Monster Mash-Up Contest

Posted in Uncategorized on June 10, 2011 by boccobsblog

Wizards is hosting a contest where gamers combine monsters to create something new and terrible.

From Wizards.com:

This year, we’re seeking your nominations — just submit your hybrid creature and up to 250 words of its description. We’ll then judge your nominations, and select sixteen hybrids to populate the next Creature Competition. As always, you’ll vote for each pairing in the competition to determine which creature advances to the next round. The final winner will then be statted up (with art) for a future Dungeon article.

As a further bonus, the person who nominated the winning creature will receive both a copy of the following: (1) Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale and (1) Dungeon Tiles: Witchlight Fens. The contest begins at 12:01 AM (PST) on June 3, 2011. All encounters must be received on or before 11:59 PM on June 17, 2011.

So if you think you’ve got an idea for a new mash-up that is unique and deadly, write it up and submit!

Entries due by June 17th

Official rules

 

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School on Wheels at Gen Con 2011

Posted in Gaming Culture, Gaming News with tags , , on June 6, 2011 by boccobsblog

This year at Gen Con do your part to help those in need. From the Gen Con Newsletter:

Gen Con Indy will once again raise funds for charity. This year’s charity recipient is School on Wheels whose mission is to break the cycle of homelessness through education by providing one-on-one tutoring and educational advocacy for school-aged children.Gen Con hosts several events in which proceeds support the charity. Show your support by participating in the following events …

  • Aces of Aces X
  • Cardhalla XIII
  • Charity Auction
  • Jail-n-Bail

Gen Con has had a long history of supporting charities. Last year you helped to raise almost $16,000 for charity (thank you). Let’s beat that record and show these kids what we’re made of.

School on Wheels Website

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Review of X- MEN: First Class

Posted in Films, Gaming Culture, Gaming News with tags on June 4, 2011 by boccobsblog

 

pic via IMDb

I just returned from seeing, X-Men: First Class, and I thought I’d give a review. (Some spoilers, nothing major)

The Good

I groaned when I saw Kevin Bacon as Shaw (I like Bacon, but in a comic book movie, it seemed like a weird pick) , but he did a good job.

Rose Byrne did a great job and helped to reduce the campiness.

 

The Badass

The Wolvie Scene was funny.

James McAvoy (Prof. X) and Michael Fassbender (Magneto) both did an amazing job. They carried this movie.

January Jones looks stunning. Marvel couldn’t draw a better-looking Emma Frost.

 

And the Ugly

I understand that the film is set in the sixties, but it felt like an Austin Powers sequel much of the time.  “Groovy Mutations man!”

The lil’ X-men feel completely tacked on. They barely do anything. The entire movie should have just been Prof. X and Magneto. Besides a training montage, they movie really have nothing to do with the first class.

Beast looks like a teen wolf.

The “birth of a monster” scene with 12-year old Magneto could have been really cool but flopped. It’s like someone said, “Hey remember the Frankenstein scene in Revenge of the Sith? Make something that lame.”

Diamond-form Emma Frost was super lame. (It pains me to say this, because I fear it will hurt the chances that January and I will get back together…but it is true).

Even though the helmet looked better this time around, its impossible to not look like a huge tool when you’re wearing it. (And they even nod to that that fact in the movie)

Azazel (played by Jason Flemyng) looked like he stumbled in off the Buffy Reunion set. Super mega ultra lame.

Riptide, worst henchman yet. He looks like a Tag Heuer model.

–

Overall- it was a pretty good movie (C+ / B-). I’m pretty hard on movies, but it was worth the ticket price.

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Gen Con Badge Prices Increase on June 19th

Posted in Dungeons and Dragons, Gaming News, Gen Con 2011 with tags on June 4, 2011 by boccobsblog

Gen Con in only sixty days away! If you haven’t already bought your badge you may want to do so quickly. The pre-registration prices end on June 18th. Badge prices will increase by ten dollars on the 19th, with four-day badges going up to 78 and one-day badges going to 48. Save yourself a few bucks and use that money to buy a new set of dice (or buy me a drink…).

Andy

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Four Gamer Films You’ll Enjoy

Posted in Dungeons and Dragons, Films, Gaming Culture with tags , , , , on May 30, 2011 by boccobsblog

If you’re looking for something to help pass the time between gaming sessions, listed below are four films (two comedies and two documentaries) about gaming culture. I’ve seen all four and enjoyed them, so I thought I would pass them on (in case you haven’t seen them). I hope you enjoy.

Darkon (2006) [documentary]

Directed by Luke Meyer and Andrew Neel, Darkon is a documentary that follows the lives of several Live Action Role Players in Baltimore Maryland. Darkon can be watched for free at Snagfilms.com. (Link)

The Gamers (2002) [comedy]

This film, directed by Matt Vancil, follows the exploits of a humorous adventuring party as they attempt to stop their arch villain, The Shadow. The film’s hook is that it switches from the actual players, to their characers and back all throughout the movie. Gamers hits on just about every D&D joke possible, from the player that always plays a girl, to the thief that attempts to pickpocket everything, and the player that is always missing, but whose character is often forgotten about. While done on a low budget, The Gamers is worth a watch.

The Gamers 2: The Dorkness Rising (2008) [comedy]

The sequel to The Gamers does not disappoint. Here’s part of the IMDb synopsis:

All Lodge wants is for his gaming group to finish their adventure. Unfortunately, they’re more interested in seducing barmaids, mooning their enemies, and setting random villagers on fire. Desperate to rein in his players, Lodge injects two newbies into the distrust: a non-player character controlled by Lodge, who the power gamers immediately distrust, and the rarest gamer of all — a girl. Can the group overcome their bickering to save the kingdom, or will the evil necromancer Mort Kemnon triumph unopposed

The Dungeon Masters (2008) [documentary]

Directed by Kevin McAlester, The Dungeon Masters, is a documentary about the lives of three DMs.

Partial plot summary from IMDb:

An evil drow-elf is displaced by Hurricane Katrina. A sanitation worker lures friends into a Sphere of Annihilation. A failed supervillain starts a cable access show involving ninjas, puppets, and a cooking segment. These are the characters, real and imagined, of The Dungeon Masters: Against the backdrop of crumbling middle-class America, two men and one woman devote their lives to Dungeons and Dragons, the storied role-playing game, and its various descendants.

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Daggerdale Video Game

Posted in Dungeons and Dragons, Gaming News, Video Games with tags , , , on May 23, 2011 by boccobsblog

This spring Atari will release the latest D&D based video game: Daggerdale. According to the website:

Travel to the Forgotten Realms, where the adventure begins in the Dalelands, nestled in the remote Desertsmouth Mountains. From the sulfuric catacombs of the mines of Tethyamar, to the dizzying heights of the Tower of the Void, Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale combines the depth of Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition with intuitive, action packed combat that will satisfy the most seasoned of adventurers.

The game is set to be released this spring, Q2 (expected 24 May). According to Wizards’ website, the game will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade, Playstation Network, and Windows PC.

Official Website

Wizard’s Daggerdale Page

Screen Shots for Wizards.com:

via Wizards.com

via Wizards.com

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3 Games of Chance for Your Fantasy RPG

Posted in D&D 3.5, D&D 4e Content, D&D 5e, D&D Fifth Edition, D&D Next, Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 16, 2011 by boccobsblog

Gambling is a reoccurring theme in fantasy novels, games, and films. I guess since they have no TVs or Xboxs all Orcs have to do when they have down time from their pillaging is to throw dice and play cards. Today I wanted to show a few games that could be used in-game to add realism and depth to your campaign’s tavern experience.

For brevity’s sake I will not be going into rules or mechanics of each game, but I will provide links to their site so you can find more information.

Three Dragon Ante

This is supposed to be the premiere card game in the D&D multiverse. TDA works well as a stand-alone card game and is quick and easy enough to be worked into an adventure without taking up the whole night. TDA (and really all of the games mentioned today) give you a great opportunity to role play and let those charismatic players shine. One thing that I really like about TDA is that it has a section in the rule book that lets you us character skills to affect the card game. This option really lets players feel like they didn’t waste those skill points and have a great deal of fun in the process. At the link provided above, you can get a free copy of the rulebook and TDA quest ideas.

Harrow

Not to be outdone by Wizards of the Coast, Paizo has created their own card game for the Pathfinder world. Harrow is a stand-alone card game that can be played in-game or out. One cool feature about Harrow, is that it is can also be used as a future telling device as well. According to Paizo’s website, Harrow features the artwork of Kyle Hunter, whose comics have appeared in Dungeon Magazine.

The Red Dragon Inn: Gambling? I’m In!

This is actually nine games inspired by Slug fest Game’s The Red Dragon Inn, and can be used interchangeably. I had a chance to demo this game (not all nine, but the main game and two others) at last year’s Gen Con and they were all easy to learn and enjoyable. The game includes a 90-card deck and rules for all nine games that can be played as a stand-alone or in-character in any fantasy RPG.

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Gaming Paper

Posted in D&D 3.5 e Content, D&D 4e Content, Pathfinder, Product Review with tags , on May 9, 2011 by boccobsblog

If you’re looking for a new way to map out your game, give Gaming Paper a try (at four dollars a roll it’s an inexpensive test run).

What is Gaming Paper? Well according to their website:

Gaming Paper is the latest innovation in roleplaying and miniatures accessories and is a low-cost alternative to expensive battlemaps and tile sets. It’s an inexpensive, reusable and disposable product for gamers.

Gaming Paper is sold in convenient rolls that are 30 inches wide and 12’ long, for 30 square feet of playing surface. At only $4/roll, it is a fraction of the cost of other gaming mats on the market. Not only is it usable for miniatures games, but it is also ideal for roleplaying games. Anyone can use pens, markers, or other simple writing implements to create detailed terrain for campaigns or miniatures battles.

While I don’t use Gaming paper for every game, I do like it for situations when I don’t want to lug a mess of Dungeons Tiles or when I don’t want to halt the game while I draw a scene on a reusable battlemat. Gaming Paper allows you to draw elaborate maps using markers, pencils, pen, paint, (basically any art supply you enjoy using). You can get Gaming Paper  with either a square grid or hexes.

I highly recommend Gaming Paper, give it a chance and see if you enjoy it as much as I do.

Gamingpaper.com

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New Phyrexia Prerelease Tournament

Posted in Gaming News, Magic the Gathering with tags , , on May 4, 2011 by boccobsblog

image via Wizards.com

The third set in the Scars of Mirrodin block, New Phyrexia is set to pre-release this weekend. Find a participating game store and get your cards a week before everyone else by playing in the tournament.

From Wizards.com:

Set Name New Phyrexia
Block Set 3 of 3 in the Scars of Mirrodin block
Three-Letter Abbreviation NPH
Number of Cards 175
Release Date May 13, 2011
Prerelease Events May 7-8, 2011
Launch Parties May 13-16, 2011
Magic Online Release Date May 30, 2011
Game Day June 11-12, 2011
Design Team Ken Nagle (lead)
Dave Guskin
Joe Huber
Matt Place
Mark Rosewater
Development Team Aaron Forsythe (lead)
Dave Guskin
Zac Hill
Tom LaPille
Erik Lauer

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Gamers for Humanity Needs Your Old Games!

Posted in Gaming News with tags , , on May 2, 2011 by boccobsblog

At last year’s Gen Con I had the pleasure of talking with volunteers from Gamers for Humanity. GfH is a non-profit that works alongside Habitat for Humanity to build affordable housing for people in need. According to their website:

Gamers For Humanity works to achieve the goals above in a variety of ways, primarily by offering our assistance and effort to other established and respected charities, the benefit of many of which is immediately evident:

  • working with The Phoenix of New Orleans, Habitat For Humanity, and similar organizations to provide affordable and safe housing to people in need.
  • collecting games, toys, and books for children and adults who cannot afford them or have not had the opportunity to play.
  • collecting food, toiletries, and household items for donation to food banks or families in need.

So what can we do to help them out? GfH are collecting new and used games which they provide, free of cost, to the families that can’t afford them. I know we all have a stock pile of old games that we no longer play. If you do, send them to GfH and put them to good use. They also accept cash donations on the website.

This is a worthwhile organization, please check out their website. Gamersforhumanity.org

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