Someone called Aaron Prati made a miniature that I want so badly. It is based on the cover of the D&D Master Set from the BECMI D&D line. Mr. Prati made this as a hobby project as a tribute to Larry Emore who did the painting for all the BECMI boxed sets.
He later released the Blackmarsh setting which while its clearly Rob's own original creation, bears heavy inspiration from the sources that he loves and admires from the 1970s era D&D. The new Northern Marches Kickstarter promises to be an expansion on Blackmarsh. Again, we will get to see amazing hex maps and interesting locations to explore.
The Living Sandbox concept also sounds interesting with techniques that promise to create a world that feels lived in. I am curious to learn more about this.
Check out the Kickstarter.
-Havard
Mike Carr Will Be a Guest of Honor at EGG Con 2 this year. This was announced today by Gary Gygax' daughter Heidi Gygax Garland in the EGG Con Facebook group.
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I was lucky enough to interview Mike Carr back in 2011 about his role in shaping the creation of D&D as part of Dave Arneson's gaming group playing the first Cleric in the history of our hobby as well as his many other contributions to the history of gaming.
Here's the announcement:
Mike Carr
Mike Carr began gaming as a teenager in the 1960s in Saint Paul, Minnesota where he met Dave Arneson and Dave Wesely – and became the first-ever Cleric in D&D. Through the International Federation of Wargaming (IFW) he met Gary Gygax, who encouraged him to self-publish his game “Fight in the Skies” through the IFW’s Wargame Inventors Guild. The game was published in 1976 as one of TSR’s first boxed games, and later as “Dawn Patrol” in 1982. At Gary Gygax’s invitation, Mike joined TSR in 1976 and worked there until 1983. At TSR he wrote the B1 Module “In Search of the Unknown,” served as editor for the Monster Manual, Players Handbook and Dungeon Masters Guide, and wrote the Endless Quest book “Robbers & Robots” that sold over 250,000 copies. He also edited Gygax and Arneson’s Napoleonic naval rules “Don’t Give Up the Ship!” and earned credit as co-author. Mike attended the first Gen Con on August 24th, 1968 at Horticultural Hall and after Gary Gygax’s welcoming remarks, ran the first event, a “Fight in the Skies” game. Mike is the only person who has attended every Gen Con and his “Dawn Patrol” game is the only one that has been played there every year. Mike's current project is a rhyming book for children ages 4-9 entitled "Girls & Boys Love Great Big Toys," which he plans to self-publish, preceded by a Kickstarter campaign. The 48-page book features 19 different "great big toys" like monster trucks, hot air balloons, sailboats, motorcycles, snowmobiles and many more, each spanning a two page spread with accompanying rhymes (46 stanzas in all). A retail version will be produced and sold, but the bulk of the books will be donated to charities like Toys For Tots, Ronald McDonald Houses, Bernie's Book Bank, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and others. For information, visit the web site greatbigtoys.com.
If you plan on attending EGG Con, please let me know if you got a chance to talk to Mike or any of the other interesting people sure to be there.
EGG Con 2 is scheduled for July 24-27.
-Havard
The gaterhing is organized by Kevin McColl and the Castle Blackmoor group.
This year's TMg is scheduled for August 21st.
Once more details are revealed, I will report it here.
-Havard
Pegataurs are an iconic creature from the D&D multiverse that is strangely underused. In the World of Mystara they are found in the Known World, the Empire of Alphatia, the City of Serraine and on the Savage Coast. Some are found living among elves or making their lairs in moutain sides, while others lend their services as mercenaries or trainers of Pegasi mounts to ground dwellers.
Skip Williams was kind enough to share with me how the creatures came to be and how he worked with Jeff Easley to bring the creatures to life in the spectacular painting shown above, gracing the cover of the adventure.
I created pegataurs for the adventure—flying sentries for a flying castle. TSR had me write an art order for the cover. I wrote something along the lines of "ramparts of a floating castle sticking up through clouds with a pegataur (think of a centaur with pegasus wings). Easley took it from there, choosing the composition, color palette, and making a single pegataur archer as the focus.
M2 Vengance of Alphaks continues the saga of Norwold, a region in Mystara fought over by two Empires; Thyatis and Alphatia. Here we follow the story of Alphaks one of the main villains of the Mystara setting as he rises to become a powerful demon. The Demon's main goal is to destroy the Empire of Alphatia.This is not the last time we see Pegataurs in D&D however. In 1989, famous game designer and author Aaron Allston expanded on the backstory of Pegataurs and their connections to the Empire of Alphatia for the Mystara setting.
That same year, Pegataurs went from being just a monster to be encountered to also becoming a playable race in PC2 Top Balista by Carl Sargent. This sourcebook for BECMI focused on flying creatures that could be used by players and DMs alike and also explored the Flying City of Serraine that travels across the skies of Mystara. The source book also expanded on the lore by Williams and Allston.
In 1994 Pegataurs appeared in the AD&D 2nd Edition in the AD&D Monstrous Compendium Mystara Appendix by John Nephew. Here we learn more about Pegataurs, their allies such as the Phanatons and their way of life.
ArneCon 3 is a big success say organizers! The convention honoring the legacy of Dave Arneson took place this weekend in St. Paul Minnesota...
