Two big story arcs have concluded in the comics universe over the last few weeks: Marvel’s Secret Invasion mini series, in which the alien, shape-shifting Skrulls attempt to take over the Earth, and Batman R.I.P, in which the Dark Knight dies. Or appears to die, because really, what are the chances that he’s actually dead? … Read more
One of the problems I’ve found with action points, bennies, plot points, and other similar mechanics is that unless they’re crucial to the game, players tend to forget about them. And even when they are important, keeping track of them can be a challenge as the light-weight chips or tokens get covered up, buried, or … Read more
It’s appropriate that the Pathfinder RPG Beta would be released while my gaming group’s taking a two-week break from our D&D 4th Edition playtest. During the hiatus we’re tying up some loose ends in our D&D 3.5 Dark City campaign, which is a role-playing intensive, urban campaign set in the World of Greyhawk. Dark City’s … Read more
My reading list this month is dominated by books demands spawned by the two book clubs I’ve joined: the Secret Lair Book Club and my gaming group’s own graphic novel book club. The first two books are Market Forces, a Car Wars meets Wall Street novel by Richard K. Morgan and The Sky People, a … Read more
Don’t watch The Mist. You may think you know how things go, having read Stephen King’s short story of the same name. You might like horror and think, “tentacled monstrosities from beyond the edge of time? I can deal with that.” But trust me. If you’re a geek dad or mom, and the kind of … Read more
This time on Radio Active … it’s all GenCon, all the time. I’ll look at what events are scheduled, how to keep up with happenings at the con, and talk about what I’ll be doing at the world’s biggest gaming convention. Getting the Show Download the MP3 directly Show Notes Nuketown News Nuketown at GenCon … Read more
The summer reading list is going well. Since I finalized the list in Radio Active #51, I’ve finished Rainbow’s End by Vernor Vinge, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, and Pushing Ice by Alistair Reynolds. The fiction pile is growing surprisingly short, with only Jim Butcher’s Storm Front and John Scalzi’s The … Read more
Gaming comics top the pile this week as my copies of Knights of the Dinner Table #125 and Dork Tower #36 arrive, augmented by the sword and sorcery (though mostly sword) of Dark Horse Comics’ Conan #39. Rounding out the picks in this pile is the latest issue of Ex Machina, which sees a mysterious … Read more
One of the many pleasant surprises following the birth of my son NeutronLad on June 14 has been how much reading I’ve been able to do. This is partly because I chose some particularly good books to read, but also because I have a lot more time thanks to those early morning and late night feedings, … Read more
An e-mail claims that you can get your keys out of a locked car if you a) have keyless entry b) a friend has another set of keys for your car c) you both have cell phones and d) your friend triggers your remote set of keys while your on the phone with them. On … Read more