Jaded Gamer Diary - Wizkids the Cheapening

Well at work it's become very noticeable that Wizkids is really going cheap on the packaging for their miniatures now. I noticed, the customers have noticed, it's very jarring it really does look pretty crappy. We first saw it on their absolutely abysmally shitty DnD 50th anniversary figures. But now it's on the regular lines. Here's a shot of one of the old packaged miniatures next to one of the new ones. Front and back. 

First off we'll start with the contents. The miniature is still in there but there is zero attempt at assembly now. They also got rid of the extra little clear base you could mount the figure on. Plus with no back blister bubble it all just rattles around in there package and you can't even get a good view of what the figure looks like. Hell at least back in the day when we had lead mini's in multiple pieces they put a piece of foam in there to hold it all in place. This just looks like a pile of shit in a plastic bubble.

Second is the backing board. The textured blue is gone. The while line at the top so they can make bulk cardboard prints and then add the item name, code and UPC on when they need to. Also the back is completely devoid of any color. You can really tell they are bulk printed now since there is no longer a picture of the painted figure and name on the back. They are all the same now. 

Now the kicker is they did all this to reduce the cost of the production of said miniature. They cut back A LOT on costs with this. The almost complete elimination of color on the cardboard probably saved them a pretty penny. So what does the customer get in return? They raised the prices as well. 

Now I know the prices are going up because of tariffs and there isn't a whole lot they can do about it. But damn. For all the corners they cut you could think they would be able to keep them the same price as before. Ah well. I will say one thing, this cheap ass packaging is hurting sales more than anything. Even more than the price hike. Folks are looking at the jumbled mess and just choosing not to buy it. 

So it's backfired on them in a few ways. 

If you like my posts here please check out my Ko-Fi page and maybe show me some support!

Cyberpunk RED Datascreen PDF super cheap

 Well R.Talsorian Games is working on getting a good printer to do the reprint of the Datascreen for Cyberpunk RED. But it may be a while off and it's currently sold out on their site and at distributors. I work at a game shop, we've been trying to get some for a while now, no distributor has any. So while we wait for a hardcopy to come along they are making the digital version super cheap over on DrivethruRPG. Right now and up until the new printing comes out it is only a single solitary dollar to get the pdf. Now that's a deal. Click on the image below to go grab a copy. 

Palladium Books pdf sale recommendations

Over on DrivethruRPG Palladium Books has a lot of their books on sale at the moment. Here are my top picks on what folks may want to look at. Some of them even if they aren't a fan of the Palladium house system. 

Nightbane. One of my personal favorites of the entire Palladium line. A wonderful dark horror game where the characters are twisted creatures with no two alike. On the surface it sounds a bit like the Nightbreed movie but once you start reading the actual setting it becomes something a lot more sinister. This is the one I recommend the most. 

Rifts World Book 10: Juicer Uprising. The Juicers have always been one of my favorite classes introduced in Rifts. A great deal of fun playing the hyped up, super energetic fighting machines. This sourcebook expands on them a great deal including new types of Juicers. So much fun. 

Palladium Fantasy 2nd Edition. This is such an overlooked classic simply because of the system. But it's so worth it. The fantasy world presented here was different from most others offered up at the time. And, as much as I hate to admit, this is where the Palladium system actually shines, it feels like it was meant for some crunchy fantasy play that stopped just before going overboard. 

PFRPG 02: The Old Ones. I huge dump of information for the setting presented in the core Palladium Fantasy book. From lore to locations and so much more. A great example of what a good sourcebook can provide for a game. 

Heroes Unlimited 2nd Edition. A good, solid, just crunchy enough supers game. Lots of powers and quite a bit of fun rolling those powers up. 

After the Bomb RPG. The spiritual successor to their TMNT and Other Strangeness game. Time to roll up some mutant animals and confront the world. I will admit they still have the best system for generating those mutants. 

Cash Strapped - DnD 5th edition

 

Time for a Cash Strapped post folks. For this one I'm linking to a hell of a good deal for those who are interested in picking up Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition for a nice discounted price. Oh and what a deal it is. 

The three core books with special edition foil covers, a DM screen and a slipcase to hold them. For a lot less than the three core books by themselves. This special slip case edition comes in at almost 78 bucks off the regular price. Can't beat that with a stick. 

Get this deal over at Amazon before it's gone. Oh and yes I do get a little kickback if you buy it through this link. 

Stuff for sale

 Due to financial issues I'm selling off a good chunk of my gaming material I have gathered over the years. Along with some DVDs, books and other random items. If you don't see anything you like but still want to help out you can click on the various links along the side of this blog. Following my Amazon or DrivethruRPG links and buying something, even if it's not what the link is to, will give me a little bit of a kickback. 

If you are interested in anything contact me a: peteramthor (at) gmail (dot) com. I can accept paypal, cash and venmo. 

Locals I can meet you someplace to exchange the goods. Preferably in Bonne Terre, Desloge or Park Hills. If you are not local let me know what you want and I can get you a shipping cost. I'm open to offers if you are buying more than one item. 

Also some items will be up on Ebay as well. 

List last updated: 12-15-2020

Role Playing Games

AD&D Kara-Tur both setting books no maps or box – 25

A State corebook w/ Mire End – 20

Baker Street core book, case book and GM Screen – 45

Blue Planet 1^st edition core book w/Access Denied gm screen - 35

Blue Rose 1^st edition – 5

Castle Falkenstein POD reprint - 30

Chill Voodoo - 10

Circle of Hands – 25

Conspiracy X 1st edition core w/intoductory guide (water damage) - 4

Conspiracy X Aegis - 5

Conspiracy X Nemesis - 5 

Crime Scene Forensics - 12

Crime Scene Police Investigation - 15

Cyberpunk Chromebook 1 - 20

Cyberpunk Solo of Fortune - 35

Cyberpunk Solo of Fortune 2 - 10

Dragonraid boxed set – 25

Digital Burn – 5

D20 Modern sample chapter - 12 

Fantasy Wargaming (full size book) - 20

Gurps COPS - 20 

Harp - Loot: A Field Guide - 12 

Kult Fallen Angels - 40

Kult Metropolis Sourcebook - 25

Kult Players Companion - 35

Kult Rumours - 50

Kult Taroticum - 40

Liber Elixirium (kickstarter copy) - 30

Mage the Ascension 1^st ed – 10

Magical Theorems & Dark Pacts - 15 

Modern Age (2019 free rpg day) - 2 

Necroscope: Operation Nightside – 4

Novus Fantasy Roleplaying Game - 15

Outbreak Undead intro manual (2019 free rpg day) - 3

Over the Edge Airwaves - 10

Over the Edge Broadcast Unauthorized - 10 PENDING

Over the Edge House Call - 8

Over the Edge It Waits - 6

Rolemaster Boxed Set (red border) - 45  PENDING

Rolemaster Arm Law: Firearms - 15

Rolemaster Character Records - 12 

Rolemaster Companion 2 - 15

Rolemaster Companion 3 - 20

Rolemaster Companion 4 - 22

Rolemaster Creatures and Treasures - 22

Ryubix Manor w/map - 30

Twilight 2000 1^st ed Soviet Vehicle Guide – 10

Ultramodern Firearms (d20 version) - 15 

Unknown Armies: Hush Hush – 25

Unknown Armies: Lawyers, Guns, and Money – 25

Unknown Armies: One Shots – 25

Unknown Armies: Postmodern Magic – 25

Villains and Vigilantes boxed set – 30

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Old World Armoury – 20

Wicked Fantasy – 35

Gaming Magazines

Cryptych 2/2 – 2

Games Unplugged issue 12 – 2

Gygax issue 1 – 20

Polymancer vol 1 issue 8 – 2

Polymancer vol 2 issue 1 – 2

Shadis issue 51 - 8

Valkyrie issue 21 – 15

White Dwarf (original run) issue 81 – 8

White Dwarf (original run) issue 88 – 12

White Wolf issue 44 - 4 

Miniature Games/other games 

Chronopia Dark Fantasy Miniature Battles corebook - 12

DnD die cast set with Beholder - 20

DnD die cast set with Drizzt -10 dollars a set, two available

Iron Stars tabletop boardgame – 5

Silent Death The Next Millennium corebook - 15 

Silent Death Operation Drydock - 8

Silent Death Sigurd Archdiocese - 10

Silent Death Tactics Manual - 10 

World of Warcraft Atlas (original) – 3

Comics – trade paper backs

Archaia Studios 2007 catalog - 4 

Archer and Armstrong issue 1 (1993) - 2

Eternal Warrior issue 1 (1993) - 2

DMZ: On the Ground – 7

DMZ: Body of a Journalist – 9

DMZ: Public Works – 9

X-O Manowar vol2 tpg Enter Ninjak - 10

Books

Chartres Cathedral (signed by author) - 24 

mont saint michel and chartres - 4

Yokai Attack! - 7

Video Games 

Sega Genesis lot - 125

includes:

Sega Genesis gen 1 console with 32x plug in and all cords. 2 controllers and the following games:

Earthworm Jim

Sonic 2

Arcade Classics

Virtua Fighter 32x

Moto Cross 32x

Playstation - disc only

Evil Dead - 20

Vigilante 8 - 10

Playstation 2 with case

Devil May Cry 2 - 5

Disney Pixar Cars - 4

Grand Theft Auto 3 - 5 (sealed)

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas - 10 (sealed)

Kingdom Hearts 2 - 7

Onimusha 3 - 10

Resident Evil Code: Veronica X - 7

3DS - no case

New Super Mario Bros 2 - 9

Monster High 13 Wishes - 5

Wipe Out 2 - 3

DS - no case 

Barbie Jet, Set and Style - 2

Gardening Mama - 3

Hello Kitty and Friends - 2

Indiana Jones Lego - 2

My Little Pony Pinkie Pies Party - 2

New Super Mario Bros - 8

Phineas and Ferb - 3

Pony Friends 2 - 8

Poptropica Adventures - 2

Scribblenauts - 3

Spore Creatures - 2

Super Scribblenauts - 3

DVDs

Artesia on sale

 Artesia is one of my all time favorite comics. The ttrpg released for it was equally stunning. I wrote about it before on an old blog post. Right now the publisher has put it on sale over on DrivethruRPG and it's worth checking out at this discount. Especially the graphic novels, they not only have great art but it's a showcase of how to do proper storytelling as well.

Click here to check the sale on Artesia right now.

For a print copy of the RPG you can try Ebay or Amazon but prices can vary wildly. 

For a print copy of the comics, same deal Ebay or Amazon but watch those prices. 

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Deal of the Day: Vampire the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition

Ah Vampire the Masquerade.  What could arguably be considered one of the most influential games outside of Dungeons and Dragons on the RPG hobby and industry.  From helping bring in a flood of fresh blood in during the slump created by the Magic the Gathering explosion to making some think in new directions of how a game could be set up.  While a far step away from the story driven games of today it still set a ball rolling in that direction. 

Around here gaming was at a super low.  Most groups had dried up and vanished, a local game shop was about ready to give up RPGs all together.  Only a few die hard Dungeons and Dragon fans really kept it flowing.  Vampire changed all that.  People I never thought would be interested in gaming were suddenly buying up the books and giving it a try.  It become a common connection between groups besides dungeon crawling.  Plus it was published by a smaller company and made people look towards other small companies to see what they were producing.

It was a win for everyone at that time.

Anyways the latest version of the classic is the 20th Anniversary Edition from Onyx Path.  Today it's the Deal of the Day over on DrivethruRPG and well worth picking up.  Nine bucks for a massive pdf and even the print costs are pretty decent.

PICK IT UP HERE at DrivethruRPG.
or
PICK IT UP HERE at RPGNow.

Also be sure to check out those POD costs for a dead tree edition or some of the other 20th Anniversary Edition material they have released.

Getting out of the hobby sale part three.

Here is my third load of things I am getting rid of as I am getting out of the RPG hobby altogether.  Being books, dice or somehow gaming related for the most part.  Selling locally and to friends that I actually have met in person.

To purchase drop an email to: peteramthor@gmail.com okay.


Crystal Caste dice set. 

Black with yellow swirls, never used and in a little flip open plastic box. 

Crystal Caste dice sets sell for 9.80 each over on their site.  I'll take 6 for this one.


Crystal Caste misc dice.

Contains 7 D10's and 3 D6's of random colors. 

Sell all ten for 5.


Centurion.

An RPG I got off of Kickstarter.  You can find it on Drivethrurpg HERE.

Softback black and white sells for 25.95 I will take 15 for it.


GURPS Cyberpunk set.

Contains the Gurps 3rd edition corebook, Cyberpunk, Cyberpunk Adventures and Cyberworld.

All out of print I will take 40 for the lot.



Stay tuned for another batch in a few days!

Getting out of the hobby sale part two

Here is another installment of stuff I am getting rid off.  First offers are to locals and people I have met, after that it goes to folks via social media, finally whatever is left goes to Ebay.  Only putting a few up at a time as I slowly dissolve my collection.

Contact me at peteramthor@gmail.com if interested in purchasing any of these.


Strands of Fate.

From Voidstar Studios with their version of the FATE system.  You can see the details of this book HERE.  I have the currently sold out softcover version which is what that listing is for. 

Regular price was 29.99 and I will take 20 for it. 


Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition

Full color and dirt cheap version of the Savage Worlds rules. 

Regular price was 9.99 and I will take 7 for it.


World of Necroscope (book not boxed set)

From WEG. A Masterbook series for those who know.  Doing a few searches online I see it selling for around 20 to 25 bucks.  I will take 18 for it.


Inscrutable Puzzlements.

Got this via Kickstarter HERE.  Also available via Drivethrurpg HERE.  I have the softcover version of the book.

It cost me 20 and I will take 12 for it. 


Old World Armoury.

Hardcover sourcebook for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay released by Black Industries.  Details on the book can be found HERE. 

Prices it has sold for on Ebay are all over the place but I will take 25 for it.





More books coming soon in part three of the sale.

Demon Players Guide, Legacy War of Ages and Resident Evil for sale

Demon Players Guide
Condition is used with some rough around the edges on the cover on the bottom corners.  All pages are intact.

Cost: $25 plus cost of shipping
Contact for questions or purchase: peteramthor@gmail.com

Picked this up and I'm passing it along to anyone who has a use for it.  Heard some good things about Demon from White Wolf (and honestly some bad things as well).  Was surprised to see that the books for the game are in relatively short supply as the print runs weren't that high.

Legacy War of Ages and the Blades Immortal Steel supplement. 
Condition is used but all in all pretty good shape, no major damage and all holding together.

Cost: $15 plus the cost of shipping.
Contact for questions or purchase: peteramthor@gmail.com

From Black Gate Publishing.  Picked these up years ago when a friend was running a campaign.  We had lots of fun with it.  Basically it's like Highlander with the serial numbers scratched off.

Resident Evil  Code Veronica X for PlayStation 2.
Condition is like new, discs are free of scratches, booklet is near perfect, both discs (the game and Devil May Cry demo) are perfect.

Cost: $10 plus the cost of shipping.
Contact for questions or purchase: peteramthor@gmail.com

Not much of a video game player anymore.  Used to be a big fan of the Resident Evil games.  Now I need to move them on to someone who may enjoy them more than me. 


Find more stuff I have up for sale (mostly roleplaying games) by checking out the 'game sales' label at the bottom of this post. 

Conspiracy X lot for sale

Conspiracy X lot for sale.

Cost: $50 plus shipping costs.  Contact: peteramthor@gmail.com

Includes:

Conspiracy X 1st edition core book.  Slight water damage at the bottom of back cover, with some staining along the bottom.

Conspiracy X 2nd edition.  Like new.

Bodyguard of Lies 2: Mokole

Aegis Handbook

Nemesis

Introductory Kit 16 page booklet. 


Not wanting to buy print copies?  You can find them at:

Eden Studios on DrivethruRPG.

Eden Studios on RPGNow.

Also be sure to check out the 'game sales' tag at the bottom of this post to see what else I have listed up for sale on my blog.

Primal Order lot for sale

Lot of three Primal Order books for sale.

Price: $65 plus shipping costs.  Contact for purchase: peteramthor@gmail.com

The three books show some shelf wear but are complete, intact and holding together very well.

Includes

Primal Order core book 2nd printint.

Pawns

Knights

The only book missing from making this a complete set is 'Chessboards' which I've never managed to get a copy of.

Also note that the core book is available in pdf format but the supplements are not. 

Primal Order at Drivethrurpg.

Primal Order at RPGNow.

As always thanks for looking and you can see other books and book lots I have up for sale by clicking on the 'game sales' at the bottom of this post.

Skyrealms of Jorune lot for sale

Skyrealms of Jorune 2nd edition lot.  Complete 2nd edition set as far as I can tell.

SOLD    SOLD    SOLD

Includes:

Skyrealms of Jorune 2nd edition boxed set.  Box has some signs of wear and something poked through on the middle right.  One corner is torn.  Includes all material including the character sheets, combat summary sheets, rules supplement/update and even the postcard to join the mailing list.  Contents are in great condition.

Earth-Tec Jorune.  amazingly pristine condition.

Companion Jorune: Burdoth.  Shows wear and a couple bends, still very solid and complete.

Companion Jorune; Ardoth.  Again in very good condition. 

Hope to hear from interested buyers soon!

The Armory for sale

The Armory Volume 1.  There never was a volume 2 that I am aware of.

SOLD   SOLD    SOLD

The Armory was written by Kevin Dockery of Morrow Project fame.  It is a very in depth collection of firearms and weapons, most of the book is not in any form of game stats at all but instead real life details of each weapon.  Each one accompanied by a black and white photo so you know exactly what it looks like.  Gaming tables included are for use with 'Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes' and 'Espionage!'. 

The book is complete all pages still holding to spine,  cover is a bit rough with some wear, tears and bends. 

Battlelords of the 23rd Century small lot.

Small lot of Battlelords of the 23rd Century. 

Cost: $10 plus shipping. 
Contact for purchase or questions: peteramthor@gmail.com

Contains
Core rulebook, some of the laminate is peeling along the spine and in a few other small places. 

Lock-n-load.  This one is in rough shape, several pages in the back of the book have pulled out and are lose but they are all present and accounted for. 

If print isn't your thing and you're looking for pdfs find them here:

DrivethruRPG  or on  RPGNow

For other items I have up for sale please click on the 'game sales' label listed at the bottom of this post.  Thank you.

Numenera signed hardback for sale

Signed hardback copy of the Numenera core rulebook.  Has signatures of both authors.

Asking price is $75 plus shipping costs.  Contact peteramthor@gmail.com if interested.

For those not interested in a physical copy you can get pdfs at:

DrivethruRPG   or   RPGNow

Keep watching the blog for more random gaming goodness to come up on sale.

Kult lot for sale.

Small Kult lot for sale. 

SOLD     SOLD     SOLD

Includes

Kult 1st US edition core rulebook.  Obviously seen some use as you can see in the picture.
Legions of Darkness sourcebook.

Morrow Project Lot for sale

SOLD    SOLD    SOLD

Contact: peteramthor@gmail.com if interested.

Contains:

The Morrow Project RPG 3rd edition
Liberation at Riverton
Damocles
Operation Lucifer
Ruins of Chicago (newer printing with color cover)
Prime Base
Fall Back

Personal and Vehicular Basic Loads and Hand-To-Hand Combat System

Two copies of the Project Director's Screen.
One nice and clean with the three inserts.
One dirty and more used, no inserts.

Restricted Morrow Project Identity Package dated 1981
Envelope (although moisture has sealed part of it) is empty.
Morrow Industries/Morrow Project Security Classifications list is included.
Morrow Industries MP Form 1D is missing.

Morrow Project Body Percentage Breakdown Chart
Rather old but in great condition, pages have yellowed.  Old print style, not sure on date.  Unsure if this was a release, part of an old package or something given away by company.

Black folder with Restricted MP stickers that used to be on Abacus Dimension releases for Morrow Project on both sides.  Again not sure if this was a release or something home made. 

Twilight 2000 book lot for sale.

For Sale: Large Twilight 2000 collection.  Books are in used condition and specific questions just ask.  The 1st edition box has some very obvious deep warping on the left side, contents are fine just missing one or two dice. 

Asking price: $300 + Shipping costs.  Shipping from Missouri, USA.

Contact: peteramthor@gmail.com

Book list:

500 Twilight 2000 1^st edition boxed set

501 The Free City of Krakow

502 Pirates of the Vistula

503 The Ruins of Warsaw

504 US Army Vehicle Guide

505 The Black Madonna

507 Red Star Lone Star

508 RDF Sourcebook

509 Armies of the Night

510 Allegheny Uprising

511 Airlords of the Ozarks

512 Gateway to the Spanish Main

513 King's Ransom

514 Soviet Vehicle Guide

515 Urban Guerilla

516 Small Arms Guide

517 The Last Submarine

519 Howling Wilderness

521 Boomer

522 Satellite Down

525 Heavy Weapons Guide

526 NATO Vehicle Guide

527 White Eagle

528 Survivor's Guide to the United Kingdom

552 Twilight Encounters boxed set

1991 Desert Shield Fact Book

2000 Twilight 2000 2^nd edition book

2002 Infantry Weapons of the World

2003 American Combat Vehicle Handbook

2004 Soviet Combat Vehicle Handbook

2005 Merc: 2000

2006 Bangkok Cesspool of the Orient

2008 Merc: 2000 Gazetteer

2009 Nautical/Aviation Handbook

2010 Twilight Nightmares

2011 Heavy Weapons Handbook

2012 Special Operations

2016 Operation Crouching Dragon

2018 Rendezvous in Krakow

401 City of Angels