March 28th, 2013 by Jim Davenport
It was June 2008 when I sat down with Jolly Blackburn at the Origins convention. When we agreed to have me start a column in Knights of the Dinner Table Magazine about analyzing movies for how to play them as an RPG, I didn’t know how long it might go. To be submitting my fortieth column (Boondock Saints) almost five years later is just amazing to me. To be part of KenzerCo’s Knights of the Dinner Table phenomenon is really very special.
My first article in the magazine was in Issue #100 back in 2005 (All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Firefly). It really opened doors for me and I’ve been blessed to have a nice little freelancing career ever since. My next piece for the magazine will appear in #200 and I’m very psyched!
March 11th, 2013 by Jim Davenport
This weekend I got acceptance from Shane Hensley to publish my Tour of Darkness adventure, “Welcome to the Nam” with Pre-generated Characters, along with a renewal of the setting itself later this year.
February 8th, 2013 by Jim Davenport
In many episodic television shows, one of the characters has a convenient plot device to bring in just the right bit of expertise. Rick Castle (Castle) has friends from researching previous books. Sam Axe (Burn Notice) has friends from his many years in the military. It is a standard trope and useful in role-playing games as well. This Edge is very similar to the “Connections” Edge in the Savage Worlds Deluxe rules although since the buddies can be from a broad range of places, it has a more stringent requirement. I think it is a nice variant to capture a cool trope.
I Got a Buddy… (Social Edge)
Requirements: Novice, Spirit d6+
Your hero has always been a social guy. He’s made friends in countless places, so many he can never really remember them all. But sometimes all you just need is a little help… from a buddy (once per game session). To use a character’s Buddy requires that he first get in touch with him. This requires a streetwise roll. Failure means the particular Buddy wasn’t available.
Once in contact, the hero must make a Persuasion roll. The GM should feel free to modify both the Persuasion roll and any results based on the circumstances. A failure indicates the hero’s buddy couldn’t come through this time.
On a success, the contact will provide some help, but nothing too risky. On a raise, the buddy will stick his neck out though he won’t outright betray others. Two or more raises and the buddy really comes through and provides substantial, tangible aid.
January 7th, 2013 by Jim Davenport
Here’s a draft piece of art from the Savage Characters project. (Copyrighted, do not distribute without attribution: Josh Minto)
Scum on the bottom of humanity's shoe
January 7th, 2013 by Jim Davenport
Greetings to all Dragonlaird Gaming Fans!
Work continues on the Savage Characters project. I’m actually sketching out more and more for each of the four DLG settings that support the four genres which is slowing down the finalizing the characters, adventure hooks, etc. We’ve got half the full drafts complete (Haunted West, Modern Crime/Horror). I’m moving on to the fantasy/historical Earth setting Olde World Revealed and I’m hoping to wrap up full draft text by end of January and then space opera in February.
The project team is moving forward with editing, artwork, rules verification, and layout. I’m hoping to have the product released by early 2Q this year.
Cheers!
Jim
December 7th, 2012 by Jim Davenport
Hey Gang, I’m not dead (yet), just pounded by work travel to point of getting little done on the Savage Characters project. I shall forge ahead though!
Looking for feedback on a better title for my Modern Horror Savage Worlds Setting. I’ve got the working title of Criminal Insanity (mix organized crime/Godfather/The Town genre with Horror twist-genre) but now the setting has become more aware of religion and Hell. Each person sees the evil entities as the demons or devils of their own culture. Priests of different religions discover they actually have powers (if they actually had faith) and the biggest risk is your soul.
Whoever suggests the best name gets credit for it in the book!
Cheers and Happy Holidays!
Jim
October 21st, 2012 by Jim Davenport
As mentioned before I’m creating four Savage Worlds settings as part of the Savage Characters project I’m working on. One or more of these settings may grow up to be a Plot Point Campaign and more, but that’s later.
The new setting is called Criminal Insanity and mixes life in the criminal underworld of a fictitious modern city with the creeping take-over of evil spirits from another dimension. Thugs, Guns, and Horror for your gaming pleasure.
September 19th, 2012 by Jim Davenport
I finished the “Haunted West” section and have it in the hands of my team for editing, artwork, and Norm-alization. With the new Locations section, we learn a little more about the town of Miasma Springs, the Native spiritual haven called the High Ground, and the mountain lair of Gustavus Klepf, the mad inventor.
I found that creating five characters whose story lines criss-crossed gave me a lot of adventure hook ideas. If the GM so desired, the five Haunted West characters could be the background of a mini-Plot Point campaign themselves.
So with one of the four sections done, I’m planning on getting myself in gear and getting the “Olde World Revealed” section done next. Should be fun. Who doesn’t love our Earth but where it’s the Roman Draconic Church in 1300?
While getting Savage Characters Volume 1 into the PDF marketplace by the end of the year is my deadline, I hope to sprinkle www.dragonlairdgaming.com with some free goodies tied into the product like a free character, a mini-adventure, or a piece of fiction exploring one of the four DLG settings.
Cheers!
Jim
August 30th, 2012 by Jim Davenport
Nine Tour of Darkness pre-gen characters have been posted representing a squad. These boys are fresh ‘in country’ and are 0xp (5xp for Lincoln). These could be used quite easily with the upcoming “Welcome to the Nam” adventure I’m getting proofed for posting by Pinnacle Entertainment as a freebie for Savage Worlds.
Lt. Bill Chaney
PFC Anthony Karloff
PFC Chris Lee
PFC Jim Hitchcock
PFC Joe Campbell
PFC Lincoln Lugosi
PFC Marco Romero
PFC Myron Price
PFC Tommy Craven
August 28th, 2012 by Jim Davenport
Progress is being made on the Savage Characters product. I’m nearly complete with the “Weird West” section and I’m liking how it is shaping up. The characters have good linkages with each other (if you want to use them) and I’m adding a Locations section to the description of the setting itself. I find myself ‘discovering’ many other characters that we don’t have room for in the first product, but might appear as a follow-up volume or maybe as a freebie here on Dragonlaird Gaming.
For those who haven’t been following this, my Weird West setting and characters use the Savage Worlds Deluxe rules but could be almost trivially ‘ported’ to another supernatural west setting like Deadlands.
More to come soon!