Category Archives: RPG

Rules and more Rules

So many rules, so little time.booksFrom top to bottom:

  • SAGA – The base rules plus all the expansions in the folder that came with expansion #4. I play this a lot recently.  I have a six point Anglo-Dane warband.
  • Dreadball Season 2
  • Dreadball  – Base rules.  I love Dreadball.  I play the base game only so far.  I have a season 2 team, unpainted.  It will get painted soon.  Dreadball is a ton of fun.
  • Monster Hunter International – The RPG based on the novels.  I GM a campaign.  Lots of fun.  Humans with guns fight monsters – werewolves, zombies, etc…
  • Star Wars Edge Of Empire –  RPG. I do not currently play.  It seems like a fun game.  Unique dice mechanic.
  • Eclipse Phase –  RPG. I am a player in a campaign.  Great game, and the most high quality rulebook here.  Very unique sci-fi setting. The printed book is well worth it’s price, however, the rules are also available for free.  Creative Commons rules!
  • Chain Of Command – Just released (Fall 2013) WWII platoon level rules from Too Fat Lardies.  I’ve not played them yet, but they seem really nice.
  • Gruntz – 15mm Sci-Fi rules.  A great introductory set of rules, and you can add complexity later.  I’ve played them a few times.  Fun.
  • Tomorrows War – Another 15mm Sci-Fi ruleset.  Well reviewed, but overly complex and, frankly, the book is hard to read.  Black text on a busy background.
  • Traveller – I have so many great memories of playing Traveller as a kid in the ’80s.  Sci-Fi RPG.
  • Traveller 5  – Not the “final” Traveller I’d hoped for.  Overly complex.

So, that’s my physical rules collection.  In digital, I’ve got a bunch more, but the only digital rules that are not also here in physical form that I play / want to play are:

  • Quadrant 13 – Company level 15mm Sci-Fi rules.  Seems like a great game.  I’d love to play some day.
  • Full Thrust: Cross Dimensions – Super fun space fleet combat game.  I’ve got two full fleets of minis painted up for this game.  Quick, deadly, tactical space combat.  Free rules, too.

Monster Hunter International RPG and Friday Night Photos

The Monster Hunter International Employee Handbook and Roleplaying Game is finally available to the general public.  If you missed the Kickstarter, now you can buy it.

The game is based on the series of novels by Larry Correia.  Vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. exist, but they are secret.  The government pays a bounty for dead monsters.  The players work for a private company that hunts monsters and collects the bounty.  The books are action and combat heavy, and I expect the game will be, also.

My book arrived today, but I’ve been reading the PDF for the last several days.  The game uses the HERO system, which I have not previously played, but it seems pretty good after a read through.

The book looks great, and is well put together.  It’s 302 pages, hardcover, and full color.  Tomorrow the group is going to try to get together and create characters and run through some exhibition combat, so that we can get a feel for it.

MonsterHunter

 

As readers of my blog know, I’ve been painting a bunch of 15mm monsters and hunters, etc for use with this game.  I took some pics tonight of minis I’ve finished in various situations, just for fun.

zombie_fight_2 zombie_fight_1 zombie_chase mutant_fight aliens_fbi

 

I’ll write up a report after my first play session with my impressions of the game.

15mm Mutants and the Dangers of Dullcote When it’s Humid.

Over the weekend I painted up some of Khurasan’s 15mm Mutant Supersoldiers (END-202) and Savage Humanoid Cannibals (END-500).  It was just after dark last night when I went to spray them with Testor’s Dullcote.  I love Dullcote, it really “finishes” a mini.  But I learned to be careful about the time of day I choose to use it.

I live about 500 meters from the ocean in Southern California, so when the sun sets, the humidity rises fast.  This did not occur to me, and my minis ended up with a fogged finish. Damn.

After looking around the internet for solutions, I ended up brushing on Citadel’s ‘Ardcoat over the whole mini.  This took care of the fogging and brought back the original color.  Then, this morning, in full sunlight and lower humidity, I hit them will Dullcote again to kill the ‘Ardcoat’s shine.

painted_not_based This is the nine minis after painting and before any spray finish.

 

group_shot After the whole process – the fogged layer of Dullcote, then the ‘Ardcoat “fix it” layer, then Dullcote again.  And basing, of course.

 

Khurasan_mutant_supersoldiers_front Khurasan_mutant_supersoldiers_back The Mutant Supersoldiers, front and back.  I think they need another spray of Dullcote.  The ‘Ardcoat is really shiny, and some of that shine is still showing, especially in the back view.  The guy in the middle has a shiny ass, and that’s just not right.  🙂

 

Khurasan_savage_humanoid_cannibals The Savage Humanoid Cannibals.  I think I’ll spray them with the Dullcote one more time, as well.

 

khurasan_supersoldier_cannibal_size_referenceHere’s a size reference.

 

I’m glad I was able to rescue them, and I’ve learned a good lesson to not use Dullcote when it’s humid out.

I plan to use these minis with the Monster Hunter International RPG.  I’m thinking of a “The Hills Have Eyes” type scenario.

Khurasan’s Modern Zombies – Part 2

I’ve made a lot of progress on the 15mm zombies today.  Eight are done and based.  That’s what you are traditionally supposed to do on Independence Day, right?  Paint and base zombie miniatures?

two_stands_done Painting is done.  I had just enough Dullcote left to spray them.

 

first_eight_zombies_basing_step_1 After the Dullcote dried, I mixed some red paint with CItadel’s ‘Ardcoat to make “wet blood” and applied that in some small areas.  The I superglued them onto Litko bases.

 

first_eight_zombies_basing_step_2 This is my standard vinyl spackling mixed with water and brushed onto the base to build it up even with the mini’s built in base.

 

first_eight_zombies_basing_step_3 I gave the spackling 2 hours to dry and then painted it.  I also painted a black edge.

 

khurasan_15mm_zombies_group_1_front khurasan_15mm_zombies_group_1_back One group got full on grass.

 

khurasan_15mm_zombies_group_2_front khurasan_15mm_zombies_group_2_back The other group got sand and grass and some grass tufts.

 

khurasan_15mm_zombies_group_1and2 khurasan_15mm_zombies_sizeI wanted to show just how small these minis are.  I know a lot of people are not used to 15mm scale minis.

 

I’m very happy with how these came out.  8 down, 12 to go.  As I mentioned before, I intend to use these with the Monster Hunter International RPG.

Khurasan’s Modern Zombies – Part 1

I got “The Dead — Modern Zombies” from Khurasan a few weeks ago, and I got finally got started on them.  I intend to use these for the MHI RPG that I’ve mentioned in previous posts.

ready_for_primer 20 15mm scale zombies in 20 different poses.  Also, 2 werewolves in the front.  Cleaned and ready for primer.

 

primed And primed.

 

first_zombie_doneLast night I painted one.  With the 4 day weekend coming up, I hope get a whole bunch done by next week.

These 20 zombies and the 2 wolves are my Reddit painting challenge for July.