6 March 2010
Today’s Tabbloid
PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
ROGUE FEED
Buck Rogers Sneak Peak
MAR 05, 2010 09:40P.M.
Thanks to Christopher Mills at Space: 1970 — an amazing blog you really
ought to be reading —I was made aware of this sneak peak video for the
upcoming Buck Rogers in the 25th Century web series. What’s really
awesome about this clip, aside from the nostalgia value of seeing Gil
Gerard and Erin Gray, is that, in contrast to certain other films inspired
by pulp stories I could mention, it’s returning to the source material and
hewing more closely to the source material in order to re-imagine an
iconic character.
Placing Buck in the context of the Great War is something I heartily
applaud — would that Hollywood were similarly inclined. Fortunately,
technology is now getting to the point where dedicated amateurs can
share their artistic visions with others directly without the need to dilute
them in the name of mass market viability. I have no illusions that this
web series will set the world on fire or make Buck Rogers the latest fad in
SF, but it’s still glorious to see that it’s not only possible but indeed more
possible than ever for creators to realize their dreams.
Godspeed, Captain Rogers.
ROGUE FEED
Roman Thoughts
MAR 05, 2010 12:22P.M.
1
I’ve been on a bit of a Roman kick lately. I’m not quite sure what
triggered it this time, but it’s not as if I’ve never been down this road
before. The Romans (and the Egyptians) have long been interests of
mine, going all the way back to my childhood, a love only made more
intense by my study of Latin in high school and, later, classical history.
The funny thing is that, so far as I can recall, I never saw any Roman-
themed films or TV shows when I was a kid and my readings in
mythology were always of the Greek rather than the Roman sort.
I suspect that my Roman inclinations have more to do with my love of
pomp and ceremony. When it comes to high-minded bombast, the
Romans were definitely masters. It helps too that their history is so
terrifically human, by which I mean that it’s filled with all those virtues
and vices that mark man as halfway between angel and animal. The
ferment of the late Republic and the early Principate is, frankly, heady
stuff and it’s hard not to be simultaneously attracted to and repulsed by
it. Indeed, I’d say that my feelings toward Roman culture in general is a
strange mixture of attraction and revulsion. I enjoy learning about the
Romans and their ways, but I am ever so thankful I did not live under
their rule.
Robert E. Howard rather famously disdained the Romans, in contrast to
his colleague and correspondent, H.P. Lovecraft. That’s no surprise,
given Howard’s philosophical proclivities and, honestly, if one took
Rome’s worst traits — its arrogance, its shamelessness, its cruelty — as
its most exemplary ones, it’d be hard not to come down on the side of the
barbarians, as REH did. In my latest bout of Roman fascination, I can’t
deny that, older man that I am now, I do find the Romans a lot less
personally attractive than I used as a younger and more foolish man,
even if there’s still something powerful about their culture, all these
centuries later. I mean, my daughter has a child in her class named
Julian, for goodness sake but none named Sargon or Hammurabi.
Everywhere you go, there are terms, symbols, and institutions that we
inherited from these guys. That’s impressive stuff.
I don’t think I’ve ever used the Romans in my gaming, at least not that I
can remember. I’ve thought of doing so several times. The recent release
of Cthulhu Invictus certainly gave me cause to consider rectifying this,
but I haven’t yet picked up the book and, even if I had, Dwimmermount
is still going strong, so I’d have no time to run such a campaign anyway.
Still, it’s something I regularly consider and it’s been on my mind lately.
Maybe one day ...
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
ROGUE FEED
REVIEW: Under Siege
MAR 05, 2010 11:52A.M.
Under Siege, written by Moritz Mehlem, is an adventure module for
Labyrinth Lord characters of levels 2-4, although it could probably be
adapted to almost any old school version of D&D and its retro-clones
without too much effort. Described as volume I of the “tabletop
adventures” series, Under Siege details an attack on the isolated village
of Larm by a humanoid army under the command the hobgoblin king
Prakranz. Consequently, it’s very combat-heavy and, while there are
opportunities for roleplaying, the focus of the module is on defending
Larm through force of arms rather than diplomacy or subterfuge.
Under Siege is divided into chapters, each of which corresponds to a
different phase of the humanoid army’s actions against the village, from
the initial sounding of the alarm when waves of kobolds appear to a
waterborne attack to a desperate final push. Sprinkled throughout the
chapters are shorter “interludes” that detail other events that occur
during the siege. These events are all optional, but their inclusion is
highly recommended, not only because they add depth to the siege but
because they give the characters the opportunity to do something other
fight (although, to be fair, many of the interludes include combat as
well).
Under Siege is well organized, although the text is not always as clear as
one might like. There are a few peculiar turns of phrase and word choices
that may be an artifact of its author’s not being a native English speaker.
That said, it’s still quite easy to use and I very much appreciated the way
that each chapter and interlude provided all the information needed to
use it in play, including a listing of their possible outcomes and the
consequences thereof. The module helpfully includes appendices with
the stats of all opponents and NPCs, as well as a tally sheet that the
referee can tick off as opponents are slain.
From what I have described thus far, I can fully understand if Under
Siege fails to garner much interest. After all, its scenario is one we’ve all
seen many times before and, while there are a few unusual elements
6 March 2010
(such as the inclusion of a spidergoat from Mutant Future in the order of
battle), none are truly innovative, at least not to old hands who’ve seen it
all before. What Under Siege does offer, however, and what I suspect will
be its main draw are 17 pages of 25mm scale maps and counters to aid
the players and the referee in running the siege of Larm, most of which
was illustrated by Andy Taylor. Printed in color onto thick paper or
cardboard, these maps and counters alone more than justify the PDF’s
$5.00 price. I was favorably reminded of the classic B/X module, Night’s
Dark Terror, which included a similarly large collection of maps and
counters for use in simulating a siege of a remote bastion of civilization.
In the final analysis, the value of Under Siege to any given referee
depends on two factors. First, do you want/need the outline for an
extended tabletop combat between a force of humanoids and a band of
beleaguered townsfolk led by the PCs? Second, do you want/need maps
and counters to enable you to run this tabletop combat (and others like
it)? If the answer to both question is “yes,” I would not hesitate to
recommend this module. If the answer is no to both, you’d be wise to
avoid it.
If, on the other hand, you want/need the maps and counters alone, it’s
probably still worth the price. The chapters and interludes are of a
workmanlike quality — solid but not inspired — but their real value is
only realized in conjunction with the well-done maps and counters. As
the first volume in this series, I think it likely that author Moritz Mehlem
is still finding his way in presenting engaging tabletop combat scenarios.
For that reason, I look forward to future releases. If they can improve
upon the solid start of Under Siege, they’ll make excellent and useful
additions to old school gaming options.
Presentation: 7 out of 10
Creativity: 6 out of 10
Utility: 6 out of 10
Buy This If: You’re looking for a simple tabletop mass combat scenario
and/or an inexpensive alternative to metal miniatures.
Don’t Buy This If: You have no interest in tabletop mass combats.