Tag: Jason Cordova

So, as we begin May 2014, I’m quite pleased with how things are going. Here is a list of Gauntlet triumphs:

So, as we begin May 2014, I’m quite pleased with how things are going. Here is a list of Gauntlet triumphs:

So, as we begin May 2014, I’m quite pleased with how things are going. Here is a list of Gauntlet triumphs:

-We have 4 weekly, public game events (with a 5th being added very soon). 

-We are up to about 30 active members (which is pretty great, considering the rather niche games we play). Around 50 members have come out to at least 1 game. 

-Since February 2013, we have organized approximately 299 game sessions (219 public and 80 limited-invite). 

-We performed our first successful ritual to Lord Satan, causing men to bleat like goats in the street while their women clawed at each others’ wombs.

-Since February 2013, we have played 102 different game systems. 

-We successfully pulled-off Saturday Super Medley (!!!), an all-day gaming bonanza, during which over a dozen different games were played. 

-We stuck the landing with the Anthology series. 

In the beginning, we had a few silly people raise objections to what we were doing. I’m not sure what they’re up to anymore (probably murder and incest), but thank goodness we didn’t listen to them!

Here’s to the gamers who play!

We had a terrific time at Wednesday One-Shots last night.

We had a terrific time at Wednesday One-Shots last night.

We had a terrific time at Wednesday One-Shots last night. Rob Ferguson ran Lady Blackbird at his table and I started-up a brand new game of Dungeon World. The Dungeon World game will be canon for our Anthology series, and will explore the frozen north. 

Thanks to everyone who came out: Scott Owen Kristen D Russell Benner James Melott Daniel Fowler Angel Ludwig and Gary Wilson !

We had a terrific time today with Meguey Baker’s 1,001 Nights.

We had a terrific time today with Meguey Baker’s 1,001 Nights.

We had a terrific time today with Meguey Baker’s 1,001 Nights. It took us a hot minute to get into the swing of it, but once we did, the game was a delight. I’ll do a write-up later.

Also: the Rat of Wisdom was everything.

Thanks to Rob Ferguson Daniel Lewis Ferrell Riley Shea Herlihy-Abba and Rachel!

My Torchbearer stuff came in.

My Torchbearer stuff came in.

My Torchbearer stuff came in. As usual, Luke Crane and his team have put together a really beautiful, high-quality product. I am in the middle of reading the rules and most of the typical caveats about his games apply, which is to say it is another crunchy game I want to love but that will probably never see any action at the table. That said, I do think a certain refinement has taken place since Mouse Guard and BWG. And there is something appealing about the way this game practically fetishizes the more mundane aspects of the dungeon crawler’s life (namely, the management of inventory and the importance of things like rations, gear, and torch light). 

I’d really love to give this one a few sessions down the road, but I fear it will be another Luke Crane heartbreaker. 

We had a great time playing a bit of Dungeon World last night.

We had a great time playing a bit of Dungeon World last night.

We had a great time playing a bit of Dungeon World last night. Yes, there were orcs in the beginning; yes, they found the Staff of Ignis; and yes, they fought a chuul in an underground lake. I mean, Jimmy Buffett is always going to play “Margaritaville,” right? 

Thanks Bryan LaVergne and Rob Ferguson !

Some pics from yesterday’s game of Psi*Run. I love, love, love this game.

Some pics from yesterday’s game of Psi*Run. I love, love, love this game.

Some pics from yesterday’s game of Psi*Run. I love, love, love this game. I maintain it is the best superhero RPG ever made. 

For those who don’t know, Psi*Run is a game about super-powered amnesiacs trying to puzzle out who they are, all the while running away from the Chasers. The Chasers can be different from game-to-game. Ours were a bunch of government black suits and the Suicide Squad-style baddies who work for them (Screaming Mimi, Frostbite, and the Party Crashers – Big Rig, Bullet Brain, and Molotov).. Our runners were an old drunk who can control electricity (codename: Shock Top), a tattooed, hydrokinetic freak (codename: Waterboy) and an upper crust punk who can manipulate life-draining dark energy (codename: Shadowrun). 

This game is terrific for lots of reasons. First, it has this nice push-your-luck die mechanic that forces you to make some absolutely agonizing choices (I recommend a house rule whereby if a player’s psi power goes haywire, the other players can get hurt). Second, the way you gradually reveal your character’s past is pretty damn cool. You start with 4-6 questions about yourself, and memories can get triggered during the events of the game which let you answer those questions. The cool thing is, you often don’t get to answer your own questions, allowing the other players to gain some investment in your character. 

Terrific fun. Thanks to Shea Herlihy-Abba Derek Grimm and Rob Ferguson !

Ok, we have a brand-new weekly event beginning Monday, May 12th.

Ok, we have a brand-new weekly event beginning Monday, May 12th.

Ok, we have a brand-new weekly event beginning Monday, May 12th. It will be called the Gauntlet Game Jam. A week or two before any given meeting, we will announce some constraints (for example: “The game must use Tarot cards for conflict resolution” or “The rules must fit on two sides of an index card” or “The theme is ‘The Depravity of the Kennedys'” or whatever). People who show-up will then have 4 hours to work together and produce a playable RPG that fits within the constraints. Doing a little bit of brainstorming beforehand in the Event comments will be greatly encouraged (it will also give everyone a chance to participate, even if you don’t come to the event itself). The purpose of the meeting will be to put the finishing touches on the game and possibly play it a bit. Please see the link below for an example of what we mean (done by ConTessa). 

Rob Ferguson  and I believe this is the natural evolution of what we have been doing with the Gauntlet. No one (and I mean NO ONE) plays tabletop RPGs as much as we do. We feel well-positioned to move into actual game creation, and the Game Jam sessions will be the first foray into that. 

In the meantime, we will be having a sort-of Pre-Jam every Monday at Jax between now and the 12th. At these Pre-Jam sessions we will be playing some games and just generally discussing different aspects of the hobby. A number of us are good friends and know each other well (Daniel Lewis Derek Grimm Russell Benner and a few others) but these Pre-Jams will be a great way for some newer folks to give us a test drive (particularly to test drive Rob and myself, who have, shall we say, ‘dynamic’ personalities). More than anything, it’s important we be able to trust each other and work within a creative space that allows for criticism without anyone getting their fee-fees hurt.

So, the first Pre-Jam session will be scheduled momentarily. I really hope everyone embraces this project. Even if you can’t come out to Jax on Mondays when we begin on the 12th, you should at least pitch your ideas in the Event comments. 

Here’s to the gamers who play (and create)!

http://lookrobot.co.uk/2014/01/28/guild-orpheus-tabletop-gamejam/

We started an AW game on our Thursday Roll20 gig. Sean Smith did a little write-up I thought I’d share.

We started an AW game on our Thursday Roll20 gig. Sean Smith did a little write-up I thought I’d share.

We started an AW game on our Thursday Roll20 gig. Sean Smith did a little write-up I thought I’d share.

Originally shared by Sean Smith

I have played several of the Powered By games but last night I finally got to play the father of them all, Apocalypse World. We are playing in a post-apoc world (surprise!) where a small community seems to have sprung up around the ruins of an old shopping center. The main holder and his thugs wear duck or rabbit masks as there was what I assume an Easter display at the time the shit went down. Creepy! I’m playing the Angel character. Further more, I’m a junkie, willing to do anything for my next fix; and I mean anything. Apparently this has also impacted my ability to properly serve the medical needs of the community as I started with negative HX with every member of the party due to horrible tales of botched medical treatment. We got a chance to get the characters together, fight off some of the holder’s thugs, deal with some worm rats that were making life fully unpleasant, and finally set the stage for some more excitement in our next session. I will say that this is a much different experience then the other games and I am very eager to see how things pan out down the road. Thanks to Jason Cordova for popping my AW cherry! Oh, and I’m fully sure I’ll never forget that lonely night locked away in the re-purposed Hot Topic infirmary with fellow character Buddy. What happens in Hot Topic stays in Hot Topic 🙂

John Roberts Derek Grimm Ferrell Riley 

http://apocalypse-world.com/