2024 game resolutions

 

I usually don't do New Year resolutions anymore. But I decided to at least do some for the gaming aspect of my life. After all I had a pretty good year last year and I think I can grow on that some more. So here we go in no particular order of importance.

1. Keep my Cyberpunk 2020 campaign going until the players want something different. Going to try and avoid burnout and keep it fresh. Not sure how long that will happen but we will see.

2. Continue playtesting for [redacted] until they don't want me anymore. Because playtesting is fun and I enjoy companies who listen to actual constructive criticism. 

3. Make some time to get a few games of Battletech in. Hopefully with one of my good friends who really enjoys the game and bought me the starter kit.

4. One. Just one. New product to release on DrivethruRPG under Truly Rural Productions. I stopped working on anything new after I got hit with Covid and ended up on a vent. That brain fog was real and it felt like my mind was just not capable of handling things anymore. However this last year has been a big change for that as I feel more like myself now. My job and gaming regularly once again really helped that along.

5. Continue to try and work with the local gaming community more like I used to. Build up the MARS Discord server I sat up and start interacting with more folks. But also avoiding those who are nothing but negative most of the time and drain anything positive. 

6. Keep posting on my blog. Try and get myself out into the online community a bit more. Like I used to be many years back. 

Now I would love to add 'play more games' onto that list. But I just don't have the time. If I could handle online gaming it may be a possibility but my hearing is not so good and listening to several folks trying to talk at the same time is not something I can handle very well. However if I can acquire a quality set of headphones and a microphone then I may try it again at some point.

CYBERPUNK RED NETRUN Tutorial Crash Course for Netrunners

Dominion Tank Police

Been busy with holiday stuff so I haven't wrote anything new for the blog. So here's the original Dominion Tank Police anime over on Youtube. Have fun. 

First Shadow Scar Q&A with Cody Pondsmith

Cyberpunk Red Netrunning Deck Review

CYBERPUNK RED Ammunition Crash Course Tutorial

I'll be running a lot of Cyberpunk RED starting after Christmas. So I'm crash coursing on videos to get my mind in the right place. 

More GURPS book in POD

Over on DrivethruRPG it appears that Steve Jackson Games is leaning heavily into the print on demand market a bit more with their GURPS products. Over this last week we've seen six titles put up rather quickly. 

They covered most of the tech bases in classic GURPS with Ultra-Tech, High-Tech and Low-Tech. Plus they also managed to get Compendium 2 up as well. 

For Fourth Edition they put up the Psionics Powers book.

Then for something other than GURPS they put up the core rulebook for the angels vs demons game In Nomine. 

 It's been known that SJG has been stepping away from it's TTRPG lines and support a bit more every year. Especially since Munchkin and their other physical games are the bread and butter for that company now. So the moving everything over to POD eventually makes a lot of sense. 

Hasbro/Wizards doing stupid shit... again

 

Once again Hasbro/WotC is doing stupid shit that people are getting a bit angry over. Although this time it's affecting peoples lives directly. Hasbro seems to be so fucking stupid that they thought the really high sales of 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic would continue on as the new bar to measure sales by. Even after 2022 told them otherwise. So now they are laying people off right at Christmas because (gasp and shock) sales are down. 

Yet all the mother fuckers at the top are still making 5+ million a year. Remember when Nintendo had the WiiU bomb? Yeah it was pretty rough. But the company didn't go through cutting people. Instead the people at the top gave up their bonuses and some of them gave up their pay just so everyone could keep working. But the greed here in the states is WAY to huge for that. 

But I'm hoping that a few more folks see just how shitty Hasbro/WotC is based on how they treat their employees. I mean if they treat the people who make the products they sell like garbage then just imagine of how they think of consumers. We've already seen that, they think of people as little walking wallets to pick from. They are a shit company.

More folks need to finally more away from their crap. Move out of that warm snuggly DnD blanket, creep away from the MtG crack dealers. Move on to other games out there on the market. We saw it happen earlier this year when they stuck their whole damn leg in their mouths with the OGL debacle. Now this. More people need to look around at other options. Maybe to a company that actually treats their customers well. 

Veterinarian Bill out of nowhere

 

Well our house panther Teddy has gotten sick. Had a urinary blockage but we got him to the vet before any real damage had been done. However they are keeping him over night to make sure he will be okay. It appears he is having trouble processing certain types of cat food (we recently switched him to a new brand because of allergy reasons) and will have to go on another different food that will likely cost even more.

Covering the veterinarian bill right now is more than what we have. They will accept payments but it's still an expense that we were nowhere near prepared for. So I'm asking if anyone has anything to spare, even if it's a dollar or two, it would be greatly appreciated. 

My paypal is dekaranger1@gmail.com or you can hit up my Ko-Fi page. Or if you are going to be purchasing anything off of DrivethruRPG soon you can click through this link and I'll get a small kickback from your order. 

Thanks ahead of time.  

UPDATE: They are keeping Teddy for another night just to make sure he is urinating properly. Really hope he is doing okay there at the vets office. Beau, our other cat, has now noticed that his buddy is absolutely not here. He's been a lot more vocal then usual and is asking for attention and affection a lot. 

We are hoping a bit on the side that we get a call before the office closes today saying we can pick him up but we know it's not likely. 

UPDATE UPDATE: It's Thursday and they're wanting to keep Teddy until he urinates again and said we should be able to pick him up by this afternoon. But I work this afternoon and really can't afford to take off and we don't have many options on people to my wife over to pick him up (we have one vehicle). So we're going to see how it goes. I really hope he doesn't have to stay another night but he may have to. 

Closing out this year in gaming

 

Looking back at this year in my personal gaming life. It's been a pretty good one that really ramped up in the end.

Started off the year playing in a Cyberpunk 2020 campaign where I had a rockerboy who was the front man for the "Ass Martians". All the other band members were players as well. That campaign was so much fun. 

Also got to play in both Alien and Fallout games. Alien surprised me by now good the system was and how well the stress mechanic helped control the mood of the game. Fallout was a bit hard for me to get into because I have almost zero knowledge of the video games. But it turned out to be quite fun as well. Simple system, crazy things to fight, two thumbs up.

Then I stepped back for a few weeks and took a break. That's when I decided to pick up the GM reigns once again and started my own Cyberpunk 2020 game using the "Land of the Free" boxed campaign from R.Tal. Put together a new group for it and we've been having a blast.

But that got sort of put on the backburner as I made the list to run playtest material for a company I really love. So my group and I have all put in NDA's and have started on that. Looks like we'll be doing even more for them in January. 

Was also gifted the Battletech beginners box by a good friend. So I'm trying to find some time to work that into my schedule as well. Was a fan of the game way back when it first came out and the current version looks so much better than it did back then.

After working at a game shop for nearly two years now I've started stepping back into the community in an attempt to wrangle folks together. Like I used to do many years long ago. So time to 'dig where you stand' once again. Although I will have to look for somebody else to stand next to me since the person who did that back then passed away in 2022. Norm you are still missed old buddy.

What are my hopeful plans for next year? Well I'll do a 'gaming resolutions' post closer to New Years Eve for that. But I must say that I'm so much more positive this year than I have been in a long time. 

Attacked by Lanasa Again

It's a good thing Don has kept receipts on everything Lanasa has done and said, plus he can afford an attorney. So many others cannot. This should be a warning to everyone to be careful who you get involved with in the gaming industry. 

Fallout - Teaser Trailer | Prime Video

FURIOSA : A MAD MAX SAGA | OFFICIAL TRAILER #1

I'm so day one for this film. Can't wait. 

Notable releases on DrivethruRPG today

 Over on DrivethruRPG there are a couple of notable releases that dropped today. One is a new RPG and another is an old one finally going into Print On Demand. 

First off is the Walking Dead Universe rpg from Free League Publishing. Now while I'm completely burned out on zombies across all forms of media I am aware that this thing is going to be pretty big. Got a huge fanbase and they've been building up the interest for a while now hinting about this game. Using the Year Zero Engine that so many are familiar with means folks can pick up and run this game rather quickly as well.

Pick up the core rule book here.

Or pick up the starter set here. 

Next up is something completely different. 

The Dying Earth series of novels by Jack Vance were one of the big inspirations behind Dungeons and Dragons, especially concerning the magic system (aka Vancian Magic). Eventually it got it's own full fledged RPG several years back but has become harder to find in print recently. Finally it's now available in Print On Demand so you don't have to pay ebay or noble knight prices anymore.

You can order the POD here. 

As always if you enjoy this blog you can click on the 'support this blog' page up top. 

The Witcher ttrpg is on sale!

 

If you're looking for a good ttrpg deal for Black Friday then this just may be it. You can pick up the Witcher from R. Talsorian games for only 2.99 right now. Can't beat that deal. So if you would CLICK HERE to hop over and take a look at the page because all the sourcebooks are discounted as well!

Why you're there look around at some of the other goodies that are discounted for a few days only.

The Hobby Is Dying

 

There is a lot to this very simple meme that I agree with. I've seen so many older folks who've been in the hobby for many years doing everything possible to push new people out. Especially those new folks who may have a different idea of what they want from a roleplaying game. This has been going on for decades.

Saw it with Vampire the Masquerade when White Wolf suddenly exploded with their idea of a roleplaying game that leaned into telling stories. Including focusing less on rules (at least with the early first editions) and more on character motivations and goals. All the people who were running ADnD 2e were upset when suddenly there were all these new people who were coming into their sacred spaces. Especially when they had zero interest in doing standard fantasy sessions. Instead of realizing that more variety and styles were growing the community they instead decided to draw lines in the sand.

This continued on through various pops of popularity for other indie games in the years after that. Every single time it was the 'old guard' getting angrier and angrier over these 'new kids' coming in and supposedly ruining everything. 

Now we see the screeching still going on as they twist their nuts into knots over the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons. They scream it's to easy, they coddle the players, it's impossible to die in the games. But yet more people are enjoying this edition than any other edition ever before. I've also seen more 'noobs' turn and look at the old guard and tell them to go fuck themselves. That, I must say, warms my old over worked heart. The dickheads are finally drowned out, those who drew the lines are the ones who lost. Yes there are still some folks who love the old school games. But their numbers are nowhere even close to the number of people who are actively involved playing and running new games while going in new directions.

Finally the asshole grognards are now seeing nothing but a shit load of people flipping them the bird as progress moves forward and leaves them behind. All we can do is laugh as they declare, even to this day, that the hobby is dying. When in fact it's flourishing better than ever before. 

Neuromancer: The Origin of Cyberpunk | A Horrifying Dystopia

Buy the Hobby Shop Museum

So you want to buy a museum? One that's dedicated to the roleplaying game hobbies roots and where it's gone from there? Well look no further you can buy one right now! That's right the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum that some folks have been raving about (I mean twenty people or so...) is now up for sale!

All for the ultra affordable price of just five million dollars. 

That's right I said five fucking million dollars. 

LeNassa must be high if he thinks anyone will pay this. Probably still think WotC will buy it off of him just like he knew they were going to settle with him out of court with him being on the plus side. But the grifter has bills to pay, like lots and lots of legal bills. Along with a lot more legal bills coming. Not five million worth but he's just trying to get enough so he can not do anything for the rest of life.

I would say some of this would probably go to help pay for the medical expenses of Ernie Gygax but I highly doubt that. LeNassa would vanish into the night just as soon as the money hit his bank account. 

So here is the full real estate listing for the property:

https://www.atproperties.com/1857630/723-williams-st-lake-geneva-wisconsin-53147-swi

There is a nice gallery to look through. The place doesn't look to bad. The big TSR in the tiles of the driveway are a neat touch. All in all pretty damned sweet. Not 5 million dollars of sweet though.

What I would like point out is that at the end of the gallery is the membership rates for sponsoring the place. Along with all the benefits endowed to the people who pay. Which means one would likely still have to honor all of those folks if you were to buy this turkey... I mean, buy this museum and try to keep it open just as it was. You would get none of what they have paid in, that's already in the black hole that is LaNassa's wallet, and you would have to give folks free drinks, coffee, donuts, food and all sorts of other things.

What the hell really?

Hopefully nobody is suckered into buying this place.

Delivery date for the Deck of Many Things

 Well it looks like there may actually be a delivery date for the delayed "Deck of Many Things" from WotC. After all the complaints that Magic the Gathering players have had for years now all came to roost right in a DnD product that was supposed to be a high quality release. So this post popped up on social media, apparently some folks are getting the new delivery date via Amazon and not WotC proper.

So just into next year. This was also supposed to be one of their big Christmas release sellers. Guess that's not happening now. Hopefully the shops that ordered this turkey can cut back their orders to reflect this. But I doubt the distributors will let them, or at least they'll try not to let them. 

Any bets on the quality still being below what it should be on this 'fixed' release? I'm predicting pringling all around. 

Coyote and Crow Sale

 

Over on DrivethruRPG the ttrpg "Coyote and Crow" is now on sale for Native American Heritage Month. This is not just limited to the corebook but to all the sourcebook and stories they have available. Although that corebook is around fifteen bucks off so it's a pretty sweet savings. 

So get over there and take a look around, this may be a game you have been looking for.

What does Charismatic Leadership look like?

What does a Rockerboy's Charismatic Leadership look like in Cyberpunk 2020? Well let's just say around the two minute mark and on you can really start to see it. 

The Chromebooks of Cyberpunk 2020

Augmented Reality in POD

 

This amazing system agnostic sourcebook for cyberpunk games is now available in print via POD over on DrivethruRPG. I cannot recommend this book enough. So much inspiration that can be gleamed from these pages. An excellent resource when you need a little something to get your brain rolling for an upcoming adventure. Two thumbs up. 

So what are you waiting for? Get over there and pick up a copy today. Also it's dirt cheap in plain old pdf format as well. 

Loki Season 2 finale

 

I have to say that, without a doubt, Loki is the best Marvel series from Disney so far. Just absolutely stunning from the writing to production to the acting. Top notch. 

The finale for season two just simply took that pedestal and raised it even higher into the air. It may be a while before we see Loki again, hell with the way it ended we may never see him even though he will always be there. But I'm fine with that. His character arc has been simply wonderful to watch.

I do hope we see Mobius, B-15, O.B., Sylvie and all the rest again soon. Some of the best supporting characters ever put together for a show. Each with so much depth you just can't get enough. Even with how they left the TVA is a very interesting development. This should affect some of the future movies a great deal. 

So yeah. Two thumbs up. Great series with a great finale. I want to see more, but I'm happy if they end it hear because it feels like a proper ending. Something so many other shows fail at.

Cyberpunk 2020 new campaign session six

 

Actual play session number six recap with "the squad that can't catch a break" (first session is here). Using straight up Cyberpunk 2020 rules and running the game in the private game room Tuesday nights at Aesop's Treasury. Currently we are starting the first part of the Land of the Free boxed campaign. Now I must say this campaign is a lot better than I thought it would be and it's pretty fast paced. I highly recommend it. Now... where were we...

The players decide to contact the fixer from New Orleans who has been trying to get in contact with them. Having the Lefty make the call untraceable they dial him up. Turns out it's an old friend of their previous fixer who set the entire job up. Things are looking bad, Eliot is probably deceased at this point and his friend has picked up his contract since he owed him his life from a few years back. But the characters need to make it down river to New Orleans where he can set them up with a proper way back to Night City. Cookie and Sara head down to the docks to see if they can find some trustworthy folks to sail them down.

While they are away Lefty decides to do a deep dive in Adrianna's tricked out cyber/clone brain to find out what else Norcross has stuffed in there. After some painful searching around they find out some very bad news. Norcross is a front, the lab is actually owned by Biotechnica. The reason her dad had her extracted was the upper executives had decided to vivisector her body and do a deep study on her various parts before starting up the next generation of clones. So they are running her from one of the most nastiest corporations in 2020. 

Brick and Bradley finally manage to get to a doc in the box to get their injuries looked at. Brick had some broken ribs and internal injuries from the airship dropping on top of him, a good tape job and some fun drugs and he was feeling better. Bradley got that cyberdog bite from back in session three looked on. In that wound was discovered a dog tooth, more specifically a tracking device shaped like a dog tooth. Well that's one way they were being followed so well.

Sara and Cookie get back. They got a boat ride... with one hitch. In order to bring the costs down they agreed to do a little "job" on the way down the river. One that involved blowing up a chemical plant down near Mississippi. Bradley just shakes his head and says "Oh so just some drive by terrorism, great", Cookie was quick to correct him it isn't terrorism, it's ecoterrorism so therefore a good thing. So everyone climbs aboard for a three day trip down the mighty muddy. 

First day, while dealing with a rough storm and some flooding the squad thinks things are going to be fine. Well besides hitting some rocks, taking some damage, Bradley accidently turning off the boats power and then a group of pirates deciding to take advantage of the situation and try running up on the boat. While some bullets are exchanged as Sara lays down some cover fire Brick decides to pull out the oh so wonderfully safe weapon to use on a boat... the fucking flame thrower. I sit back and wait for their only form of transportation to become a floating bonfire of the dead. But then the unthinkable happens.

Brick pulls that trigger and lights the other boat up without a single problem in the world. Turning the pirate boat into a barbecue on the waves. 

They breath a sigh of relief and get some rest after the storm passes. Until the next night when it's time to do some black op shit in order to pay for their passage. They meet up with another ships crew who have are part of some sort of resistance group of ecoterrorist types. The mission is simple, the heavies will do a false attack on the main entrance to the plant as a distraction, meanwhile Lefty will open a set of flood gates on the drainage ditches so the others can go inside and plant explosives on the chemical tanks. 

Brick is happy to be with his kind, solo's with big guns and even a rocket launcher. They're happy to have him and his flame thrower aboard. Sara is with the assault team wondering what kind of insanity she has dropped into. Cookie, who actually knows how to set explosives, is going in with the infiltration group, Bradley is allowed to film while going in with her as long as everyone is masked up and he doesn't reveal anyone's identities. 

The frontal assault goes off so well that they very well could have just walked in through there and set the explosives. People are on fire, a jeep is on fire, the gates are blown open, lots of lead is being thrown down into the guards who are taken completely by surprise. The infiltration goes without a hitch and everyone pulls back as they watch the chemical tanks reach to the heavens in a wonderful series of fireballs. 

The squad that can't catch a break... caught a break.

Of course Bradley immediately sells the footage just as soon as he gets back on the boat. But a few others point out that he seemed to get a lot of shots of Cookies ass in his footage. Maybe the fancy ass reporter has a thing for dirty, uncouth, kleptomaniac nomad girls. 

Only a few more bumps along the road, like hitting a mud bar, and the squad can finally see New Orleans in the distance as they can't wait to get the hell off that boat.  

How to Play: Cyberpunk 2020: Episode 3

First Blood book review

 

One of those books I always wanted to read but always forgot to look for when I was at a book store. First Blood inspired the movie by the same name and kicked off the entire Rambo franchise. I've seen many people talk highly about this story so when one came into the used book shop that I now work at I snagged it up. 

I must say it lived up to the hype that I heard. Within less than a day I was finished reading, probably about three to four hours total. It's an action thriller that really hooks you and keeps on running. It doesn't let up at all right up to the very end. 

Most folks know the basics of the story, a veteran with some issues runs into a Sherriff who is a bit of an ass to him and it's just the straw that breaks the camels back. Leading Rambo on a fight with the local police that escalates further than what either expected. With the book you get a glimpse into Rambo's head a hell of a lot more, he's got some severe mental issues dealing with some equally severe past trauma. You understand him a bit more and why he finally pushes back. 

One main difference between the book and the movie is the body count. Rambo kills a lot more people in his print version, not just by accident either, it's straight up murder in most cases. But when transferring this to the screen I feel it would have made him look more like the ultimate bad guy because you couldn't really get the idea of what's going on inside his head. 

Lots of changes did happen. But a lot of the same situations were still there. Some things were probably changed due to budget constraints and limitation of filming locations. Others to tone down the violence of what is happening. 

But the writing, damn the writing. This is the definition of fast paced reading. The words pull you along without letting you go. You don't want to set the book down. The characters are well developed with the main centers of the story getting most of the details, but even those who are only in there momentarily feel unique and stand out on their own. 

Rambo, Sherriff Teasle, Orval, Trautman, they are all given some time. Some given a whole lot more depth than I ever expected, especially compared to what they got in the movie. You even understand why Teasle is the way he is and understand his actions. All of this takes place in just a hand full of days, from the jailbreak to a final confrontation near where it all started. 

So in the end two thumbs up. Highly recommended to those who want action that is fast paced in their reading. 

If you enjoyed this review you can always show some support via my Kofi page. If you want to read this book then head over to Amazon where you can find it in multiple formats including on audible. Or you can just look around your local used book store if you are lucky enough to have one. 

Marvel Studios' Echo | Official Trailer | Disney+ and Hulu

Okay this is looking a hell of a lot better than I expected. Getting a lot of that Netflix Daredevil feel off of this trailer. So hoping this show surprises the hell out of everyone, especially those who talked shit before any teasers were even released. 

Deck of Many Things update

 

Sort of an updated on the Deck of Many Things that is supposed to be coming out from Wizards of the Coast. Just a few days ago it was announced there were production problems and they were delaying the release to straighten it out, I talked about that on a previous post. Now tonight at work I checked out the WPN page to see if they updated the release date and this is what I saw.

The Deck of Many Things is no longer on the release schedule at all. 

So I imagine this means that the problem was very serious on the quality of the cards. Something that comes as no surprise to Magic the Gathering players who have been complaining about the card quality dropping into the toilet for years. Apparently the top dogs thought they could make a high end product using their low end standards they have been reduced to. Looks like they were quite wrong about that.

So now it's a waiting game to see just how long it will take for this product to actually hit the store shelves now. The digital release is, of course, going to be coming out on time. Wonder how many scrapped stacks of cards we'll be seeing in a landfill soon?

Rules for asshole gamemaster number four

 

It's been a long time since I've done an asshole gamemaster rule post. Like ten years and two months of a long time. I still laugh at how I pissed one guy off so much he did a post on his blog about how wrong I was for what I said. That was fucking great. 

So anyways...

You have this player, or two, whatever, and they always give you their characters quick backstory. It's all fine but then you get the words that make you roll your eyes. "He's a lone wolf" or "Doesn't get along with others" maybe even "Trusts nobody at all". You know the excuses the player wants so they can be a jerk, not get along with a party and make everyone jump through hoops just to keep the party together. 

Here's what you do. You ask them if you can see their character sheet. When they hand it to you put it in a folder and tell them that it will make a great NPC and hand them a blank character sheet and tell them to get busy. Then you go about running the game with the players who made characters who actually work well together while they crank out a new PC. If they do the same thing, then just repeat until they either get it, stomp away mad or just sit there and pout. 

We play games where the players are supposed to be working together as a group. Making characters counter to that is just being a jerk and they want to play a jerk PC to piss others off. 

Other options for their 'lone wolf' characters when they hand you the sheet include: wadding it up and throwing it into the trash, slicing it up with scissors, ripping it to pieces while saying "dumb" over and over again. The possibilities are endless here. 

Also, if you think this is some kind of 'sage advice' for every group out there then you really are clueless. 

How to Play: Cyberpunk 2020: Episode 2

Deck of Many Things is delayed by Wizards

 Looks like the upcoming new shiny from Dungeons and Dragons product from Wizards of the coast is having a few problems. The 100 dollar physical copy of the Deck of Many Things slipcase is being delayed in physical release due to 'manufacturing' issues. Some of those issues appear to be what Magic the Gathering players call pringling, along with some crappy cut cards. Here is the press release from Wizards and a link to a guys review of his preview copy over on YouTube. Wonder how long the delay will be?

How to Play: Cyberpunk 2020: Episode 1

A nice beginners guide to combat for Cyberpunk 2020. Now my games go by the rules, but not strictly by the rules. I tend to be fast and loose with a lot of things to keep the action going faster or to give a more hurried feel. 

Cyberpunk 2020 new campaign brief hiatus

 

So do to a temporary shake up of my hours at work as well as one of the other employees who is part of my group my game is on hold. Hopefully this will only last a week or two at which point we will pick up where we left off.

So the recaps of the sessions for the Squad That Can't Catch A Break will continue (first session is here). Using straight up Cyberpunk 2020 rules and running the game in the private game room Tuesday nights at Aesop's Treasury. Currently we are starting the first part of the Land of the Free boxed campaign. Now I must say this campaign is a lot better than I thought it would be and it's pretty fast paced. I highly recommend it.

Anybody with any questions about the game feel free to use this post to ask them. Any comments are also welcome. Hell just comment and tell us about your favorite Cyberpunk ttrpg moments that you've had. 

Cyberpunk 2020 new campaign session five

 

Actual play session number five recap with "the squad that can't catch a break" (first session is here). Using straight up Cyberpunk 2020 rules and running the game in the private game room Tuesday nights at Aesop's Treasury. Currently we are starting the first part of the Land of the Free boxed campaign. Now I must say this campaign is a lot better than I thought it would be and it's pretty fast paced. I highly recommend it. Now... where were we...

The players quickly hook up with Perry Garcia and head back to his place (which should probably be condemned) to rethink their next step. Based on what they know heading out of Nashville ASAP is the best idea so they agree to pay Perry for a ride to Memphis via the underground highway. It's expensive but it's the safest and quickest route and the PC's are willing to pay. So they do some quick shopping for supplies and head across the city to the highways entrance. But Perry gets spotted the Citizens for Decency who decide to give chase as they hate the rockerboy. These CfD folks aren't to bright though and are quickly spotted behind them.

Now, fellow GMs and players, what do you think is the best way for the PC's to handle this situation? Maybe lose them in traffic, cut down some back alley's here and there, or even pull into a parking lot and have a face to face? Those are all good. Did the squad that can't catch a break do any of that? Oh no... not by a long shot.

They let the CfD get up behind them then Sara and Cookie pop the back doors open and Brick sprays down the front of their vehicle with his flamethrower. (Why the hell did I let him have a flamethrower?) Not a great shot but it caught them on fire a bit and the drive makes a successful roll and doesn't wreck, just slows down and stops letting the PC's get away. Until the second vehicle they didn't spot brushes up against them and open fire on Perry's van taking out the back glass.

By the way they are on a city highway that is pretty busy with traffic.

Gunfire is exchanged and the PC's get the great idea of "Let's pop them with the flamethrower again". Yeah. So they maneuver a bit get the bad guys behind them. This time Cookie is also opening fire with her assault rifle on their windshield and it goes like this... by initiative rolls.

Brick rolls really damn good and gets a good solid spray on the front of their vehicle. 

The driver of said vehicle makes a really damn good roll and holds it together without freaking out.

Cookie opens fire and makes a really damn good roll shattering the windshield (allowing all that wonderful flamer thrower goodness inside) and hitting the driver. 

No more rolls needed as the now on fire bad guys go veering wildly off to the left straight into other motorists on the road causing a massive pile-up with a few resulting explosions afterwards.

Meanwhile, Bradley has been recording all of this from the inside of the van and decides this is some top notch footage he can make a bunch of money off of if he sells quick. He calls up some networks, makes a quick negotiation and then has Lefty send them the footage... unedited. The van pulls over, puts some cardboard over the broken windows and then gets onto the underground road to Memphis for a several hours long drive. 

The footage hits the airwaves, along with footage from many other viewpoints (I warned them many times this was a media heavy city with cameras everywhere). We get clear shots of the PC's and their actions and the resulting massive accident that claimed not only the lives of the CfD folks but the lives of four others as well and many injuries. Yeah rub that into your reputation.

Eventually hitting Memphis and holding up at a Best Western they watch as Perry gets the hell out of there after stealing new plates for his van. After failing to make contact with the fixer who hired them in the first place the players think about their next move forward and start with renting a SUV using a fake ID and then heading out of the city. But not before stopping off at the Church of Elvis to do some tourist stuff. Which quickly turns into a altercation with the Elvis clad security who want to take them to see 'The King'. Strangely enough the players decided they didn't want to fight this one out.

To make things quick the King informs the PC's that he wants them out of his city with a quickness. That somebody is offering massive amounts of money for Adrianna, which he suspects a double cross would happen if he tried to collect. But he doesn't want anything big going down where he lives. Handing over some info he's gathered about her along with some information that another Fixer in New Orleans has a reward out for anyone who can establish contact with the group. The players are then led out of the Kings castle. So the squad, finally, caught a break. 

After looking at the new info and discovering that the Doctor who hired him to extract his daughter has lied. His daughter died a few years ago leaving him with no other family. They look at Adrianna for answers and she finally reveals that she is actually a fully self aware clone of his daughter. She is still a rather brilliant scientist complete with implanted memories that she knows are fake, but accepts them anyways. But she doesn't know why he had her extracted from the lab just that he told her had to be done and there was no other choice.

Also leaving the players wondering just how powerful is Norcross Laboratories is since they have so much money to throw around. 

There will be a break with no game next week due to unexpected temporary schedule changes. But should start back up shortly after that.

what were they thinking when they created HELLRAISER?? * FIRST TIME WATC...

Cyberpunk 2020 new campaign session four

 

Actual play session number four recap with "the squad that can't catch a break" (first session is here). Using straight up Cyberpunk 2020 rules and running the game in the private game room Tuesday nights at Aesop's Treasury. Currently we are starting the first part of the Land of the Free boxed campaign. Now I must say this campaign is a lot better than I thought it would be and it's pretty fast paced. I highly recommend it. Now... where were we...

Ah yes our intrepid team had successfully extracted the young lady Adrianna from the Norcross laboratory with minimal complications. After laying low for a few hours they made their way onto the aerozep to head across country to Night City. All was well and bright for their future. Yeah right.

One little fact before this begins. All their weapons are stowed in crates in the cargo area.

The team makes a plan, always has somebody with the package at all times and hopes to wait out the ride. Six or so hours into the flight Cookie is sneaking around stealing anything small that she can hide in her coat. Why she's by herself she is assaulted by a man in a suit who quickly pins her to the ground. Showing her his pop up gun built into his arm he threatens to kill her unless she tells him where 'she' is. When she refuses to answer he starts to choke her saying he decided to give her a quiet death.

Thankfully Lefty shows up and catches his attention. That's when bullets start to fly, tables start getting flipped for cover and Cookie gets lose and grabs a kitchen knife and starts flailing at the guy in the suit over the tipped table that he is behind. Catching some blood and hair from the guys scalp in the process. That's when the wrecking ball known as Brick plows through the area and tackles the guy through the hasty cover he has. Beefcake Brick is all ready to fight until he discovers the guy has speedware and can dodge nearly all of his moves. It's gun to the Solo's face when Lefty finally manages to remotely disable the popup gun. 

Retreating as he is now getting hacked our bad guy vanishes into the hallways and rooms for passengers. An air marshal and the ships security get involved. Fortunately they have it on video so they side with the PC's since Cookie was attacked, the other guy had a gun and everyone else showed up just trying to stop the fight. A brief break from the excitement to recollect their thoughts and are later informed they think the guy has jumped from the craft using one of the emergency parachutes, but that he also threw all the other chutes out as well.

Just a few hours later, that's when shit really hits then fan. Okay more like missiles hit the operations deck and engines of the craft. Followed up by chaingun fire that starts ripping through the hull turning many an innocent passenger into red mists with extra chunks. The ships automated defenses kick in and the attackers are taken out of the air. But now they are in for a slow crash landing into the wooded area below. 

Most make it out with only scrapes and bruises. Except for the prized package who suffers a broken arm and Brick who had been down in the cargo area trying to get their weapons. He suffers multiple injuries and is trapped in the wreckage as everything around him starts to catch fire. Thankfully the PC's and the air marshal help him out. As the group sees vehicles approaching they think it best to flee the scene through the woods. Their destination is Nashville with is around thirty miles away.

After a trudge through the night the band finally finds a truck to 'liberate', manage to make Cookie get even angrier than usual and patch themselves up a little as they hit the road. Making it to the outskirts of the city where they get a couple cheap motel rooms, gas up their truck and make contact with the fixer who got them the job. Elliot is shocked by the sudden turn of events and gets to talking to some of his contacts and arranges for them to meet an old friend and Rockerboy named Perry Garcia at a club. But also warns them that Nashville is going to get hot real quick because whoever is after them is going to figure out they aren't dead and that's the next logical place to look. 

Side note: After this session one of my players will not be able to make it due to schedule changes at his job. So he said for me to NPC his character, the Netrunner 'Lefty' for the group. May have a new player and thus a new NPC arriving next session. 

Cyberpunk Sunday - Filter Masks

 

Filter Mask

With the increased air pollution and a mix of various natural and manmade viruses now filling the air a common sight on the street is the filter mask. These are the next steps up from the old fashioned cloth and mesh masks of the path. 

Basics

Each mask is a hard shell that straps onto the wearers head using a strap like those on most goggles. Filter vents are along the sides with disposable filter pads inside that can be changed out. Covering the entirety of the lower face below the eyes with a smooth plastic. High end masks have a built in monitoring system that can tell the wearer what the toxicity level of the air is and how long until the filter pads need to be changed out. 

Filter pads can last up to 100 hours of basic use during regular 'green alert' days. That time can rapidly go down the worse the air quality is. At the worst 'red alert' days they may only last a three to four hours at most.

High end masks can be linked into smart goggles, cyberoptics, cellphone or nearly any other electronics that can give the user and electronic read out. 

Fashion

Lately it's become the trend to have the mask customized with art and designs. Either mass market logos or unique designs tailored by the user. There are small kiosks popping up all over Night City offering services for this, everything from simple laser printing to intricate hand painted work. 

Costs

Basic Filter Mask - 30 eb

Filter Mask with monitoring system - 60 eb

Pack of ten air filters -  1eb

Custom designs - 5 eb for basic mass market designs up to 100eb for custom work.

This material is for use with the Cyberpunk 2020 TTRPG available in pdf and Print On Demand.

Cyberpunk 2020 new campaign session three

 

Actual play session number two recap with the squad that can't catch a break (first session is here). Using straight up Cyberpunk 2020 rules and running the game in the private game room Tuesday nights at Aesop's Treasury. Currently we are starting the first part of the Land of the Free boxed campaign.  

After getting stuck in New York by one of Bradley's least favorite people the crew is looking for either a ride back to Night City or for a job to help pay for tickets back to Night City. What they managed to find was both.

One of Bricks contacts back on the west coast hooked him up with one of his fellow fixers here on the east coast. Just so happened he had a job drop in his lap that he needed runners for. One that paid well AND got them back to Night City. A scientist needed his daughter extracted from a lab and then put on board an airship so she could be delivered into safe hands on the other side of the country. Could be very dangerous, could be deadly... did I mention it paid well.

So the team gets some money up front and picks up the necessary gear for the mission. Some extra power with some new firearms, a little bit of body armor and a flame thrower. Yeah, you read that right. Somebody in the squad that can't catch a break decided to pick up a flame thrower. That person would solo known as Brick. He thought it would be a great thing to have. All I saw behind the GM screen was a structure fire with a dead girl they were supposed to extract and a completely failed mission... but rolls to acquire were made and I let them have it. Brick got his flame thrower. 

Amazingly enough entry into the building went without a flaw. First guard they run into Brick just hits with the flame thrower and knocked him out. If he wanted a melee weapon that would have been much easier to get but oh well. Now going through the lab had a bit more excitement of the expected level that I've come to expect from this group.

That would be two, yes TWO, ones were rolled by Brick with the flame thrower. First when he tried to actually fire it off, instead of blowing up or something really Michael Bayesque I simply had it malfunction and the tip fell off rendering it useless. The second time he decided to use it as a melee weapon once again and it didn't work out at all. The hose pulled off the fuel cannister and dumped a full tank of napalm onto him and the floor. Brandon reminded everyone not to light up a cigarette. 

Later we had Lefty just mowing down guards one after another with his shotgun. Cookie rolling into a room only to get shot by a guard who had taken up a different position than she thought. Brick getting into hand to hand combat with a cyberdog that had already chewed on Bradley a little bit. Then Bradley shooting said cyberdog WHILE Brick was grappling with him.

But they did it. They got the girl out and managed to get her on the airship. However they have a four day slow flight across the country and are separated from their weapon which are in the cargo hold. I mean what could go wrong? Guess we'll find out next week.

Cyberpunk 2020 new campaign session two

 

Actual play session number two recap with the squad that can't catch a break (first session is here). Using straight up Cyberpunk 2020 rules and running the game in the private game room Tuesday nights at Aesop's Treasury. 

While barreling down the road south of Night City the PC Basura sadly succumbs to his injuries in the back of the truck bed. The others discuss what they should do with his body as the player starts rolling dice on a new character. Eventually they decide to just cover him with a tarp for the time being.

After passing the border into SoCal the crew stops at a gas station in a very remote town that is mostly made up of abandoned buildings. While there the crew decides the best thing to do is loot the former squad mates pockets and then cover him back up. Cookie steals some food from the gas station and Brick buys some beer for the road. Then they continue down the road for many more uneventful hours.

Eventually after going off the main road, down a side road and then down a dirt road they meet their destination. A toxic waste disposal facility, it's then that they discover they've been hauling slightly radioactive toxic waste this entire time. Guess that explains the Geiger counters in the trucks. The "disposal" consists of parking the trailer next to hundreds of other trailers just wasting away out in the desert it is here they make a final decision for what to do with Basura.... and unceremoniously dump his body there among the trailers. Before getting back on the road they pick up a lost white boy who has no place out in the desert and take him with them.

Basically arrival by GM parachute is the new PC: Lefty - Netrunner

On the way back they discover the small town they passed through earlier is now merrily burning. While trying to get around a roadblock set up, apparently, by whoever sat the fires they come under fire from the rooftops. Brick and Bradley lay down covering fire as they attempt to flee but the driver of the semi is shot in the head and dies instantly. Lefty then manages to get in the truck and link up to it using Hotwire and drives it out of there. Eventually they make it back to Night City collect their payment and await their next mission.

Only a day or so later Bradley gets a tip on a plane that will be landing at an automated landing strip that is on the outskirts of Night City. Probably hauling illegal goods and the studio will pay for footage of the load being opened up before it takes off again.

Amazingly this crew scopes out the landing field, creates a distraction and sneaks in without notice or any sort of violence. Then they find where the pilotless Tesla aircraft is being refueled by an automated fuel truck and Lefty gets the loading bay door open so they can get inside. Going through the crates things seem to be going fine until the last one which is sealed and requires being hacked via cyberdeck to be opened. At which point the trap is sprung and the cargo area is flooded with gas and the loading hatch closes.

Waking up mid-flight the crew starts to figure out what happened. Mainly via a video disc left in the last crate with Bradley's name on it. Apparently an old enemy wants him out of the city and has set this up to get the job done. She advises that he doesn't try to return. The party really dislikes Bradley for getting them into this mess.

Eventually the plane sits down at another automated airfield and once outside they get their bearings. Welcome to New York, well at least just outside of the city. After a discussion with a security detail and local police (who they decided not to get in a shoot out with) they are released when the evidence in the plane back up their claims, not to mention the video disc as well. Making their way to a nicer than normal coffin motel the crew makes camp and starts hitting up their contacts on an attempt to find a way back across the country. Cookie grumbling that she doesn't want to fly anymore.

Next session will be October 3rd as some players can't make it next week. It is then that I start running them through the "Land of the Free" campaign which will eventually (more like hopefully with these guys) bring them back to the bright lights of Night City. 

Cyberpunk 2020 new campaign session one

 

First session recap for my new Cyberpunk 2020 campaign. Right now it doesn't have a name yet and the first couple of sessions will be just letting everyone get settled into the game. So let's start with the five PCs shall we?

Cookie - Nomad

Brick - Solo 

Sara - Nomad 

Basura - Techie 

Bradley Schultz - Media

On a tip from a news agency Bradley hears about a planned raid by a gang on a warehouse near the combat zone of Night City. He'll get paid for the footage, he'll get paid more if the footage contains a lot of action and carnage. So he agrees and grabs his friends to help insure that said carnage does occur.

The crew see's a group of vehicles and a stolen garbage truck run through the gate of the poorly guarded building and then they move in. Most of those raiding the place run inside while a couple stay outside with guns. It turns into a one sided ass whooping with the PC's coming out on top even taking out (as in killing) those who exit the warehouse after the shooting starts. Many of those exiting are carrying containers of food, some drop it and pull their cheap pistols out, other keep running trying to get away.

Brick discovers that with cyberarms enhanced with hydraulic rams while wearing battle gloves can do a great deal of damage to the chests and other body parts of unarmored opponents. Cookie, being to poor to own a gun, hops on people like a rabid spider monkey stabbing away with her knife. Both of them later become memes on social media when the footage is released (#FuckedAroundFoundOut and #SpiderMonkey). 

Only Basura is injured with a grazing head wound from a throw away pistol.

After the mayhem is done they leave before NCPD can show up and Bradley sends the footage in. They get paid rather well. Then within the hour it hits the television screens. But, it turns out, those breaking in weren't gang members after all. Instead they just fought, and killed, several people from a homeless camp who are trying to keep themselves from starving and only wanted the food.

Not a good reputation to have, especially for the Nomads. 

They lay low for a few days and look for another job. Brick gets a call from an low ranking corpo who has a job for him and his small crew, if they can drive. With the two nomads on board that isn't a problem. It's a simple escort mission, drive two pick up trucks in support of a semi running a trailer full of... well something not good, out to a site ten hours outside of Night City. The trucks have a large machine gun mounted in the back of each and a Geiger counter mounted on the dashboard. Nothing to shady right?

Well a few hours into the drive out there was an attempted road block that they ran through with quite a bit of ease. Then Cookie decided to go off roading onto a side road to try and get somebody who had been tailing them. The resulting bounce of the truck tossed her gunner, the already injured Basura, out of the back and onto the ground. 

After they figure out they lost him and that the person tailing them was going to get away they went back and picked him up. Then hauled ass to catch back up to the semi.

And that's where we had to end it. Pretty standard stuff, it'll get more into the actual meat of the campaign soon.

Wild Boys Extended Remix by Duran Duran • Mad Max: Fury Road Edition

The Continental: From the World of John Wick | Official Trailer | Peacoc...

Dragon Boat Show with 1500 drones in Shenzhen, China,

Love when they do light shows with drones. 

Modern Day Supernatural - Stone Castle Syndicate

Name: Stone Castle Syndicate

Description: The Stone Castle Syndicate is a clandestine organization that operates in the shadows, shrouded in mystery and hidden from public knowledge. It is an enigmatic group known for its involvement in the occult, supernatural, and paranormal activities. The organization takes its name from an ancient and foreboding castle, rumored to be their headquarters, which acts as a focal point for their activities.

Goals and Objectives: The Stone Castle Syndicate is driven by a combination of ambition, thirst for power, and a desire to explore the forbidden and hidden aspects of the world. Their objectives include:

-Acquisition of Arcane Knowledge: The Syndicate seeks to gather and safeguard forbidden knowledge, occult artifacts, and ancient texts. They believe that these artifacts hold the keys to unlocking great power and unraveling the mysteries of the universe.

-Manipulation of the Supernatural: The organization aims to control and manipulate supernatural entities, forces, and occurrences for their own ends. They believe that by mastering these forces, they can shape the world according to their desires.

-Pursuit of Immortality: The Syndicate seeks to attain immortality or prolonged life by exploring rituals, elixirs, and forbidden practices. They are willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve eternal life and transcend the limitations of mortality.

Structure and Members: The Stone Castle Syndicate operates with a hierarchical structure. The highest-ranking members are referred to as "Lords" or "Ladies" and are secretive and influential figures within the organization. They are known to be highly knowledgeable in occult practices and possess considerable power.

Below the Lords and Ladies, there are various ranks and divisions within the Syndicate, such as researchers, agents, occultists, and enforcers. Each member has specific skills and expertise that contribute to the organization's goals.

Interactions with Player Characters: Player characters may encounter the Stone Castle Syndicate in several ways:

-Adversaries: The Syndicate could be a primary antagonist, with the player characters working to thwart their nefarious plans and protect the world from their dark machinations.

-Ambiguous Allies: The organization may present itself as a potential ally or resource to the player characters, offering knowledge, resources, or protection. However, their true motives and methods could be questionable, leading to potential moral dilemmas and conflicts.

-Sources of Information: The Syndicate's occult knowledge and artifacts can be sought after by the player characters, providing crucial information or tools to combat other supernatural threats.

Hidden Agendas and Secrets: The Stone Castle Syndicate is rife with hidden agendas and secrets. They may have rival factions within the organization, conflicting goals, or power struggles. Unraveling these mysteries can lead to unexpected alliances or open new avenues for the player characters' investigations.

Remember, this concept for the "Stone Castle Syndicate" is a starting point, and you can further develop and customize it to suit the specific themes, tone, and storyline of your modern-day horror tabletop roleplaying game.

Ice Pirates

Dune: Part Two | Official Trailer 2

Cyberpunk 2020 - New Netrunning Rules 0.1

 

This is a very, VERY, rough draft for some simplified Netrunning rules that I'm working on for Cyberpunk 2020. Getting rid of the "game within a game" style with the Datafort maps and so on. Hopefully taking it down to just a few rolls along with some game play involving getting info in the real world to help with those rolls. Anyways, here is that super rough draft that will be updated over time.

Simplified Cyberpunk 2020 Netrunner rules.

Roles necessary to the Netrunner.

Navigation – How to find your way to someplace

Intrusion – How to get into someplace

Data Access – How to find the info you want

Operation – How to operate machines via the net

Combat – How to fight another runner if necessary

Rolls are done by rolling a D10 and adding in your Interface skill and beating a target number or opposed roll if there is another runner your going up against (or a sufficiently advanced AI). Now there are programs and gear that can drop the target number or give some other affect. Some may completely negate the need for a roll altogether.

NAVIGATION

This is probably the easiest roll to negate. All you need is the path to the target destination on hand. Either from a map app or maybe purchased from another runner. Most Map Apps will give you quick ways to public locations on the net. Now those locations hidden on the net that are private may require a bit more work to get. There are some modified Map Apps passed around by runners that have some. But there is also a market for folks to locate and sell the pathway to the location for whoever wants to offer the most money.

If you have a map to the location there is no need for a roll. But if you’re out looking around in an area where a Datafort is supposed to be it will take a roll, probably a difficult one, to find it.

Another way is get a location is breaking into the location via hardlink at the server site or via a line that runs direct. But that usually involves some breaking and entering of the physical kind.

INTRUSION

Now the easiest way to lower the target number for your Intrusion roll is of course by running some software that breaks through the code gates, walls and ICE. Software you buy today may also be useless a few months later when corporations upgrade their own software to counter it.

Another way is to have the proper passcodes and identification to get through. With those you could even negate the roll completely. However getting that information is really tricky. Again physical breaking and entering may work if they have that data handy. Or even some good old fashioned kidnapping of a runner or executive and ‘coercing’ them to tell you what you need to know.

Failed Intrusion rolls can result in damage to your software, hardware or in the most extreme cases there can be damage done to the runners brain.

DATA ACCESS

Once in finding exactly what you are looking for may take a miracle. The needle of data in the haystack of files and drives. Again Apps can help with the search and lower the target number. Or having the actual information on where it’s at can negate the need for a roll. For example, if you know the data is on on the laptop in the executive corner office under the folder called “Family Pics” then you got a clear shot to get what you need.

OPERATION

This is hooking into equipment and systems that are ran from the datafort. Anything from robots on an assembly line to security cameras monitoring the sublevels of a corporate safe house. Depending on how secure they are sometimes an App is all you need to get access without a roll. Others will require either much better Apps and a roll or passwords for operation.

COMBAT

Fighting it out with another runner or an AI who is advanced enough to think and act like one. This is where things can get tricky. There is no straight target number to beat, instead you have to roll better than the opponent. Various Apps can give you special tricks up your sleeve but slugging it out is not a preferred by most runners who are deep in someplace they aren’t supposed to be.