Bring High-Def photos to your Pulp RPG game

Check out this website, www.shorpy.com.

D'OH! Retraction Time! We Messed Up!

Sorry Radioactive Ape Designs! In our podcast for Atomic Highway we (Sam and I) unfairly criticized the game because of the fumbling rules. Well, as Colin from Radioactive Ape Designs so kindly and gently pointed out, we got the rules wrong! More dice do NOT increase your chances of a fumble. So I humbly apologize for the error. If I could go back in time I would rate Atomic Highway a FIVE not a FOUR like I originally gave it. But in my defense I'd like to say that it was SAM who read the rules and taught me how to play.

Colin, thanks for checking us out and listening to our podcast. We really do love Atomic Highway. Sam has run it for a few different groups now and is planning to run it in our upcoming RPG day at Comic Store West on March 12th.

Star Wars Family Guy VS Star Wars Robot Chicken

Both Family Guy and Robot Chicken have been releasing George Lucas backed Star Wars parody episodes over the past few years. Robot Chicken has released three episodes, simply titled Episodes I, II, and III. Family Guy has also released three episodes, titled Blue Harvest, Something, Something, Something Dark Side, and It's a Trap! Between the creators of the two shows there has been a healthy rivalry to outdo each other in creating the funniest Star Wars episode. So, who has won?

The approach of the two shows is completely different. Robot Chicken approaches it in its traditional sketch format. They jump freely across all six movies. One minute you're with JarJar trying to sell auto insurance, the next moment you're with Luke and Vader in a father-son dance competition. Alternately, Family Guy takes one movie at a time and literally retells the movie with startling faithfulness, taking pains to recreate exact camera angles and framing.

I found that in almost every regard, Family Guy beat Robot Chicken. You would think hopping freely around all six movies, Robot Chicken would be able to cherry-pick the best gags but quite a few of them are simply absurd and fall short of being funny. In all of the Robot Chicken Star Wars episodes only had one laugh-out-loud moment for me (it involved a jedi dropping a lightsaber on a starship). I actually found the Star Wars episodes to be less funny than a typical Robot Chicken. It's almost like they were trying too hard.

Family Guy's Star Wars episodes have a knack for integrating Family Guy conventions into the Star Wars story. There are jokes that work on so many levels, for Star Wars fans, Family Guy fans and as a social commentary. From episode to episode there are running gags that you look for (What's Meg going to be in this episode?). I found myself laughing out loud regularly and, in typical Family Guy fashion, uttering a shocked, "Oh my gosh!" at the irreverent humor ("You can't say that word! That's OUR word!") They manage to lampoon and celebrate Star Wars at the same time. I felt as if it's okay for them to make fun of Star Wars because it is so evident that they love Star Wars so much. I enjoyed these episodes more than your typical Family Guy episode. The Family Guy creative team truly reached its pinnacle with the Star Wars episodes.

So the winner? Family Guy in round one. And two. And three. They have beaten Robot Chicken in every imaginable way on this one. If you haven't checked out the Family Guy Star Wars episodes, sell your Robot Chicken collection on ebay so you can BUY, not Netflix, BUY these bad boys. You'll want to keep pulling them down off of your shelf time and time again.

RPG DAY - March 12 at Comic Store West

So far we have Jason of the Crimson Hand Gamers running a 3rd edition Mutants and Masterminds adventure. Brett, who is a member of both KGS and CHG, will be running Pathfinder.

Let's go KGS guys step up and volunteer to run a game.

Geppi Museum = Mecca for Comic Book and Pop Culture Fans

Nobody knows what heaven is like but it is hard to imagine it could possibly be much better than

Geppi's Entertainment Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. I visited this museum a while back and, quite honestly, my every sense was completely overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of awesomeness that is contained there.

What is on display at Geppi's? Well... entertainment. Specifically entertainment that YOU like if you're any kind of pop culture junkie, gamer, or geek. The museum is literally stuffed to the gills with comic books, posters, toys, statues, and other pop culture artifacts. There isn't any place you can't look that you're not finding something that you thought you'd never actually see in person. You could spend a week in Geppi's and barely scratched the surface of what's there.

Comic books? Their collection goes back to the Yellow Kid who started it all. From there, they have the entire history of comics documented. What's before the Golden age of comics? The Victorian Age. And they've got books from that era. Action Comics #1? Check. Amazing Fantasy #15? Check. Name a book you've always wanted to see and, chances are, they'll have it. And the crazy thing is the comics on display are only a very small fraction of their total collection.

From there you can proceed to view an assortment of movie, gaming, cartoon, and television show memorabilia. From Star Wars to Star Trek to the Flintstones to Sesame Street to McDonalds to The New Kids on the Block to Barbie... Geppi's has it all. Want to see a movie posters from the 1944 Captain America movie serial? They've got it. Curious about the Captain Marvel Fan Club from 1942? They've got it. I could literally go on for pages. There's just no way to describe it accurately.

So if you're any kind of a fan of comic books, science fiction or pop culture in general, do yourself a favor and visit Geppi's Entertainment Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. The only thing you'll regret is having to leave.

The photo below shows how they literally have used every square inch to display their incredible collection.

Happy Birthday to Old Brian

For my 41st birthday my wife and kids got me a bunch of cool things from Think Geek (www.thinkgeek.com). My favorite item was the LED Critical Hit Light-up 20 Sided Die. I will be using this during all KGS games.

p.s.
My wife also told me she would like to play in the next game we play as a group. I nearly fell off my chair. So Dave if you are reading this I hope you have room for a GIRL in our Savage World game that we are starting in 2 weeks.

Gamma World - Legion of Gold

The box set before I ripped it open.

4 card stock sheets of monster and character tokens (2 sided).

160 page book, with more hero options, expanded rules, new monsters, and an adventure.

2 sided maps and 10 NEW Alpha and Omega Tech cards.

Gamma World News

Check out this really cool Gamma World interactive character sheet.

Check back here this coming weekend and I will reveal the latest Gamma World Expansion - Legion of Gold (I'm getting it for my birthday on Saturday).

The Great Debate: Is Fantasy Football Role Playing?

We're called the Keystone Gaming Society... but what is "gaming" or, for that matter, what is a "gamer?" I would submit that gaming is the act of playing games as a hobby and a gamer is somebody who regularly engages in gaming. All of this brings us to fantasy sports in general and, being the season of the Super Bowl, Fantasy Football in particular.

Are people who play Fantasy Football gamers? What type of game is Fantasy Football?

For those of you who have never played Fantasy Football, here's how it works. You get together with a group of friends and form a a fantasy football league. Typically, a league consists of 6-18 players but I have heard of leagues that have 40 or more players. Each player pretends to be the coach of an imaginary NFL team. You draft real NFL players to be on your team and then go head to head with other coaches each week of the NFL season. How do NFL players on your team score points? It's based on the actual player's real-life statistics from that week in the NFL. So if Adrian Peterson goes off for 200 yards rushing and three touchdowns, he has done very well for you in the fantasy football world. Every league has slightly different rules for scoring.

I would argue that people who play Fantasy Football are, indeed gamers. I would also call Fantasy Football role playing. Sure, it's not DnD. Certainly it's unique - it's as if a LARP had a love child with a text based RPG. But let's examine the facts.

In role playing you play a role. In fantasy football, the players play a role - the role of an NFL coach. I personally have seen many a fantasy coach take on a distinct personality when posting to league message boards, creating a team logo, naming the team, and talking smack. Over the years, your team gains a history just like a character does.

Role playing is social - just like fantasy football. Fantasy football becomes dull very quickly without all that social interaction, just like role playing would. Many a fantasy football league has a draft party and then gets together regularly to watch the NFL games as they keep tabs on their team on laptops.

In role playing you manage your character's statistics. In fantasy football your manage an entire team's statistics. These statistics change as the season progresses and you've got to change strategies and make moves based on these changes.

In role playing there is a random element. Typically this is rolling dice, but in fantasy football the random element is what the real-life NFL players do on any given Sunday.

So, in conclusion, Fantasy Football is most definitely role playing. Despite the apparent inital differences, I would say Fantasy Football is more similar to a paper and pencil role playing game then most MMOs or console "role playing" games like Final Fantasy.

Lastly, look at the guys in this picture. Don't they look like gamers to you?

Agree? Disagree? Let the debate begin!

Doctor Who - Aliens and Creatures

I picked up the NEW Doctor Who RPG expansion - Aliens and Creatures. I'll probably never play this game but I love the show and this is great source material. Plus Cubicle 7 does a really good job with content. Below are photos of everything included in the box set:

The main box, unopened

134 page rulebook detailing creatures from the Doctor's latest adventures. Next to it is a 32 page adventure book.

Story point tokens.

NEW gadget cards.

Ship map for the included adventure.

Detailed creature cards for easy reference.

All in all as I mentioned fantastic source material, beautifully presented. Maybe I can get KGS to play a one off adventure sometime soon.