Obsidian Portal

Recently I was reading Gnome Stew and came across an article about a gaming website called Obsidian Portal. For those who have never visited I sincerely suggest that you do. Obsidian Portal allows people to create a wiki for their campaigns, making information more easily available than ever. I was unsure of how useful a wiki for my D&D campaign would be until I made one.

I am a believer.

Not only is this site great for creating a wiki to archive campaign information, but it is a great tool to use to design campaigns. I started designing one using Obsidian Portal and have found it a great way to build an interesting setting from the ground up, keeping everything perfectly organized.

I am not great with HTML but you really don't have to know any to use the site effectively. On top of offering an amazing service Obsidian Portal is free, at least to a certain extent. Any user can create two campaign wiki's for free. They also have a premium service called Ascendant Membership. Those members enjoy some cool benefits the biggest being an unlimited number of wiki campaigns. You can also upload more maps, attain a higher zoom level on those maps, and you can say goodbye to all those pesky advertisement banners.

In addition to being a great campaign tool players can also use Obsidian Portal to find a group. The tool uses a map of the United States and players can see what groups are in their area. Recently Obsidian Portal has teamed up with Pen & Paper Games to enhance their search feature.

Go on over to Obsidian Portal and I think you will like what you find.

World Building with Obsidian Portal from Michael Harrison on Vimeo.

The Bard's Songs

Fantasy games, especially D&D, have inspired many songs over the years.

Here are some of my favorites in no particular order...

1. Always the First to Die - A song about a player who gets stuck playing the mage and is always the first to die. The song references Keep on the Borderlands and is generally hilarious and awesome!
2. Raistlin and the Rose - A song about Raistlin Majere, probably Dragonlance's most popular character (certainly my favorite).
3. The D&D Song - A song by Stephen Lynch that pokes fun of many gamers stereotypes.
4. The Bard's Song - Not a D&D song per say being more inspired by Tolkien, but one that fits so well I put it on the list anyway.
   
5. Wanderlust - A song by Nightwish inspired by the Dragonlance setting
   
6. The Song of Faerun - A song from the Pool of Radiance Game Soundtrack. I like the song better than the game.

There are a bunch of other songs that are about D&D or have references to the game.

• A Cloak of Elvenkind - A song by Marcy Playground rife with D&D references.
• "Weird Al" Yankovic's song "White & Nerdy"
• The Weezer song, In the Garage, starts with the lyrics, "I've got a Dungeon Master's Guide/I've got a twelve-sided die," both references to Dungeons & Dragons.
• Flashlight Brown's song "Ready to Roll.
• Nerdcore rapper MC Chris has a CD called Dungeon Master of Ceremonies, which contain numerous references to the game, including a sketch where a heckler threatens to make MC "12-sided die".
• Seminal stoner rock band Kyuss was formed in 1989 under the name "Sons of Kyuss", in reference to the deity Kyuss
• Deaf Pedestrians's song "Hail to the Geek".
• Owen Pallett's album, He Poos Clouds is roughly based around the concept of the eight schools of magic from Dungeons & Dragons.
• Mindflayer's identity and albums are based upon obscure Dungeons and Dragons references.
• The song "D and D" by 3OH!3 is about Dungeons and Dragons.

Diary of a Gamer 7/12/09

So for those of you new to the blog this is a weekly diary when I talk about what is going on in my gaming life.

Since none of the old posts transferred over let me recap what has been going on the last few weeks. I was previously running a 3.5 game called Legacy of New Lago. We finished the game a few weeks ago in fantastic fashion with a huge climactic battle. Now I am stepping out from behind the screen and going back to being a player for a while.

I am excited.

I love running games, but it gets taxing after a while. I've found that time as a player is both the perfect way to recharge the batteries and learn to be a better DM. So I'm sure all of my regulars are thinking that I'm going back to playing D&D.

Nope.

We are trying something new this week. Something that I have been drooling over since I heard it was in the works. Hackmaster Basic.

I know what some of you are saying, "Lab, you played Hackmaster 4th Edition and didn't seem very happy with the game." This is true, I wasn't very happy with the game especially toward the end, but that had little to do with the system and more to do with the way the game was run. I actually like the system in many ways and loved the character class I was playing (Cavalier).

I won't be playing a Cavalier this time around. I would if it were available (and I hope it is in the advanced rules!) but this is Hackmaster Basic. A barebones system to get everyone acclimated to the new way of playing before releasing the more complex and involved rules.

So what am I going to play? A fighter I hope, but maybe a thief depending on how my stats come out. The new edition of Hackmaster has you roll 3d6 for all stats straight down. You can move them around, but if you don't you get a huge building point bonus. You can use those to buy skills, talents, weapon proficiency, etc. That is done to encourage people to use the old school method of "playing em where they lie" which is cool. But it also gives an option for people to play the character they want by rearranging their stats, which I also think is cool. They also did away with racial restrictions on classes. Rather you must buy your class and the less common it is among that race the more it costs. For example if you are a Dwarf it only costs 20BP to purchase the fighter class, but it costs a whopping 75BP to purchase the Mage class! Since I am planning on playing a fighter I think I'll choose the Dwarf. That way I have more BP to spend on talents. I would also get a lot of cool combat related talents at half off because of being a Dwarf. I think I'm just about sold on my Dwarven Fighter, now all I have to do is come up big on my Strength Stat!

Tomorrow is character generation. The GM has wisely insisted that we all make characters together so he can answer any questions we might have while making characters. Speaking of the GM he has graciously offered to come on board as a staff writer for this blog. He will be giving you a GM perspective on the game even as I give you my players perspective in my weekly 'Diary of a Gamer' posts.

So be on the lookout for my initial reactions to the game, as well as his, in the coming week!

Gamer Movie Review: Demon Hunters 2: Dead Camper Lake

Film: Demon Hunters 2: Dead Camper Lake
Year: 2004
Production Company: Dead Gentlemen
Writer: Matt Vancil
Director: Don Early
Staring: Steve Wolbrecht, Nathan Rice, and Don Early





I eagerly awaited my signed copy of Demon Hunters 2 in the mail. It arrived on time and signed by one of the Dead Gentlemen as promised (Thanks Steve Wolbrecht!). After a few false starts (see previous review) I watched the first Demon Hunters film. I was not what you would call pleasantly surprised. Frankly I was actually disappointed. I wasn't expecting much from the first film, but I was expecting more than I got. Suddenly my desire to see Demon Hunters 2 had vanished. I decided to wait and forgot all about the DVD for about a week. But I was reorganizing (cleaning my god awful mess) when I came across the DVD. I decided to put it in while I was cleaning in an attempt to distract me from my work.

It worked a little too well.

Before I knew it I was doing much more movie watching than cleaning. I was pleasantly surprised, though my girlfriend was not when she saw the place was still a disaster.

This film is much improved over its predecessor on nearly all fronts. Let me give you an idea of the plot.

Gabriel and Chris escape what is left of Pacific Northwest University and head for Dead Camper Lake. A "Border Town" as Gabriel calls it, Dead Camper Lake lies on the border between Earth and Hell. Though they go there seeking refuge they get caught up in an adventure where the fate of the very world is at stake. Purple Ninjas, Christmas Trees, and Miracle Whip Mayonnaise all put in an appearance. The result being that general hilarity ensues.

The sets for the film aren't all that much better than the first Demon Hunters film. That is to say, once again the Dead Gentlemen had to take what they could get and use what was available. In the first film that meant Pacific Northwest University and in this film it meant a campground. Being that this movie, like its predecessor, was made on little to no budget the sets pretty much fit in with the feel of the rest of the film.

The acting is improved somewhat over the first film. Nathan Rice, who plays Gabriel, really carries this film. He has talent, that is obvious from the moment he appears on screen. Steve Wolbrecht does well in his role as the somewhat pathetic everyman character, Chris. Wolbrecht even has an unexpected musical number during the film when he performs "The Demon Hunter Blues." The song is funny and at the same time does a great job of recapping the plot of the first two movies.

Don Early resumes his role as Silent Jim, but his biggest contribution to the film is as Director. The direction of the film is vastly superior to the first film. I know DG plans on making a third Demon Hunters film and if they do I hope to see Early at the helm.

Now I did like this film, but it was far from perfect. Some of the acting in this film is downright terrible. Mostly I'm talking about Chris Duppenthaler who plays Gabriel's rival Ichabod. As far as I know this was his first film, however, and he improves greatly in each subsequent film he is in.

In addition to some sub par acting the cliffhanger like ending stinks for any fan of the series as the film was released in 2004 and though there are plans for a sequel no ground has been broken on the project as of yet.

Overall Rating: 6/10 - A giant step up from the first Demon Hunters film!


I really look forward to the third Demon Hunters film. Now that the Dead Gentlemen are an established troupe with a committed cult following I think a third film could far exceed anything they could have hoped to accomplish when they filmed the first Demon Hunters film.

For your viewing pleasure here is the song "Demon Hunter Blues" by Steve Wolbrecht!

Gamer Movie Review: Demon Hunters

Film: Demon Hunters
Year: 1999
Production Company: Dead Gentlemen
Writer: Matt Vancil
Director: Ben Dobyns
Staring: Steve Wolbrecht, Nathan Rice, and Don Early


When I bought Demon Hunters 2: Dead Camper Lake I was aware that the first Demon Hunter film was included on the disk. This would have been a red flag, but the people over at Dead Gentlemen are too up front to let someone buy their product with any misconceptions. Their site included a warning that both the Demon Hunters films were made on little to no budget with consumer grade equipment. I had no objections to this, having seen many films with massive budgets and the latest high tech equipment that sucked (I'm looking at you Transformers 2!) .

So it was that I began the first Demon Hunters film... and then fell asleep. So I started it again... and fell asleep again. The third time was the charm however and I finally made it through the film.

Where to begin?

Let's start with a plot synopsis. The film is set at Pacific Northwest University where Chris (Played by Steve Wolbrecht), a humble and ordinary accounting major, attends school. Little do Chris and the other students of the University know that below the school's library an ancient Demon sleeps a vile demon, Duamerthrax the Indestructible. One Thousand Years has passed since Duamerthrax was imprisoned, and the demon is freed to maim and spread discord at Pacific Northwest. The only thing stopping the Demon from breaking totally free of his bonds and going off into an unsuspecting world is Chris, and a band of Demon Hunters from the Brotherhood of the Celestial Torch. The Brotherhood chapter is led by Gabriel (Played by Nathan Rice). Together the Demon Hunters and Chris battle the Demon and try to destroy him once and for all.

This movie was made on no budget by college kids who catered to the only audience they ever expected, other members of their University. I can't say how well the inside jokes held up to their target audience, not having attended Pacific Northwest University where the movie was set and filmed. But like most inside jokes, they just aren't very entertaining to those on the outside.

It is for these reasons that the movie falls flat, and why it was hard for me to make it through it. The sets, actors, and what you might be able to call special effects are not up to snuff, even for a B rated flick you would pick up at the video store on a boring weekday night.

But in the midst of this sub par film you can see flashes of genius. True genius that just needs time to develop and room to grow. Matt Vancil's righting shows promise and some very witty comedy. Actor Nathan Rice who plays Gabriel shows raw talent and great comedic timing.

Though I regard Demon Hunters as a failure as a stand alone film it was the stepping stone necessary for Dead Gentlemen's later productions. Just as professional athletes take their lumps in lesser leagues before making their mark on the big stage, this movie was a necessary stepping stone for these filmmakers.

Overall Rating: 4/10 - Only true Dead Gentlemen fans should bother with this film

Dead Gentlemen

Dead Gentlemen Productions is a company of friends who got together during college. United by their love of film making they created the film Demon Hunters in 1999 while still attending college. They went on to create the squeal, Demon Hunters 2: Dead Camper Lake, as well as The Gamers and The Gamers 2: Dorkness Rising.

I purchased all four of the films and will be reviewing them in my upcoming posts!

So stay tuned, and in the mean time you can check out the website for Dead Gentlemen Productions here.

The Side Campaign

I love playing games every week. I look forward to it, and am disappointed if the game get's canceled. After all, sometimes life get's in the way and people just can't make the game. This is not necessarily a problem if that person is a player in the game, PCs can be run by the GM. But what is the GM can't make the game?

It is for this reason that my group and I always have a side campaign that we play any week when we cannot play out main campaign. I certainly recommend this to other groups as it avoids gaps in play and offers a refreshing change of pace from the regular campaign.

Here are some of the most important factors in running a side campaign...


Choosing a System
When choosing a system for your side campaign you want to make sure that everyone in the group who will be playing it is familiar with the rules, this isn't a good time to introduce a new rules set to the group. Remember, this game is going to be played infrequently and everyone should be able to pick up the game after a long absence without a lot of review in terms of rules.

Choosing a GM
After all you'll need someone to run the game with the normal guy away. Ideally the person you want running your side campaign is an experienced GM who is familiar with the rules you'll be using and takes excellent notes. The most important criteria for this position is consistency in the attendance department. This job is only important when your regular GM cancels so it is important to know that even if he does cancel your backup GM will still be there.

Building the Campaign
As far as side campaigns go I've found that plot driven games, rather than character driven games, work best. Also remember that less is more. This game will be played sporadically with large gaps of time in between, so do not make the story too complicated or it will difficult to pick back up down the line.

Keeping Notes
Detailed notes are crucial for running a sucessful side campaigns. Little recaps of what took place work very well to refresh everyone's memory. I have also found that collecting player's character sheets and keeping them with my notes works best when I run a side campaign. This prevents players from forgetting their character sheets, or even worse, losing them during the off time.

Be Prepared
Games can be canceled for last minute due to emergencies, so the side GM must always be prepared to run his game. He should always have the next phase of the game ready to go!


So there you have it. Those are the keys to running a successful side campaign and keeping the group playing even when the GM is away.