tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77356441442637440032024-03-19T04:48:36.122-04:00Of Dice and PenScience Fiction and Fantasy Reviews and MoreMichael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.comBlogger385125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-44230465497044640812019-09-03T19:06:00.000-04:002019-09-04T01:18:52.903-04:00Robots, Sisterhoods, and Vampires: A Tribute to Terrance Dicks<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.21 cm; }P.western { }</style>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
things we see and hear, watch and read in childhood can have a
lasting impact on our lives. They influence us, often in
imperceptible ways, and help shape us into the people we become as
adults. Some have more influence; some have less. Some we’re aware
of; some we’re not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Some
of my earliest memories are of <i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
years before I even started watching the programme regularly. My mom
watched it though, and I often caught bits and pieces of it. It
usually terrified me, so I wouldn’t stick around for entire
episodes. Yet, perhaps because of that fear, it imprinted itself on
me. The adventures of the fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith became </span><span style="font-style: normal;">a
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">significant</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
part of my early childhood even if I only partially watched them. I
talked about this a little more when I paid </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2011/10/sarah-jane-adventures-sky.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">tribute to Elisabeth Sladen</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> in
my review of </span><i>The Sarah Jane Adventures</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
episode, “Sky”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">started watching </span><i>Doctor
Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> regularly when I was ten
after I saw episode two of “Full Circle”. It hooked me in for
good. Just a few weeks later, the story “State of Decay” began
and that became one of my favourites at the time. This story of </span><span style="font-style: normal;">the
Great Vampires</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> was written by
a certain Terrance Dicks, a name I would soon come to know very well,
a name that most fans of 60s through 80s </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
know wel</span><span style="font-style: normal;">l.</span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2019/09/robots-sisterhoods-and-vampires-tribute.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-12426648004294264972018-11-08T12:17:00.000-05:002018-11-08T12:17:04.888-05:00Giantslayer Player's Guide<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In
order to get an adventure path going, the players need characters,
and ideally, they’ll create characters that are suited for the
particular adventure path they’ll be undertaking—characters who
come from the appropriate region(s), and have relevant skills and
abilities. In the case of the <a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/search/label/Giantslayer" target="_blank">Giantslayer Adventure Path</a>, they should come from the town of Trunau in
Belkzen or have a reason for being in Trunau, and they should be
interested in fighting giants.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
<a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9bsv?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-Giantslayer-Players-Guide" target="_blank"><i>Giantslayer Player’s Guide</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
provides players with the tools they need to create such characters.
And it does a reasonably good job. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">One
of the difficulties adventure path player’s guides can encounter is
providing enough information to let players create characters
appropriate to the </span><i>entire</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
campaign—not just the opening—while not giving away too much
about later parts of the campaign. In the case of Giantslayer, this
means making it clear that the PCs will be fighting giants (it’s in
the name of the adventure path, so it shouldn’t come as much of a
surprise to the players even though it may be to the characters) and
that they will be travelling through the Mindspin Mountains.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Like
most adventure path player’s guides, the </span><i>Giantslayer
Player’s Guide</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> opens with a
brief overview of the campaign. This includes some suggestions on how
the characters might </span><span style="font-style: normal;">already</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
know or come to know each other. It then moves on to some basic
character tips, including suggested archetypes, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">animal
companions, bloodlines, favoured enemies, and so on. Since it’s not
mandatory that PCs come from Trunau (although it is strongly
recommended that at least one come from Trunau), it also includes a
section on possible nearby places of origin.</span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/11/giantslayer-players-guide.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-16667422567341216942018-11-08T12:04:00.000-05:002018-11-08T12:04:44.644-05:00Giantslayer Poster Map Folio<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
can never have too many maps in my games. Particularly the big ones.
I love unfolding them, laying them out on the table, and pointing to
one location or another. I love the context they provide for where
things are happening in the game world. And sometimes, they’re just
pretty to look at. As such, I appreciate the map folios that come out
for each adventure path. They help me get my fix of pointing at maps.
They’re also generally useful for any games set in the same region,
not just the adventure paths in their name.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
<a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9fe0?Pathfinder-Campaign-Setting-Giantslayer-Poster-Map-Folio" target="_blank"><i>Giantslayer Poster Map Folio</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
is no exception. Like most other adventure path map folios, it comes
with three fold-out poster maps, each showing a location relevant to
the </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/search/label/Giantslayer" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">Giantslayer Adventure Path</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">. The
first is a map of Trunau, the town that the adventure path starts in,
and where the player characters </span><span style="font-style: normal;">might</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
call home. The second is a map of the Mindspin Mountains, the region
where the adventure path expands into. Trunau is located towards the
northeast corner, and from there, it’s possible to trace out the
route the remainder of the adventure path takes. Both these maps are
useful, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">functional, and
attractive.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
third map in an adventure path map folio tends to be a more artistic
piece. Often, it’s a map of a country or region done in the style
of a map the characters in the game might actually purchase and use,
rather than one designed for gaming purposes. In this folio, it is a
map of Skirgaard, the location of the </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/07/giantslayer-ice-tomb-of-giant-queen.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">fourth adventure</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">. In this
case, it’s more than just a map; it’s also an illustration of the
entire village. Skirgaard is a small enough location that it’s
possible to not just show where each individual location is, but to
also sketch out every location in detail, complete with people moving
about and smoke rising from chimneys. The map shows the village from
the vantage point of a little bit above and to the south. When PCs
arrive at the village, GMs no longer need to describe what they see.
Instead, they can just show the map and say, “</span><i>This</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
is what you see.” The map is breathtakingly beautiful to look at,
and I think it’s probably my favourite of all the artistic maps in
all the adventure path map folios.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
</span><i>Giantslayer Poster Map </i><i>Folio</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
makes a great addition to a Giantslayer campaign, and to any campaign
set in Trunau and/or the Mindspin Mountains.</span></span></div>
Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-76479179324140920152018-11-07T02:52:00.000-05:002018-11-07T02:52:28.244-05:00Doctor Who - The Tsuranga Conundrum<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }P.western { }</style>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UpVfMRGBG2k/W-KU5-b0CwI/AAAAAAAACN4/Cd75oTVXOB83J2xcsjS0AJXAdNDMSJZGQCLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BTsuranga%2BConundrum%2B-%2Bbroken%2Bsonic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="700" height="312" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UpVfMRGBG2k/W-KU5-b0CwI/AAAAAAAACN4/Cd75oTVXOB83J2xcsjS0AJXAdNDMSJZGQCLcBGAs/s640/The%2BTsuranga%2BConundrum%2B-%2Bbroken%2Bsonic.jpg" width="640"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>Doctor
Who</i> episodes can run the gamut from serious to funny, dramatic to
silly, joyous to sad, terrifying, exciting, emotional—heck,
sometimes even a little boring. This isn’t just a change from one
episode to the next. <i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
frequently mixes many or all these things into a single episode. It
doesn’t always work, but when it does, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">the
results can be incredibly fun</span><span style="font-style: normal;">.
And that’s the best way I can sum up “The Tsuranga Conundrum”
by Chris Chibnall: fun. It’s fast-paced, tense, funny, silly at
points, and just plain fun. I love every moment of it, from beginning
to end.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">SPOILERS
FOLLOW</span></span></b></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/11/doctor-who-tsuranga-conundrum.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-40947666097627372912018-11-01T03:55:00.000-04:002018-11-01T03:55:54.625-04:00Doctor Who - Arachnids in the UK<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NhXyD--wgQ0/W9qsFZvR-1I/AAAAAAAACMo/-W732bIY-dMCqttMqangSWUaSkkRdC4pACLcBGAs/s1600/Arachnids%2Bin%2Bthe%2BUK%2B-%2Bcreepy%2Bspiders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="976" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NhXyD--wgQ0/W9qsFZvR-1I/AAAAAAAACMo/-W732bIY-dMCqttMqangSWUaSkkRdC4pACLcBGAs/s640/Arachnids%2Bin%2Bthe%2BUK%2B-%2Bcreepy%2Bspiders.jpg" width="640"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">One
thing </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> is
well known for is including lots </span><span style="font-style: normal;">of</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
creepy chills and scares. This week’s episode is the kind that
gives the show that reputation. Just in time for Hallowe’en,
“Arachnids in the UK” presents us with giant spiders </span><span style="font-style: normal;">creeping
out from under people’s beds, crawling along dark corridors, and
spinning lots and lots of webs. It’s the kind of episode
arachnophobes might want to avoid. In true </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
fashion, however, the episode also provides moments of humour to
soften the terror, and lots of great character moments.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Coming
immediately after the incredible heights of </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/10/doctor-who-rosa.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">“Rosa”</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">,
it’s not surprising that “Arachnids in the UK” does not reach
those same heights, but it’s still a highly enjoyable episode.
Unfortunately, it does have a somewhat weak resolution, which can
make it feel a bit disappointing, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">especially
in comparison to “Rosa”. However, the resolution aside, the
episode has many great strengths, particularly the initial build-up
of threat and the characters, which include our first introduction to
Yasmin’s family. Overall, I’d say it’s my least favourite
episode of Series 11 so far, but considering how strong the series
has been, this does not make it a bad episode at all.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">SPOILERS
FOLLOW</span></span></b></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/11/doctor-who-arachnids-in-uk.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-6919583028275503232018-10-28T22:56:00.000-04:002018-10-28T22:56:07.028-04:00Aching God<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }P.western { }</style>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YyhBfHOoJp0/W9Z2QMxhDcI/AAAAAAAACMc/4Sd7xuc4hik5gylD9jwxKty1RsHiAfFWwCLcBGAs/s1600/Aching%2BGod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="340" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YyhBfHOoJp0/W9Z2QMxhDcI/AAAAAAAACMc/4Sd7xuc4hik5gylD9jwxKty1RsHiAfFWwCLcBGAs/s400/Aching%2BGod.jpg" width="271"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Disclaimer:</b></i>
I received a free copy of this novel from the author in return for an
honest review.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Fantasy
can be a genre in which it’s difficult to stand out. There’s a
lot out there, both good and bad, and a lot of it can be very
similar, following the same basic tropes and formulas. Indeed, it’s
often <i>expected</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> to follow
those tropes and formulas. </span><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Aching-God-Iconoclasts-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07C9DBKB6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540580508&sr=8-1&keywords=aching+god" target="_blank"><i>Aching God</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
is a novel with many of the usual trappings of fantasy, particularly
those established in roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons
and Pathfinder. It involves a quest (perhaps the most iconic trope of
fantasy). </span><span style="font-style: normal;">There is lots of
magic, some of which is practised by sorcerers who have different
kinds of specialisations. Other magic is used by followers of the
various different gods, who grant their priests spells that can heal
or protect. While there are many gods, their worshippers tend to
follow one solely rather than worship them as a pantheon. The world
also has warriors and roguish types, and of course there are monsters
and other kinds of threats and challenges for the heroes to face.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I
will confess, it took me a little while to </span><span style="font-style: normal;">get
into the book because,</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> at
first, there didn’t seem a lot to differentiate it from all the
other very similar fantasy out there. However, it wasn’t all that
long. After a couple of chapters, the book begins to establish its
own identity </span><span style="font-style: normal;">as we begin to
learn a bit more about the world. By around the fourth chapter or so,
I was hooked.</span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/10/aching-god.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-64213515564680607182018-10-24T12:22:00.001-04:002018-10-24T12:22:47.048-04:00Doctor Who - Rosa<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O_qNtPNIyYM/W9CYtCEYQII/AAAAAAAACLI/LlqH-EqTwE07jR7lkmdLTYEwYv8l1ZjHQCLcBGAs/s1600/Rosa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O_qNtPNIyYM/W9CYtCEYQII/AAAAAAAACLI/LlqH-EqTwE07jR7lkmdLTYEwYv8l1ZjHQCLcBGAs/s640/Rosa.png" width="640"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">When
</span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> began in
1963, its original purpose was to be an educational adventure series
to teach children history and science. It soon drifted away from that
purpose. Over the years, it has tackled a variety of different types
of stories, subjects, genres, and styles, though a focus on adventure
has always remained. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">And
during those years, some periods or individual episodes have stood
out more than the others. This week’s episode is one of those.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I
have loved Series 11 so far. It’s brought back a thrill for
watching </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
that I haven’t felt in a long time. </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/10/doctor-who-woman-who-fell-to-earth.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">“The Woman Who Fell to Earth”</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
and </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/10/doctor-who-ghost-monument.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">“The Ghost Monument”</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> are
both great episodes, and I stand by that. But “Rosa” blows them
both away. It is, quite simply, one of the best </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
episodes ever.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">It’s
also an episode that quite firmly returns to that original purpose to
be educational. </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
has often set stories in historical time periods, but “Rosa” is a
kind of historical the show hasn’t done in a long time. In the
first couple years, it was relatively common for stories to be what
have come to be called “pure historicals”. Stories like “Marco
Polo”, “The Aztecs”, and “The Reign of Terror” not only
took place in historical times, but also involved no science fiction
elements beyond the Doctor, his companions, and the TARDIS (and the
TARDIS was only involved as a means of landing them there and taking
them away at the end). There were no aliens, no other time travellers
trying to change history, no fantastical elements of any kind.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">By
the end of William Hartnell’s time as the first Doctor, the pure
historical stories were already becoming less frequent, replaced in
favour of science fiction action stories. Patrick Troughton’s
second Doctor only had one pure historical, his second story, “The
Highlanders” in late 1966. The next pure historical wasn’t until
1982’s “Black Orchid” with Peter Davison’s fifth Doctor.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">And
there hasn’t been one since.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">However,
over the years a type of story now often referred to as a
“pseudo-historical” started to appear occasionally—a story set
in some period of history, but which also included science fiction
elements </span><span style="font-style: normal;">such as</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
changing history (like “The Time Meddler” from 1965) or aliens
(“The Time Warrior” from 1973). The degree of focus given to the
period can vary, but it is always at least part of the backdrop.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Since
2005, one form of historical story that has become popular is the
“celebrity historical”, which not only takes place in the past,
but also involves some well-known figure from that time, like Charles
Dickens in “The Unquiet Dead” or Agatha Christie in “The
Unicorn and the Wasp”. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">However,
all the celebrity historicals since 2005 have also been
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">pseudo-</span><span style="font-style: normal;">historicals.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Rosa”
is not a pure historical. However, it is the closest </span><i>Doctor
Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> has come to one since “Black
Orchid”. While it does have science fiction elements, they are
minimal, and the historical story of Rosa Parks remains at the
forefront. Obviously, however, it is a celebrity historical.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NVjoTM9SBSs/W9CZZ4ZqFzI/AAAAAAAACLQ/_AnLxnMQ_BA-QBC2aebSOKzEKLlnsVYSACLcBGAs/s1600/Rosa%2B-%2Bhiding%2Bout.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NVjoTM9SBSs/W9CZZ4ZqFzI/AAAAAAAACLQ/_AnLxnMQ_BA-QBC2aebSOKzEKLlnsVYSACLcBGAs/s320/Rosa%2B-%2Bhiding%2Bout.jpeg" width="320"></a></div>
“<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Rosa”
is not an easy episode to watch. It will make you uncomfortable (at
least, I hope it does). It’s designed to make you feel
uncomfortable. It shows a frank and brutal depiction of Montgomery,
Alabama in the 1950s, pulling little in the way of punches, apart
from softening some of the language to keep it viewable by </span><span style="font-style: normal;">children</span><span style="font-style: normal;">.
It is definitely the most </span><i>real</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
historical the show has had since 2005, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">possibly
that it has ever had. It powerfully depicts the reality of the racism
that existed at the time, while also reminding us of the racism that
still exists today. It offers hope for a better future, while also
reminding us that we have to remain vigilant and that change takes
work. The world we live in today may be better in some ways than it
once was, but it’s not perfect.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Tackling
a sensitive topic like Rosa Parks and the rise of the Civil Rights
Movement in the United States is not an easy task for any show, but
especially for a show like </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
which deals frequently with time travel and manipulation, and that
has a white lead character. It could easily go very wrong—</span><span style="font-style: normal;">easily
become a “white saviour” story (a story in which a white
character rescues people of colour from their plight).</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Of
course, as a white person myself, I am not really the most qualified
to evaluate how well “Rosa” succeeds in presenting its material
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">with </span><span style="font-style: normal;">sensitiv</span><span style="font-style: normal;">it</span><span style="font-style: normal;">y,
and how well it avoids potential problems. As such, before writing
this, I made a point of checking out what several black </span><i>Doctor
Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> fans on Twitter </span><span style="font-style: normal;">(including </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link js-nav" data-mentioned-user-id="1509745350" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/BlackTARDIS"><s>@</s>BlackTARDIS</a>, </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> <a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link js-nav" data-mentioned-user-id="109449668" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/ConStar24"><s>@</s>ConStar24</a>, </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link js-nav" data-mentioned-user-id="565115347" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/taigooden"><s>@</s>taigooden</a>, and </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link js-nav" data-mentioned-user-id="24553691" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/amandarprescott"><s>@</s>amandarprescott</a>) </span><span style="font-style: normal;">had to say. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">On
the whole, their responses have been very positive. The thoughts and
opinions in this review are my own, but I have tried to measure my
opinions with those of the people most affected.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I</span><span style="font-style: normal;">t
should be noted, too, that “Rosa” is written by Malorie Blackman
(with a co-credit by Chris Chibnall), who is the first person of
colour ever to write for </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
The fact that </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
has taken so long to have a non-white writer is rather depressing,
and it is perhaps appropriate that Blackman write an anti-racist
story at this time, as </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
struggles to break down its own systemic barriers.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">SPOILERS
FOLLOW</span></span></b></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/10/doctor-who-rosa.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-13293115216954196792018-10-21T01:48:00.001-04:002018-10-21T01:48:34.769-04:00Doctor Who - The Ghost Monument<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
<br>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-scRhx-Vpi2c/W8u___Q3vDI/AAAAAAAACJw/_GtNfO0RPqkikUxBevU7jH1UfH8dSpTZACLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BGhost%2BMonument.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-scRhx-Vpi2c/W8u___Q3vDI/AAAAAAAACJw/_GtNfO0RPqkikUxBevU7jH1UfH8dSpTZACLcBGAs/s640/The%2BGhost%2BMonument.jpg" width="640"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When
I was young, I got a unique thrill out of watching a <i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
episode for the first time. It was always there, even if the episode
wasn’t particularly good. The show just excited me in a way that’s
difficult to express—</span><span style="font-style: normal;">a way
that just didn’t happen with any other show</span><span style="font-style: normal;">.
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">This is not to say no other
show or movie could thrill me. Many did, just not in the same way.
</span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">’s thrill
was something very different. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">When
</span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> returned in
2005, that thrill returned with it, and it stuck around through
Series 1 through 4.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Sometime
during Series 5, that thrill began to diminish and eventually
vanished altogether. I was becoming more and more dissatisfied with
</span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. I still
enjoyed the show, but it no longer seemed to have that quality
that—for me—elevated it above other shows. It was actually one of
the things that eventually motivated me to start this blog—so I
could organise all my scattered thoughts in one place.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Over
the next few years, that thrill didn’t return (except maybe for
</span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2013/11/doctor-who-day-of-doctor.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">“The Day of the Doctor”</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">),
even when I thought the show was getting a lot better again. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">As
much as I really liked Series 10, that thrill still didn’t return.
To be honest, I had pretty much forgotten the thrill had ever
existed.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">However,
last week, about midway through watching </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/10/doctor-who-woman-who-fell-to-earth.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">“The Woman Who Fell to Earth”</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
for the first time, I suddenly realised I was feeling that thrill
again, and it produced a moment of joy unlike any I’ve felt for a
long time. I didn’t mention it in my review of “The Woman Who
Fell to Earth” because, honestly, I was a little afraid it would go
away again. However, I am thrilled (I use that word deliberately) to
say that it was still present for the most recent episode, “The
Ghost Monument.” </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Of course,
there’s always the possibility that things could completely turn
around again, but having that thrill there for two episodes in a row
is a pretty big thing, and worth celebrating.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Now
comes the difficult part of analysing just what it is that creates
that thrill for these episodes, and not for the last several years.
But I think I’m up for the challenge.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
Ghost Monument”, once again written by Chris Chibnall, is a
wonderful episode that mixes tense excitement with heartfelt
character moments, some humour, and a touch of </span><span style="font-style: normal;">creepiness.
Jodie Whittaker has settled fully into the role of the Doctor and
simply excels. The Doctor’s </span><strike><span style="font-style: normal;">companions</span></strike><span style="font-style: normal;">
friends (I’m having difficulty getting used to the change of
terminology) are similarly great, particularly Ryan and Graham, as
are the guest cast. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">It also
looks visually breathtaking, with incredible alien vistas and
impressive special effects. On the whole, I like this episode even
more than “The Woman Who Fell to Earth’, although I also feel it
has more issues than last week’s episode.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">SPOILERS
FOLLOW</span></span></b></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/10/doctor-who-ghost-monument.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-6365536360829861422018-10-10T06:30:00.001-04:002018-10-10T12:08:24.536-04:00Doctor Who - The Woman Who Fell to Earth<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
<br>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K8D-ZF8gZ0w/W73QcimgLrI/AAAAAAAACIM/jOYivaLoliMBFOyPaUzsEsei02H20V7GgCLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BWoman%2BWho%2BFell%2Bto%2BEarth%2B-%2BTinkerer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1200" height="361" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K8D-ZF8gZ0w/W73QcimgLrI/AAAAAAAACIM/jOYivaLoliMBFOyPaUzsEsei02H20V7GgCLcBGAs/s640/The%2BWoman%2BWho%2BFell%2Bto%2BEarth%2B-%2BTinkerer.jpg" width="640"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It’s
a bit of an oxymoron, but change is one of the few constants on
<i>Doctor Who</i>. There are very few other shows out there where
after just a year or two, the entire cast might be completely
different. Companions come and go; the Doctor regenerates. The people
behind the scenes, from writers to producers, change too. The new
people bring with them new ideas, new styles, and new aesthetics.
Sometimes there might be little to no change in the cast and crew,
but the current people working on the show simply decide to do things
differently. Even one episode to the next can bring marked changes.
It’s simply a matter of fact that change is ingrained into the very
structure of <i>Doctor Who</i>. It has been since the second season
in 1964 when the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan left the show and the
cast changed for the first of countless times.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">One
of the great things about this is that is that it allows <i>Doctor
Who</i> to be so many different things to so many different people.
If the current version doesn’t have what you’re looking for, you
know it’s only a matter of time before it changes and maybe the
next version will have what you want. It’s one of the things that
have kept the show going for so long.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>Doctor
Who</i> has changed again. And this time, it’s one of the bigger
changes. Not only is there a new Doctor (who also happens to be the
first female Doctor), there are also three new companions, a new
showrunner, new writers, a new music composer, and quite a lot else
new both in front of and behind the cameras. Oh, and there are new
cameras too, a new aspect ratio, and a completely new look. Indeed,
this is probably the biggest change since 2005 when <i>Doctor Who</i>
came back after sixteen years off the air.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
changes this time also bring with them the perfect jumping on point
for new (and lapsed) viewers. <i>Doctor Who</i> can be an
intimidating programme to come into if you’ve never seen it before.
With nearly 850 episodes produced over 55 years, there’s a massive
backlog of history and (often contradictory) continuity that can seem
overwhelming. But the simple matter is, you don’t need to see all
that. Over the years, the show has had numerous spots where new
viewers can easily start in without having to worry about anything
that’s come before. That’s the case this year. The show is
starting afresh. There are no returning plot-lines, villains, or
monsters from previous years. Everything is completely new. The show
hasn’t forgotten what came before, but it’s not relying on its
past.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It’s
been a bit of a wait since the last series. Not sixteen years,
obviously, but it has been fifteen months since Series 10 ended.
Jodie Whittaker was announced as the thirteenth Doctor just after
that on 16 July, 2017, and she made her début in the closing moments
of last December’s Christmas special <a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/doctor-who-twice-upon-time.html" target="_blank">“Twice Upon a Time”</a> when Peter Capaldi’s twelfth Doctor
regenerated into Whittaker’s thirteenth.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">So,
with all the changes, was the wait worth it?</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
answer is unequivocally <i>yes</i>.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nSiGI9XZk9w/W73R4i6TefI/AAAAAAAACIY/HHhVZ3KePak6sQM0kqBm6jNBBAhz8X-SQCLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BWoman%2BWho%2BFell%2Bto%2BEarth%2B-%2BDoes%2Bit%2Bsuit%2Bme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="634" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nSiGI9XZk9w/W73R4i6TefI/AAAAAAAACIY/HHhVZ3KePak6sQM0kqBm6jNBBAhz8X-SQCLcBGAs/s320/The%2BWoman%2BWho%2BFell%2Bto%2BEarth%2B-%2BDoes%2Bit%2Bsuit%2Bme.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
“<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
Woman Who Fell to Earth” by Chris Chibnall is not a perfect episode
(if such a thing even exists). I have criticisms of it (which I will
get to in due time), but overall, I absolutely love it. It is an
easily accessible episode with great, relatable characters, a lot of
emotion, and more than a few thrills. The plot is fairly simple and
straight-forward, allowing it to focus on introducing the new
characters and to ease viewers into the world(s) of <i>Doctor Who</i>.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">One
thing people who have seen recent series of <i>Doctor Who</i> will
almost certainly notice very quickly about this episode is how
grounded it is. Former showrunner Steven Moffat aimed for a “fairy
tale” style to the show. It was high fantasy (in a science fiction
framework) with fantastical plots and fantastical characters. New
showrunner Chris Chibnall’s newest iteration of <i>Doctor Who</i>
has obviously not dispensed with fantastical elements entirely, but
when I say that it is more grounded, I mean that it focuses more on
setting the fantastic amidst a backdrop of realism. There’s a
greater focus on showing the everyday lives of the characters and
developing them as people viewers might actually meet. The opening
scenes show the characters dealing with real-life concerns and issues
before involving them in the plots of aliens. And even once the
aliens show up, it never loses touch with that sense of reality.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">One
way it achieves this is through the use of something that I have
sorely missed in recent years on <i>Doctor Who</i> (and long-time
readers of my reviews will be familiar with me mentioning on many
occasions): consequence. Actions have effects that reverberate into
people’s lives and change them. People also die in this episode.
And they stay dead. There’s actual tension as a result, and the
alien menace feels like a real threat.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">But
there’s humour and fun in the episode too. The humour is more
subdued than recent years. There are fewer witty quips, notably.
However, there are still quite a few very funny moments, and while
the episode does get a bit dark (not just visually, although much of
it is set at night, so visually too) and bleak at times, there are
light-hearted moments, too, helping to keep a sense of fun.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A
lot of that fun comes from the Doctor herself. Jodie Whittaker is
absolutely wonderful. She has great presence and energy. Within
moments of her first appearance, she establishes herself in the role.
There is no doubting that she <i>is</i> the Doctor.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">There
are a lot of great things to be said about her companions too, and
the actors who play them. And the specifics of the story. And so much
more.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Also
a few quibbles.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">SPOILERS
FOLLOW</span></b></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/10/doctor-who-woman-who-fell-to-earth.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-8316747320597210182018-09-20T14:06:00.000-04:002018-09-20T14:06:15.506-04:00It's About Time - New Doctor Who Trailer<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lzpzWpLLPZk/W6PeRxJuetI/AAAAAAAACHs/GESb1zWjXuY2CHZbWMtOjEEZggVBFy_AACLcBGAs/s1600/Series%2B11b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="976" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lzpzWpLLPZk/W6PeRxJuetI/AAAAAAAACHs/GESb1zWjXuY2CHZbWMtOjEEZggVBFy_AACLcBGAs/s640/Series%2B11b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It
feels like it’s taking forever for October and <i>Doctor Who </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Series
11 to arrive. I haven’t felt this stoked about a new series of
</span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> in quite
some time, but I’m on edge for its arrival!</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">A
couple of weeks ago, we finally learned the air date of the first
episode: 7th October. The BBC also released a short teaser trailer to
go with the announcement. Bizarrely, despite being called a “Release
Date Trailer”, the YouTube version (which I’ve embedded just
below) doesn’t actually include the date! The date is included on
the version loaded to other platforms though.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gm2PXshWC_0" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
teaser contains a fun little nod to breaking the glass ceiling,
which, predictably, upset a certain subset of fans.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
date marks a move </span><span style="font-style: normal;">to
Sundays</span><span style="font-style: normal;">. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">With
the exception of Christmas specials and “The Waters of Mars”
(which was also a special, though not a Christmas one), since </span><i>Doctor
Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> came back in 2005, it has
always aired on Saturdays (though at highly variable times in the UK
in recent years). The classic series usually aired on Saturdays as
well, except for a few seasons in the 80s. Here in Canada, Saturday
has always been the typical night as well—although YTV showed the
Sylvester McCoy years on Sunday evenings in the late 80s, so Sunday
won’t be completely unprecedented for me. It will seem a little
strange at first, though.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">However,
the air date is not the main purpose of this post! Now that there are
only a couple of weeks left before Series 11 starts, the marketing
campaign it starting to get into full swing. Over the last couple of
days, there have been a lot of </span><span style="font-style: normal;">newspaper
and magazine </span><span style="font-style: normal;">articles
released containing interviews and hints at what to expect—</span><span style="font-style: normal;">though
this year’s pattern of providing far less information than in
previous years continues and I like it!</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">And
today has seen the release of a new full trailer!</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XCt6f1Ttmy4" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This
trailer is the first to include a bit of actual dialogue from the new
series, as well as brief glimpses (mostly blink-and-you’ll-miss-them
glimpses) of guest stars and monsters, including a giant spider! </span><span style="font-style: normal;">I
will admit that the music grated a bit when I first heard it in the
Release Date Trailer. It’s very atypical for </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
However, it’s kind of grown on me. The lyrics fit, and it actually
works really well in this new trailer. It does drive home the point
that this is a new era of </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
Things are going to change.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">What
I particularly love about this trailer, though, are the visuals! Much
like the previous </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/07/would-you-be-my-new-best-friends-doctor.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">full trailer</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">, this one
highlights some absolutely gorgeous visuals, and it has a truly
cinematic feel to it. The new aspect ratio helps a good deal in this
regard. Series 11 looks like it could be the best visually appearing
series of </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
ever. I can’t wait!</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Anyway,
to finish up, here’s a fun video of Jodie Whittaker responding to tweets about her casting!</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
When Jodie Whittaker's role on <a href="https://twitter.com/bbcdoctorwho?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bbcdoctorwho</a> was announced, the internet had something to say about it. Here's her reaction to some of the best (and worst) responses... <a href="https://twitter.com/bbcpress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bbcpress</a> <a href="https://t.co/ScMRlh37Ty">pic.twitter.com/ScMRlh37Ty</a></div>
— Stylist Magazine (@StylistMagazine) <a href="https://twitter.com/StylistMagazine/status/1042412869055401985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</div>
Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-39503913822027225222018-08-25T23:41:00.000-04:002018-08-25T23:41:34.234-04:00Giantslayer - Shadow of the Storm Tyrant<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }P.western { }</style>
<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.paizo.com/image/product/catalog/PZO/PZO9096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="615" height="400" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/product/catalog/PZO/PZO9096.jpg" width="307"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Throughout
the Giantslayer Adventure Path, the player characters have taken on
the servants of Volstus, the Storm Tyrant and the forces they’ve
been building in the Storm Tyrant’s name. In <a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy9et9?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-96-Shadow-of-the-Storm-Tyrant" target="_blank"><i>Shadow of the Storm Tyrant</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><span style="font-style: normal;">by
Tito Leati, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">the PCs finally
make their way to the Storm Tyrant’s cloud castle and take the
battle directly to him.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I’ve
had mixed opinions of the instalments of Giantslayer so far—some
have been good, others not so good—but </span><i>Shadow of the
Storm Tyrant</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> works well as the
culminating adventure. It’s primarily a dungeon crawl, but has a
good sense of urgency and variety that its predecessor, </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/08/giantslayer-anvil-of-fire.html" target="_blank"><i>Anvil of Fire</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">, is missing. It
also has some epic-feeling encounters and combats appropriate for a
high-level party, and it makes good use of its setting, which helps
to turn what could have been just a bog-standard dungeon crawl into
something much more unique.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">SPOILERS
FOLLOW</span></span></b></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/08/giantslayer-shadow-of-storm-tyrant.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-89790410635436714732018-08-24T16:59:00.000-04:002018-08-24T16:59:26.171-04:00Cohorts and Companions<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }P.western { }</style>
<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.paizo.com/image/product/catalog/PZO/PZO9457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/product/catalog/PZO/PZO9457.jpg" width="303"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">While
conflict with villains and monsters is a significant part of any
roleplaying game, the game would be considerably less interesting if
the PCs didn’t have friends and allies as well. Whether they’re a
local inn-keeper providing the PCs a room to sleep in or a loyal
cohort who accompanies the PCs on their adventures, these friendly
characters help fill out the rest of the world and provide variety
beyond evil and/or monstrous opponents. <a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy9e1c?Pathfinder-Player-Companion-Cohorts-Companions" target="_blank"><i>Pathfinder Player Companion: Cohorts and Companions</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
focuses on the followers and </span><span style="font-style: normal;">allies</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
who aid the PCs in various ways throughout their adventuring careers.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">As
the book’s name implies, cohorts (gained from the Leadership feat)
are a significant focus, but the book also goes considerably beyond
these. The “Companions” part of the title can refer to animal
companions, but also to pretty much any other person, animal,
monster, or even object that in some way accompanies or aids the
P</span><span style="font-style: normal;">C</span><span style="font-style: normal;">s—</span><span style="font-style: normal;">and
there is quite an impressive breadth of options covered.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">T</span><span style="font-style: normal;">he
book opens with a </span><span style="font-style: normal;">two-page
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">discussion about why NPCs
might follow PCs, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">and how PCs
might go about gaining followers. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">This
i</span><span style="font-style: normal;">ncludes things like hiring
NPCs as well as NPCs just following along for their own reasons.
Naturally, there’s a fair amount of discussion about the Leadership
feat, as well as mention of the variant </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Leadership
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">feats that can be found in
other products: Squire from </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2012/09/knights-of-inner-sea.html" target="_blank"><i>Knights of the Inner Sea</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">,
Torchbearer from </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2013/03/dungeoneers-handbook.html" target="_blank"><i>Dungeoneer’s Handbook</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">, and Vile
Leadership from </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2015/11/champions-of-corruption.html" target="_blank"><i>Champions of Corruption</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">. There is also
a very good sidebar on “Who Controls Cohorts?” which discusses
how to decide whether the GM or player (or a combination of both)
gets to control cohorts’ actions.</span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/08/cohorts-and-companions.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-34043948329992839522018-08-14T14:40:00.000-04:002018-08-14T15:40:31.807-04:00Pathfinder 2nd Edition Playtest<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
<br />
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SOjUW61VHds/W3MhaKzKFgI/AAAAAAAACHM/4B-_h9W6E6cziVq9uVVxHIoAtsfRj2WYgCLcBGAs/s1600/PlaytestRulebook.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SOjUW61VHds/W3MhaKzKFgI/AAAAAAAACHM/4B-_h9W6E6cziVq9uVVxHIoAtsfRj2WYgCLcBGAs/s400/PlaytestRulebook.png" width="322" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Just
under two weeks ago, the Pathfinder Playtest launched. This is an
open playtest for the 2nd Edition of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
It includes the <i>Pathfinder Playtest Rulebook</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
the </span><i>Pathfinder Playtest Bestiary</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
and </span><i>Doomsday Dawn</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, an
adventure made up of several sections, each focusing on a specific
aspect of the game for playtesting. You can download free PDFs of all of
these, plus other materials like character sheets from the
</span><a href="http://paizo.com/pathfinderplaytest" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">Pathfinder Playtest website</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This
is not a review. It doesn’t really seem appropriate to write a
review of a work-in-progress. However, it does contain some of my
thoughts about the game (which I suppose is review-like). Since I
concentrate fairly heavy on Pathfinder products on Of Dice and Pen, I
figured my readers m</span><span style="font-style: normal;">a</span><span style="font-style: normal;">y
be just a little curious about my thoughts and why I won’t be
talking much about 2nd Edition Pathfinder for the foreseeable future.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">When
2nd Edition was announced, I was cautiously excited. I believe the
game is due a new edition. I have commented in many of my reviews
that it has grown to a size where it’s impossible to keep track of
things. There are so many choices that the vast majority are never
used. The game is also convoluted with overlapping, redundant options
or even sometimes contradictory options. Pathfinder has been out for
nearly ten years now (and will have been by the time 2nd Edition
launches fully next year) and a lot of material has been published
for it, so it’s not surprising that it’s become somewhat bloated.
However, I also think Pathfinder is still a very playable game. It
just needs a bit of consolidation and a few alterations and fixes
here and there.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">After
the announcement of 2nd Edition, Paizo began releasing regular
previews of the game on the </span><a href="http://paizo.com/community/blog" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">Paizo Blog</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">, and I followed
along, eager to see what </span><span style="font-style: normal;">the
game would be like</span><span style="font-style: normal;">. At first,
I liked a lot of what I was seeing </span><span style="font-style: normal;">(the
action economy system, for example, based on the one from </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2016/01/pathfinder-unchained.html" target="_blank"><i>Pathfinder Unchained</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">, which I
already use in my games)</span><span style="font-style: normal;">.
Unfortunately, it soon became clear that the changes were far more
extensive than what I was looking for. This wasn’t so much a
revision of the game as it was a complete rebuilding of it—more
like the change from D&D 3.5 to 4th Edition D&D instead of
3.5 to Pathfinder, which is more along the lines of what I want. I
have a lot of Pathfinder products that I haven’t had a chance to
use yet—adventure paths I’d like to run, for example—and
converting them to the new edition would be just too large a task
that I don’t have the time for.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TwDHMc599PA/W3MhplsJf1I/AAAAAAAACHQ/vMKusMxl7TsvS0hq6w-lZnZnf27CDRbMgCEwYBhgL/s1600/9781640780873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TwDHMc599PA/W3MhplsJf1I/AAAAAAAACHQ/vMKusMxl7TsvS0hq6w-lZnZnf27CDRbMgCEwYBhgL/s320/9781640780873.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">And
while there are things in the new game that I like, there are also
several things that just don’t appeal to me. “Resonance” is one
such thing. This is a new mechanic for limiting magic item use and
replaces things like magic item slots. Basically, every character has
a number of Resonance Points and using or “investing” (</span><span style="font-style: normal;">f</span><span style="font-style: normal;">or
worn items) a magic item requires spending Resonance Points. If you
run out of Resonance Points, it becomes more difficult to use a magic
item and you need to make checks. The idea is that the character
needs to use a little bit of their own innate magical talent to
activate a magical item. My problem with Resonance is not on the
mechanical side. For me, it changes the entire feel of the game.
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">Pathfinder and D&D before
it have always had some items that can be picked up by anyone and
used. There is nothing necessarily wrong with a game or setting that
requires expending innate ability to drink a potion, but that’s not
Pathfinder to me. I changes the dynamic and that doesn’t appeal to
me.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I
will not be using the Playtest rules with any of my games. All my
current games will keep with 1st Edition rules for the remainder of
their campaigns. I will absolutely take a look at the final rules for
2nd Edition when they release next year, and depending on how they
develop, I might consider using them for future campaigns. However, I
suspect I will be remaining with 1st Edition. As I said, I’ve got
lots of books waiting to be used—more than enough to last me for
many years worth of gaming. There are also a whole pile of books left
that I haven’t yet reviewed here, so I’ve got lots to keep me
busy on here for quite some time too.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Please
note that, while I don’t intend to switch to 2nd Edition at this
time, I have nothing against Paizo for producing it or anyone who
plans to make the change. As I said, I think the game is due a
change. It just so happens that change has gone in a different
direction to what I personally would have preferred.</span></span></div>
Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-54372851561335090832018-08-13T23:13:00.000-04:002018-08-13T23:13:03.245-04:00Giantslayer - Anvil of Fire<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.paizo.com/image/product/catalog/PZO/PZO9095_500.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/product/catalog/PZO/PZO9095_500.jpeg" width="307"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Every
adventure path has a low point. It’s pretty much unavoidable.
There’s always going to be something that doesn’t work quite as
well as everything. Of course, the hope is that any low points are
still high—still good and fun, just not quite as high as the other
points in the adventure path. If this situation is met, you have a
winning adventure path. Unfortunately, Giantslayer isn’t an example
of this. Even more unfortunately, its low point sinks especially low.</span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">After
<a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/07/giantslayer-ice-tomb-of-giant-queen.html" target="_blank"><i>Ice Tomb of the Giant Queen</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">,
I worried that the adventure path was becoming repetitive. Three
instalments in a row all follow a very similar style where the PCs
need to infiltrate much larger and potentially overpowering forces in
order to achieve their goals. I worried that this repetition could
start to bore the players. </span><a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy9et7?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-95-Anvil-of-Fire" target="_blank"><i>Anvil of Fire</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><span style="font-style: normal;">by
Sean K Reynolds, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">the fifth
part of the adventure path, is only superficially similar in this
regard and mostly breaks from the pattern established in the last
three parts. Unfortunately, it’s repetitive in an even worse way:
with itself.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>Anvil
of Fire</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> is one long dungeon
crawl with battle after battle after battle—with almost every
encounter being virtually identical to the one immediately before it.
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">There is very little
opportunity for pause (except if and when PCs decide to retreat from
the dungeon to recover) and even less opportunity for interaction
with NPCs in any way other than combat. There is so much of the </span><i>same</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
in this adventure, I can’t imagine any group of players not being
completely bored by the end. Even the most avid “hack’n’slash”
players will likely be dismayed at the lack of variety in the
combats.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><br></b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">SPOILERS
FOLLOW</span></span></b></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/08/giantslayer-anvil-of-fire.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-87371367050664700512018-07-31T22:34:00.000-04:002018-07-31T22:34:46.047-04:00Planes of Power<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Fantasy
roleplaying games allow an escape from reality. They allow us to play
out stories with magic, elves, and dragons that could never happen in
the real world. Yet they retain elements of the real world, often
taking aspects of real world history and cultures to inspire the
peoples and societies that populate them. These elements allow the
game to retain a certain sense of familiarity, and a certain sense of
reality amidst the fantasy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">But
sometimes, you just want to abandon reality altogether, get rid of
the familiar as much as possible, and create something truly
different. This can be through travel to other worlds or even other
planes. Planar travel has been a mainstay of roleplaying since its
earliest days. It’s often something only embarked upon by
high-level characters who have acquired the greater powers needed to
make the jump from one plane to another, but it doesn’t have to be.
The old 2nd Edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting,
Planescape made PCs natives of other planes and incorporated
plane-hopping right from first level.</span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
Pathfinder Campaign Setting first outlined its planar structure in
the old <a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy84eo?Pathfinder-Chronicles-Campaign-Setting" target="_blank"><i>Pathfinder Chronicles: Campaign Setting</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> book (later
updated as </span><a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy8ief?Pathfinder-Campaign-Setting-The-Inner-Sea-World-Guide" target="_blank"><i>Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">).
The information in that book was later expanded upon in </span><a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy87uz?Pathfinder-Chronicles-The-Great-Beyond-A-Guide-to-the-Multiverse" target="_blank"><i>The Great Beyond</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">. But even
that book could only provide the barest details. The planes are more
than just other worlds; they are entire other universes with enough
space in each one to hold millions of entire campaign settings.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy9ng0?Pathfinder-Campaign-Setting-Planes-of-Power" target="_blank"><i>Planes of Power</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> is a more recent
book that takes a much closer look at just four of the many planes
that make up the Great Beyond—</span><span style="font-style: normal;">specifically
the Elemental Planes of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. Of course, this
book can still only scratch the surface of these planes, but it is
able to provide enough of a backdrop to whet GMs’ creative juices
and allow them to expand beyond what’s presented.</span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/07/planes-of-power.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-6398564704874312622018-07-30T00:30:00.000-04:002018-07-31T01:15:46.247-04:00All the Birds in the Sky<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What
is the difference between science fiction and fantasy? The two are
often grouped together. Fans of one are usually fans of the other as
well, and indeed the two often overlap. Much that is labelled science
fiction contains things that are outright fantastical. The <i>Star
Wars</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> series is one of the most
extreme examples of this. Called science fiction, it follows the
formula of epic fantasy, complete with wizards (jedi), monsters, and
heroes fighting the forces of evil. It uses the trappings of science
fiction (spaceships, faster-than-light travel, lasers), but without
any actual science behind them. The reverse happens as well, with
many fantasies containing scientifically plausible ideas. So where is
the line between the two? Does that line even really exist?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>All
the Birds in the Sky</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Charlie
Jane Anders plays around with the </span><span style="font-style: normal;">s</span><span style="font-style: normal;">eparation
between science and fantasy. It jumps </span><span style="font-style: normal;">back
and forth </span><span style="font-style: normal;">from one side to
the other of that hard-to-define line, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">all
the while effortlessly deconstructing the idea that there’s even a
line in the first place, demonstrating that, in the end, both science
fiction and fantasy are just story-telling.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">It
does this for more than just science fiction and fantasy, too. It
tears apart the lines between comedy and serious drama, being both
hilarious and deadly serious, fun and emotional. There are moments of
action that wouldn’t be out of place in a </span><i>Transformers</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
movie, while also being a book about normal everyday life, from
children dealing with bullies at school to the sex lives of young
adults. Indeed, the book defies most attempts to slap a genre of any
kind on it, and it is all the more delightful because of it.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">It
even defies expectations on a meta-textual level. The book is written
in third person limited (meaning it focuses on the point of view of
one character at a time), alternating chapter-by-chapter between its
two protagonists. Except every once in a while, when the two
characters are together, the perspective switches back and forth
between them from one paragraph to the next. On other occasions, the
perspective widens out to other characters. Even though this can be
unexpected (third person omniscient is rarely used these days), it’s
never jarring. Anders makes it seem completely normal and natural—she
makes you think you were expecting it.</span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/07/all-birds-in-sky.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-8433404002848793782018-07-29T21:19:00.000-04:002018-07-30T19:45:31.734-04:00Cosmos: Possible Worlds<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7YRToxyXdpk/W15m696Z12I/AAAAAAAACGc/g20u3NgL4PcXJD4V5TpzBbO8x9u7Bd_UQCLcBGAs/s1600/Cosmos%2BPossible%2BWorlds.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7YRToxyXdpk/W15m696Z12I/AAAAAAAACGc/g20u3NgL4PcXJD4V5TpzBbO8x9u7Bd_UQCLcBGAs/s640/Cosmos%2BPossible%2BWorlds.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Long-time
readers of this blog may recall my excitement four years ago when
<a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/search/label/Cosmos" target="_blank"><i>Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
premièred. Both an update and a sequel to Carl Sagan’s
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">ground-breaking </span><span style="font-style: normal;">1980
series </span><i>Cosmos</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, </span><i>Cosmos:
A Spacetime Odyssey</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> was hosted
by Neil deGrasse Tyson and covered a variety of topics concerning
humanity’s place in the universe, from the smallest atoms to the
largest galaxies, and everything in between. It was both beautiful to
watch and highly educational. It’s a series I strongly recommend
for gaining a better understanding of science and the world around
us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">It’s
been a while, but the great news is, </span><i>Cosmos</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
is coming back for another season! </span><i>Cosmos: Possible Worlds</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
will air next year. I’ve known about this for some time now, but
what I’ve only just learnt is that </span><span style="font-style: normal;">a
new</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> trailer came out last
week. Have a watch!</span></span></div>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mXako3rIAr8" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Educational
programming is important, and in many ways, science programming is
especially so. </span><i>Cosmos </i><span style="font-style: normal;">is
far from the only science show out there </span><span style="font-style: normal;">(and
there are many good ones, too)</span><span style="font-style: normal;">,
but it is one of the most high-profile, and that helps bring it to a
larger number of people. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">We
live in a time when science is more and more frequently coming under
attack. In the United States, in particular, people in power try to
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">place</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
topics like climate change under the heading of “fake news” and
push creationism as being on the same scientific level as evolution.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">It’s
not limited to the States, though. I live in Toronto, Ontario,
Canada. Here in Ontario, we have recently elected a new conservative
government that is already seeking to scrap environmental protections
put in place by the last government and is fighting against the
federal government’s attempts to keep those or similar
environmental protections in place. This same provincial government
is also scrapping a newly established sex education programme for
Ontario students and replacing it with an out-of-date programme from
1998. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">And they’re doing
this for reasons based entirely around misinformation (</span><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-globe-editorial-ontarios-new-sex-ed-curriculum-and-pc-party-are/" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">see here for a good overview of this situation</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">As
a teacher, I welcome any attempts to bring science and education to
people young and old. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">One of
the best ways is to present science in a way that is entertaining and
stimulating. </span><i>Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
does this through the use of thrilling visuals. It is truly a feast
for the eyes, on par with the numerous fictional shows and games
vying to grab the attention of viewers. Along with these visuals,
</span><i>Cosmos</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> also presents
its subject matter in a straight-forward, easy-to-understand manner.
You don’t need a PhD in physics to understand the show. You don’t
really need any background in science at all. Yet </span><span style="font-style: normal;">even
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">for those with a background
in science, it still has much to offer, covering such a diverse array
of subjects as it does. One of the great things about </span><i>Cosmos:
A Spacetime Odyssey</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> is also how
accessible it is to people of many different ages. I’ve used </span><i>Cosmos
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">in a classroom with 12-year-old
students and have seen it captivate adults as well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">From
the preview, </span><i>Cosmos: Possible Worlds</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
looks to contain these same things—thrilling visuals accompanying
an accessible and entertaining discussion of scientific topics. As
Neil deGrasse Tyson says, “Things are about to get epic.” I can’t
wait!</span></span></div>
Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-86435134714337825472018-07-27T00:05:00.000-04:002018-07-27T00:05:38.194-04:00Giantslayer - Ice Tomb of the Giant Queen<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Every
adventure path has a particular theme and style to it, which
identifies it and makes it distinguishable from other adventure
paths. <a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/search/label/Iron%20Gods" target="_blank">Iron Gods</a> has technology and
aliens, while <a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/search/label/Mummy%27s%20Mask" target="_blank">Mummy’s Mask</a> involves
exploring ancient tombs and battling undead. Giantslayer, not
surprisingly, is all about giants. Adventure paths also need a
certain amount of variety, though, as too much of the same thing can
start to feel stale. Stray too far from the core concept, however,
and the different segments of the adventure path might no longer feel
like a connected whole. It can be a fine line between how much “same”
and how much “different” an adventure path needs to work.</span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">With
Giantslayer, I’m starting to feel that it’s leaning towards too
much of the same. The fourth instalment, <a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy98t6" target="_blank"><i>Ice Tomb of the Giant Queen</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
by Jim Groves is structurally very similar to the two adventures
immediately preceding it, </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2017/05/giantslayer-hill-giants-pledge.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hill Giant’s Pledge</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> and
</span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/giantslayer-forge-of-giant-god.html" target="_blank"><i>Forge of the Giant God</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">.
That’s not to say that </span><i>Ice Tomb</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
is a bad adventure. It’s actually pretty good and there’s a lot I
like about it, but in it, the PCs must undertake a mission of
infiltration and sabotage just like they’ve done twice already. Of
course, as they’re higher level now, they have more options for how
to go about the</span><span style="font-style: normal;">ir</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
mission and they face more powerful opponents, but in the end it
still feels repetitive. It’s exacerbated by the fact that this is
not just the third time overall, but the third time </span><i>in a
row</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">That
aside, there’s a lot that’s very good in </span><i>Ice Tomb of
the Giant Queen</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. It has a
dynamic and vibrant setting that provides a good sandbox location for
the adventure to take place in, and it has </span><span style="font-style: normal;">lots
of interesting</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> encounters to
challenge a party of 10th-level characters and entertain their
players. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">It also has an
innovative system for determining how their giant opponents respond
to the PCs’ actions.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">SPOILERS
FOLLOW</span></span></b></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/07/giantslayer-ice-tomb-of-giant-queen.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-12851778329445949172018-07-19T16:24:00.001-04:002018-07-19T23:11:05.544-04:00Would You Be My New Best Friends? - Doctor Who Series 11 Trailer<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; }p.western { }</style>
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</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kjnPZkq1SiU/W1DzPdd__VI/AAAAAAAACGM/_RdBE13N6xwTL7BG06_03PuhgsEvZZnFACLcBGAs/s1600/13th%2BSonic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1024" height="459" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kjnPZkq1SiU/W1DzPdd__VI/AAAAAAAACGM/_RdBE13N6xwTL7BG06_03PuhgsEvZZnFACLcBGAs/s640/13th%2BSonic.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Since
<a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/doctor-who-twice-upon-time.html" target="_blank">“Twice Upon a Time”</a> and the twelfth
Doctor’s regeneration into the thirteenth (played by Jodie
Whittaker), it has been very quiet on the <i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
front—that is, until this week. A few days ago, we got the </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/07/the-universe-is-calling-doctor-who.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">first teaser</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> for the
forthcoming Series 11, and today comes the first full trailer (watch
it below) as well as the first peak at the new sonic screwdriver (see above). (Yes, I know a few pictures of the sonic screwdriver leaked
at little while back, but this is the first official look.)</span></span></div>
<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FEc-OQ_oqDk" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
trailer is pretty straight-forward as trailers go, with a succession
of short moments from the new series and a narration by the Doctor
over the top. There’s less to unpack from this than there was in
the teaser from a few days ago, but what this trailer definitely has
in spades is a sense of wonder and excitement. The shots and scenery
viewed are simply gorgeous. Intriguingly, there isn’t a single look
at any monsters or aliens. It focuses on the Doctor and her three new
friends, without even a single other character appearing. But that’s
okay, as far as I’m concerned. I like the greater secrecy being
kept over this series than in previous years. It helps increase the
excitement factor. I, for one, can’t wait till it starts!</span></span></div>
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</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Oh,
and to answer the Doctor’</span><span style="font-style: normal;">s
question, my answer is unequivocally </span><b><i>yes</i></b><span style="font-style: normal;">!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">(Edit: A few other characters do appear in the trailer beyond just the Doctor and her companions. They appear during blink-and-you'll-miss-them moments, but they're there.)</span></span></div>
</div>
Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-60730278478707082132018-07-15T22:31:00.000-04:002018-07-15T22:31:47.071-04:00The Universe is Calling - Doctor Who Series 11 Teaser<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
new series of </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
is still a few months away, but publicity is starting to gear up. The
newest issue of </span><a href="http://ew.com/tv/2018/07/12/doctor-who-jodie-whittaker-ew-cover/" target="_blank"><i>Entertainment Weekly</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
features </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> as
its cover story and, today, the BBC released the first teaser for
Series 11.</span></span></div>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iNy2kz-F0KQ" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This
is not a trailer showing scenes from the upcoming series. Instead,
it’s a specially filmed sequence to help whet the appetite for more
(and it’s probably not a coincidence that it uses food to do so).
On the surface, it says very little about what to expect from the new
series—and that fits the more secretive style of new showrunner
Chris Chibnall, compared to both Steven Moffat and Russell T Davies
before him.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">But
looking beneath the surface, there’s a lot more to glean </span><span style="font-style: normal;">from
this trailer. The new Doctor appears to have something of a
mischievous streak to her: Through what appears to be some sort of
time manipulation, she steals some of Ryan’s food and replaces
Graham’s newspaper with a </span><i>Beano</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
issue (intriguingly, the same one the 11th Doctor hides behind in
</span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2013/04/doctor-who-rings-of-akhaten.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">“The Rings of Akhaten”</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">).
But she has a kinder side too. When Yasmin discovers there’s no
pizza left, the Doctor helpfully replaces it. Finally, the Doctor’s
smile at the end shows a great deal of warmth and fun. There’s also
the television announcer. While ostensibly talking about sport, the
words—“</span><span style="font-style: normal;">They’ve got the
makings of a really great team. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">They’ve
got great energy. They’ve got great flare...I’m really excited to
see what happens”—also apply quite easily to the new TARDIS team.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I</span><span style="font-style: normal;">n
just a few seconds, this teaser conveys a fairly clear feel for the
new series. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">I’ve already
been quite excited about the new series, and this teaser has
definitely made me more excited!</span></span></div>
Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-22878436188335135312018-07-10T21:23:00.000-04:002018-07-10T21:23:23.119-04:00Inner Sea Faiths<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }p.western { }</style>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Clerics
have always been one of my favourite classes. I like getting into the
mindset of people who devote their lives to serving greater powers.
As such, I also love books that focus on those powers—what their
religions are like and what drives their followers. One of the
most-used Pathfinder books in my games (apart from the central
rulebooks) is <a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2014/05/inner-sea-gods.html" target="_blank"><i>Inner Sea Gods</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">,
which provides detailed information on the core 20 gods of the
Golarion setting (along with additional character options).</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">However,
Golarion has considerably more than just 20 gods. </span><i>Inner Sea
Gods</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> contains details on many of
the others, but no book has unlimited space, so these additional
details are understandably brief—half a page at most, and often no
more than a single paragraph. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Some
of these additional gods have received more detailed write-ups in
other sources, such as volumes of </span><i>Pathfinder Adventure
Path</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, but ever since </span><i>Inner
Sea Gods</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> came out, I’ve hoped
that there would eventually be another book that would collect
together these other gods into one place.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy9j74?Pathfinder-Campaign-Setting-Inner-Sea-Faiths" target="_blank"><i>Inner Sea Faiths</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> is just such a
book. It provides details on 15 of the lesser-known gods of Golarion,
such as Brigh, Hanspur, Kurgess, and Sivanah. All 15 are given
write-ups in the same style as the ones for the core 20 gods in </span><i>Inner
Sea Gods</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. </span><i>Inner Sea
Faiths</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> is not as big a book as
</span><i>Inner Sea Gods</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. The
write-ups are 6 pages long each instead of 8, and it doesn’t
contain any new prestige classes, magic items, spells, etc. It’s
also not a hardcover book. However, it is still a bigger book than
most in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting line—96 pages long instead
of the standard 64.</span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/07/inner-sea-faiths.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-36526662488128464962018-07-03T19:49:00.000-04:002018-07-03T19:49:19.143-04:00The House on Hook Street<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; }p.western { }</style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
love roleplaying adventures that fully integrate into their settings
and make full use of those settings. Generic adventures that can take
place anywhere are not necessarily bad (and there are certainly many
very good ones), but there is something special about an adventure
that can’t easily take place anywhere other than where it’s set.
The setting helps add to the adventure’s flavour, and can make the
adventure more memorable than one with a generic setting.</span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy9grs?Pathfinder-Module-The-House-on-Hook-Street" target="_blank"><i>The House on Hook Street</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> by
Brandon Hodge is such an adventure. Set in the Bridgefront
neighbourhood of the city of Korvosa, it makes heavy use of concepts
and rules from </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2015/11/occult-adventures.html" target="_blank"><i>Occult Adventures</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">,
and brings to life one of the poorest, most poverty-stricken places
in </span><span style="font-style: normal;">the </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Golarion
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">setting. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">It
would be possible to use </span><i>The House on Hook Street</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
with a different campaign </span><span style="font-style: normal;">setting</span><span style="font-style: normal;">,
but to do so, you would pretty much need to transplant the entirety
of Bridgefront (and with it, much of the rest of Korvosa) into the
other campaign world. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">You
could change the names of Bridgefront and the locations in it, but it
would still be essentially the same place. Without its setting, </span><i>The
House on Hook Street</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> would be a
very different adventure.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Of
course, the setting is only one part of a successful adventure. A
good adventure also requires an exciting plot with interesting
encounters and villains, and </span><i>The House on Hook Street</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
certainly has these. It embroils the PCs in a tale of drugs and lucid
dreaming, and brings them into conflict </span><span style="font-style: normal;">with</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
creatures of nightmare. It can be difficult to do horror effectively
in a roleplaying adventure, but while </span><i>The House on Hook
Street</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> isn’t strictly horror,
it does contain some incredibly creepy moments that may strike fear
in even the hardiest of heroes.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">It
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">i</span><span style="font-style: normal;">s
a complex adventure, and GMs should be sure to have read and reviewed
it thoroughly before play, but it’s one of the best adventures I’ve
seen in a while.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">SPOILERS
FOLLOW</span></span></b></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/07/the-house-on-hook-street.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-36947521660863339862018-07-02T13:37:00.000-04:002018-07-31T01:15:46.218-04:00June Round-Up Plus Doctor Who Gets a New Composer<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }P.western { }</style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ja1ur5Sr0uo/WzpiVFfTcOI/AAAAAAAACE0/EgQoGUNGcNYBrTwKvk4Mw31rKkI3IlpBQCLcBGAs/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="818" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ja1ur5Sr0uo/WzpiVFfTcOI/AAAAAAAACE0/EgQoGUNGcNYBrTwKvk4Mw31rKkI3IlpBQCLcBGAs/s320/13.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_455105682"></span><span id="goog_455105683"></span>It’s
been awhile since I’ve done one of these (see <a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/absences-apologies-and-look-to-future.html" target="_blank">here for an explanation</a> of my absence if you haven’t seen it
already), and there’s not a whole lot to cover in the past month.
But it does feel good to be getting back into the swing of things
again.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Much
of my recent stuff has involved getting caught up on things I should
have done ages ago, so that means finally getting a review up of the
<i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> Series 10 finale,
</span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/doctor-who-doctor-falls.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">“The Doctor Falls”</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">, as
well as last December’s Christmas special, </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/doctor-who-twice-upon-time.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">“Twice Upon a Time”</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">,
featuring David Bradley as the first Doctor and introducing Jodie
Whittaker as the thirteenth.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I
also began catching up on the large number of Pathfinder products I
intend to review, beginning with a return to the Giantslayer
Adventure Path with the third instalment, </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/giantslayer-forge-of-giant-god.html" target="_blank"><i>Forge of the Giant God</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">, as well
as </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/adventurers-guide.html" target="_blank"><i>Adventurer’s Guide</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Pathfinder
and </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> have
tended to make up the bulk of my posts (and there will continue to be
lots of those), but I want to expand into covering more of other
things as well. In particular, I’m intending to have a few more
reviews of novels, and I started this past month with a review of </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/the-saviors-champion.html" target="_blank"><i>The Savior’s Champion</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> by
Jenna Moreci.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Perhaps
most exciting for me, however, is my own novel, which I am currently
</span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/beta-readers-needed.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">looking for beta-readers</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> for!
</span><i>The Child of the Volgs</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
is an epic fantasy novel that I have been working on for quite some
time, and beta-reading is an important stage in the development of
any book. It allows the author (in this case, me) to get feedback
from a variety of different people, which the author can then use to
help in further revisions. For the beta-readers themselves, it
presents an opportunity to see and be involved in the process of
creating a book. You can help make the book into the best book it can
be! I’ve got several beta-readers already, but I could definitely
use more. If you’re interested please check out my </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/p/the-child-of-volgs-beta-read.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">Beta-Read page</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> for full details.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Looking
to the future, I’ve got a review of the Pathfinder Module </span><a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy9grs?Pathfinder-Module-The-House-on-Hook-Street" target="_blank"><i>The House on Hook Street</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
coming up in the next couple days. I’ll also be getting to more
Giantslayer this month and hopefully a few other things as well.
There will also be another novel review. With </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
not currently on the air, there won’t be any new reviews (unless I
finally mange to get back to finishing my </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/search/label/Doctor%20Who%20Series%208" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">Series 8 reviews</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">), but I do
hope to do a couple of </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">-related
posts, including a look back at the entirety of the Steven Moffat era
of the programme. That might not happen in July (it’ll depend on
how much time I have), but it is definitely a goal before Series 11
starts </span><span style="font-style: normal;">around October (no
confirmed </span><span style="font-style: normal;">start </span><span style="font-style: normal;">date
at this point). Of course, I’ll probably cover any major </span><i>Doctor
Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> news that comes out.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bq9r-GBopd0/WzpiEpKbttI/AAAAAAAACEw/kq-91T00SToC3KDgWyytBunMhsypHCpsgCEwYBhgL/s1600/13%2Band%2Bcompanions.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="625" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bq9r-GBopd0/WzpiEpKbttI/AAAAAAAACEw/kq-91T00SToC3KDgWyytBunMhsypHCpsgCEwYBhgL/s320/13%2Band%2Bcompanions.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">That
said, so far, t</span><span style="font-style: normal;">here’s not
been a whole lot of news about </span><span style="font-style: normal;">what
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">to expect in the new series
(which I kind of like—it maintains the surprise), but a few things
in the year I was gone that I didn’t cover included the actual
announcement of Jodie Whittaker as the thirteenth Doctor </span><span style="font-style: normal;">and
then, later, the reveal of her costume (see picture at top of post), which took a brief time to
grow on me, but I now really like.</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">There was also</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
the announcement of who would be playing her companions: Bradley
Walsh as Graham, Mandip Gill as Yasmin, and Tosin Cole as Ryan. It’s
been a long time since the Doctor has had three companions (the last
time was during the fifth Doctor’s time with Tegan, Nyssa, and
Adric), so I’m very intrigued to see how the series handles the
larger TARDIS crew.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G0S4VOu0z28/Wzpin-btcaI/AAAAAAAACE8/BsLlmGi-C40aNKpI9UsFg51KzEhZXWnOQCLcBGAs/s1600/Segun%2BAkinola.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G0S4VOu0z28/Wzpin-btcaI/AAAAAAAACE8/BsLlmGi-C40aNKpI9UsFg51KzEhZXWnOQCLcBGAs/s320/Segun%2BAkinola.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">It
was also announced some time back that Murray Gold, who has composed
the music for </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
since it returned in 2005, would not be returning for Series 11. Just
a couple days ago, it was announced that Segun Akinola would be the
new composer. I generally liked Murray Gold’s music for the show,
but he was there for a long time, and </span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
has always thrived on change. With the début of a new Doctor
(particularly the first female Doctor), this is as good a time as any
to change up the music, and I look forward to </span><span style="font-style: normal;">hearing
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">what Akinola brings to the
series. As far as I’m concerned, there are exciting times ahead for
</span><i>Doctor Who</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> and I look
forward to October (or whenever the new series starts).</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Anyway,
thanks to everyone who reads this blog! Have a great July!</span></span></div>
Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-78775116109941682652018-06-25T23:49:00.001-04:002018-06-25T23:49:56.944-04:00Adventurer's Guide<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; }p.western { }</style>
<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">One
of the best ways to make new mechanical game content stick out and be
memorable is to attach it to creative flavour content. In a game like
Pathfinder, which has a massive plethora of options published over
numerous books, this has pretty much become a necessity. This is one
of the principal reasons I adore <a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy9sjo?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Adventurers-Guide" target="_blank"><i>Adventurer’s Guide</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> so much.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">When
</span><i>Adventurer’s Guide</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
first came out last year, there was some controversy over the fact
that it contains Golarion-specific content. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Previously</span><span style="font-style: normal;">,
most books published as part of the hardcover Pathfinder Roleplaying
Game line have been setting-neutral (apart from a few minor things
like the names and domains of gods). Golarion material was limited to
the other Pathfinder lines like Pathfinder Campaign Setting and
Pathfinder Player Companion. In this way, GMs could use Pathfinder
Roleplaying Game books with any setting (whether Golarion, some other
published setting, or one of their own creation) without having to
make any adjustments.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">However,
more recent books from the </span><span style="font-style: normal;">year
or so</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> have started to contain
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">more </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Golarion-specific
content. </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2015/11/occult-adventures.html" target="_blank"><i>Occult Adventures</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
contains references to the multiverse structure used in Golarion
products rather than a more generic planar structure like that used
in the earlier </span><a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy8ffn?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-GameMastery-Guide" target="_blank"><i>GameMastery Guide</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">.
</span><i>Adventurer’s Guide</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
goes even further, presenting </span><span style="font-style: normal;">eighteen</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
organisations all taken from the Golarion setting. The book is pretty
much tied completely to the setting.</span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Many
people, particularly those who don’t use the Golarion setting, were
not happy with this </span><span style="font-style: normal;">change</span><span style="font-style: normal;">.
They felt the book should have been published as part of the
Pathfinder Campaign Setting line (which has had several hardcovers
published for it, including </span><a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy8ief?Pathfinder-Campaign-Setting-The-Inner-Sea-World-Guide" target="_blank"><i>The Inner Sea World Guide</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">, </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2014/05/inner-sea-gods.html" target="_blank"><i>Inner Sea Gods</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">, and </span><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2017/06/inner-sea-races.html" target="_blank"><i>Inner Sea Races</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">). While I do
understand why people might feel this way, personally, I like the
change. I fully admit to a certain amount of bias here as I use the
Golarion setting for my own games, and I’ve always preferred
setting content over generic rules options. But I also fully believe
the best mechanical content is generally that which is also attached
to flavourful content. It isn’t strictly necessary to </span><span style="font-style: normal;">attach
it to a</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> setting to make
something flavourful—</span><i>Occult Adventures</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
as an example, certainly provides a lot of flavourful content that is
not tied to a specific setting—but </span><span style="font-style: normal;">a
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">setting can </span><span style="font-style: normal;">help
provide a framework for that flavour.</span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/adventurers-guide.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735644144263744003.post-61633696349685285772018-06-21T01:50:00.000-04:002018-06-21T01:50:30.723-04:00Giantslayer - Forge of the Giant God<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }P.western { }</style>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
began reading <i><a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy9c1x?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-93-Forge-of-the-Giant-God" target="_blank">Forge of the Giant God</a></i> (the third part of the Giantslayer Adventure Path) by Tim Hitchcock
about a year ago, and got through roughly half of it. I didn’t stop
because I disliked it; it was just the state my life was in at the
time (see <a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/absences-apologies-and-look-to-future.html" target="_blank">this post</a> for details). Over
the next several months, I occasionally went back to it and got
through a little bit more of it each time. I thought I eventually
made it all the way through, though when I came back to it last week
with the intention of reviewing it, I discovered a bookmark (one I
thought I’d misplaced) about three quarters of the way through.
Assuming I was wrong about finishing it, I picked up reading from
that spot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">And
was thoroughly confused.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Some
things seemed familiar as though I’d read them before and others
seemed completely new. More importantly though, I realised I really
didn’t have a good enough recall of even the earlier parts of the
adventure I knew for a fact I had previously read. This served as a
pretty good example of why you should never spread out the reading of
something like this over a year with months-long breaks. So I decided
to do what I should have done as soon as I picked it up again last
week, and that was to reread the entire thing beginning to end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">And
I’m glad I did. I came away from it with a higher opinion of the
adventure than I had before. I remember previously really liking the
opening section of the adventure and disliking the rest. However,
this time around, I liked it more. I do still think there are some
issues, but they don’t bother me as much they did. The adventure is
a little too similar to the previous adventure, <a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2017/05/giantslayer-hill-giants-pledge.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hill Giant’s Pledge</i></a>, in that both involve sneaking into
a similar giant-controlled location (and <i>The Hill Giant’s Pledge</i>
does it better). Following up one adventure with another that does
virtually the same thing runs the risk of making things stale for the
players. However, there are things to make this adventure more
unique, and good GMs should be able to make it into a memorable
experience.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">SPOILERS
FOLLOW</span></b></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.ofdiceandpen.ca/2018/06/giantslayer-forge-of-giant-god.html#more">Read more »</a>Michael Ray Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651916698207855060noreply@blogger.com2