Okay, I've moved in now. House is chaos, come and visit...

Anything on this list is free to a good home, just contact me on thoth underscore jackals at yahoo.co.uk and their yours.

Grimtooth’s Traps

State of the Art 2063

State of the Art 2064

Brainscan

Corporate Punishment

Shadowrun Companion (3^rd)

Man and machine

Shadowrun 3 core

Survival of the Fittest

Target: Wastelands

Corporate Download

SR3 GM screen

Canon Companion

Shadows of Asia

Shadows of Europe

Loose Alliances

Rigger 3 (revised version)

Magic in the Shadows

 

 

Let me make one thing perfectly clear. Just one thing, I am no where near mature or grown up enough to be buying a house.

No seriously, what the fuck is anyone doing loaning me that much money? Why is the wonderful Metatron_Blue willing to share it with me? Why am I suddenly worried about curtain choice?

Correct me if I'm wrong but something that feels like FIVE minutes ago I was the foolish fresher who turned up to his first LURPS meeting to run Shadowrun (2 in those days) and got mobbed. I don't feel like I've changed since then. Not really. My Idea of the best week ever is still gaming every single night with cool people. I have fun by dressing up weird and playing make believe or hitting people with toy swords, or not so toy swords.

Now don't get me wrong I love my life and I love the idea of me and my young lady getting a place of our own, but I don't feel like a grown up, Hell I'm over thirty wasn't that one supposed to mean something, wasn't I supposed to feel different? I'm fairly convinced something should feel different, but no. i have a house, a (fairly) real job, and a relationship that has lasted a decade (and a bit) yet I don't feel different. 

Apoligies for the grown up angst.

In news me and M complete on the a house tomorrow and on Saturday we move this may have flummoxed me a tad. Hopefully thed ate will make it easy to get a good house ghoul.

Busy times, Raglan was very good and the ongoing SCA fighting practice is fun, and I appear to be getting better.

The Gathering was also a good one, particularly the bits where I terrified newbies with my knife work.

Work is hectic, but that's the first week of term for you.

We are also in the midst of buying a house, mostly just waiting for the contracts to come through.

Currently I'm ill (cold) but hey that's autumn for you.

Gaming is good both games I'm running regularly are going well and the plots are both flowing nicely. Just need to work out what to do next...

About time I updated.

I lost the job.
Well I dropped to twenty hours and then immediately transferred to the Uni branch, which is cool and very relaxed.

This week was a red letter week, I was on holday and quite busy

Monday - Played in Lee's game introduced my second character a summoner wizard alongside my Warlord.
Tuesday - Saw Nine Inch Nails live on their final tour. See Metatron_Blue's Blog for pictures taken me. It was wonderful, great music big bouncing crowd, fun in the Moshpit. A dream come true.
Wednesday - Played in Alex's Rouge Trader one shot, I player Sarvus Trask, rouge trader, swordsman and dubious git (though the last bit was well hidden) lots of fun nice standard salvage the derelict ship, deal with complications type sf plot. Good fun.
Thursday - Ran my Thursday game, political intriuge, brutal monsters (gnolls), and some lesbian bondage... A typical game really. But a great group who are playing fun and interesting characters.
Friday - Food shopping and planning how to hurt my Tuesday group. Now randomly watching Bill Bailey.

Okay good weekend, played Ars Magica (Steampunk stylie, thanks Tomm) for the first time on saturday. It was good, plan for next game, get the rest of the characters to start respecting me (whatever my name is). I played in typical style for me a mage masquerading as a stage conjurer, he's a dodgy ladies man, so no idea why the rest of the group don't really respect him :).

Sunday, we got a some friends round and Mr The Rampant beat us up a lot, I think I did okay but I'm still a newbie, one day I hope to be good. Until then I shall be bruised. A lot.

Monday, I was told that either me or a colleague have to be made redundant. Life sucks sometimes, I guess I have about even chance of getting it (or at least as close to that as I'll get against a 20 year vet who used to be an AM). I dropped from my game (yes a player slot!) for the night to try and deal. I passed the worrying to one of the cats (Thanks Archer), it helped.

Tuesday, day off mostly calm.

Today, Liverpool for Forum meeting plus shopping oppurtunity. Mood was up and down. Now at home watching the end of a poor movie. Though ranting at Wood from Cheers' idiocy as fun.

A samll prize if you get the movie right.

Currently playing - Nothing regular. Ah well I'm used to it.

Currently running

Tuesdays - Against the Lord of Skulls, a fantasy epic as a band of adventurers seek a way to fulfil a prophecy that people of their home land can bring about the doom of Orcus. D&D 4e, currently 16th level and off to meet the Minotaurs of the City of Many Turns and ratify the treaty with them. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this ends, it should be scary.

Wednesdays(Theoretically) - Shadows of Manchester. Shadowrun in the north of England, politics, crime, sex and violence. Vampire and Ork berzerker PCs and Cat wiccan tart and hyperactive hacker NPCs. Soon (hopefully) to add a character played by Richard.

Thursdays- BRAND NEW characters and intro done today. Grimey Urban Fantasy using 4e set aboy a centuary after the Tuesday game. Weird cults, corrupt guards, twisted nobles and Imperialist dreams will threaten.

Friday (the one I get paid for)- Again 4e, set about 90 years before Tuesday game (in my own world btw) The players are soldiers fighting to prevent the collapse of the Nerathi Empire against the bestial forces of the ruler of ruin.

Your result for The Sexuality Spectrum Test ...

Bi/Slightly Straight

You scored 8 (-52 being completely gay, 0 being bisexual, and 52 being completely straight)

From an ENWorld (D&D forum) discussion of groups disintegating.

Not my group but the story is very fine. A warning to all GMs.

We were fighting these bad guys who could assume human form but were, in fact, lizard dudes. We knew this because when you killed them they resumed their lizard form. We began one of our sessions in a corridor inside an enemy lair when it suddenly "clicked". I told the GM, "I've got this figured out!" The rest of the conversation went like this:

Me (Halfling Rogue): "I stab the Barbarian."
Both other players and GM: "WHAT?!"
Me: "I figured it out. He's one of THEM! I stab him. I hit...AC 24 for, I assume he's flat footed yes?, 16 points of damage."
Both other players and GM: "WHAT?!"
Me: "16 points of damage."
GM: *regains a bit of composure* "Um...roll initiative I guess."
Me: "22"
Barbarian Player: "CRAP! I got a 14"
Cleric Player: "I rolled a 3 so that's a...3."
Me: "I Sneak Attack him again with my dagger! Sweet! A 19! That's a crit threat! Confirmed for...23 points of damage!"
Barbarian Player: "*(&$&! You just put me unconscious!"
GM: "Your turn, Cleric."
Cleric: "I move over to the Barbarian and make a Heal check to stabilize him. I got a 17 so he's stable."
GM: "Ok then we're back over to you, Rogue. Care to explain yourself?"
Me: "I coup de grace the Barbarian."
Everybody else: "WHAT?!
Barbarian: "You (&(*&%$ing bastard!"
GM: *desperately trying to keep his cool* "Well...the Cleric gets an AoO on you! Coup de grace draws an AoO!"
Cleric: "Um...ok...I hit a 19."
Me: "My AC is 21! So I do...19 damage. He's dead, right?"
Barbarian: "I'm )(*^&*^ing dead! That's just great!"
GM: *Stares at me blankly*
Me: "Stand down, Cleric. In a moment you will see who the true traitor is!"
Everybody else: *stares at me blankly*
Me: "So does he turn into a Lizard dude?"
GM: "NO!"
Other Players: *stare at me blankly*
Me: "Well give him a minute. Sometimes it takes a minute, right?"
GM: "NO!"
Me: "No?"
GM: "NO!"
Me: "Hmm...I was SURE I was right about this."
Barbarian Player: ")(*^&^&ing great!"
Whole Group: *sits in silence for a minute*
Barbarian: "Hey, GM, what's today's date?"
GM: *Glances at watch* "It's April firs...YOU BASTARDS!! YOU )*()^%$ing BASTARDS!!"
Everybody But GM: *rolling on floor crying with laughter* "Did you see his face? Oh my GOD, his face!! *inability to talk due to laughter*

That's what happens when the GM shows up late to the session and you have time to talk with your fellow players (whom, I must admit, were DAMN fine actors!).

"Things Need Not Have Happened to be True" - Neil Gaiman

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now (even if we don't speak often or ever) please post a comment with a completely made up, fictional memory of you and me.

It can be anything you want - good or bad - but it has to be fake.

When you're finished, post this little paragraph in your LJ and see what your friends come up with.

Well day off today and some things are making me happy. First I played in an RPG on Sunday, actual being a player time for about the first time in six months (at least). Second It's my day off. Thirdly the main 4e game is rolling nicely, just need to work out what I do tonight, I may do filler stuff or shift around some major events I had planned as certain of them would actually make sense right now. I may be going up to LURPS on Thursdays to get some more playing. I'm mostly over the horrid cold I've had and this link www.amazon.com/Planetary-Vol-4-Warren-Ellis/dp/1401209963/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1 makes me very perky, sure it's a;most a year away but it's finally coming! This months payday should have lots of overtime (had I said I get paid to run a D&D game? I forget).

Lastly it's about 22 days till I go and see Neil Gaiman doing Graveyard book stuff in Manchester, I shall get him to sign more of my copies of his stuff and try and hang with him even if it's just a little. Anyone else who is going give me a shout, I intend to hit Wagamama for food and do some chrimble shopping with the aforementioned overtime pay.

Though of course this time is for when I'm not feeling like shit, as I am today, damn cold thingie...
I could survive for 1 minute, 6 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Predictably I'm less goth than M, but still I'm petty gothy. Yey me, and given the t-shirt I'm wearing today, one of the questions made me giggle.

You Are 68% Goth

You are clearly goth. Even if you don't consider yourself goth, other people do. Let's face it. You're a little moodier, darker, and weirder than most people. But that's okay. You enjoy being different, and you're proud of who you are. Many psychologists think that goths are more self aware and smarter than the average person!

I survived the G! Both in and out of character. Though IC it did come close, damn monster hit squads. Plot was good and the Mage's Guild was as ever fun. Sunday had a big anti-plot mosh which was fabulous fun, haring around a hillside fighting monsters is probably my favourite form of exercise.

Last nights D&D game was a doozy, the big plot is more or less revealed, the NPC based sub-plut has moved to stage two, and the actual adventure worked, the best moment for me was when the party found that Lena's guest PC was actually some form of ghost, as she vanished after the final fight and they found her clearly long dead skeleton, despite Michelle's character remembering having trained with her... Mystery and weird shit abounded, and as Alex's character's crime now stands revealed, next week I get to run the climax of the beginning, this will be fun (for me).

On a reffing note many thanks to Jaine for helping me find the confidence in myself as something of a storyteller to do arty things like last nights ghost story trick.

Well today it's of to the Big G. The weather looks a bit iffy but hey it can't be worse than my first G (Rain for two days solid). Hopefully I'll survive this on again despite Bold or Stupid tending to live up to his name.

In my D&D game I have a guest star (Lena who is back from the states for the mo) and I have a art plan for next week that I think should work. Won't go into details but I'm hoping it does what I want. I'm still enjoying the 4th ed system a lot it's easy and fun to stat up varied encounters this week the party fought Kobolds and the notorious Irontooth (a goblin from a pre-made adventure with a rep for TPK) they dealt with both encounters with ease, it's just a shame Lena's dice hate her at the mo.

Been a busy week so far, thank gods for a long weekend off. However that may be busy too.

My Grandma (only surviving grandparent) is turning 90 so me and Metatron are off to Newcastle to visit her birthday tea and see all my mums side of the family, plus I get to drop off my Father's birthday present (62 for the record).

At work this week I went to Liverpool for a Staff Forum meeting, I'm the store rep for Lancaster so I get to get answers/things done by higher management. I probably can't go into much detail but it was an interesting experience and gave me an insight into how the company works.

Gaming wise my 4th Edition game is starting to move well. I have the measure of my players which should make manipulating them easier. Already one has as I expected seized an opportunity which had repercussion he didn't realise and which will grow into the main storyline of the campaign. Also Metatron's character has started  out on what should be a  very interesting  romantic entanglement. I have a very  strong idea for this game and I'm happy that the players are playing in the direction I intended. I am expecting my first player sourced curveball any day now. I expect them do do something impressive and heroic during the climax of the first act of the campaign, I'm not sure what they'll do but I have a nagging suspicion that I'll have to adjust my plans to their craziness.

I'll start by saying yawn. Work is hectic as I'm running downstairs this week which is fine but, you guessed it tiring. We also have three work experience people in one of whom speak next to no English (though it's than my French...) yet more tiring.

My 4th ed D&D game is seeming to work, people are still adapting to/bitching about/getting used to the system, but the most important thing, the thing that transcends system and makes anything a fun game is there. The group is group, they have dynamics, rather than being a squad of faceless soldiers  in a tactical game.  Mostly it's take the piss out of the bookish mage at the mo but there are believable relationships start to take place (the Paladin can't help but call the Wizard Ponce). Also the NPC is going where I want her to, the same for the powerful NPC patron. Tonight was session two, finiing off Kobold Hall an adventure in the DM's Guide. They succeeded with flying colours and have slain their first Dragon (a young white), the dragon fight was great with the Paladin doing most of the heavy liftig backed up by the Warlock, the Dragonborn Warlock had very little luck but did hit it with the biggest blow of the night, which due to Warlord Tactical Trickery gave everyone a big bonus to hit. Sadly Dragon had on 2HP left so it wasn't that helpful but she just got whaled one. The dragon breathing as it hit half HP was cool for me two, and seemed to upset the PCs and KOd the Warlord briefly. One dragon slain though and up one level next week they get to investigate a graveyard... The moon may be full...

Enjoy this one it may be the last. Certainly based on other blogs I've kept.

This weekend could be interesting in a bad way. I'm in charge at work on Sunday, just me and the two joined at the hip weekend girls (not in a naughty way of course they like twelve year olds fer christ sakes!) So anything goes wrong on Sunday it's me vs. the world. Crapon a stick. Here I am with a problem with anxiety and I'm doing all I can to get more stress and responsibility at work, hey ho teach me to decide to get a career...

Also on the horizon is the previously mentioned 4th edition game, I have a plot and even encounters, still haven't sorted out the last PC for the group but Metatron_blue now has her character background at least sketched out and while she didn't go for the deepest plat background she's given me some hooks to play with. I just hope I can get similar amounts to work with from the other victi.. I mean players.

Hmm I have buckled under a pathetic amount of pressure and got me an LJ (bang up to date here, in 10 years I may get on Facebook...) So today was pretty good ay for me, my bosses were happy with the event I organised in the store, I got to construct a Death Standee for the store (for Discworld 25th anniversary) and I got asked to do a RPG related revamp on the company intranet. So pretty good all in all.

On a more important note my first 4e D&D campaign is heading towards start, I have a plot (and have had for months something of record for me I usually come up with a plot ooo hours before the session), I have players (5), they have almost all worked out what they're playing and statted them up. I'm looking forward to it really the new system has me excited about running a game, I hope the players enjoy it as much as I will.