Sweet Finds: The DM's Craft

I recently stumbled upon a site that definitely deserves a mention, and have been spending hours watching the associated Youtube Channel and learning new techniques. The DM's Craft is a forum/video site hosted by DM Scotty, and it covers all things crafty about D&D. DM Scotty gives tutorial videos about how to make various projects that are loaded with good tips and how-to's in a very professional-looking presentation. Its great if you're getting started crafting or, like me, want to improve your skills.

Fireball Island

Normally I'd consider a blogpost about Xmas presents pretty pretentious and generally overdone. Might as well log onto Facebook if I want to see boring posts about what dumb stuff people got for Xmas. However in this case the Xmas present I received from the honorable Mrs. Chainsword is both within theme of this blog and pretty amazing.

She actually obtained for me a copy of the extremely rare Milton Bradley boardgame:

Fireball Island!

So why is this game so incredible and important? I'm glad you asked! A detailed analysis of the awesomeness of Fireball Island follows...

The Wandering Gods

Its no secret I'm a fan of 'Forgotten Ancient Apocalypse'-style campaign settings: Thundarr the Barbarian, John Carter of Mars, Warlord and the Hollow Earth. I love the idea of players finding mysterious Atlantean phaser pistols alongside magic swords and crumbling scrolls. Where foes can just as easily be malfunctioning robots as they could be goblin-men or displacer beasts.

Today I want to post about an idea for ancient-apocalypse sword-and-sorcery style settings I find most intriguing. A concept which is central to the campaign world of The Vorpal Chainsword...

The Wandering Gods

Hellbat break

Things are going well with the upcoming Vorpal Chainsword podcast, however the editing and page building doesn't leave as much time for painting. But sometimes you've just got to stop, take a breath, relax, and paint up some demon serpents. For your mental health. I took a break from podcast prep last night to paint up some Hellbats from the Shadows of Brimstone boardgame.

Here's some quick glamour shots of the newly-painted flying snake-things.

Pestilence Post

This is a standard 'too sick to blog' post. Whatever bug is going around has hit the Vorpal Chainsword headquarters hard, and we are sick as all get-out. If I had to guess, I'd bet its probably the work of cultists.

Nurgle cultists.

Podcasting: Questions for Ask the Bastard!

The Vorpal Chainsword will soon be launching a new gaming-related Podcast, which we are currently in the process of generating and editing content for. But as fate would have it, we've just landed an interview for mid-next week with the Dungeon Bastard himself, Mr. Bill Cavalier!



While I will be doing the interview in just a few short days, and I want to ask him a thousand questions of my own, I've decided to spread the love and find out if any fans of the Bastard have any questions they'd like me to ask for them. Since he specializes in answering important D&D-related quandaries, this is a good opportunity to finally get a certified Dungeon Bastard answer to controversial topics, such as which polearm is best for tackling a horde of Vampire-Gibberlings, or whether Blink Dogs should be a standard playable race in D&D. Also: Anything related to Flumphs.

So let's hear 'em! Who's got a question for the Dungeon Bastard?

Nerds in Vegas

Las Vegas. The mere mention of the city will summon half-grins and bro-tacular high-fives from most of your muggle coworkers. Its a name that is synonymous with drinking too many oversized daiquiris and losing all your gold pieces. But there is a more interesting and rewarding Vegas behind the fist-bumps, penny slots, and poorly told lies about meeting up with strippers. A Vegas for the comic book collector, the Renaissance Faire enthusiast, and the D&D player. What I'm talking about is...

Nerd Vegas!

 

Gaming DIY: Secret of the Laser!

Like many of you, I like shooting lasers at stuff. In fact, I'd wager to guess that all people like shooting lasers at stuff, at least a little bit. Lasers are just inherently great. I also have started using them in my tabletop RPG games, with mirrors and all that. But there is a secret to using lasers in your games. Something you may not have considered, and will only encounter when you've built the whole damn thing and it doesn't work right. Fortunately, we here at Vorpal Chainsword Productions were able to solve this dilemma, and in our generosity we will share with you...

The Secret of the Laser!

At the end of this post, that is.

AD&D vs. D&D5: Class Prerequisites

Ever since the turn of the century in The Year of Our Lord Two-Thousand, Dungeons and Dragons (starting with 3rd Edition) has dropped the Class Ability Prerequisites that were so prolific in previous editions. They also took away racial restrictions for classes, so now Halflings could be Paladins and Dwarves can be Wizards. This was done all in the name of game re-balancing and a general movement in the industry towards "game balance." Now any shlump with all 6s and 8s could be a Paladin or a Ranger! Isn't that great?!