Business Gamer Travel Tips #1 - Bring the Rulebooks!

I know, I know. All the readers of The Vorpal Chainsword just want to see that second Shadows of Brimstone Core set review.  Believe me, I want to play another marathon game session of Brimstone more than anyone. However, like many of you, I must maintain a big fancy corporate job in order to support my serious and debilitating gaming problem. And also like many of you, I spend many a night in hotel rooms wishing I was panting minis, setting up boardgames for arriving guests, or playing video games on the ol' Steambox setup.

But alas, those are not always options for us tie-wearing power lunchers. Instead we are left with hotel bars, iPad app games, and Netflix to fill in the time between gaming weekends. But I finally, FINALLY had the most obvious revelation one could have, after so many drunk games of Elder Signs:Omens and half-watched episodes of Supernatural.

Right in the Heals - 5th Edition Review

So, 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons is out.

And to be honest, its a good read. And I'm saying that as a devout OD&D fan. I'm generally a Labyrinth Lord-style 'Save versus Death" kind of guy, hwever, I have to admit there are some things I like about the new book. The art, for instance. Its pretty good. Also I do like the addition in D&D for any race to play any character class ever since 3rd edition. If I want to play a game with you and you take the time to come to my gaming table, then if you want to play an half-gnomish warlock ninja, well then who am I to judge?

But this post isn't about the things I like about 5th edition. No, its about the one thing I dislike the most about it, and my ingenious fix to that problem. That's right, I already fixed it, so everyone can rest easy.

But first...the complaints!

Shadows Over Eternia at GameHole Con 2014

Listen up gamers of the Midwest!

Last year a new gaming convention threw its hat into the ring. Right here in Madison, Wisconsin (the best of the Madisons), back in the Year of Our Lord Two-Thousand and Thirteen (by Dale Reckoning), GameHole Con was born. And if you're familiar with my intermittently-updated blog, which I know you are, you know that this con blasted the asses off of any pants-wearing gamers who attended.

But this post isn't about how GameHole Con is most radical game convention this side of the Time of Troubles. Or how it has the freshest games, the dopest guests, or the baddest roller-derby ladies. No, this post is a teaser about the game I'm going to run at GameHole Con 2014. Not just any game, but the game you've been waiting for your whole life...

He-man

Vs.

Cthulhu!

Miniature Motivation

As a wargamer trying to build a new set of city terrain, miniature painter with tons of unpainted Reaper Bones sitting around, or Dungeon Master with writers block, sometimes it takes a little extra push to get the brain-juices flowing enough to set aside time to continue your projects.  Often because your projects require you to access the Creativity part of the brain, and yet also require you to buckle down and get the Productivity part of the brain going.

For instances like this, I have invented something that will revolutionize the way you do game prep. Here's the idea behind its formulation: as is well known and researched thoroughly by well-respected agencies, alcohol sparks the creativity neurons in the brain to let loose their inhibitions and think about stuff like spaceships and sorcerers. On the other hand, caffeine sparks the productivity part of the brain to get you to pick up the pen or paintbrush and start working and maintain focus on things you need to get done, like corporate spreadsheets and TPS reports.  So in a flash of genius, we here at VC Labs thought... "Why not combine them?"

I call it: Cyberninja's Cyberstonishing Producto-Creativity Juice.

Playtest: Shadows Of Brimstone - Swamps of Death!

At GenCon this year I picked up Shadows of Brimstone. A Kickstarter'd game by Flying Frog productions which just barely got its Core boxes out the door before the convention.

Premise: Its 1869. Prospectors found a magic crystal called 'Darkstone' in some mines that everyone wants.  Naturally they 'dug too deep' and opened up evil portals to alien dimensions. Now monsters stalk the mines and countryside, eating livestock and kidnapping folks. Is your posse of cowboys bad enough dudes to rescue the president? 

One Console to Rule Them All

In honor of the first 2014 Summer Steam Sale coming to a close, I've decided to do a post on a recent project I completed (with major props to Kevin Brown on the Nvidia tech advice):  

Building The One Console to Rule Them All.

ScanCON 2014

So another ScanCON comes to a close.  Before whiskey and old age steals my memories of this year's gaming exploits, I figured I'd post some highlights here for posterity.

ScanCON 2014