Last Saturday was Table Top Day.  It’s a fun annual holiday where gamers and the general public gather at hobby stores across the world and play some games.  Lots of free demos with random gaming swag for those who show up.  Some stores just run the games that were on TableTop (on youtube) while others open up their gaming space to ever game under the sun.

Like every good geek, I was at my friendly local game store.  I volunteered to run as many games as I could.  I love to demo games to new people, so it was a blast.  I get a really good feeling when I demo a game, and I see those same people leave the store with that game later.  Heck that happened twice on Saturday!

What makes me really happy about Table Top Day is the inclusivity of the day.  It’s a day dedicated to showing off games to the masses.  Whatever game you love, people will love to try it on that day.  Nothing is too crazy or out of bounds.  I saw a group of people bust out Stone Age and another group of people sit down to play a few games of magic.  I ran some random people off the street through 7 Wonders and Settlers of Catan.  I even learned a new game, the My Little Pony CCG, and turned around and taught three people how to play when I was done.

The common knowledge of geeks is we are not welcoming.  We sit in basements or dark comic stores playing games while trying to keep any “normals” away from whatever thing we are up to.  Heck most of us can’t talk to people of the opposite sex, and we all smell bad.  Common knowledge is commonly wrong.  Geeks are just normal people who love to have fun.  Most of the time that fun involves a bit more math then the average person is normally comfortable with, but if given a chance, we will spend our every waking moment trying to show you just how cool whatever game we are playing is.  That and most of us do shower regularly and have about as many problems with the ladies/guys as any other person does.

Now the media is and isn’t helping with this.  Shows like the Big Bang Theory don’t really portray us in the best light.  I’ve heard the phrase “nerdface” thrown around a few times to describe how these shows portray your average geek.  I don’t know if I’d go that far, but the go to cliché of a geek is not a glowing credit to us.  On the other hand, the Big Bang Theory has made some geek things cool.  Now people are picking up copies of Settler of Catan and Munchkin at Target.  And that’s Amazing!

And here is where Table Top Day comes into the fold.  On Table Top Day like Free Comic Book Day and Free RPG Day, the curtains of thrown open and the public is invited to see what the geeks are up to.  And we can put our best foot forward to show them how cool our hobby is and how normal we are!  That inclusivity is welcoming as both the geeks get to a chance to show the world what we love, and the world gets a safe, welcoming environment to see what were up to.  And that, to me, is priceless.

Product– Pathfinder Adventure Path #58 Island of Empty Eyes

Producer- Paizo
Price- $20

System-Pathfinder

TL;DR- Another well done Pathfinder Adventure 90%

 

Basics- Shiver me timbers!  If you’ve played the last three Skull and Shackles adventure path adventures, the players have won the Free Captains Regatta, and also won a chance to become Free Captains themselves.  To do this they must clear the Island of Empty Eyes and prepare a feast for the visiting Free Captains who will judge the players on how well they have prepared.  This sounds easy, but it never is…. This book also contains a section describing the Cyclopes, popular rumors of the Shackles, and the fourth part of the story continuing across all the Skull and Shackle Adventures.

 

Crunch or Mechanics- This adventure had some interesting mechanics associated with it.  There players get to freely explore an island and decide what they will do with anyone they meet there.  Overall I liked it, but some things were somewhat problematic like super high DC.  My party doesn’t min/max much, so the higher, single DC tend to cause them to fail. 4.5/5

 

Fluff or Story- This is a pretty free form story for the main adventure.  If your party needs to be a bit more on the rails, then they will falter when given some freedom.  The story is well done, as are the Cyclopes section and the rumors.  Well done. 4.5/5

 

Execution- Don’t have to say much here.  Paizo is awesome at what it does, so they earn their score.  Good art, reader friendly, but I could have used a few more section breaks or a better indicated area on how to fix up the island instead of having it buried in the middle of a paragraph. 4.5/5

 

Summary- I enjoyed running this for my players, and my players had a ball too.  It’s not ship heavy, but it’s a nice break in the standard pattern.  You will have to read your players to find out if they need a little helping had to keep on track on the island.  But overall, it’s a well done adventure! 90%

How about a feat for DnD Next?

Winter Witch

You are the winter chill!

Gain a +1 to your spell casting ability score to a maximum of 20

When you cast a spell with the cold descriptor and are ankle deep in the snow, you gain a free increase of the spell level for for effect purposes.

How about the first flaw for DnD Next?

 

Bearer of  Auril’s Kiss

When you were born, you’re growth was stunted by one of the hardest winters in record.

Penalty: You gain a permanent -1 penalty to constitution checks and saves.  You look scrawny compared to the rest of your family and race.

Here is an idea:

 

Extra Feat at First Level

If you want an extra feat at first level, you take a flaw that provides an in game penalty.

 

 

For the rest of this week, I plan to make flaws that give in game penalties.

We have one for elves, how about dwarves?

Dwarves Heritige-feat, racial-you may not be a dwarf to take this feat-you gain a+1 bonus on saves vs poison, spells , and spell like effects. In addition, you always know which way is north underground.

Thoughts?

Hello all,

ThroatPunchGames is back from winter break.  This year will be our biggest year yet and we’re diving deeper into everything!

First, ThroatPunchGames is on twitter!  follow my random thoughts @ThroatPunchG   more on this when I get to my Gaming Resolutions.

Second, the reason your all here.  Today’s gaming Idea for pathfinder!

Aquatic Weapon-Feat-Choose one weapon you are proficient in.  This weapon gains the aquatic keyword.  When you make attacks with it in the water, you take no penalty to attack, but do take any penalty to damage.  Ranged weapons have their attack range doubled for purposes of determine attack penalty ie a bow may fire 10 feet at a -1 penalty.

Now my gaming resolutions for the year:

1)Live tweet all games I am in.  So you can follow what im doing out in the world

2)Attend more conventions!  I want to go to a convention every other month and see how other people play the games I love.

3)Make Jackson MI the RPG gaming capital of Michigan!  Gaming is kind of slow in my new city.  I think in about a year, Ill have this place on fire (one way OR ANOTHER!)

4)Post every weekday.  I’ve got ideas and now you get to hear them!

5)Get an adventure published.  Need to build that portfolio the hard way!

6)Restart the Random RPG Gaming Group (RRGG)!  I want to play a random game at least once every three weeks.  We’re gonna get this going.  I want to have a broad spectrum of places to draw ideas from.

 

I think that sounds good.  Look for more ideas every day!

Its time for me to head to WI. I will be out for a bit, but next year, expect some big things! Happy Holidays!