Compare the previous Predator in this scale, Funko’s... somewhat less accurate ReAction line.
Now look at all the licences that got those ReAction things.
Like, say, Buffy. (sob)
Wednesday 28 February 2018
Star Wars scale Predators
Hiya Toys are following their 3 3/4” scale Aliens figure lines with a related monster series, Predator. The Predator 2 line is coming out, and I thought they look great before I found out how small they were.
Compare the previous Predator in this scale, Funko’s... somewhat less accurate ReAction line.
Now look at all the licences that got those ReAction things.
Like, say, Buffy. (sob)
Compare the previous Predator in this scale, Funko’s... somewhat less accurate ReAction line.
Now look at all the licences that got those ReAction things.
Like, say, Buffy. (sob)
The Beast From The East
Stuck for an adventure this weekend? Run something typical but add a blizzard! You can blame magic, superscience, or climate change!
Seriously, we should be better at dealing with one of the four seasons by now.
Stay safe.
Seriously, we should be better at dealing with one of the four seasons by now.
Stay safe.
Tuesday 27 February 2018
Agents In SPACE
Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. season five finally reaches E4 this Sunday. At least this means we won’t have the mid-season break as it's back from it this week in the US. Now to finally find out what’s up with the kidnapped and waking up in space cliffhanger from almost a year ago.
From what I’ve gleaned while still trying to dodge spoilers, it isn’t continuing with the mini-arc format from last year, which worked well but was a bit odd for an ongoing TV season.
From what I’ve gleaned while still trying to dodge spoilers, it isn’t continuing with the mini-arc format from last year, which worked well but was a bit odd for an ongoing TV season.
Monday 26 February 2018
In every generation there is a chosen one...
Having just finished rewatching the high school years (and just seen the trailer for Netflix’s new Lost In Space) I looked back on Buffy threads on RPG.net and...
I looked at the thread about the attempted 2010 reboot. It came to nothing a year later, but IMDB informs me that the screenwriter Whit Anderson has gone on to write and story edit various shows - including Daredevil, adapted for Netflix by Buffyverse alum and Cabin In The Woods co-writer and director Drew Goddard. So now I’m more curious to read the script if it were available.
I looked at the thread about the attempted 2010 reboot. It came to nothing a year later, but IMDB informs me that the screenwriter Whit Anderson has gone on to write and story edit various shows - including Daredevil, adapted for Netflix by Buffyverse alum and Cabin In The Woods co-writer and director Drew Goddard. So now I’m more curious to read the script if it were available.
Sunday 25 February 2018
No Man's Land 1.02 AAR
... Having remembered to bring notebook this time, also remember to bring handouts next time.
Saturday 24 February 2018
High School Is Hell
I just finished the high school years in my annual-ish rewatch of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. It was designed as “the ultimate high school horror show”, about a pretty much unavoidable common situation, and while it handled the jump to college better than many shows it certainly felt different after leaving its original setting.
(Among many other moments, the Class Protector award in The Prom gets me every time. I wish I’d thought to include a similar moment of recognition and gratitude for the generally unsung heroes in The Watch House.)
When running Buffy I generally stick with college age characters so they can be a bit freer (and also because I’m most often running it at college) but try to keep the sense of finding their place in the world. It also helps that it isn’t moving to it from high school. Still, I’ve also run with other options, like the crappy first job (which Buffy hits in season six) because college is generally pretty fun by comparison so depicting it as a nightmare is a stretch.
The underlying metaphor of growing up still works even if taken out of high school. As Morgan Davie notes in his essays on seasons one to three, as we reach the end of the third season, high school is more location than metaphor itself. No matter where you are, growing up can be a struggle.
And, spoiler alert: it doesn’t really stop. Learn Buffy’s lessons well.
(Among many other moments, the Class Protector award in The Prom gets me every time. I wish I’d thought to include a similar moment of recognition and gratitude for the generally unsung heroes in The Watch House.)
When running Buffy I generally stick with college age characters so they can be a bit freer (and also because I’m most often running it at college) but try to keep the sense of finding their place in the world. It also helps that it isn’t moving to it from high school. Still, I’ve also run with other options, like the crappy first job (which Buffy hits in season six) because college is generally pretty fun by comparison so depicting it as a nightmare is a stretch.
The underlying metaphor of growing up still works even if taken out of high school. As Morgan Davie notes in his essays on seasons one to three, as we reach the end of the third season, high school is more location than metaphor itself. No matter where you are, growing up can be a struggle.
And, spoiler alert: it doesn’t really stop. Learn Buffy’s lessons well.
Friday 23 February 2018
Vampire: The Night In Question
The Night In Question, a Vampire: The Masquerade blockbuster LARP in Austin, Texas, about a Sabbat mass Embrace. Darker Days interviewed organiser Matthew Webb - who I also met at Enlightenment In Blood in Berlin.
Set in the 1990s, so it won’t reveal much about what the Sabbat are up to off-camera in the forthcoming fifth edition, with a Near Dark by way of From Dusk Till Dawn vibe. (Which considering how those end makes me wonder if the mass Embrace might go a bit wrong...)
Set in the 1990s, so it won’t reveal much about what the Sabbat are up to off-camera in the forthcoming fifth edition, with a Near Dark by way of From Dusk Till Dawn vibe. (Which considering how those end makes me wonder if the mass Embrace might go a bit wrong...)
Thursday 22 February 2018
Wednesday 21 February 2018
Black Panther
The origin is a quick narrative, and then off we rush to SF, espionage and adventure, and then to a central conflict which is both political and personal.
Consider Phlebas: The Series?
Amazon looking to develop Consider Phlebas, the first of the Culture novels.
Tuesday 20 February 2018
How to introduce a big setting
This RPG.net Starting Gate thread offers some advice on how to introduce players to a setting with a lot of depth and breadth, like Dune or Glorantha, including mine for isolated characters seeing a central area for the first time.
Monday 19 February 2018
More game forgery
Counterfeit copies of Codenames by Vlaada Chvátil are appearing online, like the previous Pandemic Legacy fakes.
Thanks to Steve Dee for the news.
Thanks to Steve Dee for the news.
Sunday 18 February 2018
Trinity Battlegound
The enviably good miniature painter Agis shows off his Trinity Battleground miniatures, and plugs the Trinity Continuum Kickstarter!
Saturday 17 February 2018
New Orleans Superheroes
Following on from my New Orleans setting thoughts, I spent part of last night roughing out a NOLA superhero team. Riffing on the 50 States Initiative from Marvel Comics, as we’re getting back into playing the Heroes of Detroit as the Michigan state team.
No team name and a shortage of character codenames at this time, because I suck at those.
Laurence Dupre: Team leader, a former Navy officer and Coast Guard captain given an energy absorption power, so he can shrug off lasers as well as bullets (they still hurt, so he’s not stepping on Luke Cage’s shtick). Looks like Dennis Haysbert, greying at the temples. (Elle Collins at SyFy agrees with me about Dennis Haysbert as a superhero leader. So I may steal Amandla Stenberg for Octavia and Gary Carr for The Beat. :D )
Octavia Harris: A history student gifted with a city-sense that allows her to find anyone in the city, predict and influence things, know just when and where to send emergency services, perfectly time a truck backing up to hit a killer robot.
The Beat: Old-school rapper with sonic attacks. Not as charming as he thinks he is.
Agent Spear: Government agent armed with an alien melee/missile weapon. Has nothing to do with New Orleans really, because I figured not everybody in the team should.
Naiad: Amphibious humanoid. Kind of green, black eyes, webbed fingers and toes. Is she a mutant? An Atlantean? An Atlantean mutant?
No team name and a shortage of character codenames at this time, because I suck at those.
Laurence Dupre: Team leader, a former Navy officer and Coast Guard captain given an energy absorption power, so he can shrug off lasers as well as bullets (they still hurt, so he’s not stepping on Luke Cage’s shtick). Looks like Dennis Haysbert, greying at the temples. (Elle Collins at SyFy agrees with me about Dennis Haysbert as a superhero leader. So I may steal Amandla Stenberg for Octavia and Gary Carr for The Beat. :D )
Octavia Harris: A history student gifted with a city-sense that allows her to find anyone in the city, predict and influence things, know just when and where to send emergency services, perfectly time a truck backing up to hit a killer robot.
The Beat: Old-school rapper with sonic attacks. Not as charming as he thinks he is.
Agent Spear: Government agent armed with an alien melee/missile weapon. Has nothing to do with New Orleans really, because I figured not everybody in the team should.
Naiad: Amphibious humanoid. Kind of green, black eyes, webbed fingers and toes. Is she a mutant? An Atlantean? An Atlantean mutant?
Update four years on: The New Orleans Stars for ICONS Assembled Edition!
Craig's Third Law
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
It doesn’t work.
It doesn’t work.
Friday 16 February 2018
Muse, Thought Contagion
Muse make neon-drenched Thriller homage. As you do.
I think it goes a bit sideways when the HazMat team start joining in the dance rather than chasing the bite victim. I am totally okay with the vampire girl having EMP powers, though.
I think it goes a bit sideways when the HazMat team start joining in the dance rather than chasing the bite victim. I am totally okay with the vampire girl having EMP powers, though.
Thursday 15 February 2018
Star Trek: The Nth Generation
One of the early pitches for Star Trek: The Next Generation included bits and pieces we would later see in Voyager, Discovery and the unmade far-future pitch Federation, as well as other SF settings. A new ship (called the Odyssey), an uncertain young crew, a commanding officer dying early on and a young officer taking over, the late captain becoming a holographic adviser...
As well as the grumpy Klingon officer who did make it in, albeit for different starting reasons... and a character defined by dealing with being too attractive to be taken seriously, which I’m glad didn’t make the cut.
As well as the grumpy Klingon officer who did make it in, albeit for different starting reasons... and a character defined by dealing with being too attractive to be taken seriously, which I’m glad didn’t make the cut.
Wednesday 14 February 2018
New Orleans as a setting
Happy Mardi Gras!
We’ve started the Marvel SAGA game about some of the former Heroes of Detroit now covering the entirety of Michigan as part of the 50 States Initiative, and that naturally got me thinking about other regional teams, and that naturally got me thinking of New Orleans.
New Orleans is home to some characters in the Marvel universe already - Photon, aka one of the Captains Marvel and leader of NEXTWAVE, and Gambit is Cajun but has lived there at times - and of course it’s been occasionally infested with vampires, but Louisiana never had an established Initiative team.
We’ve started the Marvel SAGA game about some of the former Heroes of Detroit now covering the entirety of Michigan as part of the 50 States Initiative, and that naturally got me thinking about other regional teams, and that naturally got me thinking of New Orleans.
New Orleans is home to some characters in the Marvel universe already - Photon, aka one of the Captains Marvel and leader of NEXTWAVE, and Gambit is Cajun but has lived there at times - and of course it’s been occasionally infested with vampires, but Louisiana never had an established Initiative team.
So I made one myself.
DC puts Belle Reve Penitentiary, home of the Suicide Squad, in Louisiana, while a fantastical version called Bete Noire is home to Peter David and David López’s DC-then-IDW series Fallen Angel. Valiant’s Shadowman is such a New Orleans character that he had his own holiday there in real life.
It’s a city with a lot of character, and a great setting for a variety of stories I’ve seen from urban fantasy and horror to cops and PIs to romances to slice-of-life dramas.
Both Vampire games have city books for it, for example. (I recommend the Requiem one.) I’d probably avoid vampires for this reason, though it might include a visit to the Boutique Du Vampyre at some point.
DC puts Belle Reve Penitentiary, home of the Suicide Squad, in Louisiana, while a fantastical version called Bete Noire is home to Peter David and David López’s DC-then-IDW series Fallen Angel. Valiant’s Shadowman is such a New Orleans character that he had his own holiday there in real life.
It’s a city with a lot of character, and a great setting for a variety of stories I’ve seen from urban fantasy and horror to cops and PIs to romances to slice-of-life dramas.
Both Vampire games have city books for it, for example. (I recommend the Requiem one.) I’d probably avoid vampires for this reason, though it might include a visit to the Boutique Du Vampyre at some point.
I’d tread carefully around voodoo as well, because it’s a real religion, and in fiction is very very done.
It’s also possible to visit it outside of Mardi Gras! Though there are businesses and organisations planning for it year-round, and due to local law allowing anybody to stage a parade with a permit and fifteen days’ notice you can still have a parade anyway.
My Bloody Valentine
The heart wants what it wants. It wants blood.
Welcome To Night Vale
I considered a Valentine’s Day book for the Storytellers Vault, but thought it might be pushing it. Strange, Dead Love is already out there, after all. If I had gotten my act together enough to get the Halloween and Christmas/winter books out, maybe. We’ll see next year...
Tuesday 13 February 2018
Sometimes I amuse myself
Total nerd wastes five years planning perfect murder, "had way too much time on his hands" say police.
Steve Dee
The perfect murder is the enemy of the good murder.
Me
Steve Dee
The perfect murder is the enemy of the good murder.
Me
Monday 12 February 2018
The cavalry actually arrives on time
An RPG.net thread about TV series that are basically unavailable reminded me of House Of Frankenstein, not the Universal movie but the 1997 TV miniseries which despite the title was mostly about vampires with a minor Frankenstein subplot, and featured Adrian Pasdar on the other side from Near Dark.
But the real standout moment has an entire police detective squad believe the threat and go in to take on a club full of vampires rather than leaving the heroes to go it alone.
But the real standout moment has an entire police detective squad believe the threat and go in to take on a club full of vampires rather than leaving the heroes to go it alone.
Sunday 11 February 2018
No Man's Land 1.01
More actual play to follow, but for now...
I have borrowed NPC looks from the current James Bond run, Legends Of Tomorrow, Mad Max: Fury Road, Belle, Mindhunters, Thor and the Cantina scene in Star Wars (which was in turn a recycled Frankenstein concept). And two of those NPCs are human!
And also a location from the World Of Darkness MMO concept art, since supplemented by an urban exploration photography shoot.
I have borrowed NPC looks from the current James Bond run, Legends Of Tomorrow, Mad Max: Fury Road, Belle, Mindhunters, Thor and the Cantina scene in Star Wars (which was in turn a recycled Frankenstein concept). And two of those NPCs are human!
And also a location from the World Of Darkness MMO concept art, since supplemented by an urban exploration photography shoot.
Saturday 10 February 2018
Trinity Allegiances
The final section of The Trinity Continuum text is out to Kickstarter backers, and people are saying good things about the Allegiances.
Friday 9 February 2018
Thursday 8 February 2018
Zarjaz
Coming soon: A 2000 A.D. Sci Fi Special with an all woman creative team, featuring stories by Alex De Campi and Katy Rex.
You Are Deadpool, a Marvel gamebook
Hottish on the heels of Squirrel Girl, You Are Deadpool lets you decide what kind of mess the title character gets into. And writer Al Ewing namechecks 2000 A.D. game-comic spinoff Diceman as well as Fighting Fantasy and Choose Your Own Adventure.
Wednesday 7 February 2018
The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall has now been down longer than it was up. That physical symbol of the Cold War loomed large in contemporary politics and the stories that came from it in my youth.
Berlin itself still bears the marks of its decades of division - travelling along its old route I saw the open space on the west and the housing blocks on the east just a few feet from where it stood, as well as noting that the city still has two kinds of traffic lights, and having seen satellite photos showing the different street lights. The city still has three city centres, the old one largely back up for tourism. But progress has been made, and is continuing to be made.
Berlin itself still bears the marks of its decades of division - travelling along its old route I saw the open space on the west and the housing blocks on the east just a few feet from where it stood, as well as noting that the city still has two kinds of traffic lights, and having seen satellite photos showing the different street lights. The city still has three city centres, the old one largely back up for tourism. But progress has been made, and is continuing to be made.
More Star Wars from the Game Of Thrones producers
As well as the Rian Johnson trilogy, apparently.
I know they have some prior experience with a protagonist who fancies his sister and gets his hand cut off, but I’m hoping that isn’t too relevant. Ha ha. Um.
I expect there will be great battle scenes in A Storm Of Lightsabers.
Not so sure about A Feast For Porgs.
I know they have some prior experience with a protagonist who fancies his sister and gets his hand cut off, but I’m hoping that isn’t too relevant. Ha ha. Um.
I expect there will be great battle scenes in A Storm Of Lightsabers.
Not so sure about A Feast For Porgs.
Tuesday 6 February 2018
Hugh Hancock
Hugh Hancock was one of the regular faces around Conpulsion in the 90s and into the zeroes, helped make Machinima a thing (starting with a Delta Green story made in Quake) and more.
The Cloverfield Paradox
Free on Netflix is nice, but I do miss the option of going to see a movie at the movies.
Monday 5 February 2018
Solo: A Star Wars Trailer
Here it is.
Lando (Donald Glover) has a mighty coat.
Qi’Ra (Emilia Clarke) looks very Audrey Hepburn.
The guy Han’s seen getting ready to fight looks sort of like an escapee from Destiny. Space armour plus mask plus fur cloak will do that, I guess.
And there’s a bit more fighting, as well as a bit more Empire recruitment talk, in the pre-teaser.
Lando (Donald Glover) has a mighty coat.
Qi’Ra (Emilia Clarke) looks very Audrey Hepburn.
The guy Han’s seen getting ready to fight looks sort of like an escapee from Destiny. Space armour plus mask plus fur cloak will do that, I guess.
And there’s a bit more fighting, as well as a bit more Empire recruitment talk, in the pre-teaser.
No Man's Land planning
So we have:
Two cities with not-entirely-cold war between its vampire factions.
Urban wasteland in between.
Nomads, exiles, runaways, raiders, orphans of conflict Embraces, revenants, draugr, dhampirs.
Someone trying to broker peace, for the good of humanity as well as Kindred.
Someone trying to find the secrets of his own existence.
Two cities with not-entirely-cold war between its vampire factions.
Urban wasteland in between.
Nomads, exiles, runaways, raiders, orphans of conflict Embraces, revenants, draugr, dhampirs.
Someone trying to broker peace, for the good of humanity as well as Kindred.
Someone trying to find the secrets of his own existence.
Sunday 4 February 2018
Vampire: The Requiem - No Man's Land
Nothing now can ever come between us
As we hide and watch the city burn
There is much that I still want to tell you
But now is not the time to speak of love
CHVRCHES, Now Is Not The Time
Saturday 3 February 2018
William O'Connor
I was saddened to hear of the death of William O’Connor, whose art graced covers and books for White Wolf across the World Of Darkness and Trinity Universe, as well as CCGs such as Legend Of The Five Rings.
Friday 2 February 2018
Requiem, the TV series
... is about ghosts, not vampires. ;)
Running on the BBC and Netflix, it follows creepy forced suicides with the daughter of one of the victims going to investigate a vague clue leading to an old dark house and the disappearance of a little girl nearby decades before. The tone is chilly in a Century Falls kind of way.
Running on the BBC and Netflix, it follows creepy forced suicides with the daughter of one of the victims going to investigate a vague clue leading to an old dark house and the disappearance of a little girl nearby decades before. The tone is chilly in a Century Falls kind of way.
Houdini and Lovecraft on superstition
I missed this news in 2016, so thanks to Tim Knight for sharing: a manuscript of the book on superstition commissioned by Harry Houdini and outlined by H.P. Lovecraft, written by C.M. Eddy, was found in a collection of papers kept by the late Beatrice Houdini.
Thursday 1 February 2018
Witcher card art
Gwent, the card game from The Witcher, has some really striking card art in the version playable in our universe.
(Note: gallery contains green lady showing off her greenness)
(Note: gallery contains green lady showing off her greenness)
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