Birthsigns

In The Elderscrolls: Morrowind, a computer rpg, characters are born under a particular sign.  Like the real life Zodiac.  But, based on in game lore and mechanics.  I've long thought this was a pretty cool idea to implement in my campaigns.



I'm fairly obsessed with "The Sword".  They have a song "Mother, Maiden, Cone" which inspired me to include a trio of "witches" in my games.  If the trio can be found, characters can gaze into their pool and have their birth sign revealed.  i.e roll d4 and consult the following table [I use five color based "alignment" and some of the effects might not make whole lot of sense unless you're using my house rules.]:


Red 
  Brute STR raised to 18.
  Beast Increased weapon / spell Damage Die size.
  Warrior +2 Attack Bonus.
  Wall of Fire  2x fire spell damage or immolate weapon for +d4 fire.

Green
  Fairy Immune fairy magic. Fey invisibility.
  Yggridsil Natural, slow (1hp/turn) regeneration.  Sense Ley Lines.
  Beastform Lycanthrope.
  Egg of Life Automatically reincarnate after death.

Blue
  Sage INT raised to 18. Gain sagely knowledge on d6 topics.
  River Reroll(best) saves.  Will never drown, wakes up on shore instead.
  Zephyr Wind walk.
  Ship of Stars +d6x Ancient genes per failed tech use. Find more tech.

White
  Tower  +1 Armor Category. Reroll(best) Death & Dismemberment.
  Temple Immune to all level/stat drains, diseases, poisons, and mental afflictions
  Warden May transfer hitpoints to another, at will.
  Champion CHA raised to 18.  Gain followers.

Black
  Cloak Magically undetectable. Unlikely to be target of attacks.
  Death Your victims go straight to demons who then "owe" you.
  Leech When alive and < max hitpoints drain 1hp/rnd from each creature with in 10'r.
  Master CHA raised to 18.  Gain subjects.

Come to Mordor

Dammit, now I'm gonna have to spend the weekend (re)watching the gabazillion hour long extended LotR dvd set I have, ... yay!

It's Not all Fun and Metal

Sometimes there's serious jazz such as "Sleestak Suave"

"I Hit It With My Axe"

Stop reading this and go watch I Hit It With My Axe.

The Escapist Magazine in it's infinite wisdom and awesomeness has launched a 52 episode weekly "reality" (as in unscripted which modern Reality TV is far from, more of a documentary as Mandy pointed out in comments) show of Zak from Playing D&D With Pornstars, Mandy Morbid, Satine Phoenix, Kimberly Kane, Connie, Frankie, plus rotating guest playing D&D.  The show is sure to be in the spirit if not the style of Dungeon Majesty.  Local Austin band The Sword rocks the sound track.

Read Zak's post all about it.

Awthumfetht

I dig these RPG inspired? posters

OMFG - Dungeon Majesty

Follow up to the Fun School Rockumentary, aka best D&D Video evar. Which just got an extra dose of awesome sauce! According to these comments by Stuart

"That video was edited by Riley Swift of Dungeon Majesty / Telefantasy Studios. The music was composed for the video by one of the guys from the Metal Band 'Crom?'."

Not sure that is the right Crom, they're a much heavier deathmetal sound than the D&D video which seems power metally. But, I do not lament nor am I a princess so, wtf do I know? This Crom is maybe the one to blame instead. Hell probably some other Crom entirely. I mean there's got to have been a couple hundred or more metal bands named Crom.

Whatever. OMFG Dungeon Mastery! A public access TV style show of four young ladies and a DM playing D&D, acting out scenes, replete with fantabously awesome type cheesy green screen, models and FX. Guess I don't get out much cause the show has started and been done a couple years now. Some images from their gallery. The show trailer and several clips below. Along with video from each Crom at the bottom. It's better than bad it's good!

http://www.dungeonmajesty.com





Snake Charm Mother Fucker!




Hotties vs Kirk!


Mor!




Power Crom!


Death Crom!

Fun School Rockumentary

Been posted to various blogs and comments recently, tis where I saw it. But this video is way, way too awesome to not get posted again.

Made for some D&D Fan Film. This was 3rd finalist. Have absolutely no idea why this didn't win by a land slide. Maybe too many newb kids voting who have no clue and don't recognize 30 years of history. Damn kids, get the hell off my dungeon.

Conan the Barbarian

Is a fucking great movie. It is awesome pulp fantasy.

Movies are the sum of many parts; music, costuming, writing, art direction, cinematography, sound design, location scouting/set construction, physical performance, fight choreography, stunts, special effects, editing. One or a few of those being bad don't condemn a movie. If you say CtB has shitty acting I don't agree(it's not good for sure) still I can accept that's your opinion and it's valid. But if you say CtB is a horrible piece of crap solely or primarily because it has shitty acting my response is that you're a shallow twit.


Note how accuracy to source material isn't even on the movie parts list. Cause accuracy to source material doesn't matter one whit to the art and appreciation of movie making. It's a creation of academics and fans so they can show others how very knowlegable they are. I don't give a flying fuck if CtB portrays Conan the Cimmerian "correctly"(whoever gets to decide that? Oh, it's you, self-appointed fantard), follows the plot of any story written by Robert E. Howard, or even if it has the "spirit" or "style" of the Conan yarns. No ZOMG! his hair isn't black! Look it says right here on page one! "He ran his fingers through his streaming black mane" If I want Conan as R.E.H. envisioned him I go read R.E.H. It's completely fucking stupid to expect a different art form with the creative input of dozens to be an exact copy of what you perceive the source material to be.

I can't fathom how someone's opinion of a movie depends on its title and name of main character? If your argument against CtB depends on it being called "Conan the Barbarian" vs "Rogar the Barbarian", you're way too much of a pretentious anal fanboi. And I bet if it had been named the latter you'd be whining about how the writers of RtB ripped off Conan

Conan the Barbarian would be just another ok fantasy action flick except for Basil Poledouris. His blood pumping, soul stirring score elevates CtB to awesomehood. Battle of the Mounds fucking rules, I literally can't stay still and seated when I listen to it. Star Wars is another movie that wouldn't be nearly as great without its excellent score.

Regarding pulp fantasy: ancient snake-god, snake cult, orgy, cannibals complete with giant pot of body part ghoulash, black lotus, thievery, debauchery, brutal & bloody, few against many, fast-paced and action rich. How can you not see it?

Quit putting your expectations onto something and then bitching when it doesn't meet them. Enjoy things for what they are and in return get more enjoyment out of life.

Contemplate this on the Tree of Woe.

Metal & RPGs

From now on I'll be using this as the theme song and baseline of cool for DMing combats. If they aren't at least as awesome as this video, then I'm doing it wrong.

"Fire, Battle, in Metal!"



Dream Evil bangs my head! Metal in general is full of inspirational fantasy flavor. Leather, spikes, black without tedious goth/WoDlings angst, cöpiöus ümlauts, dark sorcery, biting heads off of bats. Tötally made for fantasy RPG's. I don't mean sissified "epic" hero schlock. I'm talking old school delve a dungeon, meet new species, take their stuff and squander it wenching & boozing.

Yeah, so to prove my point here's a silly Metal inspired random encounter table I put together in some minutes. And I'm not even that much of a metal head, I grew up with 80's new wave and hard core punk.

What secret sources fuel your imagination?


Metal Encounter Table (1d10)
1 Ancient Warriors - 1d3 rise from the fog machine effect that constantly surrounds them.
2 The Bitch Lord - a bit obscure, but there's a whole campaign in that ass rockin song.
3 Children of the Grave - zombie 5yr olds? Hmmmm, finally get to use this combat resolution system.
4 Children of the Sabbath - what's worse than zombie rugrats? Kid Kultists is what!
5 Faries, in boots of course.
6 Mobs Rule - All your Feats and Powers and nothing to deal with 6d6x100 angry peasants, eh mr. 4ed?
7 Soul trapped in an iron golem. - Ack! Eberron already ripped off this song.
8 War Pigs - this but with bloody tusked boars. Yeah, yeah! Tell me that ain't rad.
9 Without warning a Wizard walks by. Casting his shadow, weaving his spell. Long grey cloak, twinkling bell. Never talking, just keeps walking. So fucking awesome.
10 A Force of Dragons - Just so the youngins know wtf we're talkin bout.