Kickstarter Sunday – Trekker & Impossible Jones

Two writer-artists I highly respect have ongoing comic kickstarters that you should look at and back if they hit your interests.

Firstly, Ron Randall’s TREKKER, is about Mercy St.Clair who is a bounty hunter (a ‘trekker’ in the setting parlance) who has gotten involved in all sorts of trouble including interfering with the plans of a powerful and secretive organization, the Council, who really want her out of the way. In the latest Kickstarter. Trekker: Blood on the Wind, this conflict hits hard. (You can learn more about Trekker here.)

If you like science fiction adventure, this is the sort of thing you are looking for, and Ron Randall’s art is fantastic (check out the Empress he did for me). The campaign ends May 26 so you have time to jump in! Eight stretch goals have already been hit so the physical book is going to look amazing!

Second, as it ends later, is IMPOSSIBLE JONES, by Karl Kesel, about a criminal who gained superpowers and now, maybe, is a superhero, mostly. The story is an unabashedly silver age sort of super world, with light-hearted hijinx and action-packed conflicts between costumed villains and heroes. This kickstarter is for Impossible 2C: Impossible Jones & Polecat Team-Up, it is also fully funded and knocking down stretch goals, the current one for an Even Steven backup story that is currently three-pages long but could stretch to six with additional backers (hin-hint). Even Steven is an amazing character, someone who believes that good will always defeat evil as long as they are playing on an even playing field, so he always matches his foe. Fantastic.

The Imp Kickstarter runs until 2 June come and join in the fun!

Images from the respective Kickstarter pages and used without permission, but I expect they will forgive me.

Shadowrun Campaign News and a new Seattle Scream Prop (#75)

Shadowrun continues though slowly, currently GMing one game a month (every first Saturday at Tyche’s Games if you are ever in the area, come and join in).  Due to the work thing not sure when I will be CH more Shadowrun apart from the Saturday games.  However, still getting about a game a month in the NorCal set campaign which has been swell.

And, of course, what you are really here for, the latest Seattle Scream (#75), nothing directly tied to my latest adventures.  Though one of them did involve the Rusted Stilettos and the Banners, both gangs in Glow City, so it was on my mind.

For those interested in such things, I have a review of the latest Shadowrun resource PDF up, Shadowrun: Shadow Stock Lofwyr’s Legions. in case you want to learn more about who works for S-K and Drakes in the Shadowrun setting.

Are you slipping into the shadows?  If so, how is that going?  Watch out for those S-K operatives, they are serious jerks.

Notes: Image Nuclear Power plants. Original image from Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress collection. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel and is in the Public Domain.

Ending April and the A to Z Challenge, Welcome May

Tonight signals the change from Spring to Summer, Beltaine in the old Celtic calendar.  In the Romans calendar May (Maius in Latin) and was named after the Greek goddess Maia, perhaps, who is associated with Spring.  So, what theme would you like to see for May?  Spring and nature?  The fae and faerie?  Something else?  Let me know and I will do my best.

As should surprise no one at all, April’s writings were primarily for the A to Z Blogging Challenge, which I am pleased to say I completed, again.  So, the posts for April, 2022, were:

Review – Shadowrun: Shadow Stock – Lofwyr’s Legions

Shadowrun: Shadow Stock – Lofwyr’s Legions is a book of NPCs and introduces the drake, part dragons, as an optional metatype. It is interesting and useful for a GM. But the drake write up has some very serious balance issues that should make any GM reluctant to allow them for player characters without considerable revision.

Shadowrun: Shadow Stock – Lofwyr’s Legions is one of the Shadow Stock pdfs for Shadowrun, providing both interesting non-player characters and new character options, in this case NPCs associated with the dragon Lofwyr, his corporation Saeder-Krupp and rules for drakes, part dragons.

Shadowrun Campaign News and a new Seattle Scream Prop (#74)

Shadowrun continues though slowly.

My Shadowrun demo games are played every first Saturday at Tyche’s Games if you are ever in the area.  Due to the work thing, not sure when I will be CH more Shadowrun apart from the Saturday games.  Though I have been able to play in some NorCal set games which has been nice.

A few minor changes to my house rules, taking into account some of the latest books, but –as always– a work in progress.  Comments and discussion welcome.

Here is some of the news from my campaign, recounted in the latest Seattle Scream (#74), only the Tornado Hydroponics story is tangentally related to one of the games we played.  But who knows what troubles on runners will get themselves into tied into what is happening in Seattle?

Speaking of Seattle, you can read my review of the new Seattle sourcebook, Shadowrun: Emerald City.

How are you runs into the shadows going?

Notes: Image from Max Pixel and used under the Creative Commons Zero – CC0 license.

April ahead as March ends

April begins on the morrow with its usual day of clever tricks and artful misdirections, such not being my specialty, do not expect anything clever from me.  But I hope to enjoy cheerful cleverness from others.

April is named after the Roman month Aprilis though it is unclear where the Roman name comes from . . .  It may refer to the opening (aperire) of buds and flowers as Spring arrives or in some unclear way to the goddess Venus, to whom it is a sacred month, or something else.  We just do not know, such is the way of history.

As is usual, I am participating in the the Blogging from A to Z Challenge for April, the theme will be “Unusual Animals of the Sea of Stars” so if you have questions about my setting or the creatures that roam about, or anything else, please ask.

March, 2022, saw the following posts here:

Review – Shadowrun: Emerald City

Shadowrun: Emerald City is a setting book for the Sixth World Edition of Shadowrun covering that most Shadowrun of all cities, Seattle. If you are running a Seattle-based campaign, obviously this book is going to be extremely useful while not indispensable but close. For non-seattle-based campaigns, it is a fun read and gives you some information of things that will have rippling effects on the rest of the Sixth World. However, the lack of district maps and an index do badly compromise its usability during a game.

Shadowrun: Emerald City is the Setting Book for Shadowrun’s hometown, the Metroplex of Seattle. Designed to link into the new city edition of the core and providing a detailed look at the city and its situation following the city’s declaration of independence.

Shadowrun Campaign News and a new Seattle Scream Prop (#73)

Still playing Shadowrun.  Actually managed to start the Songs on the Key of X campaign just in time for a bunch of work to drop in my lap, so I am not sure when we are going to play more.  Will keep up my Shadowrun demo games every first Saturday at Tyche’s Games if you are ever in the area.  And playing in the occasional NorCal set game.  Due to the work thing, not sure when I will be CH more Shadowrun apart from the Saturday games.

Did finally finish my review of Double Clutch which overall I am pretty happy with, though you can check out the review for more details.

Now for what you have all been waiting for, the new Seattle Scream (#73)!  The story about Nightmare Chorus is the aftermath of one of the runs, one that I had a great deal of fun with (and the players seemed to as well).

Hope that your Shadowrunning is going well.  Feel free to share your adventures in the comments.

Notes: Photo found on Pixabay and is free for use.

Superheroes – Once upon a Time in 1968 – Issue 14 – Part 1: Squids and Candy

Picking up directly after Issue 13 with the derrigilble Leonard calling for help!

Cover: A Question Mark divides the cover, on on side is Leonard, the airship, being attacked by sky-squids, the other side will be revealed later!  Across the bottom is “New Challenges for our Young Heroes!”

Opening page:  Leonard high over New York being attacked by three sky-squid!  “I am under attack!  I am under attack!” he broadcasts.

February and the RPG Blog Carnival Ends

Thanks to all who helped out with this month’s RPG Blog Carnival!  It was fun and I hope to host again soon.

With the start of March, the Equinox and Spring draw nearer.  As you no doubt are aware, the name of March comes from the Roman month Martius which in turn comes from Mars, as you would expect.  Mars was the Roman god of war (and a soldier’s god rather than a warrior as contrasted with his Greek counterpart Ares)

The theme for March, as usual, will be the military and things martial.  If there is anything in particular you would like to see, please let me know.  I will try to do something, spell or item, for the Equinox as well.

February, 2022 saw the following post in the journal: