Dialogue for a possible Buffy idea

“Are you a wish granting demon? Because you have to say so.”

“That’s cops. And it’s not true about cops either.”

“Oh.”

The Enterprise flies home

The original Star Trek three-foot film model of the USS Enterprise has returned to the Roddenberry family archive.

Nationals 2025: MMU

I may know what the provisional Nationals 2025 theme is.

I may have already pitched a Buffy adventure for it.

2024 Olympics

100 days to the start of the summer Olympics in Paris.

And I have already seen Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester and what may be Porky Pig explaining realy race handoffs.

Wreck series 2

Wreck series 2, the unexpected return of the comedy-horror about a slasher a cruise ship, doesn’t feature a slasher on a cruise ship as it runs with the reveals at the end of series 1 and shifts to a different and less self-contained location.

It works as a way to continue what felt like a big one-shot, and has fun with the premise, but the setting is more regular-issue.

Nationals 2024 banner

The category banners were very nice indeed. Gallery hopefully to follow!

Alexis - Welfare Cult Leader

The banners were designed by the incredible MelWare, our very own plague doctor, with support from Astra (Cultist) and the Pope himself James Cult Pope I <3

James Cult Pope I 

Notepad art was also MelWare

Dice was Xiggy, Astra (Cultist), myself and a Q-workshop employee

Nationals 2024 amusing statistical oddity

Of the seven PCs for groups of four and five, two were played twice.

One of them both days by a player sitting on my right (and they weren’'t spread out so they were closest) who then chose the same role in the PCs’' band, the same gender, and the same character picture out of the fifteen options for that gender.

I didn’t think that specific picture was that that character.

For those wondering, this gives Gangrel and lead guitarist vibes.

Willa Holland in Arrow

I was more thinking Brujah when I included it...

Nationals 2024

My first time running a one-game category at the Nationals and I prefer the more even playing field of a genre category, instead of the wide variety from first time trying to having years of experience and OPINIONS about the various editions.

I in turn have OPINIONS about Nationals organisation.

Hotel room proved as helpfully close as I booked it for, and also proved to be an attic room with an exciting lack of headroom.

Stirling should just build their own union and a hotel so they can host after all these wins.

The World Of Darkness MMO

The World Of Darkness MMO was confirmed cancelled ten years ago today, two years after the first in-g.

Since then, a lot of the concept art has made its ways into V5, including the clan fashion spreads as well as art from the trailer. We finally got to see some of the in-game character movement in World Of Darkness: The Documentary three years later and it looked pretty cool, presumably from a couple of stages as the style varies.

I probably would have played it now and then.

Happy birthday Rick!

The other Nationals ST exists!

My Nationals printer killing curse continues

Sorry Erich, and everybody at his department! Rationally I suppose it’s because it’s the most printing I do most years, but still, I killed a printer I’ve never even been in the same building as!

Thank you to Liam for offering a backup!

Secret identity slice of life

Is Bruce Wayne fun to play? asks Poe’s Law on RPGnet but the wider question is about playing out the mundane side of supers, urban fantasy and the like, and my answer is it depends on the players, the characters and what they get up to:

The more down-to-earth sides of a secret identity can be a lot of fun, as noted, depending on what they’re doing. Clark Kent is often a better example than Bruce Wayne, as a mild-mannered reporter at the Daily Planet brings in investigative journalism adventures and workplace comedy, and his ongoing relationship with Lois Lane has fueled series by itself.

My current Vampire: The Masquerade game is about a band, and getting and playing shows, going to other gigs by vampire and mortal musicians and hanging out in the scene as well as other slice-of-life events like seeing connected human NPCs (the latter built into the current edition) takes up more sessions than the regular vampire turf wars, because being in a band is itself something that there are stories like films and TV series - and indeed RPGs - about.

Nationals prep all over bar the cutting bits of paper.

Star Wars Outlaws story trailer

A chaotic funny making-this-up-as-I-go robbery story dodging the Empire? In.

Star Wars dot come interview with creative director Julian Gerighty.

MaXXXine

MaXXXine trailer, urge to reread New Wave Requiem rising.

The First Omen

The First Omen is a pretty solid religious horror movie, though not as overwhelmingly atmospheric as the trailers suggested, and bound to be unfavourably compared to Immaculate which gets to go wild with a lot of the same building blocks. I kind of expected that, so my biggest letdown is the low number of spectacular “accidents” for an Omen movie, and none of them topping the all-timer from the original with the glass safety issue. (Yes, Final Destination has come and stolen that USP since.) It also carries on the amusing Omen tradition of having them kill people just after it would be useful.

The period setting was nicely used, reminding me of all the behind-the-scenes stories from the original about living in tense times. Only one big jump and that relies entirely on LOUD NOISES to work. But it toyed with enough expectations to entertain.

Monkey Man

Monkey Man is a great time if you like brutal fight choreography and righteous vengeance. Most of its surprises (though not all) are stylistic. The fictional city of Yatana is a cyberpunky exaggeration of Mumbai where the haves drive past the have-nots on the way to all-service nightclub marked with crowns. Don’t expect laughs - the best is in the trailer, apart from choice ironic needle drops and some action cinema shoutouts. The cam gets a bit too shaky here and there. Slows a bit in the middle with an origin we already had plenty gist of but ramps back up after that.

Quantum Leap

Aw, shame. Still, good to have a seaon arc with a finale that would sit okay as a series finale.

Dark Eras Bundle Of Holding

Dark Eras Bundle Of Holding for Chronicles Of Darkness.