Dear Moronic Hockey Boys,

Anze Kopitar is in bad enough shape without having to worry about all of you kicking his head in and stepping all over him with your sharp, sharp skates.  Is that hit worth tangling over?  Sure, but tangle away from the concussed guy laying helplessly on the ice.  (Checking on him before you start in on each other might be nice too, but one can’t ask for too much.)

A few weeks ago I was rewatching some games from last years playoffs (hockey gods bless hulu) and had a revelation about Martin Havlat and the breakdown of his contract negotiations. In Game 3 of the WCF, Havlat got drilled into the boards by Kronwall.  Dustin Byfuglien then charged in to crunch Kronwall right on top of Havlat, which was followed by a swarm of skates up in poor Martin’s face.  When the ruckus finally cleared, Havlat opened his eyes with a look of resignation that said nothing so clearly as “I’m not dead yet?  Great.  But if I’m going to keep playing with these damn kids, I’m demanding hazard pay.”  Apparently, Stan Bowman didn’t agree.

Other than that idiocy, what a fun night in the NHL!  Congrats to Marty and the Devils for another shut out.  Between last night’s game and Tuesday’s, the Pens’ heads must be spinning.  The Capitals remain rudderless after the loss of their captain.  I remain gleeful about the prospect of weeks of Washington failure.  The Senators lost, which is never bad.  The Thrashers continued their slide, which will hopefully send them into such a tailspin of depression that the Sabres might actually beat them tomorrow night.  And the Flyers, oh, the Flyers…

Like any decent, rational human being with no personal ties to Philadelphia, I despise the Flyers.  They are mean, dirty, and disgusting.  They acquired loathesome, nasty Chris Pronger and Ray Emery.  I was sad when Emery went on IR because I was afraid that the Flyers would be unable to implode to their full potential without him.  (I was wrong.)

But the more trainwreck-y the Flyers become, the more I…  well, I still don’t like them.  I don’t even know if I hate them less.  But I frequently find myself wanting them to win.  It’s just so much fun in a mean-spirited way (the best spirit in which to experience the Flyers.)  And there’s nothing more fun that them shutting out the Rangers to the tune of 6-0. I think Chris Drury has hit Code Orange.

Over/under on Tortorella throwing chairs by the end of next week?

As most of you know by listening to the show, we have been playing a literal ass-ton of Uncharted 2’s multiplayer mode as of late. So, that begs the question: what would you all like to see as game nights in 2010? I recently purchased my first Xbox360 game- Burnout Paradise, so get ready for that in the coming weeks. I’d love to see comments on this post regarding where our communal gaming should go!

Wow!  Can you believe it’s 2010 already?!

We’ve got lots of fun events on the calendar this month.  We hope to see you at some of them!

Girly Game Night – January 7 at 7pm

Monterone ladies! Come on up to the Clubhouse for some FUN! We’re gonna play some board games or cards… whatever we feel like! Munchies and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided. Feel free to bring a dish to share and/or a cocktail for yourself (or to share). Feel free to bring your friends!

Brunches – January 16th and 30th at 10am

Come on out for a delicious brunch and meet your neighbors up at the Clubhouse at  10am.

Family Movie Night – January 22 at 6:30pm

Walk, drive or float on up to the Clubhouse for this month’s family movie night!  We’ll be watching Disney-Pixar’s UP! Parents please plan on staying in the building while your kids watch the movie. We’ll have board games and pool to play for the adults or just sit and relax.

Wine Tasting hosted by Steiner Ranch Steakhouse – January 14 at 5pm

Fitness classes by WeDa Fit Club

Fitness classes are part of the amenities here at Monterone Steiner Ranch and that means they are at no charge to you!  Please visit the office for the most up-to-date schedule of classes.

A couple of announcements/reminders from the staff…

• Please note the office is closed at 5pm on Thursday December 31st and closed all day on January 1st for the New Years holiday.
• The indoor pool is open during office hours only.
• Fireworks are not allowed on site.
• Please have your outdoor holiday decorations down by January 2nd.
• Garage audits will continue through January.

Have a safe and Happy New Year, neighbors!

I saw this the last day of school, and they emailed this out two times during break.  It’s tomorrow, and though I have my reasons why I would go…and kind of wanted to go, I don’t think I’d be accompanied by anyone. I suppose I could make friends but I’d kinda be the awkward one standing in a corner. Plus, do I really want to commute and hour back and forth?hmmmm

I feel it’ll be like me at Fort Douglas for Brian Ang’s pizza party… except I had a friend, AJ, with me. I was still pretty quiet though.

lol@ Spaghetti dinner – cute.

Spaghetti cat anyone?

Family Game Night

Friday Nights in a Small Town

by Jennifer Oleen-Rook

as published in the January 2010 issue ofThe Edge Magazine, Roosevelt, UT

Stoke up the fire, get off of Facebook, pull out the board games and let’s have Family Game Night!  That’s what Friday nights in January are for, don’t you know?  It’s time to get some use out of all those fun games Santa brought and log some super-competitive, loving, competition fueled, quality, family time.  This could also be known as an all out WAR in some houses.

Board games bring out the very best in my brothers and me.  A fun, innocent night of good ol’ fashioned fun usually turns into a good ol’ fashioned bar brawl when my brothers and I sit down for a friendly, high stakes game of Trivial Pursuit.  Personally, I just want to have fun (and win at all costs), but my brothers have some behavior problems that probably should be addressed in a group therapy situation that always adds a fun touch of drama to any game night.

My older brother is a know-it-all and I try and try to beat him every time we play so he doesn’t “IN YOUR FACE!” me and gloat for another year, but I can never beat him.   It doesn’t help my cause any when my younger brother, bless his heart, in his quest to have a good time gives really good hints.  The kid has perfected the art of clue-giving and has pretty much come up with his own game that, admittedly is funner to play than Trivial Pursuit by itself.  It’s a combination of charades, Trivial Pursuit, and Name That Tune.  But it’s only fun if he is giving the clues to ME.  It’s no fair when he helps The Know-It-All.

“Hey! You can’t give him a hint!” I’ll yell to my younger brother as he hums out a clue for The Know-It-All.

“Oh come on, Jennifer! He was going to guess it anyway.  It was just such a GOOD hint though.” He’ll counter with a smile.

“OH YEAH! OH YEAH! WHOOP! WHOOP!” the Know-It-All sings.  “Gimme the dice.  MY ROLL again! Lemme work this board!” as he makes yet another sweep of the wedge spaces and fills up his game piece.

With hints from our younger brother and his vast base of trivial knowledge facts, The Know-It-All easily wins the game in less than 30 minutes, upends the board with a “BOOO-YAH!” exclamation as he wins and does an end zone dance that’d make Icky Woods jealous.  He’s just ASKING for me to throw something at him, isn’t he?

“Forget this!” I exclaim as I search for lost game pieces on the ground.  “I’m not playing with CHEATERS. Let’s play Monopoly.”

Oh there’s a great plan.  Nothing beats a good, quick, game of Monopoly.  Am I right? Right? Yeah.  I know.  Just asking for more trouble aren’t we?

“OH! I get to be the shoe!!” (does it really matter WHO says it first?)

“NO! I’m always the shoe! You be the car this time!” (again, it doesn’t matter, this quote can be attributed to anyone in the room when a game of Monopoly breaks out)

“Fine. I’ll settle this.  I’m the OLDEST so I get to be the shoe.” Says The Know-It-All as he elbows his way to the table and boxes the rest of us out as he deftly grabs the shoe with his meaty fingers.

The rest of the choosing goes quickly.  No one ever fights over being the dog.  Someone picks the thimble, someone else picks the guy on the horse, but, for some reason, no one ever wants to be the hat.  Once, the Know-It-All ended up with the hat and he actually switched it out for a mint.  Yep, he played with a piece of candy.  After a couple of trips around the board the car began to bog down and actually ended up getting stuck on Marvin Gardens and the Know-It-All tried to charge me double rent and a clean-up fee! The nerve!   But hey!  At least he wasn’t stuck with the hat, right.

Monopoly can sometimes be described as…well…epic.  It’s a game that drags on and on and on and on for hours.   About the time 3 a.m. rolls around, unless I own them, I’m praying to land on Boardwalk and Park Place just so the game will be over.   Finally, the Know-It-All lands on my other brother’s property with a hotel for the tenth time and he’s cleaned out, bankrupt.  Again, the game board is up-ended and pieces fly every which way.  The Know-It-All doesn’t like to lose, especially to our younger brother, who is a master strategist.

Not one to quit, full of energy and a never-say-die competitive spirit, The Know-It-All enthusiastically shouts, “Who’s up for Scrabble!!??”

“Dude.  It’s 3 am! I’m going to bed!”  I protest with a whiney growl.  And so ends Family Game Night.  Until the next time.

You see, family game night is sort of like a pregnancy.  You usually forget all the pain and the not-so-fun parts and keep saying to yourself, “This time won’t be like last time.”  We play because games are fun.  Some of us like to compete, some of us like to WIN.  But, I just like hanging out with my brothers and laughing.  No matter the outcome, we always have plenty of good laughs and a great time.  See you at the kitchen table next Friday night!

Dear Sabres,

RJ is right.  Overtime seems like a miracle after your God-awful first period.  I can’t believe I’m saying this – it seems so wrong – but I think I might be in the mood for a shootout.

Heh.  Maybe I should use my telepathic powers more selectively.  But hey, 90 minutes ago I was at work saying “Fuck you Sabres, I’m watching the Hawks when I get home.”  Then Vanek & Pomerdoodle scored on my way home and I decided to give you guys a chance.  At this point, a shootout loss doesn’t look so bad.

But a win would be better.

Fuck you, Sabres.

Picking up from where we left off  . . .

Ches 13^th (About 4 p.m.)

The PCs are enjoying a rest in the Slippery Stone Inn. People are just calling it a day, and the tavern is filling up. Farmers, laborers, and fishermen discuss the strange nova that lit up the sky only two weeks ago. People are still discussing if it is an ill or fortuitous omen. Others focus on the fact that 4 respected fishermen have gone missing . . . a number of rumors swirl about this issue – who killed who and why, for example.  The players enjoyed this a bit, I think. It allowed them a moment to enjoy their roles as the fishermen who died, and it was fun to see that the town had the stories completely wrong.

After soaking up the ambience for a bit, and letting the PCs do their thing the door bursts open and in walks Sherriff Anders trying to calm down the old grizzled halfling, Jorek, and the lean, wiry, gap-toothed farmer, Hal Blue. Apparently, a bunch of Jorek’s employees (he is a junker) have gone missing. He’s demanding that the sheriff send out some guards to find them, or at least their bodies. The loud old halfling is convinced that some witch named Morgana is to blame. Meanwhile, Hal Blue is telling the sheriff about the sheep he keeps losing, and how he needs a few guards to watch his property south of town.

Sheriff Anders hears them out, before opting to help the halfling; he condones his choice because of the recent missing fisherman and the fact halfling lives are more valuable than sheep (not quite according to Hal). The whole discussion about missing halflings gets the inn riled up, but the sheriff tells them to keep calm. He will send some men out and figure out what’s going on soon enough.

The PCs take the initiative to talk to Hal about his missing sheep. Ankhegs.

_________________________________

After some wheedling (Damien had to beg his boss to get leave) the PCs follow old man Blue out to his farm house about 4 hours south of town. They tell some dirty jokes, enjoy a home cooked meal, and Hal shows them the corpse of an Ankheg dead in his barn.

Frost investigates the corpse and notices that some residuum is boiling up off of its carapace.

Eventually the PCs work out the following plan:

- Pip will dress up like a sheep and hang out down below to get the drop on any of the bugs.

- The remaining 3 will watch from the hilltop.

—-

After a bit the Ankhegs (1 Momma and 4 broodlings) popped up. The Ankheg’s acid spray was fairly damaging, but the PCs focused their attention on it and were able to scare it off. It burrowed into the soil and began bolting to the southwest. This started a skill challenge.  One fun thing of note here was that this encounter also had a hazard – Sheep run Amok – in which the panicked sheep zipped about knocking PCs prone and trampling them. Great fun.

The skill challenge entailed the PCs bounding over earth to keep up with the rapidly retreating Ankheg. They beat the challenge handily, and as the ankheg rose before its lair, Damien was at the ready splitting it from mandible to tail as it emerged.

—-

The PCs next entered into the lair that ankheg was bolting for. From within they noticed two things: a glowing rock (the color of the fallen star) and the screaming pleas for help from a robed half-elf. The half-elf, dressed in the garb of War Wizard apprentice, appeared to have a broken ankle and was feverish . . . he was also cornered by 4 cave rats.

Frost took the initiative and raced to rescue the scholar; the other 3 investigated the rock. A keen perception check by Kettenbar revealed papa ankheg waiting to burst up through the cavern floor. Robbed of its surprise round, the ankheg still attacked and began a long and bloody battle with the PCs.

Kettenbar took the brunt of the damage, but managed to barely hang on to consciousness. Frost dealt with the cave rats, and the scholar, Caldinor (he was more interested in the rock than his infected wounds).  The battle waged viciously until, Pip leapt atop the ankheg and drove his short sword through the beast’s spine.

We left there.

Today, the last official member of the group (though we may gain a 5^th) . . .

Also, tomorrow I will post a recap of our first session, then in short order I will post some Warhammer Fantasy RPG stuff, and, perhaps, I may let people in on my idea for the New Year.

Anyways, without further ado I give you

Kardis ‘Frost’ Vec

Windsoul Genasi Swordmage (Aegis of Shielding)

Nature: Perfectionist / Demeanor: Penitent

Campaign Hook: Blood Money (gained DURABLE feat)

Frost has been in Maloren’s Rest longer than the other PCs – 2 years. His time here has been spent living the quiet life of the blacksmith’s apprentice. Despite being the soul genasi in the backwater village, people tend think of Frost as a stoic and diligent. He spends a little bit of time each week with the smithy and his wife, the rest of the time is often spent practicing his swordsmanship or pining after Gemma, the young proprietor of the Slippery Stone Inn.

Frost initially came to the Maloren’s Rest to escape a life of gladiatorial fighting in Hillsfar. There he dueled under the patronage of one Jorgen Fell, a pompous ass. But, also the greatest swordsman Frost has ever seen . . . also the swordsman who killed his father in a duel. Frost cannot settle for second-place; he constantly pushes himself to be the best, a struggle that constantly opposes his desire for peace and solitude as well. Frost is a man of mixed emotions, one full of ambition, the other full of regret for not killing the man who killed his father. The latter emotion he hopes one day he can quell by spilling Fell’s blood with his blade.

Connections to Other Characters:

Has caught Pip cheating at dice, cannot trust him.

Is impressed with Damien’s knowledge and skill with the blade.

*ACHIEVEMENTS*

MVPs: 0

Kills: 4

Titles: More than One (Has killed more than one opponent in a single round: 2)

CHARACTER SHEET –>Frost

Didn’t get everything you wanted for Christmas? Well, we have a grenade with YOUR name on it! With it being a “Double Cash for Kills and Medals” weekend, you NEED to fire up your PlayStation3 for a night of Uncharted 2 multiplayer with TQcast, BMI, The Gamesmen, Evolved Gaming, and the Couch Mercenaries! If you have the game just sitting on your shelf but haven’t played it in a while, now is the time. Here are the PSN IDs to add if you would like to join us:

jsslifelike(The Gamesmen)
eljuice(TQcast)
Denoch(TQ)
INFECTED503(Evolved Gaming)
PatPreezy(BMI)
theBlackMarket(BMI)
BigSmooth8(TCM)

Continuing on with the characters of my 4e Forgotten Realms campaign . . .

Kettenbar

Human Hybrid Cleric/Shaman

Nature: Caretaker / Demeanor: Rogue

Campaign Hook: Spelltouched (Gain the STUDENT OF THE PLAGUE feat)

Kettenbar was always a little different, while his father, mother, and brothers toiled away in for a noble in eastern Cormyr, Kettenbar scampered about the forests, snuck into the noble’s study, and pestered the local priests. However, his true difference came out the one night Kettenbar didn’t return from his forest wanderings. His father, always quick to tan his hide, stormed off into the woods hollering for Kettenbar to get his ass home. When he was finally found, Kettenbar’s eyes glowed with wild blue flames . . . a clear indication of the spellplague.

The young man was tossed from his home with nary a word from his father, and even worse, without any support from his mom, the one who seemed to nurture his interests. Kettenbar crossed the country doing odd jobs, eventually meeting Pip on his way out of Wheloon. On the halfling’s advice, the priest/shaman made his way to Maloren’s Rest. Here he does odd jobs for the ranchers surrounding town. This is just to bide time until he can find out where he really fits in.

Character Sheet –>Kettenbar

*ACHIEVEMENTS*

MVPs: 0

Kills: 2

Titles: None

My turn to give a game night game recommendation.  For my first pick I’ll go with a recent favorite party game, that being Truth be Told from Buffalo Games. Keep in mind, as with all the game night game picks, this is not a complete review, simply a quick way to explain why myself or another blog reader recommends a particular game.  The game night game picks are listed because they have been fun for various people at multiple game nights and should also be fun for your own game night.

“I’ve played Truth be Told at a few game nights with friends and new friends and it played well with all groups if people knew each other or just met.  It involves guessing answers to questions and bluffing other players.  The scoring in Truth be Told adds to the strategy and fun with multiple players being able to score, not simply the host or winner of that round. But who cares who wins anyway, I prefer the laughs, and this game has alot of laughs. Tip for erasing : I find a simple tissue works best. “

For a more complete review Superhawk talks about the game at BoardGameGeek.com.

A couple places you can find this online :

Game Daze – $17.99

Puzzlebuffs – $24.99

You can also purchase it at some local specialty shops to have it as a present for someone.  See a list here.

For those in the Buffalo, NY area I also recommend The Good Toy Shop in Orchard Park.  Our recent blog game night was there and he had a bunch for sale.

Note : Prices and availability are accurate at the time of this post and do not include shipping costs.  Prices may change. If you want to let others know about your own favorite, or current favorite game night game, just send me an email.

Continuing on with the characters in my new 4e Forgotten Realms campaign . . .

Damien

Human Assassin

Nature: Deviant / Demeanor: Thrill-Seeker

Campaign Hook: Reckless Youth (Gained ACTION SURGE feat)

Damien grew up on the mean streets of Westgate with his brother, Esteban. After a few years of petty theft, the boys fell in with the much more organized, much more criminal Fire Knives. Initially, things went very well. Esteban had the charm and grace to bring the Fire Knives coin in a variety of ways; meanwhile, Damien’s athletic prowess and skill with a blade found him job after job.

Damien quickly realized that his jobs were getting increasingly difficult and intensive, and yet he was still pulling them off with a hitch. The success went to his head. It was not long before he began questioning, aloud, his belief that his skills were being wasted in the lower rungs of the guild. Where was the coin he deserved? The respect?

The Fire Knives have too much at stake to sit idly by and let dissenters exist. The guild quickly setup the brothers on a job that was a trap. The duo spent the night in the city jail, getting beat by the local constabulary . . . who were on the guild coin. In the morning they were let free, but Damien refused to report back to the Guild.

They put a hit out on him . . . he fled the town, forced to leave his brother behind.

Damien has been in town roughly 5 months. He’s landed a job tending bar, cleaning house, and repairing things as needed at the Slippery Stone Inn. He is generally well-liked, but his fascination with knives puts more than one townsfolk ill at ease.

Connections to Others:

PIP – Damien thinks he and Pip are somewhat kindred souls. They both tend bar, they’ve both muddied pasts, and so on. However, he doesn’t quite like Pip’s flippant attitude. What’s important to the halfling?

KETTENBAR – They’ve not said two words to each other.

FROST – He enjoys the genasi. They are both warriors and know their way around a weapon.

*GM NOTES*

The quietest member of the group . . . good hooks.

*ACHIEVEMENTS*

MVPs: 0

KILLS: 3

TITLES: 1

Delivering the Hurt! (Campaign’s most damage in a single attack: 20)

CHARACTER SHEET –> Damien

In the effort of maintaining a more consistent level of blogging, I wanted to show you the fruits of my pre-campaign gaming session. The players and I spent about an hour or so going through the questions at the back of my campaign brief and these are the characters it spawned.

First up the pint-sized . . .

Pip

Halfling Rogue

Nature: Thrill-Seeker / Demeanor: Bon Vivant

Campaign Hook: Ex-Con (Gained GRIM PROMISE feat)

Pip’s lived a wayward life. He believes only in good women, good gold, and, most importantly, good luck.  The latter has failed him over the past year or so starting with his first internment. A wealthy Sembian merchant, one Malcolm Drake, proved too clever for the halfling and caught him stealing.

The merchant must have had some pull because Pip was sent to the prison city of Wheloon.  However, he did manage to escape (he hasn’t said how yet . . .) and made his way out to the Cormyrian frontier to. Here he helps his Uncle Shelby run the Fisherman’s Tale.

Pip has made passing friends with a variety of people in town, including a halfling prostitute who is madly in love with him. However, his heart belongs to another . . . a lass back home in the Sembian city which he dare not return to.

Connections to Others:

FROST – Not a big fan . . . just thinks the genasi is a bit ‘too’ quiet.

DAMIEN – Likes to joke with him a bit, but doesn’t by the whole ‘emo’ thing he’s got going on.

KETTENBAR – Can already tell he is going to be a bit of an arse.

*GM NOTES*

Going to be a fun character . . . in first session alone, he dressed up like a sheep and jumped on the back of an ankheg.

*ACHIEVEMENTS*

MVPs: 0

KILLS: 0

TITLES: 0

(This area is just for fun mini-game stuff inside the normal game).

CHARACTER SHEET Pip, Halfling Rogue

Every year, the city where I live holds concerts in the park.  They are each Monday night, and the music ranges from jazz, the blues, country, and christian, to rock and roll, latin sounds, and the oldies.  The great thing about it is that it’s free!  All you have to do is bring a blanket or some chairs, some snacks and drinks, and you’re set to go.

This is a great idea for a girlfriend getaway.  Remember, a getaway can be for any length of time.  It can be for an evening, a day, a weekend, a week, or longer.  The length of time doesn’t matter.  The important thing is that you are getting away from your busy world to relax and have some fun.  Concerts in the park are a great way to listen to live music and get away just with the girls.  Did I mention that it’s free?!

Many people assume that the word “weekend” is attached to the word “getaway”.  This simply is not true.  If you are at a place in your life where getting away for longer than a day or even a few hours isn’t realistic, then that’s o.k.  Just find things that are offered in your community that you and your girlfriends can get away and have fun doing together.  Or do a girl’s night out at someone’s house.  Each person can bring a snack or drink, everyone can pitch in for the cost of a movie, and you’ve just created a girlfriend getaway!

Here are some ramen-noodles-for-dinner, can’t afford it, but we gotta make it happen getaway ideas that you and your girlfriends can do!

1.  Concert in the park

2.  Movie night at a girlfriend’s house

3. Afternoon at the state park

4.  Game night at a girlfriend’s house

5.  Jewelry making

6.  Mini manicures and pedicures at a friend’s house

7.  Dessert and coffee evening

8.  Go bowling

9.  Have a slumber party

10.  Give each other a make-over

There are lots of fun, inexpensive ways to create that much needed getaway for you and your girlfriends.  It doesn’t have to break the bank, and it doesn’t have to last for more than a few hours.  There are no set rules for girlfriend getaways.  If all you and your girlfriends want to do is sit down and stare at the walls without anyone demanding anything of you for a few hours…then that’s a great getaway!  Believe me, there have been plenty of times where just getting away for an afternoon or evening with my friends doing absolutely nothing was exactly what we needed.  We didn’t have to say anything to each other or try to come up with anything to do because we all understood our need to “chill”.

So…don’t let lack of money or time be an excuse for not getting away with your girlfriends.  Give yourself permission to have at least a few hours of down time every once in a while.  Don’t box yourself in to the idea that it has to be a “weekend” getaway that’s out of town, or that it would cost too much.  You can make it anything you want!  You can do this!  You NEED this!

Dear Sabres,

The first period was… unfortunate, but this game sure got awesome in a hurry.  I missed all four of your goals your first four goals because I spent the entirety of the 2nd period making dinner, but I heard them, and it was delightful.  Just so you know, if Toronto launches a comeback in the third (improbable) I’m going back to the kitchen.  We all have to do our part.

Congrats to Toni on his first goal of the season!  And yaaaay Matt Ellis!  You’re such a plugger that it makes me especially happy when you score.

Is anyone going to have a worse night between the pipes than Toskala?  4 in 10 is just…  yikes.

I only wish that you guys could’ve worn your good jerseys tonight.  The slug doesn’t deserve to bear witness to this.

What?  The Leafs had 42 shots on goal?  Way to go, Crunchy.

Dear Blackhawks,

You guys mind locking this one down?  Not just because you’re my Western Conference darlings; Boston’s getting a little close for comfort.  I dislike tailgaters.

Ahem, Hawks – I know it’s no difference to you, but I’d have preferred in regulation.  Half credit.

Dear Harry Neale,

I believe Lindy said: “destroy them.”  And yes, it did work.

Dear Paul Gaustad,

Congratulations on your triumphant return to the faceoff circle.  12 for 15 is superfoxy.

So on this past Thursday, I started my 2^nd 4e campaign (Star Fall). Set on the western frontier of Cormyr (Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting), the campaign kicks off in the following way . . .

_______________________________________________________________

Prologue: The Last Game of Dice

To start this campaign I had the PCs assume the role of 4 NPCs. They played four fishermen who’d traveled north and camped out overnight in hopes of getting some good fishing in the following morning. Each player was given a motivation and some background info. The PCs then played some pirate’s dice while letting those motivations fueled the roleplaying.  For the most part people did really well: the drunk harassed the man with liquor non-stop, the man with liquor needed to win because he was trying to put his daughter through bard school, the aspiring politician convinced the young grifter to join the militia . . . I awarded roleplay points based on how well the players bought into the motivation. I’ll post my idea of roleplay points soon, but really it is just a riff off of Wyatt’s drama port riff . . .

Once things got heated and players began arguing about who won what, I read the following text aloud . . . Suddenly your campsite is lit up in a blue-green glow. A roar, like the cackles of a house aflame, pulls your gaze skyward. There amongst the million lights of space, a star, a comet is falling. Big as the sun at noon the colorful, fiery orb treks across the sky leaving a brilliant wake. It seems no higher than the trees and after a long moment seems to fade into the north, the swampy birch trees blocking your view. Before you’ve even had a moment to catch your breath, a large splashing noise comes from the north. . . . It couldn’t have been that close, right? Only a hundred yards away?  What do you do?

Well, one of the PCs ran away,  the other 3 tentatively made their way towards the splashing noise. There they found a beautiful, nude woman . . . who’s eyes flared with wild blue flames . . . she kept screaming some word they couldn’t understand over and over again . . . then blew one of their heads off and melted the other two.

By this time, the one who’d run away had become overrun with guilt and arrived back on the scene just in time to see this witchy woman’s massacre of his friends. He bolts off into the dark woods again, huffing, and puffing. Up ahead in the distance he sees a campfire. He shouts out.

And then falls to the forest ground as a crossbow bolt pierces his throat. His last image of the world is two cloaked figures striding out from the campfire and leaning over him. One plucks out the bolt, his breath reeking of whiskey, and says, “Damn, the old witch was right about the starfall. Does that mean we will find the book here too?”

The second says, “These are secrets even Shar herself wouldn’t know. But shut the hell up anways, that starfall is are signal to get to work.”

______________

Anyways, I will do another post soon. All of that was before the group even got control of their own characters . . . this coupled with our hour long character building session a week ago really heightened that this 4e campaign is going to be roleplaying intensive, and I am glad the players seem to be buying into it.

I hosted a second of many game nights at my cozy Brooklyn apartment last Saturday.  I didn’t want to spend too much time fussing over a varied appetizer menu, so I made a spicy meal of curry-chicken, potatoes, pumpkin, sautéed spinach, roti and wheat couscous.

Continue to see more photos….

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Our volunteers from the Spectrum Center brought sub sandwiches and cookie-decorating supplies, and we had a rocking time eating great food and playing Apples to Apples! Thanks for a great semester, Spectrum folks!