After a few weeks of exploration around the Navel of World where Gaia's temple rested, our heroes finally made their way into it where they found the entrance to Gaia's Temple. The massive temple was dominated by a "generous" statue of Mother-Earth herself.
Sarah's cat did not appreciate the dungeon section... And butt-pic'd us.
I was asked for the characters of the party and I generated some AI pics for each character.
Male Demigod (Hermes), Artificer/Wizard (War mage)
Male Titanborn (Cthonic), Druid (Shepherd)
Female Nymph, Rogue (Thief)
Male Demigod (Apollo), Paladin (Oath of the Ancients)
Male Human, Cleric of Hades
Male Demigod (Dionysus), Monk (Drunken Master)
I just finished watching this dumbassery of a car crash.
The first half or so... Was entertaining. But then... Pffff... He's always crying and he seems like the dumbest person on screen. There is a paradox that is never explained how he learned the secret combination. How he did that? Dunno! Who gave him the secret? Dunno! And the quick question about it is brushed away without questioning.
The "Companion" was the most stoic and emotionally stable character ever. She doesn't challenge anything, just goes with the madness as if she got on a bus on a Tuesday.
I never believed there was a serious threat and the resolution was pretty frikkin weak. I'm just so happy I did not pay to see that.
Would I rewatch? OOOOOOOOooooooh hell to the no! I had a tough time watching it to the end... So glad I'm not paying for that. I'll gladly watch the animated/ remastered versions of old Who. Unfortunately RTD's second stint is pretty craptastic.
Rating? 1/5 easy. It sucked. Everything was just... Bad.
As the party adventured, they came upon an island inhabited by sirens. The sirens gave them a run for their money as they had to swim towards the charming winged singers...
The sirens stood on small, sharp rocky islands and summoned the PCs to their side.
This pic was taken during the short time where Arboros summoned crocodiles to deal with the sirens... A great idea that ended with a failed concentration check...
Not every Titan is a towering monster. They come in all shapes and sizes!
While our Heroes tried get some rest, the cult of the Kraken moved in and attacked them, preventing a good night's rest. The scene here is the first wave of assault by the cult: The sent large monsters to soften them up while they readied their main assault.
One of the thing I really like about Olympia is that the Titans cannot be killed. They return to life in the morning, so to defeat them, they have to be imprisonned or somehow contained.
So it's been a few years since I reviewed Doctor Who. I just don't see the point in paying for Disney+. However, I got to watch it on DailyMotion.
And I must say that watching these classic Who stories always makes me giddy. The stories rely on characters a lot more than artifice and the "aliens" are often "humans" making the stories relatable. Also, while many of the villains are "obviously" evil, you never know if one of them may have a change of heart.
This story is particularly interesting because it is the Second Doctor's final serial.
The plot is pretty interesting as the Doctor and his companion arrive on a battlefield in 1917... And quickly things go odd. I was sitting down having a blast watching the plot unfold. The companions, Jamie and Zoe, were not overly deep but they got into trouble and both helped and hindered solving the problem. They acted as normal people would. Those companions are simplistic but relatable.
Interestingly, they added a regeneration scene from Patrick Troughton to Jon Pertwee, ending on the first first scene of "Robot" from 1970... That was a nice touch. They added a few touches like the images of the modern doctors to replace the images used in the 60s.
As usual for Doctor Who, the question I have is: Would I watch it again? Yes.
For a rating... It's so hard because of the low quality of modern Who, making it look like a masterpiece. I think was a strong end to the 2nd Doctor. But is it on par with great series, I'd say yes. So I'll settle on a 4/5. It's very good. Made better by the lore that was added to it by later stories.
In 2025, Once again, FOE is returning to Gencon to run a full slate of adventures. This year, a number of new things, in addition to returning and new writers joining the crew AND the first of the specials to include Skytorn by Player Haters'.
Now I'm going to disappear again to get started on everything...
You may see a few previews hidden among them there... I leave it up to you to discover.
By Jason-R Pharoah is dying. The wisdom of the three wives of Num may be enough to save him. If you trust them… A 3rd-level 5th edition adventure set in the Egypt-inspired Akhamet. Part of the Legacies Campaign
By JP Chapleau Whispers of forbidden lore across the dunes, sometimes the sands should keep their secrets. A 3rd-level 5th edition adventure set in the Egypt-inspired Akhamet. Part of the Legacies Campaign
By JP Chapleau His Harem is putting together games. Games bring heroes but the intrigues may leave a few dead before prizes are distributed A 5th edition multi-table epic adventure. Part of the Legacies Campaign
By Bill-C After the near-destruction of Lexos, Mytenia tries to complete an unwanted conquest. A 3rd-level 5th edition adventure set in the Greece-inspired Olympia. Part of the Legacies Campaign
By JP Chapleau Help is coming to Minosia. But the enemy intends on getting them first A 3rd-level 5th edition adventure set in the Greece-inspired Olympia. Part of the Legacies Campaign
By JP Chapleau An army attacked the Titan town of Emessos last year, but was charmed. This year, you get a second chance to complete the task A 5th edition multi-table epic adventure. Part of the Legacies Campaign
By JP Chapleau The Queen of Mytania has an idea that could break the titan armies.But there's a catch. A 5th edition multi-table epic adventure. Part of the Legacies Campaign
By JP Chapleau Sound of a biwa/ Echoes Memories Lost Loves/ Balm for a sad heart A 3rd-level 5th edition adventure set in the Japan-inspired Ozaka. Part of the Legacies Campaign
By Chris-K Safe inside my home/ Out of reach of the demons/ Unless They're inside A 3rd-level 5th edition adventure set in the Japan-inspired Ozaka. Part of the Legacies Campaign
By Rebecca-P Tarsyn, once a proud and holy city with warring factions now sits on the verge of chaos. Through some bizarre magical force, the city has been taken from its material plane and now rests in a space surrounded by mist. Trade routes have been lost, and fertile farmlands are gone, yet there is still an entire city of people to feed. With every faction within the city trying to find a solution to the town’s problems, the Archaeologist’s Guild has a lead on a lost, divine artifact that might prove useful to the citizens of Tarsyn. It is your job to enter the tunnels beneath the Old Town district and locate this object, no matter the cost. A 3rd-level 5th edition adventure set in the byzantine world of Tarsyn. Part of the Legacies Campaign
By JP Chapleau If lands are fertile and bountiful, why are they deserted? A noble lady calls for your help. A 3rd-level 5th edition adventure set in the byzantine world of Tarsyn. Part of the Legacies Campaign
By Brandon-A and JP Chapleau Across the Multiverse, strange phenomenon occurs as people turn to crystal in their sleep. A 5th edition multi-table epic adventure. Part of the Legacies Campaign This adventure uses Akhamet, Olympia, Ozaka from FOE and Skytorn by PHG games
Another year has ended and we are now in 2024. This one is late but better late than never!
- I am still working with the immigration service to become a permanent resident of the US. 5 years and on-going. Yes, I have harsh positions about illegal immigration.
- My eldest daughter returned from a year in Canada, bringing with her her little dog, Whiskey.
- Daughter #2 is now a senior in high school
- ActionMan now has a job!
- Moved my domain away from Godaddy.
- The Continuation of the Russia-Ukraine War. For God's sakes people, enough of this mindless dying. Ukraine is done. Let's find a way to end this madness. The great defenders are dying for what will become useless soil. Stop it.
- The Gaza War. Again, that one group does something wrong does not allow another to go ape-shit. Let's work at a lasting peace. But our leaders don't seem to give a crap about that either.
- The US Election has already brought together several changes before President Trump takes the oath of office. Interesting time ahead indeed.
- Nick Saban legendary College Football coach of Alabama retired. That was a big change at work. Fun times there!
2024 was a pretty tame year when it came to traveling. We spent most of our year at home. This year, we were lucky enough to have people come visit US at our new house in TN. It was great to see all those faces.
- My wife spent a few weeks in Canada during the spring.
- Our daughter Jojo returning from Canada, moving back into the house.
- My sister came to visit for Christmas with her dog.
- I don't count convention trips: Huntsville AB, Memphis TN, and Indianapolis IN.
Most of this year, my ongoing campaigns continued.
- The Online Ozaka Campaign did a long winter court session before returning to their homes.
- During the Spring/Summer, I ran a Westmarch-ish campaign set in Ozaka locally. It was fun and the players got to decide on the many plot hooks they had and brought themselves.
- With school starting, we changed to a more epic maritime campaign set in Olympia.
- I've been playing with the Adult D&D group on and off.
So with all this, I wish you all a very happy new year.
JP
