#Pinnacle Entertainment

[vintagerpg]

Is Deadlands (1996) a horror game? I dunno, but it certainly uses enough orange in its trade dress to get a Halloween season post.

It uses the template set out by Shadowrun and dominant for many RPGs in the ‘90s — a single core book with a bunch of interesting classes, each governed by their own unique mechanics, let loose in an unusual world, in this case an alternate version of the mid-1800s. The core mechanics make use of dice, of course (which can explode), but the game also incorporates playing cards, poker chips and a good deal of card-playing nomenclature. Hucksters, my favorite class, use the arcane secrets of Hoyle’s Book of Games to cast spells, which is accomplished at the table by putting together a good poker hand. There are undead and demons trying to drown the world in fear and the Civil War is dragging on and California fell into the sea. There weren’t a ton of Weird West games in 1996, or maybe even any, so Deadlands cornered the market for a good long while (though in typical ‘90s fashion, its handling of both Native American affairs and the Civil War could be better). It’s also one of the first RPGs, along with Castle Falkenstein, that can easily be classified as Steampunk.

It remained pretty popular until publisher Pinnacle accidentally killed it (and itself) by making a D20 version of the game. That’s OK though; that surprising turn of events led to the development of Savage Worlds and, arguably, a superior version of Deadlands using that system, Deadlands: Reloaded.

For more on Deadlands, you can read the chapter dedicated to it in my book, out yesterday! That feels so weird to say!

[smiteworks]

Step into a world of limitless adventure with the latest Fantasy Grounds releases.

🎲This Week's Fantasy Grounds New Releases May 20-26, 2024

Savage Rifts(R): Land of a Thousand Islands from Pinnacle Entertainment Group https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/product.php?id=PEGFGSWRLOATI

D&D Vecna: Eve of Ruin from Wizards of the Coast https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/product.php?id=WOTC5EVEOR

[pharawee]

—KNOCK KNOCK, BOYS! · Episode 4

[vaguely-concerned]

the thing is... if you love star wars? listen to campaign star wars. if you hate star wars? listen to campaign star wars. if you're indifferent or ambivalent towards star wars? listen to campaign star wars. it's more star wars than star wars. it's got nothing at all to do with star wars. it's the mythical 'star wars would be so good if it was good' content your soul has been yearning for all this time, not knowing it already exists. it has created a pocket dimension in fiction all to itself of being so entirely its own thing. it's one of the silliest and one of the most profound works of fiction I've ever experienced (and these two aspects are frequently not unrelated in a way I find paralleled only in like. pratchett). it's some of the cleverest transformative work you'll ever find and it uses that to do what you'd swear up and down is impossible at this point: provide a genuinely novel perspective on star wars. I know for a fucking fact that there are legions of you out there who would have space shrimp gender emotions over leenik geelo (leenik geelo from the mynock). listen to campaign star wars

(no need to listen to the prologue you can come back for context later if you'd like but it isn't essential! if you look for it on your podcast app of choice it'll probably be under 'campaign skyjacks', just scroll down to the oldest episodes and you'll find the star wars part of the podcast. also listen to campaign skyjacks it is very good and has giant birds in it.)

[gae-bolg-alternative-dot-exe]

Can't wait for Hollywood to think it can do Dungeon Meshi better than Ryoko Kui herself 🙄

[dyingfad]

\^o^/ 600!ヾ( ˃ᴗ˂ )◞ • *✰

[televocation]

@respctlss ( velvette ) / continued.

"Six hours of production time for a better shoot, Velvette, let's not overlook that! We made more fucking money off that line than the four before it combined." Vox tries not to get openly agitated, but only succeeds in coming off slightly less strained than he actually feels.

A better person would probably admit to their own wrongdoings, but Vox is in Hell for a whole host of reasons. That he respects Velvette as a businesswoman and friend doesn't make her arguments any less invalid, nor does it make Vox any more inclined to listen to her when she's talking blatant shit about him.

It's fucking lucky we manage to put up a united front in public with the kind of shit the two of them put me through.

"The animator's a low blow, first of all, and we both know it wouldn't have done much in the grand scheme of things if that contract had been slightly tilted in his favor." Vox had been frayed at the time, too, coming fresh off the replacement of his core processor. His regulation hadn't been working and the change caused him the same full-body itch they always do until he gets used to it. He was agitated; it was just a moment of weakness. "And if you want to play that game, let's revisit all the times I've stopped you from firing models mid-shoot and delaying ads by potential weeks because you can't even fucking think two seconds into the future."

The pixels that make up the corners of his eyes glitch visibly.

[lordsardine]

.

[devileaterjaek]

[legionofmyth]

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition

🔥⚔️ Dive into endless adventures with Savage Worlds Adventure Edition by Pinnacle Entertainment Group! 🌟 Experience fast-paced action, versatile gameplay, and boundless storytelling possibilities. Perfect for any RPG enthusiast! 🎲🌍 👉 Check out the full overview now and unleash your imagination! #SavageWorlds #RPG #TabletopGaming #PinnacleEntertainment #RolePlayingGames #RPGCommunity #FastPacedAction #AdventureAwaits #GamingLife

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition by Pinnacle Entertainment Group What is it? Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE), published by Pinnacle Entertainment Group, is a versatile tabletop role-playing game system designed to handle a wide range of genres and settings, from fantasy and sci-fi to horror and pulp adventure. SWADE emphasizes fast, fun, and furious…

[smiteworks]

New Release The Ashen Monk Uprising Pinnacle Entertainment Group

In the volatile Southern Domain, a mad monk and his students are at work to destabilize the current rulers, and their plans could lead to untold deaths and disruptions of the Underworld. The Ghost Wardens must find this renegade and convince him to change his plans or battle to stop him. Along the way, they must navigate tense political situations, resolve ancient curses, and finally uncover the ancient demon influencing the once incorruptible Ashen Monks.

[1-50thofabuck]

I used to run a Louisiana campaign 🌊💦🚣‍♀️ It ended with an adaptation I wrote of The Beyond which left the characters stranded on the "other side," apparently forever, as we never got to continue the campaign!

Is Deadlands (1996) a horror game? I dunno, but it certainly uses enough orange in its trade dress to get a Halloween season post.

It uses the template set out by Shadowrun and dominant for many RPGs in the ‘90s — a single core book with a bunch of interesting classes, each governed by their own unique mechanics, let loose in an unusual world, in this case an alternate version of the mid-1800s. The core mechanics make use of dice, of course (which can explode), but the game also incorporates playing cards, poker chips and a good deal of card-playing nomenclature. Hucksters, my favorite class, use the arcane secrets of Hoyle’s Book of Games to cast spells, which is accomplished at the table by putting together a good poker hand. There are undead and demons trying to drown the world in fear and the Civil War is dragging on and California fell into the sea. There weren’t a ton of Weird West games in 1996, or maybe even any, so Deadlands cornered the market for a good long while (though in typical ‘90s fashion, its handling of both Native American affairs and the Civil War could be better). It’s also one of the first RPGs, along with Castle Falkenstein, that can easily be classified as Steampunk.

It remained pretty popular until publisher Pinnacle accidentally killed it (and itself) by making a D20 version of the game. That’s OK though; that surprising turn of events led to the development of Savage Worlds and, arguably, a superior version of Deadlands using that system, Deadlands: Reloaded.

For more on Deadlands, you can read the chapter dedicated to it in my book, out yesterday! That feels so weird to say!

[griffinsspike]

twice now, I've dropped a track of original music based around speech samples from the game "William Shatner's TekWar" on December 31

check out last year's

reading the lyrics is pretty wild because they're so uneven, here they are

I've got half of city hall clamoring to send you back to cryo, and I'm half-tempted to do it

Send you back to cryo

Half-tempted to do it

Send you back to cryo

Half-tempted to do it

Do I need to remind you your body temperature is riding on this?

Do you wanna end up back in the ice box?

Do you expect me to justify your freedom?

If this weren't important you'd still be in cryo sleep

If the need weren't so great, I'd have you on the next flight back

I've got half of city hall clamoring to

Send you back to cryo

Half-tempted to do it

Send you back to cryo

Half-tempted to do it

Do I need to remind you your body temperature is riding on this?

This isn't some kind of game, people are dying out there

I'm not happy with your methods, but at least you got results

You even managed to bring him in

Without getting anyone killed

Keep this up

And I may be able to keep you out of the freezer

With Janus out of the picture

I can justify my decision to keep you thawed out

And as icing on the cake

Nobody was hurt

But don't plan on any vacations yet

We still haven't solved this case

Janus is out of commission

And we have a better idea of what's going on

I've got half of city hall clamoring to

Send you back to cryo

And I may be able to keep you out of the freezer

Send you back to cryo

Keep you out of the freezer

This isn't some kind of game, people are dying out there

Do I need to remind you your body temperature is riding on this?

[matchingbatbites]

Eddie doesn't like sports.

Well, okay, that's not technically true. Growing up in the deep south left him with an ingrained interest in college football that he's not sure he'll ever be able to shake, but at least he can understand that game. He doesn't know a single fucking thing about hockey.

The rest of the guys had been excited when Chrissy said the band had been offered tickets to see the local NHL team. He was upset by how quickly he'd been outnumbered, but the boys had plied him with the promise of violence on ice, and that was enough to sooth the betrayal, at least a little.

Which is how he finds himself here, smushed between Chrissy and Gareth and not really as engaged as he should be, watching a bunch of men run around on the ice - sometimes literally, which is crazy. There has been a little violence though, so that's something at least.

Eddie blinks when Chrissy hands him a small dry erase board and a couple of markers that she pull from her bag. "What's this for?"

"You're famous, Eddie. The arena staff knows we're here, which means we're probably going to be on camera. I figured you could entertain yourself with some appropriate messages. Appropriate," she reiterates, and Eddie grabs at his chest like he's been shot.

"You wound me! As if I would ever deign to flash the cameras with a message that's anything less than the pinnacle of wholesome!"

Chrissy rolls her eyes but smiles - ever used to his dramatics by now - and just turns back to the game. Right, sometimes it's easy to forget that Chrissy is actually a sports person.

Eddie gets to work on his first message, not entirely sure when they're going to be the focus of the large screen above them. Chrissy glances over to see what he's writing and just sighs, and Eddie can't bite back his grin.

It's actually not too long before the announcer mentions something that isn't related to the game, and then-

"With nearly twelve million monthly listeners on Spotify, please welcome local metal band, Corroded Coffin!"

Eddie looks up to see their faces on the screen and grins as he turns his board around, showing off the LOOKIN 4 HUSBAND he's written in block letters. There's a mix of cheers and laughter from the crowd, and Eddie can't help but give a joking wink to the camera before he's laughing as well.

Chrissy smacks him on the arm and says "I can't believe you," but she's smiling as well. Eddie just shrugs and cleans the message from the whiteboard, freeing up space for him to doodle in between catching glances at the game.

It's a little bit later when a big fight breaks out, and a few players from each team are sent to the- box? The box. Eddie watches the big screen as the camera follows one of the players, tracking the man as he steps inside the little booth and rips his helmet off in frustration and- holy shit.

The guy is fucking stunning; his jaw, his nose, his sweat-damp hair and the beauty marks scattered across his skin like stars. Eddie wants to get closer, wants to know the color of his eyes and smooth the crease between his brows, wants to shove his fingers into that pretty, pink mouth-

And then the camera changes, going back to the players on the ice, and Eddie blinks like he's been released from a spell. He turns to Chrissy, one hand grabbing at her arm as he says "Who the fuck was that guy?"

Chrissy glances at him but keeps most of her attention on the game. "Harrington? He's literally the captain of our team, Eddie. I know you're not super into this, but that's kind of a hard thing to miss."

The man huffs a little as he releases Chrissy's arm. "I know literally jack-shit about this game, Chrissy, nothing is hard to miss."

Eddie takes the chance to re-write his white board before turning it to face outward, hoping that some cameraman will take pity on him and put him back on screen. He's not sure how long Harrington has in what is essentially timeout, but Eddie keeps his eyes on him all the same, glad that they're actually not too far away from the box.

It's a couple of minutes later when the announcer says "Looks like our friends Corroded Coffin have another message, this time for team captain Steve Harrington," and Eddie doesn't need to look to know that the screen is showing his new sign: #14 U R PRETTY. DATE?

He sees Harrington - Steve - look up, and watches as the frustration melts from his face, only for the prettiest pink blush to spread across his cheeks and ears. The guy laughs - and christ, Eddie didn't think he could get any more beautiful, but here he is - and doesn't hesitate to nod, even makes a little call me motion like he knows Eddie's watching him.

Eddie beams and nods back, laughs when the other player in the box shoves Steve playfully and makes a comment that deepens the blush on his face. He gets a couple of shoves and smacks from his own friends and a bewildered "I can't believe you just did that!" from Gareth.

Chrissy leans into him as he cleans the board again. "Hockey's not so boring now, is it?" she says, and Eddie can't help but agree, his eyes never leaving the ice - leaving Steve - for the rest of the game.

[essektheylyss]

I understand the impulse to clown on Essek for walking around in Vasselheim with his recognizable voice with the Bright Queen's spearhead commander, and of course we could turn to the metatextual elements (the necessity of signposting the world for players on the part of the GM, the ease of using a familiar ally to introduce a relevant NPC and new point of contact) to dismiss this if we wanted, but I think it's more interesting—and funnier, as you'll see—to imagine this as simply an extension of the laws and logic that dictate the Mighty Nein as a narrative entity.

Fundamentally, the Mighty Nein within their campaign pursue personal and collective agency, often at the expense or in denial of political power. Where they do interact with more political forms of power, they evade its grasp upon them, most notably in their interactions with the war, but also while they engage with the Cerberus Assembly, the Cobalt Soul, and even the Revelry. The way they pursue agency, on the other hand, has far more to do with their own support of one another and their own individual power, especially where there is magic involved, and manifests in having the freedom to move and act as they wish in the world.

The culmination of this, as we know, is the mechanical ability in their final battle against Lucien and the Somnovem to manipulate the terrain of the battle map to their advantage with only imagination. At the same time, Jester and Caduceus can both call in free favors from their gods, one of whom is unlimited by the Divine Gate and in fact is far more governed by fey logic. Fjord has made three different divine pacts and is virtually unrestricted by any of them. Caleb's hallmark is an almost infinitely malleable home that almost literally seems to operate as a hammerspace, with a pinnacle dedicated to the potentiality of the universe, the application of which is one of his signature spells—against all odds successful in his initial goal, no longer fueled by guilt and grief, of bending reality to his will. It's narratively and thematically cogent that this be the calling card of the party as a whole.

The Mighty Nein are, in effect, dictated by Looney Tunes logic, and nothing else. They have been so successful in their pursuit of their own freedom that they no longer abide by the cosmic laws of Exandria, let alone the laws of physics or sense. So yes, from an external point of view, it does look exceedingly foolish for Essek to be traipsing around in Vasselheim under the Bright Queen's nose, but it's far more entertaining to argue that being a member of the Mighty Nein in fact simply confers the capability of ignoring the laws of reality without consequence when it's narratively convenient, characteristically interesting—or just really fucking funny.

[televocation]

@hostradio / oracle starter call.

Vox hasn't been able to quell the signals of violent pride shooting through his nerves all day, but they're made more potent by Alastor's presence. 

"Oh, Alastor! I almost didn't see you there!" Poorly playing nonchalant, Vox can't stop the broad grinspreading across his screen. Not that he wants to---being seen coming apart at the seams is one thing, but it's perfectly acceptable for someone in his position to be caught gloating. "I was just too busy thinking about how successful I've been lately. I know that must be a pretty foreign concept for you. Given that I could squash your ratings like a tiny, annoying bug, and all! I'd offer to invite you on for an interview on what it's like to fall off so hard but, well, the consumers don't have any interest in washed up old radio hosts who sti-i-ill think they're successful."

It's farther than he'd normally go in direct conversation, but the approval ratings for VoxTek's newest phone release has been through the roof and more denizens of Hell than ever are starting to make the switch. If things continue to go well, he's looking at total market domination in the area of technology. It's the only thing keeping his generally all-consuming anger afloat against the Radio Demon; the mania that comes with mass appeal is nigh-unmatched.