Today was a good day

Today was a good day. At work, I addressed a number of issues, which resulted in our projects receiving a big-time improvement (Unit tests FTW!).

I also received a little something from Irene and sent her more requests and asks... All having to deal with Rhym, which is coming together quite well. First draft is in and now comes the work of finishing it all. It looks like the book will be around 150 pages!

I think I got through my major block on an adventure I've been working on for Saggakar... I had two great NPCs that felt completely forced together in an adventure that was just feeling forced into one location. Then this morning, it dawned on me, something I proposed to many of my writers: split out stuff, focus on one aspect and see where that leads you. Turns out it did solve my problem and led me to having two different adventure seeds and renewed focus.

Good stuff.

So today was a good day.

JP

[Commission] Zombie Horde

Four zombie axe-flingers for ArcadiaQuest.

Each has slightly different hair color. The darker fellow idea came from the work I was doing. As I used the magic dip, one guy came out of that step with a blackened face. From there, it made a lot of sense to change the black to brown. And it really made the character pop among the other guys. These guys were fun, simple and fairly quick to paint.

[Cryx Monday] A new Denagra for 2016

Part of the Facebook Megalot, I received another Denagra, this time the classic, original model. This one I think I will use her as a RPG character.

I painted her, but a later sculpt, the plastic one I think back in 2012... I put her next to the new mini for comparison.

[Commission] The Samurai and the Archer

This pair is a fairly random one. Two simple characters, no real story about either of them. Female Legolas has large... eyes, and the card had her with pink eye shadow... she is pretty nice I think.

Two-weapon fighters

Two more adventurers from my Reaper Bones pile. Originally, I wanted to use them for the Rhym Iconics but then found other, more representative characters...

[Commission] The Neko and the Assassin

More ArcadiaQuest... This time, a catgirl and the guy from Assassin's Creed!

The Catgirl was a challenge, having so many different elements: braid beads, scarf, tigered ears, head flowers, tail, her clothes, and her book. Just all over the place, really. Still I really like that model.

Now when I first saw the model, I was excited about painting such an iconic video game character. However, this model never popped for me as a painter. I dunno if its the last of face (I painted the top of his face black to hide it from view). Without going very much off-script and give him different colors, I can't say I overly enjoyed painting that guy. The end result is nice, but it never became super-exciting to do.

[Commission] Drizzt and the Pink Elf

Drizzt and the Pink elf for Will's ArcadiaQuest

[Commission] Friday of the Dead entries.

As it is Friday, two zombies. The two have minute differences between each other that are hard to spot with the pix. Can you spot them?

Legion Neraph

Working on the new Legion Starter Kit.

[Commission] Doctor FrankenSTEEN and EYE-gor

Okay, this pair is one of the most awesome group of villains I had to paint for this set... It is based on Young Frankenstein with Gene Wilder's Doctor Frankenstein (pron. Franken-STEEN) and Marty Feldman's Igor (pron. EYE-gor). If you have not seen that movie yet. GO SEE IT NOW. It is funny as all heck! That cast is just AWESOME.

Love those dudes.

[Commission] The Dragon and the Frog

A new batch of goodies for Will. This set is part of another group he asked me to do for him. This set is the final of the models from the basic game. Next up will be first expansion, something about undead... should be a nice change. Though I do find myself a little sad as I really liked those model. Hopefully, I don't find any of these models at Gencon or cheap on Ebay...

So these two guys are Trogdor the Burninator and a frog-dude.

I did not realize it, but Trogdor came out very much like the Retribution models I just painted. I really only noticed that when I was working on the images. I like how it came out a lot. He should be ready to burninate

The sword on the frog really came out great. It looks very good and the effect really came out great.

Blackclad Wayfarer

This guy was part of the Facebook mega-lot. I painted him in a more natural tone than the typical black, like a patchwork of cloth scraps. This guy is greatly unbalanced and tips over all the time. That massive cloak is ridiculously heavy.

Dawnlord Vyros

Another goodies from the Facebook mega-lot. This guy is oddly positioned: that bird looks the wrong way, the sword looks like it should rest on his shoulder but doesn't.

Still, I really enjoyed painting this guy. As the first model in the Retribution I ever painted, he was pretty good and simple. I used the basic white/powder blue scheme but wanted to make it look grittier than the plastic/anime they often have.

[Cryx Monday] Bile Thralls

A group of bile thralls from a Facebook Mega-lot. Those things are gross and nasty. These came in two distinct blisters so I'm not sure if they can form a legal unit (I do not think so).

The rotting, nasty flesh for them is really a high point... They really came out nasty. YUCK.

Two Reaper Pirates

Yarr! Two pirates from the Reaper Bones pile.

[Commission] The Minotaur and the Troll

And the final two guys in this batch of ArcadiaQuest minis are two large-sized monsters: the Minotaur and the Troll.

The Minotaur, I must say, is not one of my favorites, it feels dull and lifeless. I know, you should never say that, but I did not like that guy. Perhaps if I'd gone and painted him with a completely different color scheme? Maybe like a Holstein cow with black and white spots? Maybe, but it would not have made a very good villain. Hilarious, yes. Now he's not bad, the paint job is good, but meh. Un-exciting

The Troll on the other hand is very cool. The skin color was an interesting challenge, seeing how it was not the more typical troll green, but orange. The bad with bones is very a nice addition. Perhaps if the Minotaur had such a bag? Now the pictures make it hard to see, but I have it dirty, as if blood dripped onto it. This guy feels characterful.

[Commission] This one has a CUNNING plan

This pair of fellows has one dude from Naruto (I think)

But the coolest one of this lost is the Black Adder...

[Commission] Three lady knights

These three knight ladies were painted for Frostgrave and/or Rhym. They are from the Reaper Bones pile.

[Commissions] ArcadiaQuest characters

These two characters are fairly standard ones. They are based off an anime I do not know. No great story here...

Short Fiction Contest Announcement

I have been thinking about this for a long time and think this might be a great time to launch this effort. I would like to launch a series of short fiction pieces set in Saggakar. These could be pretty much anything. During my many classes, I have found it fairly easy to come up with shorter stories than long ones and have been reading some really good ones.

Through this, I would like to meet new writing talent! This is your chance

Contest parameters

- All fiction should be original: written by you and not already published or submitted for publication elsewhere.

- The story must deal with themes of Saggakar: oppression, memory loss, slavery, redemption, and heroism against the odds.

- The story should be "traditional" fantasy (no sci-fi, no fanfic)

- Seven hundred to two thousand words for each submission

- An author can submit as many pieces of fiction as they want.

- All participants will be contacted shortly after the contest end.

- Submissions will be considered unedited drafts

- If your submission is not a winner, all rights will revert to you.

Prizes

- All participants will receive a unique Legacy Record granting them a unique bonus usable in the game.

- Winners will receive a copy of the final anthology and credit.

- Winners will receive a PDF copy of the Tyrants of Saggakar Player's Guide (5e or PFRPG).

- A grand prize winner will have their likeness (or someone of their choice) used for an NPC in an upcoming Tyrants of Saggakar product.

Does that seem fun? Pass the word, I'm thinking of running this for the month of March. (1-31st)

JP

[Commissions] Vampire-skunk ladies

Three more vampire ladies for Will's ArcadiaQuest collection. These ladies are also two evil ones and a good one.

I must say that the one with the white hair and black strand is by far my favorite of the bunch.

Always a bonus, their cleavage really looks nice and natural... I must say I am a big fan of the real thing.

Changing how Legacies Organized Play works

I have been thinking about ways to both improve and simplify the way Legacies work. With the addition of 5e and Pathfinder, trying to find ways to make both work.

As the poll taken last year showed, there is both a will and a desire for both system to be used. I recently submitted my events for Conglomeration, Origins, and Gencon. At all of these conventions will have 5e and Pathfinder events. Which led me to a think... so what if someone who played in one game would like to play in something else, but get to use their character.

So I jostled with a number of options and made decisions.

- First, I removed the faction-related tracking of favor points. From now on, you either get a favor point, or not. If you do not get it, it will be crossed off immediately. Most people did not fill that section anyway and many of the things I planned to use this with just do not work anymore. And I cannot find a time when this would be useful. The story section already fulfills this role.

- Second, since Rhym adventures and products are only produced for 5e, Rhym LRs will be portable to Pathfinder. I want people to who play to apply Legacies credit to their character. So, a player may apply credit from Rhym to apply to a Pathfinder character of a level similar to 5e.
   For example, Rhym-01 Black Sails is written for levels 1-4. Playing it will allow players to apply credit to a Rhym or 5e-Saggakar OR to a Pathfinder level 3 or 4.

I think these changes should diminish the campaign paperwork and give people versatility when approaching the campaign.

What do you think?

JP

[Commission] Two ArcadiaQuest Dracula

I will admit having mixed feelings about these two guys... They are ArcadiaQuest's Dracula look-alike. Like the Vampire Ladies I posted earlier this week, there is a good and an evil version of him.

My biggest issue with these dudes? That odd hat/crown they wear, with some strange bulb-like growth. I'm not quite sure what it should be. I really would've preferred to find wild hair with a diadem than that. The rest of the sculpt is fine, but to me those things... I painted one with a white base color and another one with black.

Like the Vampire Ladies, I used a different color to complete the skin. Without that head-blob, this could easily be one of my favorite model (not as awesome as Brian Blessed as MP's King Arthur, but pretty good).

[Commission] Reaper Bones Part B

More from the Reaper Bones pile before the next wave comes in.

This lot features a trio of elven spell casters. Two drow/First Ones and a high elf.

The drow on the left I painted with a web pattern on her dress while the over one I hoped would have a fine type of lace.

[Commission] The Best Character EVER. I mean EVER

More of Will's ArcadiaQuest. This mini-lot has two guys I really like.

The first guy is an Aladin/Prince of Persia mix. Very nice dude.

The other guy may be my favorite of all of those I painted thus far... Brian Blessed as King Arthur from Monty Python.

YES!

I KNOW! Isn't that the most awesome character ever assembled? Even as I write this, I feel my pulse racing at the simple awesomeness. I loved Brian Blessed in Black Adder and Flash Gordon... He's just so great. Now he's in Monty Python.

I need to breathe...

[Commission] Fantasy Characters Part A

Reaper goodies on the painting table. These guys were painted both for Frostgrave and RPGs. I just wanted to paint them because I wanted to, no special goals.

The first two are ranger/rogue types from Bones are are made of plastic.

[Commission] What Santa sent up to Louisville

These goodies are on their way north to a house with sugar monkeys and furry felines in Kentucky.

The first knight is painted in the color of House Ougozar from the Tyrants of Saggakar setting. A fairly simple but realistic-looking paint job. For a while I considered using this guy in a historical army I dream about (but amass lead for). I like how he came out a lot.

The second little guy/gal (it is supposed to be a female, but it is hard to say). I got that guy as part of Oathsworn Miniatures as part of their "Heroines in Sensible Shoes" kickstarter. I will provide a full review of the minis in a later post. The lighting came off very odd for this mini. The paint job was fairly simple to create a ranger character.

JP

[Commission] The Orc and the Goblin

More of Will's ArcadiaQuest models... This time hero orc and goblins.

The orc guys is vary large on that base, not unlike GW orcs.

The goblin was tricky because he has a series of head tattoos I recreated. But they turned out fine. I did not want to go much lighter on the shade of blue and make him make look like a character out of Tron.

[Commissions] Three vampire ladies

Will asked me to paint a new round of ArcadiaQuest models, and I've a HUGE lot of them to post here...

This is first group of good/evil minis where there is one version of the good characters and one of two of the evil version. This lady (iirc Lidya) is good in white and bad in black. To distinguish the two evil ladies, I used a few tricks. First one has under hair in yellow and the other in red before finishing both in blonde. Then the lacy trim used different colors.

Difficult to say with the picture, but the good one has a much livelier complexion that the evil ones.

Reaper Large Dragon

This dragon from the Bones II set was painted for dual use: silver or white dragon.

I am pretty certain such a creature would find its way into a Frostgrave game.