[Review] Doctor Who: Joy to the World

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.

[Olympia Campaign] The Sirens

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...

[Olympia Campaign] Titans!

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.

[Review] Doctor Who: War Games in Colour

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.

FOE Going back to Gencon in 2025

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.

Legacies: Children of Anum

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

Legacies: Forbidden Lore

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

Legacies: Cat Fight

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

Legacies: The Lexos Job

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

Legacies: Damsels in Distress

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

Legacies: Battle of Emessos

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

Legacies: Parting Shots

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

Legacies: Sound of a Biwa

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

Legacies: Safe inside my home

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

Legacies: The Hunt of the Lady's Bowl

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

Legacies: The White Doe

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

Legacies: Frozen Dreams

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

Yearly Retrospective 2024

Another year has ended and we are now in 2024. This one is late but better late than never!

Personal and Family Life

- 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.

World Events

- 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!

Trips

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.

RPGing/ GMing

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

[Sundays Kinda-Campaign] Have you seen Corrie?

So this past week, I went back to Sunday at Cultivate Coworking, I ran a short adventure where Corrie was missing.

Coriander "Corrie" Gardner is another halfling from the Gardner clan. She and her siblings run a bakery in town. Corrie has gone into the forest to harvest a unique bark with a very unique flavor.

So enter adventurers...

In the end, a "poor" little bard stayed for five days and learned the mating rights of the evil dryad...

The Gardners did not find any potential bridges/grooms, but they paid for the return of their sister.

[Kinda Book Report] Essential X-Men Vol 2

I finally found the final 2 Essential X-Men that I missed, allowing me to have all 10 "issues" (which covers ~1975-1992). I left comments about those in previous years, about #1. Since it's been a few years since I read them, I decided to treat myself to the whole series. From "Giant-Size X-men" to around X-Men 250.

There is something about this series that is just brilliant. When you read it all in a short period, you get to notice all the little side-plots and foreshadowing. Seriously, this is a masterclass in long-term plotting. Not only does the writing feel at the same time to be very fast-paced and slow-paced, with stories given time to rise to the front. From the Shiar Empire, to the Savage Lands, with team splits and returns, this is one never-ending series of comic writing an drawing (John Byrne is at the top of his game here and co-plots).

I cannot recommend it enough. I've been foregoing sleephours to read.

Now, the culmination of it all... The Dark Phoenix Saga... Dang... That shit is good.

That final issue, where the X-men fight the Imperial Guard on the moon to determine Phoenix's fate is gut-wrenching. The final exchange between Phoenix and Cyclops... It gets to me still.

She must die. But... she's such a great character. And the reasons for her to die and live... Sheer brilliance. Even after reading that issue several times... It gets me. Even knowning Jean would return later, it's still a punch to the gut.

I know several people hate Jim Shooter, but I love the man's work. How he cared for the characters and their integrity... Marvel even produced an alternative ending - that Claremont and Byrne wanted where Phoenix survived. To me, this felt more tragic. Yes, Phoenix had to die. I will have to write one day about how JS influenced how I write and create FOE adventures.

To follow-up this story... we go from Dark Phoenix to "Days of Futures Past" a distopian future I was first introduce to via the Marvel Super Heroes RPG... Sentinels everywhere, Sprite is Colossus' wife, Wolverine getting obliterated, the underhanded introduction of "Rachel"...

If you wonder the score... it's a solid 5/5. On all fronts. I can't wait to keep reading the continuation of the storylines...

[Olympia Campaign] Something Fowl...

Thanksgiving is upon us and this is a time to reflect, gather, and eat. It is a time of levity. So, in the spirit of the season, I came up with a funny little adventure, giving it a flavor of Olympia, but this was really a piece of Americana.

The PCs arrive on the island of Tadokos where the villagers call for heroes to save them from a monster. The villagers raised fowls and they had all been taken. The herbalist herself

They find tracks of a large monster leading into the forest covering most of the island. While there, they are attacked by a large pack of death dog. These creatures surrounded and swarmed the party until they were finally defeated.

For this encounter, I used gatherings of stone from an aquarium set. The result are pretty effective with minimal work. I will be making them into small terrain elements for Olympia and Akhamet.

The tracks led them to a shimmering tree with a cave underneath it. Entering the cave, they found a big nest with gigantic eggs of three different sizes. After playing with them, their mother got REALLY angry... And it got up and attacked.

Oh no! It was a chimeric turducken! A monster with three heads... one turkey, one duck, and one chicken!

This legendary monster attacked them, using such attacks like a burning hot gravy, ice-cold cranberry sauce, and a hail of corncobs. The creature hurt several of our heroes before it became a very large dinner!

The PCs received a number of festive items as a thank you from the villagers.

I'll leave you with a wonderful piece of JP art.

[Gencon 2025] Narrative - Ophara At Night

Ophara At Night is the first of a few short pieces of fiction for Gencon 2025. I wrote two pieces last year, and will have more coming as the whole event comes together in my mind.

The first is set in Akhamet where Saggakara enjoys a rare moment alone in the Harem...

I posted the short fiction on Royal Road.

FOE's stance on sensitivity reviews

I have been contacted by someone (on Reddit) regarding sensitivity reviews for various FOE products.

I feel it is important to make FOE's stance on the topic open an public.

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FOE expects every GM to tailor their game experience to their group. Add what you like, trim what you don't. Have fun.
Oh! And tell us about it!

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In short, (and this applies to everything in life) enjoy the fun things and focus on what you like. Our settings are designed to be played by everyone with an interest in ancient history and/or D&D. Our public adventure target everyone.

This is escapism people, let's beat up orcs, skeletons and undead, player characters with: puzzles, intrigue, insane plots, challenging combats, monsters, and tales of heroism. Leave the world behind and become someone who can do impossible things.

[Sundays Kinda-Campaign] Hope's Birthday Special

So Hope from Sunday at Cultivate Coworking was having her birthday, so I offered to run something special for her. The basic of the adventure had the clods... I mean who could not love the clods. Take over a local druidic sanctuary. Since the "campaign" is located on the edge of civilization, there are very few druids so the clods took the place and made it their own...

The PCs had to travel through defended locations to free "Grandfather" a giant mushroom. Did I say that Hope's character Portabella is a spore druid...

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[Sunday Funny] Why I don't illustrate my books

Why I do not illustrate FOE books:

[Olympia Campaign] Vulcanis Island

The second island the PCs had to explore where they believed a stone was located was the island of Vulcanis. Dominated by a volcano spewing a column of ash, and ash covered the entire island, including the forest.

The PCs encountered a pack of flaming wolves and managed to send them away.

Then they encountered a fire giant (portrayed here) who agreed to trade information for gold and gems. Through him, they learned of the temple on the volcano. Of its guardian. And of some of the challenges they were likely to encounter.

Since many of the challenge would involve fire, they decided to go find the wolves and take their pelts to protect themselves. These wolves proved to be quite problematic, forcing our heroes to invoke the Pearl of the Tides to retreat into the waters. Several of them nearly died. But they obtained the pelts to protect them.

Then, the story took us to the shrine by the volcano. Located in a narrow gorge and having 8 large pots filled with pitch. Leading to a platform overlooking a lake of magma.

They finally got the stone after several funny moments, including:
- Someone falling into the lava
- Sending down someone to read a language they couldn't read
- Someone running over 200ft. of lava

They obtained the Heart of the Volcano.

[Olympia Campaign] The Temple of Poseidon

The PCs explored an unnamed island at the behest of Thalassia the Sea Witch. She asked them to steal an artifact in a temple of Poseidon for her. The PCs agreed and managed, through shinanigans to steal the pearl. But, having stolen it, they refused to turn it over to the witch.

No surprise, the witch was not happy but she contended herself with calling and singing, her voice carrying over long distances. But that won't lead to anything bad, will it?

Pictured: The PCs traverse a forest where they have to fight and battle guardians and the Temple of Poseidon and his guardians.

And the Temple of Poseidon with its priestly guardians.