WargamerX's Game Blog

I'd say today that Spring has definitely sprung. I spent most of the day outside and even collectively cancelled our Basic Fantasy Roleplaying game (free! and good! see  http://basicfantasy.org/ ) scheduled for this weekend, in lieu of working on my lawn, lifting weights outside and grilling salmon. And what goes better with grilling than...beer!  A nice, one shot taste is Shock-Top's Raspberry Wheat. I hesitate from drinking more than one, I am afraid that the rich taste will sour me if I drink more than one, but as a one bottle, it is a delicious treat. For my grilling, I put salmon on cedar planks, loaded the grill with hickory chips and coated the salmon in olive oil and a splash of soy sauce.  Like savages, the family, or at least Mama Bear and I, ate the delicious fish off the plank. The more civilized gamers, put it on plates first.  

I love Role Playing Games. I mean really. And I have been collecting them for a long time; roughly 30 years. Included in there is about three or four era's of game design, and, my life. No, I am not a game designer - never seriously (except for Psychotic Heros, but thats the story for another blog entry). But unfortunately, life events for me have also impacted directly on my choice and view of games.

So the latest rpg that I have become addicted to is Lamentations of the Flame Princess. It is a retro-clone of the original Basic D&D that I grew up with. Well, at least for the three weeks that it took me to save up for a copy of the AD&D Players Handbook. I tired pretty quickly of the conceit of Basic D&D. I mean, whay couldn't a halfling (read: Hobbit) be a magic user? Or a fighter? Or a cleric? Didn't dwarves, halflings, and elves have gawds? So my desire to advance from BD&D to AD&D lasted about as long as it took to read the comic book length rules. So why am I now a fanboi of Lamentations of the Flame Princess (or as the kewl kidz say LotFP)? Weeelll...the rules are there for playing an Elf with a class of Elf...buuut...the game itself leads players to play a human. It is a case of the feel of the game being one of human exploration into the "weird" unknown. that even the characters doing the adventuring are themselves freaks for step...

So I have a new hobby, exploring (read: drinking) microbrews (of beer). Oddly enough, this hobby synchs quite nicely with my gaming hobby, at least with my current group. Currently enjoying a nice 1554 Dark Belgian Ale by the New Belgium Brewing Company of Fort Collins, Colorado. Quite nice with a hint of chocolate. I recommend it!