Two Shelves of Gaming

"It's Role Playing Jim, but not as we know it".

Welcome to another episode of the podcast and thank you for dropping by.

This one is inspired by another random event in my life. Not so long ago my wife purchase something online and was rewarded with a three month free subscription to Amazon Prime. As a result I watched all 3 seasons of 'Picard' and it made me realize that over my life, in spite of not being a huge Star Trek fan, I've always steadily consumed the films and tv series.

I had a couple of toys when I was a kid, watched most of the films and saw some of The Next Generation. While being more of a Star Wars fan, I'm very comfortable in liking Star Trek.

Which brings to the game in question - Star Trek Adventures by Modiphius entertainment. Specifically the boxed starter set I picked up a few years ago with the proceeds from the sale of a spare Heroquest.

It's one of several sci. fi. RPGs in my collection, but this one seems very reasoned, well thought out and seems to convey the IP very well. In short a damn fine product with some clever mechanics and nuances.

Also it offers the players a setting far more vast and exciting than some others out there.

Enjoy.

(...apologies if the Star Trek alarm klaxon is a bit annoying at the start, thought I'd drop in a sound effect...)

https://www.modiphius.net/pages/star-trek-adventures

Greetings listeners (and viewers),

It's time for another podcast and this one is a little video. As mentioned in previous episodes I will occasionally be dipping into video occasionally and when I do it'll be something on the short side.

Today I lift the lid - literally - on my paint collection. The reason? I was all ready to start a long overdue painting sessions a couple weekends ago, but disaster struck!

My Abaddon Black had dried up.

Not only did this mean I couldn't undercoat anything as I prefer to undercoat in black, but also a normally long lasting Citadel paint has faded to dust. Something I don't often see.

Some of my paint collection is decades old. The two oldest paints come from some time in the 1990s and they're still going strong. So the discovery that a relatively newly bought paint had dried out was a shock and disappointment. My theory is the design of the pot allows paint to accumulate around the lid preventing an air tight seal that in turns allows the paint to dry.

In either case it caused me to check all my other paints in case others were in danger of turning into mini deserts. Luckily this wasn't the case, but it inspired me to show you all my paint collection and the haphazard container I use to store it all in plus the other accessories and sundry items.

As you will see I don't have a bespoke paint storage system, but something improvised and random.

Just the way I like it!

D&D hits the supermarket shelves!

Greetings folks, this episode is about a minor seismic event in the world of RPGs. Last year's release of the D&D Adventurer magazine in the UK.

Instead of having to visit a hobby or book store, this publication appeared all over the place such as in newsagents, supermarkets and corner stores. Its purpose was to bring the D&D hobby to a wider audience via a regularly published magazine.

Such a magazine publishing concept is nothing new and something I remember from my childhood. They usually, but not always, appear early in the New Year and aim to draw-in readers with the promise of introducing them to some exciting hobby or craft.

Then by means of only introducing one craft or hobby component per issue they entice the reader to buy the whole series so the grand project can be completed.

Sounds simple?

In practice the magazine issues increase substantially in price after the first two or three meaning you need to spend some serious cash to finish something you could otherwise get for a fraction of the price if you just went to a hobby or craft store in the first place.

While they appear in a blaze of publicity, including TV adverts, they tend of fade away after a few issues with only the most steadfast newsagent daring to stock a small number. 

With this in mind the D&D Adventurer magazine created quite a stir although this didn’t last long once the ‘free’ goodies that came with the magazine were not enough to justify the increased price. However, unlike other similar publications it isn't components you need to play D&D, but rather information in the form of rules. So how does this mag measure up?

Is it of any substance, is this a radical new way to introduce people to the game or was it a mere attention grabbing gimmick.

Listen in and make up your minds.

https://hachettepartworks.com/en-en/dungeons-and-dragons-adventurer/

Happy New Year listener(s) and viewer(s),

I'm back after a woefully long period of time. For a while I was starting to think that my podcast was going the way of many that have come before it - a few episodes every once in a while before the inevitable disappearance, never to be found again.

Another lost soul down the proverbial digital well.

Well, not so with me!

I dragged myself to my camera, microphone and computer to concoct a very simple little video that will hopefully serve as an hors-d'œuvre for the year to come.

The last few months has been the usual list of things keeping me away from my little podcast, so no point listing them (family, work, life in general etc) and even the simple act of speaking into a mic has seemed to much for manage. 'Sad but true', to quote James Hetfield.

Anyway, this episode is a little show and tell for some miniatures I bought in a charity shop while visiting the UK last November. It was nice to know I still have the knack of finding such items in these kind of places.

Some nice minis here I think you'll agree from the mid-80s and early 90s. Ah, I do love the classics.

Anyway, enjoy and hopefully I'll be back before long.

Cheers!

Tom

Greetings pod listeners and welcome to another one man stream of conscious podcast.

I'm dusting off a file that's a few months old having recorded this in the light and heat of Slovakia over the summer. Initially I was just doing this as a way to get the creative juices going with regards an article I was planning on writing for a wargames mag. Alas, the creative writing juices are still dammed up so I thought I'd at least upload the tortured trickles.

This episode is a meandering trek through my thoughts on scenery and terrain pieces in wargaming, and my love of miniature trees, hills and rivers. Something that probably goes back to my old model train set and the fascination of seeing things come to life by the judicious addition of some greenery.

Also in the past day the tragic news has come in that some maniac took a chainsaw to the tree in Sycamore Gap along Hadrian's Wall in Northern England.

B*stard!

It's a place I've visited a few times and its loss just goes to show how a tree, or lack of one, can change the mood.

Sycamore Gap RIP. Let's hope someone can find a way of planting a decent sized on in the same location before too long.

Time for another video I think!

I needed to test out my camera and microphone kit for an upcoming filming job, but rather that just filming me saying 'Testing 1-2-3, Testing 1-2-3' over and over, I thought I'd do something a tiny bit creative.

So I got out my un-played Bloodsword books written by Dave Morris and illustrated by Russ Nicholson to give them a quick video outing.

I've talked about these fine books before, but here they are in the flesh. Interestingly while they inhabit the same game World as Morris' RPG 'Dragon Warriors' the combat system is different using only D6s instead of the full polyhedral set. On the subject of which, the combat damage in this game can be eye wateringly high. No 2 stamina points of damage per round here folks. As the example in the video shows, you can be up against an opponent who deals 10d6 worth of damage here. Yes, you read that right - 10d6!

As such these books can be lethal and unforgiving with the player or players needing to choose clever about the type of characters they use and tactics they employ. Talking of which the game's USP is the use of tactical maps that transform the game from a book only experience to one in which you can use minis and a small board if you choose.

In either case this line of books are widely available as print on demand so give 'em a go. If you dare.....

Painted giant. Check!

Orcs and Elves. Check!

Scenery ready. Check!

Time for a game. In this episode I chronicle my, at times, confused and fraught plan to FINALLY play scenario 1 from the classic Games Workshop product 'Blood Bath at Orc's Drift'. A mini campaign from the 80s during the era of Warhammer 2nd edition.

In a previous episode I talked about this product and not so long ago mused about my plan to play through this fine product at some point in the future. Given my relocation from Holland to Switzerland, and the ensuing chaos this had on my gaming in general, I thought I'd set myself a mission to actually get my act together and play it. Or at least the first scenario.

Since our plans over the summer included a two week stop in Holland I chose this as my window to play the Kachas Pass battle as all my scenery, wargame board and many of the minis were located there. Whereas the requisite Orcs had been painted over the past few months in Switzerland. Yet, the final piece of the puzzle was collecting a Denizen minis order I'd had mailed to my parents' house in the UK. All a bit convoluted and logistically odd, but such is my life at the moment.

Anyway, I'm glad to say things fell into place and much fun was had by all. Well, fun was had by me.

Ah, I love it when a plan comes together.

Not a full episode, but rather a quick aside that will barely do justice to this podcast's subject, namely the amazing artist Russ Nicholson.

I was saddened to learn of his death just after I'd uploaded the last episode and I'm sure many long time gamers out there are feeling a similar sense of loss at Russ' passing. While I make no pretense to knowing the man, his work absolutely pulled me deeper and deeper into the gaming hobby with his amazing illustrations that were quite simply from another dimension of imagination.

Also the fact I'm playing through the Fabled Lands and Blood Sword game books at the moments makes it all that bit little sadder as the fantastic pictures that adorn those two book series were drawn by him.

Russ Nicholson you are missed, but your work lives on!

Greetings listeners.

If any of you are confused by the opening, and closing, music for this episode please don't be alarmed. It's a reference to something I say later in the episode.

OK, I could feel that guilt and internal pressure building to record another episode so reached for the Rode Wireless mic and set about turning my thoughts into a wav file. In my rush I don't think I adjusted the recording volume as well as I could have, hence the automatically boosted audio upon upload. You may need to turn down your volume a little. Apologies for any sore ears.

Hmm, must remember to check that next time.

Anyway, since the last episode I made a couple of minor game related purchases while on my holidays, finished book 3 of the Lone Wolf series and actually managed to plow through some serious amounts of miniature painting! The latter shall be used to finally start playing through the old Warhammer 2nd edition 'Blood Bath at Orc's Drift'. A product I've had since back in the day, but never played as I didn't quite have the resources to amass all the required minis. Not so now! With all the orcs, elves and a giant in-bound, I can finally set up the first scenario when I'm back in Holland next month. I'll let you know how it goes.

Big shout out to Denizen Miniatures who I'm getting the giant from, link is below.

The main topic of this is a brief chat about the original Heroquest game. A classic product, but one I didn't see up close and personal until the mid or late 90s when I got a copy in a UK charity shop. Yet tragically, it was only these past few weeks that I actually played a game of it! While over the years I could see it was a well put together game, that recent game play really brought it home to me. However, I would say at the subconscious level it's the game that has prevented - nay - persuaded me from buying other similar type games in the recent past. Why? I think Heroquest is gaming perfection. It's got it all, fun, minis, dice, a board, spells, scenery etc., but without things being overwhelming with masses of complex rules, trinkets, counters and things to track and manage in the heat of a game. While the current gaming era means high production values such as from Descent, Gloomhaven and Doom the board game etc., to me they all trace a direct line of ancestry back to Heroquest. It's why I never bothered buying them, after all what's the point I if I've already got Heroquest, right? Well, that's been my thinking and perhaps I'm missing the nuances and fun of these newer releases, but let's just say Heroquest does it for me.

It's given me a new found appreciate of the product and one I shall definitely hold on to this. I'll take extra care of it too, especially as the plastic on the minis is degrading here and there.

Ironically my original Heroquest copy is probably the reason I haven't bought the new version. Yet. We shall see...

http://www.denizenminiatures.co.uk/

Greetings podgoers!

I made a point today of setting some time aside to try and gather my scattered thoughts into a coherent podcast about what I've been up to regards gaming. Thus I attached a Rode Wireless mic to my collar and went for a stroll about town during a gap in the day's busy schedule to muse about being re-united with an old friend. 

Namely the excellent Lone Wolf Game books written by Joe Dever and illustrated by Gary Chalk. While I did own these books back in the day I'm ashamed to say I found the combat system beyond my then poor ability in math (minus numbers! what are they?) As such I gave up on them while at the same time lamenting the fact I was missing out on such a brilliant looking book.

Then some time in the mid-90s I threw out all my games books in one fell swoop - something I lament to this day.

Yet, all was not lost. After various things happening with the Lone Wolf world in recent years, the game books are now being re-released with their original interior art thanks to the sterling work of those fine people at Mangamund.com allowing a whole new generation of gamers, plus some of the old timers, to don their green cloak, hone their Kai skills and fight off the forces of darkness.

A fine testament to the work of Dever who is sadly no longer with us.

Also discussed in this episode is the latest Fighting Fantasy book, the name of which I got wrong - it's Shadow of the Giants (duh)

Plus as ever there are some links for those who wish to take a closer look or generally peruse some of the things I ramble on about.

Enjoy and thanks for listening.

https://www.magnamund.com/

https://www.crnaluknja.si/

Happy New Year folks!

New Year, new podcast. Yes, an actual new podcast. Not the recycled one I uploaded last time. In case any of you were scratching you head about episode 17.5, let me explain. When working on a previous episode I saw a huge announcement declaring I could now upload videos. Seeing as I had an aborted attempt at doing just that a while ago, I thought I'd try again. After all why not finally get people to see the little video I made all the way back in April 2021. Alas, it appears history repeated itself, because when I uploaded the video file only the audio was posted. Where my video is I know not. If I'm missing a basic point of video / podcast doings then I guess that's on me. In either case, while I may return to making videos in the future it'll be the exception rather than the norm.

Well enough of that, the main thrust of this episode is my making good on my promise to solo a game of Those Dark Places...or at least trying to make good. As I listen back to this episode, I'm cringing at all the things I got wrong or basically didn't do. Even though how to solve the problem of doing an effective solo rpg with this rule set has kind of consumed my thoughts for a while, I must confess to going into this session rather ill prepared - no characters were created and I had to keep flipping through the rule book to remember things. I think I'd consider this attempt at soloing Those Dark Places more a rough guide at how attempt such an endeavor rather than a shining example of a solo play through.

I was tempted to re-record everything, but given the demands of family life something told me that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Was lucky to get a window of time to record in the first place.

Excuses, excuses.

Be warned there are plot spoilers here. Also I touch on the subject of body horror and mental health during the episode.

Also from the technical point of few there are numerous harsh sound edits due to various disturbances and the near constant stream of jets going past my head. 

Oh, one final thing, it was HUDSON...!!!

What's this? Another episode, so close to the last one? 

Well, no. What we have here is a re-run, a repeat, re-used content getting a second airing due to the new functionality of my podcast hosting service.

Let me explain.

Way back during the planning for episode five, I thought I would dip into video for that episode and so put together a very basic two camera shoot for one of my adventure board games. Simple. Well, not quite. Unlike some other podcast services out there, I discovered - as I was uploading - that my hosting service didn't take video at that point in time. Therefore the audio was extracted leaving my video cruelly discarded and in need of a home elsewhere on the internet.

Fast forward to the present and it seems my video can now see the light of day along side all the other podcast episodes (depending on which service you view it on)

As mentioned it's a very basic video, and a relatively (mercifully) short one so as not to send the viewer to sleep. Also the resolution of the two cameras contrasts sharply. I may again dip into videos in the future for special occasions, although that'll be the exception rather than the norm.

Happy viewing!

I'm back!

It's been a while. I know I always say that, but it's REALLY been a while. The guilt of not being able to get my act together and record a podcast was eating me up and I was thinking of ways in which I could at least get a some audio recorded and uploaded. Should I just say 'hello' and chat gibberish for 2 minutes as a place holder? No. I thought I would wait at least a few weeks so there was enough material to spout gibberish for longer. And so here we are.

...in Geneva in fact. I currently find myself living in a small town just outside the Swiss city with pleasant views of Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc (just about visible through the trees) And it's this change of scene that's somewhat responsible in the lag time for me to get my hobby up and running again which in turn has had a knock on effect with talking into the microphone.

Thus I'm pleased to say that after the stresses of relocation, traversing Europe several times and trying to get my head around the new locale I've actually managed to get some painting done, some gaming done - wargaming and game books - and discovering new game stores which has given me a nice glow of satisfaction. Thus I thought I would share my experience with you and just generally check in and say what I've been up to.

As mentioned this is a stream of conscious podcast so nothing is rehearsed, it's all shooting from the hip warts n' all.

Some focus is given to this podcast with the game I've been tinkering with these past couple of months. Namely 'Rusty Dagger' by Rob Salters. A fun and simple solo - yes solo - skirmish wargame with really small footprint, few minis and (something I forgot to say in the podcast) polyhedral dice to satisfy the lust of all you fellow dice addicts. Basically great little and very affordable game - check it out, link is below.

I finish off with a few random words about Jonathan Hicks' 'Those Dark Places' Industrial Science Fiction role playing published by Osprey Games. A rules lite, yet grim and doom laden game for those who enjoy the genre of films like Alien, Silent Running and Outland. Maybe while living in Switzerland I'll figure out a way to semi-solo it with minis. Watch this space.

On a technical note there is minimal (ie none) sound editing for this episode as I wanted to get something uploaded pronto.

It's good to be back!

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/403558/Rusty-Dagger-Solo-Adventure-Zine-Game

Greetings podcasters - Thank you for your patience!

I’ve put off recording and editing this latest offering as I’ve been under the gun regards our family relocation. The last couple of months have been a stressful blur of boxing household items, contacting international removal companies, deciding on schools for the children, choosing where to live and generally all the hassles that accompany such an upheaval. Not mention working a job too!

Well, I don’t want to bore you with the ins and outs of my life at the moment but such is the state of things.

Thus it is into this maelstrom of chaos that I try to find my gaming compass and look for some direction and inspiration from my dice. Truth be told, I’ve not had my gaming mojo on and to quote the wise Vince Noir from Season 3 of The Mighty Boosh “I’m just not feeling it”.

Basically to much going on to want to set-up a game. Although in a way I’m making excuses, I’m sure rolling some dice and moving some figures around (the ones not boxed up in storage) would be amazing therapy.

Never underestimate the power of gaming for one’s mental health.

This episode I’m coming to you from the Slovak-Hungarian border a second time as I’ve dropped off my two daughters to be with their family while the wife and I run around finalising things both in The Netherlands and our new home of Switzerland. Still lots to be done so I thought I’d force myself to take a walk and muse about games to try and take my mind off things – and it worked!

Today’s game in question is Free League Publishing’s ‘The One Ring’ starter set. A rather nice package that delves into JRR Tolkien’s world by taking The Shire as a starting point and by use of a simple and easy to grasp two D12 and D6 pool system. The box contains three booklets, cards, character sheets, dice, a huge map and even has information on the inside of both box halves. The game practically bursts out at you.

I guess in a small way I’m surprised I bought this as I already have two other Middle Earth set games – ICE’s MERP and Decipher’s Lord of the Rings Role Playing Adventure Game – so why buy another? Impulse is one reason, it looked to good to pass-up. But also I suppose like every Tolkien fan I’m always seeing what other game designers’ take on Middle Earth is. Is it hack & slay, lots of journeying and moral dilemmas or something else. Without giving to much away, I think The One Ring does things rather well. I may even buy the incredibly light rule book some time.

One the technical side of things, apologies for the wind howl on parts of this recording. Hope it doesn’t bore into your mind like the Eye of Sauron…!

Greetings loyal listeners. Thank you for tuning in to another stream of consciousness podcast in which I cast my eye over my collection and talk about the things that come into my head. Hey, it's a system that works. More or less.

Today I was inspired to get out the microphone as I picked up a brilliant game from the annals of tabletop gaming. Namely Avalon Hill's Diplomacy. Yes, the classic game that was one of the inspirations for Gygax and Arneson as they went about developing their own gaming system. While the game that has little - actually nothing - to do with orcs, swords, magic or treasure, its subtle influence should not be ignored. From a personal stance it's magical that a random purchase in a dusty Dutch 2nd hand store connects me with those heady pioneering days of RPG development.

Alas impending changes in life mean much of my collection is in boxes - mostly the wargames - so my opportunities for dice rolling and escape through gaming is a bit limited, but thankfully still available. More is revealed in the podcast, but who would think 10mm Pendraken and Warhammer Fantasy Battle 2nd edition would work so well together. 

Finally here are some links a couple things discussed:

https://em4miniatures.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-RVJyNpfDk (this YouTube link is for the Goth band The Sister of Mercy's video 'This Corrosion'. Apparently an influence on 80s era GW design)

Welcome podcast listeners to another episode of Two Shelves of Gaming.

As usual I felt a gentle internal pressure to get another episode out there, but as per normal the eternal question of what to talk about stumped me. Luckily I was contacted by a listener called Mark to who had heard about me from the Bedroom Battles podcast and answered a question I had from episode 12. Namely the title of a game book series I once owned in the 80s in which you could end up being killed in your dreams as you attempted to regain health points. The series was called 'Grail Quest' and was set in the era of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Mark had been lucky enough to pick one up at a charity book sale (Jammy git)

It's different to Fighting Fantasy in that the passages can be longer, pages long in some cases, in which a rich story and colourful characters are revealed to the reader. Also the character you play isn't some muscle bound, armour clad and sword wielding warrior, but instead a simple farmer from the sticks. More country bumpkin than dungeon defiler. Plus the book is divided into definite waypoints and sections instead of being a flow of passages.

Additionally - and this is the one of the things I didn't like first time around - the book has lots and lots of humour in it. The book doesn't take itself to seriously at all and even when you are killed it's all treated as a bit of a laugh. In either case getting killed is more an inconvenience to this game book series, something you can get around and even helps with subsequent attempts.

So definitely a breed apart from FF - not saying either is better - just different.

Now, I don't own a physical copy of the book, but I was able to download it via the rather good anna archive website (link below) Take a look as you may discover books you didn't know existed back in the day. Plus most of them are no longer in print so this may be the only way you'll see them. Thank goodness for the internet.

A couple of technical points for this recording is that there was a lot of cleaning going on, so I had to pause and edit out sections where the loud jet engine noise of a Dyson Vacuum cleaner was in the background. I've tried to remove most it. Also I didn't get a chance to read the book in detail so had to review it in real time as it was on my computer, hence much sound of the mouse wheel as I scrolled up and down the pdf.

Anyway, excuses over. Enjoy!

Link to gamebooks:

https://annarchive.com/hotu_gamebooks.html

Greetings podsters!

It has been a while since my last offering so I was feeling the slight pressure to get something recorded and edited before time stretched out any further. A combination of procrastination and not knowing what to pick off my book shelves next created a perfect storm of indecision - and talking of storms, Eunice was battering the Dutch coastline as I recorded this episode, you can hear it howling in the background. 

The game I chose for this episode, or rather the adventure module, is 'Race for El Dorado', a rip roaring pulp adventure set in the 1920s/1930s that takes players from a ship sinking in the Pacific ocean to a Peruvian coffee plantation and finally into a lost valley full of dinosaurs. Or does it? Let me explain. The adventure is for the Dream Park role playing game, which is based on the books of Larry Niven and Steve Barnes. This game setting is slightly peculiar in that the players, and all the adventures they have, don't take part in a world or universe, but rather in an artificial virtual reality theme park set-up full of holograms, actors and special effects. Basically everything they encounters in the course of this adventure module is fake.

With me so far?

Essentially when you sit down to play this game, you the person (aka the player) has a PC who in turn plays a role in a themed adventure setting. The way I look at things is this; it's a game, within a game, within a game. 

Admittedly I'm not familiar with either the source material or the details of the rules, but this creates a bit of head scratching on my part as I'm kind of thinking, "Why have such a set-up for a role playing game? Isn't this unnecessary?" 

While the adventure itself is a roller coaster ride of thrills, spills and dangers, it's all fake - not just for you the player, but also for your PC. As I read through the module I kept having twin thoughts of it looking like immense fun to play, but at the end of the adventure what happens? Does one of the technicians mentioned early in the module switch on the lights, wheel away the backdrops and start sweeping the floor? What's the point is what I'm ultimately asking. Yeah, it's fun, but what happens after...?

Anyhow, it's a curio of my gaming collection and one I randomly picked up 2nd hand in Manchester's Travelling Man game and comic store some time in the 00s. 

To find out more here are a couple of links to the rules and source material:

https://www.scribd.com/document/463166716/DreamPark

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Park

Warning! This episode contains a couple sections of poor audio and a mnemonic malfunction.

Greetings podlisteners, I thought I would try something a bit different for this episode.

I thought I would try and record things in the great outdoors.

‘But, why?’ I hear you ask.

Today’s episode scratches the surface of fantasy game books with some passing attention given to the Fabled Lands game book series. The thinking being, this book series convey a sense of the vast almost endless possibilities an adventurer can have while wandering far and wide over the land. Thus I thought I would do a small wander across the section of the Slovak / Hungarian border I am currently staying at in order to get the juices flowing as I attempt another stream of conscious unscripted podcast.

In this episode I talk briefly about my relationship with game books starting with Choose Your Own Adventure and Interplanetary Spy, before moving on to Fighting Fantasy and chronicling the sad tale of how – and why – I decided to throw them out in one cruel snap decision (one which I rue to this day).

My reintroduction to game books came via one of my visits to a local Merseyside charity shop in the late 90s in which I stumbled across the first two Dragon Warrior game books as created by Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson. Believe it or not this was the first time I’d heard of, yet alone, seen the game. Yep, it’s true folks. The reason is simple; at the time this system came out I was no longer an active Fantasy Game Booker. Thus any of the times I would have gone into a book store that held FF, or other game books, I probably wouldn’t have perused that section. Hence, they were not on my radar at any level. Nor do I recall seeing them advertised in any of the White Dwarf magazines I irregularly bought.

Regardless, it was this chance 2ndhand purchase that led me to ultimate investigate the other works of Dave Morris and associates which has caused me to purchase many of the Fabled Lands and Blood Swords series. In the case of Fabled Lands there’s no way I would have been aware of their existence as I was living in the Czech Republic when the first of them was released – remember kids, pre-internet era – I just wasn’t aware of what was happening in the wider gaming community. Yet alone able to keep track of things from mid-90s Central Europe.

Needless to say I’ve been making up for lost time and have been eagerly purchasing both series which are available as print on demand.

Overall I think these are well crafted products with a nice spin on the fantasy game book concept. Also they’ve kick started my interest in FF too – if only I hadn’t chucked them all out back in the 90s *weeps*

Finally on a technical note, my idea to record outdoors suffers from very loud wind noise in a couple of sections. Apologies, it’s annoying and makes things difficult to hear. Also I forget what year it’s going to be (!) although I rectify this latter fault with a jarring sound edit.

Happy New Year gamers!

https://fabledlands.blogspot.com/

Seasonal Greetings folks! Yes, it's that time of year again, with Christmas just around the corner I thought I'd get my finger out and record another podcast before things got to busy. But what subject should I choose this time?

Well, I thought I'd start out easy and re-cap what I've been up to since last time. I've been busy in my own way; some painting, some wargaming and some rules learning. It's been a mixed bag albeit a very satisfying one. I briefly discuss my Anglo-Zulu project using both Osprey's 'The Men Who would be Kings' and 'Black Powder' before switching to fantasy using Warhammer Skirmish and One Page Rules' 'Age of Fantasy, Skirmish' system. The latter being a very rules lite and straightforward set allowing you to get stuck into the thick of battle right away. Check 'em out, the link is below.

Also I was coming to terms with painting the fantasy equivalents of Gregg Allman and Freddie Mercury. I kid you not!

Now, I had wanted to discuss a couple of things beyond the 'what I've been up to' side of things, but I ran out of time talking about the title of this podcast. Sure I could have just extended the running length, but for now the 40 or so minutes seems long enough, especially given the odd monologue I've chosen. Namely, my interest - nay obsession (!) - with dice.

Yes folks, today's episode is all about my dice. It's as simple as that, or is it? I've been collecting dice since I first got into gaming and now have hundreds of every type commonly used in wargaming and RPGs. But why do I have so many? There's no logical explanation for this. Sure, every time I buy a boxed set or RPG set it may indeed come with a set of dice, but this doesn't explain my dice mountain. Is there something wrong with me? Is it just me? Are there others who suffer from this eccentric affliction?

It's been one of those gaming things I've had floating around my head for some time, so I thought I would go ahead and try to collect my thoughts in audio form for the benefit of the gaming community. 

Plus, for me, each dice purchase usually has a reason - and a story - behind it, so it's not all random or crazy.

Am I talking sense, madness of revealing an un-diagnosed psychosis?

Listen on and find out.

...oh. And by the way that thing I was trying to describe is a 'Dice Tray'.

https://onepagerules.com/

Greetings folks!

I thought it was high time I recorded another podcast and the inspiration for this episode is a holistic assessment of my miniatures collection - the ones I've painted, the ones I hope to paint and the ones - gulp - I may never paint. But first the backstory - last weekend marked a milestone in my wargaming activities; I actually finished painting all my Pendraken 10mm miniatures (yay!). I ordered them just before the first lockdown of 2020 and promptly set about undercoating and using my newly purchased Citadel Contrast Paints on them. However, after I'd painted up a few units I kind of ran out of steam and flitted across to solo wargaming Frostgrave. Fast forward to earlier this year and I decided to have another painting drive which bore much fruit until I ran out of steam. Again. The saga finally ended last week when I finished off the remaining cavalry units. So altogether they took well over a year and a half to paint (eek...)

While I'm proud of the way they look and the effort I put into them, its the sheer fact I've finished a relatively major painting project that's giving me some elation. But, it got me thinking, I've got loads of unpainted minis - many of which have remained unpainted for years, decades in some cases - am I ever going to get around to painting them? 

Wargaming is like many other hobbies, the sum of many small purchases can get out of hand and morph into hoarding. We may not realise this and furthermore many wargaming forums have a kind of smirking acceptance that having an unwieldy lead pile is a natural facet and by-product of practicing the hobby. 

Like many wargamers I'm kind of torn between the Scylla and Charybdis of genuinely wanting to paint everything I have, but on the other hand feeling a pressing need to sell some things that I reckon I just wont ever get around two. These tidal forces are forever in turmoil.

It's not just me. I was recently listening to the excellent Across the Pond Wargamers Podcast and a couple of times on the episodes, guests and hosts have mentioned they may never ever around to painting everything they have. 

To compound matters, over the past few years I've been stripping the paint off some of the first minis I ever painted. Citadel and Grenadier figures I got way back in the mid-late 80s. That got me thinking too; I last painted these over 30 years ago, am I going to forget about some of them again for another 30 years?

It's thinking like this that makes me ponder minis, paint, the universe and mortality - I kid thee not. 

There's more to wargaming than dice, minis and rules.....

Greetings all!

It's been a while. A few things have conspired to keep me away from recording my random musings about my gaming collection; being away on holiday, not being able to decide on which game or product to talk about and wanting to get hold of a decent microphone. All these simple things have conspired to delay me getting my act together and making the latest episode.

Another conspirator were my actual gaming shelves...! Yes, folks, due to the amount of stuff on them I completely overlooked the fact my two shelves contain several doors and drawers, in many of which are yet more wargames, RPGs and adventure board games. Thus I opened one and was confronted with my sizable Osprey games collection - while some are out in the open - many were squirreled away in the dark recesses of my Ikea monolith. It this latter location was the first edition rule book and a couple of supplements for Fantasy Wargames in the Frozen City.

Thus they are the subject of today's sonic ramblings. As is my way, this isn't a detailed assessment of the rules or discussion about the design history, but instead more of a how I got into the game and what it means to me. I think this is becoming my niche in a way.

I make brief mention of the fact I was a guest of Matthew McCloud on the 'Bedroom Battles' wargames blog and podcast - look him up!

Also I've tinkered with the introduction and 'outroduction' of the podcast with a few sound effects and music. Seems OK to me, not the best there is out there, but gives a bit of a buffer between clicking play and hearing my voice.

Anyway, enjoy!

It's been a while!

I've been absent from the podwaves on account of the weather being so nice - with the beach being but a ten minute bike ride away I've been catching up on my body boarding or honing my SUP skills. Also I was a bit of a loss about what I talk about next. Having quite a few games to choose from gave me a case of what I gather is now called 'choice paralysis'. However, fear not. Due to the fluke of nature, I decided upon the D&D Gazetteer, The Elves of Alfheim for this episode.

While I wanted to do something other than D&D, picking up the book suddenly game me a rush of nostalgia and emotions from those crazy days back in the early 90s when I'd just started University in London and bought the book in Oxford Street's Virgin music store. A bit earlier I'd joined a gaming group and it re-invigorated my RPGing to the point I decided to actually make a purchase with my hard earned student grant (them were the days, eh?)

In either case the Elves of Alfheim made me realise that this whole D&D thing was a huge world with endless possibilities. It illustrated how Dungeons and Dragons wasn't some random collection of non-related dungeon bashes, but rather a rich world to explore and get lost within. Heady stuff! I'd paid lax attention to the Mystara map in the Expert Rule Book. Only considering it dull background waffle you could ignore on your way to the Isle of Dread. Ah, the folly of youth. If only I'd paid more attention and hadn't been so focused on 'hack and slay' I'd have seen earlier that there's - literally - a whole world out there.

Anyway, only a short one today. Enjoy.

A 'sequel' episode to the last one. In this podcast Games Workshop's Blood Bath at Orc's Drift is discussed and poured over with much more attention and care than when I first bought the game. I specifically remember seeing this game either advertised in White Dwarf, or on display in the old Games Workshop on Liverpool's Bold Street some time in the mid-80s just after its release. I must confess I carry a certain burden of guilt with this product for the twin reasons of only really wanting it for its card buildings and also for not properly reading (or understanding) the mini-campaign until some time later. The shame burns into my soul even now.

Alas, such follies of youth were a feature of much of my earlier gaming career in that I only superficially enjoyed the various modules, rule sets and other RPG / Wargame products I amassed in my early teens. 

Well, that's one of the reasons why I'm doing this podcast I guess - it gives me chance to correct past wrongs and give the games the attention and appreciation they deserve.

Grab your sword, climb up to the stockade's parapet and keep your eyes peeled for them nefarious green skins. Oh! And check your codpiece thoroughly before donning...!

It's been a while! Everyday life has meant I've not been so active with my efforts to get another podcast together so I thought it was high time I got my finger out and recorded something.

The candidate for this episode is Games Workshop's 1985 product 'Blood on the Streets'. A great little package designed for the Role Player or Wargamer to use how they please. I'm a big fan of this period of gaming or Old School Gaming as it's known, particularly Warhammer as it seems to hark back to a time when wargaming was a low intensity fun hobby. Not the crushing business model it has since mutated into. Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate businesses need to sell product to survive, but the near constant rules update, army list revisions etc. ad nuseum are things that send a shiver through my gaming soul.

Just give me a handful of minis, some simple scenery, dice and that's enough for me.

I also like this product, and its ilk, as there is humour a plenty throughout its pages. Something that seems to have been shoved aside with brutalist depictions of steroid pumped warriors wearing skull adorned cod pieces.

Before you press play, one error requires highlighting. I make reference to Bill Pertwee in this episode, please be advised I in fact meant John Pertwee aka the 3rd Doctor Who.

Enjoy.

Welcome back listener(s)! 

In this episode I ramble semi-coherently about TSR's First Quest boxed set which was an introduction to role playing games using the 2nd Edition AD&D system. I remember seeing this product back in the day when my interest in the RPG hobby was starting to fade. Yet even so I didn't have any kind of idea how it fitted in to the larger AD&D gaming universe / multiverse and kind of wondered whether this was some kind of re-start attempt or even a means to bypass the expensive core rule books? I just didn't know.

(To be totally honest, at the time it looked like an act of desperation from a game and company that seemed to both be in decline)

Looking back on things, and having a general notion of the gaming hobby, I have to wonder if some kind of wonderful opportunity was squandered with this product? Rather than trying to steer new gamers into the TSR / AD&D fold, should they have made a clean slate situation and instead released something simpler and cheaper - a rules light or slimmed down AD&D if you like, instead of pushing this product expecting it to drive these people in turn towards the larger system. That's asking a lot of people don't you think?

Although for me the highlight of this set is the comical CD that came with it. While touted as a game aid to explain aspects of the game and having examples of 'actual game play' my mean cynical self was stunned into disbelief the first time I heard it. "Surely they didn't actually put this in an AD&D product? Oh, lordy!" No matter, by the time I'd first heard the audio, TSR was no more and thus the impact of this boxed set long since faded.

 In the episode I mention the Complex Games Apologist. Look him up if you can.

Welcome back listener(s).

Following on from my tour of my Two Shelves of Gaming and solo RPG experimenting, I'm switching systems this week and taking a closer look at Decipher's Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Adventure Game. Not just a role playing game, but a role playing 'adventure' game no less! Like many games in my collection this was a charity shop purchase I picked up for pennies and something that was many years old. Almost as if from another era. In many ways it was.

I first saw the Decipher's LoTR game back in the early 00s when I was working in Manchester. I would regularly wander around the large Waterstones on Deansgate during my lunch hour and while away the time leafing through books on the many floors inside. One of the areas I would peruse was the sizeable rpg and gaming section. However, at this time in my life I wasn't an active gamer yet still carried with me a residue of interest in the hobby. Thus I would take a look at things and 'umm' and 'ahhh' about maybe making a purchase. Anyhow, one of the products was said game, however as I wasn't up to speed with contemporary developments in the hobby I assumed that ICE's old MERP system has been re-skinned with flashy a production and stills from the Peter Jackson films. I didn't realise it was an entirely new game. In either case I didn't buy it and that was that.

Fast forward over a decade and a half when I picked up the boxed Two Towers set. I assumed it was a starter set or introductory set of rules connected to the larger game system. While it is, the core rules and other Decipher products aren't called out or clearly highlighted in the product. I find that a huge shame and mistake on the part of the company. Only a small line contained inside states the contents are a condensed version of the main rule book - blink and you'll miss it. There's no 'If you like this, then buy the full rules!' emblazoned on the box. Shame.

For this podcast I'm trying to get in the mindset of original owner of my game in an attempt to suppose what they thought of it all - so excuse me if things come across as negative or cynical. That's not what I'm trying to be. Was the original owner a superfan of the films? Someone with zero experience of knowledge of RPGs? Did they even know what the game was when they opened it? I can see from the unpunched counter sheets that the game was either never played or not tested out as fully as it could be. Also the actual adventure itself within the box may have lead to much head scratching or confusion. 

This is a quick skim through things and I dare say I may have gotten something wrong or misspoke in the heat of recording, yet overall it's an honest take on things. So without further ado, sit back and lets all go to Middle Earth for a while.

(Special thanks to Purple Planet Music, track 'Free Spirit')

Welcome back listeners!

Thank you for taking the time to click on this podcast and listen to my attempts to try and effectively solo an RPG game. Carrying on from last week's episode, the sketch map is delved into, wanderers encounters, hazards braved, creatures fought and foes battled - it's all going on! Upon reviewing the episode I realized I'd probably omitted a few game mechanics in the process of playing through things, not to mention a house rule I had come up with - alas, this is what happens in the heat of the moment when claw clashes with flint axes and the dice start to roll. So rather than go back and edit in various fixes etc., it is what it is. 

Toward the end of the podcast I quickly set-up what's happening next time. Oh, and below are links to some of the talented and creative YouTubers who have inspired me to fly solo, look 'em up:

"Stoneaxe Tabletop Gaming" & "Me, Myself and Die!"

(Special thanks to Purple Planet Music, track 'Free Spirit')

Hello folks, Tom here, I've been tabletop gaming since the early 1980s and love the hobby. It's been something I've carried with me (both literally and figuratively) through all the crazy twists and turns my life has taken. Sure there was a time when my interest in RPGs, Wargames and Adventure board games waned a while, but fortunately new life was breathed into it a few years back and this carries on to the present day. My collection is a mix of games bought back in the 80s and 90s, ebay transactions, lucky finds in thrift stores and modern games be they new releases or re-workings of classics. In my current abode my games are semi-neatly stored on two shelves - hence the name of this podcast. I'll say from the outset, my podcast set-up is basic, nay primitive, and my technicalities only allow for my voice and some free music added at the start and end. Maybe in the future I'll see if I can achieve the lofty heights of actually featuring a conversation with a fellow gamer! I thought I'd set out making a podcast as I listen to so many great shows out there that explore every fascinating nook of this encompassing hobby. It made me think: 

"I've got a load of games, there's a story behind each one. Hmmm, maybe I may just talk about random themes connected to them and see if anyone listens?"

If there is any kind of structure of comprehensibility to this episode it's as follows:

• Introduction.
• What I hope to achieve.
• My gaming background.
• What's the theme and aim of the episode.
• A quick tour of my RPG collection.
• What game I select to tinker with.
• A description of said game.
• Ideas, notions, where to go next.

So with that out the way. Thanks for visiting.

(Special thanks to Purple Planet Music, track 'Free Spirit')