R.I.P. Bill Paxton, my favorite everyman character

Well Bill Paxton is gone.

Sure he might never have been the super A-list actor, but dammit he did have some great roles!

Why will I miss Bill Paxton?

The ever quotable Hudson in Aliens

The blue haired punk in Terminator.

He was even in Predator 2 (which is not really good either) thus
making him the only person to date to be killed by

an Alien, Terminator and Predator.
That is an achievement to behold!

Fallout 4 DLC: Automatron

I finally got bored and am running through Fallout 4 again. Why? I’m just wasting time until Mass Effect: Andromeda hits in March.

While I’m about done with the main story, I decided to spring for the additional content. The first one to try is Automatron.

Robots! Robots! Robots!

This is how I would sum up this little expansion for Fallout 4.

The Commonwealth is lousy with rampaging robots. You answer the call of a caravan under attack from said rampaging robots.

You of course save the day and then meet Ada a smart robot who was travelling said caravan. She/it informs you of the diabolical and comic book like villain, the Mechanist. This Mechanist is setting robots loose to destabilize the region. That is the whole bit.

D&D post game 2-18 Part 2

As the party rode toward the location of the once bountiful Wellspring of Vitality in the Shadow Wood, the storm clouds grew ever darker. They dismounted and ran into the forest hoping that there was still time to prevent the druidic ritual.

The majority of the area was nothing but ash and the burnt remains of giant trees. The fire set by an unknown third party had done substantial damage to this part of the forest. However, the farther into the forest the party went, the more green and healthy it had become. It was almost like the forest was healing as they moved closer to the center.

They knew they roughly a quarter of a mile away from the location of the Wellspring when the air temperature began to wildly fluctuate. Then it began to lightly rain and they could hear the rumble of approaching thunder. At the same time a pair of tree stumps began to slowly move. It appeared like they were getting taller and gaining appendages. The party drew weapons and prepared to defend themselves from whatever these tree creatures were. 

These were Wood Woads and they had been summoned to defend this approach to the ritual site. The party quickly fell upon them. After a few minutes the tree creatures had been dispatched. It was then that the winds picked up, the rain stopped and then the lightning started to move across the sky. The party ran onward.

As they reached the forest center they saw three druids within a circle of standing stones. Bedwyr the largest of the three was in the midst of some summoning chant. The two other druids were trying to control an open portal with in the Wellspring. An opening that seemed to be absorbing and releasing light and energy. A half dozen of the tribal humans stood outside the stones chanting as well. The party took the opportunity to set up them before they were noticed.

 

These tribesmen were slaughtered quickly, but it didn’t matter. The ritual was all but complete. Bedwyr was struck by beams multicolored light and seemed to be absorbing it. Then this same light flew from his arms to strike the other two druids. The convulsed wildly and then returned the energy and their own life force back to Bedwyr. He then channeled it all back into the open portal. The two druids fell to the ground, their bodies little more than dried husks.

A javelin suddenly struck Bedwyr in the chest. He looked up from his chest to see the adventuring party outside the stones. They were prepared to fight and was eager to please them. His body changed rapidly into the giant form of some sort of hairy simian beast full of all manner of claws and sharp teeth. He was in the midst of the party within seconds. A blood melee ensued with the barbarian and monk taking the brunt of the damage. The bard held back trying to add some motivational songs and magic to bolster the combat.

The ground began to tremble. The rain started again, only to stop suddenly. The air became hot and dry. The skies would clear and seconds later they would darken again. Lightning would strike the standing stones.  Snow would slowly fall. Nature was completely out of control. All the while the giant sasquatch-esque Bedwyr assaulted the party, seeming to laugh as he did so.

After a final few brutal strikes from the barbarian, Bedwyr reverted to his human form. He slowly stumbled back against one of the standing stones. A bloody smile on his face as he did so. The party slowly approached him. He continued to laugh as his life blood spilled from him. He drew a small knife from his belt and quickly plunged it into his chest. He slowly died knowing that he had not only robbed the party of their vengeance, but he had completed the ritual as well. His body slid to the ground as everything went silent. The strange weather stopped. The sounds of the forest were gone. The only sounds was that of the party breathing.

Then the ground began to tremble again. The standing stones shattered and fell. The portal began to grow size and spew forth all manner of light and energy. Then from within it exploded out a form. A giant worm-like form with a giant fanged maw and giant tendrils that whipped around looking to ensnare prey. The worm’s form was constantly shifting to various colors and then to transparent. It would shift from flesh to stone to wood to water and back again. It was a being of pure natural energy. A true sight to behold, the power of nature made manifest, and it was angry.

D&D Post game 2-18 Part 1

This game night was looking to be a group of 6-7 players, but life happens.

We still had a healthy party of four and instead of Morgan the “Greaser,”  the party had Varis the bard.

A week or so after the events of the horrible zoo incident, the town was still being assailed by small critters and random animal attacks. The town was on high alert and just waiting for another druidic incursion.

As the days started a contingent of dwarven riflemen arrived at the city gates. They brought news to the adventuring party that the tower they had been hired to fix was almost complete. They were also here to help defend the town with a good two dozen riflemen and two flame belching cannons. The town and the party had helped them with their endeavors and now they were repaying the favor.

 

All the while during this discussion, a red tail hawk had been watching.

The party continued their daily chores and finally noticed they were being watched. A cunning plan was crafted to try and capture the bird. It involved the dragonborn thief trying to nab the bird, then to call to it using some form of animal handling and then trying to brain it with a crowbar. The bard quickly intervened and cast a sleep spell. The bird slowly fell to the ground as it tried to fly away.

The bird was quickly grabbed by the barbarian. As he held it the bird changed into a human female in druid type garb. They quickly spirited her away for interrogation.

An empty alley and several minutes later, the female druid had told the group everything she knew. A force of magical stone constructs was being built to assault the city walls. Bedwyr, the druid leader of the region, had been drinking from the poisoned well spring of vitality water and had become quiet mad. He had also lost his wife and was going to perform a ritual to wipe the city from the earth. The constructs were going to be a distraction until some form of the Great Devourer could be summoned by Bedwyr. She told them where the location of the ritual was taking place, the Shadow Wood where all this started months ago. The Druid stone shaper camp was also pointed out. The female, Keelin, then told the party that she , the few remaining druids like her and the local rangers were all heading North to put this region and the events behind them. She then turned into a hawk and flew off to parts unknown.

The party was given horses and a good luck bit of on the go healing from Lord Faruth, and the rode off to construct encampment.

D&D Pre-game 2-18

As adventurers and guards ran about trying to save patrons and stop animal attacks in the local zoo, a lone falcon awkwardly flew away from the city. It was bleeding from an arrow that was still lodged in it’s flank, but it continued its path South.

A small fire within a small thicket is where it finally landed. Four figures were in a heated discussion and paid no attention to the wounded bird as it shifted back into its human form. What was once a bird was not a human female in tattered leathers with an arrow protruding from her right side. She remove d the arrow and tended to the wound while listening to the four men debate.

“It was they who set the sacred woods aflame! It was they who poisoned the wellspring!” yelled a man wrapped in a forest green cloak.

“Yes! They must pay!” shouted an elderly elf in armor made of a combination of leaf, leather and wood. What say you Bedwyr? Shall the settlement pay?”

A burly bearded man stood staring at the fire. “Yes. The ritual will proceed.” He said never once looking up from the flame.

Book Report- Necrons vs. Space Marines

The World Engine

 

I return to the Space Marine Battle novels once again. Why? Well this one is written by Ben Counter. I didn’t hate the first Souldrinkers novel. The Grey Knight trilogy he did started off strong, but kind of petered off by book three. Galaxy in Flames and Battle for the Abyss were descent additions to the Horus Heresy. Why not give this book a chance too?

 

Ok then.

 

First this is a novelization of a blurb from previous edition Space Marine codexes or codices. You know long before they were officially branded the Adeptus Astartes by G.W. If you have read that then you can guess what this will be about. Another reason I nabbed this book.

 

There is planet on the move through the galaxy and it is wiping out planets and fleets as it travels. It seems unstoppable. Well that is until a ship full of (almost) a full chapter of Astra Knight Space Marines decides to land on the World Engine and destroy it. By land I mean crash their giagundus spaceship into it and start a fight with whomever survives.

 

Well low and behold the World Engine is a planet and a ship for the Necrons. Man I love them dudes. Now the Astral Knights have to fight a planet, the Necron population of said planet, survive Necron political turmoil and save the population of the nearby human inhabited Vidar sector worlds and the very Imperium itself.

 

No big right?

John Wick 2 and Lego Batman

While everyone else does the mandatory Valentine stuff today, we did our version of it this past weekend.

A six mile hike, dinner and couple of movies. 

 

The first was John Wick: Chapter 2

If you haven’t seen John Wick, then do yourself a favor and watch it! If you are a fan of gun play, revenge tales, a lot of action and a very light script: then it will not disappoint. Plus the response of John Wick to the horrible event in the beginning of the film, is how would want to react if the same thing happened to me!

The second film starts not long after the end of the previous. The plot goes something like this…….

....Crash, punch, punch, punch, plot point, explosion, pew, pew, pew, pew, pewpewpewpewpewpew, blam, blam, blam, street fight, small plot point, pew, pew, pew, stab, stab, neck snap, stab, Laurence Fishburne, “How’s retirement John?”, pew, pew, pew, pew, pew, pew, pew, pew, grapple, pew, pew, and a final pew.

A two hour action movie that; has a body count that probably doubles the first John Wick, doesn’t drag for two hours, has more action insanity than the first movie and was just a lot of damn fun!

Sunday we took the kiddos to see Lego Batman. I was not super interested at all, but kids and family outweigh my personal wants/needs.

Well this stuff is out to buy from Privateer.

The new Kaya riding puppy is available now.
Yeah  I bought one.
I don't like her 2nd version, but it is really hard to say no to the 3rd version of her.

Loki is out too.
Warpwolf character beast.
Cool chain hook.
I am still going to wait until I see what he can do.
The named beasties are really game expensive and I'm more quant over qual with warbeasts.

40K and Jack Burton comics? Sure why not?

Well many years ago I remember pretty awesome cover art for the 40K comic series Damnation Crusade. 

Low and behold they showed up in trade and I nabbed it and Exterminatus, another 40K comic from the people at BOOM! Studios.

Hey look Dan Abnett even penned some of the story too. I love his 40K writings!

Still has fun cover art to…..and then I opened said covers.

The plot of each of these collections is just drek!

Damnation Crusade.

This is a disjointed tale of a Black Templar recruit in his journey to full Space Mari….I mean full Adeptus Astartes. There is also a story revolving around a Dreadnought as well. It is just awful stuff. IF the story wasn’t bad enough, the artwork is beyond terrible. A drek story can be saved by good art, and shit drawing can be saved by a rocking good tale. Sadly, this comic collection is neither of these. What a waste.

Well there is still Exterminatus.

Here is the story of an inquisitor doing his bit to root out some Chaos shenanigans.

A more cohesive and fanboy-ish tale here compared to Damnation Crusade, but that is about it. The artwork is just as terrible as Damnation Crusade. The story is not really good, but it is better than Damnation Crusade, but not by much.

It is a real damn shame that the covers (mostly the original issues) are the best part of these books. Stay away! These are just awful!

Well maybe the next series will be better?

I am a gigundus fan of John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China. If you aren’t, well then we probably shouldn’t be friends.

Well it looks like they made a series based on the after events of the movie and the continuing adventures of Jack Burton. The book store was running a trade comic deal, so I nabbed the first four trades in the series.

Super Bowl 51....

..... or what the Hell just happened?

I had no dog in this fight and just wanted a good game.

It was and wasn't that.

A tale of two teams. This was Falcons win through three quarters and Patriots domination through the fourth  and overtime.

Even if you hate the Patriots, this catch was beyond amazing.

The Falcons dominated and then proceeded to poop their pants for some reason.

Five straight Patriot possessions. Five scores? That was insane! 

Yes we all hate the Patriots. Yes there was that video tape business. The deflated footballs was just dumb. Anyone with brain cell one could see that Brady could have been throwing actual cabbages in that game, instead of footballs, and they still would have pants the Colts. They have a rep for shenanigans.

That being said, as a fan of football, their last quarter domination was a sight to see. 

Everyone wants a close game, at least that is what people say when it isn't the Patriots playing. This game went from blowout to one of the most exciting games I have watched in the last 5+ years.

Now the commercials were mostly all drek. All that still stands out is the George Takei "Oh my!" Pizza Hut bit, the Super Bowl babies, the avocado commercial with a brief John Lovitz sighting and.....yeah the Snoop and Martha Stewart word play.

Drek commercials and blow out turned incredible comeback is how Super Bowl LI will be remembered by me and mine.

Betrayal at House on the Hill, a game review.

This was out for purchase a what feels like a long time ago and I never bought it. Now it is (or has been) back on the store shelves and I grabbed it for our home.

Betrayal at House on the Hill.

A co-op, but suddenly not co-op game of searching a creepy house. A game that is right in the wheel house of me and my lady.

Players grab one of  multiple characters to use to explore the creepy House on the Hill. Why? Well because it is a creepy house that needs exploring that is why!

The house is made from various tiles that are placed as you search. There are rooms for the basement, first and second floors. A tile, from the pile, is added each time a room is searched. Thus making for a completely rando house every time the game is played. Players find items, people, traps and weapons as they rummage about trying to discover why they are in this house.

Eventually the player exploration will reveal an Omen card. Once these are found there is a chance that each successive turn, that the game will change from simple exploration to survival horror adventure. This is known as revealing the “Haunt” when it happens and it changes the game drastically.

The player that activated the Haunt is now the villain in the game. They consult a book, the Traitor’s Tome , to consult a chart based on the Omen card and room where the player is. This tells the ,now traitor, player what diabolical plan they are trying to achieve. This can be anything from raising a mummy, unleashing a Frankenstein-like monster, human sacrifice, ghosts, killing the party with vampire bats, and well other creepy horror missions to survive.

D&D post game 1-28-17: Part 2

As the screaming stared from within the zoo…..

Several of the Amethyst Rose came sprinting into the party to secure Lord Faruth and lead the various nobles to safety. The heroes had been waiting for this to happen and quickly ran to retrieve their killing implements. Once geared up, they ran off into the zoo that Lord Faruth’s estate contains. They just knew that the Blackwatch Druids were behind these attacks.

A quick look at a small zoo map and the half-orc l and monk let out a huge sigh. This was no ordinary zoo. It seems Lord Faruth collects all manner of exotic animals and many other fantastical creatures: Cockatrice, Manticores, Velociraptors,  an Umber Hulk, a Xorn, an Otyguh, a pair of Trolls, a Displacer Beast, Hook Horrors, a trio of Ettercaps, Blink Dogs, Hippogriffins, a pair of Galeb Duhr, a small group of Stirges, a Gelatinous Cube, and his prize possession to date….a Chimera. Someday soon a pair of Owlbears and a Wyvern if all goes to plan. These along with lions, tigers, bears, rhinos, axe beaks, otters, tons of fancy birds, an elephant and a various assortment of common woodland creatures.

A heavy sign came from the barbarian since he had seen this coming. Their weapons at the ready, the party ran into the zoo to stop whatever was happening.

They ran into some guards that were heading back for help. It seems that a trio of party people had been ambushed and drug off into the Ettercap enclosure. The gang swiftly ran off to save the poor fools. Along the way they found a pair of Black Watch druids attempting to open the Displacer Beast cages. Once spotted one druid shapechanged into a big angry bear. The second druid began casting at the party.

Battle quickly erupted between the bear, monk and barbarian. The thief tried to pepper the non-bear druid with arrows.  As the small combat played out, the noise attracted a trio of giant spiders from the nearby Ettercap enclosure. The bear druid was dispatched and the casting druid did a quick shapechange into a falcon and flew off to safety.

Now the giant spiders were in the mix, but were quickly dispatched. The group ran off to help the webbed up party goers. The Ettercap enclosure was a small forest full of webs, a few writhing cocoons , more giant spiders and two Ettercaps. The beasties moved out to attack, seeing another group of potential food to capture. Well this food wasn’t going to capture so easily! Well that is until a third and hidden Ettercap used a strand of webbing to garrote the monk and drag him up into the trees. The barbarian, thief and mage set about bashing, stabbing and burning spiders and the spider men monsters. The monk struggled to breathe and break free as an Ettercap pummeled him with impunity.

After a few attempts to break free, the monk instead just laid into the beast to kill it, thus breaking the webbing that was slowly strangling him. The spiders were all dead and two of the three captives were freed. The third had been a tasty meal for the arachnids. Wounds were quickly attended too and then the party ran off deeper into the zoo, looking to try and stop this night from getting worse.