Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down
2015-08-31
2015-08-30
Fantasy Football Starts Today
This remains one of my favorite days of the year--when all the suburban dads are doing their fantasy football drafts at the local Buffalo Wings place....
Every year, I feel the same weird anti-Jock sentiment that I felt in High School
And every year, these meme's make me laugh!
2015-08-19
PODCAST KIDS & STORIES D&D Podcasts By Bart Carroll, Shelly Mazzanoble, Trevor Kidd, Greg Tito
Another great episode of the Official D&D Podcast--here is the official blurb:
A conversation about the game's developing storylines, and then teaching and playing D&D with kids. In today's episode, R&D's Chris Perkins takes a look at the game’s continuing campaign storylines. Then, Tom Olsen and Susan Morris join us to discuss the subject of teaching and playing D&D with kids.
The discussion with Perkins is awesome--his move to Story Seasons over Campaign is a bold change which I really support, even if it means more connection to the video game side of things. Chris is funny and clever and sets expectations very high for the upcoming PAX game!
The discussion of playing with kids is not a great--much of this has been covered before--I think next time they should have some actual kids on the show to discuss their experience.
Overall a great podcast from Wizards--very glad that they are doing this regularly.
2015-08-13
Elemental Evil--D&D Encounters S20 S19
Ready for another week of D&D Encounters!
We started at Chipotle
We had 6 tables and 35 players at Comic Quest this week--amazing!
DM Chris table was on fire running Princes of the Apocalypse
DM Chloe is closing in on the Hoard of the Dragon Queen / Rise of Tiamet story arc.
Tiffany, Brian, & John were at DM Spencer's table which is on fire
I ran a table again this week.
Bunch of new players & Jack ran through the retaliation phase and headed to the Earth Temple
The players rolled HORRIBLY and there were not crits--may be the first time in the history of D&D Encounters!
Here is Jacks character sketch of Srepah, my Elf Rouge...yes he is standing on a mountain of meat...
2015-08-12
DM Summit @ UCI Chipotle
DM Chloe, DM Spencer & I meet this week at the Chipotle by UCI
We spent some time planning the transition to the next season
And then gossip'd a lot about what is going on in our life. Fun week.
2015-08-11
Preparation for Out of the Abyss
The next season of D&D Encounters is based on Rage of Demons Out of the Abyss--basically, Demons in the Underdark, which is just an awesome topic!
Here is the blurb
Rumors of demonic activity in the Underdark have reached the surface through whispers and hushed tales of violence. King Bruenor sends his friend Drizzt Do’Urden to find out what’s happening beneath the surface but it becomes all too clear when the demon lord Demogorgon ravages the drow city of Menzobarranzan. The Horned Lord Baphomet toys with victims in the vast maze of the Underdark and the Demon Queen of Fungi Zuggtmoy plans to join with a massive city-sized fungus in an insane marriage ceremony. Yeenoghu, the Demon Lord of Gnolls, wanders the dark, spawning new gnoll servants from his kills to continue the destruction, while the demon lords of lust and deception prey on the weak-willed peoples of the Underdark.
In the madness of the dark, who will be the light to shine against the demons? The races of the deep vie against the demons but there are few allies in the Underdark among drow, mindflayers, duergar and deep gnomes. Drizzt Do’Urden and the magical panther Guenhwyvar are dedicated to tracking Demogorgon and putting a stop to his reign of madness but it’s even more crucial to find out why the demon lords came out of the Abyss at all. Who is responsible for the chaos that’s been unleashed? Solve the mystery before the demons reach the surface. Dare to descend!
There is already a Players Guide up and the Adventure comes out in a few days, for which there is a Synopsis
Dare to descend into the Underdark in this adventure for the world’s greatest roleplaying game!
The Underdark is a subterranean wonderland, a vast and twisted labyrinth where fear reigns. It is the home of horrific monsters that have never seen the light of day. It is here that the dark elf Gromph Baenre, Archmage of Menzoberranzan, casts a foul spell meant to ignite a magical energy that suffuses the Underdark and tears open portals to the demonic Abyss. What steps through surprises even him, and from that moment on, the insanity that pervades the Underdark escalates and threatens to shake the Forgotten Realms to its foundations. Stop the madness before it consumes you!
A Dungeons & Dragons adventure for characters of levels 1–15
2015-08-05
Elemental Evil--D&D Encounters S20 S18
Another perfect night in Orange County for D&D!
We started in the night at a Sushi Place--the decorations were awesome!
There was this massive case with incredible treasures!
Brian, Chloe, & Jeffery were there
After sushi we headed to the shop. John continues to paint some fantastic mini's
I joined DM Chris this week--his table was not that crowded
He is a great DM--he actually has the Rolodex of Doom--print-outs of everything in the module filed alphabetically.
We had a whole lot of Crits!
I started it off with a crit during the surprise round!
Ryan got Back to Back crits!
And Jeffery even got in on the action!
DM Summit @ Twisted Noodles
Spenser, Chloe, and I had lunch at Twisted Noodles today to discuss D&D Encounters at Comic Quest. Actually, I needed to hit the Starbucks there to earn some stars to regain my Gold standing. And actually, we spent more time talking about Spenser's upcoming Babymoon to Portland--I was that old guy with kids giving too much advice, Chloe was the excited good listener, and Spenser was awesome.
In any event, things have gotten a little confusing at Comic Quest & I assume we are not the only Adventure League Location which is currently struggling a bit.
Let me review how I see the tables, this may be very inaccurate [just based on what I observe while walking past mostly]--currently, we have six tables:
- Lost Mine of Phandelver--DM Andrew
This table started up about half way through the season with some new players jumping in. They are having a blast. There are about 6 people at the table each week. The DM is doing a great job. - Princes of the Apocalypse--DM Chris
This table is moving through this season of D&D Encounters module with a lot of focus. They are likely on schedule to finish at the end of the season. Most of the players have been at the table the entire time. - Princes of the Apocalypse--DM Robert
This table is struggling a bit--player turn over, DM availability, etc. have caused them to fall far off the pace. Many of the players that started at this table have moved to other tables. - Home Brew--DM Camille
After DM Robert's table finished the free PofA material, DM Camille started a home brew adventure with several of the players from DM Roberts table. DM Camille often covers for DM Chris & DM Robert when they are not available so I am not really sure what the status of this table currently is. - Rise of Tiamet--DM Chloe
This table is doing great. There are 4 players that are very consistent. - Rise of Tiamet--DM Spenser
Again this table is on track to finish the season on time. Players are engaged--though I think he has lost a few and/or some may be a little spotty--but overall I think this is good.
so, in review, things look much more healthy then I had originally assumed. I think that we are in a good position to start planning for next season!
2015-08-04
Your Creativity Is Born of Boredom -- Felicia Day
From a creativity standpoint, the fact that everyone is always reflexively going to their phone and checking it means that you don't get bored. And basically your creativity is born of boredom. So your brain starts to connect things that they wouldn't connect normally.
Taken from the Gaming the Brain episode of Takei's Take.
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