Throwing Down the Gauntlet

While I'm always happy to talk about how much I like the 80's arcade games Gauntlet and Gauntlet II, this post unfortunately is not about them.

On Facebook, we've got a group now for D&D in Busan. I told everyone that since we can't play our 4E game this weekend due to the holiday, I'd be happy to run a Classic D&D one-shot in my Megaduneon. Another guy wants to start a Pathfinder game, and is looking for players interested in a campaign.

Now, I could be talked into a game of PF, if I weren't already committed to the 4E game. I just don't have the time to play in two campaigns right now. And so far, there's been more interest shown in my game than in the PF game for this weekend. So maybe it's a bit of frustration that he can't get the game he wants to play going. But he posted this in response to one of my comments about scheduling:

What is classic D&D? That garbage system with negative AC?

I responded to him this way:

Robbie, yeah, it's got negative AC in the book, but one of my house rules is to use attack bonus and ascending AC. It's still the version where Elf is a Class, not a race option. ;)

So, trying to defuse the situation with a bit of humor.  I haven't met the guy in person, but I'm wondering if our little group of RPGers are about to enter into a bit of a civil war? 

[Jeremy, Brian and anyone else in the group who reads the blog, this is a bit tongue in cheek.  But if Robbie wants to discuss the merits of Pathfinder vs. Mentzer D&D, I'll be happy to engage him!]

What are we supposed to use, harsh language?

For Greg at Gorgonmilk.

Something Simple

Looks like the 4E game won't happen this weekend -- it's the big Korean Thanksgiving festival of Chuseok.  Instead, we may do a one shot in my Megadungeon.  Maybe.  It's still not decided yet.

Anyway, if we do, I made up this simple little time tracker.  Each hour has six Turn boxes, and every second one is shaded to remind me to roll for random encounters.  Feel free to use it as you like, modify it, whatever.

Dungeon Delve Time Chart

Weekend Reading

In addition to getting my reading done for my grad school class, I read a few awesome blog posts over the weekend.  If you didn't read these yet, you should!  These blogs are fun, and fun is good!*

How to write a module by Sean

How to let your players have fun by -C

How the game has changed by Justin

How to put Justin's ideas into play by John


*Dr. Seuss was also read to my son over the weekend.

So I'm on Google+ Now

Thanks to Greg Christopher for the invite.  I'm probably joining it at the completely wrong time, as the second semester of grad school started yesterday, and I just took on a couple of new private lessons.  Not likely the best time to get involved in another social network.  But what the hell, right?

If any of you out there reading this wanna look me up, my real name is Dennis Laffey and I'm currently using the same pic for my avatar on + as I am here on the blog.

Now I gotta get back to work.  Maybe I'll check out that ConstantCon thing I keep reading about first, though...

d100 Room Types

Edit - not sure why Blogger keeps changing my numbered list into bullet points.  I guess copy/paste this into your word processor of choice and add numbering.  Sorry!~  L.G.

d100 room types

1. Alcove
2. Atrium
3. Attic
4. Balcony
5. Ballroom
6. Barn
7. Bathroom
8. Bedroom
9. Billiard room
10. Boathouse
11. Boudoir
12. Box room
13. Breezeway
14. Butler's pantry
15. Buttery
16. Cafeteria
17. Chariot-port
18. Changing room
19. Classroom
20. Cloakroom
21. Closet
22. Common room
23. Conference hall
24. Conservatory
25. Courtyard
26. Deck
27. Den
28. Dining room
29. Doctor's surgery
30. Drawing room
31. Entryway
32. Equipment room
33. Fainting room
34. Family room
35. Forge/smithy
36. Foyer
37. Function hall
38. Great chamber
39. Great hall
40. Great room
41. Guest room
42. Gym
43. Hearth room
44. Kitchen
45. Kitchenette
46. Larder
47. Laundry room
48. Library
49. Living room
50. Loading dock
51. Lobby
52. Loft
53. Loggia
54. Long gallery
55. Lounge
56. Lumber room
57. Mud room
58. Nook
59. Nursery
60. Office
61. Pantry
62. Parlour
63. Portico
64. Recreation room
65. Refectory
66. Restroom
67. Root cellar
68. Safe room
69. Salon
70. Saucery
71. Scullery
72. Secondary suite
73. Security
74. Servants' hall
75. Server room
76. Shrine
77. Sitting room
78. Smoking room
79. Solarium
80. Spear closet
81. Spicery
82. Stable
83. State room
84. Stillroom
85. Storage room
86. Storm cellar
87. Studio
88. Study
89. Swimming pool
90. Terrace
91. Theater
92. Toilet
93. Undercroft
94. Vault
95. Veranda
96. Vestibule
97. Waiting room
98. Wardrobe
99. Wine cellar
100. Workshop

The List

So a little while back I asked all you readers for some help, telling me what wuxia books, movies, video games, etc. you found inspirational, or at least cool.  I did this for inclusion in Flying Swordsmen RPG as a sort of "Appendix N" for the game.  I may have presented myself as less knowledgeable than I am in that post, in order to elicit more responses.  A lot of you recommended films that are already on the list.  Still, I did get some new ones, and I'll be trying to locate and watch them before this game goes to print.

And without further ado, here is the list:

Appendix I: Inspirational Media

Books, Fiction:

Cha, Louis (Jin Yong) The Book and the Sword, The Deer and the Cauldron, Heaven Sword & Dragon Sabre, etc.

Gu Long The Eleventh Son

Luo Guangzhou Three Kingdoms

Shi Nai'an Outlaws of the Marsh (also known as The Water Margin)

Wu Cheng'en Journey to the West (also known as Monkey)

Tony Wong/Jademan Comics The Blood Sword, Oriental Heroes, etc.

Books, Non-Fiction:

J.A.G. Roberts A Concise History of China

Charles D. Benn China's Golden Age: Everyday Life in the Tang Dynasty

Film and Television:

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk (1993)

Swordsman Trilogy (1990, 1992, 1993)

Dragon Gate Inn (1992)

A Touch of Zen (1971)

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Hero (2002)

House of Flying Daggers (2004)

A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)

Mr. Vampire (1985)

Drunken Master (1978)

The Bride with White Hair (1993)

Encounters of the Spooky Kind (1980)

Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983)

Legend of the Liquid Sword (1993)

Ashes of Time (1994)

Enter the Dragon (1973)

A variety of adaptations of Journey to the West and Three Kingdoms for both film and television.

Games:

Dynasty Warriors series (Koei)

Jade Empire (Bioware)

Thanks to everyone who contributed.  If anyone else has something to suggest, or I left something out that you think needs to be there, please let me know.  There's always room for more.