Hand-Drawn Heraldry

Long before the computer came along I drew many things for my campaigns on real actual paper. I've already posted some of my old pencil maps but I'd forgotten about these: four sheets of full color heraldic devices. I designed a template sheet based on the Greyhawk model and went to down designing and coloring. Even by today's standards I think they came out pretty good.

The first sheet details the religious orders from my former game world. The second sheet of coats are for the capital city and all the towns in my "Kingdom of Eruun" region, the third is for my "Black Empire" region and the last for the capital city and major dwarven clans in my "Kingdom of Braelund" region.

This was how I spent my spare time in high school and I thought I'd share with you all. Feedback welcome.
Heraldry

P.S. I know I broke all the rules of heraldry but didn't really care all that much at the time. :)

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!

Katallos recently said goodbye to D&D on his blog and made mention of the decision to move over to the Pathfinder RPG. While we've already selected the Pathfinder RPG as our game system of choice and kicked off a campaign, I just can't help applauding the post. In the midst of so many alternative systems, retro clones and a plethora of old school blogs (which I have nothing against) it's good to see a like-minded "fellow traveler" come to the same conclusions.

I feel like saying goodbye to D&D today too and so think I will. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish! Ah, that feels so right.

The desire to say so long also comes from the news that Wizards of the Coast is planning to squeeze out yet another abominous whelp: a carded version of Gamma World. While I never played the game and could care less, it just reeks of the same unloving, scumbag capitalist gluttony we've come to expect from the company that holds so much beloved intellectual property, such as the Avalon Hill games it'll never release.

So, when I say "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!" I really mean it in the classic Douglas Adams way too: we've tried to warn you, but now the Earth is being destroyed and well, we gotta go, but thanks for feeding us for a while.

RPG Superstar 2010: Round 3

Supahstah!

Huzzah! I've advanced to the next round in the RPG Superstar 2010 contest. As of yesterday there are now 16 contestants whittled down from 32 by a panel of judges and a whole weeks worth of rather harrowing public voting. Paizo still knows how to throw an online party and make it very exciting, because this round comes with a twist.

The task for last round was to design a monster concept in 300 words or less. For this round, we're supposed to select one of the other monster entries, not our own, and provide game stats for it in less than 700 words and at CR 6 or less. The entries are due, all too soon, on Friday, 2/5 at 4 PM CST and the judging begins 2/9. The results won't be known until 2/16. I started pouring over my choices last night and am really looking forward to submitting my little interpretation of another designer's creation. Wish me luck!

Bags of Holding: The Savage Tide

I thought it was appropriate to put this, my wife's latest dice bag, in a pool of aqua d6s, sans vinal mat treatment. This dice bag was meant to commemorate the launch of my Savage Tide campaign, even though it didn't quite set sail. That's okay though; I have plans to try again later. Nonetheless this beautiful dice bag has many features this geeky landlubber so much enjoys, foremost of which is that it stands like a dice-barring grog cup. I also love the sea-sand lining and drawstring. The shiny cutlass completes the ensamble nicely too.

Bags of Holding: The Blackadder

This darkly scintillating beauty is another of my wife's most excellent dice bag creations. While the yarn looks like chain mail in the photo, it's actually black with coppery flecks. The yarn is oddly rough, yielding to a soft and pliable smoothness with pressure, as though made from course snake skin. It has an interesting purse shape too. It houses my modest collection of black and metal dice.

I asked her to adorn it with a black and copper-striped glass snake from Michael's Hobbies. I've dubbed this one after one of my favorite BBC sitcoms, The Blackadder rather than after a dragon color, as is more usual. Huzzah! Another fine addition to my unique dice bag collection!

RPG Superstar 2010: Round 2

I posted my entry for round two early Thursday morning and am now waiting for tomorrow to arrive with great anticipation. I really can't wait to see what happens! I really do hope I make it to the next round, which is reliant upon public voting rather than judges' response this time. I can't talk about my creation of course as the entries are secret, but I feel pretty good about what my oddball brain conjured up.

The public voting starts on Tuesday, January 26th and the winners will be announced on February 2nd. If you're a Paizo visitor don't forget to vote for my monster!

I have to say that Paizo really knows how to throw an online party. Even visitors seem so involved in something so genuinely fun, entertaining and cool, while being friendly and jovial. Win or lose, I also have to say that I've been very satisfied by the experience.

Not Treed Off

This is either:

a) what happens when you don't dust your craft desk often enough
b) the tiny forest of Endust
c) the result of a trip to Michael's Hobby store and a look through the plastic animal bin
d) all of the above

I love these little trees by Fat Brain Toys. They're not to scale, but they're nicely representative and are made of hard plastic, which means they can be washed. I have some of the old standard railroad trees but they get dusty and crumbly after a while, which leaves a mess. At only $10 a toob I think these are pretty nifty. I just need to pickup another couple of sets and I'm set. My oldest son also pointed out that, being shorter, it should be easier to reach miniatures fighting their way through the forest. Sounds like a win-win to me.