Klaus the Elven Thief in 15mm

In Game 24 of JADE's 2nd ed AD&D campaign: Arachnophobia Jeff finally joined as an Elven thief. The original plan was for him to be a spy working for the cruel Count Oppelthor - the games villain for the past 16 games.

However Jeff decided that Count Oppelthor sounded like too much of wiener and didn't want to work for him, so instead, Klaus became a Nikovarian Spy on a missions to gather any and all info that could save his homeland of Nikovaria from the Spiders.

So posing as a disgraced thief from the Darfield Thief's Guild that needed to get out of town, Klaus joined the party to get closer to Toby Ryder (the potential saviour of humanity) and Thomas the Chronomancer.

His character is so deep cover, that his directives and mission are effectively his own. He will need to figure out what his next steps are and find a way to communicate with Nikovaria.

Since we like to play things a little more open handed in Arachnophobia, the players know Klaus' back story, however all their character's know is that he definitely doesn't work for Count Oppelthor, he is Nikovarian, and he likely has a military background.

So far he helped them escape Darfield after being declared criminals for "kidnapping" Toby, and has gotten thrown back in time a month with the rest of the party. So how exactly he will go about his mission we will have to see, but I am sure it will be slow and methodical.

Written by: Andrew Gregory

The Most Useful Gaming Item I Have Ever Bought

A few years back I purchased this tube of 200 5mm Assorted Colour Koplow D6's to deal with the growing number of dice I was needing for my Warhammer 40k games, little did I know they would become the most useful gaming item I had ever purchased.

I use them in 90% of the games that I play these days and they have some significant advantages over larger d6's.

1) They Roll Well

They are small and bounce around a bit giving a great random roll despite being very wonky. I have both rolled boxcars and snake eyes within a few rolls in the same game making for a wild and exciting match each time.

2) They are Great Game Markers

The varying colours and small size means that they are also useful to distinguish varying game effects. We use them to reflect initiative in 1st ed and 3rd D&D (that use d6 for initiative) by placing them behind the mini or on their base. We use them to mark different flight elements in Check Your 6! by placing them on the stands, we use them to determine setup borders, unit health, etc. etc.

3) They Don't Move Around

Despite their small size, bumping the table doesn't really effect them. They are small enough that you usually have to intentionally move them, meaning that you won't lose them easily and as markers you won't lose their place.

Dave put this little die on top of my monitor about two years ago and despite rocking my desk many times it has never fallen off

So whether you are using them as actual dice or just game markers, get your self a set of 5mm D6's. It has helped organize our table, and made that game life much easier.

Written by: Andrew Gregory

A Gnome/Halfling Druid

While it could be used as either a Halfling or a Gnome, I decided to use this character as a Halfling. In JADE's Arachnophobia Campaign, Mable Lemonpuf is one of the few survivors of the Dale lead here by the Priest Sarah Harper.

Mable is an Apothecary, and the most likely of the group to accompany the party. She was growing board in the Dale and has found the trip incredibly exciting. I imagine she will leap at the opportunity to see the rest of the world with the rest of the party.

Written by: Andrew Gregory

Hirelings in 15mm

In Arachnophobia game 23, the party encountered the survivors of Barelydale: the town they had set out from way back in game 2. They were comprised of  the town priest named Sarah Harper, A halfling apothecary, and these two farm hands.

Sally Hampton, is a human from the Dale. Unfortunately in Game 23, she was killed by a Mimic in the Wizard of Darfield's Tower. So we never learned much about her.

Leos Kenshaw is a Half-Elf from Dale, who so far has kept to himself. The horrors of the trip here will not be easily forgotten, but he is willing to help Sarah Harper where ever she goes.

At the moment these characters are acting as hirelings, carrying objects for the players etc. But whether or not they will stay with the party is up in the air, as Sarah Harper might seek refuge with the Wizard of Darfield.

Written by: Andrew Gregory