Month: June 2020

The Monster

The Order of Syncletica

Not the DDO kind of monster. No, no.

It’s the kind of monster that is more ravenous and difficult to satiate but virtually impossible to kill.

It’s the monster called creativity.

And creativity is continually buffed by the demon called progress.

So, as noted in my last post, I am updating my Monk guide. I greatly appreciate how it has been helpful, even in its very outdated state, during my absence.

Life had a way of pushing me out of DDO for a time. That stuff happens. As a result, I’ve found myself looking at my own guide from the outside in. I was rather surprised how still useful it was.

I was planning on completely starting from scratch.

But I ran into some problems right away with my desire to update it. Over the 5 years or so as I updated and added, it grew to a tremendous size…

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Weekend Gaming Review – June 2020

Gaming Omnivore

Greetings! We’re already at the end of June and it’s been a while since I wrote up another of my recap/ramble posts about what I’ve been playing recently. My summer has consisted of work, video games, coffee and working on weekly blog post ideas so far; pretty much the same as last summer, save for venturing outside for anything more than supplies. I’ve been busy working on my backlog of games as well as a few newer ones. Here’s a quick rundown of the games I’ve been keeping busy(?) with…

The Last of Us Part 2

The vast majority of time spent gaming this past week has been playing through The Last of Us Part 2 which has been out for just over a week. I’m not sure I’ve seen the lead-up to a game release being filled with the level of vitriol and hyperbole as TLOU2. I wanted to…

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PlayStation Plus Games Lineup: July 2020

Gaming & Anime News

Good day everyone! I can’t believe it’s already been 10 years since PlayStation Plus has first been introduces to the world on June 29, 2010. PlayStation truly thanks you all for supporting PS Plus over the past decade. “It’s been a memorable journey over the years, bringing gamers together and providing access ti compelling content and exclusive discounts for our members. We wouldn’t be here without all of you, so as a thank you we want to make this upcoming monthly games announcement extra special by adding a bonus game to our lineup.” -PlayStation Blog

The following games are available from July 7 to Aug 3rd!

NBA 2K20

NBA 2K20 | PlayStation 4 | GameStop

NBA 2K20 comes with a variety of new game modes which includes an overhaul versions of MyGM, updated on-court gameplay mechanics, new dynamic soundtrack, and immersive open world Neighborhood. This is a platform for gamers and ballers to come together to create…

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RAVENLOFT Photos: House of Strahd, Feast of Goblyns, The Created

Wayne's Books

We’ve had a lot of Ravenloft accessories arrive in the shop recently.  Three modules caught my attention for additional photos.

One aspect of the old Ravenloft modules I enjoy are the isometric maps that you see throughout the setting. This was the first time (I believe) that TSR used that map style consistently in an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons product line. Isometric maps convey a “you are there” atmosphere.

Shop link: Ravenloft

Reference site: Ravenloft modules

House of Strahd cover detailHouse of Strahd (RM4)

1993 … Tracy and Laura Hickman … 64 pages + map … TSR 9418 … ISBN 1560766719

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House of Strahd is a re-do of the original Ravenloft I6 module (1983), adapting the adventure into 2nd Edition AD&D rules.

DSCN7374

DSCN7375

RM4 poster map RM4 poster map

RM4 poster map detail NW

RM4 poster map detail SE

Feast of Goblyns w compFeast of Goblyns (RA1)

1990 … Blake Mobley … 96 pages + double cover + fold-out…

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Infinite Caves of the Shroom-Goblins (part 1)

Dyson's Dodecahedron

It’s Friday, and I’m not posting one of my own maps. That’s right, emergency resuscitation gear is available. Ages ago (well, back in December at least) JDJarvis of Aeons & Auguries posted a hex-based tesseract-like dungeon with a challenge to stock it. The relevant post is here.

I love this map because it is both simple and grotesquely complex – it will be damn near impossible to map for the first while as the characters and players try to make sense of the strangely looping and warping passages that lead back to areas they have already explored. It makes me think of the small world of doors from the old Tool video, while also seeming like the perfect world for the goblins of the Labyrinth movie to live in. (Dance magic dance!)

The Tesseract Caves of the Shroom Goblins

The goblins of these caves are a unique species, having more in common with mushrooms than they have…

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D&D Diary – Dragon of Icespire Peak – Session 3 (and a ½)

Game Night Blog

The Menagerie Returns. New players and new characters explore a Gnome Cave tracking a thing called “The Shifter”. But who is the hunter and who is the hunted?

Icespire Cover3

The band of heroes called the Menagerie sure is a motley group of strange and fantastic creatures. Their ranks consist of a frog, a crow, a turtle, a dragonspawn, and a something pretending to be an elf. And on any given adventure, you never know who is going to show up. Today, two new monsters join the ranks; a lizardfolk and a Minotaur.

When last we left our heroes, they had barely managed to survive a marauding band of travelling Orcs, when they accepted a job from a couple of dwarven archeologists to clear out an ancient temple to a dead god. A dead, evil, dwarven god. Not that it matters, there’s no story that comes from this.

Icespire S2 Orcs AttackOnly one of…

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My 100 Favourite Games of All Time (100-91)

The Strong Style Smark

This list was a long time in the making, and finally, it’s here.

Throughout the summer, I’m going to be running down my top 100 games of all time. This isn’t designed to be a definitive ‘greatest’ or ‘most important’ games list, this is going to be personal to me. The only thing that determines what position each game gets on a list is how much I enjoyed playing it. It’s that straightforward.

Some quick background on my gaming history, I’ve only ever owned the following platforms: PC, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360 & Nintendo Switch. So, if a game didn’t come out on any of those platforms, I didn’t play it. I recently picked up a PS4, but I haven’t had a chance to play much yet, so don’t expect to see those games on this list.

My usual restrictions on ‘no early…

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