Finally back to R&R Sandbox

I have been distracted lately with turmoil at home (going through a divorce) - but things are starting to settle down again for me which will allow me to concentrate on the things I want to get done this year. Something that is moving up to number one is a sandbox for Ruins & Ronin to play in. I have created an atlas map of the island I plan to detail which can be seen below.

From here, I have started with the western most portion and plan to detail from there. Here is my first map (black & white just looks better to me).



This is an island in chaos, there is a war amongst the 5 highest clans for control of the Empire. Many villages that border the states are abandoned or put to the torch. Clan-less Ronin turn to brigandage and scour the remote settlements. The oni of the mountains take advantage and turn to pillage and plunder as well.

Awesomenicity! Fight On! #8!

In case you have missed the announcement....

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Surrounded on all sides by monstrous aliens, cruel demigods, and ancient lich-kings? Pull out your +4 Plasma Blaster and Fight On! Issue 8, dedicated to cover artist Erol Otus, is ready to ROCK YOUR GAME with new races, classes, spells, tables, gods, monsters, traps, reviews, a `desert sandbox' minicampaign, two longer adventures, eight minidungeons, and lots of other goodies to help you take it to the next level – or stop the PCs from getting there! With art and articles by Erol Otus, Kevin Mayle, Mark Allen, Lee Barber, Peter Jensen, Steve Robertson, Samuel Kisko, Patrick Farley, Kelvin Green, Anthony Stiller, Robert Lionheart, Ramsey Dow, Jeff Rients, Gabor Lux, Age of Fable, Baz Blatt, Zachary Houghton, Erin "Taichara" Bisson, Del L. Beaudry, Geoffrey O. Dale, Michael Curtis, Tavis Allison, James Maliszewski, Tony Dowler, and many, many more, this issue is jam-packed with the old-school action adventure you crave. Don't miss out – grab it today!

Fight On! #8 is available in print and PDF. You can buy the print edition here:

http://www.lulu.com/content/8520294

and the PDF here:

http://www.lulu.com/content/8520735

Table of Contents:
Mercenaries A to Z (Simon Bull)………..……………….3
Arendt's Old Peculiar (Antti Hulkkonen)………………..6
Experience for Exploration (Jeff Rients)………………...8
Supersize Me! (Daniel R. Collins)…………..…………...10
Insectaurs and Masterminds (Tim "Sniderman" Snider)..11
The Soothsayer (Ragnorakk)…………………………....13
I Thirst (Gabor Lux)…………………………………....15
Knights & Knaves (Steve Robertson & Alfred J. Dalziel)20
Creepies & Crawlies (Geoff McKinney & Sam Kisko).....23
Grognard's Grimoire (Calithena)……………………….25
Red Heart Fortress (Alex Schröder)……………………26
Tables for Fables (Age of Fable)………………………..27
Hidden Traits (Zak S.)………………………………….28
Let's Scrounge Up Some Wheels (Tim Snider)…………30
Post-Apocalyptic Stormfront Table ("Sniderman")...…...31
The Howling Emptiness (Ramsey Dow)……………….34
Education of a Magic User (Douglas Cox)……………..44
Mooning Ixtandraz (Peter Schmidt Jensen)…………….45
Smallweed's Ride (Baz Blatt)…………………….……...46
The Village of Pindle (Zachary Houghton)……….…….48
Welcome to the Microdungeon (Tony Dowler)….…..…49
The Understudy (Erin "Taichara" Bisson)……...….…....50
Badlands of the Bandit Kings (Robert Lionheart)……....51
Oceanian Legends: The Gods of Eá (Del L. Beaudry)….59
Random's Assortment (Random, Big Jack Brass, Ciryl)...66
Dungeon Modules (Geoffrey O. Dale)…………………68
Sites to Seek (Michael Curtis)…………………………..72
The Darkness Beneath (Calithena)……………………...74
Interview with Erol Otus (Erol Otus & Jeff Rients)……77
Random Events Make You Say Yes (Tavis Allison)…….80
Merlyn's Mystical Mirror (various)……………………...82
Artifacts, Adjuncts, & Oddments (Dalziel & Dow)…….88

Front Cover by Erol Otus. Back cover by Kevin Mayle. Fight On! and Erol Otus logos by Jeff Rients. Interior art by Bill Hooks (3,87), TARGA (traditionalgaming.org: 3), Mark Allen (marjasall.com: 4,17,19,29,39,51,53,57), Antti Hulkonnen (6), Otherworld Miniatures (otherworld.me.uk: 7), Geoffrey McKinney (8), Lee Barber (ghosttower. crithitcomics.com: 9,10,62,64,75), Lester (12,24), Mikko Torvinen (13), Peter Schmidt Jensen (14,45,55,59,66), Black Blade Publishing (black-blade-publishing.com: 14, 22), Gabor Lux (16), Steve Robertson (21), DEI Games (deigames.com: 22), Samuel Kisko (23,24), Kelvin Green (junkopia.net/kelvinsdirtybits/main.html: 25,43,63), Alex Schröder (26), Javi Allison (27,32), Ramsey Dow (35,42), Jonathan Usiak (usiakart.com: 37), Douglas Cox (44), Baz Blatt (46-7), Zachary Houghton (48), Tony Dowler (49), Erin Bisson (50), Bronze Age Miniatures (bronzeagemin. com: 50), Robert Lionheart (54,56,58), Kevin Mayle (63), Gustav Dore (65), Anthony Stiller (66,67), Patrick Farley (70), Spellbook Games (spellbookgames.com: 71), Michael Curtis (72,73), karenswhimsy.com (74), Calithena (75), Robert S. Conley (batintheattic.com: 76,83), Erol Otus (79), J. A. D'Andrea (82), Harsh (84), Alexander Vis-kovatov (88), and Kesher (88). TARGA logo by Chad "Atomkid" Thorson; Creepies & Crawlies and Knights & Knaves logos by Lee Barber; Tables for Fables logo by Age of Fable; The Darkness Beneath logo by Rob Conley.

Hex Mapping Templates

Not news, but new to me... I am not sure how many people are aware of the Welshpiper site. However he has provided some kick-arse templates (pdf, CC3, and Hexpgrapher) to create Atlas style hex maps (well atlas down to local level). If you have not seen it, I recommend checking it out NOW!

http://www.welshpiper.com/hex-templates/


I can't wait to play around with some new maps...

My latest endeavor

I have been moving things around in my basement and gaming room, and stumbled across my Harn collection. I have loved this setting since seeing the old Dragon magazine ads for the encyclopedia back in the early 80's. I never knew there was a gaming system for Harn until the 2nd edition came out in the mid 90's however. I have since gone back and completed most of my Harn collection (even have the 1st edition rules). While I love the setting, the rules are about as "simulationist" and "crunchy" as you can get. (Not that I don't sometimes like that in a rules set).

However, one of the coolest things about this system is the armor and combat system. Sure, it plays slow, but it is bloody gruesome. On top of that, they added some really cool jousting rules in the 3rd edition. This leads me to my latest endeavor.

Way back in 2001 when I was pretty active in the Harn Forums (well, active as in lurking there often), I got a chance to play in a pbem Jousting tourney. Basically the players all submitted knights and the GM simulated the jousting and posted results. I only got to play in 1 joust (which I won) before the game died out, but it was a blast to play.

So yesterday, after looking through my stuff and checking out the Harn Forums, I went looking for the old website. Unfortunately it was removed ages ago, but thanks to my awesome internet detective skills (aka: using internet archives), I was able to find the old page and the rules used to run the game.

Now, I have setup a new blog here, where I plan to run my own Harnic Jousting tourney. I have made the initial post there, but will soon add the character creation rules and a link to submit them my email as well. So, if you are a closet Harniac, please check it out.

I still plan to blog here, so don't think I am abandoning sword+1, cause that ain't happening. :)

Mike D.