Bending Over Backwards

If there's one thing I've found about the internet it's that it is difficult to get a good group together permanently. People have to go places, people have other stuff they want to do, people have real life engagements. The biggest problem I've run into is getting a group together that meshes well in playstyle expectations. That and finding a DM to run. I run two games a week, and play about once every other week due to the schedule of my one game. Thankfully the players are all good. But there are days that I wish I could play more, and not just in pick up groups I've not played with before. Oh well. I don't feel like contorting that much.

Art from GIS for contortionist

LooneyDM out.

Targeting

If you don't shoot the mage first, you've got no one to blame but yourself when she summons another demon after you kill the first. Really it's a time honored tradition. The heavy armored dude in front isn't the problem in the fight. It's the mage behind him. Usually the mage is dropping buffs as well which makes for double the fun. Either way, shoot the mage (or medic) first. It'll save you trouble in the long run.

Art from here

LooneyDM out

Nose Ring

Nose Ring. Nothing says badass like that. Or says image problems. Especially when its a giant eagle with a nose ring. I mean how does that even work? Puncture straight through the beak? That can't be safe, sanitary or even remotely sensible. The other question is, who did it? The eagle clearly couldn't since it has no hands. Perhaps a wizard did it. Now I have images of a wizard running a piercing and tattoo parlor for monsters who want that special tough look to intimidate adventurers.

Art from here

LooneyDM out

Swashbuckling

My sky pirates game is entirely underway at this point. They do lack a certain pizazz not having a scantily clad figurehead, or a ship for that matter. All in good time.

Art from here

Sky Piratey quotes for you:

Lyril ( Going to heal Kefin there. )

Kefin (*GIGANTIC RELIEF SIGH*)

Hawkeye (Lyril is PARTY CLERK)

Hawkeye "Might want to tell 'em to come back, she's gonna blow."

Hawkeye sounds hilariously passe about all this

Sergio (yeah Hawkeye is practically off having a rollup XD )

Floret (Hmm... the guy I hit before... I am going to try to violently knock him unconscious for later interrogation! With the hilt of my awesome sword, of course)

LooneyGM (pommel away)

Hawkeye (also he should get +2 for SEXY BOD-AY)

Floret (Oh man, Sergio should have that as a... as a forte or foible)

Hawkeye (we'll call that the Fabio bonus)

Floret ('Loses shirt at every given opportunity')

Floret (This is the longest, bloodiest, most dramatic lifeboat trip ever)

Sergio (treasure! is it the fabled Golden Bearclaw?)

Hawkeye (no, it's the Emerald Eclair)

Sergio (THE DIAMOND MUFFIN??)

Hawkeye (The Ruby Rimoulade)

Sergio (platinum popover?)

LooneyDM out

Steampunk

I have no thoughts for today. So here's a fancy dress steampunk lady riding a giant clockwork sparrow

LooneyDM out

Not Dying

Picture is unrelated. Sorta. My sky pirates campaign rolled out on Wednesday. I'm using the Swashbucklers of the Seven Skies setting with the PDQ# rules. One of the specified points of character creation is a character's motivation. Yeah yeah, I know a character is supposed to have a motivation regardless but the way it works into this game is straight up brilliant. Motivation is a game mechanic that can take hits, which in turn generates story hooks. The really lovely part I like as a GM is that all my players have written up what amounts to a one line description of a point that interests their character in world. It makes my job so much easier when I can throw together a convoluted mess that hits on all the characters motivations to bring them together rather than relying on their metagame senses to accept each other in game.

Additionally the rules lighter system means I can consider the plot and story points and not prep enemies until 30 minutes before game. That alone is a massive time saver.

Check out said PDQ# rules here

Art from here

LooneyDM out

Shockwave

The bigger the boom, the more fun you're having. Overkill is just enough kill.

LooneyDM out.

Flame Strike

Going back to the fire and colors theme here. Mostly because I found some awesome picture of aurora borealis on the web. Nothing says pyrotechnics like a sky full of amazing colors. Which is also what you get when the cleric casts flame strike. Praise be to Kossuth!

LooneyDM out

Killing things and taking their stuff

Mr Killer here has found a brand new suit. Recently removed from the body of whomever he left dead in the next room. This is something you need to watch out for when switching genres. The players being used to needing those phat lewtz start looting dead bodies at the scene of crimes, when they should be using it as clues for evidence. Such is the pitfall of switching genres. The only thing to be done is create a situation where the extra loot simply doesn't help. Systems that aren't quite so item dependent for character power can be lifesavers in this regard. This is of course assuming that you can get your players to agree to those systems.

Art from here

LooneyDM out