It's sadly been quite a while since I had the opportunity to update this blog.
(Aright, to be honest and fair I've had plenty of opportunity, I just haven't had the mental drive to.)
I'm going to take a moment or two and try to back-fill in what's been going on in my Costuming and Gaming career since last we spoke. I've started a new, non-Star Wars campaign, returned to one of my Star Wars campaigns with feelings of trepidation, and went to Dragon*Con 2011.
Earthdawn
As mentioned in a previous post, I have returned to the lands of Barsaive and am running a new campaign set in the world of Earthdawn. Called the Exiled Lords*, the campaign will focus on a band of heroes drawn to the village of Asylum, and their discovery of two great legends; the Books of Scale and the Exiled Lords. The game just completed it's second session, and the PCs are being very forthcoming with keeping the Obsidian Portal site for the game up to date. This is because there are mechanics in the game that reward Players for keeping journals of their hero's exploits. I've also devised mechanics for awarding the PCs more experience for contributing to the website. In a game system where you spend Experience Points to improve your character's abilities, there's a ton of motivation to write a few paragraphs to get enough XP for a new Talent or to improve an old one.
Go and check it out if you're curious. The PCs are doing a heck of a job.
Star Wars: Brothers in Arms
Back to the main focus of this Blog; Star Wars gaming. I ran/returned to my Clone Wars Era campaign this past Monday night, and it went okay. There's a lot of cob-webs to shake loose, a new character to introduce, and a general feeling of dread on my part. We really only had time for one space encounter and a bit of roleplaying that led into a set up for a combat encounter at the start of the next session.
As is typical with any social group, a lot of time was lost in the game session catching up with each other. Some of us hadn't seen other players for months, and a lot has happened over the summer. I'm just as much an offender to the "tangent of stories" as the rest of the players, I found myself side-tracked at least three times when I should have been bringing the focus of the evening back to the gaming table. I figure it's going to take another 2-3 sessions before we get back into the groove of gaming, and are able to stay focused.
I still wish folks would refrain from dropping the innuendo-fueled comment of "That's what she said!" at every humorous opportunity. It's a rampant problem in that game. Cure for the first twenty times, but it's gotten old. To me, anyway.
There are two hurdles in this "re-launch"; first is that I lost a Clone. When we started we had three clone troopers; a character going Arc Trooper, a support clone trooper who was actually Force sensitive, and a Clone Commando named "Professor". The player of "Professor" wasn't having fun with the Follower system and it really colored his perceptions of his Clone Commando he made. We tried various mechanics, including using the Droid's Protocol system as a base for handling his followers, but nothing seemed to be working well. He wanted to stop playing Professor and has swapped out to a Bith Jedi Knight. I didn't get to see the character until that night, because the player procrastinated in even making the character (he had 3 months; what the hell, man?) I haven't even really had a chance to see the character and review it, so I'm glad that the first encounter was a space encounter that the Jedi wasn't really built for. Now I have a copy and can review him.
Thanks to my brother for taking a look at the Jedi, and noticing the player chose Phase for a Force Power. I don't allow Phase in my game. This is Star Wars, not X-Men; no "Kitty Pride Tricks" in my campaign. Now I have to look it over and see if there are any other issues with it.
With the loss of the Professor, and the character evolution of the Force Sensitive Clone Trooper, the game is starting to feel less and less like a "Brothers in Arms" situation. The players are all the same, but the in-play dynamics have changed. It could all just be me not being in the mind-set of the campaign after 4 months, or it could be more of a feeling of writer's block with where to take the game. It's something that I'll have to figure out and play out over the next few weeks.
Dragon*Con 2011
An amazing and good time. Anyone who's into TV and Movie Stars, Sci-Fi and Horror, and Costumes needs to go to this Con. I spent way too much money there (I'm looking at you Ultra-Sabers...damn you and your Convenction Discount prices!) and had a great time. Sadly I caught the "Con Crud" and in the drive back to New England gave it to my Fiancee. I've still got a cough that I can't quite get rid of...
Bumped into Sam Witwer, of D20 Radio fame (he also does this side project, acting in Sci-Fi's Being Human TV Series as the vampire Adian). Sadly didn't get a chance to talk to him for very long, but it was nice to be able to shake his hand none the less. I had much better luck talking with Star Wars authors Mike Stackpole and Aaron Allston. Two very cool guys, and fun to just shoot the breeze with.
I'll get up pics of the costuming I did soon, I just don't have them accessible right now. Commander Fil in the Georgia heat, and my contribution to a Renassaiance JLA costuming group. It was awesome.
That's it for now. Back to blogging, and back to growing Fragments from the Rim.
* Yes, I totally stole the name from the forthcoming Sith Empire guild the D20 Radio listeners plan to form when The Old Republic MMO launches later this year. It's a solid name!
No comments:
Post a Comment