"Go to the sign of Marvel's Axe, a dubious inn on the edge of the Thieves Quarter, in the City of Greyhawk, and look to your own wrist. If you perceive a bracelet and dangling dice, watch for the next throw in the war between Law and Chaos and be prepared to follow the compelling geas." -Signal

Monday, February 28, 2011

RS1 - Red Sonja Unconquered

This module comes up pretty frequently on the secondary market and it always seems to go for a higher price than other modules from the same error. I was on a hiatus from playing by the time this had came out but picked it up before the prices went as crazy as they have. I have also never had a chance to read it all the way through. I find myself wondering if the module is that well done or if it is being bought up by fanboys for the fine representation of Res Sonja on the cover.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Hex Book (second print) - TSR

It is hard to play most of any RPG without either graph or hex paper. I find it weird that this is worth money but it is. I guess it is the fact that they got used. Character sheets are the same way in some cases. I will admit I bought this for the completeness factor of TSR materials. Still in the end I guess if I ever need to draw a map and I have to use this I better make it a good one!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Call of Cthulhu - Chaosium

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn. This game more than any other I have played led to some great role playing. I have not played any of the White Wolf storyteller games so I can not gauge it against them but I hear they lend themselves to it as well. If you are playing CoC you have to get into the role playing because you won't have your character long enough to become attached to them. If they survive more than five or six session you aren't doing it right. They are supposed to die or go insane. I think it is time for Professor McManus to go lose some more sanity in Innsmouth.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Dungeon Masters Screen - 1e AD&D

There is not much that needs to be said about this. Millions of gamers out there have had to stare at this or its progeny for way too many hours. Some have seen their respective fantasy worlds from both sides. I was lucky to be one of those. Many a mystery has been created or resolved behind the screen as it were. I hate to give away trade secrets but I think enough time has passed. Be it for the preservation of the storyline, or in some cases the player controlling the character was a jerk, not all the rolls were exactly as described from behind the screen.....sorry!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Gamma World - 4e

The picture is of the Gamma World 4e book which I will be honest I have never gotten around to playing. I am guilty of having a thing for Gamma World. I even bought the latest incarnation but have not opened it. It goes all the way back to the 1e as well as Metamorphosis Alpha. I just loved it back then even though we only ever did one shots. I think part of  the appeal was the character generation. I loved the randomness of it all. Nothing like trying to role play a telekinetic, two headed intelligent flamingo with the ability to turn invisible and generate a force field!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

AD&D - Players Handbook 1e

This is not the original copy I bought to play with. That one is a later printing of the 1e. This one is a first printing. Dollar wise this one is much more valuable than the one I bought and have carried with me ever do diligently now for going on 33 years. That being said if I had to grab one and the other would vanish it would be the one I bought. It has a very grainy cover now and marks on most if not all of the pages as well as the ubiquitous name in the front cover but I prize it above almost all other of my rpg books.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Central Casting: Heroes of Legend - Task Force Games

This is without a doubt one of my favorite supplements. It doesn't always work to make believable characters but it does make them unique. I would advise using it manually as opposed to the random method. I know that if I ever want to write fiction I will be using it to help make the characters more three dimensional. They have them for Present, Future and Dungeons as well. There can be no doubt this is a great offering from Task Force Games.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Bad Medicine for Dr. Drugs - Superworld/Champions

I think I have played almost all of the super hero games at least once and if I have not played them I have read through them for mechanics and ideas. Superworld was never my favorite though it does have a following. It is also fairly sought after now on the secondary market. All of that aside how could you not own some titled Bad Medicine for Dr. Drugs. This screams 70's bad movie does it not. I have not had a chance to play it but some day would like to. Afterward I will reinstall "Interstate 76" and watch my copy of Supervan. Can you dig it brother!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Dark Conspiracy - GDW

I was only able to play this once. It was being run by someone who I used to play with and it was their first time ever running anything. I hate to admit this but I was a bit of a jerk. I ran roughshod over his game session and I ended up causing the whole thing to fall apart. He had ended up designing the session so that my character was pivotal and I refused to  cooperate. It seems like an interesting game but I never got to give it a full chance because I was a jerk. I guess admitting you are a problem is the first step isn't it?

Saturday, February 19, 2011

U1 - The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh

This adventure ranks very high in my own personal pantheon of TSR published modules. I ran it very early on in my DM career. It is one that plays out much differently than the players expect it to. The whole series connected with this is good but this one is by far the best. I can't sing the praises of this module highly enough. If you get a chance to run or play it do so. I promise you or your players will not be disappointed.

Friday, February 18, 2011

GAZ 1 - The Grand Duchy of Karameikos

You can talk OD&D versus AD&D all you want but when it comes time to compare campaign settings there is no discussion. The GAZ series set the bar so high I am not sure it has ever even been seen again by any of the competition. TSR tried to replicate this with the FR line but it was not nearly as well done. These continue to be scarfed up when you can find them. There are some that I lost and had to pay dearly to replace. If you get a chance to check them out and want to see a campaign setting done right you won't be disappointed.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

T1 - The Village of Hommlet

Played through this a couple of ties and ran it at least as many if not three or four. That was of course all before the completed project was released. This was perhaps the longest serving prequel in the RPG industry. A good adventure in its own right though. There seems to be something about the toads for me though. I think in all but one session toads have caused some serious problems. What is it they say about "those who wait"?

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Fringeworthy - TriTac Games

It doesn't take much to notice the similarity to a Stargate. If they do not credit Fringeworthy they should. It also would have to be considered part of the credit for Sliders. Was not a big fan of the game system but it is still a nice one to have. Trying to run this game probably inspired Steve Jackson to create GURPS so as to allow for whatever you might encounter on the other side.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

EX1 - Dungeonland

Not the most well received or remembered of the Gygax modules. I only ever had the chance to run a group through about half of the first one and never had a chance to play in it myself. I remember thinking it was funny seeing Alice In Wonderland scenes made into AD&D encounters and that it took a bit of ingenuity. I think if this had been one of the "Lairs" type of books for one shot encounters and a means to tie them together into a larger on going set of encounters someway it might work. All of that aside I still think it took a ton of creativity to come up with details. I liked most of the April issues of Dragon Magazine though.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Bunnies & Burrows - FGU

Watership Down anyone? I bought this and never played it. I loved the book and movie so I thought I had to have this. I have carried it around with me for years. Someday I really need to find a band of intrepid hares, rescue Hazel and defeat General Woundwort. Anyone game?

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Paranoia - WEG

Paranoia. Not sure if there is any better game to divide and conquer players. Had a hard time playing this game with any of the groups I played with. I was never a big fan of playing it myself but loved the concept and reading the game material. It spawned tons of ideas on how to make things tougher on my players when I was DM'ing as well. For a game I really didn't like that I much I still hold this in pretty high regard for concept and design!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

CM1 - Test of the Warlords

I remember when this came out it started all the rage in our group to start looking at things beyond adventures. This worked well for awhile but ruling fiefdoms by definition lends itself to internal competition amongst a group. It becomes hard to hold a group together when the ultimate goal is to become the boss of all the others. If you going to be doing that you might as well be playing an infamous West End Games offering!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Tegel Manor - Judges Guild

Tegel Manor was the second module I was ever run in. This is one hard act to follow module wise. I am not sure it was ever matched. This matched the magical pools with its own level of randomness. I ended up running it many time on my own over the years and I still don't think that I have ever fully used all of it there is to use.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

B1 - In Search of the Unknown

First module I was ever run in. Not as common for this as it is The Keep On the Borderlands. I am not sure it is really all that great of a module but between it and the second I was ever run in (coming tomorrow) I have indelible memories that shaped my gaming experience. I still want to put magical pools in every dungeon!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Dark Tower - Judges Guild

Judges Guild has many great items. Their campaign setting may have been the best retail product they offered but this is by far their best best module. Had so much fun being run through it first and then using it multiple times with different groups. For old school modules I am not sure it gets better than this.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Macho Women with Guns - BTRC

Never played it but knew I had to own it. Not sure if this is the original copy I bought at CapCon in Columbus sooo many years ago or not. I think this may be a later edition but not sure. Anyway how could this not be a hit with gamer guys!

Monday, February 7, 2011

X2 - Château d'Amberville (Castle Amber)

If not my favorite module it is in the top 3. Tastes of Clark Ashton Smith and Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber. If you have not had a chance to play this one do it!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

The Morrow Project - Timeline Ltd.

This gave us many a gruesome game. One of the most gory combat systems I recall. A friend adopted this into the AD&D games he ran. It was to "realistic" for me. Nothing like Conan being killed by a single lucky shot from a kobold.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Middle Earth Campaign Setting - Iron Crown Enterprises

Remember when this came out how cool I thought it would be to have more information on the setting. Little did I know. May be the most in depth setting out there. Not sure if Harn gives it a run but it might.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Dragon Magazine #50

First Dragon Magazine I ever bought. Purchased at the student bookstore at OSU. Was not attending there as I was still in high school. I think I had my parents drop me off or something.

I will try not to post too many of these unless they have something really cool or hold deep significance to me.

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