For most of the summer, my cousin Adam and I have been planning an grand first edition AD&D campaign. I wanted to play a 1st Ed game using all of the advanced, and extend rules. You know: Hypothermia, Comeliness, Non-Weapons Proficiencies, Every Weapon modifier, realistic travel, food consumption, honour, and so on. I wanted to earn an awesome character and really put myself to the test. I wanted to grow as a player, and experience a level of using the rules that Jeff, Dave and Elijah just wouldn't be willing to put up with. And hey, it's no for everyone.
Adam was also luckily interested in doing something a little more intense, and agreed to host a campaign. All I had to do was figure out a character I wanted to be and a general feel for the world I wanted to play in. Adam would do the rest.
It took me ages to come up with what I wanted to be, but in the end I went with a fighter. A boring choice I know, but I wanted something that gave me a lot of choices and the potential to become a bard. Being a bard in 1st Ed is no simple feat, and requires you to be at least a 5th level Fighter and Thief before you may take up the class. It seemed a worthy goal.
Coming up with a name for my character also took me ages. After a few days, I came up with Raiek Elden, after mixing and mashing some randomly generated names and sounds. I quite like it, it's memorable without being ridiculous. A good choice for the serious tone of the upcoming campaign.
I then spent 9 hours over the course of 3 days, reading all the rules I was going to use, and designing my character. His weapon kit, inventory, stat placement, secondary skill, non-weapon's proficiencies, and so on were thoroughly researched and balanced to maximize their potential, and fit my character's back story.
Raiek Elden is the son of a poor farmer and his wife. He is regularly beaten by his father and ignored by his mother. Both of his parents are known as the town drunks in their small village, and their household was a failing one. Raiek Felt trapped by that life and shortly after he turned 18 he ran away from home. The night of his departure is where we pick up his tale.
The mini I chose is from Splintered Light Miniatures and is part of their 15mm bandits. This guy normally doesn't have a vest on and is shirtless, so I had to add that feature with some green stuff.
I am also experimenting with doing eyes at the 15mm scale. As one can understand, it is quite hard. So I know that he is a little crossed eyed, but for some reason I am ok with it; it seems to fit.
I have been asked for a size comparison. So here is Raiek compared to a quarter.
With any luck I will get better with the eyes as I do more experimentation and practice.
I hope to grow Raiek Elden into something beyond his meagre beginnings, perhaps into a legendary character. Hopefully this will not be the only form Raiek Elden takes, and we will see him grow into an epic hero in game, and in miniature.
It has been almost two weeks since I got back from my vacation to Victoria, British Columbia, and things have been a little slow. While Dave and I managed to play a few rounds of Mr. Jack and On Ward to Venus, and Elijah and I played a game of Michtim for my younger sister's birthday, there hasn't been much in the way of gaming here at JADE. All of us have been hit with loads of work in our professional lives, and gaming -unfortunately- has gone by the way side.
However, there has been a lot of planning and preparation. Elijah and I spent some time conceptualizing a renaissance era werewolf campaign in 2nd ed AD&D. Adam and I are are planning an epicv all-rules included 1st ed AD&D game. There is talk of hosting a D&D game with Jeff and a few of his buddies from work. And of courtse there are tons of board games new and old left to play!
Our Source book for the renaissance-werewolf campaign.
Here is JADE's current to do list (many of theses games we have played, but not as a group):
Tammany Hall
The Battle at
Kembel's
Cascade
Terra Mystica
On Ward to
Venus
Kolejka
Twilight
Imperium
Runewars
Sid Meier's
Civilization
Avalon Hill's
Civilization
Mage Knight
Caverna the
Cave Farmers
Star Trek
Attack Wing
Justice League
Strategy Game
Axis and
Allies
Space Empires
Cave Evil
Dune the Board
Game
Struggle of
Empires
Settlers of
Catan
El Grande
Risk 2210 AD
(one of the
few risks
worth playing)
It seems our fall will be full of board games, and I really have no idea what we are going to play next! If I were to guess, Terra Mystica, The Battle at Kembel's Cascade and Tammany Hall, will be fairly high on the list.
Dave and I also took the plunge last week and decided to bring one of our other hobbies to the table top by collecting DC Comics HeroClix figures. We still have no idea how to play yet, but we are very excited about it! Elijah and Jeff have also agreed to get on board, so there should be some good battle in the future!
We heard the arguments that Marvel is better. We just like DC more.
There will also be a couple of table top RPGs here and there as we try to finally finish Interstellar Exports, and start some of the smaller campaigns we have planned. It will all depend on everyone's schedule.
Finally I had a chance to do some painting after my vacation earlier this month, so I decided to continue with my 15mm Fantasy figures.
This guys is from Khurasan Miniatures and is part of their 15mm Fantasy line.
Gnomes are quite a popular choice among the guys at JADE (particularly Dave and Elijah) for their silly nature. I had to get something that would work as any magic user, cover a wide range of possible classes.
To me, this guys screams of a wizard. However for those of us who remember the illusionist class from first and second edition, it is also a good fit.
What is the difference between an NPC and monster in a tabletop role playing game? They often use the same stats, follow the same rules set as both players and monsters, but for some reason they are different, and get entire sections devoted to them in numerous RPG rule sets.
I think the reason is that NPCs simply have a chance of not attacking you. An NPC is the GM's version of a player character, and like the players, they should try to react as reasonably as possible in every situation. So it doesn't just start a fight when your players encounter them; rather it begins a whole new part of the game where players must act in character, and interact with your world in a very real way. It is the ultimate opportunity to watch your characters role play and grow how they view their character.
It is for this reason that NPCs are also the most difficult thing for a GM to write. They must be believable but you need to make a lot of them, so it also needs to be quick and straight forward. Often it means that NPCs go by the way side and GMs fall into some common troupes.
Here are some NPC Archetypes that I have seen before GMs fall into using before, and how to deal with them as a player and a GM.
They are All Shop Keepers
I have encountered this once or twice. The only real NPC interaction in game is with those willing to sell us supplies, a room for the evening, or a quest in exchange for something of capital value. When you encounter a game with NPC like this this, it usually means that you are up for an evening of combat, or that the GM really wants you to make your own way in this world.
If your NPCs are only selling you the items you need to survive, then adventure is going to be out in the wild. Get out there and find it and stop futzing around in town. You will have more fun, and your GM won't seem so stressed.
They Know Everything
If every NPC in the world knows exactly what is going, or information that they should have no way of knowing, it means one of two things. The first and most common is that your GM is more interested in having you move on with their story then having you figure out each piece on your your own. Just except it and move on, you will find what the GM wanted you to do.
It could also mean that your GM hasn't really prepared this area of the game, and is trying to hurry you along. Either way, don't question it, or argue, it will only slow things down.
They Know Nothing
For me there is nothing more frustrating then a stupid NPC. Now, I don't mean a character that is unintelligent, I mean an NPC that is devoid of the basic knowledge that their character should have. NPC interaction is the only way that your player characters can get the info they need to play the game. If your NPC's don't know anything then it can be a real challenge for your players to follow your story much less care about it.
Stupid NPC's can bring a game to a halt. If this is happening in your game, point it out in private with your GM. Maybe they will throw you guys a bone next game.
They Talk to Much
If your NPC's are running through minutes and minutes of dialogue without interacting with the players then you are directing, not GMing. Sure it is tempting to move plot along, and this is OK to do on occasion, but this should not be your got to manoeuvre for revealing plot. Players find this boring and uninteresting. It doesn't have anything directly to do with them, and while you may capture their interest from time to time, it is really not a troupe you want to over use, lest the start drifting in and out of paying attention.
Similarly if your NPC's are giving your Player characters too much information it will overwhelm them and they will have difficulty remembering the details of what they are supposed to do. This means that all your hard work will be wasted and the players often won't be able to follow the plot.
They are All Shifty and Suspicious
It is one thing if you are a stranger in a strange place and the locals don't trust you, it is another when you are constantly needing to prove your identity, loyalty, etc. over and over again. Of course this can be fun if the situations warrants it. But not every NPC should approach everyone with mistrust. Do you?
This is exhausting and annoying for your players, and it normally feels like the GM is trying to punish the players or that they are stalling. Either way, suspicion should be used with moderation and only when reasonable. Otherwise your game will slow to a crawl.
They are Too Willing to Help
Sometimes NPC's seem a little too willing to help. I have seen them preforming dangerous tasks without any motivation, obeying ridiculous commands from the player characters, or even just giving up most of their possessions to help the players out, etc.
This means that your GM is bending to the player's wills too much. They are trying to be too helpful and not neutral enough. If you notice this happening, try to set the game back on track, by not exploiting it. If you do take advantage of it, things will get really silly, really fast and it will ruin the game.
What other kind of NPCs have you seen in your games?
Back in 2013 when we started our RPG kick The guys were all excited about painting 25-30mm figures for our games. We had just come out of an eight month long miniatures game kick and we were ready to bring our miniatures gaming into the RPG world.
But then we discovered the truth. No matter where you looked these minis were very expensive. To actually get up to the number of minis needed, it was going to cost some serious time and some serious dough.
Well after more then a year of using them I finally decided to break the mold... so to speak. The guys had just started learning Mongoose Publishing Reprint of the Traveller RPG, which back in the 80's used 15mm miniatures. So I did some looking and found a huge world 15mm sci-fi miniatures giving me more minis then I could ever need!
I found sites like:
RAFM
These guys actually ahve some of the original molds from the officail Traveller minis from 80's!
Blue Moon Manufacturing
Detailed and indepth historical lines for a variety of periods, as well as a small sci-fi section. Ground Zero Games
Good generic sci-fi figures.
There were so many options! And the best thing was that they were all incredibly cheap! We are talking anywhere from $0.50-$2.00/mini. A fraction of what the 25-20mm scale would cost.
So I can actually build up a collection with tons of different options, and the correct minis for every scenario.
From RAFM and 15mm Co.
If you are interested in 15mm Fantasy then there are a few more options on top of Khurasan Miniatures and 15mm Co: Magister Militum
Great generic selection. Good for just about any miniature you are looking for.
Essex Miniatures
Fairly low quality but good selection. At least for fantasy stuff. Their historical ranges are great!
Ral Partha Europe
Huge selection of bulk fantasy miniatures, and a table top miniatures game to go along with them if you are interested. Splintered Light Miniatures
Amazing and huge selection of Miniatures, some specifically designed for 15mm Dungeons and Dragons adventures.
From Khurasan Miniatures
I really love the 15mm size. It is easy to paint; taking no more than an hour for a very detailed figured, and they look good on the field while their size lets you play with a lot of minis in a confined space. They are perfect for those cramped table top RPG Sessions
For all of my RPG games, be them fantasy or sci-fi I am going to start using 15mm miniatures. They are cheap enough to get all the miniatures you need, and detailed enough that you don't lose the cinematic effect that you used minis for in the first place.
I am currently working to expand my painted fantasy minis so I can properly make the switch, just like i did for my sci-fi miniatures. I can tell you i am excited about the potential for awesome scenarios to come!
So do it for yourself! Save the time and the money, and use 15mm figures in table top RPG games you won't regret it!
Matt had never painted a miniature before, but was interested in giving it a try. So one night we sat down and watched Total Recall (1990), and I gave him one of my 25mm Zombies from Mirliton Miniatures to paint. We got him set up with my usual spread, and away he went. The result was amazing!
Half way through painting I knew Matt was hooked. His focus was there and he looked up at me and saying He could "definitely do this as a hobby." And he definitely has the knack. HIs first mini turned out great! Good lines, shading, and the colour scheme is well thought through.
Of course a Zombie (especially one in armour) is always a great addition to any horde of monster, so I am sure that he will get used in many a campaign to come. I am thinking the first time we will see him is in Dave's The Conquest of Frey Part II.
Or We could also use the D&D 3.5 Libris Mortis Rules and play him as an Undead Player Character! What do you guys think of playing a campaign as a member of the undead? I have never done it before.
Thanks for painting this mini Matt! You did a great job and I am looking forward to seeing more from you in future!
Miniatures and Dungeons and Dragons have gone hand in hand since the beginning. After all the game was created by a group of historical war gamers that were bored with the current game selection. So right from the beginning Miniatures were there, and there are even rules for using them written into the 1st Ed. AD&D rules (all of your spell distances are given in tabletop inches, etc.).
Here at JADE, we like to leave it up to the GM hosting the game to decide whether we use minis or not. And while yes all of our campaign game write ups on the blog have miniatures scenes in them (confession time) occasionally those scenes are staged afterwards. It all depends on who was hosting.
This one we did actually use minis for... And then staged it after so it looked better.
Jeff will use minis if he thinks the event is important enough (like a boss fight) or if he has an idea for an interesting mechanic. One time he set-up up an entire street scene, where we had to avoid clumsy NPCs and suspicious guards, all while we guided our miniatures to the other side of the board. It was awesome, but Jeff doesn't use them all the time.
I like to use miniatures in combat, but beyond that I find that they get in the way of role playing. They make people focus on the table rather than on the story. In combat that table focus and positioning can be important to getting out alive so I like everyone to be on the same page. But beyond that I find it too distracting.
Dave on the other had likes to go all out. He loves creating scene and using miniatures in every situation. It is much as I imagine Gary Gygax would have done. The first image above there is using the 4th edition map tiles he purchased to use in his Conquest of Frey Game. And he pulls them out whenever he can.
Elijah is the opposite of Dave. He doesn't like to use miniatures at all. He finds that they get in way, and are simply unnecessary to hosting a game. He does tolerate Dave and I setting up the battle scenes in his Maze of the Minotaur campaign... but that is mostly because of his awesomely painted Minotaur. Usually however, he prefers that we that roleplay as best we can in every situation and not rely on the minis.
With so much diversity in our own four man group we started to wonder how many people out there use minis in their games? So we did a pole on twitter and came up with some interesting results; The gaming world seems equally divided on this issue.
It is a good point. Long hours have I spent trying to find miniatures only to have to settle on something that is not quite right. And it is true the game is supposed to be about the advenutre and the interactions with the world the GM has created, not the mechanics of the table top infront of you.
Ah yes. The endless amount of orc, goblin or undead minis. Every game group has a plethora of one of those monster types, and have to use them as substitutes for every single monster in the game! Who has the time to prepare that many minis and the money to keep your collection up to snuff? Maybe in the care free days of youth but certainly not now.
It seemed minis were losing the fight until @Gorfordel stepped up to champion the cause:
It something I have also experienced myself. A good set of miniatures can make an RPG a great experience! The battle will look amazing, and for some one who prefers the mechanics of a board game or tabletop miniatures game it will capture their interest with greater ease. Perhaps using miniatures is a good way to introduce unfamiliar players to the game until they can truly roleplay through each scenario.
@Grimmshade later concurred, saying that his group loved miniatures:
His group was even willing to put their money where their mouth is a support an great kickstarter project! Way to support the community guys! That is awesome!
It was an even tie. But I think the final comment summed everything up best. It was from @Dungeon_Crafter.
It is true. If no one in your group is very good at painting miniatures, then the minis can become a bit of drag. And I very much agree with @Dungeon_Crafter. about using them in general. For any sort of battle game like DnD, Traveller, etc. Minis make combat run a lot smoother. But something narrative driven, like Call of Cthulhu they seem to get in the way. I prefer using them in moderation, but it really is a matter of style. What do you think? Do you use Miniatures in your campaigns? Written by: Andrew Gregory
A few weeks back JADE played an awesome one-page RPG I found called "We are All Going to Die."
The set-up is quick and easy and we made it even easier by creating a little character sheet to keep track of the 4 things you are good at, the 2 things you are bad at, as well as a couple other fun and useful bits like an inventory, a character sketch area and place for general notes!
Check out the rules for We are All Going to Die Here:
Mirosh's weapons kit is a little different (wielding a shield and an axe), but the two-handed axe and the just absolute bad-assness of her gate and size makes her one mean looking mini! And the perfect fit for Mirosh.
She is so far one of my favourite minis right now, and I can't wait to see her in an actually game, battling her way through goblins. Or something like that!
Painting miniatures can be a daunting task. Especially if you have never done it before. There are some many little pieces and different techniques. It is hard to know where to start. You are filled with so many questions that you can't answer. How many paints do I need? What brushes should I get?
It can be a lot to get through. So to get you started on your own, and so you can avoid the same mistakes I made, this How-To will let you know what you need to get started painting minis.
What You Need
As exciting as getting new minis is, it is important to keep a clear head and remember that you also need to spend some time (and money) to make sure you have the right tools to make them look awesome.
So here is a short list of items you need to get started.
Paint Brushes
You will want a couple different brushes to do bases coats, detail work etc. You will want about 5-7 different brushes, and you should have at least these particular ones in your collections:
Get the two Winsor & Newton brushes off Amazon or Ebay. Trust me they are worth it! The other brushes you can snag at any art store. Now you can get your brushes from modelling/gaming stores, but you are often charged a premium. The cheapest option is to go to your local art supply and buy some of their mid range brushes.
To determine the size of the brush you are buying, lookat the side, the size of each brush is normally listed along its leng. But just ask a sales clerk for help if you are not sure.
Some other brushes worth considering are 0000 Round brush (super duper small) and a size 2-6 filbert brush. But take a look at what is available
Paints
You can use any paint you like, but there are of course paints that are specifically designed to work on miniatures, and these will give you a better finish, then your regular art store paints.
That being said, the art store paints are much cheaper so if you can find a good quality brand (something that is smooth and failry runny) go for it. Your wallet will thank you.
If you would rather get miniature specific paints, then there are three different major companies who make miniatures paints (that are worth using):
I use a combination of Reaper and Citadel, but I mostly use Reaper, which Is what I would recommend. I like Reaper paints because they have a matte colouring, so they don't glisten under a lamp, and you don't have to give them a matte finishing spray when you are done.
You can get them off of the Reaper site, and here is what I would get to start you paint collection.
Basics - Every mini you paint will have at least one of these colours on it.
Pure White
Pure Black X 2 (every mini has black on it, you will use a lot)
Skin Tone Light
Skin Tone Dark
Silver of Your Choice
Gold of Your Choice
Primary Colours - Your colour palette. Pick shades you like.
Light Red
Medium Red
Dark Red
Light Blue
Medium Blue
Dark Blue
Light Green
Medium Green
Dark Green
Light Yellow
Medium Yellow
Dark Yellow
Light Tan (Beige)
Medium Tan (Beige)
Dark Tan (Beige)
Light Brown
Medium Brown
Dark Brown
Light Grey
Medium Grey
Dark Grey
That will give you a total 27 colours. Which is a really good start! I know it seems like a lot, but keep in mind I have 70 different colours and could use more. To give your minis vibrancy, the more colour options you have the better, so pick some that you like and increase your palette.
Tools
Minis will often need more work than just painting. Some will need to be assembled, almost all of them will need to be trimmed. To deal with this I recommend three tools:
1. Exacto Knife
Now I don't mean the one your dad kept in his tool box. I mean a hobby knife.
Be careful. These are really sharp, and I have cut myself badly more than once. So keep any lid they come with and keep it capped when not in use!
2. Tweezers
Any old tweezers will work, and 10 bucks says you know some one who has a pair they would be willing to part with. If not, just get a pair from your local drug store. You can get tweezers from hobby shops, but you will be charged a premium for it, and you are honestly paying for a logo.
3. Super Glue
To assemble your minis you will want a good super glue. I use a gel super glue that I find at my local dollar store, and would recommend using a gel glue since regular super glue is often very runny and hard to work with.
Again places like Games workshop sell super glue, but at 10x what I pay at the dollar store. It just isn't worth it.
Painting Your Minis
Now that you have your paints, brushes and tools you are ready to paint.Here is how to get started.
Step 1 Study Your Mini.
I know this is a very pretensions step one, (assuming you haven't done this already) But this is very important first step. Find every part on the mini, follow every line, and start to come up with the different paints you are going to use.
Here you are trying to figure out what part of the mini is its shirt, its sword, shoes, or anything else it has. Compartmentalising it will help you make the right colour choices, and save you from needing to paint something over.
Step 2 Trim your Mini
Use your hobby knife and in some good light trim off the excess bits from the molding process that surround your mini. These will appear on both pewter and plastic minis, either as part of the injection model process, or some spill over from the press.
Be diligent about this. A stray pieces of waste can really make something look odd when painted. Especially if it gets folded against the mini. So go over it a few times until you are sure you got everything.
You should also use this time to shave any rough edges from the molding process, say where two haves didn't perfectly meet.
Step 3 Prep Your Area
Everyone's painting area is a little different. But if I were to paint one of my Warhammer 40k Plague Marines this is what it would look like:
1. Sheet of paper.
This is so that you don't get paint on the table, and so you have something to wipe excess paint off on.
2. Light
This will help you see in the places normally obscured by shadows. If you are not painting under a light, your minis will have a lot of missed spots.
3. Pallet
When using Reaper paints, you need to squeeze the paint out of a tube on to something. Squeezing it onto a plastic lid means that it won't be absorbed by the paper and you get more bang for your paint buck. I use a Pringles Can lids, but anything works.
4. Water Cup
You will want to wash your brush regularly, almost obsessively. A Clean brush is a accurate brush, and this will stop clumping. You should almost clean your brush every time you go to put more paint on it, just to get in the habit of doing so. Dry your brush off using paper towel or a cloth. Do not use toilet paper or facial tissue it is cheaper paper and little pieces can stick to your brush.
5. Foam
Touching the minis you are painting will often cause an un-cured layer of paint to chip, or wear off. To prevent this, I take a page from the model train book, and paint on top of a piece of foam. This will allow your mini to properly dry, and gives flat surface to work on and push down on without damaging your mini's paint job.
5a. Another Approach
If you don't like the foam, the other way to do this is to get some tac (like the blue stuff you use to put up posters) stick it to the bottom of and then stick your mini to a pill bottle or something similar. You can then hold the pill bottle, and rotate the mini as needed.
6. A Mini
You gotta be painting something or what did you set this all up for? Here I am painting a Plague Marine which I have lightly primed with some matte black Spray paint, and assembled him partially on his base. How mauch you want to assemble you mini will depend on the mini itself and how you want to go about it. If you are not sure waht to do. Start assembling the mini until you reach a point where adding more would create uncomfortable angles to work on.
I like to glue my arms and backpacks on my painted Plague Marines after I have painted the torso and legs. I find it easier to get at those tough angles when they are not attached.
Step 4. Prime the Mini
Elijah and I actually had a rousing debate about the benefits of priming, and what colour you should prime.
Here is the verdict:
Yes you should prime your minis it makes painting smoothing and easier. However, The colour you should prime is a matter of style and preference. I personally prime everything I work on black (or dusty skin shadow for my Plague Marine stuff). I will often do 2-3 coats so that the none of the minis' natural grey or pewter colour shine through. Elijah likes to prime his minis white from time to time (he also primes black and grey as well). And he also make sure to get full coverage, but uses thinner coats.
Here is the difference.
Priming black means that the colours you are putting on will be darker. It will give you models a more "real-feel", t the cost of bright bursting colours. I prefer this as I try to go for realism.
Priming white means that the colours are going to go on exactly as they come out of the tube. Bright and vibrant. This will give your minis a more "anime-like" vibrancy. Elijah likes his colours to be vibrant, and prefers to prime white or grey. Grey will of course land you in between.
What colour you prime is your call, but You have to prime your mini.
Step 5. Base Coats
Starting with the the largest area. Take the darkest shade of the colour you wish to use, and paint that area. With your darker colour. Try to be neat it will save you time in the long run. Cover the whole are with the darker colour and let that dry completely. You then want to take one or both of the lighter shades of the colour you are using and dry brush them over the darker colour.
Here is tutorial on how to dry brush. It takes some practice:
The dry brushing will accentuate the details of each mini, and give them the depth that the professionals have!
Once you are finished dry brushing, take the colour you primed, and touch up the unpainted areas, returning them back to the primed colour. This will ensure your colours go on nice and clean, as you will be painting over the same colour.
Repeat this process until major area of your mini is done to your satisfaction. Remember you don't always have to dry brush, just make sure you are happy with the result.
Step 6. Details
Now slowly, using your small brushes, paint on the details. Again we start with the darkest shade of the colour you wish to use and then Dry brush with one or two lighter colours.
The small details don't always need to be dry brushed, sometimes a simple dot of paint is enough. You can be as detailed with this you would like to be, just make sure that your colour choices are consistent.
For example on my Ottoman Battleship from Dystopian Wars, I chose to paint every single bolt in the hull:
Took forever!
Once that is done, check for any mistakes; like paint going over the line, missed spots etc. Touch those up using the darkest colour used on the area, and the dry brushing with the lighter shade(s).
Conclusion
That should basically finish it up. You are going to need to experiment, and do your own research to find your way to paint. There are also many other techniques and tricks that you can find amazing tutorials for all over the internet.
Hopefully this tutorial will help you get started in your miniatures painting career.
Last week was an exciting week for JADE! With guest month behind us, we decided to gear down and start playing a few tabletop games that weren't RPG's. We all find switching between so many campaigns a little much, and we like to take a break after guest month, and reaturn to JADE's roots of magic cards, board games and miniatures.
So last Thursday Jeff organized a small Magic the Gathering Tournament with some of his work friends and the guys from JADE. With Jeff's friends only recently getting into the game, it was great opportunity to see some of the new cards Magic has to offer, and see some really interesting strategies from some awesome new players!
We will definitely be playing with them again!
Perhaps one of the most exciting parts of last week was Toronto FanExpo. Every year we look forward too geeking out hard at the convention, and this year was no different! However what did make this year particularly exciting was that we we handed out a few of JADE's #characteroftheday dice!
If you found Dave in his JADE shirt then we gave you a die! We had a few winners, check our twitter feed for details!
For those following us on Twitter they will know that everyday we roll our 3rd, 3.5, and Pathfinder Character dice to create the character of the day. Since so many people have been asking where to get the limited edition dice from Chessex, that we decided to make our own! The full set will be available at the end of September 2015, but at FanExpo we handed a few Jumbo Versions of the Race die to anyone who could find us!
And for those that could not be there, here is a sneak peak of a Jumbo Race Die (26mm).
We are all very excited to get these dice to you as soon as they are at their highest quality! So stay tuned!
We all had a great time at Fan Expo scoring some sweet statutes, comics books, rulebooks and miniatures: a great year!over all!
This week I am off on a vacation to beautiful British Columbia, but of course the games will keep getting played, so keep checking in for some interesting articles and fun miniatures!
