User blogs

Inspired Unreality open game chat will resume tomorrow, Saturday, January 28, at 11:00 AM Central. Inspired Unreality is held in the gamerplus chatrooms at Tenkar's Tavern on Discord. Here's a link for more information about Inspired Unreality.

https://gamerplus.org/index

Bring your own topic. All gaming is on topic. We want to know what interests you.

Caper finished the Harshnag song in our family game, so for an opening topic I will unveil that.

In two weeks the topic will be Fantasy and Science Fiction. We've moved to the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month to give us more flexibility on our trips to Eclectic Geekery in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. Beatles Park here I come. (As soon as it warms up.)

I invented the supernatural 20.

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/5004

Did you ever want a really remote monastery on one of your quests?

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/5002

I wrote "Mouse Plural", A Jupiter's Ghost Super Short.

https://gamerplus.org/blogs/post/998

Jupiter's Ghost is a collaborative effort to create a Science Fiction setting that can be used by anyone.

https://intergalactic.computer/

The Jupiter's Ghost creations are licensed CC BY-SA.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Please forward this email to your geeky friends and share this link.

https://gamerplus.org/blogs/post/999

Thanks,
Hairy Larry
https://gamerplus.org/user/hairylarry
https://mastodon.social/@hairylarry
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com

It's our fiftieth! All those family games. Fifty years of family games. What a thing to think about.

Our family is coming in so there will be no Inspired Unreality open game chat in the morning. We will be back in two weeks on November 19. And then December 3 should finish the year. So, Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas. Wait! Didn't we just have Halloween?

For more info about Inspired Unreality and Gamer+ go here.

https://gamerplus.org/index

We went to Eclectic Geekery last Sunday and I enjoyed playing in Lizard's 5e game. I've never been an Elven Bard before. I lean to halfling.

https://eclecticgeekery.com/

I posted two public domain photo albums of fantasy art.

Etteilla’s Livre de Thot Tarot (ca. 1789)

Selected cards from a full Tarot deck.

https://gamerplus.org/photo/useralbum/hairylarry/134

The Children Of Odin

The Book of Northern Myths by Padraic Colum illustrated by Willy Pogany 1920.

https://gamerplus.org/photo/useralbum/hairylarry/135

I also have an interesting music project going, Creative Commons Jazz.

https://jazz.mixremix.cc/music.htm

Make a playlist for your next game. Enjoy!

Please forward this email to your gaming friends and share this link.

https://gamerplus.org/blogs/post/993

Thanks,
Hairy Larry
https://gamerplus.org/user/hairylarry
https://mastodon.social/@hairylarry
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com

Inspired Unreality open game chat is Saturday at 11:00 AM Central. This is the first Saturday of the month so our topic is Fantasy and Science Fiction. This is a broad topic including literature, movies, television, and games. Everyone is welcome. All Fantasy and Science Fiction is on topic.

Inspired Unreality is held every Saturday in the gamerplus chatrooms at Tenkar's Tavern on Discord. If you haven't been to Tenkar's there's a link for you here.

https://gamerplus.org/index

We had a couple of days downtime on our main page again. This time I was able to figure out the problem and repair it. Thanks to FollowMeAndDie for helping me solve this issue.

https://gamerplus.org/user/FollowMeAndDie

Last weekend I visited Eclectic Geekery, Sarah's and Megan's bookstore, and I played chill jazz piano at Beatles Park.

https://gamerplus.org/user/Sarah

https://gamerplus.org/user/Megantopia

I livestreamed over twitch using my phone hotspot. The entire rig, piano, pa, phone, and streaming equipment runs on batteries. So I can go anywhere where my phone gets good signal and livestream without an extension cord.

Way cool.

Gamer+ post with photo (Thanks Carl).
https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/4526

HairyLarryLand Twitch Stream (please follow)
https://www.twitch.tv/hairylarryland

Sunbathing In "Low Earth Orbit" on Youtube (please follow)
https://youtu.be/mfRIxCOc3Xw

I don't want to forget about family game last Saturday. My son Carl was DM playing Castles and Crusades. Around the table was my grandson Conner playing a thief, my son Kier playing a fighter, I was a dwarven cleric, my Foster grandson, Simon, played a wizard, and my Foster grandnephew, Luke, played a wizard. Game highlights are at this link.

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/4524

Please forward this email to your gaming friends and share this link.

https://gamerplus.org/blogs/post/905

Thanks,
https://gamerplus.org/user/hairylarry
https://mastodon.social/@hairylarry
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com

Tonight on Inspired Unreality join Ari and Caper in their quest for mushrooms and tea. At least that's what we did last week when Ari's cat, Tude, found a book, Ari and the witch deciphered a tea blend from one of the pages in the book, Caper went to the woods to hunt for mushrooms, the witch brewed the tea, and when Ari and the witch drank the tea they became far sighted and could see Caper leaving the woods several miles away as if they were looking through a powerful telescope. What will happen next? Nobody knows. Because we're winging it.

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/4113

Inspired Unreality open game chat is held every Monday night in the gamerplus chatrooms at Tenkar's Tavern on Discord. If you haven't been to Tenkar's Tavern we have an invitation for you here.

https://gamerplus.org/index

Those who are Related To Geeks finally reconvened in person after over a year of getting together in Zoom and on Gather. At our Saturday family game we fought the giant ants that invaded Fair Day. On Sunday we restored a wizard who had been turned to stone. We also ate a lot and talked a lot and I played piano. Great weekend, especially that last part.

Follow Me And Die posted a new podcast, Episode 197 - Down the Rabbit Hole of UAPs/UFOs. "With the recent buzz over the release of some videos of various sensor data of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, the new term for UFO, I decided to explore "What if...." and apply it to the realm of RPGs." He also posted a companion blog post.

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/4114

Saturday afternoon I had my family participate on my twitch stream. I set up on the front porch using all battery operated equipment, piano, PA, tablet, laptop, and a hotspot on my phone. There were some problems. The battery died on the laptop and I had to plug it in. Webcams are not good in daylight. I am working on these issues and will discuss them in a blog post, Setting Up A Twitch Studio - Going Portable after I figure them out.

You are invited to join Ari and Caper tonight on Inspired Unreality. Please update us on your games and projects. My contact info is below or better yet post to Gamer+.

Thanks,
Hairy Larry
https://gamerplus.org/user/hairylarry
hairylarry@curators.mixremix.cc
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com

Tonight! Like every Monday night, Inspired Unreality starts at 9:00 Central. Opening topic tonight is Family Game. Do you play D&D with your family? We love our three generation D&D games. Viv and I playing with our kids and grandkids. Our family game tradition predates grandkids. And that was a while back.

As always Inspired Unreality is in the gamerplus chatrooms at Tenkar's Tavern on Discord. If you've never been to Tenkar's Tavern we have an invitation for you here.

https://gamerplus.org/index

Follow Me And Die started a post about Solo RPGs and the discussion continues. I've never played solo but I listened to his podcast and I can see how it can help get the creative juices flowing. ZDL recommended the Mythic rules for solo play.

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/4081

Also we have a group for Solo Tabletop Games.

https://gamerplus.org/groups/7

Megan and I discussed our twitch streams last week on Inspired Unreality and let me tell you, it doesn't get more unreal than twitch. I continued to improve my HairyLarryLand twitch studio and I commented on it here.

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/4080

If you like to spend hundreds on the hope of making tens twitch is for you. Good thing I'm retired. Actually my twitch stream serves two purposes. Structured practice and video production. I now have two videos posted that are excerpted from my stream.

https://peertube.hairylarry.rocks/video-channels/twitch/videos

So do you have a twitch stream? One of the things Megan and I discussed was RPGs on twitch. How does that work? Do you have a regular or occasional family game? My contact info is below. Better yet post your thoughts on Gamer+.

Thanks,
Hairy Larry
https://gamerplus.org/user/hairylarry
hairylarry@curators.mixremix.cc
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com

Session notes for December 19, 2020

After we finished at the Archive Of The White Mage the blacksmith and his sons take the road back to town, their cart heavy laden with the metal they had salvaged from the animated statue of Moloch. We take off through the forest worried about goblins trapping animals. We were all well horsed and the raccoon and bear dog ran alongside.

Although we see no new tracks we do find the old tracks fairly well preserved and endeavor to follow them. We see a large pit some ways ahead and the tracks seem to lead right to it. We approach cautiously and smell a terrible scent.

We see some unhealthy trees around the pit in fact the whole area looks nothing like the vibrant forest we just left. One of the trees, about 20 feet from the pit, looks like it has a door in it. Caper says, "Let's check out that tree with a door." Leaf and Caper approach the tree.

The tree has a lot of knotholes and what appears to be an inset door, fit tight with no handle. Caper tries opening the door by twisting and pushing on the knots. No luck. The door remains stuck fast. Leaf reaches up and tries the knots above the door. Still no luck.

Caper looks at the ground and sees several roots. Pulling on the third root opens the door which slides sideways into the tree. We see steep steps going down towards the pit.

Leaf decides to check things out before we head down the stairs. He silently crosses the 20 feet to the edge of the pit and peeks over the edge. The pit is about 90 feet deep. 30 feet down Leaf can see a bridge made of wood and ropes that goes from our side of the pit all the way across to the other side. At the bottom of the pit is a blue shining portal constantly moving and shining as if lit from behind.

Caper calls the rest of the party over and we proceed down the stairs. About 20 feet down we see a large empty chamber. Listening carefully Ari and Leaf can hear music from below. In the corner of the room is a hole going down. Caper listens and looks down at the hole.

Caper recognizes the song called "The Redcaps Caper". Redcaps are evil faeries, not as powerful as some faeries. Their caps are dyed red with human blood and if a Redcap's cap dries out he dies.

We descend the second set of stairs following the music.

At the bottom of the stairs we see a big room with a row of pillars. At the end of the pillars is an open mouth in a monstrous face. The music is coming out through the mouth.



Ari looks through the mouth into the next chamber. Two goblinoid creatures are dancing and tormenting a halfling who is playing the music on his flute.

Nobody can stand for this so we attack the goblins with arrows and thrown daggers. Both arrows hit and one dagger hits. One of the goblins drops. Soon the other joins him, both dead.

We rescue Boffin the halfling who insists we leave immediately. Prudence dictates and we agree to accompany Boffin back to town. On the way back Boffin tells us that the goblinoids had been dropping dead animals into the portal at the bottom of the pit. He has no idea why and he was afraid they were going to drop him off the bridge too so he kept playing his flute while they danced. Fortunately we came along to rescue him before he was too tired to play.

Tonight! At 9:00! Central! Inspired Unreality Open Game Chat.

After having a weekend of family gaming online we are going to discuss playing online as a way of staying in touch with your family. Kind of on the Family Game theme we were going to discuss last week but instead we discussed other stuff.

And that's fine. Bring your own topic. All gaming is on topic.

Inspired Unreality is held every Monday in the gamerplus chatrooms at Tenkar's Tavern on Discord. If you haven't been to Tenkar's Tavern we have an invite for you here.

https://gamerplus.org/index

We played Virtual Dirty Santa! Here's a post with all of our virtual gifts.

https://gamerplus.org/blogs/post/440

Related To Geeks - Season 2 Episode 12 - D&D as portrayed in other media

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/3081https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/3060

Sound and I have been going on a bit about Birkenstock. Must be somewhere near Milyagon because we get all the same Player Characters showing up both places.

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/3060

I like this Hiroshi Yoshida artwork. All Public Domain. Not specifically fantasy but they could be used in oriental fantasy settings.

https://gamerplus.org/photo/useralbum/hairylarry/90

And I dug out my Two Geeks Video. It's a hoot. And less than a minute long. I like the way the play button makes me look like a spaceman.

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/3085

Spread the word. Share with your friends.

Thanks,
Hairy Larry
https://gamerplus.org/user/hairylarry
hairylarry@curators.mixremix.cc (on Friendica)
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com

Inspired Unreality open game chat tonight at 9:00 Central. Our starting topic will be Family Game. Have you played with members of your family? Is this a special thing that your family does? As always bring your own topic. All gaming is on topic.

We will be in the gamerplus chatrooms at Tenkar's Tavern on Discord. If you've never been to Tenkar's Tavern we have an invite for you here.

https://gamerplus.org/index

Follow Me And Die posted a link to Project Northmoor. They want to save Tolkien's home and make it a literary center. I certainly wish them all success. I'm in the middle of my first middle earth reread right now so I've got Tolkien on my mind.

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/3045

Follow Me And Die also posted about "Simple rules for spell research in AD&D."

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/3053

I can't stand the denouement but there are I's to be crossed and T's to be dotted in our tale of the Archive Of The White Mage. Here's a link to the session summary where we go back to the Archive with help from some blacksmiths to do some major deconstruction.

https://gamerplus.org/blogs/post/428

I made one little joke and then ... ZDL and I discuss "Rule 1 - don't whistle on Discord."

https://gamerplus.org/newsfeed/3014

Join us tonight at 9:00 for Inspired Unreality. Stay in touch.

Thanks,
Hairy Larry
https://gamerplus.org/user/hairylarry
hairylarry@curators.mixremix.cc (follow me on the fediverse)
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com

Session notes for December 1, 2020

We go back to town to see Burt the blacksmith. He's a big strong man with a large moustache and a bald head.



Leaf talks to Burt about his armor. He says he will reinforce his armor and design a leaf on it for 20 GP.

I talk to Burt about dismantling the statues. He and his sons, Bart and Barry, are willing to help. They ain't got no truck with evil. We will leave in the morning.

We go to see Longo Shotins the halfling fletcher and bowyer. Leaf purchases a bow and arrows for 45 GP.

The next morning we set off for The Archive taking the long road around the forest. The blacksmiths are in a horse drawn cart with their tools.

When we get there we enter through the front door and check things out. Nothing has changed. Marusan has not returned. The skeletons have not reformed. The glass golem skylight is still in place.

Burt tries to break the stone statues with his big hammer. This doesn't mark them. Leaf detects magic and both stone statues, the large metal statue, and the skylight are all infused with magic. Since Burt can't break the stone statues he takes his sons to dismantle the metal statue.

Leaf uses the Rod Of Pan-Severi on the stone statues. A whirlwind springs from the rod but it doesn't hurt the statues.

Leaf tries the rod again. This time the rod makes Leaf smaller. He is only 2 feet tall, shorter than Caper.

Leaf tries the rod again and nothing happens. The rod is smaller too since Leaf was holding it. Wondering if he wore it out he tries again and 17 gems fly out of the end of the rod and bounce off the statue not hurting it in any way. Since the rest of the party has left the room, wary of the rod, Leaf pockets the 17 gems.

Leaf tries again. Now he's about 2 inches tall. A tiny little Leaf.

Caper comes to check on Leaf and finds him 2 inches tall. Leaf tries the rod again and a poison green gas fills the room. Caper saves with a nat 20.

Caper picks up tiny Leaf to see if he can crawl in the statue's earhole. Nope, the statue is all solid rock.

Tiny Leaf tries the rod again. No luck. Nothing happens.

Ari pours holy water on the neck of the statue and then Burt takes a mighty swing with his big hammer and busts his head off.

Caper thinks there might be a trap door or something hidden by the statues. He ties his rope around the head of the other statue and the blacksmiths pull it over revealing only floor.

Ari pours holy water on the neck of the prone statue and Burt busts it's head off.

The party goes up on the roof and the blacksmiths bust out the skylight with their hammers. A chromatic being forms in the air in front of us. Then the color slowly bleeds out of him into the sky and he disappears.

Ari detects magic and there is no magic left in the archive. The blacksmiths can now bust up the stone statues and we carry the gravel to the creek. The blacksmiths load the metal into the cart to take to Father Abraham to see if this metal is now safe to use.

It's late in the day so we make camp. We eat and sleep setting watches. Nothing happens in the night. In the morning Leaf is back to his normal size. Checking the Archive the skylight is not back and there is still no sign of Marusan.

We take stones from the creek and stuff them in the hole in the wall leading to the jail cell. We break camp and get ready to go back to Birkenstock.

Session notes for November 18, 2020

When we enter the temple Marusan is gone, The skylight has been replaced. Everything looks like it did the first time we saw it.

Leaf shoots the skylight with the rod of Pann-Severi. It emits a bright white light and everyone is blinded.

After a while we recover our sight. Leaf wants to try again. The rest of us leave the room. This time the rod shoots a fireball and explodes the skylight.

We check the statue of Moloch. The rope is gone. Marusan is not in it. The tubes are still cut.

The tombs in the side rooms are open and empty. No undead or weapons lie within.

We check Marusan's study. EVerything is like it was when we left it. The chests are open and empty.

We check the supply room. It's been cleared out. No supplies left in it.

In the secret room behind the temple Caper looks for a trap door and finds a loose flagstone. We lift the stone and find a tunnel with steep stairs leading down.

Leaf pokes his head through the hole in the floor and looks around with his dark vision. He sees a hall with a door at the end and light shining under it from the next room.

We go down into the hall and I check the door. We look under it and check through the keyhole. We see skeleton bones.

Caper checks for traps on the door but he can't tell if it's trapped. He tries to open the door wide. But it's locked. He tries the keys from the jailor and one of them opens the door. He opens the door wide. There are 5 skeletons and Marusan at his desk. He looks bad.

Leaf shoots a fireball into the room with the rod. Caper slams the door shut to protect the party.

When we open the door they are all dead in the room. Caper pours some of the jailor's potion on Marusan.

We smash the skeleton bones into small pieces and throw them into a nearby creek. We burn Marusan in a huge fire outside.

Leaf hits the metal statue with a beam from the rod. It gets 50% bigger and now it barely fits in the temple.

We go outside and look through the papers and books in our packs for information about the rod. Back inside we go through Marusan's library. We find nothing about the rod but we do discover that the potion was supposed to be drunk by Marusan before he died. So all we know is that the rod is chaotic and that Marusan is probably coming back.

We decide to camp instead of going back to town.

At midnight we hear scraping from inside the temple. We light torches and go in. The scraping is the skylight glass golem reassembling.

We hear noises from the tomb rooms. The bones are reforming and dropping out of the air onto the floor.

We throw the bones into the tombs putting the heads together, arms together, etc. so there is no complete skeleton in any tomb. We cover the tombs with the lids. Finch the raccoon hears something in Marusan's study. Leaf talks to Finch. The sound is snoring.

Opening the door we see Marusan sleeping on the bed.

Caper sneaks into the room and pours the potion into Marusan's mouth just as he wakes. He chokes on the potion. Leaf chops his head off. Marusan glows green and dissipates into the air. We're pretty sure that this time he is dead.

I mean really dead. (Not mostly dead.)