Leeerooyyy Jennnkiiiiiins!

[Alice_Rosaleen]

Ooh, nice. I don't always use maps, for simple encounters they're overkill, but they can save a LOT of arguments about exactly who is in the blast radius of spell effects or who's flanking who.

edit: also, I enjoy painting minis.

Battle maps are pretty essential when you're navigating through dungeons filled with traps, passages, and rooms with lurking monsters. How many squares of movement a character is allowed or how many squares a radius effect will cover can mean the difference between success and TPK!
The Call Of Cthulhu RPG is my current fave. Set in the the Prohibition Era, you investigate strange occurrences in towns like Innsmouth and Arkham and try not to lose your sanity as you get closer to the mysteries of the Elder Gods...

 

[JerseyGirlDownUnder]

I'll miss you and I wish you well. May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Hope to see you back soon.

 

[Oblimo]

Wonder if I'm the only one here who recalls the Atari D&D game that was just a weird maze and block figures

I think you mean Adventure, which was not D&D licenses material, but is hugely popular among 80s nostalgiacs. It features prominently in Ready Player One, the movie at least.

Watching the movie, I was disappointed that the big Atari reference was not the ET: the Extra-Terrestrial Atari game, still proudly holding the championship title of Worst Video Game Ever Made.

 

[Oblimo]

Ooh, nice. I don't always use maps, for simple encounters they're overkill, but they can save a LOT of arguments about exactly who is in the blast radius of spell effects or who's flanking who.

edit: also, I enjoy painting minis.

Neeeeerrrrrrd!

...says the guy who has published D&D 3.5e SRD licensed supplements, and even weirder things for White Wolf and Atlas Games.

Regarding miniatures, my preference has always been dramatist over gamist and simulationist. Possibly because I am one lousy wargamer. Some grognard I turned out to be.

 

[Alice_Rosaleen]

I think Intellivision or Atari put out an Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game (in the day, there was a big distinction between D&D and AD&D when the advanced rules came out).
My favorite Easter Egg in Ready Player One might have been the cover of Tomb of Horrors (a module by Gay Gygax) on the back of Aech's van.
See all the sexy conversations Jason is going to miss out on now?

 

[Bramblethorn]

Neeeeerrrrrrd!

...says the guy who has published D&D 3.5e SRD licensed supplements, and even weirder things for White Wolf and Atlas Games.

I have a couple of RPG credits out there somewhere.

I think Intellivision or Atari put out an Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game (in the day, there was a big distinction between D&D and AD&D when the advanced rules came out).
My favorite Easter Egg in Ready Player One might have been the cover of Tomb of Horrors (a module by Gay Gygax) on the back of Aech's van.

We're playing through Tomb of Horrors at the moment. It makes me want to go dig up Gary Gygax and yell at him, except that there'd probably be some obnoxious puzzle involved.

(I love many different styles of roleplaying, but Gygaxian isn't one of them.)

 

[MREDME2]

Clearly I missed something big.

I have been reading Jason's posts for a few months.

I will have to do some backtracking.

JasonClearwater, good luck to you and God's speed. Fair skies and fast sails. May the wind always be at your back.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Loved painting my miniatures. I went full-on and even bought dragons. Come to think of it, handling all that lead may be what's wrong with me today... LOL They weren't cast in pewter yet when I was playing/painting.

I remember one of my friends used to melt down lead sinkers and cast his own figures. These days even pewter seems to be on the way out, with improvements in plastic and resin casting.

 

[RejectReality]

We also bought at least two copies of the board game Hero Quest, and one other, similar game that I can't remember the name of. Lots of cheap zombies and skeletons that didn't look awful once I got done painting them. Good for hordes.

Because they were made of plastic, you could also sculpt them with something like a heated needle, and even melt down army men and steal greeblies from model kits to modify them more or less permanently. We had some heavily armored skeletons and some extremely gory zombies.

Making molds isn't in my skill set. I tried and failed multiple times.

Never did find anything I was happy with to represent my Woodland Trolls. Misnamed by rubes, because they're actually degenerate goblinkind, but the name stuck and proliferated. Dumb as rocks, breed like cockroaches, and mindlessly attack anything that moves.

Perfect first encounter for newcomers to the game, because your average stray dog could take out a whole pack of them.

I remember one of my friends used to melt down lead sinkers and cast his own figures. These days even pewter seems to be on the way out, with improvements in plastic and resin casting.

 

[BiscuitHammer]

I'll miss that Aussie yobbo...

Don't worry, Jase, I'll still be punching Nazis in your absence. I'll dedicate one to you!

*raises a pint of Guinness*

 

[TANSTAAFL58]

I think you mean Adventure, which was not D&D licenses material, but is hugely popular among 80s nostalgiacs. It features prominently in Ready Player One, the movie at least.

Watching the movie, I was disappointed that the big Atari reference was not the ET: the Extra-Terrestrial Atari game, still proudly holding the championship title of Worst Video Game Ever Made.

I think I played that as a text only game in the late 70s / early 80s at University when I was supposed to be programming heat transport calculations. Does saying "plug" mean anything to anyone?

 

[Sara2000Z]

Hi folks,

I had already decided to leave the site for a while to focus on both readers in my readership outside of Lit, but I had one last thing to say, so I'll say it here, knowing what will come of it. I've already baited the troll(s) to the extent almost nothing I write will ever made it to red again, so why not finish what I started?

I still have a glimmer of faith that there are more good people than there are arseholes, both in the world and in this community. Plenty of you who have supported me who have zero interest in GM, and you've done it because you like to see other people succeed. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. I didn't expect it, and it's been humbling at times just how much time's been invested in me. I've had people read screeds of my writing when I knew it didn't interest them in the slightest, and give me useful, helpful critique.

I see a huge amount of support for other authors here, I see very real attempts to help each other, to foster and develop new authors, to elevate them. I believe that, as jaded as many of you are, and as blunt as some of you can be, the majority of your hearts are in the right place.

But I would ask you this. When you see hate speech, when you see exclusion, please speak up. Make it not okay to behave that way. You don't have to stoop to the level of the fuckwit (my current favourite Aussie insult), you just have to call it out.

Because of the support here, I've shucked off the homophobic garbage that's come my way, knowing it wasn't the opinion of the majority. My experimentation through melding humour, horror and bi fantasies, has taken me to places where I expected to get some fairly harsh criticism, and I haven't been disappointed (or concerned about it).

But what I would like to see, is an end to homophobia being protected as 'understandable'. I know, there are plenty of religions and groups that see 'gay' as evil and wrong and disgusting, but do you hear gay people calling out all the disgusting hetero sex on this site? ;-)

That's all. Just call it out, for your fellow authors who colour outside the lines. We're an inclusive community, and while we may not have the same preferences, inclusivity is about more than just tolerating your fellow men and women being in the same space. It's making them feel welcome, part of which is speaking up against unwarranted attacks that denigrate their community.

Thanks again for all the support, the commentary, the beta reading, and the friendship. And the clarification on the Oxford comma. I've been pleasantly surprised so many times by private comments and feedback and offers to help, that in some ways, Lit has restored my faith in humankind.

Thanks again for making me feel welcome for so long. Now, I need to go stand in some fire. ;-)

Jase.

I'm sorry to see you go because I've really enjoyed your humour on here - AND your stories, even though I'm just a straight female. Wish you luck for life and writing elsewhere, Jason. And for withstanding the fire!
Sara.

 

[Hutchison12]

No ... don’t go quietly into the night

Hi Jason,

I first joined this site to read and escape my world. I found you’re stories amongust others and the Pty spoke to me, connected, challenged at times, gave me enjoyment.
From that I decided to «*have a crack*» at writing myself, and while not in the same league as you, have enjoyed the challenge and support that you’ve always offered.
The site as a whole in my humble opinion will be less without you, ans I hope that you will write again soon. As for those that manage the site, annom. Comments and feedback should be stopped, if you can’t put you’re name to it, then don’t do it.

Thanks again JasonClearwater, it’s been our pleasure.

Yeah nah ...

Hi folks,

I had already decided to leave the site for a while to focus on both readers in my readership outside of Lit, but I had one last thing to say, so I'll say it here, knowing what will come of it. I've already baited the troll(s) to the extent almost nothing I write will ever made it to red again, so why not finish what I started?

I still have a glimmer of faith that there are more good people than there are arseholes, both in the world and in this community. Plenty of you who have supported me who have zero interest in GM, and you've done it because you like to see other people succeed. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. I didn't expect it, and it's been humbling at times just how much time's been invested in me. I've had people read screeds of my writing when I knew it didn't interest them in the slightest, and give me useful, helpful critique.

I see a huge amount of support for other authors here, I see very real attempts to help each other, to foster and develop new authors, to elevate them. I believe that, as jaded as many of you are, and as blunt as some of you can be, the majority of your hearts are in the right place.

But I would ask you this. When you see hate speech, when you see exclusion, please speak up. Make it not okay to behave that way. You don't have to stoop to the level of the fuckwit (my current favourite Aussie insult), you just have to call it out.

Because of the support here, I've shucked off the homophobic garbage that's come my way, knowing it wasn't the opinion of the majority. My experimentation through melding humour, horror and bi fantasies, has taken me to places where I expected to get some fairly harsh criticism, and I haven't been disappointed (or concerned about it).

But what I would like to see, is an end to homophobia being protected as 'understandable'. I know, there are plenty of religions and groups that see 'gay' as evil and wrong and disgusting, but do you hear gay people calling out all the disgusting hetero sex on this site? ;-)

That's all. Just call it out, for your fellow authors who colour outside the lines. We're an inclusive community, and while we may not have the same preferences, inclusivity is about more than just tolerating your fellow men and women being in the same space. It's making them feel welcome, part of which is speaking up against unwarranted attacks that denigrate their community.

Thanks again for all the support, the commentary, the beta reading, and the friendship. And the clarification on the Oxford comma. I've been pleasantly surprised so many times by private comments and feedback and offers to help, that in some ways, Lit has restored my faith in humankind.

Thanks again for making me feel welcome for so long. Now, I need to go stand in some fire. ;-)

Jase.

 

[yukonnights]

Jason, it's been a refreshing pleasure to cross paths with you. Kudos for the final bit of "advice". I think the attitude is shifting for the better about LGBTQ folks and will continue as people become more educated about the issue. I'm sure you'll be back at some point...sort of like me...it's okay to come and go as the breezes blow

 

[Bramblethorn]

I think I played that as a text only game in the late 70s / early 80s at University when I was supposed to be programming heat transport calculations. Does saying "plug" mean anything to anyone?

"plugh", wasn't it?

 

[Oblimo]

We're playing through Tomb of Horrors at the moment. It makes me want to go dig up Gary Gygax and yell at him, except that there'd probably be some obnoxious puzzle involved.

(I love many different styles of roleplaying, but Gygaxian isn't one of them.)

You get a Saving Throw Against Death just for saying that.

 

[Oblimo]

"plugh", wasn't it?

xyzzy

 

[JaneRamsey]

*Wonders how many people are scratching their head, having no idea what the thread title means*

For those who are...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLyOj_QD4a4

Love me some Wow....