. Yet, I realized I've never used it in an adventure.  We might have spoken about it before, but it's kind of hard to believe my players, die hard gamers that they are, have never heard of it.  They learned about it in the moathouse near Hommlett, and it's a miracle that none of them ended up as another puddle of Green Slime.

They were incredulous.  I can only assume we'll have more of this when we encounter bugbears (I've always used orcs & goblins), displacer beasts, gelatinous cubes, rot grubs and a host of other monsters I've either thought were too old hat and corny, or simply been too afraid to use.

Magic is a different beast on this world as well.  I've run low fantasy campaigns for years and years now, and Oerth is going to be a break from that.  I've said before that I feel that Oerth is completely saturated in magic and I've wanted that to show.  One side effect from a high magic society is that the tropes of adventure gaming have come to light.  There's always been an aversion at my table to the whole "we're adventurers, dungeon explorers, come to save you from monsters" attitude and roleplay that seems to be tongue-in-cheek jokes throughout a lot of the setting and rules.  No more says I...there will be magic, spells, monsters and crass foolery about the dungeons in a manner befitting characters in such a setting.  Not straight Looney Toons...it's mixed with a little bit of Shakespeare.

This is also the home of some of the most iconic names in D&D.  Bigby, Tenser, Drawmij, Mordenkainen.  Melf.  Lord Robilar.  You know...the old crew.  When players realize this, it tends to draw them into the world of Oerth just a little more.  They've all seen those names in print, just in the basic books.  I find there are few outside the realm of Dungeon Mastery that know the secrets of the Oerth, but these names have a definite resonance of familiarity even on other worlds.

For me, the Oerth is a vibrant place of great and powerful magic.  Terrors and treasures untold exist within this continuum.  There is a certain sort of crazy that applies to the Oerth, a sort of implicit lunacy that you must partake in just to accept the world as real for a few hours on Game Day.  Abandon the logic, the low fantasy tropes we've held to for the last decade or so.  It's not about gritty realism.

Greyhawk Adventures is about every single one of those iconic images that D&D is famous for.

Krampusfest 2012!

A few of the revelers this fine Krampusfest!

It's Krampusfest!

The last couple of years, we've been celebrating this fine holiday at our games club.  It's a great excuse to gather together and have a feast!  It only makes it better that it's a giant hairy monster we're celebrating, as well as the spirit of the holiday season!  Really, Krampus is the gift that keeps on giving.

This year our splendid Wargate Chefs (a.k.a. da Gurlz) spent a lot of time and effort bringing us authentic Germanic cuisine this year.  The layout was masterful: colorful grilled kebabs;  German style potato salad, sauerkraut, and even cheesy cauliflower (and broccoli)!  Homemade candies and fudge rounded off the meal, and as the beer and food flowed to explosive levels we set back into the Temple of Elemental Evil for more fun with Green Slime!

I want to thank everyone who made this Krampusfest as awesome as it was.  You all know who you are, so I'll just say it's good to have folks who care.  The Grill Crew & Captain were courageous and proficient as always, and the entire operation went off with just a few hitches.  Of course, any sort of undertaking this size is going to have hiccups.  It's good that no one noticed ours!

Next year remember to RSVP when Krampusfest invitations go out!

Next weekend we'll be starting AD&D 1e at 3 p.m. instead of the usual 6 p.m.  Let me know if you're going to have a problem making it over and plot a time.  Tabletop wargaming from noon to 3 p.m., so lets make sure to get some mileage this week on our wargames.  Both wargames are drawing to a close at the end of this month, so get your game on and cover those last few yards to the finish line!

Also, those of you willing to work on the next terrain project budget get with me this week.  We'll have a meeting where we decide what to fast track and I'll give a more detailed presentation of my vision of our collected worlds.

See you on Game Day!

Fostering Familiarity

"So, now that we all completely trust one another with our lives..."

Party dynamics is always a factor in any of these games we play.  It's important for the sustained suspension of disbelief that the player characters are as comfortable with each other as the players' depict around the table.  Yet, often the subject of a given character backstory is glossed over when creating a party at the outset of a new game.  Even worse is "don't mind the orc" syndrome created when a very different party member joins during a game in progress - either it's the player's replacement for a dead character or it's a new player joining the game.

When starting a new game, it's fun to have everyone roleplay their meetings and come to know each other's character exclusively through gaming.  Sure one or two characters might be familiar with one another, but it's a standard trope to start a game with "You begin in the tavern..."  I encourage new groups to use this method, since players might not necessarily know each other well in real life.  New characters can be introduced in the same way...sort of a "cold intro".  Hello, I'm Seamus the Half Orc and I use an axe.  Here's my dungeon cart, where's the lair of evil at?

When your group meets a lot and you play many campaigns, this sort of intro can get old.  Instead of being interested in roleplaying this sort of party formation, veteran players gloss it over a lot.  In my own games, the core PC group tends to be the same ones every time, plus or minus an equal number of potential players depending on the weather and the season and the rest of life's crazy conditions.

I prefer to foster a familiarity among the player characters as part of the creation of the party and prior to the group's first adventure.

Sometimes, the "meet in a tavern" this is cool, but for me it dredges up all sorts of questions as to the nature of such a group.  It's not really credible that a bunch of Neutrals meet in a liquor bar and decide to go fight evil or whatever, and then fight to the death protecting one another.  Not only is that out of alignment (for the most part) but it's also incredulous if you think "hey, these people don't know each other that well."

For me, I have a new standing rule that's been sorta unspoken for a couple of years.  This rule is the Party Familiarity principle, and it has two parts.

1. All player characters in a given campaign must have serious connections to other members of the party to represent their decision to risk their lives together. (e.g. they are family;  members of the same community;  sent on a magical quest by the warlock Charlie Sheen, etc...)
2. New characters created and joining during the course of the campaign must likewise have a familiarity and relation to the party except under special circumstances.  (The story permits the entrance of an unfamiliar character.)

It's not as unfair as it seems.  It exists solely to keep the him-hawing to a minimum when creating backstories and making sure everyone fits together in what we see as the "party unit".  Obviously, I'm not precluding any character types and for sure, if you want to play a "loner outcast" that's fine - we're going to talk about it though, since to my mind loner outcasts don't hang out with other people in a paramilitary squad / militia.

For us at the Wargate, this will save a lot of time.  Already our new campaign in Greyhawk has used this to mostly good effect - though we did let a half orc join the party for no apparent reason.  It's that kind of hinky stuff that can throw off the track of an otherwise cohesive story.  Next time you're rolling a character at the Wargate, think about how he fits in with the rest of the group, even if he's radically different in background and ability.  Surely, someone else in the party lived near the tower of the Warlock Charlie Sheen, where you grew up and learned magic spells.

The Eastern Front

The trenches at Stalingrad.

The more I talk to people, the more I realize that the average person in America doesn't even know that a war was fought on the other side of Germany.  At least, that's the impression that I get.  Also, that the Soviets did the bulk of the fighting (and winning) against Nazi Germany also seems to be something that people here just don't think about.  Now, I'm not saying our grandparents didn't fight a deadly enemy for our country - just that more fighting was done on the Ostfront.  I'd even go as far as to call it "the bulk of the war in Europe".

Anyone interested in research on the subject can check out the awesome articles on Wikipedia, starting with the basics for the Great Patriotic War.  It's a fascinating subject, full of tales of heroism and horror.  There are numerous books written on the subject, of course, but it seems that in the U.S. you pretty much have to go out of your way to learn about this.

Of course, we'll be running various scenarios as we meander our way across the war in the coming years.  As everyone knows, right now we're fighting over Moscow, and you'd be surprised at how many folk don't know how to take it when we say we're not actually fighting IN said city.  All of a sudden, I wanted to make folks aware about the horrendous struggle between Germany and Russia.

Last year, when we were going through possible theatres to get the club revved up for Flames of War, I really pushed the Eastern Front.  Right away I was blown away by how much just isn't talked about.  Months later, I've just ordered my T-34 company and I run across the trailer below.

Now, the Wargate isn't about video games, and we're not going to start covering them.  I bring it up here because it's sort of on the issue, in a roundabout way.  I don't know of a single video game that's ever come from this angle, though they probably exist - in Russia.

I've been following the production of this particular game closely as it's relevant to my interests.  I must say that this isn't just exciting to me, but I find it touching in a strange way.  It might be crass to some, but I don't know if a better tribute could be made to the sacrifices made on the Ostfront. 

If nothing else, gamer d00dZ will be aware that something happened way back in the '40's and a lot of folks died.  That's if they are interested enough to check out this game, they might could learn a little something more about history.  The Company of Heroes title was very popular, so you never know.

The Cold War is over.  Being a Russian sympathizer (as I've been called) doesn't get you thrown in jail anymore...does it?

Greyhawk Adventure Time!

Well!  It's nice to be back in familiar territory once again.  Greyhawk Adventures was the first place many of us ever explored, and I must say it's the setting for D&D that's most familiar to me.  Sure, I had my love affairs with Dragonlance and Ravenloft, and even a little Forgotten Realms on the side.  I cultivated a secret love for Dark Sun, but to me Greyhawk is the ridiculously impossible "vanilla" D&D coolness.  You know, the one with all the tropes and gamer nerd paraphrenalia?

Our Greyhawk campaign will take us through the forgotten editions of Dungeonland.  We're doing this is AD&D 1st Edition (hence referred to as 1e) and all the orange spine items.  We've got a huge collection of stuff here, and I plan on using all of it!  All the stuff from the basic, printed rulebooks are in use, and of course all the new stuff from Unearthed Arcana.  Well, it's not new now...but you know what I mean.

We're about to embark on a quest.  That is, the club.  We're going to play huge, published campaigns in every edition of D&D over the next few years.  Now, we've been playing a lot of Pathfinder and 3e but now it's high time we ran some of these old-school published adventures, and played them how they were written with the rulesets they were written for.  That's why there's no Edition War here.

We're starting out with T1-4:  The Temple of Elemental Evil, but I have a lot of material from that same era and we'll be showing how it progresses in the Campaign Log.  We've got the entire classic campaign together, and to avoid any more spoilers than I've already given (though you can pretty much predict the course of the campaign, if you were so inclined) I'll not be giving the exact list of modules here on the site until the 1e romp is finished.

The group had a blast at the first real session of the game, and even though we didn't have big turnout it was sorta an off day for the club.  Next week however, we'll most likely have 50% more players...and it should be noted that 1e was written for a much larger group than 3e's assumption of 4 players.

For my own opinions, I'd just like to leave you with these nuggets.

I believe magic items are bought and sold on Oerth, but it's shops of magic that are rare, rather than magic items themselves.  Oerth is completely saturated with magic.

We will be using the printed works as best we can, RAW (Rules as Written).  

There is some contention on the intent of certain passages in the old Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide.  1st Edition is a completely different beast when used on it's own.  I'm pretty sure I have all the pertinent information nailed down for reference, though we're sure to encounter some more strange obfuscation at some point.

Then again, we are prepared for a different sort of game now.

We can only hope the Player Characters are ready for that game.

Imperial Crackdown Log and Finals!!

Imperial Crackdown

2012 Necromunda Campaign

The Capital of Lucruzu Primus, Domagoshch.

Lucruzu Primus, Vae Salubrious Subsector

Though it is the seat of much unrest in the past few years, Lucruzu Primus remains one of the more productive worlds in the sector.  It's relatively idyllic vistas have recently been marred by rioting, pogroms and an almost full scale revolt.  The planet is recovering from a recent power struggle, and it is imperative that Lucruzu Primus continue to function as the trade hub for the sector that it has grown to be.

Recently havnig tithed a large amount of men and equipment, the Merchant Guilds have asked that nearby forces of the Mardannon Crusade contribute to maintaining the peace.  An attempt was made during the moving of men and equipment to undermine and usurp the rule of the Merchant House Semetov.  However, agents of the Emperor's Holy Inquisition were at work to maintain the status quo, and the government of the planet remains mostly intact.  However, there are much fewer soldiers to police the entirety of the populated zones.

In the rest of the subsector, wars encroach on many other worlds.  The Crusade is needed elsewhere, but control of Lucruzu Primus (and Domagoshch in particular) is critical.  Though Lucruzu avoided full-scale war, heretic uprisings on nearby Vae Salubrious itself have weakened the morale and sapped the vitality of the Imperial citizenry. Now, the Imperial Navy and other fighting elements have seen fit to use Lucruzu as a staging ground for the Crusade.

A heroic push of men and machines will roll out of Lucruzu soon.  The battlefleet in orbit grows to an impressive size, and more fighting forces arrive in system even now.  The Imperium sees this as an opportunity to show the people of Lucruzu Primus they are watched over by a benevolent Emperor, and plans are drawn up to send military units to the surface to aid in the suppression of non-conformist elements. The Imperium is cracking down on seditionists, heretics, and foul people of all kinds.

The Guild Authority has been fully mobilized.  The merchant houses of Lucruzu move to protect their domains, but a little confusion is always on hand.  As 'peacekeeping' forces from the crusade move onto the planet, there are bound to be some losses as various factions attempt to accomplish their own missions.  The Administratum has estimated that casualties from planetside operations will be within acceptable bounds, much less than if a full-scale rebellion broke out.

It's time to save some souls and uphold the laws of the Emperor!

---

The view of Domagoshch is...grey.

Campaign Rules

This year's Necromunda campaign will utilize the rules and scenarios from the basic rulebook.  The main difference this season with how we've been running our campaigns is that we are removing the 'set game' limit.  Therefore, you no longer have to appoint games against various club members, but rather it will be a more freeform, open-ended campaign.

Here's how it works.  Gangs will fight as normal, and you're not allowed to play the same player more than twice in a row as in the rulebook.  However, scoring is a little more complicated than just Gang Rating.

Wins, Losses and Draws will be compared to create an Influence Score.  The greatest number of battles among the players will be our Battle Magnitude, and represents the faction's committal to the campaign.  For each battle a player is behind, he suffers a cumulative -5% penalty to his influence score.  Your adjusted Campaign Score is equal to your adjusted Influence multiplied by your Gang Rating.

Highest adjusted Campaign Score at the end of the campaign wins!  The game will run from July 1st to October 1st, 2012!  Get as many games as you can, that's the only way to ensure a win!


Currently Active Units

1. Precinct 69 (Enforcers)
2. Lumisi Interdiction Team (House Orlock)
3. House Semetov (Unknown House)
4. Red Redemption (Redemptionists)
5. Band of Basterds (House Orlock)
6. Abu Dabis (Ash Wastes Nomads)
7. The Dingoes (Ratskin Renegades)

---

Campaign Updates

1. The campaign has begun!
2. 8.19.2012 - After a month of brewing hostilities, House Semetov moves against what it sees as insurgents in a military action.
3. 9.21.2012 - Three weeks on hard fighting sees House Semetov in near complete control of Domagoshch.
4. 10/1/2012 - The campaign is over!  House Semetov is victorious, but the wasteland nomads calling themselves the Abu Dabis are a close second...

---

It's only about five weeks late, but we have to put up the record!

We've had a short hiatus, but that doesn't mean we've been inactive.  In fact, my House Semetov gang won this year's Necromunda campaign, though competition was stiff and time constrained.  The club finally awarded me the prize...this campaign is the first one where we award a single title!

Captain Video awards Dave Bone the title of Boss Tough Guy.

Now,  our campaigns will actually have champions!  For 9 months between each game's time slots, the winner of the previous year's campaign will be known by a title, which they will have to defend in the next campaign from the ground up!  For Necromunda, the reigning champion will be called Boss Tough Guy.  This year...I am that tough guy!

Next July, I'll have to fight to retain that title...and no doubt the competition will be stiffer and the blood will be pumping hard in the hate-filled hearts of my enemies.  Just look at the expression on the good Captain's face as he hands me that title...

Many thanks to the awesome club!  Thanks for the title, and rest assured I'm going to keep it as long as I can!

---

Kobach Semetov surveyed the buildings where he believed the wasteland nomads to be hiding.  The crazed terror-mongers had been striking at the government supply lines, but Imperial control had returned to Domogoshch and was quickly spreading all over Lucruzu Prime.  Now, the Crusade's real push could begin, into the galactic south...

He thought about what it would be like to join the Guard on the crusade...briefly.  Honestly, the Lumisi soldiers that were supposed to be aiding with the interdiction didn't seem to be up to the job.  Kobach wondered briefly what sort of training passed the bar for the Guard, but he knew their hearts were in the right place.  Even if they had to kill a few of them to get the point across - Lucruzu belonged to House Semetov.

Right then and there he resolved to visit the stars on his own terms.  A few of the men who had been in his home defense units had been talking about taking a pilgrimage.  It wouldn't take much for him to arrange passage on one of the Ecclesiarchy vessels that accompanied the Crusade, and from there...they could go anywhere.  Perhaps they could visit Vae Salubrious, and pray at the very Shrine of Mardannon.

His comm crackled to life, and he heard a familiar voice in an unfamiliar way.

"Kobach?  Kobach Semetov?"

He winced.  He knew that voice...but what was it doing on the House Guard's sealed vox-network?

"Castella?"  he asked his cousin incredulously.

"Yes Kobach, it's me.  I'm at the field house."  Castella Balka's voice was quite welcome, and suddenly he knew something must be wrong.

"What's the problem?" he asked brusquely.  Even though he hadn't spoken to her directly since this all began, House Balka's guard were underequipped to handle the low tech nomads that poured into the city of the last few months.  He knew he was about to receive new orders.

"No problem at all.  You've done a fantastic job, but I wish to speak to you directly."  she spoke, evenly and commandingly as always.

"I'll be there in twenty microts.  What's this about?"  he barked into the field vox.  Highly irregular, he thought.

"It's about the crusade..." Castella began, "I have someone here I want you to meet."

"Kobach Semetov."  another voice came on the vox, this one was male, and obviously used to giving orders.  

"Affirmative, you speak with the commander of the House Guard.  Who is this?"  Kobach demanded, his patience wearing thin.  He had no time for Castella's flings with noblemen who thought playing at soldiers was fun.

"My name is Brown.  I represent the highest authority."  the voice intoned, slowly enunciating the last three words.  "You know what that means."

Kobach blanched.  He knew well what that phrase meant, though not everyone in the Imperium would have.  A meeting with a representative of the Inquisition?

"I'll be there in ten microts." Kobach stated to the vox, and turned to signal his driver to mount the rover.  The day just got a lot more interesting...

Theaters & Eras

The Wargate opens to (there/here), (now/then).

Flames of War is organized a little differently than most of the games we're used to playing.  Rather than having a centralized game / conflict with various manuals to cover the different factions in the game, such as Army Books and Codeci, Flames of War focuses on different "phases" of the war.  In addition to this, the "theater" chosen dictates what forces are available and how much each unit costs.

The "phases" of the war are easy to understand.  The second World War was an arms race, and early in the war the weapons used were the ones developed in the 1930's.  As time marched on, guns and tanks grew bigger and nastier.  The old pieces were rendered inferior or destroyed.  This is represented by splitting the game up into three "sections" or "phases", called Eras in the game.  In succession, these are Early War, Mid War and Late War.

In choosing a theater, you have a lot of options depending on era.  North Africa?  Check.  The Eastern Front?  Check.  How about the Allied invasion of the West?  Yeah.  All of these are awesome, but when attempting to get people into the game, especially a club, it's best to choose an era and theater that everyone can get behind.  Take a look, do some research and decide what you want to fight over.  Unlike many other games, there is a strong historical drive associated with this game.  You don't have to be a purist, but it helps.

For our game club, we have chosen the Eastern Front as our theater.  Books are available for Mid and Late War eras.  Though the Late War is the most popular, the Wargate has chosen to focus on the Mid War era for a number of reasons, mostly because it's got the what we perceive as a good balance of technology.  Not too low or too high.  We chose the Eastern Front as the theater we would focus on mostly because it was the most intensely grueling, longest and bloodiest conflict.  Also, it's totally metal.

Generally speaking, no matter what theater you choose, as long as an army is from the same era you can guarantee a balanced match.  That's how tournaments can be organized to make things more or less "fair".  Yet for structured campaigns, it's kinda strange seeing Americans fight Soviets...at least if you doing straight historical like we are.  Could be an interesting direction for other clubs to go...

We have the Eastern Front books for the Late War era, but if you're planning on gaming with us you should stay with Mid War.  Late War stuff is available (not all of it) at a premium in this era, so you should be able to use most models available.  That means you're really limited to either the Eastern Front or North Africa volumes.  However, you'll find a world of choice in those two books.

Now, that's not to say that we wouldn't bring up forces for Early or Late War campaigns if someone were to organize them.  However, since we're the only ones organized at present we must encourage the purchase of those two volumes and models to accompany them.  As far as I know, all the boxed starter sets contain models that can be used in Mid or Late War, so don't fret and pick up an Achtung! or Open Fire! from our friendly neighborhood game store, The Cave.

And tell 'em Dave sent you.

Atlantean Adventure Log!

The Second Age

(Spring in Lower Cimmeria)

Lo it came to pass that the depradations of Ulgrim Ravenhair,

an exceedingly evil Vanir Chieftain and practitioner of the

dark arts, did fall on the People once again.

For nine years the warriors of The Raven took as they wished.

Yet ever were they mindful to refrain from taking all, knowing

that the tree cut down gives neither fruit nor shade.

Thus it was that in the month of the melt, 

when the icy waters flowing down from the mountains filled the streams 

and the hunters were rejoicing in their craft, 

that The Raven came to the village of Ulo.

The Raven did visit horror on Ulo and all therein save Ulos’ lovely daughter 

Illiana and six other girls all in their maiden year.

These seven he took.

Hyperborean Adventure Log

1. (8.23.12) Hunter's Lament - The Raven strikes Ulo's village whilst our hunters bring down a Elk.  When they see the smoke from the raiding fires, they return to the small village to see it in ruin.  The next several nights are spent running across the country, attempting to intercept the Raven's ships.
2. (9.2.12) The Hag House - The Raven is revealed as a fell sorcerer in league with demons as our characters visit the Hag of the Woods.  There, they find that they are in a precarious position with damnation on one side and despair on the other.  The Raven's seal is now firmly in the hands of one of his enemies, and new allies join the party.
3. (9.9.12) To the Boreal Edge - After speaking with the hetmen of several other villages and thier foreign friends, the party decides to skirt the edges of the Boreal Forest and see what they can find there.  Perhaps they would seek the favor of the gods there, and discourage thier demonic pursuers long enough to challenge them.  Naked hippogryph fighting is optional.
4. (9.16.12) Goblins & Ogres - Near the forest's edge, many strange things are witnessed.  Wolves near the camp are the least of concerns as goblins and ogres erupt from the forest to challenge the party, but those few goblins that survive flee into the woods.
5. (9.23.12) Snake on the Border - A giant snake bars the entrance to the Boreal Forest, and the party resolves to conquer it.  As the party's nerve begins to waver in the face of the true terrors of the Boreal Forest, they must decide at what cost they will pursue victory.
6. (9.30.12) Borean Dilemma - The party is frustrated in the forest primeval, and quickly find it alien and inhospitable.  Unable to progress farther, they find out a little more about each other than perhaps is comfortable...
7. (10.7.12) The Grove - After the warriors find a strange grove filled with everything they need to survive, refugees from the coast start arriving.  Strange tales make their way back to the warriors, and the birds in the Grove are strange indeed.  It has been long since anyone has heard from any of these people who foolishly ventured into the Borean Forest...

---

Looks like our adventurers took a wrong turn at Albuquerque!  Will we hear from them ever again?  What about the Vanir's depredations on the Cimmerians?  It doesn't look good for them...

Mayhaps other warriors in the Atlantean age will have the gumption to step forward someday!

The Eastern Front Opens on Moscow

"In this corner, we have..."

Before anyone gets into a fit over the image I chose for this post, do yourself a favor and don't.

I feel the need to add a disclaimer:

We at the Wargate do not condone, revere or seek to sensationalize any of the real history of the War in Europe.  There's a lot of emotion behind this, but for our purposes, Flames of War will be treated like any other game, and the Nazis will be treated like any other antagonist in any other game.  Therefore, anything said or written here by myself or any other club member; any jokes made; any Russians that starve and any Nazis killed in the process thereof are to be treated in a lighthearted manner, like everything else here at the Wargate.

Now, with that said I must say I'm sorry about our little hiatus.  A little personal time was required this month, but the club definitely hasn't been too derailed.  All our Flames of War training is taking hold, and the tanks and troops are marching for Moscow as we speak!

Check out the campaign page, though few battles have taken place so far in the next week things are going to be heating up to a fever pitch.  This is our first campaign that will be "trans-club", and we'll be taking our campaign on the road to rack up victories for the Axis and Allies.  The Eastern Front isn't well known about in America, but we're going to change all that with some history lessons as well as fantastic gaming opportunities.

Historically speaking, the battle of Moscow didn't take place in the city...this is an important distinction.  It was waged over the entire oblast, however...about 600 square kilometers of forests, villages and hastily created defenses.  You can read more on real history of the battle here.

So, the time for talking is over.  This weekend, we're going to start hitting the battlefield hard - and I expect there will be more than a few casualties to report on for the next campaign update.  Yet, how are we going to work this into a narrative for the club?

Well, next year's campaign will more or less follow the real history of the war.  Instead of a narrative where we change the course of history, we're going to another conflict in the war.  As we move through our own campaigns, we'll move further through the course of the battles and experience the Eastern Front as no one should ever have to.

Roll up the guns, and I'll see you on Game Day!

Atlantean Age Hijinks!

What began as an impromptu session for a visiting friend has blossomed into a full blown campaign here at the Wargate!  Marky Mark has spent the last year or so preparing to give us a great game with Atlantis: The Second Age, and the group is not disappointed with the interesting setting and adventure time we're getting to put in Hyperborea!  This is his first game to GM in a very long time -and using the next version of the old Atlantis game Mark and his crew used to play way back, it has gone very, very smooth so far.

The game is entering it's 6th week of play here at the Wargate, and the table dynamic has been quite interesting due to the game's unique setting.   Everything is familiar enough that new players can dive right into the setting with very little backstory and be well aware of all social conventions needed for their immediate areas.  The map of the game world is self explanatory.  The Atlantean world is very familiar, but it does have some unique flavor of it's own.

I'd never heard of Atlantis...  I don't gather it was ever a very high profile game, and though it had several editions (and something like three different publishers) there aren't very many expansion products that were even made for each.  The version we are using is from Morrigan Press, and there were not very many products for this version specifically.  Two books is what I could find.  However, the basic D20 pattern is there...so that opens a lot of doors for expansion.  Yet, it's not really seen as a shortcoming of material so much as a completeness of presentation.

You can check out the campaign page for the basic story, which has been up for a few weeks and is an up to date adventure log.

Mileage from core books, even though a lot of information is sparse, is going to be great.  Mark's a clever chap, and with his experience I'm sure we'll never exhaust them for ideas.  Even if by some chance we do, so many materials have been made with the D20 system over the past twelve years, we'd never get to a lot of it with D&D alone.  There's a good argument to explore sourcebooks that have been overlooked by our club with other games - might have to look in on adding to the arsenal soon!

See you on Game Day!

Flames of War Arrives at the Gate!

Does anyone actually remember when we put Flames of War on the figurative table of Stuff We Want to Get?  No?  Me either.  Best guess is, it's been over a year and a half of pondering, planning and studying two different rulesets.  Now, the World War II miniatures game will be rolling onto our battlefields here at the Wargate, and the club is abuzz with a new enthusiasm.

Our local gaming store, The Cave, brought in a huge order for us.  Several of our members pitched in together to 'persuade' the owner to go ahead and take a dive into this game that's new to our region's metagaming sphere.  Now they stock Battlefront miniatures, and I've already found all sorts of cool stuff to pick up while I'm down there.  If you live in the Ada area, do check out The Cave down on Broadway and Main.

The munitions and gear, fresh from the crates.

As we got our know-wots together, it became apparent the Club would have to decide how to approach gaming with Flames of War.  In general, the game is divided into three 'eras':  Early, Middle and Late War. Within that framework, there are multiple theatres...that's a whole 'nother discussion.  We chose the Mid-War Eastern Front as the place for us to start, so the club divided into two camps:  Soviet and German.

It took a while to muddle into the game, but now it's a solid hit here at the Wargate.  German helmets (real ones) have seemed to spawn into existence of their own accord in the corners of my house.  This was our big push - several members are now commanders in what will be our first WW2 campaign.  

Historical gaming, that is.

To break in this momentous occasion, I plotted against the party to get us some real refreshment - some authentically brewed Leninade!  Yes, even though I'm pretty sure there's no where to find this awesome sauce anywhere in our state, we sent one of our members ranging all the way out to - well, where they have it.  It was a long trip, and took him like two whole weeks.  When he returned, bedraggled and road weary, all he had to his person was some dirty clothes and this bottle of Socialist Spirit!

Poor Shaunny travelled 2,000+ miles while hiding this beverage container somewhere uncomfortable. 

Practice and tournament gaming begins in earnest on October 1st!!

A lot of folk want to practice and see how it goes, so for the (somewhat serious) Q4 campaign, only the four players who got a part of the giant order will be named commanders of the forces, though we'll be letting all our members take part in the campaign...and if they are unlucky, maybe a few random passerby down at The Cave!

Jerry Wargate (not pictured) is allergic to Communism, and so is not pictured.

For the Germans, Jerry Wargate commands the Heer Grenadierkompanies that will drive the Nazi warmachine into Moscow with massed infantry and artillery.  His partner in war-crime is Captain Video, whose S.S. Gepanzerte Panzergrenadierkompanie's moniker is Das Hintergrundgeräusch - which probably refers to the ever constant growl of their engines and guns!  These two commanders will collect Nazi wins for the club's narrative!

For our part, the Soviet Union has a solid corps of T-34 tanks in my own 6th Guards Tankovy Batalon.  With Skim as my partner, leading his North Volga Kommandos Strelkovy Batalon, our combined arms should mean more than trouble for the fascists invading the Motherland.  It's sure to be bitter and grim - just the way we like it here at the Wargate!

Army Briefing: The Tower of Iron Woe

The

Tower

Of

Iron Woe

By Chief Scrivener Hannan

Naggaroth, 2522 I.C.

            Dark Elves have always been known to be hateful and cruel in the extreme.  They jockey for the favor of their black lord Malekith, and live in constant fear of their plans and schemes becoming known.  This one danger is what holds many back from attempting to wrest power forcibly from their kin, and they are made to stay their hands for many human lifetimes.  When the fires of revenge and ambition are stoked within those most black of souls for so very long, the resulting vendettas can shake the foundation of the world. 

For the first time in nearly a hundred years, the Sorceress Supreme known as Viorlix, the Lady of Woe, has made a breakthrough discovery that could place her in a new position of power beyond her wildest dreams.  She has unraveled the mysteries of the Old One’s ancient powers of elemental mastery, and her magic has blossomed far beyond what most Dark Elf sorceresses’ ever achieve.  Now, her quest for the keys to this raw elemental power has made her call in every favor ever owed to her to fuel a quest that spans across the world, and may well threaten all who live upon it.

The Lady of Woe and the Iron Lord

            Hailing from the city of Har Ganeth, the Lady of Woe has had her problems with the Dreadlords of that fell place.  Though she has felt the influence of these lords, a precise few of them have stymied Viorlix’s rise to power for centuries.  She attempted to move against them clandestinely in the past, but too many close calls and not enough results led her to look to another plan.

            The elemental seals of the Old One’s can create a magical blast deep under the earth, and can bring the city down where ever she likes.  She will have power in Har Ganeth, by choosing which Dreadlords reign, and which fall in the cataclysm to come.  Any who oppose this plan will be put to death, and the city will change hands as Malekith chooses a new lord for the city. 

Yet, Viorlix will be the true power in the city of Executioners – for she will decree when the very earth will claim the noble sons of the druchii.  Only One Dreadlord is privy to Viorlix’s plan – her consort Kaengaaris the Iron Lord.  He is master of the Black Ark the Tower of Iron Woe, and with his Sorceress has set sail for the new world.

A Black City Upon the Waves

            The Sea of Chaos is known for the many perils of piracy and raiding, but the shadow of the Black Arks hang even over the norsemen and their terrible longships.  Normally they are terrible foes, full of corsairs and dark elf slavers and worse things below the decks.  Known for binding foul sea monsters such as kraken and sea dragons to their will with their hateful practices of beast-training, many otherwise powerful ocean-going vessels meet their match without ever really comprehending the danger.

            The Tower of Iron Woe is wreathed in sorcery wrought by generations of Kaengaaris’ kin.  The vessel is over four hundred and fifty yards in length, and the main deck sits seventy yards above the water line.  The vessel has five large towers, closely spaced together in the center construction.  Slave galleys and pits for monsters line the below decks, and any who enter it are seldom heard from again.

Rare amongst the druchii, many of the Iron Lord’s ancestors were gifted sorcerers, and the corsairs didn’t really see the need to give up these prizes to the likes of the murder cults or even to Malekith himself.  The result is a vessel like none other, and the mind-bending sorcery at work within its labyrinthine construction gives it many straightforward advantages, and many not-so-straightforward.

            The ark is accompanied by a powerful storm at almost all times, unless Kaengaaris wishes it to subsist (which is not often).  The ark itself sits in a mile wide eye of calm within the storm, magically maintained by the sorceresses and a magical device within the ark’s main tower, called the Tower of the Storm.  This feature is used to cloak the ark’s approach and escape, making assaulting the vessel a daunting prospect.

            Within the other towers are various magical defenses and weapons, but none are so valuable as the Lady of Woe’s most prized possession.  The Orb of Reaching is a powerful artifact that the sorceress has studies for nearly two hundred years, and now she is able to use it to create portals through time and space.  It is this artifact that has allowed her to force entire sections of the ark through bends in space, making the individual towers appear on land in the Grey Mountains, Bretonnia and the Empire.  It is through this that these druchii warriors have been so swift in their invasion of the Old World.

            Yet the sorceress Viorlix’s plans have not yet come to fruition.  The Elemental Seal of Chotec was located in a demiplane within the dwarven city of Khazid Grimaz.  After using an arcane fulcrum brewing in the heart of the dormant volcano, she broke the seal’s power and destroyed the ancient city the dwarves were excavating, as well as a good portion of the mountain where they were currently living.  Now, the dark elf warriors and corsairs loyal to the Iron Lord fight for the Lady of Woe in key areas across the Old World.  Beware the Towers, for they appear in the night...

Brown World Hills

 Howdy folks!

We're going to be working on a lot of terrain in the near future, so to kick things off we're going to take a look at these cool gaming hills the club got ahold of!  We've been using them for a while, but there is an interesting thing about these hills:  they've been refurbished.

Sacks the Giant, out for his evening stroll through the Badlands.

Jerry Wargate brought the three gaming hills (the roundish three) a few years back.  They were covered in a green flock that had lost it's adhesive, and the flock was peeling off.  Any touching it, and it would come off.  So, we did what anyone else would do.  Underneath the flock was a styrofoam hill that was in great condition, and I was determined to keep that.

The flock came off relatively easy, but it took a moment and everything had to be as smooth as possible on the surface.  A layer of white glue went over the entire hill, and we allowed that to dry.  This created a second "skin" on the hill and made it a bit denser, but the real reason we put that on there is so we could spray paint the white hill with a light brown satin spray.

Oh no!  Sacks will have to walk around the steep part of this hill.

 The irregular piece was done the same way, but it was carved from some leftover foam tiles.  Once they were dry, another layer of glue went on in places (but not the sides) for some light brown flock, or dark brown, some talus and some dead grass for the irregular piece.  I hate putting flock on the sides of hills where it will be rubbed away by gamer's hands.

Such a jolly old stroll!  Now, to head back home and have a snack!

These hills turned out to be quite interchangeable.  They can be stacked and arranged in many different ways, which is always good for terrain.  They fit right in on the Brown World table, but don't look out of place anywhere else so they are good for a lot of table configurations.

Well, that's it for me for now.  Until next time, try not to die of thirst in the desert.