What Makes You a "Hardcore Gamer"

After returning from a business trip to Turkey, Elijah and I began talking about the various games, both tabletop and video that we had been checking out recently. After a while this got us commenting on to how expensive either hobby can be with minis and board games being notoriously pricey, and AAA video game titles quickly reaching the same price bracket. The main theme of our converstaion was the idea being that to be a "Hardcore Gamer" meant that you probably had to spend a decent amount of money to keep up with your hobby regardless of what it was.

After a bit of back and forth on that, the question ultimately came up: What actually makes some one a "Hardcore Gamer".

We began by considering what it meant to be Hardcore throughout our lives and came up with the following ideas. In the 90's being a Hardcore gamer meant that you were likely a PC gamer. PC games were aimed at adults, where Nintendo, Sega and the like were advertised toward kids. On the table side, being a serious Magic the Gathering player was about as Hardcore as you could get. In the 00's this idea changed, with the release of the PS2 (the most prolific console in history) to be Hardcore in the Video gaming world meant that you had a Play Station: otherwise you were missing out on hundreds of titles. For tabletop games with the release D&D 3, those who played Dungeons and Dragons in the back of game shops always seemed the most "hardcore" to me back when I was playing Magic and Warhammer 40k at my local store.

All of these groups have something in common though. They all had experience with various other titles from both the video and/or tabletop gaming world, and had extensive knowledge of what they were playing and where it game from.

However in today's modern era of gaming Elijah and I began to question if the title "Hardcore gamer"  actually means anything any more.

Let's take the example of some one who plays mobile games. This person is usually refereed to as a "Casual Gamer" but if they are putting 20-40 hours a week into phone games (such as Pokemon Go and the like) then that's pretty damn hard core in my opinion. On the tabletop side, players of games like Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, and the like are seen as "Casual Gamers". But I have a buddy who can destroy me at Settlers of Catan every time we play, because that is the only game he plays. And despite the over 200 titles that I have played and owned over the years, when it comes to Settlers he is way more Hardcore then I could ever dream to be.
So if the definition of Casual Gamer is fairly arbitrary, then what makes some one a Hardcore Gamer?

Elijah and I after some debate figured it comes down to this:

Do you feel like a Hardcore Gamer? Do you feel connected to the game and game culture that you are playing?

If yes to any of these questions, then congratulations you can consider yourselves among the ranks of Hardcore Gamers!

Despite the arguments online over what is casual and what is not, it doesn't really matter. It all comes down to how you want to define yourself. And If you think you are a Hardcore Gamer, then who the hell am I to tell you otherwise!?

So go out and enjoy your games! Whether you consider yourself casual or hardcore, games were only ever for fun anyways.


Written by: Andrew Gregory

4 Magic D&D Items from James Perrett

Every good D&D game needs at least a few magical items. They don't have to be as powerful as the One Ring, or as useless as an Orb of Opinion, but a well balanced Magic Item is the perfect reward for your players after completing a quest or any difficult challenge.

After seeing the art of James Perrett, we were inspired to create these four magical items that you can use in your game. James' art is colourful and fun and he is an endless source of character sketches and magic items that are little outside of the norm, and are perfect to give to any party member.

1. A Burning Branch

Item Description by: Mike Pace

A well known secret of the druid's, that let's you carry fire with you wherever you go. A Burning Branch creates fire at will with a whisper of the words "Burn Baby, Burn."

Watch for your beard and eyebrows as the fire can be unpredictable. While saying the activation words,  roll 1d6, on a 1 a large ball of fire explodes from the Charred end. Treat this a Fireball cast from a 3rd level caster.

2. Perie Bread

Item Description by: Casey Blight

Created by a particularly desperate Mercenary and his Wizard travelling companion, The Perie Bread works as both a small shield and a light snack.

While the bread works as a standard small shield, it also allows the bearer to consume the bread which will regenerate after a short rest. The bread itself does not contain and magical properties and only serves to fill the user's belly. 

If the shield is eaten three times before a short rest, the shield is "consumed" entirely, and will vanish before the user's eyes.

3. The Staff of Sea Creatures

Item Description by: Joe Thorne

Usually found washed up on remote beaches near rumoured mermaid settlements, the Staff of Sea Creatures is capable a summoning and controlling sea creatures.

A caster is able to summon and direct up to X sea creatures (X being Caster Level) for 2d6 minutes. A DC check of 10 plus the number of creatures being summoned is required to activate the staff. If the check passes, the creatures are under the caster's control. If the check fails, the sea creatures arrive, but are hostile towards the caster.

4. The Glass Shield

Item Description by: Andrew Gregory

Believed to have been specifically created to battle Gorgons, the Glass Shield offers no physical protection aside from it's enchanted reflective surface.

Any creature that catches its reflection in the shield must pass a DC 15 check or become mesmerized by the shield, and unable to move or act. Each round those mesmerized must attempt to pass this save or remain mesmerized so long as the shield is in front of them. Attacking a mesmerized creature will break the enchantment.

Unfortunately being made of glass, anything that successfully strikes the shield will cause it to shatter.

If you like James Perrett's art you can see more of it on his Instagram page @jaaamesperrett or if you would like to own some of his prints for yourself you can buy a copy on his Etsy Store. 

Thanks James! We had so much fun making these magic items and looking through the dozen of drawings you have created, and I am sure that we will be making more! It was a great way to start off our D&D game with everyone picking an item then figuring out what they it would do in game. More Magic Items to come, and be sure to check out more of James' awesome fantasy art.


Written by: Andrew Gregory

Images by: James Perrett

Dealing With Caster Starting Spells in D&D

I have been DMing for around 15 years and have hosted and played just about every class across every edition of Dungeons and Dragons, so it is pretty common for player's and fellow DM's alike to ask me for help with rule clarifications and other tips. One of the most common questions I get asked is "How do you select starting spells for casters?" 

This is a bit of weird one to me as in D&D 5e this has been made really easy to follow. Each casting class will tell you spells known versus spells you can cast per day, and will usually give you a number of spells that you know as a level 1 character. Players get to pick their starting spells, meaning that it is ultimately up to the DM to curate what spells are available in game.

In older editions, this isn't so clear cut. While D&D 3/Pathfinder is similar to D&D5e in that you are told the number of starting spells you can choose, in 1st and 2nd ed AD&D this isn't as apparent. This is because the information is not given under the class itself, but is rather a direct function of the character's Intelligence stat. 

Rather then giving simple "plusses to your roll" stats in AD&D have unique attributes associated with them (such as open stuck doors for strength, or loyalty adjustments for charisma, etc.) one of the attributes of Intelligence is the oddly named "Chance to Know Spell". This is a percentage, and when setting up a Caster (or learning a new spell you have found) you must roll with a d100. So Casters in AD&D go down the level 1 spell list making a roll for each spell as to whether or not they know it. Of course the DM can set limits on these spells, but in the end how smart your caster is determines what starting spells they known.

Which system is better? Neither, both? To me there is no real difference. Casters always have limits on how many spells they can cast per day, and these haven't really changed that much from edition to edition, so how you select these starting spells doesn't really matter. In the end your caster will still be limited at the lower levels. So whether you want to use a method from other earlier or newer editions, it doesn't matter, so long as you have a method.

But this begs the question: What spells should you choose?

As I discussed a couple weeks back in Building a Balanced D&D Party, Casters are Specialists, and their spells and abilities are designed to the help the party out of those sticky situations. So when picking starting spells keep these three Guidelines in mind

1. Charming NPC's is useful, so any spells that let you make an NPC friendly, or afraid, etc, etc, will be asset to the party. Whether it is distracting guards, getting better deals in shops, all of that stuff will come in handy.

2. Casters can also overcome physical challenges. Spells like Spider Climb, Feather Fall and the like will help the party survive the physical obstacles that aren't monsters in the game. And so take some spells to make these challenges a little easier a little bit less deadly.

3. Finally spells can also do damage, and as a caster this is really the only way you can fight back. Take one damage dealing spell, preferably with some range. Don't focus too heavily on damage, one or two damage spells per spell level is fine, as you only really need one source of damage.

Of course this all depends on the campaign you are playing. So before choosing your spells give it some thought. Being a magic-user is honestly a lot of work and study for the player. You should know your spells like the back of your hand and exactly when to use them, and even have some predictive skills as to what may come up over the course of the game day so you know what spells to prepare each morning.

What caster spells do you normally take? And do you put limits on what spells your players can choose? Let us know!

Written by: Andrew Gregory

10mm Chaos Warmaster General Found!

After a bit of searching Mike finally the General for his Warmaster Chaos army, but more then that he also found a Chaos Sorcerer! So while last time we were looking at pointing out the Chaos army and we reached a total of 1055pts, which is respectable total. However, with the Sorcerer added to this force and being valued at 90pts. Which brings our total to 1145pts for the entire Chaos Army, and finally with some leadership we have a legal force!

With these two pieces found and added to the army I am ready to begin designing my proxy Dwarven force. I think I am going to go Dwarves over Orcs for this force. They just seem a little bit more interesting! But mroe on that to come soon!


Written by: Andrew Gregory

Battle Report: Dark Angels vs. Craftworld Eldar vs. Death Guard

For a couple weeks my friend Ivan and I have been planning on getting together to try out the Relictor army that he recently picked up. I used to play Warhammer 40k with Ivan every other week back in high school, but the last game we had together was the summer after our first year in university... Almost 11 Years ago. I was excited, and when I heard that Ivan has invited Wesley (who's Eldar army fought in our last battle) I knew this was going to be an amazing blast from the past!

With the possibility of a fourth player joining us (who did not), we left the specifics of the game to the last minute. Everyone would build their armies the day of the battle, and we would decide exactly what we were going to do then.

Ivan had snagged a ton of Codices recently, and brought them over for me to use/hold onto in JADE's dedicated gaming space. He brought with him a Thousand Sons Codex, a Dark Angels Codex, a Drukhari Codex, and an additional Craftworld Codex... The only thing he forgot was the Space Marine Codex that he needed to run his Relictors! Not to be deterred, he grabbed the Dark Angels Codex and ran them his army as a Dark Angels force instead. We were ready to go!

The Forces

For this match, as usual I played my Death Guard, Wesley Took control of his Eldar and Ivan the Dark Angels. Since I am currently using my third 2' x 4' table as a temporary computer desk, we only had a 4' x 4' area. This wasn't really enough space for 3 armies to work with... But we had to make do. So we decided on a smaller battle using very limited forces that could fit in the area and set about designing our forces.

This was both Ivan and Wesley's first game of 8th Edition so while we made our armies I took some time to go over the many many rule changes and how the story had advanced. The last edition these guys played in was 4th ed so we had a lot of game concepts that were introduced, and of course lore to catch up on.

Like in our last game, to keep things simple, we chose an open play scenario and ignored the power level rules in favor of the more balanced points system.

The Armies: Dark Angles vs. Eldar vs. Death Guard

Points: 750

Edition: 8th Edition

It took some time for everyone to go through their lists and codices but finally we got the forces assembled. And were ready to play.

Dark Angels Force

UNITS	POINTS
HQ
Space Marine Librarian (88) -Force Staff (8) -Bolt Pistol (0)	96
TROOPS
Space Marine Scouts (11pts/model) - 5 Models -Camo Cloaks (5x3) -Sniper Rifles (5x4)	90
Space Marines (13pts/model) - 5 Models -Boltguns (5x0)	65
ELITES
Dreadnought (70) -Close combat Arm (40) -Hurricane Bolter (14)	124
FAST ATTACK
Scout Bikes (23pts/model) - 3 Models -Grenade Launchers (2x11)	91
HEAVY SUPPORT
Devastators (13pts/model) - 5 Models -Missile Launcher (4x25)	165
TRANSPORTS
Razorback (70) -Twin Linked Laser Cannon (50)	120
Total:	751

Ivan's force was heavy on range with snipers, missile launchers and lascannons. He trenched these forces around the ruins providing optimal cover and shooting vantages. His vanguard was comprised of a Dreadnought and the Scout Bikes that he hoped to tangle his opponent's ranged units with.

Eldar Force

UNITS	POINTS
HQ
Farseer (100) -Shuriken Pistol (0) -Witchblade (0)	100
Warlock Conclave (30pts/model) - 4 Models -2 Additional Warlocks (30pts/model) -Shuriken Pistol (4x0) -Witchblade (4x0)	120
TROOPS
Rangers (12pts/model) - 9 Models -4 Addtional Rangers (12pts/model) -Shuriken PIstol (9x0) -Ranger Long Rifle (9x0)	108
HEAVY SUPPORT
Wraithlord (103) -Shuriken Catapult (2x0) -Wraith Bone FIst (2x0) -Bright Lances (2x20)	143
Dark Reapers (5pts/model) - 10 Models -5 Additonal models (10pts/model) -Aeldari Missile Launcher (25) -Reaper Launcher (9x22)	273
Total:	744

Wesley's plan for this game was to focus on and learn just how good his Dark Reaper units are. He took Guide, Protection and other unit buffs on his Farseer and warlocks to help his Eldar with a predominantly ranged strategy get those shots off and take the hits.

Death Guard Force

UNITS	POINTS
HQ
Malignant Plaguecaster (110) -Corrupted Staff (0) -Bolt Pistol (0) -Blight Grenades (0) -Krak Grenades (0)	110
TROOPS
Plague Marines (19pts/model) – 10 Models -5 Additional Plague Marines (19pts/model) -Plasma Pistol (7) -Power Fist (12) -Plague Knife (9x0) -Boltgun (7x0) -Blight Grenades (10x0) -Krak Grenades (10x0) -Plasma Gun (13) -Plague Belcher (10) -Icon of Despair (10)	242
ELITES
Hellbrute (72) -Hellbrute Fist (40) -Twin Lascannon (50)	162
Possessed (110) – 7 Models -2 Additional Possessed (22pts/model) -Horrifying Mutations (0)	154
TRANSPORTS
-Dedicated Rhino (70) -Havoc Launcher (11) -Combi-Bolter (2)	83
Total:	751

I had planned to let Ivan and Wesley's force duke it out using their ranged weapons. My Shorter ranged force wouldn't pose a threat until at least turn two, and I was certainly able to take a pounding while I advanced if it came to it. Once I was in range I would leap on my weakened opponents, overpowering them with my superior close combat skills.

The Battlefield

We built the battlefield together to ensure as balanced a field as possible. We had such a small area that any tip of the balance in terrain would mean the difference between victory or defeat. So Ivan made sure that each area was roughly the same size and meticulously measured out the starting positions. We would each control a sliver of the map around one of the three large ruined buildings.

Scenario: Annihilation

Since this was Ivan and Wesley's first time playing 8th again we played a simple Annihilation match. I wanted them to focus on rules and figuring out how their army works ion the edition without needing to worry about capturing objectives. This was just to get a sample of what the game was like now, and I assured them that we would soon move on to grander ideas.

I won the initial are selection and unit setup and took last placement. I selected the area in the right hand corner (as seen above), Wesley selected the area to the left and Ivan took the central position on the far side of the table. 

It was time to fight.

Eldar Turn 1

Wesley had hidden most of his army behind the large ruin that dominated his deployment zone. His Dark Reapers however he placed on top of that ruin: giving them cover and a commanding view of the table.

Ivan had infiltrated a group of Scout Bikes in front of the ruin, hoping to catch the Dark Reapers in a charge, but it was to no avail. After using some psychic powers to buff his rangers and Reapers Wesley open fire at Ivan's force. The Scout bikes were taken out in a single blast of missile fire, but the Devastators remained unscathed.

Dark Angels Turn 1

Ivan had also placed his "missile squad" on top of his ruin, and began barraging Wesley's Dark Reapers with his Devastators. But their armour save was simply too high, and they shrugged off the hail of missiles. 

Ivan then turned to his razorback which was squarely pointed at my corner. He targeted my Rhino, and both shots from the Twin-Linked Lascannon hit dealing a whopping 10 damage! The rhino was destroyed, but thankfully for me did not blow up in my face.

Death Guard Turn 1

With my Rhino destroyed my plan to charge Wesley's Dark Reapers with my Possessed Marines was going to be impossible since the Dark Reapers would cut them down before they arrived. So I had to change my strategy and hope that Ivan's army would be distracted by the Eldar while I slowly moved towards his position.

I figured that my Dreadnought would be able to take out his Razorback the same way he took out my Rhino... But both of my shots missed and my heart sank. I could already tell this was not going to be my game.

Eldar Turn 2

Without a direct threat at his doorstep, Wesley was able to direct the fire of his Dark Reapers at Ivan's Dreadnought, severally damaging it with a series of successful hits.

His Rangers which had infiltrated the field, began opening fire against the devastator, hoping to stay the fury of missiles aimed at his reapers. Wesley chose not to attack me this round. Realising that the Death Guard would not be a threat until next turn, so he really didn't see the point.

Dark Angels Turn 2

Again Ivan fired his Devastator's frag missiles against the Dark Reapers again, but they were simply too well entrenched and he only managed to kill a single model. Shaking his head Ivan cursed the Dark Reapers and turned his attention again towards my force.

Ivan's Razorback stole the turn and crippled me in another amazing blast. Aiming it's Lascannons at my Dreadnought, he destroyed it with another two successful blasts. Any threat I could bring against him had been vaporized.

Death Guard Turn 2

I had no Rhino to transport my troops, and now with my Dreadnought down, I had no heavy weapons. I was not going to win this game. My rolls and luck had simply been too bad and my army was nerfed each turn before I could use it. Slowly, but not daring to charge fully into the open, I started to position my force. Without a Rhino I was not going to be able to charge Wesley's corner so my only recourse was to aim my force at Ivan and hope I could get my possessed there to do some damage in time. 

Eldar Turn 3

Wesley's entrenched position was severing him well, and he was not ready to leave the safety of the ruins just yet. However he was concerned that his luck against the Devastators would not hold out, and again he turned the Dark Reapers against them.

I imagine this as a hail of missile fire flying over top of the battlefield as the Dark Reapers and Devastators bombard each other's positions, as the other forces battle below. A very cool image and a successful attack that finally started to whittle the Devastators down.

Wesley's Rangers then started firing at Ivan's Scouts, but using his own camo and cover he was able to brush their attacks off. He had considered it, but not willing to bring his Wraithlord into the fight just yet Wesley called it a turn.

Dark Angels Turn 3

Again Ivan began by firing missiles at the Dark Reapers, but with fewer and fewer Devastators each round the attacks were becoming increasingly ineffective. Feeling that I simply wasn't a threat Ivan also turned his Razorback against the Dark Reapers, finally managing to score a few some wounds with the Lascannon.

During his charge phase, and feeling that his badly damaged Dreadnought would be good for little else, he charged it at Wesley's Rangers, thinking he could wipe them out if he got a good charge. It was unlikely that it would be effected by overwatch so he felt it was a good gamble. Boy was he wrong. Wesley rolled two 6's to hit, and then two 6's to wound for his overwatch... Just enough damage to destroy the incoming Dreadnought.

With jaws drops and between fits of laughter we imagined a terrified squad of Eldar Rangers breathing an ecstatic sigh of relief after an impossibly lucky shot.

Death Guard Turn 3

So after being set back by basically two turns I was finally in range to start doing some damage. So using my Malignant Plague Caster I started to a smite Ivan's Librarian dealing my first bit of damage all game. I also got my Plague Marines into range and got off a few shots at Ivan's Space Marines. It wasn't much, but frankly it was better than I had been doing for the past two turns.

Eldar Turn 4

After doing some damage to Ivan, Wesley decided that my army was actually a threat, and turned those dreaded Dark Reapers against my Plague Marines. He wiped five models out and I lost a further two during the morale phase. This really wasn't my game.

After their daring defeat of the Dreadnought, Wesley pulled his Rangers into cover and hunkered down. It was time to bring the Wraithlord out and deal with the Razorback which Wesley saw as the biggest threat on the board (and he was right) However his luck did not hold and both shots missed.

Dark Angels Turn 4

With only a few remaining the Devastators continued their onslaught against the Dark Reapers but every time Ivan fired he had fewer and fewer Marines, making each shot less effective then the last. 

With the remains of my army closing in, Ivan's librarian killed my Plaguecaster with a very lucky smite roll. However, Ivan's ability to dole out damage had been slowly eroded over the course of the game. Realising he couldn't win he started firing at my units just to do as much damage as possible.

Death Guard Turn 4

My remaining Plague Marines managed to take out the Librarian, but that was about it. I had lost this game on turn two and there really wasn't a lot I could do to change that. My Possessed would be in range to charge next turn, so at least maybe I could do some damage.

However, being honest with myself: I was basically tabled at this point.

Eldar Turn 5

The Dark Reapers finally managed to get rid of the Devastators and the deafening storm of missiles above ceased. Now all that was left was the ground fight. The Wraithlord for the second time in a row missed both of its shots leaving Ivan the chance to respond with his Razorback. The Rangers then cleared up most of the remaining Plague Marines, reducing them to only a Plague Champion.

Wesley had won this game. No doubt about it.

Dark Angels Turn 5

Ivan's Razorback really proved itself this game and in a last act, in the final turn it managed to destroy Wesley's Wraithlord with two successful hits. Meaning that it had taken out every walker and vehicle deployed by the enemy this game.

Knowing he couldn't take out the Dark Reapers, he turned his snipers against my soon to be charging Possessed dropping them to a Squad of three.

Ivan couldn't win, but he had destroyed as much as he could.

Death Guard Turn 5

As a joke, I took my last Plague Marine, super charged his Plasma Pistol and fired at the Eldar Rangers. Adding insult to injury and to prove just how bad my luck was that game I rolled 1, missing and taking a mortal wound in the process. We all had a great laugh about that. This really wasn't my game this time.

The Possessed after five turns finally got into range and charged the Razorback dealing a number of hits, but not enough to destroy the vehicle. And that was that. I had run out of units to command.

Conclusion

The Eldar won a clear victory having only lost a handful of models from their starting force. Wesley really figured out a good system for buffing his shooting and defense rolls that made the Dark reapers just a devastating unit this game. So well fought Wesley!

While talking after the game, Ivan commented on how he would like to try out a larger force, but was pleased with how is army functioned over all in 8th edition, thinking that the Dark Angels had some pretty interesting rules that he could work with. Wesley really likes how streamlined the new rules are, and how the buff system works in his army. He feels it just makes more sense from both a game and lore perspective and is looking forward to also fielding a larger force.

Despite that fact that I got whooped this game I had a good time! Honestly I picked the wrong starting area, and bad rolls and bad luck did not help that situation. While I am coming around to 8th Edition, my one remaining concern is that this is the third game in a row that we have been successfully able to call the winner by turn two. Perhaps it is simply the annihilation scenario we are playing, and we need to go on and explore the other scenarios in open and narrative play. But for now it remains a concern of mine.

Next game we are going to try out something new with a more objective based game. I really want to see how this changes the game and if it makes it a little more balanced.

Ivan and I also have plans for a large story based campaign that we hope to play through. We are still working out the details, but there will be many more colourful battle reports to come.


Written by: Andrew Gregory

All non-composite or photos images sourced: http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Warhammer_40k_Wiki

5 Ways to Handle Conflicting Alignments in a D&D Party

Before I begin, I just want to say that in the end it doesn't really matter what alignment you chose to make your character. As we looked at two weeks ago there are no longer any alignment restrictions in D&D 5 and that means you can pretty well create whatever character you want featuring whatever personality archetype you see fit. 

Where alignment does become a useful tool is figuring out how this character would react to certain circumstances. Will they help the stranded merchants on the road, ask for a reward in return for their aid, or rob them? Your alignment can help you sort out these questions and a create a character with a personality different from your own. Which is what role playing is all about!

But what do you do when your player party is comprised of many differing and often conflicting alignments? How do you stop what seems like the inevitable infighting that happens between lawful Good and Chaotic Evil Characters? How do you keep them on track and not squabbling with each other over difference of "what their character would do."

1. Make sure there's a spread of alignments in the party.

One of the easiest ways to handle this sort of conflict is to make sure that you have a good spread of alignments present in the party. In the example above using our RPG Character Dice there are too many good/lawful characters. This means the Neutral Evil character will have a hard time "being evil" as the other other characters may feel morally obliged to stop them, making it a difficult Alignment to play in this case.

If facing this circumstance, as a player consider perhaps using a different character or alignment that suits the party. Or even better, make your evil alignment something you are trying to earn redemption from so that you mostly try to be good, but have the occasional lapse as your alignment slowly shifts.

As a dungeon master introduce some NPCs into the party to balance the alignments. Doing this will allow evil aligned characters toplot and scheme among themselves, while the good characters try to keep an eye on them. It makes for a lot of fun and for some good healthy party dynamics as long as everyone isn't trying to hurt one another.

2. Keep them focused on the campaign.

In my Arachnophobia Campaign hordes of giant spiders are flooding into the world from the North. Villages, castles and cities alike are slowly crumbling before the onslaught. Civilization is doomed. Because of this survival situation, the players rarely find they have the time for much squabbling and disagreements over the morality of their actions.

Purely a DM tip, but if you keep the party focused on their own survival and the campaign story, then they simply will not have the time to bicker over conflicting alignments. They will have to focus on the survival of the party, and so what is good and what is evil falls more into a shade of grey rather than the usual black and white of dungeons and dragons. This makes it easier for conflicting alignments to work together: because they must in order to survive.

3. Restrict the available player alignments.

If having characters of varying alignments doesn't work with the nature of the campaign, then as a Dungeon Master I recommended setting some alignment restrictions before you have your players make their characters. So if you intend for everyone to play as part of an order of knights that upholds the laws of the land you might ask everyone to choose a good or lawful alignment.

Personally I like to avoid this as much as possible, but sometimes it is necessary to fit the tone of your campaign. So if you must, let the players know while they are building their characters that this game has alignment restrictions.

4. Remind everyone that it is just a game.

Some people can take the role play a little too far, making it not fun for other players. Constantly messing with other party members, killing NPCs when other's wish to speak with them, etc, etc. This sort of player is usually playing to their alignment, however for some people it is a little much, and it can throw off the flow of the game.

If this is a problem at your table then be sure to remind everyone that this is just a game. Everyone is here to have fun and if someone's character is making it not fun for anyone then that person needs to tone it down. If they don't think the character will work like that, then let them bring in a new character that will.

5. Just let it happen.

My final piece of advice is what I currently do in game: I just let it happen. If a player's character does not work with the party this will quickly become apparent to everyone. I simply ask that all parties involved resolve this sort of issue in game. Tension among the player party can make for some amazing story telling, and usually once you give them the control players will police themselves to make sure the party survives.

These sort of events can make for some hilarious memories around the tabletop. Just make sure everyone is on the same page, and having a good time. Alignment conflicts may come up, but treat them as role play events for the players and story events for the campaign if they become important enough.

Given enough time, most alignment conflicts will eventually resolve themselves. Try not to look at them as dampening the campaign's mood, but rather as role play challenges for you and your party to over come in game. Do this, and your game will run smoothly.

What do you do when your player party breaks down into bickering due to alignment conflicts?

Written by: Andrew Gregory

Image Sources

Chivalric Code - https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/62487513553992292/

It's Just a Game - http://www.o-posts.com/poems/game-dear/

Anarchy - http://pokemonmysteryuniverse.wikia.com/wiki/Anarchy

Ork Killa-Kegs

For Casey's pirate themed Ork army he wanted to do things a little differently. He loved the look and the idea of Killa-Kans but simply didn't feel they were "Piratey" enough. So one night while we were having a few beers we started tossing around the idea of how exactly we would "pirate-ify" them and the idea of creating "Kill-Kegs" came up. The can like body would be replaced with an empty wooded beer barrel with all the regular bits attached. Giving it a more pirate like appearance.

To create them we turned to my buddy Coy who has a 3d printer. And searching through Yeggi found a number of Killa-Kan proxy models and 3d wooden barrels. The original idea was to print off the different pieces and then assemble them with the barrel in place of the can, but coy was able to do us one further and print the entire thing as one unit.

So Coy was able to create us two different versions. They are not quite as bulky as the modern plastic Killa-Kans, having a much narrower stance at the base. This makes them closer in size to their older pewter counter parts but they work just as well.

In total we had 6 Killa-Kans made, which also helps bring Casey's start Ork army up to a reasonable points level. While the starting kits may be balanced using Games Workshops' Power Level system.... That system is nonsense and points wise it is about half the size of the starting Necron army that Connor bought.

Before painting these guys up Casey is going to start working on his Ork Boyz. Which I think is a good place to start for his first army.

Can't wait to get these and the pirate themed Orks out on the table!

Written by: Andrew Gregory

JADE's 7 Tabletop Gaming House Rules

Over the almost 6 years that JADE has been around we have a established a number of household rules that help our table run smoothly. These rules don't always last, and are subject to review and change,but here are a few of them that have stuck around over the years.

1. Off the table is a re-roll.

We started this rule ages ago so that people wouldn't go chasing after dice that fell of the table in the cramped office of my old apartment. So we agreed that if you roll a die and it falls off the table you make the roll again. We found it kept the game flowing, and you can always look for that die later. Ultimately If it's not on the table its not in the game.

2. Anyone can ask to review anyone's rules.

Mistakes happen. We all make them and sometimes we make them when interpreting game rules. This rule follows the simple philosophy that if something seems too good to be true then it usually is. A fresh pair of eyes can often clarify a rule, and when everyone understands how it works the game flows better. 

On a side note, I have also found that when someone won't allow you to look up rules for their army/character they are intentionally cheating. Rules should be free and readily available to anyone who wants to seem them.

3. Everyone needs to agree on the game being played.

For JADE this is more in a general sense then a specific case by case way of handling things. If we are going to get into a game as a group, then before hand we need to make sure that it is something everyone is interested in playing. We learned this the hard way, where a number of the initial tabletop miniatures games JADE tried to play ended with a whimper as several players really had no interest in playing.

So whether it is board games, D&D, or any tabletop game, just make sure everyone is on the same page and wants to be playing what you are playing.

4. New characters are introduced to the D&D party at the lowest current level in the party.

Since we normally play AD&D these days and when you reach 0HP in AD&D you are dead no ifs, ands or buts we agreed to the above rule. When your character dies you do not have to start a level 1 character but may choose to introduce your new character starting at the lowest current level in the party. So if you have a party of four, where two are level 3's and two are level 2's and one of those characters dies then the player may bring in a new character at level 2 becasue that is the lowest level in the aprty.

We found this allowed us to maintain the difficulty level of the adventure, and didn't totally nerf players as they navigate through the adventure. It still sucks to lose a character as all that sweet equipment they've acquired normally gets divided among the surviving players, but it makes it a lot less of a set back for the game as a whole.

5. We are here to play.

Around the JADE table we help one another with strategy, we discuss the events and impact on the game as a whole from the previous turn, we help referee the rules for everyone, etc. etc. In short we are supportive players. Of course we are all playing to win, but none of us would dream of cheating or intentionally taking advantage of some one's lack of understanding of the game.

Cheesing rules, and bullying are not welcome at the JADE table. You come to play, you play best, and help everyone at the table achieve the same level of excellence.

6. Rules are corrected next game.

If you have been playing a game with a misinterpreted rule and someone discovers that's the case during game, then finish the game as you have been playing. Games can evolve and strategies may have been planned based on the misinterpretation, and there is no point in disrupting the flow of the game now.

Next game implement the discovered rule so that you are always working towards playing the game "right".

7. We keep track of wins.

Starting back in 2014 we began a huge list of every game that JADE has palyed and who won it. Who else played is not recorded, who lost is not recorded: just a game title and the number of times you have won that game.

Some people we played with have asked not to be included, and of course those people uncomfortable with the idea do not need to be recorded on the list in order to play with us. For these people they see it as a bad thing: something that bruises their ego I guess. However for us this is a list of elation. A list of victory!

So these few rules keep things going smoothly and have let us play over 500 games (not including RPG's) over the passed 5 and a half years..

What house rules do you guys have around your table?

Written by: Andrew Gregory