Search found 941 matches

by Jyrdan Fairblade
Mon Nov 19, 2018 4:13 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: Best ON SCREEN dragon.
Replies: 15
Views: 10712

Re: Best ON SCREEN dragon.

Heh, I actually liked the design on a lot of The Hobbit – I thought Guillermo Del Toro’s influence was clear in a bunch of places. Heck, I loved the zany hair and beard styles of the dwarves. Did not love the bird poop on Radagast – I think that Peter Jackson’s instinct towards designating a charact...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:31 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: Best ON SCREEN dragon.
Replies: 15
Views: 10712

Re: Best ON SCREEN dragon.

Also going to vote for Vermithrax of Dragonslayer fame. Just re-watched it, and the special effects still hold up. For being silent, the dragon still come across as cruel and malicious. Smaug in the recent Hobbit...hrm. I liked the voice, especially the low bass register that made it feel like a mas...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:28 pm
Forum: Tributes
Topic: Carl Sargent Is Gone
Replies: 3
Views: 7307

Re: Carl Sargent Is Gone

Sad news! Had no idea he was also a parapsychologist.
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:29 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: Worst fantasy movie ...
Replies: 82
Views: 54910

Re: Worst fantasy movie ...

What are you talking about, Strange Brew is Hamlet (really, it totally swipes the plot of Hamlet)?
Gringnr wrote:
Buttmonkey wrote: I, too, have discovered that The Ice Pirates does not age well... I was similarly disappointed in Strange Brew,though as a child I found it to be the height of comedy.
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Tue Apr 10, 2018 8:08 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: Playing with Evil Characters
Replies: 17
Views: 9252

Re: Playing with Evil Characters

The thing is that being arrogant, selfish, self-centered, and greedy is hardly solely the domain of evil characters. An evil character that desires wealth and personal power, but otherwise aligns their goals with the group, is far less disruptive to a campaign than an LG paladin that tries to hand t...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Mon Apr 09, 2018 3:05 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: Playing with Evil Characters
Replies: 17
Views: 9252

Re: Playing with Evil Characters

I think there are lots of reasons one could find to adventure with an evil character – provided they’re not playing DE – Disruptive Evil. As long as they’re not screwing over the group with their actions, there’s a lot of wiggle room for alignment. Think of it as having to work with someone who you ...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Fri Mar 23, 2018 2:22 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: Origins... who's going?
Replies: 33
Views: 18628

Re: Origins... who's going?

Assuming this refers to me, after realizing that the CK was a no-show, it was a “hey, if you guys still want to play, my brother can teach you the rules and I’ll come up with something I can run” moment. I'm guessing it was the same CK that you had to shoulder the burden for. I’ll keep an eye open! ...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:33 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: In Memoriam ~ Gary Gygax
Replies: 8
Views: 6123

Re: In Memoriam ~ Gary Gygax

Ten years, crazy…

It really was amazing just how accessible and friendly he was on these forums and others. Going back and reading some of those threads is a bittersweet joy.
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:24 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: Eye of the Beholder KS
Replies: 2
Views: 3481

Re: Eye of the Beholder KS

I do hope this Kickstarter delivers. There seems to be a curse on D&D documentary Kickstarters (see also The Great Kingdom debacle).
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:23 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
Replies: 4
Views: 4273

Re: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

I’m pretty excited for it. Some of the previews make it sound like there’ll be extraplanar content, and I’m always a sucker for that. And hey, even wizards can go bald. There are limits to Wish spells, after all. Anyone see this yet? Any interest? The idea is cool, but I never liked the "bald M...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:19 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: Origins... who's going?
Replies: 33
Views: 18628

Re: Origins... who's going?

I am going. Looking forward to seeing the events schedule. Thinking about finally trying out True Dungeon this year, since it's Kingkiller Chronicles-themed. Last year I ended up writing a C&C adventure and running it on the spot when the planned CK no-showed. It was a blast, and probably not a ...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Tue Jan 30, 2018 7:31 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: Palladium Fantasy Setting for C&C
Replies: 16
Views: 9631

Re: Palladium Fantasy Setting for C&C

The same could be said for any number of RPG systems back then, really. It’s amazing what we dealt with back then. Not that this is a defense of Palladium – they stuck to their universal system unchanged for so long. I’m no fan of the edition treadmill, but their system could’ve done with a serious ...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Tue Jan 30, 2018 7:27 pm
Forum: Other Games
Topic: Top Secret: New World Order
Replies: 19
Views: 14210

Re: Top Secret: New World Order

Back in the day, there was a bit of Bond to our Top Secret campaigns. But really it was more of the military side, inspired by innumerable 80s action flicks, especially after we got the Commando sourcebook.
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:02 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: Inspiration for character names , Where do you get yours ?
Replies: 15
Views: 7703

Re: Inspiration for character names , Where do you get yours

I use this method, more or less. If I’m stuck, I look at the sample names for the race and start mashing and mixing them up. That way, they feel culturally appropriate without showing up at the table playing a dwarf named Bruenor. I just roll around names in my head until I get one that "sounds...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Fri Dec 01, 2017 7:41 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: NOT buying new stuff is hard...
Replies: 34
Views: 22432

Re: NOT buying new stuff is hard...

When contemplating a purchase, I always try to ask myself will I use it or will it inspire me? If the answer to both is no…well, I can’t say I always leave the RPG product on the shelf. But it helps.
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Fri Dec 01, 2017 7:33 pm
Forum: Other Games
Topic: Top Secret: New World Order
Replies: 19
Views: 14210

Re: Top Secret: New World Order

The Bond of the books is definitely meaner, rougher, and colder. I still have a soft spot for Roger Moore era Bond, though. Much different from the "tux and a babe" Bond popularized in the Roger Moore era, the original Bond books are more of a tough-guy Bond who gets beat up and gets finge...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Thu Oct 05, 2017 6:27 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: Empyrea for C&C
Replies: 71
Views: 38641

Re: Empyrea for C&C

With almost 40 days to go, there’s certainly a chance. But a quarter of a million dollars seems pretty darn high. For my part, I’m torn. On the one hand, there are a lot luminaries lined up for this. On the other, the minimum print copy of this requires a $75 level of backing. Sure, I can handle tha...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Wed Aug 30, 2017 3:22 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: C&C and 5e
Replies: 27
Views: 20636

Re: C&C and 5e

It's in both the PHB and DMG. Though the specific wording mentions role-playing a character's Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws, but it is not limited to such. Inspiration is something the DM uses to reward a player for something. I don't recall that from the 5e PH (though i have not read it exhaustively). I...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Fri Aug 25, 2017 6:59 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: C&C and 5e
Replies: 27
Views: 20636

Re: C&C and 5e

There are technically two mechanics at work here. Advantage and Disadvantage are situational, when something might be easier or more difficult than usual. If you get poisoned by the stench of ghast, you have disadvantage on your attack rolls. If you’re trying to figure out what the ancient runes on ...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Thu Aug 24, 2017 3:58 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: C&C and 5e
Replies: 27
Views: 20636

Re: C&C and 5e

I enjoy both quite a bit. I will say that in play C&C has far fewer pauses to look up a rule or to adjudicate the interaction of two abilities. Advantage is a wonderful mechanic, and I use it to incentivize what I want to see from my players. I make it very clear that good role-playing and getti...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Mon Aug 14, 2017 6:39 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: Racial Classes
Replies: 4
Views: 5202

Re: Racial Classes

Talislanta also did that sort of thing, matching specific classes with racial archetypes. I'm generally a fan of opening up all classes to all races these days, though I will always have a soft spot for race-as-class. I used to be all for racial restrictions, but on the whole I think it encourages m...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Tue Jun 20, 2017 7:44 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: In St Louis!
Replies: 10
Views: 8961

Re: In St Louis!

Dang! As if buying a home wasn’t stressful enough. Glad everyone is reasonably okay, though.
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Mon May 01, 2017 2:36 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: Origins in Columbus in June?
Replies: 24
Views: 14561

Re: Origins in Columbus in June?

We’re (brother Litzen and I) going. It’s only a three-hour drive, so it’s a lot easier than schlepping out to Gen Con. Hoping to get in some C&C, D&D, Pathfinder, and Tunnels & Trolls, amongst other things. Last year our schedule was packed, so we’re trying a more relaxed approach to giv...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Wed Apr 26, 2017 2:45 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: Favorite Monsters
Replies: 17
Views: 10060

Re: Favorite Monsters

Orcus is definitely my favorite demon lord.

My favorites include the lowly carrion crawler (I chalk that one up to having the old LJN bendy toy when I was a kid), white dragons, and undead of all stripes.
Treebore wrote: Orcus
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Mon Apr 03, 2017 5:48 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: There is no system to rule them all...
Replies: 11
Views: 8646

Re: There is no system to rule them all...

Agreed. We all have our favorite systems, but I think it’s a mistake to believe that one single choice is the best there is. Everyone has had a discussion with someone at one point, that when you’re talking about whatever game you’re playing, they have to respond with “oh, you totally should be play...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Mon Mar 27, 2017 3:51 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: Deck of Many Things ~ your experiences as CK or PC
Replies: 46
Views: 22369

Re: Deck of Many Things ~ your experiences as CK or PC

Agreed - it’s been ages since I put one of those into play – like wish-granting items, the deck can swing the game wildly in some negative directions. I think that the players that actually want to see such things aren’t prepared for all the potentially character-ending draws. I know there were othe...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:02 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: Who's yer favorite Ru?
Replies: 14
Views: 9064

Re: Who's yer favorite Ru?

I played in a session of The Strange where one of the players made RBG. Her husband did Ronnie James Dio. Hilarious and awesome. Another great Rutger Hauer movie is Flesh & Blood. Definitely not family viewing, but that goes for most of Verhoeven’s films. And for more recent fair, there are few ...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Mon Feb 20, 2017 9:46 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: Dwarf Magic-Users, etc. (Race "limitations")
Replies: 21
Views: 11816

Re: Dwarf Magic-Users, etc. (Race "limitations")

I've used the typical classes list in the past as the class limits for each race, for that extra old-school feel.
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Mon Feb 20, 2017 9:44 pm
Forum: Castles & Crusades
Topic: Shield Size Vs. # of Opponents
Replies: 11
Views: 7144

Re: Shield Size Vs. # of Opponents

I have not used it, figuring it would be just one more thing to keep track of. Maybe if a shield still gave +11 to AC I would...
by Jyrdan Fairblade
Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:46 pm
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: My Wife is Awesome...
Replies: 13
Views: 9849

Re: My Wife is Awesome...

That is classy!