#this is about 3d printing and being a dungeon master | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ideahat-universe · 8 months ago

Text

Not your hard drive, not your data.

There's been a lot of bad news regarding actually owning anything that was digitally acquired. From Funimation to Sony. A lot of stuff people bought just stopped existing.

Ross Scott from game dungeon is trying to end the perma death that takes place with Live Service games.

It's gotten people to really talk about buying physical media again.

And to me, this is a flawed thought process. Owning the physical device won't save it forever. In fact, most media does have a physical form. Companies typically keep a master copy of whatever is created and sold/broadcast. A lot of that content becomes essentially lost media but in reality, we're just looking for someone who is willing to digitize the only physical copy that exists for that item.

You're thinking "Oda, one copy is good. It's better than no copies, and all we want is to own a copy and we're willing to pay for it to and that will preserve it better in the end." And that's a convincing argument. But we need to talk about how things are preserved.

CDs are how most TV shows and video games are saved and copied and CDs can last anywhere between 20 to 100 years.

Did I say 20 to 100 years? I mean to say, 1 day to whenever you scratch it accidentally. Sun damage, dropping on the floor, having it sit on a surface and gather dust, hell, running the CD wears it out after awhile.

This is the same issue with books. Of course we need to keep books. Books are valuable and priceless, but if you aren't keeping your books maintained by rebinding it, touching up the faded ink, and keeping the book basically unmolested in a temp controlled container, it's going to rot on your shelf and become useless. Hell, forget about extremists burning your books. Bugs are going to eat it first.

Having multiple physical copies is the way but it should be in a format that is easily transferable. CDs are quickly becoming obsolete and once CD drivers stop being built it will be a pain in the ass to rip data from a CD (This isn't even including Blueray CDs which are even harder to extract data from).

What you don't want is to just have a CD of the game or TV show. You just need physical data on a hard drive. Once you have a copy on your hard drive, you can copy that data onto other hard drives, you can copy that data onto a cloud service that you use like Dropbox or Megaupload. You can also illegally torrent or re-upload your copy so other people can have it.

I see this argument a lot in digital currency spaces. Just because it's effectively invisible doesn't mean it doesn't exist physically. Physical ownership should not mean becoming a very organized hoarder.

It should mean dumping and ripping everything you buy whether it's some CD you bought at Best Buy or it's some show you bought legally on a online store that you don't really own because the fine print said you were just renting it long term but fuck them, you bought it, therefore you should use video rippers to make whatever you bought actually yours (and if you are wondering, no, I don't use those specific methods but the method I use I had to actually pay for).

And once you have it. Make a backup, Make a backup of that backup, make a remote backup, and make sure when your time comes someone can find your copy of it.

With video games there are data dumpers and ROM sites galore. The really hard part is getting a emulator that runs the games effectively. Citra was caught in the AOE when Nintendo Ulted Yuzu and they just Surrendered at 20. Even when Citra was alive though it wasn't replacing a 3DS in a lot of ways. There are a lot of games that were dependent on the various software and hardware functions that a 3DS had that the Citra doesn't accurately replicate. You CAN play Tomodachi Life on a Citra but good luck not destroying your OLED from your miis asking for sneeze assistance. Forget using the AR camera or even the normal camera. Citra crashes or creates scrambled images when taking in game screenshots.

The mic doesn't work either so mic related games just don't work.

But Tomodachi Life can be generally played. It gets uglier when you think about games like Rusty's Real Deal baseball. A game that requires you connecting to the store to make a purchase. An action that is completely impossible now. How about all the games that were Mii related? Spotpass? Streetpass?

Eccentric games that requires specific hardware and software to run are basically easy to copy but impossible to run. Real preservation is in completely replicating the environment they used to function in which is a level of techno wizardry most people don't have.

Which brings me to the Sisyphean task of making sure games with dedicated servers gain the ability to live forever as a zombie.

When a multiplayer game is kept alive through user owned servers, it lives in only the most literal sense. Imagine all those failed live service games that had their audience dwindle down to zero before closing forever. Would those games have been saved if you just gave players the ability to set up their own server? No, because most of those games require several hundred players to really function correctly.

Similar to how just owning the ROM to Rusty's Real Deal Baseball doesn't grant you the ability to play it like it originally was. A live service game that has lost 99% of its audience is not saved by having it's existence put on life support via the one person willing to host a server for it and maybe five other people willing to play it for a few hours a year.

It is unfortunate but in order to actually preserve Live Service games we have to let them die and allow for the idea that made the game to be reborn into something more sustainable. Instead of a Live Service or an MMO it's just a single player experience. Maybe it is multiplayer but the other players are just sophisticated AI and the occasional human player.

Preservation isn't just about having something sitting around and rotting. It's about acquiring something at it's most functional, and then replicating that and if something truly cannot be saved, it must be remembered and remade. CDs, Books, even Hard Drives die.

But ideas are forever.

#funimation #video games #fandom #controversy #sony

0 notes

creativerogues · 5 years ago

Text

A Great Big Guide to Minis, Grids and Combat (WARNING: REALLY FREAKIN’ LONG!)

Part 1: Minis

Finding the right Miniature for what you want can be a monumental task, and because there's so many types of Mini out there, I'm breaking this section down in the hopes that it'll help...

Metal Minis

I'm just gonna say it right now, Metal Minis are hard to find. Wizards of the Coast don't do them any more: They're chunky and heavy, but also extremely durable.

If you're looking for Metal Minis in your area, you can find a lot of Metal Minis at old Wargaming Stores and Hobby Shops, and often at a pretty great price because they're so old and badly painted because they're from the 80's.

I know people that have bought Solid Lead Minis from Wargames from the 60's and they look pretty great even today (I mean the paint is a little faded and chipped, but still...), which is a testament to just how durable these things are...

Metal Minis are great if you want Minis that are durable and will last for your whole campaign and beyond, and you can easily order and buy Metal Minis online from companies like Reaper Miniatures and their "Metal Fantasy" Collection, and with Services like HeroForge Minis, you can even make your own Metal Minis, albeit a little bit more expensive than your average Mini.

Plastic Minis

Plastic Minis are pretty much the standard for Minis. You can find both painted and unpainted Plastic Minis in almost every D&D Store and you can often buy them in bulk online or buy individual minis in store for great prices.

Wizards of the Coast (The People that make D&D) have their own lines of both Painted and Unpainted Plastic Miniatures available online, and you can often find individual Plastic Miniatures available in your Local D&D Store, online through things like Amazon, eBay or Miniature Market, or just buy them in bulk through places like the Wizards of the Coast Products Page.

And while these Plastic Miniatures are cheaper than the Metal Minis, they sacrifice durability for cost, and these Minis can often break at the worst of times...

But, as the standard for most D&D games, and available almost anywhere, Plastic Miniatures are your best bet for finding 3D Minis to use in your Game.

Paper Minis

Paper Minis are two-sided Minis that go on little stands, and the art for them is absolutely beautiful...

Most of these are extremely cheap, and some even give you the chance to use your own Printer to create dozens of amazing looking D&D Minis.

Most Paper Minis come as Downloadable Content that lets you print everything at home, while some come on Cardstock that you can pop out and place in their stands.

Paper Minis are absolutely perfect for play, and even when bulk-buying the Paper Minis printed on Cardstock, you can get literally hundreds of Paper Minis for almost no significant cost.

And while yeah, they're not exactly "durable", they're great for saving money, and they're still beautiful to look at.

Pre-Painted Minis

Pre-Painted Minis are almost as standard as Plastic Minis, and they often go hand-in-hand.

Wizards of the Coast Minis almost always have some variety of Pre-Painted Plastic Miniatures, while their Nolzur's Marvellous Miniatures Line of Unpainted Plastic Miniatures are there for those that want to paint their own.

There are well over 2,000+ Individual Pre-Painted Plastic Miniatures out there that are available to purchase from pretty much anywhere, and while Pre-Painted Metal Minis are rare, and the paint jobs are often kinda old, they are available...

But I will give a fair warning that Pre-Painted Plastic Miniatures can come with faults: Some break in transit, some have bent swords and spears, some are painted so strangely that characters and monsters can have crazy eyes and look a little too silly on close inspection…

But Pre-Painted Plastic Minis are still great to use, pretty cheap to buy, and it's only in rare cases that you'll be unsatisfied with what you get...

Painting Your Own Minis...

Like I've said, the Nolzur's Marvellous Miniatures Line of Unpainted Plastic Miniatures are there for the Dungeon Masters that want to paint their own minis.

This line of Minis is Plastic, and come already covered in a Grey Primer and are pretty much ready to paint right out of the box.

However, while the Unpainted Plastic Minis cost just a tad less than the Pre-Painted Plastic Minis, getting into painting Minis can be an expensive hobby, as you often end up buying dozens of different paints, brushes, and more just to paint a single mini.

But don't be dissuaded from doing it, you can find Paints for Minis on the Wizards of the Coast Products Page and Online where available...

Commissions: There are People out there that you can Commission to paint your Minis for you, and most services are pretty cheap, so ask your Local D&D Store if they can paint your Minis for you, or if they hold classes in painting Minis...

Learning to Paint: Painting Minis takes time and patience, but can be very rewarding in the end, and starting out can be just as easy as looking up a tutorial video or signing up for mini painting classes at your Local D&D Store.

And while your first few self-painted Minis might not look great, overtime you'll become a great painter, and can save a bit of cash over time by buying Unpainted Plastic Minis and painting then yourself, so double win!

Where To Find Good Minis...

There are a LOT of places to find Miniatures, from Metal to Plastic to Paper to Painted to Unpainted, so I'll break it down for you.

Metal Minis: Metal Minis are hard to come by, but can be found online being sold as Individual Minis.

Most old Metal Minis come Pre-Painted but might need a new lick of paint, while some are entirely unpainted.

You can find most Metal Minis at your Local D&D Store, as well as online at the usual places of eBay and Amazon.

If you're looking for Custom Metal Minis, I'd suggest taking a look at HeroForge Minis, and while they might be a little expensive to some people, I think having a custom mini that's pretty darn durable is worth the price.

Plastic Minis: You can find Pre-Painted Plastic Miniatures in almost every D&D Store and pretty much anywhere online. You can buy in bulk and get full sets of minis, or buy them individually (and normally for a cheaper price) at your Local D&D Store.

I'd recommend places like Miniature Market and Amazon when looking for Pre-Painted Plastic Miniatures, and for Unpainted Plastic Minis, not only can you find those Online and in your friendly neighbourhood D&D Store, but there are plenty of great companies out there that produce some absolutely stunning custom minis for you to paint.

Painted & Unpainted Minis: You can find the Nolzur's Marvellous Miniatures Line of Unpainted Plastic Miniatures both online and in-store, as well as the Icons of the Realms Line of Pre-Painted Plastic Miniatures for those people that want them.

There are also companies out there that do Custom Unpainted Plastic Minis, like Reaper Miniatures or Gale Force 9, and I'll be sure to leave a Comment with as many Links as I can find...

Paper Miniatures: My personal favourite place for Paper Minis is Printable Heroes. They have a whole selection of Free Downloadable Content that you can print off at home.

But, if you're looking for Paper Minis that aren't just D&D, Paizo makes a line of Cardboard Cutout Miniatures called Pathfinder Pawns.

Cheap Alternatives to Minis...

If you unfortunately can’t afford to spend money on Minis, there are plenty of really fun and really cheap alternatives to Minis.

Tokens from other Tabletop and Board Games, Lego Pieces, even a bunch of colourful M&Ms can still be used to show where your heroes and monsters stand…

Part 2: Terrain

I'm going to break this Section down just like the Minis Section, because there's just as many options for creating Dungeons and Maps as there are for Miniatures and Monsters.

Markers, Maps & Gaming Paper

You can buy Markers pretty cheap from pretty much anywhere, and basic blank Maps that you can draw on and erase with relative ease.

And some advice: Check the Markers you're using on your dry-erase or wet-erase maps, because you don't want to draw in permanent marker by accident and suddenly have that one "Permanent Dungeon Room"...

You can find entire rolls of Blank Maps that you can draw on from places like GamingPaper.com and Chessex.com, as well as Online from Amazon (because Amazon is our overlord, provider of all!), and these Maps come with Hexagonal Grids and Square Grids that suit whatever kind of game you want to play.

Flexible Battle Mats

From my own experience, this has been the most common type of terrain I use: They're flat maps, sometimes a variant of vinyl, sometimes just straight up fancy cloth, but they're the most available thing I can find, and have always been available to me through my Local D&D Store as well as Online in the usual places.

I call these "Flexible" because you can fold them and roll them and they won't warp or bend, and none of the Markers I use smudge or stain these maps in anyway compared to the cheaper options that might not last as long.

These maps are often just a single depiction of a generic area: A map of the woods, some mountains, the dock of a port city...

And some can get pretty weird if you look in the right places. I found a Map for a Githyanki Warship floating over an Ocean, and I've used that specific map about 4 times already!

You can find these types of Maps in your Local D&D Store for pretty cheap prices, and since most of them are maps of forests or mountains or underground caverns, they're gonna see a lot of use…

Dungeon Tiles

A lot of Companies produce modular dungeon tiles that are essentially dry-erase boards that clip together, and I personally think these are the coolest!

You can draw a dungeon room on each tile, and slowly piece them together as the Players explore the Dungeon, and really evoke a sense of exploration and "Fog of War".

You can buy these Dungeon Tiles Online, Wizards of the Coast even produces a line of Generic Dungeon Tiles, but I'd recommend Tac-Tiles with their dry-erase Dungeon Tiles, and again, check that the Markers you want to use don't stain or smudge when drawing lines…

3D Terrain

3D Terrain is great for keeping the sense of immersion during combat, and many times has the word of DwarvenForge been spoken to me as something from the sacred texts.

You can buy modular 3D Terrain Tiles from DwarvenForge, yes, but don't forget that there are plenty of other companies that produce 3D Terrain that's just as good.

You can buy Cut-and-Assemble Papercraft Terrain, buy Terrain that's been sculpted using moulds, resin and plaster, you can buy Miniatures from Wizards of the Coast themselves that are pieces of Terrain like Wagons, Carts, Stalactites and Stalagmites, and all of these are relatively cheap compared to buying hundreds of pieces of DwarvenForge.

But trust me when I say DwarvenForge is BADASS, their stuff is practically indestructible, and it lights up, and it even has a square grid on it too!

You can find all sorts of all kinds of 3D Terrain to enhance your experience of D&D, and you can typically find it in the usual places, but I'll put a whole bunch of links in this Post to help guide those that are looking...

Cheap Alternatives: Wrapping Paper

The other side of Wrapping Paper often has a square grid on it that's normally used for measuring and cutting paper, but I've seen and even used the other side of Wrapping Paper as a cheap and disposable alternative to a battle map, and it even comes with it's own square grid that you can draw on!

Yes, it does bleed and smear a lot when you use Markers, but it's so cheap and disposable that I can hardly complain…

And the best part, you can buy rolls and rolls of Wrapping Paper for ridiculously cheap prices and those rolls can last you a long, long time...

Part 3: Status Markers

What are Status Markers? Why do you need them?

Well, Status Markers are colourful little things you place on Minis to show that the Mini is under some sort of condition or spell effect. Status Markers are great for helping Players and the DM remember Spells and Conditions affecting multiple Creatures over multiple rounds of combat.

And these Status Markers can be anything from old plastic milk carton rings to professional 3D Printed Rings with every condition and spell effect accounted for.

If you're looking for professional status markers for your Minis, you can buy them by the butt-load from eBay, Amazon, and my personal favourite, Dakota Irish, who make some beautiful Status Markers designed to fit your D&D Minis, and they come in a variety of colors to suit your style…

Part 4: Initiative Trackers

An Initiative Tracker let's both the DM and the Players visually track the Initiatives of all the DM's Monsters and the Player's Characters.

And you can place all of them directly in front of you and the rest of the group, letting Players know "Hey, I'm up next!" or "Oh sh*t! It's almost that Bad Guy's turn!".

Many a time have I said "It's your go, what do you do?" and their response is "Oh sh*t! It's my go already?"

With this system, both myself and all my Players can see whose turn it is and who is next up...

My personal recommendations for Initiative Trackers are the 25 Piece Dungeon Master Set from Dakota Irish, and the Initiative Trackers by AxenShield that let you write your Party Member's Name or the Name of your Monster on one of the 8 flags, and flip the flag to the opposite side as turns are taken.

Are Initiative Trackers needed for Fun Combat? No.

Are they fancy as heck and help forgetful Players? Definitely.

Part 5: Combat Risers & Combat Pillars

These Combat Risers (also called "Combat Pillars" or “Combat Tiers”) give you the ability to show elevation and create a 3-Dimensional Space for your Miniature Combat.

It also gives you the chance to have combat at different heights with a series of combat stage platforms, and it's great for aerial combat. And trust me I say it makes underwater combats so much easier, just because it lets you accurately represent three dimensional combat on a map.

You can find multi-coloured and clear transparent Combat Risers on Amazon (like everything else here) and from some of the sites and places I've already mentioned, such as the Combat Risers Clear Mithril Set from AxenShield.

Part 6: Spell Effect Miniatures & Spell Effect Overlays

Spell Effect Miniatures

Spell Effect Miniatures are just like Monster and Hero Miniatures. These Spell Effect Miniatures are often Pre-Painted Plastic Miniatures that represent some of the bigger spells like Bigby's Hand or Spiritual Weapon.

Wizards of the Coast have their own line of Spell Effect Miniatures as part of their Icons of the Realms Line of Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures, with a Set for Spells like Wall of Fire and Wall of Ice, as well as a Box Set called "Arcane Fury and Divine Might", which contains several different Spell Effect Miniatures.

And there's more Spell Effect Miniatures to come! With Wizards of the Coast releasing a new Spell Effect Miniatures Box Set called "Mighty Conjurations", with Spell Effect Miniatures for Flaming Sphere, Forcecage, Guardian of Faith and more!

Also releasing in Early 2020 is Halaster's Tumultuous Templates, a set of Wizards of the Coast Branded Spell Templates that represent a bunch of different Spells, from Burning Hands to Moonbeam to everyone's favourite: Fireball.

You can find these Spell Effect Miniatures as Box Sets in your Local D&D Store, as well as online in the usual places like Amazon and eBay.

Spell Effect Templates & Spell Effect Overlays

Spell Effect Overlays let you as a Dungeon Master check the Range of a Spell, whether the Creature is in Line of Sight with the Caster, and help you as a DM (or a Player) remember Spells affecting an area or Spells affecting multiple Creatures over multiple rounds of combat.

My personal favourites are the Spell Effect Overlays from Arcknight, with Spell Effect Overlays for Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Web, Cone of Cold, Burning Hands, Fear, Dragon Breath, Faerie Fire, Moonbeam, Tidal Wave, Wall of Fire, Thunderwave and More, as well Buff Tokens, Inspiration Tokens, Monster Summoning tokens and so much more that I can't even fit here…

Every template comes on a die cut transparent plastic that's printed on both sides: With cool graphics on one side and notes on the spells effects on the other.

But if you're looking for a simpler template, AxenShield provide Spell Effect Templates and Overlays in various colours, with grids etched on to show the range and area of effect for each spell.

And, like always, you can always take a look on Amazon and eBay and everywhere else on the Internet for alternatives...

316 notes · View notes

critrolecloset · 6 years ago

Text

critrolecloset’s holiday guide is here!

the holidays are upon us, and one of the best parts is gift giving! earlier this month, i reached out to the critter community to share their creations with me, whether it was dice, clothing, or “smutty bookshop” scented bath bombs. it’s easy to get stressed out when looking for presents, but i love buying from independent businesses and creators whenever possible. not only will your support help smaller creatives flourish, but your gifts will feel more personal and unique!

before we dig in, i recommend stopping by shop.critrole.com for officially licensed merchandise. geek & sundry also released their own critter holiday guide earlier this week, which includes a list of the cast member’s favorite charities you can make donations to. supporting our beloved cast and crew comes first, and this guide should be used as a supplemental tool to help you find gifts beyond what the critical role fam has to offer.

keep in mind that this guide is also just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to critter creations. i was so overwhelmed with submissions that i unfortunately had to leave a number of people out, and for that i’m deeply sorry. i am amazed at how creative and impressive this community is and i thank you all for reaching out.

dice

for those in need of a full set, “fireball” by caroscuriosities, “dark magic” dice by greenleafgeek, and “sandy beaches” by npcdice are handmade and full of intricate detail. majestic trinkets also has a gorgeous selection of 3d printed metal dice for those who really want to make an impression (they even have a pizza-themed set!). when those dice start acting up, pull a laura bailey and throw them in the “dnd rpg dice shaming dice jail” by criticalkits.

oh, and do know a critter with a raging sweet tooth? sugaranddicecrafts has you covered with their edible dice sets.

dice bags

for starting or modest adventurers, i recommend the “iridescent dice bag” by bagofdiceholding, “drawstring dice bag with chinese dragon pattern” by setdaffodilsonfire, and the “black leather drawstring dice bag” by therislane.

yarn lovers will love this unique “dragon egg dice bag” by stitchcraftsnsorcery. morningdewdicebags offers a fun selection of sequin dragonscale bags. “adventurer’s inventory dice bag” by greyedout is a solid option for pocket lovers and “the bulba-bag: grass monster inspired drawstring” by magicandstitchcraft is just really freaking cute.

if you think something critical role-inspired will do the trick, this “stay in school kids medium segmented dice bag” by arrowsongcrafts is a nod to everyone’s favorite shit-kicking monk. and who could deny “the little sapphire jester inspired dice bag” by crystalbeehouse?

crafts

this “leather card holder” by theartfulrogue is both beautiful and practical. embroidery fans will love this “how do you want to do this” hoop by lauramakesthingsshop and “carnival tree ornament” by bearclawcraftsshop, which is a nice call-back to the beginning on campaign 2. for glassware, i recommend love this “nott pint glass” by brittsgeekboutique and “drink the dead” mug by sunlitlake.

for those who like cuddlier versions of classic d&d monsters, the “crochet cthulhu stuffed animal” by mostlyharmlessshop and “moxie the beholder wearable handsewn plush” by charredstitchery are too good to pass up.

clothing and accessories

bunnidesigns has a fun and flashy assortment of d&d inspired jersey shirts. by now, every critter should recognize void merch’s signature, bold lettering style, and the rpg collection features numerous shirts worn by the cast throughout campaign 2. the “dungeons and dragons lucky shirt” by paolaspixels is also beautifully designed and features unique sleeve prints (she also offers a large variety of gorgeous enamel pins that are definitely on my list).

this “critical role/dnd patterned stretchy tote bag” by brightshaw is bright and full of bold detail, and for those who want something more on the subtle side, i recommend the “dagger dagger dagger” pouch by rhi43.

pins and patches

these critter location pins by geeky clean are not only approved by our cabbage lord brian w. foster, but they’re a fun and simple way of sharing your roots with other critters. the “d20 hard enamel pins: dungeon master” by eldritchrach is a perfect choice for any leader, while the “vicious mockery hard enamel pin” by hallofmirrorsartwork would be a great for any sass king or queen.

as for patches, the quests & queers collection by majesticmess has a wonderful selection for the lgbt+ critter in your life.

jewelry

for any caleb fans, i recommend this bracelet made with red creek jasper beads by loopedla (fun fact: the woman behind this etsy, tara sands, is the voice actress for a lot of iconic pokemon voices). any druid or overall earthy type would love this “green aventurine necklace” by lunastredesigns, which includes an gold acorn and maple leaf charm. lilacfoxdesigns also has an ensemble of vox machina inspired necklaces, “the ranger” being my personal favorite!

body care

mollymauk may be gone, but his memory lives on in soap form by fandomfinery. natural20bath has d20 dice soap in nearly every color and scent imaginable, and you’ll even get a 7-piece polyhedral dice set included! for those looking for a larger set, this “winter in wildemount: critical role inspired bath bomb or soap gift set” by criticalbaths includes 4 bath bombs (this is the one that includes “smutty bookshop”) and a handmade tusk love ornament.

character art commissions

what could be better than receiving a personalized photo of your d&d or tabletop character? the following artists are offering commissions and you can thank me later!

blueberry-me: headshot, half body, full body, sketch, and illustrations.

afterwits: portrait, half body, half body with background, and full body.

emedeme: chibis, line art, character sheet, and illustrations.

ioana muresan: character design, tarot card, illustration, and painted style. (note: ioana did the officially licensed critical role tarot cards!)

comic books

saga, vol 1: know a critter you’d like to get into comics? not only is saga one of the most popular, expansive series right now (warning: it’s also very adult), but fiona staples just about broke instagram with her mollymauk fan art earlier this year.

kid lobotomy, vol 1: by now, everyone who has seen any critical role fan art is familiar with tess fowler’s distinct style. this book is worth picking up even if it’s just for the liam o’brien cameo!

motor crush, vol 1: babs tarr’s anime-influenced style shines in this sci-fi action-adventure series revolving around a young woman in the world of motorcycle racing. also, babs has adorable jester, beau, and twinnie prints available until november 30th.

black science, vol 1: this one i admittedly haven’t read yet, but you may recognize matteo scalera’s lush art style--he did the standard covers for critical role’s two art books.

#critical role #holiday guide #travis willingham #marisha ray #taliesin jaffe #ashley johnson #sam riegel #liam o'brien #laura bailey #matthew mercer #brian w foster #dani carr

401 notes · View notes

meowloudly15 · 5 years ago

Text

Hey, mate, I’ve only been playing DnD for a year and a half, but I’d be happy to assist!

Sorry, this ended up getting waaaaay longer than I expected. Hope it helps, regardless! Important points are in bold, special vocabulary is italicised and a parenthetical description follows it, links are underlined. And I’m using “he” as a gender-neutral pronoun.

Without further ado, here’s a:

Beginner’s Guide to 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons

There are multiple different editions of Dungeons and Dragons (also abbreviated as D&D) that have been created over the years, each with their own rules and monsters and such. I play 5th Edition, so those are the resources I’ll provide to you.

What You’ll Need

- A healthy imagination! You’re going to be collaboratively dreaming up a fantasy setting in your campaign (standalone game of DnD), so this is Big Important. Also, you should be comfortable roleplaying (taking on the mannerisms of a character) as:

- Your character. You really shouldn’t start out as a dungeon master (DM, or GM, which stands for Game Master; the guy controlling the campaign) if it’s your first time playing, since he needs to know about the nitty-gritty details of the campaign. So, you’ll need a character as whom to play! You don’t need to have one in mind right now; that’s something you can think about later. But, in order to figure out the statistics that your character will have, you’ll need:

- A Player’s Handbook. You definitely don’t need a physical copy. It’s entirely possible to find everything you need to play DnD online for free. There are official, watered-down versions on websites like 5thsrd.org and roll20.net, but they don’t have everything. There are plenty of (pirated, mind you) PDFs on the web. Here’s one link with the full set of official DnD 5th Edition resources. The Player’s Handbook is here.

The instructions for how to make a character can be a bit confusing, so I request reaching out to a friend or finding an online guide (like this one that I literally just found) or even searching Reddit. Now, in order to keep track of all your character’s stats, you’ll need:

- A character sheet. These can be found as free PDFs pretty much anywhere (including this link), to print out or fill in digitally as you will. Alternately, if you’re opposed to piracy, you could just write or type all your stats down.

DnD is so wild of a game because so much of it is left up to chance. The DM will roll dice to decide on some of the actions of the environment (read: anything that isn’t a living being) and the non-player characters (NPCs). But you need to roll dice, too, to figure out the actions of your characters. To do that, you’ll need:

- Dice. These aren’t just six-sided dice that you’re most likely accustomed to seeing: the sorts you’ll need are 4-sided, 6-sided, 8-sided, 10-sided, 12-sided, and 20-sided (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20). Again, you don’t have to purchase these, though you can if you want to. (I personally would like to buy my own set. Or maybe 3D print them? That’s probably a bad idea?)

If you’d like to buy them, they’re on websites like Amazon and Ebay for cheap, and they’re found at game stores and potentially craft stores. If you’re a cheapskate like me, you can use this long-outdated dice roller, or, if you’d prefer a more random though less DnD-specific site, try random.org.

Really, you don’t need much to play DnD. All I use is paper, a pencil, and my laptop. But here are some optional tools, to think about acquiring later:

A physical copy of the Player’s Handbook, or any of the other handbooks. I advise not doing this unless you get highly into DnD and/or if you become a DM. You won’t need the Monster Manual or the Dungeon Master’s Guide unless you’re a DM.

Physical dice.

Miniatures (little models of characters) and/or an erasable map of sorts. These are unnecessary imo, though they are useful in visualising your setting. If you’re going to get miniatures, get cheap ones. Rich Burlew, writer of the DnD-themed webcomic The Order of the Stick (which I highly recommend, by the way, as it’s hilarious), made PDFs of printable miniatures for which you can literally set your own price.

Oh, right! I forgot about the most important thing you need for your campaign:

- Other players! At minimum, you’ll need a DM, but it’s most fun to play in a group. I play in a group of 4 (1 DM and 3 players), which is plenty. My friend played a campaign with at least 6 players and a DM, but not everyone could be there at once. (There are workarounds for that.)

The best way to find other players is to ask around. Ask your friends at school, ask your family (I didn’t know my mom’s cousin played DnD until my gram mentioned it!), ask folks online, go to board game clubs and game stores and, oh yeah, find people whom you can trust. Yeah, don’t just partake in anyone’s campaign, especially if you’re just starting out. Playing with a group of That Guys (read: jerks) or munchkins (read: Vriska) or a terrible DM will quite possibly ruin your whole experience. So I’d advise that you find friends or family to play with.

Oh, and find a good time and place at which you all can meet!

Tips and Tricks

- Write your character sheet in pencil! Or erasable pen! Don’t write it in pen, or permanent marker, or highlighter, or crayon, or the blood of your enemies, or... you get the drift. You will need to rewrite aspects of your character sheet over time, as your character levels up or gains/loses weapons (I lost two daggers once) and such. So don’t make it permanent!

- For your first character, if you’re not accustomed to roleplay, make someone similar to you, or whom you can easily portray. E.g. try making your OC (original character) into a DnD character! Remember, when you’re playing, you’re taking on the role of your character. You should act the way he would act and think the way he would think. You may be aware of things that your character wouldn’t know, but you should NOT behave as if you’re aware of them!

For example, yesterday, our DM told us all to roll ability saves (make a dice roll that determines whether we pass or fail a test), and I rolled a natural 1 (or nat 1, which is a critical failure). My character didn’t behave any differently; she didn’t know anything was wrong, since dice rolls don’t take place in the universe of the game. But when the apparition of a snake appeared on her leg, she freaked out.

- To help with roleplay, think about your character’s alignment (his general sense of morality). You’ve probably seen the Lawful Good vs Chaotic Evil charts lying around the interwebs. Here’s a general guide to what each alignment means. There’s a lot more nuance than that, but it’ll help you start out.

- Especially since it’ll be your first time making a character, ignore the frills. Don’t worry about rolling for personality traits, don’t roll for character height and weight and such, don’t fret about assigning your character to a god just yet. Use the provided set of numbers for ability scores (your character’s physical and mental attributes) and hit points. It’s easier. It’ll make your life a lot less complicated. DnD is only as complex as you make it.

- DMs often have house rules (unofficial rules which they use in their campaigns). Ask what they are. And don’t expect other DMs to use them.

- Above all else, have fun! Make inside jokes! Create memes! (Jokingly) harass each other! Quote Monty Python! Share the most awesome and funniest moments with your other friends! Remember, DnD is just a game! Don’t let it usurp your life!

If there’s anything that I’ve missed, please please please let me know.

Get your game on. Go play.

Can someone PLEASE steer me in the right direction of how to play DnD? I’ve been interested for the longest time but I have no idea where to start or what I’m looking for!!! :(

Video links, a short explanation for how to start, examples... anything would be really appreciated! It looks so fun and intriguing!!

#dungeons and dragons #dnd #dnd beginner's guide #reblag #long post #queueueueue

14 notes · View notes

pixelgrotto · 8 years ago

Photo

Hero Forge Castlevania Minis I’ve recently been bitten by the pen and paper RPG bug, and in these first two months of 2017 I’ve finally fulfilled my childhood goals and found a like-minded crew of motley adventurers to play Dungeons & Dragons with. It’s been great fun, and aside from getting engrossed by the gameplay systems and sheer imaginative exercises that D&D promotes, one of the things that I’ve really enjoyed has been diving into the world of the little miniature figurines that often accompany a tabletop gaming session to help players visualize their characters. This led to me stumbling upon Hero Forge, a very cool 3D miniature tool that lets you design a figure from a surprisingly robust amount of combinations. You can get the thing 3D printed and have your very own customized mini at your fingertips the next time you play! Of course, it’s also fun to just mess around and design minis for the heck of it. Long-term readers of this blog might remember that I really like Castlevania, and have a tendency to write about it whenever I can, so after I’d used Hero Forge to design my personal D&D character, I turned my sights towards molding the members of the Castlevania mythos. I was partially motivated by all the great whip models that Hero Forge has on display, and also because part of me wishes that Konami would go ahead and sanction a badass Castlevania tabletop RPG, or at least a complicated board game, with awesome minis of this sort. (But they won’t, because Konami is the worst.) You can see the fruit of my labors above. I didn’t make ALL the Belmonts, mind you - Castlevania is one of the few video game series to possess a crazy timeline with a massive roster of characters that rivals that of the big two American comic book companies, so I stuck to the canon mainstays that most folks are familiar with. This meant that Sonia Belmont of Castlevania Legends was out, and I also decided to not do the Lords of Shadow characters, since those are essentially re-imaginings of the heroes in the original series. Along the way I found that I had more room for artistic license than I expected. For example, which version of Simon Belmont was I to make - the classic barbarian look of the 80s, or the gothic romance posterboy that Ayami Kojima drew for Castlevania Chronicles? Ultimately, I decided to go with the straight-outta-a-Frank-Frazetta-painting look, since as much as I love red-haired bishounen Simon, let’s face it - the guy is more known as a bulky loin cloth-wearing bruiser who lost total control of his jumps when he was hit by a Medusa Head. (By the way, that bottle exploding in his hand is meant to be Holy Water!)

When it came to other characters like Alucard and Dracula, I tossed in demonic wings to emphasize the point that they’re related, and I was semi-influenced by Sephiroth’s one-winged angel design from Final Fantasy VII. Richter got two whips and a cocky stance, since I wanted to magnify his status as one of the more powerful Belmonts, as well as the “magnificent bastard” attitude that I see when I look at art like this. For Trevor, I wanted him to stand out from the others and not be confused with Simon, so I went with his eye patch design from Castlevania Judgment, which was one of the few stellar designs in that game. (Also gave him a drumstick since it’s the classic Castlevania health pickup.) I placed a knightly helmet by Leon’s face and tried to make him look more noble, since he’s supposed to be a former Crusader, and for Soma, I gave him a katana to stay consistent with his whole gimmick about being an exchange student in Japan who’s actually the reincarnation of Dracula. Overall, it was hella fun, and I made more designs than Tumblr will give me room to display. If you’re interested in seeing them, here’s a whole Imgur collection I made. There are dudes like Cornell from Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness as well as the Grim Reaper himself, not to mention the two underrated stars of Castlevania: Bloodlines. Anyhow, hopefully with talk of that Castlevania Netflix series right around the horizon (I have my fingers crossed), this storied franchise might win more mainstream attention and who knows, maybe even get a tabletop RPG with minis like this one day. In the meantime...there’s always Curse of Strahd, which I’m working on adapting for future Dungeon Master sessions. I’ll find a way to work some deep Castlevania references in there, 4sho! All Hero Forge figs made by meeee! Once again, if you’re the type that just skims this blog quickly...peep my Imgur post for more!

#pixel grotto #video games #game art #castlevania #dungeons & dragons #dnd #hero forge

3 notes · View notes

thomasroach · 6 years ago

Text

Top RPG News Of The Week: March 17th (Path of Exile, Sekiro, Dead Cells and More!)

The post Top RPG News Of The Week: March 17th (Path of Exile, Sekiro, Dead Cells and More!) appeared first on Fextralife.

Happy weekend from Fextralife! If you’ve been too busy to keep up on the latest in the games we cover or are looking for a refresher we’ve got you covered! Here’s a bite-sized version of the Top RPG news of the week. Taste all the latest news across the Fextralife Wiki Network.

Check out the video above and read on for the text!

Divinity Original Sin 2

The developer Larian Studios announces players will be able to gain some free content in the form of gift bags for Divinity Original Sin 2 along with the latest update and explains why these are different from loots boxes.

Making sure that fans of the game understood that the gift bag received in-game for Divinity Original Sin 2 is far from a loot box. Describing loot boxes as “hard and ostensibly containing loot” while “gift bags are soft and contain gifts”.

These “Gift Bags” were released by Larian containing a new set of customisation options such as facial features, entirely new faces and hairstyles that you can use in your campaign. You can also use the new additions by heading to the Magic Mirror located aboard the Lady Vengeance to respec your current character.

There is also a plan to release a second gift bag during this year, no specified release date has been announced but the developer has stated it will contain more customisation options that have been “inspired by our modding community”. The new content is now being created alongside two other European developers Fools Theory and Anshar Studios.

The gift bag arrived with the latest update which included some bug fixes and support for the MacOS.

To read more about this new find it here in Divinity Original Sin 2 Releases Free Content In-Game Gift Bag.

Operencia: The Stolen Sun

Developer Zen Studios releases a new story trailer and release date for their first-person dungeon RPG Operencia: The Stolen Sun set to launch via the Epic games Store this March.

The dungeon crawler RPG that follows a rogue named Jóska who welcomes you to the land of Operencia, a world based on Central European legends and folklore. There are seven unique characters to meet as you explore lands that are entrenched in history and legend.

Operencia: The Stolen Sun sets to offer players a classic first-person dungeon crawler experience, combining old-school turn-based RPG but with modern sensibilities. The mix of artstyle, hand-drawn cutscenes as well as 3D environments, with 30 fully voiced roles that help bring the story to life. The game sets to feature over 50 enemy types, 7 fully upgradeable characters, robust difficulty settings with options for limiting saves and even permadeath.

Operencia: The Stolen Sun is set to release on March 29th for Xbox One and Windows 10 for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, as well as via the Epic Games Store for $29.99

To read more about this new find it here in Operencia: The Stolen Sun Dungeon Crawler RPG Releases March 29th.

Sekiro

Gearing up to the release of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, FromSoftware’s latest IP, they share a launch trailer showing off the combat, storyline and more.

The developer FromSoftware are counting down to the release of their Shinobi inspired action game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. In the run up to its release, they have been sharing trailers highlighting some of the deadly bosses as well as enemies that players will face. These trailers have included the ferocious Great Serpent, The Chained Ogre, Lady Butterfly and General Tenzen Yamauchi.

Now they have released the launch trailer that stylishly puts together combat, finishers and a peek at the storyline. Not only seeing new foes and their environments, but also a glimpse of Sekiro’s master The Prince, the one he must protect at all costs. It even features the “One-armed Wolf” appearing to die after a final blow, but is resurrected, depicting the tag line “rise from every fall”.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will be releasing on March 22nd 2019 on Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC.

To read more about this new find it here in FromSoftware Release Launch Trailer For Sekiro Shadows Die Twice.

Fallout 76

Bethesda are rolling out a new event this March called Fasnacht, celebrating a townsfolk tradition which has now been adopted by the bots that roam the town of Helvetia.

Fasnacht is an age old tradition celebrating the founding of Helvetia in 1869, the inhabits of this town used to adorn eye catching masks, as well as burn an effigy of Old Man Winter. Now that the towns people are long gone, the bots are still taking on the tradition each year.

Players will be able to take part in this repeatable, limited-time event quest, available for one week from March 19th until March 26th.

Setting up for this monumental occasion will require various tasks. Completing these party tasks will allow the Protectrons to march in the parade. However, all this fuss may attract the wrong attention, there may be a few ready to crash the party. You will need to protect the marchers as they set out on their parade route, and successfully set ablaze Old Man Winter. Players will gain some loot and earn a festive Fasnacht mask for their very own.

There are many masks to gain and are can be traded.

To read more about this new find it here in Fallout 76’S Fasnacht Season Event Starts March 19th.

Path of Exile

Playstation fans have been awaiting the release of Path of Exile on PS4, with the launch delayed from the end of last year, we finally get the launch date.

Alongside the release of Path of Exile on PS4 comes the latest expansion which recently released on other platforms, Synthesis. Both will be launching on Playstation 4 on March 26th. The delay previously was talked about by the developer Grinding Gear Games, as they expressed their intent to provide a positive experience on the new platform.

Path of Exile is a free-to-play online action-RPG set in the dark fantasy world of Wraeclast, a harsh continent that has seen many mysterious catastrophes shaped by the past.

Players are given a choice of various abilities using a skill gem system, granting different abilities when combined with equipment. Each class has an extensive passive skill tree. The Synthesis expansion brings a new challenge league, new items, gems, a rebalance of spells as well as an integrated version of the Betrayal league.

Path of Exile is available to play on PC and Xbox One, with the Playstation 4 version releasing on March 26th 2019.

To read more about this new find it here in Path Of Exile PS4 Release Launches On March 26th.

Dead Cells

At the end of last month, Dead Cells developer Motion Twin was featured in a behind the scenes video that shared that a free DLC called Rise of the Giant would be releasing for PC. The developer now announces the launch date.

The Dead Cells DLC update called Rise of the Giant will be a free addition to the challenging Metroidvania game. It will be available to test through beta on Steam for those who want to experience the new areas, bosses, new skills, weapons as well as the new Skinning system which allows players to adorn new outfits.

The developer also confirms that Rise of the Giant DLC will be making its way to console as well, in a recent tweet they explain how they wish to narrow the gap between the PC and console releases.

According to the Steam page, Motion Twin are not done adding new content to the game, expressing “we’ll be continuing to make content for the game for as long as you keep demanding it”.

Dead Cells upcoming DLC update Rise of the Giant will be launching on PC via Steam on March 28th.

To read more about this new find it here in Dead Cells DLC Rise Of The Giant To Release March 28th.

Hollow Knight

If you’ve been wanting to pick up a physical release of the challenging metroidvania platformer Hollow Knight, you’re in luck as the physical version of the game now comes in a fancy Collector’s Edition as well as a standard edition for Switch, PS4 and PC.

You can now pre-order a Fangamer’s standard edition of Hollow Knight which includes all the DLCs released which will either be on cartridge, disc of DRM-free disc with a Steam Key depending on your chosen platform. This version is available for $29 USD on PC and $34 USD for the Switch.

Or if you’re after a special edition, you can pre-order the Hollow Knight Collector’s Edition which will set you back $64 on PC and PS4, or $69 USD on the Switch. Not only do you get a nifty box that is decorated with gold-foil details, but a clear printed sleeve and the game of course. You will also receive a 14-page Quirrel comic book, gold-foil art print set as well as a metal brooch and stand featuring your favourite bug fighter, The Knight.

If you fancy any of these versions you can pre-order via the Fangamer website, the release will ship on May 31st.

To read more about this new find it here in Hollow Knight’s Physical Release Is Back With A Fancy Collector’s Edition.

Borderlands 3

This year’s PAX East will be attended by Gearbox who confirmed they would be going and prepared to show some “never-before-seen reveals”. They now share a tweet that drops clues pointing to a possible Borderlands 3 reveal.

The latest tweet shows a road sign with the date March 28th as well as Boston, which is the same date and location of Gearbox’s panel for PAX East. Not only is the image done in a similar Borderlands artstyle but also has an “Exit” sign with a cut off “3”. There’s not much else to go in this picture, but this could mean they are ready to reveal their third entry in the Borderlands series.

This leaves the question of where Borderland 3 will take players now with sci-fi online co-op shooters such as Anthem and Destiny 2. What will the next instalment offer that can help the game differentiate itself, while still holding onto what made their previous games memorable for fans? They could go in the direction of Fallout 76 with survival mode, or the upcoming The Outer Worlds with it’s own unique version of the VATS system. Guess we’ll have to wait for more information and the actual reveal which looks like it will be at PAX East.

Be sure to catch the live panel on at PAX East at 2:00pm EST on Thursday 28th March.

To read more about this new find it here in Borderlands 3 Reveal Teased For PAX East.

Phoenix Point

The original creator of X-COM Julian Gollop has received some not so positive feedback as the next title becomes an Epic Games store exclusive.

The next title created by the X-COM creator Phoenix Point is a turn-based strategy game and gained a crowdfunded backing of $765,948 from 10,000 backers on Fig in June 2017. The campaign stated at the time that Phoenix Point would be available on the Steam platform at launch, promising those who helped bring the title to it’s goal, a Steam or GOG key.

However, now Phoenix Point has become an exclusive to the Epic Games store for the first year. Backers will still gain a Steam or GOG key after the first year has concluded, in addition to an Epic key. They will also receive all three DLC packs at no cost. Those who may not be happy with this decision can get a refund which has been offered by Gollop.

It seems there is quite a few unsatisfied backers who have voiced their opinions through the subreddit and social media, expressing their disappointment over this decision. Gollop explained in a reddit AMA, that he was the one who had started talks with Epic about signing a deal and the stability that it would bring the title.

What do you feel about platform exclusive launches? Let us know in the comments below.

To read more about this new find it here in X-COM Creator Receives Backlash From Backers As It Becomes An Epic Games Store Exclusive.

Well, that’s it for the Week in Wikis. Please join us next week for yet another great week of gaming! Remember to check out our VIP program for some exclusive supporter benefits, and budding writers should take advantage of our Become an Author initiative! Thanks again for being a part of this great community. Keep checking in with us for news, reviews, YouTube streams and vids, and general wiki goodness!

Follow us on social media for all the latest and greatest. The more followers we get, the larger the army of the Fexus grows:

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

The post Top RPG News Of The Week: March 17th (Path of Exile, Sekiro, Dead Cells and More!) appeared first on Fextralife.

Top RPG News Of The Week: March 17th (Path of Exile, Sekiro, Dead Cells and More!) published first on https://juanaframi.tumblr.com/

0 notes