Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Wednesday Comics: DC, July 1983 (week 1)
Monday, April 8, 2024
The Elements of Generic D&D
Over the years since its creation, the standard mode of D&D has become a subgenre of fantasy unto itself, codified now in the other rpgs that followed on its coattails and the other media they've inspired. GURPS terms it "Dungeon Fantasy," though I don't think it required dungeons--though obviously they play a big part.
- The primary characters are a loose group of companions.
- Well-defined character roles/types and capabilities, very often recognized within the fictional world.
- Characters engaged in quests or missions in dangerous locales, mostly commonly underground.
- A setting with pre-modern technology.
- Adventurers as a recognized role in society.
- A large variety of monsters, categorized and taxonomized.
- Hierarchies of capability within character types.
- The development of character abilities and capabilities over time through dangerous trials. Sometimes there are in-setting codified tiers or levels.
Friday, April 5, 2024
Xeno-File: Ythnat
Art by Jason Sholtis |
The ythnat evolved from omnivorous, beaked homeotherms. They are smaller than most known sophonts being around 1 meter tall on average. They are not above using their size and appearance to ingratiate themselves or at least appear non-threatening to others. It would be a mistake to underestimate them, however. They are "first among equals" in the Interstellar Compact by their own admission. In actuality, the o'omkaro and the hna-hunkpa are essentially client civilizations.
It has been opined that the ythnat have no laws, only obligations. Compared to human cultures, they certainly rely on complicated webs of patronage, referent power, and custom, more so than codified law. The contract, however, is always sarcosanct. The planetary political structure of the ythnat is prone to change to a dizzying degree, but the powerful merchant princes and syndicates effectively control the planetary economy and that of the entire Compact.
Thursday, April 4, 2024
The Retro-Reviews Continue!
This is your periodic reminder that Jason Sholtis and I are still watching old TV shows free on streaming and blogging about them on the Flashback Universe blog. This week was the Western Have Gun – Will Travel (1957). The week before was the trucker drama Movin' On (1974).
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Wednesday Comics: Fourth World Omnibus vol 2
Recently DC released The Fourth World Omnibus vol 2. This 1336 page, backbreaking tome is the companion to the equally voluminous volume 1. That volume covered most of Kirby's work on the Fourth World mythos. This volume picks up with the continuation of the characters in concepts by other hands: Gerber's Mister Miracle, Conway's New Gods revival, the Great Darkness Saga in Legion of Super-Heroes, and Kirby's return with Super Powers, and a lot of other stuff. A lot of it is, well, not that great but some things (like the Great Darkness Saga and the Justice League two-parter on Apokolips) are, and others are at least interesting.
Here's the full contents: Mister Miracle #19-25; The New Gods #12-19; Adventure Comics #459-460; The Brave and the Bold #112, #128, and #138; DC Comics Presents #12; First Issue Special #13; Justice League of America #183-185; Legion of Super-Heroes #290-294; Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3; Secret Society of Super-Villains #1-5; Super Powers #1-5; Super Powers (vol. 2) #1-6; Super Powers (vol. 3) #1-4; Super Powers Collection #13-23; Super-Team Family #15; and stories from DC Special Series #10 and Legion of Super-Heroes #287.
I'm not a thick omnibus reader myself, but I do like to see these handsome volumes sitting on my shelf while I read digital.
Friday, March 29, 2024
The Shreev Comes to Thono Inn
- Antor Hogus (Paul) - Vagabond. Reckless.
- Jerfus Grek (Jason) - A vagabond as well, but more measured.
- Nortin Tauss (Aaron) - Dabbler in the arcane. This time, he dabbles!
- Yzma Vekna (Andrea) - Scruffy teamster with a blunderbuss and a willingness to use it.