Newsround 28th to 4th April 2021

My weekly roundup of news and what I found on the internet.  

The King is Back

Godzilla vs Kong hit streaming services this week and I have to say I was impressed.  It's another installment in the Legendary Pictures franchise comprising of Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. 

Godzilla vs Kong - The long awaited match up

It doesn't dissapoint.

The CGI is top notch and the story line pretty bonkers, but what you really came to see this movie for is a straight up duel between the two biggest monsters in Hollywood history.  There is plenty of additional content to excite fans of Kaiju movies and without spoilers, this isn't just about the two biggest Titans duking it out.

An all star cast of quality actors provide exposition and never overshadow the real stars.  This is a winning formula for Legendary and produces an insane mind blowing visual spectacle of a popcorn movie which is what the real fans are after.

Evil Genius Economics 

In preparation for my current game at Dragons Keep Roleplay Club I had to invent an evil genius to be at the heart of the current problems that the city is experiencing.  

In order to wreak revenge on an epic scale you need to have epic resources and epic managerial skills.  Whatever your evil scheme is you will need to amass resources through various shell companies and have unwitting minions essentially funnelling cash into your organisation to keep the lights running at your secret volcanic island hideaway.

Not a supervillian lair and actually a Shopping Mall in the South of France

Being a costumed superpowered crusader on the other hand is usually a solitary affair and thwarting evil schemes is a simple case of turning up doing a bit of blasting and then off to the next encounter.  There isn't much in the way of investment required.

And then I found some playthrough videos of Evil Genius 2: World Domination.  The designers have clearly looked long and deep and consider all the vital aspects of the evil genius business model.  Worth a look if you are into your worker placement simulations.  Available to download on Steam 

If you aren't into computer games I can heartily recommend Mwahahaha! which is a 2 to 5 player boardgame which explores the same principles of resource gathering and minion management.  Published back in 2013 by White Wolf it is sadly out of print but copies can be snagged on eBay at a reasonable price.

Trailer for Rick and Morty Season 5 Drops

The long awaited season 5 trailer is out and it looks amazing.  As a fan of Combining Mecha anime such as Voltron (aka Beast King Go Lion) and 80s puppet show Star Fleet (aka X-Bomber) I am particularly looking forward to them exploring this trope. 

Rick and Morty is chock full of great ideas for role playing games.  No genre is left untouched from their hypercritical and synical gaze.  One of the best sci-fi comedy series in the multiverse.  

The new series on Sunday June 20th so yet another date for you to pop in your calendar.

Monthly Free D&D 5e Adventures from DM Dave

DM Dave Free D&D Adventures

Role Playing Games are a funny business to be in as it specifically appeals your creative side.  Once you have purchased the core rules for your system you and are actively encouraged to go off and write your own scenarios.  There is really not much incentive to keep buying core rulebooks. 

However, whilst I love this part of the hobby as it scratches my story writting itch, I understand how important it is to support small creators who are doing some amazing work.  Scalping everything for free doesn't keep the lights on for most publishers. 

In fact small publishers often do things for the love of the hobby are some of the most creative people out there which is another really good reason to lend them some financial support.

There are plenty of resources for the time poor DM such as Drive Thru RPG, DMs Guild or Dragonsfoot and one such creator is DMDave who publishes a host of Dungeons & Dragons materials via his Patreon subscription.  

These are really high quality productions and feature battle maps by Miska's Maps, additional monster stat blocks and magic item cards.  I downloaded the Glaive of the Revenant King and this adventure is the real deal, a ready to run scenario.

Want a taste of how good his products are?  Just sign up to his mailing list and you will get a free D&D 5e scenario every month.

Sector 55 Blues - Prog 8 - Avast Me Hearties it be the Easter Pirate Kangaroo!

Sector 55 Blues is a Judge Dredd Campaign using the Savage Dredd unnofficial Savage Worlds Expansion.  This is an online only game with members from Dragons Keep Roleplay Club.

Judges Cully, Hammer, Teal and Uhtred gun their bikes North and the Lawmasters quickly outpace the scavengers.  about 30 minutes later they find a wide ramp on the East side of the canyon leading up and out.

Is that a Ship I See Before Me?

As the Judges make it out of the canyon and turn to the South they see a large vehicle belching black smoke approaching their position from the North.  Using the magnification of their gun scopes they see a ship trundling towards them it's figure head is a giant skull with three horns.  Aboard are a motley crew of 8 to 10 cannibal scavengers brandishing swords spears and crossbows. 

Black Ice Kanga's Pirate Land Ship - The Skull Duggery

Determined to get a closer look at the scavengers to determine if Rabies Nesbitt is among them, the ingenious Judge Cully straps her helmet to Teal's bike with surgical tape from Uhtred's medkit.  She patches her helmet cam through to her bike computer and Teal sends it on a recon mission.

 

They identify three masked figures and the recon mission turns into an attack run.  Teal's bike swoops in from the East side and blasts at the giant wheel with its Cyclops Laser and Bike Cannon melting a wide gouge into the spinning mass of iron.  The scavengers pepper the bike with crossbow bolts as it zooms past and the bike's auto preservation circuit kicks in bringing it to an abrupt halt.

Cully and Uthred with Teal riding pillion form a posse and ride out to meet the oncoming land ship.  Hammer does not move preferring to see how this plays out.  

Cully swoops in from the East strafing the unmasked crew members with her bike cannon and then picking off a few with her lawgiver.

Uthred swoops in from the West blasting the wheel with the bike's cannon doing some critical but not fatal damage.  The right hand wheel begins to wobble on it's axle.  The Cyclops Laser blasts a hole in the side of the ship and a skillfull Uthred pulls the bike in allowing the Judges to board the ship.

Cully swoops around to the rear and blasts at the remaining crew member on the port side of the ship.  "BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA" and her bike cannon shreds one of the smaller wheels under the belly of the beast.  The ship begins to veer left towards the canyon edge.  Hammer can almost see the whites of their eyes and with a twist of the throttle he engages the cannibal pirate ship blasting the wobbling wheel and strafing the left bank of small wheels taking out three.

Uthred and Teal quickly make their way out of the dark bowels of the ship up the stairs onto the main deck and teal shoots a musclebound pirate in the process.  Uthred fires a few rounds at what can only be described as a half man half kangaroo but does not deal a killing blow.  The creature effortlessley leaps the 20 feet over the balustrade landing a kick to Uthred's chest but the Judge is made of stern stuff and blocks the attack.

Cully fires a grenade round and plants it between two pirates on the sterncastle then opens up with all her bike weapons shredding the rear of the ship to matchwood.  With its support structure gone, the sterncastle deck collapses dumping one of the pilots on the ground and Cully leaps from her bike to engage the pirate in hand to hand.  Unfortunately she stuffs the landing and is stunned.

Hammer sweeps round and tears into the ship with his bike cannon felling the pirate at the ships wheel as the ship slowly grinds to a halt.

Uthred and the Kangaroo Captain trade punches as Teal shoots him with a GP round wounding him.

"I surrenders Law Man!" gasps the injured Captain Kanga "Parley, Parley.  What are your terms?"  

Black Ice Kanga

The captain of these scurvey dogs is Black Ice Kanga a heartless scoundrel who roams the high plains looking for shipwrecked travellers and other smaller pirate gangs.  What he catches he keeps and eats.  

Black Ice Kanga

 

Business has been tough these last few years as there's not much need for mutie flesh since Muldoon took over.

He tells the judges that he was hired to pick up the citizen and given specific instructions not to eat him.  

 

"A car came and picked him up.  It bore the insignia of Lord Vidal Muldoon.  You don't want to mess with him he's a vicious powerful overlord." 

 

He tells them that Nesbitt is one of Muldoons men and that they probably took him to Black Gold Mesa.  If the Judges launch an assault they will be cut to ribbons by Muldoon, he has too many men even for Judges.  

The Pirates of Scavcity had a non aggression pact with the freetowns but Muldoon wants to own it all.  He has already taken over Mutieville. 

 

He offers them a map of the region and says that the Pirate King will probably reward them for his safe return.  The Judges agree and he orders his remaining crew, first mate Toecutter, to launch the dinghy.

Recovered Map of The Cursed Earth

Next Prog ->

Back Issues

Prog 1 - Suits You Sir - Mosh 55 rob Zlooty Slute's Suits You and a body is discovered.

Prog 2 - Hair Today Gone Tomorrow - Rock Dwayneson's apartment and carnage at the Yes-A-Bout

Prog 3 - It's Ugly Out There - Fun and Games at the Ugly Pageant 

Prog 4 - Down, Down, Deeper and Down - Entering the sewers under RESYK

Prog 5 - The Big Wig - Confronting the beast below the city

Prog 6 - Last Orders at The Two Ways Pub - A shootout in Sector 163

Prog 7 - Into the Cursed Earth - Judge Ezquerra orders a manhunt

Reaper Bones #33 - Norgol, Irongrave Knight

Seems like we have found a new furrow to plough.  Badass fighter dudes.

Norgol Irongrave Knight - Bobby Jackson (SKU 77065)

Another archetypal evil head henchman.  Full plate, big axe, horns and skull motif.  He's all show but probably goes quite a bit too.

I'm treating you to two photos today (front and back) because I'm pretty pleased with how the cloak came out.

Norgol, Irongrave Knight (SKU 77065) - front

Norgol, Irongrave Knight (SKU 77065) - back

 Bones Progress

Newsround 21st to 27th March 2021

My weekly roundup of news and what I found on the internet. 

UK Games Expo Friday 30th July to Sunday 1st August 2021

The biggest tabletop games convention in the UK has announced it's dates for 2021.

Due to venue refurbishment this is going to be a much smaller event than in previous years but I for one am glad to see it still taking place after the disaster that was 2020.  Fingers crossed.

More details on the UK Games Expo website.

History Professors runs same DnD game for 39 years

Imagine running the same Dungeons and Dragons campaign since 1982  That's exactly what Robert Wardhaugh of London, Ontario has done for the past 39 years.

Robert Wardhaugh - Playing the same game since 1982
Pic: from CNN article

He regularly posts photos on his instagram account @The_gamednd and has amassed a collection of some 20,000 miniatures.  He even has a Hall of Heroes which celebrates every character who has reached level 25.  You can read more about Robert, the game and the world over at his website thegamednd.com.

Amazing Hand Built Puzzle Furniture by David Lundell

Sometimes the YouTube recommendations algorithm just nails it and this is how I found the amazing carpentry creations of David Lundell.  Check him out he has just about something for everyone.

Oumcraft Floating Eyeball Dice

Ask a roleplayer if they have enough dice and they will reply "You can never have enough dice".  So who could resist these awesome floating eyeball dice. 

There appears to be a trend of people casting their own dice with things embedded in them.  I've seen skulls, frogs, penguins and eyeballs.  The difference with these dice is that the eyeball floats and always looks up at the number rolled.

At $59 a set (D4, D6, D8, 2 x D10, D12 & D20) they are a premium item and I'm not sure how they would compare in a randomness test against the gold standard Gamescience dice, but they look amazing.

floating eyeball dice oumcraft.com

Giant Metal Dice Set by Wesley Treat

Talking about dice, if you are a fan of the maker community on YouTube you will probably have heard of Wesley Treat.  He makes one off custom furniture, signs and light fixtures in an Americana style inspired by his years as a photographer trekking across the USA capturing it's disintegrating history.

Wesley takes you through the whole process of constructing the classic platonic solids we know and love.  If you have ever tried to do this yourself you know it's hard enough making it out of cardboard never mind steel.  A fascinating video and a great YouTube channel if you are at all interested in art, design or making things.

Sector 55 Blues - Prog 7 - Into The Cursed Earth

Sector 55 Blues is a Judge Dredd Campaign using the Savage Dredd unnofficial Savage Worlds Expansion.  This is an online only game with members from Dragons Keep Roleplay Club.

Aftermath at The Two Ways Public House

Judge Teal calls it in.

"We've got a dead Judge and five dead perps at The Two Ways in Benny Hill Block.  I need a meat wagon stat."  

"Who's the dead Judge" replies control "Going to need to inform the Watch Commander".

"It is the Watch Commander... Judge Govan is dead"  

A full complement of forensic judges descend on the crime scene and start to pick apart the aftermath of the shootout.  The death of one of his senior officers brings a personal visit from Sector Chief Judge Ezquerra to the crime scene. 

He walks past Hammer who is hunched over one of the Bikes trying to get its computer to home in on his bleeper.  A flashing green dot can be seen entering a mixed use zone in city bottom about 5 miles away.  The spot stops moving at an intersection on Salmond and 110th street.

Ezquerra balls out the four Judges for the destruction of Justice Department property.

"If the department gave you a salary I'd be taking the cost of repairs to those bikes out of it.!!"

Walking into the foyer of The Two Ways he surveys the seen of destruction and the body of Judge Govan which lies underneath the heavy steel treads of The Crushinator. 

"Judge Govan was a fine officer, one of the old school, he'll be hard to replace but not impossible.  We are all replaceable.

I've brought you four new bikes now get out there and hunt down Rabies Nesbitt.  Nobody gets away with Judge Homicide on my watch and roams free.  What are you waiting for? Go!! 

Sector Chief Judge Ezquerra orders a manhunt

What the Bleep!

The Judges gun their lawmasters through the dimly lit streets of city bottom following the computers directions to the intersection.  This part of the sector is so close to Great Western Wall that its streets never see daylight and are continually bathed in its 500ft tall shadow.  

Illegally parked on the pavement at the intersection is the red hatchback.  Cully notices a loose manhole cover to the right of the vehicle and Hammer calls up CCTV of the area from MAC.  A jerky grainy feed is patched through to his bike showing an obviously wounded Rabies getting out of the ar and walking around the front towards the manhole and dissapearing from view..

Cully opens the manhole revealling a 10ft drop into the sewer below.  Blood spots trail down the ladder into the sewer below.  The others notice that there are two boxes which match the one that fell out of the vehicle as it made its getaway from The Two Ways.  It is likely packed to the brim with these wig creatures and present a threat to the inquisitive citizens of Sector 163.

Their brief debate about what to do is settled when Cully fires two incendiary rounds into the vehicle setting it ablaze

"Into the sewer boys, he's got a head start on us"

The blood trail leads West and about a hundred feet along, the left sewer wall is broken open leading to a short hand excavated cross tunnel which intersects a service shaft filled with electrical conduits and other essential services which feed the Great Western Wall.  The trail of blood continues to a circular metal grate in the wall, a hot dry breeze blows through the grate carrying with it the unmistakeable smell of death.  

Hammer fires an incendiary round down the shaft which explodes with Justice Department efficiency scorching the walls clean of anything which might have been alive.  They clamber into the 5 foot wide shaft and inch their way along for what seems like an age until they emerge from the wall and stare out onto the bleak and barren windswept irradiated dustbowl that is THE CURSED EARTH.

The Cused Earth - A barren and desolate irradiated wasteland

 The blood trail leads over a small dune and stops by a set of huge vehicle tracks which head east.  This looks like a planned rendezvous.

Taking a ride on the Express Elevator to Hell  

They call for an H-Wagon to come pick them up from the other side of the wall and their conversation is cut off by Judge Ezquerra

"I've been in touch with Sector 55 and these hairy creatures are taking over.  Only Rabies has the answer to this infestation and I want him alive".

Ten minutes later a Strat-bat lands at their 20 and pilot Judge Maverick shouts at them "We are your ride, get in".  In the back of the long range cargo carrier are a four bikes and a few extra supplies.  Each judge is issued a Rad Kit including meters, medical supplies, rad suits, one man pop-up tents and 14 days rations.  Their bikes are fitted with extra large panniers and a set of emergency sat comms gear.

The Strat-bat dusts off an half an hour later they are following the vehicle tracks using nap of the earth navigation.  Teal orders the pilot to get some altitude as there's a high chance that the perps are armed.

As the H-Wagon climbs to 200 ft and crests a dune the pilots see a large wheeled vehicle in the distance belching black smoke.  Sirens blare as the Electronic Counter Measures computer warns them that it has detected a weapons lock.  Moments later the right engine explodes. and the H-Wagon crashes into a canyon.

Cannibal Canyon

As the dust settles the Judges survey their immediate surroundings.  The back half of the shuttle has been torn off.  The pilots have not been so lucky.  The cockpit is a crumpled mess of tangled metal and sparking wires.  Blood drips from the steel.

VTOL Crash Site Battlemap - Get a free 140dpi version from Fragmaps

Their bikes were stowed tightly and it takes but a moment to release the loading straps and wheel them outside.

As they survey their new predicament at the bottom of a 50ft deep canyon, Hammer spots a human sillhouette on the east canyon wall and then another and another.  His years of training kick in and he dodges as a primitive spear made from one arm of a pair of gardening shears lands six inches from his foot.  

A gravelly voice shouts down from the rim of the canyon

"We're gonna come down there Judges, we're gonna come down there and catch you, we're gonna catch you and we're gonna EAT YOU!"

Their day just keeps getting better.  Cannibals!! 

Cully indirectly fires a grenade round which arcs over the rim and explodes with it's familiar crack.  A scream goes up from one of the perps above.

Hammer manoeuvres his bike onto one of the storage crates which has been tossed from the wreck.  He can't quite get the elevation and his Cyclops Laser cannon only succeeds in turning a portion of the canyon wall into molten glass.

A cloud of black smoke belches from the vehicle above the canyon rim as it lurches North.  

The Judges gun their bikes in the same direction.  Hopefully there is a way out and they can head these wasteland scavengers off at the pass. 

Next Prog ->

Back Issues

Prog 1 - Suits You Sir - Mosh 55 rob Zlooty Slute's Suits You and a body is discovered.

Prog 2 - Hair Today Gone Tomorrow - Rock Dwayneson's apartment and carnage at the Yes-A-Bout

Prog 3 - It's Ugly Out There - Fun and Games at the Ugly Pageant 

Prog 4 - Down, Down, Deeper and Down - Entering the sewers under RESYK

Prog 5 - The Big Wig - Confronting the beast below the city

Prog 6 - Last Orders at The Two Ways Pub - A shootout in Sector 163