VIDEO : Cubicles & Careers aka Papers And Paychecks!

click to enlarge

Here is another take on the 1st edition DM's guide hilarious cartoon called "Paper's and Paychecks" and the idea is that an adventuring group is playing a group of "real world" workers and students in our modern industrial and technological society.

The good folks behind "Fantasy Con" in Salt Lake City, Reserve tickets at http://www.fantasycon.com/tickets.html, did a great job creating and putting their own spin on the comic! (this was originally found by a player of mine and adventuring buddy +Mike Andersen)

CURSE THIS GAME! ;)

(the rest of the videos after the jump + bonus!)

Happy 40th Anniversary Dungeons And Dragons!

Dungeons and Dragons turns 40 this year!  Its hard to pin down the exact date of when exactly Dungeons and Dragons officially turns 40 but it all started back in 1974, and from the origins of Chainmail, Gary and Dave created a game we all love to play that still fires our imaginations to this day!  

So raise a glass of Mountain Dew, throw a d20 or some 3d6, or perhaps create a new character in honor of the 40th Anniversary of this amazing game!

What does the future hold? Perhaps this video will show off what is to be the next version of Dungeons and Dragons as Chris Perkins intros DnD Next!

Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

Videos : CastAR - Founder Made This With Dungeon And Dragons In Mind. +Kickstarter

Jeri Ellsworth and Rick Johnson formerly of Valve have created their own company called Technical Illusions (click name for website), and their first product is called CastAR.  This product is current underway at Kickstarter which you can find the link here to go and contribute.  

Basically the system is a set of glasses similar to the ones used for Home 3d TV viewing where each eye piece turns on and off at various rates to simulate 3d worlds, however they've also combined two pico projectors above each eye piece along with a tracking sensor in the center bridge.  This configuration allows for projecting your viewpoint forward  when looking at a reflective fabric, similar to those used in road signs or safety tape, at a scene or world.  This allows for everyone around an table to have their own viewpoints and a shared experience for various applications, be it educational or in entertainment such as role playing or board gaming.  

In the video above Rick indicated that he specifically created this system with Dungeons and Dragons in mind as their group was fearful of as they got older about if they would be able to get together and play D&D together.  

Also one of the cool things is that since there is a lot of the processing done within the glasses themselves they hope to get this so it'll connect to your phone or tablet and can be run straight from that device so no bulky computer to hook up to and play.  All you would do is plug into your phone connect to a game/server/whatever and then start playing.  

This could revolotionize playing together on a large scale if the end price and production model is both good looking and affordable for either individual or group purchase.

One of the other benefits is that unlike the Occulus Rift you don't get nausea that some people get after using those VR devices.  Check out the videos below.  The first is Jeri and John over at Tested.com showing off the gear and getting the Kickstarter going.  The second is from Jeri's channel and her story of the 18 month journey.  The last video is the initial showing at Makerfaire San Mateo last year, (which i totally missed!!).  

Here are some other videos demoing/talking about the CastAR system:

Video : Daffy Duck - "The Wizard"

I recently found this old Daffy cartoon from merrie melodies where Daffy is a Wizard.  Its pretty funny if you like old skewl heavy metal with a bit of Dungeons and Dragons fantasy thrown in ;)

Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

Video - Skyrim : 2012 Phoenix Cut (Part 1, 2, & 3)

Even those this was made in 2012, its still one of my favorite Skyrim parodies from the GroBroPro youtube channel!  This is all three (so far) "episodes" from the series.

Now don't mind me as I skill up my pick pocketing and work toward the Akimbo celestial perk!

Here is the video clip:

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12 Year Old Uses Monster Manual To Help Scientist Dad Test A Hypnosis

Over at discovermagazine.com there is an article about how the 12 year old son of a Scientist dad suggested using the monster manual to test the hypothesis of weather we're actually wired to look for eyes on a individual or if we're looking for the face and just get the eyes for "free" as they're in the center of our face.  This all came about because of a previous paper the dad wrote involved with how we as humans as well as other animals follow the gaze of other animals upon interaction with them.

Be sure to head over and read about their findings, but essentially the son suggested using the monster manual and its many unusual and varied fauna with varied eye and "face" configurations, helped his dad set up a head mounted rig to track eye moment, and then helped with the collection and coding of the data.  Turns out we tend to look for the "center" of an object when a face isn't readily perceived then search out "eyes" wherever they may be.

 

Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

Deities And Demigods ; Zak's Awesome Take On A Classic!

So over at the blog "Playing D&D With Porn Stars" (need I mention its NSFW?), Zak, artist, published author, porn star, and of course DM Extraordinaire, has an article up on why you should be using the classic book Deities And Demigods of 1st edition Dungeons & Dragons in ALL of your campaigns.


Here is an excerpt from the article:

Let's take a look at the entry for a god we all know......the principle here is: the characteristics of the faith reflect the characteristics of the deity.
So, you pack of mewling quims, take a look at about 3/4s of the way down where it says "Cleric/Druid", "Fighter", "Magic User/Illusionist", etc.
These are actually the chances that a given cultist of Loki will be a member of that class. You start with the highest and work your way down until you get one. So, the highest level is illusionist, and there's a 20% chance. Roll roll...nope. Now we move to assassin--15% chance...roll roll...nope, then Cleric, Druid and Ranger, roll for each in a random order...aaaand bing this Loki cultist is a ranger. If you get no results that means the cultist is an unlevelled schmuck.
This fits the pattern in the book: more powerful gods have more classes and more levels and, therefore, their cultists tend to be classier and more various. 

He's got more goodness about how you can use the book for various purposes, such as rolling up cultists on the spot, how strong a god's pull is in a certain area of a world is, etc.  Its an excellent article all around and one worth bookmarking, or printing out, to have at hand for your next dnd session.

Zak's also the author of Vornheim : The Complete City Kit and for a mere 5 euros you too can own the .pdf masterpiece!

If you have an article you'd like to shine a spotlight on feel free to email me at the link in the contact section above!

Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

Video : One Ring To SPIN Them All! (or 10!)

A reader, and friend of the blog, Evil Miss Monkey, suggested via email that I check it out this very cool kickstarter project by Aaron and Sam of "Crit Success!"  

It's a set of rings that you can spin for d4 to d20 results!  If you're ever in a pickle and don't have dice on hand, so to speak, you can just look down to yer ring fingers and spin away! 20! Yes! I just crit that Ogre!!!



So this is a new take on an old idea, but with modern tech and manufacturing these guys took the initiative to create a pretty awesome project/product.

There are a few things I'd wish they would have done differently in the design, rather than have the inner band, which spins, ride on top of the ring, I'd rather have it inset to the outer band and flush, similar to various other "gears" and geeky type rings of late, e.g., see images to the left...

Don't get me wrong I really like this idea and can't wait to get my hands on some of these.

Did I mention I love dice? Hehe.  

If you too have a suggestion for and article feel free to email me at the address in the contact section above!

Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

I'm Between Realms Hehehe...

While I'm actually not "between realms" going back over some old Penny Arcade web strips I found this series. "The Conflux" (click the link to go to the start) 

 [click to embiggen ]

Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

   

Video : Dungeons and Dragons 80's Cartoon Like You've Never Seen It Before!

Over on the youtubes user MasterWGS uploaded this parody of the camptasticaly awful 1980's Dungeons and Dragons cartoon! Yes, I admit, I own the box set of the animated series!  


The video is laid out as if it's a replay of an actual campaign with rolls for attacks, skill checks, and saves and both players and DM Joel alike are frustrated by the outcome.  

Its similar to MST3K in the sense that you get to hear all the comedic gold that goes into a session of DnD even though the "adventure journal" might not reflect those quips and taunts.

Check out the video below and head over to his channel for more of his gaming videos as well as others.  (Warning NSFW Language)




Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

Gaming With A Projector - Part 1

It begins!  I've been wanting to get this project, using a projector in various gaming situations, up and running for quite some time now, and I finally bit the bullet and picked up some hardware. 


I have a netbook that I'll be using to run most of the software directly and vnc'ing into it to move grids/maps etc.  The first itteration is to just get something to project a hex or grid pattern on top of the tabletop so i can still use my own terrain, nothing interactive like the videos below is planned as of yet.  


I also think i'm going to mount it directly above the play table or use a combination of my bookcase and a angled mirror to project the game onto the table top. The projector I have has minimal distance of 33 inches and that's just a bit above the bottom of the glass tabletop I currently have.  I plan to document the process with images/video and when I get the info completed I'll be posting them here.


Here are a few similar videos of "what could be"! 


*high pitched voice, "in the year 2000!" hehe.








Bonus Videos of Johnny Lee's Low-Cost Multi-Touch Whiteboard and Microsoft Surface 2 Demo Video after the jump...

Video : Announcing Pathfinder Online Tech Demo Kickstarter!

So as some of you might know Bethesda has announced the Elder Scrolls MMO is in development.  World of Warcraft, Eve Online, Warhammer, DDO, and now Star Wars The Old Republic are all entertaining millions of subscribers (where applicable).  


So is the world ready for another MMO?  Paizo is betting it is.  They recently announced the following kickstarter for help in creating a tech demo for the Pathfinder Online MMO, to show investors that the world can handle a new and perhaps radically change(well sort of) the course of MMO gaming forever!  Check out the following video from the kickstarter page:





So do you think Paizo can do it?  I have to admit that the video is light on info, the kickstarter page has a bit more info, but I'm still skeptical.  I would really like for them to succeed but in all honesty either Wizards or Paizo needs to come up with a all in one gaming solution to administer, referee, and play your home rpg game with media agnostic technology (laptops, tablets, cell phones, etc.). (projector included, or not :) )


Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

DIY - Table Top Projector Gaming System And Videos!

Over at Robotguy.net, there is an article on how to create a gaming surface on the cheap, well sort of.  By implementing a simple table lamp clamp, a mirror, some hot glue along with a ceiling projector(but i'm guessing any projector will work) and a laptop.  


You can project overland maps, skirmish maps, or anything that your imagination can think up!  Considering that most of us have the majority of these items, it should be a fairly cheap and modifiable addition to your gaming setup.  This would also work for board games too!  You could scan in all of your gaming boards such as Formula D, Powergrid, Catan, etc., into your computer and project those onto the gaming surface.


I've seen other other setups, most notably the various Microsoft Surfaces DnD demos, along with this thread on rptools.net on how to build your own Microsoft Surface "like" table.  Most of these builds use a modified Wii remote, projector, IR sensors, and pointers to track figures for characters, monsters, etc. 


Check out the videos below of two awesome setups of diy solutions:








Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

Video - It's A New Role Playing Game!

Hehe. This comic originally appeared in the 1st Edtion AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide, or was it the Players Handbook...  Regardless, I found it quite humorous to think of "fantasy" characters playing the mundane lives of modern day folks (this was way before "The Sims").


The sketch comedy troupe "Caution: May Contain Nuts" have created their own take on the comic that perfectly  recreates the feeling and humor of the original comic.  Be sure to check out their youtube channel and their website!  Here is the video:





Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

Dragon Age: Redemption - Episode 6 - Last One!

Oh No's! Looks like Felicia Day's Dragon Age based web series, called Dragon Age : Redemption, ends with this last episode, episode 6!  This episode is a doozy! So enjoy now 13:44 min of epic climatic battle!  Too bad its over :(



Don't forget to check out Greg Aronowitz's blog barnyardfx.  He's got a whole bunch of of new pics from the most recent episode and lots of behind scenes and the making of's that went into the series.


Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

Dragon Age: Redemption - Episode 5

Felicia Day, is back with Episode 5 of her Dragon Age based web series called  Dragon Age : Redemption! Check out the video below.  There's some nice bar brawling in this episode as well as secrets and true motives revealed, if a bit cliché.  Even so its another great suspense filled episode that ends with a bit of a cliff hanger!   Andraste's ass indeed!






Don't forget to check out Greg Aronowitz's blog barnyardfx.  He's got a whole bunch of of new pics from the most recent episode and lots of behind scenes and the making of's that went into the series.

Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

Dragon Age: Redemption - Episode 4

Felicia Day, is back with Episode 4 of her Dragon Age based web  series called  Dragon Age : Redemption! Check out the video below.  The video is a bit dark at first, literally, but "It gets betta!"  This episode seems to be the traditional "tavern" setup and the group "bonds" over a good meal and a stiff drink! But where there is drink there is always going to be a fight for one reason or another! Hehe.





Don't forget to check out Greg Aronowitz's blog barnyardfx.  He's got a whole bunch of of new pics from the most recent episode and lots of behind scenes and the making of's that went into the series.


Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

Dragon Age: Redemption - Episode 3

Felicia Day, is back with Episode 3 of her Dragon Age based web  series called  Dragon Age : Redemption! Check out the video below and, yes, it's the most action packed yet!  Also if you've missed Episode 1 or 2 check'em out here to catch up!







Don't forget to check out Greg Aronowitz's blog barnyardfx.  He's got a whole bunch of of new pics from the most recent episode and lots of behind scenes and the making of's that went into the series.


Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

Dragon Age: Redemption - Episode 1 and Episode 2

cinemagraph by Aaron M on G+

Felicia Day, one of geekdoms smartest and hottest red heads, is staring in a new video series that she wrote based in BioWare's Dragon Age Game Setting and is titled Dragon Age : Redemption!


Funny my current campaign is called Planescape : Redemption, its been going on for three years now.




Unlike her series The Guild, this story is based AND executed within a high fantasy world! So if you like your redheads slim and a little "dev-elvish", see what I did there, oh oh I know, LAME, anyways... check out the first two episodes below!  There pretty good!





If you're keen on seeing how some of the creature effects and costumes are done check out Greg Aronowitz's blog barnyardfx.  He's got a whole bunch of pics from the shoots and the making of's.  You might also recognize Greg from some of the other "The Guild" builds, such as the costumes and props for the "Date My Avatar Video". Also he help create "The Guild Sells Out" series which includes the awesome vork bank!

Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!

Faraday Electronic Battery-less Die Roller!

Over on instructibles user Gadre created a electronic die roller that uses no batteries!  The concept is the same as those Faraday flashlights that use a bit of coiled wire and some rare earth magnets.  The magnets slide back and forth through the coiled wire to create an electric current!


I usually frown on electronic dice rollers, some are just annoying, some take forever, and some are just idiotic.  This one however is none of those, and pretty cool  in so much as it keeps the shaking motion when you're rolling dice! Shooka, shooka, shooka. This motion is needed to induce the electric current!  I'd say this is certainly one electronic die roller that has heart and soul!


Check out the instructible for a few extras such how to build your own roller, pcb's of the a finished board, and a finished pcb of the two dice roller version.  I'm going to see if I can make a three dice version, as everyone knows you need at least three for stat gen! Maybe even do a four version where the lowest is automatically dropped(the led's go out on that one)!


Here is a video of it in operation:





Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by!