Electrical problems...

...are exciting. 

I went to North Market to grab a bratwurst around 4 this afternoon. I hadn't eaten anything all day thanks to a short layover at MSP and anxiety. Also turbulence. Ever taken a jeep off road? And the bumps and jostling? That was the takeoff from Minneapolis. So no food for a while. 

When I got back, all the lights were off and the fire alarms were happening. Genius that I am I assumed it was a drill. Got back to the exhibit hall in time to catch up with everyone leaving. 

And then the fire trucks came. 

Long story short the booth was just finished a little over an hour ago because we had to wait a few hours to get back in. A transformer exploded in the basement and started a small fire. Yay! 

Here are some fire trucks! 

There's nothing wrong with Ohio...

...except going alone.

I don't have a good reason for going to Origins this year. I'm not needed for any events. I don't have any reason except it doesn't feel like summer without a trip to Columbus to see friends and play a little HackMaster.

It seems like fans make things so complicated. We had to work so hard at having fun. Face worked himself into a place where he did not want to do it anymore. There used to be things like tournaments and GM meetings, fights over winning and serial numbered items and fear of remembering all the rules. The only fear I have today is of flying and how much I'm scared to go by myself. I didn't think I was until I booked the trip. The reality is I'm no good at this without my husband and my friends.

So don't ever make it too hard. Roll up a PC and play. And if it gets hard, remember its supposed to be fun. Let go of the stuff making it hard. My favorite things about Origins have nothing to do with all that work. I just want to go, see my friends, get shawarma and grilled cheese at North Market (and Jeni's Ice Cream!), buy a handful of new dice. If I do nothing for five days except sit in the Bar on 2 and write, I'll be okay.

Dice of the Day

Mod Squad game!

The Innkeeper's Cat

Grabbed this picture from the Facebook page And My Cat. He looks like he belongs in a fantasy RPG. ^^

At the door you see a large orange cat, his fur fluffed to protect him from the cool evening air. You get the feeling he's been here for a long time and has seen and done more than most of the travelers that pass by here. As you walk up the steps, he opens his big golden eyes and stares at your group. 

The instant someone's hand touches the door, he's at your feet and winding his way among your legs hoping for a treat. He darts ahead of you into the warm inn and races to his spot by the fire. One of the barmaids scratches his ears and says, "good evening, old kitty." He meows at her until she tosses him some scraps from a plate left behind. Then she looks to your group. 

"And good evening to you. I see he found us some weary travelers. He's a good old cat. What can we do for you?" 

Lies...all lies...

It seems that almost exactly two years ago, someone posted this: 

Remember The Monster story I used to post? I stopped for a few reasons, among them that Gabriella and Chimi are PCs in a play-by-email game going on as we speak. I need a new story for the blog. Yesterday I read up on some of the Elves of Tellene and learned about a few new places. My plan is to begin a new story set in a to-be-determined area of the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting.
The Monster may be in attendance. I don't know if she lived. Gabriella was pretty pissed at her antics. The Monster might have tripped and fallen off a cliff or been bricked up into a wall... Either way, if she is alive, the heroes of the new story should watch their backs. :)

So there was a plan of some type, alluded to in a pretentious way. Ergh. I don't like plans. I do like randomness. My blog was hijacked by a planner, apparently, and a bad one at that since the story never happened. If a story were to happen around here, it would be random, with short installments--likely unedited--with probable mapping errors and an overabundance of cute animals. Promising something other than that is a really bad idea. And it would take two years for anything to get done anyway. Better to forget the whole thing... ;)

A good party pays for that door they kicked in...

You know when you get tired and just feel like stretching out on the battlemat for a while? Yeah, me too.

My players are so good. Boy Scouts of Brandobia good. There's a problem at the library, they know there is a problem, and not only do they properly notify the town guard before going in, they arrange to pay for any damage that might occur in the process.

Then again... Once inside the library, they find some smugglers in the basement. Ginger, the ranger, is attacked and fending off two on her own when Balen and Takane reach her. Balen goes in swinging, knocking one bad guy back and down with a failed Threshold of Pain check. He looks back at the Takane the cleric and says, "You're not going to like this." His next action is to jump up and down on the guy, deliberately stomping on the wounds and calling it "Dwarven CPR."

Maybe not quite so good... ^^

Return of the BattleCats!

I had a thing planned for today. Really, I did. I don't have a good excuse other than I'm falling asleep as I type this omgxplerx... Huh? Oh. Sorry. So here is Iron Man fighting a Battle Cat.

HackMaster Fortunes

Dice of the Day: Protected

I have a weird affinity for little cases, bags, and boxes. When I needed a small number of dice for Gary Con, I picked up this little Pelican case at the Army/Navy Surplus store where all good gamers should shop. ;) It's just big enough for a handful of dice, two Lego Minifigures, and some Alea markers.

Blogs of the Day

I forget about my sidebar.

Looked at it a week or two ago and realized some of the links went to places that have since been taken down. Took them out and added a few new ones.

Frugal GM
This is Face's blog for GM's looking for cost effective gaming help. He posts a lot of links and suggestions to free stuff. And who doesn't love free stuff? :)

HackMaster Hack
A brand new HackMaster fan site!

Ancient Vaults and Eldritch Secrets
An old school gaming blog full of magic items!

Roll20
This is a virtual tabletop that works with G+ Hangouts. A lot of HackMaster players are using these tools to connect across the miles. :)