kaylee – Random Average

Masks PA, Session 17, “My Head Hurts from Screaming – 2019-12-01

The team has had several months to track down clues bout Invictus. Ember does science. Palacine works on Colin. Sil makes connections in school. Everyone fights some invictus-powered criminals. http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Masks-PA-Session-17-2019-12-01-My-Head-Hurts-From-Screaming.mp3Podcast (randompodcast): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

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The Smartwood Kids: Session 5 (Halloween, pt 2)

We (myself, Kaylee, Sean, and Zoe) continue the adventures of Marzipan, Kenilworth, and Zoology Smartwood, as they defend the town from alien invasion on Halloween. http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2019-11-29-Smartwood-Halloween-pt-2.mp3Podcast (randompodcast): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

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Minecraft – Underwater Edition

The family and I spend a bit of time playing Minecraft. One way we spend that time is on Testertopia, a realm server we can access via Switch, Windows 10, iPad, Android… whatever. Just lately, we found an ocean (finally), and after battling it out with some Guardians for control of an ancient ruin, we […]

Masks: Phoenix Academy – Session 16 – Invictus Sucks / Tater Tots in Space!

The group argues about what to do about Invictus, and finally settles on sunbathing, snacks… and blowing up a space ship. The image for this session goes with events at around 2:15:00, give or take. Also, check out 2:20:45 for a preview of Masks: Phoenix Academy – The Musical! http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-09-15-Masks-PA-Session-16-Screw-Invictus-Tater-Tots-in-Space.mp3Podcast (randompodcast): Play in new window […]

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Masks: Phoenix Academy – Session 15 – Regroup, Fail, Repeat

Intro Video! It’s Kaylee’s birthday, and the end of the first week of REAL LIFE high school for our players, so between birthday cake, rehashing school, decompression, and half the team needing an early bedtime for marching band practice the next morning… … and introducing some totally amazing character art I got commissioned for the […]

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Hogwarts RPG

Spent the afternoon playing Hogwarts with the kids. Elici Davies (fifth year Hufflepuff), Emma Quinn (1st year Gryffindor), and Will Finnegan (third year Ravenclaw) are ‘siblings’ fostered by the same magic-friendly muggle family. I asked them for something weird that happens on the train ride (while will studied “A New History of Hogwarts” and ate […]

Masks, Phoenix Academy play-by-posts, Sessions 14.1, 14.2, and 14.3

We’ve had a looooooong stretch where we’ve been unable to play Masks with my daughter’s group. To deal with the withdrawal, I ran solo play-by-post things with each player, both to move some plotlines and, at their request, get some time with their boyfriends. It went really well! (Some players take to PbP better than […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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. http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2019-07-06-Masks-PA-Session-14-Personally-I-Vote-for-Monotone-Screaming.mp3Podcast (randompodcast): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

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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. http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019-06-21-Masks-PA-Session-13.mp3Podcast (randompodcast): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

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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. http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019-06-09-Masks-Session-12-Meet-the-Parents.mp3Podcast (randompodcast): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

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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. http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-05-29-Masks-PA-Session-11.mp3Podcast (randompodcast): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

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Masks, Phoenix Academy, Session 10 – Midterms Meltdown

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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. http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-04-27-Masks-PA-Session-09.mp3Podcast (randompodcast): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

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Masks, Phoenix Academy, Session 8 – Jiggety Jig

The team figures out Alias’s diversion and block his access to the computer servers at their (previously, his) base. http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2019-03-31-Masks-PA-Session-08.mp3Podcast (randompodcast): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

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Psi*Run – Oneshot Actual play

Palacine’s Jamie is out of town, so we can’t play Masks. Instead Kaylee, Ember-Jamie, and I blast through a one-shot session of Psi-Run, by Meguey Baker. It delivers. http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2019-03-16-Psi-run-Oneshot.mp3Podcast (randompodcast): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

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Masks, Phoenix Academy, Session 7 – Nice and Broken

Sil catches up with Maria, and gets told. Ember gets lectured by AEGIS a bit. Palacine gets some advice from Collin and… kisses him? Unexpectedly? What? The team meets up in the base and give Patrol a call. After talking with Patrol, the team splits up. Ember has a date with Riptide. Sil has a […]

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A Potentially Gaming Heavy Weekend

Tonight, the first proper session of Apocalypse World: Ironwall with Kate and Kim and Amanda. Sunday, Masks: Phoenix Academy with Kaylee and Jaime and Jaime. Monday, Scum & Villainy: The Fast Buck, with the regular crew. (Also possibly boardgame night with coworkers on Saturday.) I’ve got a leeeettle bit of stress about all this, since […]

How to Train Your (Kid to Love Dungeons and) Dragon(s)

I’m probably (definitely) projecting, but the bit in How to Train Your Dragon where Hiccup and Astrid bring their kids to meet Toothless and Stormfly is a kind of “passing on this wonderful, magical secret in an otherwise mundane world” that really makes me think of introducing your kids to tabletop roleplaying. When their daughter’s […]

Masks – Phoenix Academy – Session 6 – Date Night in Cloud Cuckoo Land

The team faces off against Oversight’s disapproval, then (finally) gets their date night with the bois. http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02-18-MasksPA-Session06-Date-Night-in-Cloud-Cuckoo-Land.mp3Podcast (randompodcast): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

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Looking Back at a Remarkably RPG-heavy Week

I’ve been lucky enough to have a regular gaming group for Some Time Now (thanks, #Roll20 !) – I don’t have the hard numbers, but I think we’re averaging ~48-50 game sessions a year in the main Monday night group. The weekend just past was a bit of a jackpot. On Friday night, I ran […]

Actual Play: Masks Phoenix Academy, Session 5 – Snaking My Way Downtown

The team is in Belize. Ember melts Belize. Palacine snakes one of her palace guards out of a crater. Silhouette bleeds to protect the team. Repeatedly. Also she’s really bad at comfort & support. http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02-02-MasksEG-Session-05-Snaking-My-Way-Downtown.mp3Podcast (randompodcast): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

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Masks Phoenix Academy, Actual Play – Session 4 – Skip Day

Everyone deals with some aftermath from Alias’s attack on the P.E. class. Some handle it better than others. Ember talks with her brother, gets frustrated, takes an unauthorized skip-day with her chem-lab partner, who has… real chemistry. Silhouette and her mentor are not getting on. With anyone, or each other. Palacine is making friends with […]

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Masks Phoenix Academy, Session 3 – Why I Hate Gym Class (or: The Secret of Jack-toast)

The team deals with the most horrible of school challenges – a Tuesday morning after a bad Monday. Ember’s mom hates all supers, Palacine is being asked to explain human behavior, and Silhouette may have just told Jack Monday she’s copying his breakfast preferences. Oh, and Alias tries to kill them during gym class or […]

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Masks Phoenix Academy, Session 2 – The Non-Frolick

The team deals with teacher-pressure, social pressure, and a team-building exercise that goes sideways. Everyone – especially Sil – had a rough time this session (except for Ember’s dice which were… hot), but they soldiered through, we had a good talk frustrating stuff, doubled down on the good stuff, and got a really nice reveal […]

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Masks Phoenix Academy, Actual Play, Session 01 – Comicbook Clickbait

Our first session with Kaylee and her friends as Silhouette, Ember, and Palacine. The team fights Voltaic, recovers in the Phoenix Academy infirmary, and finds their new base. My favorite bits: * Ember rising up above the crowd and denying their Influence, blasting Voltaic and revoking Influence from the whole Phoenix Academy student body. * […]

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Thoughts After a Year+ of running Masks

Last night, our Monday-night gaming group wrapped up our Menagerie campaign of Masks, with the 63rd game session. (The podcast is time-shifted quite a bit – it won’t reach the end of the game until early June of 2019.) It’s been a great run; one of my all-time favorite games, not least because we ended […]

Masks EG – Session 00 AP Recording

In which our players create their heroes. PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a great recording – we were in a very active coffee/game shop throughout, and I basically only recorded it so I’d have something to refer back to later, but if you’re interested, here it is. http://randomaverage.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2018-11-25-masks-eg-00.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple […]

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