Kitten on a shoe.

Older kitten on a shoe.

How it started. How it’s going.
#catsofbluesky

Ha. I actually like how they’re going to squeeze into the timeline between the show and the movie since Wash will be back.

But it does limit how much story they can cram into the narrow timeline.

Nice. We just spent last weekend in a cabin ourselves. The kids went through some screen detox and we got them to play some board games begrudgingly.
#whateverittakes

One thing I love about my current group: 4 of us have been playing on and off since the 80’s. One of us has returned to the game after more than two decades away. One started playing last year and one started playing last week for the first time.

I love how #TTRPGs have brought us all together.

He looks like he’s about to go supersonic. 😄

Grognards playing D&D 5e

Full house for Friday Night D&D!
#dnd #ttrpg

On a related note, is there a user friendly game save editor for the #Gloomhaven Steam version?

We’d ideally like to recreate the current game state as close as we could so we can continue online. I know JSON, but I was hoping for a tool that can do some of it for me.

So many restaurants have “ambient” music too loud. They clearly haven’t researched the word “ambient”.

It’s more like “We’re going to make conversation unpleasant enough so you GTFO and we can convert the table” music.

They’re all 20 years older… How could they do a live action show?

Cleaning up Gloomhaven underneath the table leaves.

Some of my character progression.

With some melancholy, I am finally cleaning up the #Gloomhaven game my group started before the pandemic. We lost all steam in 2020 - 21 and only played once or twice when things settled. It’s been under our table topper for over 6 years while we played other games.
#boardgames

That head is definitely disproportionate.

Pictures of the game board, depicting lanes of wasteland terrain, cards to govern vehicle movement, and car and motorcycle minis we move around.

Thunder Road Vendetta was the absolute mayhem I had hoped for! @davethegame.bsky.social

Link to the first session recaps and thoughts:
bsky.app/profile/ragi...

This timeline is the worst, but it was made better by this man’s fight for social justice — from his thought provoking monologues as Meathead to his fight for marriage equality.

Be at peace with your family, Rob.
Your impacts will be missed.
You will be missed.

I still enjoy #dnd5e and #osr style old school #dnd, but Dragonbane is scratching a particular itch that regular D&D doesn’t quite reach.

It’s rocketing to the top of my favorite game list, possibly taking top position edging out The One Ring. We shall see if it maintains.

amzn.to/4oYz7uX

Overall, I think the first taste of the new #ttrpg system has gone positively with my group. Combat was quick but tense. The Wizard was not shy about spending the spell points heavily to ensure a victory. Everyone got a bit beat up and a couple party members almost went down in the first rounds.

Village map of Outskirt

The PCs eventually make their way to the village of Outskirt, interact with various NPCs, pick up rumors, and meets a contact from one of the factions. We’ve got one more session before the holiday break and they’re planning their first journey out into the Vale following rumors.

Map of the Misty Vale

The PCs also find a map and their first adventure hook to find someone named “Leonara” in the Misty Vale.

The players love the map as there are lots of “Where’s Waldo”-esque detail and teasers in the artwork. It’s brilliant. There are hints of adventure all around.

Fighter, Thief, and Wizard art from the core rules.

Only 3 players could make the session but we’ve got the classic Fighter/Thief/Wizard party. The PCs start out dirt-poor so even scrounging leather armor and swords from the goblins is decent loot. The goblin fight is pretty tense as 2 PCs took significant damage, narrowly avoiding unconsciousness.

The PCs are ambushed as they travel a mountain pass.

The goblin fight is tense, but the PCs persevere.

The adventure starts out with a very trope-y ambush that is a surprise to none of the players, but it’s still gives that “Yes, this is classic fantasy RPG opening” feel. The game can be played Theater of the Mind, but I enhanced it with some visuals.

Cardstock miniatures for the adventure are included.

Honestly, as a box set, #Dragonbane is one of the best #ttrpg values on the market. The minis are flat cardstock and the battlemat is just a 2-page size generic grid, but with the dice, cards, and region map, it’s a fantastic value. The minis cover all the encounters in the adventure.

Dragonbane box set contents

As GM, I’ve started with the campaign that comes in the box set. People sometimes call it a “starter set” but from what I gather, it includes the full #Dragonbane rules which are also in the hardback book. The box set comes with a really great array of extras. Map, minis, dice, treasure cards, etc.

My group started our #Dragonbane mini-campaign last week. Here are some thoughts and highlights (very mild spoilers).
#ttrpg #dnd

What I see in Black Company is fairly close to what I assumed Wizards would do for Wheel of Time since TSR had designed the SAGA game, but they probably just wanted a low effort reskin of D&D to not spend too much design / playtesting on the project.

Did a quick search on Black Company and it reminds me a bit of the SAGA magic system in Dragonlance 5th Age.

Spell points were calculated based on range, duration, area of effect, etc. and then you played the cards (DL5A was diceless) for casting and paid the spell points.

Yeah, I’m trying to play rules as written, but I can already see using banes during casting as a DCC-style mishap if I wanted to be a truly evil GM. 😄

Just started my group into the box set campaign. I’m hoping it sticks. My wife generally just wants to play D&D because she likes the way you “get stuff” when leveling. I’m hoping the skill system will appeal enough to keep her hooked.

I may have to be over-generous with the Heroic Abilities. 😄

When the Wheel of Time RPG (based D&D 3.x), I really wanted WotC to present an alternative magic system that would better fit the WoT weave.

Sadly, it was just D&D Vancian spells with a slightly different presentation. Something like the Dragonbane system would have been a much better fit.

Free League Publishing Dragonbane: Mirth & Mayhem Roleplaying Game Core Set, Includes Dice, Rulebook, Adventures, Map, and More, RPG Tabletop Board Game for Adults, Family, Teens 13+ Experience the perfect blend of fast-paced fun and epic fantasy with the Dragonbane: Mirth & Mayhem Core Set. This all-in-one boxed set has everything you need to dive right into thrilling adventures, with minimal prep time. Whether you're in the mood for a quick one-shot or an ongoing campaign, Dragonbane delivers a dynamic experience that mixes brutal challenges with moments of humor and lighthearted play. Rooted in decades of Swedish gaming tradition, this reimagined edition of the classic Drakar och Demoner combines old-school magic and mystery with cutting-edge design from Free League Publishing, ensuring an unforgettable tabletop journey.

In summary, there’s much to love about this gritty, lower powered D&D adjacent fantasy #TTRPG. I’ve played it a couple times in a con setting but really looking forward to running (and hopefully playing) #Dragonbane more regularly with my home group.
9/9
amzn.to/3Mjgl3N

Spells also have a more gradual power curve and can be upcast based upon available Willpower Points. The spells are also more in-line with melee PC capabilities.

I’ve always wanted a spell point system like this, but not as crunchy as something like GURPS.
8/