Random Average – Revel in the Geekgasm

Scum and Villainy, Session 04/16, Bugs Mister Rico

We delve into our first Downtime, and the ship picks up some hitchhikers.

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More on the Adventures of the Smartwoods

The kids and I played the aforementioned Bikes and Books game a couple times over the weekend and Monday night, getting the Smartwood kids ever closer to figuring out how and why the Assistant Principle is trying to change the town’s history to make an entirely different list of people the heroes of Fayville’s illustrious past.

Mar, the eldest, took particular umbrage at the last history-changing ritual, which seems to have replaced recognition of the towns many great women with “Men of Industry”, during the middle of a town parade. She even thought she’d managed to stop the man from affecting his diabolical plan, but although she immobilized him with some magic of her own, the magic still went off, albeit with lessened effect.

Something is going on that the kids just don’t understand. Someone else was in the Assistant Principle’s house the night Ken snuck in and found the room behind the giant clock in the house’s cupola tower – someone with a limp and cane… neither of which the AP has.

They need answers, and the only way to get them is sneaking back into that house.

This time, together.

Scum and Villainy, Session 03, Rising Action

The crew escapes the confines of Warren’s gravity well… and the attentions of the 51st Legion.

Then, finally, Kei tells everyone what she thinks the Ur artifact from the case… MIGHT be.

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Calling on the Hivemind

Anyone have good suggestions for phone / app friendly play by post platforms or tools?

The Masks game I play with my daughter and two of her friends hit a real high note with the most recent session, but it looks like we won’t be able to get back to the table until almost mid-August. Need something for asynchronous one-on-one play with a generation that associates “email” with “homework.”

Also, they’re going to be on the road a lot, so something that requires a PC for best experience is not recommended.

The Smartwood Children (a Lasers and Feelings hack for my kids)

This weekend has been chock-a-block with face to face gaming goodness with cool kids.

Friday was the 14th session of Masks: Phoenix Academy game with Kaylee and the Jamies and, I think, possibly one of the best sessions so far. (Which is good, because we’re not going to be able to play again until something like mid-August. :sadface: )

Sunday morning had a return to the The Hollow-inspired game for Sean and Zoe and Kaylee (Ryu and Grace and Angel). Things are starting to come apart, and Mr. Weirdo came to them to ask for help(?!?)

And Sunday evening, we tried something new: a Hilda-inspired weird-little-town, with Sean and Zoe and Kaylee playing siblings who are all part of the family who traditionally deal with ‘weird stuff’ in the world. Mom and Dad handle the BIG weird stuff out in the world, because “the town kind of takes care of itself” – without realizing that it’s actually their KIDS who take care of the town.

Back in the old country, their family were the Swartwoods. Grandpa changed his name when he came here, though, so say hello the Smartwoods: Mar (Marzipan), Ken (Kennelworth), and Zo (Zoology) Smartwood.

It’s basically a little bit Hilda (netflix), a little bit Courtney Crumrin, a little bit Goonies, set in the sort of town where this sort of thing happens and everyone sort of knows it, played with a Lasers and Feelings hack I made up called Bikes and Books.

The characters and game came together well and, after supper, we got ready for bed and played some more in lieu of bedtime stories. The Smartwood kids ran into a little trouble with the town deputies when Ken broke into the new Assistant Principle’s house to poke around, and they haven’t figured out why the town history seems to be … changing … but things are moving RIGHT along.

Good, good stuff.

Masks, Phoenix Academy, Session 14 – “Personally, I Vote for Monotone Screaming”

Intro Video!

The team has a LOT of stuff going on. A LOT. So much happens, you guys.

It’s one of those sessions where the most common roll is Take a Powerful Blow.

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Scum and Villainy, Session 02, Alley Oops

The crew heads back to the Fast Buck to get the hell off Warren.

Monster runs into an old friend with a shiny new gun.

Drifter has a cool little urbot.

Kei is, if nothing else, better at lying to soldiers than Han.

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Scum and Villainy, Session 01, “Five Smugglers Walk Into a Bar…”

We get our Scum and Villainy game rolling… with a dead body.

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Masks, Phoenix Academy, Session 13 – Fifty-five Minutes

The team plays super-powered musical chairs. Amazingly, no one dies.

Many chairs were harmed in the filming of this episode.

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Scum and Villainy, Session 00, Actual play

We work out the crew and characters for our new Scum and Villainy game.

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Masks, Menagerie Actual Play, Session 63, Lo! There Shall Come an Ending!, part 2

Conclusion to the Menagerie RPG. Part 2.

Intro music by Mikhael Bureau.

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Masks, Menagerie Actual Play, Session 63, Lo! There Shall Come an Ending!, part 1

Conclusion to the Menagerie RPG. Part 1.

Intro music by Mikhael Bureau.

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Masks, Phoenix Academy, Session 12 – Meet the Parents

The team members each have a sort-of date… to meet their boyfriends’ parents.

Oh, and it seem like Vanquish is sneaking secret soldiers onto the planet or something. Whatever.

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Masks, Menagerie Actual Play, Session 62 – They Who Would Destroy Us

Down and out in the Magic Kingdom.

Intro music by Mikhael Bureau.

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Masks, Phoenix Academy, Session 11 – Whoop Whoop, Whoopity Whoop

The team gets ready for homecoming, deals with adults being adults, faces off against Ember’s mom and, FINALLY, make it to the dance.

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Masks, Phoenix Academy, Session 10 – Midterms Meltdown

The team deals with midterm drama.

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Masks, Menagerie Actual Play, Session 61 – We’re Going to DISNEY World…

The team spends two tense days preparing themselves for a prophesied encounter between Magus Everard and Doctor Infinity. As the fight emerges, they activate Leo’s time-space anchor and engage in battle against two powerful foes.

Intro music by Mikhael Bureau.

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Masks, Menagerie Actual Play, Session 60 – The Peril and the Power

(In memory of Stan Lee.)

The team discusses the statue situation and come up with a plan of action, involving a stable time loop.

Intro music by Mikhael Bureau.

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Masks, Menagerie Actual Play, Session 59 – Four Pots on the Stove

Maury Jones hangs out at the team base for awhile.

Intro music by Mikhael Bureau.

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Masks, Menagerie Actual Play, Session 58 – For Just One Minute More

The team leaves a building.

Intro music by Mikhael Bureau.

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Masks, Menagerie Actual Play, Session 57 – For Just One Minute

Adam sorts out some family problems.

Intro music by Mikhael Bureau.

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For the (Lizard) Queen!

Kim can’t make the regular Friday game, so Kate and Amanda and I play For the Queen!

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Masks, Phoenix Academy, Session 9 – Stop Trying to Cauterize My Wounds!

The team faces off against Alias and his crew, INSIDE their base.

Also, Palancine pretends to be Ember. It’s goes SUPER.

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Masks, Menagerie Actual Play, Session 56 – Out of Hand

After some table talk, a bit of punch.

Intro music by Mikhael Bureau.

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Masks, Menagerie Actual Play, Session 55 – Grave Repercussions

The team – or at least the individuals within – deal with the aftermath of the destruction from the cemetery fight with the thing they dubbed Pandemonium.