Thursday, February 27, 2014

Nothing Different

The D&D 40th Anniversary Blog Hop Challenge

Day 27: If you had to do it all over again, would you do anything different when you first started gaming?

No, I wouldn't do anything different.  I think tomorrow's question is more relevant, anyway.

In the meantime, over to the left is my third try with Prismacolor markers.  I think I'm getting the hang of them.  The big problem is that I don't have an oranges, reds, or yellows.  If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably grab some warmer colors. ;p


- Ark

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

The D&D 40th Anniversary Blog Hop Challenge

Day 26: Do you still game with the group that introduced you to the hobby?

No.

But here is a picture I drew to distract you.  Okay, not really - just still practicing with those new markers.

- Ark

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

A Tale of Fire and Ice and Grass and Wood

The D&D 40th Anniversary Blog Hop Challenge

Day 25: Longest running campaign/gaming group you've been in.

That's kind of like two questions in one.  Gaming groups are kind of hard to nail down for me - they grow and change over time.  So it's hard to say where one group ended and another began.  Campaigns can be that way too if you stick with a setting and always play in it, no matter who is around.

So, let's limit this to a campaing with a specific group.  Okay - that's easier for me. :)

It would be the Sea of Tears campaign - lasting from the summer of 2008 to the summer of 2010.  It was (gasp) a 4e game in a world that had been flooded so that only the tops of mountains stuck out of the sea.  I had just returned from a lake vacation - thus the aquatic feel.The campaign focused on a save the world plot, and after two years, the party did indeed save the world - twice.

It was a fun campaign and I met some great people.  Sadly, we lost a player at the end due to cancer.  Give the blog a search for Sea of Tears if you are interested in more about it.

- Ark

Monday, February 24, 2014

What is Best in Life?

Prismacolor marker experiment.
The D&D 40th Anniversary Blog Hop Challenge

Day 24: First movie that comes to mind that you associate with D&D.  Why?

Conan the Barbarian.  Why?

"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women."

That's why.

- Ark

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Black Blade

The D&D 40th Anniversary Blog Hop Challenge

Day 23: First song that comes to mind that you associate with D&D.  Why?

"Black Blade" by Blue Öyster Cult.

Why?  Why?  Because it was written by fucking Elric of Melniboné, that's why.

Oh, and we whee listening to A LOT of Blue Öyster Cult at the time. :)

- Ark

Saturday, February 22, 2014

D&D Books

Coffee shop patron in a small Texas town.
The D&D 40th Anniversary Blog Hop Challenge


Day 22: First D&D-based novel you ever read.

Dragons of Autumn Twilight was the first D&D novel I read.  My mother had read Quag Keep years before, but her description of it never interested me enough to pick that one up.  I immediately fell in love with the world of Dragonlance.  Fizban was awesome, and even the Kender couldn't sway my interest.

I even remember fretting all summer long (1985) over the sickeningly sappy love triangle, waiting eagerly for Dragons of Spring Dawning to come out.

Then there was the series that went back in time - which was kind of interesting.  But all the stuff that was printed after that - meh.

A year or two ago I went back and read Dragons of Autumn Twilight again.  Nostalgic, yes, but it definitely fits into that whole YA thing, and doesn't really lift it's chin above that pigeon-hole.

The Boy loved the series - that's all that matters. :)

- Ark

Friday, February 21, 2014

Sad Books

A chat at the coffee shop.
The D&D 40th Anniversary Blog Hop Challenge

Day 21: First time you sold some of your D&D books - for whatever reason.

A couple of months ago - actually.

I've lost A LOT of gaming books and modules and paraphernalia over the years.  Moving once or twice a year, not being able to pay the storage bill and having the items auction off, just being stupid - yeah - those all took a huge toll on my collection.  But selling D&D stuff?  No - Never - I Never, Ever, Ever would do that . . .

Oh, wait.  Just before we moved back in December I looked over everything that I was going to have to move and decided that my huge collection of books had to get whittled down.  It was actually easier than I thought - and a trip to Half-Price Books later and all of my 4e stuff was gone.  Weeeeelll - I kept the stuff from the Essentials line.  And the Dungeon Tiles.  And the Minis.

Oh, I did keep the Hammerfast.  The module - um, I mean "Roleplaying Game Supplement," is a neat little dwarven town full of adventures.  It is so unlike any other 4e adventures, it makes you do a double-take.  There is a description of the town, places in the town, people in the town, and possible adventures.  And some maps.  And LINE DRAWINGS.  But no pre-programmed overly scripted combat scenario monstrosities that plague every other facet of 4e.  It really feels like an original D&D product - just scrape out some stat blocks and insert your favorite rule-set.  I'd recommend it.

But the 14 metric tons of rules, adventures, and splat books all went splat.  I still see them sitting on the shelves at the Half-Price Book store three months later - along with everyone else's copies of 4e books.  It seems rather sad.

- Ark