Reply to: Dear Marge...

Re: Definitive Proof

I like the tagline... "There are things on God's Earth that we can't explain and we can't describe".

Sounds like a good summation of Chico.

Re: Definitive Proof

You'd never guess either of them was a games designer would you?

Interesting point...what is the difference between a games designer and a techie? Sandals?

Nope, was blissfully unaware of any Cthulhu movies, which sounds like a good move from your description!

There are two; both are pretty bad, although the second one, 'The Unnamable Returns' features a very nice young lady they discover in an old cave. Fortunately, being stuck in a cave for a few centures has given the woman an aversion to clothes of any description...lovely buns

Definitive Proof

Steve Jackson (UK)



Steve Jackson (US)



You'd never guess either of them was a games designer would you?

Nope, was blissfully unaware of any Cthulhu movies, which sounds like a good move from your description!

Re: D&D 3rd ed.

Different Steve Jackson I think. The GURPS one is from Texas and the 'if you kiss the Klingon go to page 184' one is from Surrey.

And for all these years I assumed they were one and the same

Cthulhu was a class game. Trouble is, my friends at the time didn't like it and were really into 'Vampire: The Masquerade' - which I never liked as I found it a tad pretentious.

Did you see the two cr@ppy movies they made based on the Cthulhu novels? The second one was quite interesting, but for all the wrong reasons

Re: D&D 3rd ed.

Different Steve Jackson I think. The GURPS one is from Texas and the 'if you kiss the Klingon go to page 184' one is from Surrey.

I did an Ars Magica free form at a convention once. Kind of enjoyable but too many sad cases for me to ever do another one. Have never played the game 'around the table' but I know it is highly regarded. I'm not much of a fantasy gamer man really, was more into Traveller, Cthulhu and Champions.

Re: D&D 3rd ed.

Yes, was launched in the very early 1980s

Classic period for RPGs. Bit before my time, but I enjoyed it's treasures later on, especially when there was a series of classic re-releases celebrating 25 years of D&D.

In fact, Steve Jackson ackowledges that it was the system that was the inspiration for GURPS.

Ah, GURPS. Interesting system. I remember Steve Jackson, especially those dodgy books he wrote with Ian Livingstone

Did you ever play Ars Magica?

Re: D&D 3rd ed.

Champions? I must have missed that one. Was it some sort of Superhero RPG?

Yes, was launched in the very early 1980s and still going strong today over 20 years on as part of the Hero range (my all-time favourite generic system). In fact, Steve Jackson ackowledges that it was the system that was the inspiration for GURPS.



Hero Games

Re: D&D 3rd ed.

and saw extensive use, especially in Champions games

Champions? I must have missed that one. Was it some sort of Superhero RPG?

Re: D&D 3rd ed.

Sometimes, although I've never really owned any myself. The Cardboard Heroes range was always cheaper and better in my book - and saw extensive use, especially in Champions games.

Re: D&D 3rd ed.

In your RPG sessions, did you guys ever use lead figures? I'm not talking about proper Warhammer 40k battles, rather standard RPGs.

Never used them myself...maybe that has something to do with my painting...god, my painting was crusty old pants.

Re: D&D 3rd ed.

You and BGG are princes amongst us geeks

Shhhh... I don't like to talk about it.

Re: D&D 3rd ed.

Thanks again for the tips, Lucifer. I'll check it out.

You and BGG are princes amongst us geeks

Re: D&D 3rd ed.

save Mrs BGG and I squabbling over what each should specialise in when we DM'ed, she chose Planescape and Al Qadim and I Forgotten Realms and Ravenloft. Kept the peace quite nicely.

My God, where did you find such a wife!? Reminds me a joke they once had in that fine publication ‘Knights of the Dinner Table’ (wonder if that’s still alive) about female Russian gamers – every geek’s dream! Unfortunately Mrs Wage doesn’t approve of gaming and other ‘childish’ activities, so arguments about campaign worlds are never heard in our house

Alignment is still there in 3rd Edition, though it's not a important as it used to be. It's less of a rigid tool to straightjacket behaviour, as opposed to a game mechanic that indicates your general personal inclinations.

Sounds great; I always found alignment to be a real pain. It was particularly painful for me as a player campaigning in Ravenloft. I can’t remember what the proper term is, but the number of penalties I received for alignment violation…by the end my NG Half-Elven Ranger was a walking freak show! Ah, those were fun days

Games Fairs are another good place, depending on which part of the country you are based ?

I live in the SE - London region.

got a game this weekend to write up. Axes High !

Axes high and happy troll slaying!

Re: D&D 3rd ed.

As safe as it can be, Slave, probably safer than many eCommerce sites to be honest and almost certainly safer than trusting a waiter with you credit card. I've been using eBay for years and have only ever had one bad experience (and that was someone not paying for something I was selling). Just make sure you stick to buying stuff from people with good feedback ratings and you will be fine.

Have a browse, this is the eBay RPG section... eBay's RPG Section

As an example, I notice a 1st Edition good condition DMG in there with four hours to go at 99p. A dedicated second hand shop or dealer would charge you a tenner.

Re: D&D 3rd ed.

Yeah, I thought Planescape was another one of those truly original and innovative campaign settings. To save Mrs BGG and I squabbling over what each should specialise in when we DM'ed, she chose Planescape and Al Qadim and I Forgotten Realms and Ravenloft. Kept the peace quite nicely.

I loved Birthright too, the political side and the economics (financial and diplomatic) of running your own kingdom were superb. Alas, Birthright, and the formerly mentioned AQ are also gone the way of the dodo.

Torment ? One hell of a novel computer game and the story won dozens of awards. Loved it.

Alignment is still there in 3rd Edition, though it's not a important as it used to be. It's less of a rigid tool to straightjacket behaviour, as opposed to a game mechanic that indicates your general personal inclinations. Eberron places even less emphasis on it, perhaps to the extent that there are more shades of grey between the alignments and rigid absolutes are not necessary.

Places to pick up old material...I'd suggest Ebay being a good place to start...picked up some old fillers there many a time. Also, some of the good RPG shops tend to have battered old cardboard box with some second hand goods in them. Games Fairs are another good place, depending on which part of the country you are based ?

Good luck, happy hunting...got a game this weekend to write up. Axes High !