Blogs

New monsters added at the forum, here. See stats for the Rhinoceros, Pygmy Rhino, War Rhino, Pygmy War Rhino, and the rare Gnomish Pygmy War Rhino. Trample and Charge see some use.

It pours like a cream yet has very little head. The colours swirl between an opaque orange and an almost translucent yellow. There is an almost imperceptible smell of malt and pumpkin. The first drink is so very smooth and creamy with just a light dab of bitterness. The pumpkin is subtle and the flavours of this fine ale feather your tongue in the same swirling manner as it sits in the glass. After viewing the visibly violent bubbles as it stands, you will be surprised how unnoticeable they are when this ale slides down your gullet. The thick creaminess has a stunningly light body.

[Block 3]Sugar Bush Brown Ale @ 4.8% in a 1.89L brown bottle

There is a deep red with a slight orangish tinge to this almost opaque ale. A pour reveals very little head and lends a singular sweet scent.

The first sip tells you that the carbonation level is high and the flavour pierces your tongue quickly leaving very little aftertaste. After the first sip, it mellows to a pleasantly mild flavoured ale.

Charge: A Charge is a specific type of attack made by horned and tusked monsters, like minotaurs, elephants, and Giant Wild Boars. When Charged, the opponent receives d1 Damage per Point of Success of the attack and must make a Warrior Resist vs. the Degree of Success of the Charge or be tossed into the air, whereupon the Charge continues, gaining a cumulative +1 bonus to the attack and damage. As long as the attack continues to be successful and the victim keeps failing the Resist, the damage continues. All attacks on a Charge are part of a single Turn.

This 'acquired taste' style ale is worth trying. It's probably the hoppiest ale I've ever tasted. Named after JR Mitchell's famous Spitfire aeroplane as it was used in World War 2 during the Battle of Britain. It plays out a pun, calling itself The Bottle of Britain.

While it says, "Since 1698," this ale wasn't brewed until 1990. I would guess the Shepherd Neame brewing started in 1698 and if this is important to you, please feel free to find out and let me know.

This kerchief, when worn to cover the lower portion of the face, confers the Surprise ability at a +3 bonus to Adventure for initiative. (See Surprise, pg 32) To receive any benefit, the victim must be unaware of an imminent attack and the character cannot be wearing any armor greater than Leather.

Some weapons are more unwieldy than others. Weapon Speed modifiers are a means of reflecting this within an abstract system. Apply the weapon's modifier to the Adventure die when rolling for initiative for the Turn. Yes, the "larger" the weapon, the worse the modifier. What did you expect? Fret not, though. The number of attacks is still dependent on the Warrior Rank, not the speed of the weapon, so just because the Dagger is more likely to strike sooner, the Great Battle Axe will still strike harder (and likely more often).

My drink of choice is a fine Scotch but as the other reviews show I also occasionally imbibe beer, cider, and other liquid poisons. Some evenings or with red meat, I'll check out a red wine. I'm not an expert or even a true connoisseur. Consider me more or a lay man who likes to share and discuss.

MISTERIO
Malbec, 13.5% alc./vol.,
by Finca Flichman, Argentina

Castles & Crusades seemed to be an attempt to take D&D3e players into a AD&D1e style without the risks of low level play normally associated with old-school gaming. It cashed in on Gary Gygax and was a very useful tool to wean people from the raging behemoth that was 3e and open them to new ideas.

What it's like to have a hypo-glycemic attack?

At first you feel weak and then you realize you're confused and can't focus. Time slips away as the shakes shatter your will. Sometimes you even lose the ability to speak and can just make gestures based on your limited awareness. You desperately put your hand to your mouth, hopefully alerting someone that you need sugar.