I was recently cruising my news feed when I chanced upon a quick advice column for fiction writers. The question was from a young writer who wanted to write a dungeon delving story and use the Dungeons and Dragons systems as a basis for the plot. The columnist answered that it was a terrible idea…
My Time in the Apocalypse: Prologue
Authors note: The following is the first 6 chapters of fiction entitled “My Time in the Apocalypse” That I am publishing on Royal Road. If you enjoy this please follow me there. https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/59439/my-time-in-the-apocalypse It’s not every day I manage to get a restful nap. In fact, I can’t recall the last time I got more…
Review: Wasteland 2
Almost a decade after the game first appeared on Kickstarter, I have finally completed a run through Wasteland 2. This is a game I backed on Kickstarter in 2012, received a physical copy of in 2014, and just completed in 2022. To say this game took a long time for me to play is an…
Monocle of the Majordomo
Of the empire’s great houses none is more widely known, nor more respected, than that of the Rigel family. With a history spanning more than a millenium its patriarchs and matriarchs have been involved in the empire’s politics for as long as anyone can remember. No single person can lead a great house on their…
Coin of the Beggar
Not all magic items that exist in the word are glamorous or all powerful. Sometimes, a magic item can take on the visage of something ordinary that fits a very particular niche in society. One such example of this sort of magic item is the Coin of the Beggar. This small coin is not really…
Welcome to the Wasteland (2)
Let me start by stating that I was a backer a decade ago when Wasteland 2 was on Kickstarter. I backed it hard and went in for a version that came in an ammo can with a bunch of goodies. However, when it finally arrived it was quickly overshadowed by a little game known as…
Sooka’s Armor of Imagination
There is an apocryphal tale of an emperor who wore no clothes. All of the kingdom was too scared to point this out until a young child exclaimed it aloud. The emperor, embarrassed, ran off with his retainers in tow. The untold part of the story involved mass executions and a man hunt for a…
Javier’s Dust of Deception
Javier Kertuz was a famed gambler who made a small fortune off of adventurers in the frozen north. Tales abound of his uncanny ability to claim victory from the jaws of defeat in games of chance. While some rumors accusing him of being a cheater have circulated, noone who witnessed these events considered him a…
Mako’s Shield of Reluctance
Tales abound of many notable adventures who traveled across the frozen north. Mark of the Five Blades, Trevor of the Shadow Stalkers, or even Matilda of the Seven Waltzes. None are as commonly overlooked as Mako of the Four Dubloons. Mako was about as average as average comes when talking about adventurers. He was not…
Helen’s Bag of Aromas
Of the more unusual magical items to come out of the north, one of the strangest has to be Helen’s Bag of Aromas. While many people don’t understand the value of this item, Helen Spearblade was a well known owner of the bag that was able to exploit its magical properties to the fullest. As…
Otto’s Scabbard of Sharpening
While none agree where the scabbard of sharpening originated from, the most commonly heard tale involves a traveling merchant named Otto Von Smythe. Otto was a gnomish merchant (according to most versions of the story) who sold a variety of bladed weapons, some of more dubious quality than others. As a way to upsell customers…
Tiber’s Mask of the Acquaintance
Tiber Alphonse Moon was a prosperous merchant from a middling mercantile family. While his family produced an abundance of adequate merchants it was Tiber who brought greatness to his family name. It was not his skill at trading nor his ability to get ahead of trends that turned him into a success. It was a…