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I liked the maps, but it's not a deal-breaker for me if they are discontinued as long as the story and artwork are good. Kudos to the new artist! I much prefer his work to the previous artist.
Exact clone, no, but BFRPG has B/X at its core. Labyrinth Lord is closer to the source material but I prefer BFRPG's modernization of the system and its layout. But the main thing is the game is free, which is what the OP is looking for, and has a lot of free support material.
S&W is a great system. Basic Fantasy RPG is also free. It's a clone of B/X D&D. You can find it at http://www.basicfantasy.org/ along with a lot of free modules and settings for the system.
Lately, "If I Had A Heart" by Fever Ray is what I listen to to get me in the gaming mind-set. The song was used as the title theme for the History Channel's Vikings tv series. Lyrics: This will never end
This will never end
If I had a heart I could love you
If I had a voice I would sing Dangling feet from window frame
Crushed and filled with all I found underneath and inside
If I had a voice I would sing
Ponswick, in the many years that I ran AD&D, I never made use of weapon speeds. The game runs faster without that rule. I also never gave xp for gold; to me, gold is its own reward. Instead, I gave xp for monsters and bonuses for good role-play. If you like old-school style play but want something a bit more streamlined and in-print, check out Swords & Wizardry (it's available thru the Piazo store http://paizo.com/products/btpy8yg8?Swords-Wizardry-Complete-Rulebook-2013-E dition). It has the option of using classic descending AC or modern ascending AC, is very clearly organized, classic modules adapt with minimal conversion (or the S&W modules can be used with AD&D), and is well-supported by both professional modules and by many on-line blogs. Regards, V
This is the new Evil Dead reboot/remake in theaters now. I really enjoyed this film; it embraced the themes and some of the set-piece scenes of the original but gave us a new cast of characters for deadite torment. I hope everyone stays through the end credits for the brief "stinger" which gives me hope for the direction of future sequels. Regards, V
It's now out of print but if you can find it, Aberrant by White Wolf Games was great (the d10 system, not the later d20 reboot). It was easy to learn but able to handle just about any power level of hero one could want. Regards, V
As a gm who likes to run swashbuckling games, I'm so pleased with this announcement! I need lots of pirate-ish, lightly armored figures for my games. Thanks, Paizo! Regards, V
Your best bet will probably be Papo or Safari toys. While the figures come in various scales, it shouldn't be hard to find some that are compatible with 28mm figures. You can find them at craft stores like Michael's or Hobby Lobby or on eBay. Regards, V
Wasn't it mentioned a while ago that there were a couple of orcs in the next set?
I'm fond of Xplorers, an old-school style sci-fi game with a strong '50s movie vibe based on the Swords & Wizardry rules. Link to free version: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=93797&
The unfortunate thing is that, as appropriate as the Grappler is for black tentacles, it takes 64 of them to cover the area of the spell! That gets a little pricy! True, but what I do is put one tentacle at each corner point of the area and tell the players that the tentacles fill the entire space; economical, and the player minis in the area of effect are not standing on the bases of a bunch of tentacles. Regards, V
Gale Force Nine is coming out with a collector's series of D&D minis; estimated to release in December. First releases will be:
Pics here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/484284.page Regards, V
I am always fascinated how many figures end up left handed. Even some that the art shows as right handed. But if the figure is nice, I deal with it. My theory is that the artist is probably left-handed and intuitively draws the subject that way, and that Paizo rightly wants a certain number of left-handed minis to accomodate those wanting left handed pc/npc figures. Regards, V
I like both of them! I'll get only one of the Gray Maiden, though, because she's left handed. I can't see units of left handed warriors being all that common. Regards, V
I wonder if the depictions of our heroes were supposed to be as the Gobbo's saw them? Now, that would be interesting if it were restricted only to the panels where the heroes and gobbos were interacting. Regards, V
I can almost see why the artist was chosen for this, this style probably does seem like a good fit for deformed woods and monsters like goblins and bugbears, but, for me, it's a big problem when it's extended to the main characters as well. It actually lessens the impact of seeing a horde of deranged goblins when the humans/elf/dwarf basically look like slightly deformed monsters themselves.That's a fair point. I picked up issues 1 & 2 yesterday at the FLGS. I find the artwork problematic, too. The heroes' depictions are too extreme; in some panels, Valeros looked like a werewolf instead of a human. That said, the storyline is engaging and I really like the mini battle maps and scenarios so I'll stick with the comics and hope that the art improves soon. Regards, V
No, sir, I don't like it. The color is way too garish and the sculpt is ill-proportioned (though very detailed). I'm a big fan of dragon minis but this one looks like it belongs in a Lego playset. --V
I need Sorshen now! She's perfect for a villian mini for an upcoming bad guy in my campaign! --V
A while back it was reported that the Iconics for Shatter Star were Amiri and Lem. But that was a few months ago; things may have changed since then. Regards, V
Love the hill giant! Amiri looks great but, man, that sword is impractical. I may try to mod the figure, cutting away the sword and replacing it with Orik Vancaskerkin's weapon. Regards, V
I bought a brick from the FLGS and picked up singles from Auggies. Overall, this is an exceptional release. The paint jobs on the monsters are uniformly excellent but the pc-type figures suffered from sloppy painting or too much wash. Seoni's face tattoos obliterate any detail on the face; too much paint is applied to Ameiko's face, filling in her mouth; Kavin received too much wash and now has a half-flesh colored/half-grey wash face. My favorites from the set are the ogres. The standard ogre is, to me, the correct size for an ogre. The Brute and the named ogre are taller, about hill giant sized, but they represent a bigger/tougher ogre. We now need a female ogre to round out the tribe. I also like the goblins. I wasn't keen on the Paizo design for goblins initially, but they've really grown on me. Regards, V
August 22. Thanks, Vic! Now, I can harrass the FLGS so they get the minis in-store on time. :) Regards, V
The Warrior of Wrath looks like a Wayne Reynolds drawing; I mean that in the best way. It's very dynamic. Vraxeris is also cool; he'll do nicely as a pc/npc caster or rogue. Regards, V
Are there any 2e clones? Or, barring that, a supplement that adapts OSRIC to more 2e-like rules? Myth & Magic by New Haven Games is a 2E revised game. Check out their web site for more info. The full game is currently in Kickstarter status with August as the due date for the Players Book. You can find a free pdf of the players book and GM book on their web site that gives you rules for four character classes from levels 1-10. Regards, V
All of these minis are great! It's so nice to see minis that can be used as civilians/patrons! Regards, V
Are out there some news about which will be the next iconic? I supose it will be Seoni but it woud be great to know exactly which one will be. Seoni and Harsk; pictures were revealed in last Friday's blog. http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5ld4u?Pathfinder-Battles-Preview-Famili ar-Faces#discuss Regards, V
I love all four of these minis! I'd almost rather Seoni without the tats; it's a great looking figure as is. Regards, V
I'll definitely want several ghouls and at least one denizen. I'm not sure I like the wraith but it is consistent, artistically, with the HM specter. The scanderig is interesting, but I can't see it fitting into my campaign world. Regards, V
Thanks, EdOWar, for the S&W White Box feats! They are going to get worked into my S&W campaign soon! Regards, V
I really think that a 64 page splatbook or an expansion box set that extended the beginner box options to level 10 and added a few more classes, a couple of demi-human races, and more monsters would be a huge seller. I wouldn't expect Paizo to support the game beyond that point, but it would make the beginner system the perfect entry level game and keep players who would not migrate into Pathfinder core rules in the Paizo fold. Regards, V
Nice miniatures! The treachery demon is a Must-Have; a very different looking glabrezeu, indeed! Excellent facial sculpt on the young red dragon, though I hope the belly is painted somewhat darker in the final version; the cream color is just too light, imho. The bugbear is very cool; I hope there is at least one more in the set. Regards, V
I like the paint job on the cleric and succubus better than the one on the H&M versions. Regards, V
I purchased a hardback for myself because I've always preferred hardback books and softbacks for the players. The softbacks are pretty sturdy and are holding up well. Regards, V
That is all true, however my new lich currently has a folded-up piece of tissue paper on him. He came holding his goat's-head staff in front of his face, like a mask on a stick, so I'm using the tissue to hold it straight off to the side in the hope that it'll learn to stay that way. If you're having trouble keeping the staff in the right position, gently heat the figure by dipping it in hot water or heat it with a blow dryer until it becomes slightly bendy, reposition the staff, and dip the mini in ice-cold water for a few minutes. This should lock the staff into its correct shape. Regards, V
I was really looking forward to this figure but the product in hand is a disappointment. Though well-painted, it is somewhat smaller than the figures released in the Beginner Box Heroes. However, my main complaint is that Seelah's head is simply a ball without any features; no nose, no mouth, no cheeks, with eyes and hair painted on it. This is a not only a rare but an iconic; it should be better than this. Regards, V
I bought a brick from the FLGS and I'm waiting for the complete set that I ordered from Auggies to arrive. Just a few thoughts now that I've seen the minis in hand: 1. Make.More.Dragons.Please! The promo dragon is superb! 2. In the future, have whoever sculpted the Ezrin, Kyra, and Gnome Fighter figures sculpt all PC figures. These figures are accurately scaled with great details and correct proportions. I was disapointed with the half-elf cleric (weird proportions), Elf Sorceress (misshapen head with odd ears), and the dwarf (too large). 3. A little wash goes a long way: the half-orc barbarian is a great sculpt but the paint job was ruined by too much wash; his skin is splotchy black in places with the wash build-up and the right side of his face is completely obscured by the black wash. 4. Both of the spiders were awesome! Great design and superb painting! 5. I like the size of the ogre but its proportions are just too wonky. The arms are cartoonishly big for the body. I'm not a fan of the albino-like skin coloring, either, but that is a small quibble. 6. Goblins Rule! In all, this is a great first effort but there is room for improvement. Looking forward to ROTRL! Regards, V
Using eBay as a base line reference, the red has starting bids from $36 to $300 while the black has bids starting from $1.00 to $125. The higher amounts are Buy It Now offers. I doubt that people will actually pay the higher amounts, but you never know. Regards, V
Other than the similar poses for the MK dwarf and the Pathfinder dwarf, the minis don't look the same at all. Regards, V
I picked up a box at the FLGS this afternoon. Great job on these minis! Lots of detail and excellent painting on all four! Regards, V
I like this game a lot. Let me quote my review on DriveThruRPG: "Designed around a simple, intuitive, mechanic (2d6 + modifiers vs. Difficulty), QUERP delivers fast play and easy resolution of combat and non-combat encounters. The game works well as an introductory set of rules for a young person, a tool to teach the elements of role playing to someone unfamiliar with rpgs, a set of rules for a quick game, or as the core rules for an experienced game master who looking for a system that can be easily house-ruled to his tastes. "The 70 page book contains six character classes (Warrior, Priest, Magician, Thief, Barbarian, and Sage), rules for playing the game, a short bestiary, treasure tables, a solo adventure, and a group adventure. It is written in a clear, user-friendly style that conveys the rules without getting bogged down in game jargon." The modular format of the books lets you pick and choose your options. I recommend picking up the core book to check out the mechanics and, if you like it, expand the options with the Players and Game Masters Companions (more player character templates, rules for creating custom characters, more spells), the Bestiary, and QUERP Modern. Regards, V
One site I really liked when D&D was making their pre-painted minis, was a site called DDM Spoilers. As soon as any information/images were available on a pending mini release, they would post it on their site. The site is now gone, but I liked how it also provided collectors like me with all the alternate paints and promos available. Actually, it is still around under a different name: http://www.plasticrypt.com/pfb_01.php Regards, V
From the latest blog: COMMON CREATURES
This is shaping up to be a very nice set. Kudos to Paizo for the previews and releasing the set list in advance of the release! Regards, V
It appears two of the pics are different angles of the same goblin; so we've got two more we haven't seen yet. I love the lunatic appearance of these little guys! Regards, V
The ettin is very cool but I think the Human Ranger is my favorite mini so far! Very nice action pose!
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