Some Really Cool Maps

I am planning on running an Eberron adventure using Pathfinder, naturally, this weekend and needed a couple of maps. So I Googled up some Eberron maps.
As I was going through the search result thumbnails I noticed a map that didn't look quite right. I could plainly see the Eberron continents on it, but there were a few more than I remembered. So I clicked the link and found my new favorite map.
Some one on the WotC boards had taken the time to place all of the D&D campaign settings as well as Golarion on the same world. Personally I think that is awesome, because I tend to let PC's switch from one setting to the next as if they were on the same world. Now they can be.
Anyway go check out the map here. It is the first post and he has put up several versions so that you can see the world, which according to his posts is scaled to about Earth size, from different angles. All you have to do is "open image in new tab" and then "save image"

Here is a sample of one of the versions of the map.

No Gen Con for me... again

I've been following all the Gen Con posts on RPGBloggers and while the information was top notch, I have to say I hate all of you who got to go.  

Seriously though, all of the Gen Con posts were great and even though I couldn't be there in person, I didn't feel left out and disconnected. So thanks everyone for keeping us unfortunate, stay at home gamers in the loop. 

Villains and Vigilantes is back and DC Adventures is coming!

Sometimes I feel like the world is just zipping right by me.
Since my gaming group has dissolved I've let school, family, comics and work take up the majority of my time. To be honest I've hardly even thought about RPGs.
I just happened to wander on to the DC boards where a "friend" informed me that Mutants & Masterminds was not only publishing a DC sourcebook but that it would be the debut of M&M 3e. I felt like such as dope because I had missed this information. Even if I never play another RPG, which I sure hope doesn't happen, as a huge DC fan, I am obliged to buy the DC books they release. This is especially since it is M&M, one of my favorite systems, that is releasing the sourcebooks from my favorite comic book publisher. Why couldn't they have done this years ago when I still had a group, the bastards. The first two books (I believe there will be 4 books total) are available for pre-order at amazon.com right now. DC Adventures RPG Hero's Handbook and Heroes & Villains Book 1

Like nearly any RPG fan, the excitement of hearing that a long desired game/book is on its way immediately had my mind racing with ideas for campaigns. I also developed the usual urge to break out  some of my game books to read. I just enjoy reading my books, even for games I have never played.

Since I was already in a superhero kind of mood I got out my Villains and Vigilantes books, because I really like that system. When I found a few spare moments, I hoped on the computer & decided to check out the V&V groups and sites I like to visit form time to time. Then, like another smack to the face I find out that there is a V&V 2.1  available, from Monkey House Games through RPGNow. I didn't even know they were working on a new edition. That last I had heard V&V was tied up in some kind of rights dispute, but I am glad that things apparently worked out.

Naturally it took me about 2 second from the time I found out about V&V 2.1 to log on to RPGNow and buy the revised rules and the first official adventure for the newer system. Apparently the game is doing pretty well as V&V has ranked pretty high on RPGNow's list since its release. The successful launch even prompted House Monkey Games to offer another adventure, free of charge for V&V. You can find the link to the free adventure here.

It seems that the months ahead will be a good time for fans of superhero rpgs. Not only do we have new editions of some great systems, but a new edition that will also bring official source & rule books for DC to use in your M&M game. The fact that fan favorite Villains & Vigilantes is back in business after far too many years only makes it all that much better.

Now, I only wish I had a gaming group.

Iron Man 2: Quick Review

I took the family to the drive-in Saturday night to see the newest Shrek movie and Iron Man 2.
Shrek was pretty much what I expected, a good family movie. There were some really funny parts, a good moral lesson (ala It's a Wonderful Life) and fairly enjoyable. If I didn't have a daughter I probably would  not have seen it, but I don't think it was a waste of money.
As for Iron Man 2, I have mixed feelings. Part of me thought it was absolutely awesome, but I also felt kind of let down. The story seemed to go in too many directions needlessly and there were just too many characters. Favrea played too big of a part in the movie. I just don't think his character was important enough to get as much screen time as he did, it added nothing to the movie. Actually knowing who he is kind of distracted from the story.
Cheadle was great as Rhodey as was Paltrow as Pepper. Downey Jr. made Tony Stark a little to cocky and arrogant for my tastes. It was almost as if he got his billionaires mixed up and was playing Bruce Wayne, the publicly flamboyant and inept alter ego of Batman. Although he got some bad comments from reviewers I liked Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer. Of course I think Rockwell is one of the most underrated actors when it comes to playing slime-balls.
While everyone seemed to rave about Rourke's character Ivan Vanko I thought the character was dull and uninteresting. I'd rather have seen Rockwell as the primary bad guy who designs and builds an army of armored drones to battle Iron Man and War Machine with Rourke's Whiplash/Crimson Dynamo amalgam removed from the story completely. Scarlett Johanson as Black Widow, while I will never complain about seeing Johanson in skintight black leather, served no real purpose in the movie except as a quasi team up with the chauffeur.
The fight scenes were cool, though they were over too quickly. While it was neat to see War Machine and Iron Man duke it out, that part of the movie seemed forced to me. We all remember how much trouble Stark had learning to use the armor, but Rhodey puts it on and acts as if he has been using it for years. I also thought that Stark build the armor(s) to be powered by the arc reactor in his chest. Since when does he build them with the arc reactors already in place? Otherwise how did Rhodey power the suit? Plus the reason behind why he put on and then stole the armor just seemed wrong to me. Very out of character. They could have come up with something better. Also Stark's illness and miraculous cure, kind of lame and a big time waster.
Over all I liked the movie and will definitely be buying it on DVD. I will also be watching it multiple times as Iron Man is one of my favorite Marvel characters, but I was kind of let down.

I'm a bad blogger

I just don't do well with blogging on a regular basis. It seems like the older I get the less I care about being on the internet and sharing my thoughts with people that I don't know and who probably could care less what I think.
I've also noticed that I spend more time getting information the old fashioned way, magazines and newpapers and watch very little TV. Although when I do turn on the boob tube I almost always turn to one of the History or Science channels, or CNN. 
A big part of the problem is that the internet just doesn't hold as much fascination as it use to, there are too many other things that are more fun and interesting than staring at a computer screen for hours on end. Plus it seems my gaming group has dissolved, with no prospects for gaming in the near future.
It is probably for the best as my family, comics books, graduate school and work take up a substantial amount of my time. I'd still love to play the occasional Pathfinder game, but unless I find some new player that seems unlikely. 
Anyway I'll probably post something every now and again, probably once per month, just because I enjoy writing, but I doubt I'll go back to trying to blog regularly anytime in the near future.

Why so serious? or It's just a f@%$!ng comic book!

Today on Newsarama there was a post by David Pepose about the fact that DC is considering the possibility of doing sequels to Watchmen. Let the fanboy outrage ensue.

I for one don't give a shit whether they do 50 sequels, Watchmen cereal, Rorschach toothpaste and a Saturday morning cartoon using the characters. After all I don't own those characters, DC/Warner Bros owns them and they can do whatever the hell they want.

I enjoyed the original Watchmen as much as the next comic book fan, but it is just comic book, not some kind of sacred text. In the same way Casablanca is just a movie, Huxley's Brave New World is just a book, Elvis was just a musician and Alan Moore is just a writer. Sure all may be good or even great, but they are what they are and nothing more. People tend to attach too much to works and creators/artists that are part of the upper echelon, the best of the best. They attribute an almost sacred aspect to them, holding them in higher regard than they deserve.

I'm not bashing the quality of Moore's work here, I'm simply pointing out that none of this shit is so sacred that it can't be exploited. Common sense will tell you that if it tanks, they won't keep doing it. If it does well then there was demand for it because they put out something that people liked and wanted.

Ok I can already hear the cries of hypocrisy. Wasn't I pissed when D&D 4e came out? Well yeah, but not because it tarnished the name of D&D. I was pissed because of the way I felt WotC treated their fans. I gave 4e a chance and while I admit the system is good, I didn't like playing it. I didn't find it fun.

3e/Pathfinder is the type of system I prefer for D&D. It is that simple, a matter of preference. 4e has not "ruined" D&D or taken away from my ability to enjoy 3e/PfRPG. Do I still hold a grudge against WotC, sure and maybe that colored my judgment of 4e. However, I still own ten 4e books, so I think I gave the system a fair chance. Though in my defense my group didn't care for the system either.

Now what was the purpose of this rambling mess of a post? I guess I just wish that people would get over themselves. Don't take this shit so seriously and don't discount something until you at least give it try. Nothing is sacred and just because you love a certain piece of work doesn't mean that another one can't be just as enjoyable. After all the purpose of comics, movies, games, music, and fiction is entertainment. If they teach us something in the process, build character, or make us think, then we benefit from their existence. Still they are nothing more than what they are, a form of entertainment.

Don't take this stuff so seriously.

My new favorite old comic may be my next RPG campaign

Ok really the comic isn't necessarily old, but Femforce,  published by AC comics, is the longest running all female team comic, since 1985, that I know.
I use to pick this book up back when I was a kid, but as I got older, got a job, had a family and the cost of comics went up, it was one of the books that got cut from my monthly purchases. Other than the occasional issues I came across over the years, I haven't read the book regularly in well over a decade. I actually thought it was canceled long ago. Last year I noticed a current issue on the shelf of my comic shop and I asked the owner to pull me an issue and I'm glad I did.
Is Femforce a groundbreaking and thought provoking title? Honestly no, but it sure is enjoyable. Reading through an issue of Femforce reminds me why I started reading comics in the first place. The book is just fun and I don't mean that in the "ha ha ha" sense, I mean that when I'm done reading an issue I don't feel bogged down by heavy continuity or preachy stories. Granted there is continuity, but unlike some comics, that I will be X-tremely careful not to MENtion,  I don't feel completely lost when I pick up an issue whether it is current or from 5 years ago. I like the simple nature of the book.
Featuring what is referred to as "good girl" art, the all girl team is full of scantily clad, well developed babes, but they are not defined by their looks. The characters are competent and capable heroes. Their sexuality is not hidden, but it doesn't define the characters. They are not a bunch of sex starved, vixens. The sex in the book reminds me of something from the 50's. You know what's happening, but you don't see it.
     However the comic is a flip book with the comic Gargantarama on the flip side of the book. Gargantarama has a bit more sexual overtone than the FemForce feature. Women growing into giants tend to rip clothes, but there is no actual nudity that I've seen, just very little clothing. Of course I think that is the nature of the comics in Gargantarama, giant women are suppose to be sexy. I won't deny that this isn't my favorite part of the book, but some of the stories are kind of entertaining.
The tone of the book is light, meaning that they don't go around constantly killing villains or using curse words in every sentence, though there are a few mild ones at times. The stories occasionally contain political or social issues, but they don't beat you over the head with the messages. Over all the book is very much what I loved about 80's comic as a kid, but with current stories.
I recommend this to everyone who wants a comic that is just entertaining to read. Besides with the rise of retro-gaming I don't see why retro-comics can't gain in popularity. Some may argue that if I want retro-comics I should just go buy Gold or Silver age comics, but that's not the point. I want the feel of an older comic, but without having to drudge through a story that feels like it was written for a 5 year old.Many of those older books they feel like they were written by a 5 year old. Besides most are incredibly outdated. That's one of the reasons I like Femforce, the old feeling with new stories.
The books is mature enough for an adult but not so mature that you couldn't let your tween(10-12 yr old) read it. The writing in Femforce is "simple" meaning that the stories are not overly complex, they are basic superhero fare, but are not childishly simple. 
Since I've already mentioned, in a previous post, my new obsession with old school superhero rpgs, I don't think that it should be a surprise that I plan to run a Femforce campaign. I haven't decided if I will use Villains & Vigilantes, DC Heroes or even Marvel Superheroes. Personally I think V&V would be the better choice.
However, I have also recently been reading a lot of Truth and Justice and BASH!(you got this if you bought the Helping Hati megabundle at RPGNow). Both are simple little systems that could easily be used for my planned campaign, but honestly I'm more torn between using V&V or T&J than anything else. I'm sure there are people that would say I'd be better off using Savage Worlds Super Powers, Mutants & Masterminds or even Silver Age Sentinels for my FemForce game, but I don't think so.
First of all Savage Worlds just doesn't feel like a superhero game to me. Granted I am not that familiar with the game, having just bought it recently, but I don't think it suites my needs. Besides I don't have the Super Powers supplement anyway.
Mutants & Masterminds is the obvious best choice, as it is probably the best selling superhero rpgs out right now, but it doesn't have the simplicity I want for my game. The simplicity requirement is also what took Champions(Hero System), and Heroes Unlimted out of the running.  Silver Age Sentinels (d20 or tri-stat) would also be good choices, but still not as simple and fast as I want. Honestly the d20 version, while playable, is far inferior to M&M or the Tri-stat version of SAS. At least in my opinion.
So right now that is where my mind is regarding which system and why. When it comes to supers games I am completely enamored with V&V and T&J at the moment. Honestly, I'm usually the type to shy away from smaller press games, which I find tend to be amateurish at best, but Truth & Justice has been a pleasant surprise. From my reading it seems to be a damn good, yet simple system that captures the feel of a comic. But to me so does V&V.
My first dilemma is deciding whether I want to use V&V because it actually is a game from the time period I want to capture the feel of or because it is the best system for the campaign I want to run. My second dilemma, and the most minor, will be stating up all the FemForce characters I plan to use in my game. If anyone knows of a site with pre-gen stats for these characters in one of my preferred systems post a comment.
My third dilemma is going to be convincing my group, currently comprised of all males (ages 12-36) to play an all female team in a mature fashion. Ok maybe I'm setting my sites a little too high, as long as they will agree to at least play a female character I can work on the "mature" part as we go along and they get use to the idea.
Like I said this is where I am at the moment, in the early planning stages. I have the feel I want for my game, I'm going to try to expand my groups playing skills beyond all male macho stereotypes, and I have an idea of what direction I want for the campaign. Now is the hard part, deciding which system to use.
I'm going to spend the next few weeks rereading the two systems. I'll stat up a few FemForce characters, in each, go over combat rules and hopefully make a decision by the end of February. That's usually when our winter break ends and we start fitting in an occasional game until spring hits and we get back on schedule.
I'll keep you posted.


*Support the small press comic book publishers.*
The recent changes that Diamond Distribution has made are apparently having a sever impact on all comic publishers, but small press in particular. I'm not going to try and go into the details of the changes here, you can find tons of info and articles about it on the web. My point is that small publishers such as AC comics will probably be harder to find in your FLCGS. Readers are going to have a harder time finding their favorite small press books, unless they go directly to the publisher's website. Some may even disappear completely.
While I may not have always been a big supporter of small press rpg companies I am coming around, but I have always been a supporter of small press comics. I know that I have whined and complained about pdf versions of both rpgs and comics over the years, but I am looking at digital versions more and more these days. I hope that smaller companies, like AC Comics, are doing the same thing. I'd love to see the title continue and I will buy all the issues directly from the site or as pdfs if necessary.
I still prefer reading hard copies of my books and fortunately I have the capability to print them at this time. If I didn't my opinion would likely change again. Despite my dislike of digital versions, I have to admit that I never would have discovered some of my new favorite rpgs and comics if not for RPGNow and DriveThruComics. Plus I have to admit the cheaper price is a big motivational factor in my purchasing decisions and pdf/digital copies are usually much cheaper than their print counterparts.
The point to all my rambling is directed towards the comic book fans in the rpg community. You could do a lot worse than try a few extra small press books.
Femforce may not appeal to you, but there is also the Champions line or Flare from Heroic Publishing that are available in comics shops(for now), at the publishers website or at DriveThruComics. Champions is another comic with that retro feel that I read regularly. Heroic Publishing has several titles other than Champions and Flare (League of Champions, Anthem), but since I have yet to read them I can not give any details about those titles. Some of the other digital comic books I'm reading are The Uniques and issues of Crusade Comics' Shi that I either missed, never got around to, or lost track of over the years.
Help support the small press comics in the same way many gamers support the small press RPGs. If you are willing to buy a pdf RPG for $20, you can buy about 20 copies of some digital comics for the same money.

**Update****

I've been communicating with Mr. Heike of AC Comics about the book and the impact the changes in Diamond policy will have. I've mentioned that I'd be willing to support Femforce by subscribing , but there is no subscription. I was told that if enough people would go to the site and contact them about opening up subscriptions to the public, they would be happy to create a subscription program. If not you should continue buying the book from their site or just pre-order at your local comic shop..