Smiling Jack’s Bar & Grill on the Air… I mean, Web!

Ron and Veronica Blessing, of The Games The Thing fame, have created a new spin-off podcast for Savage Worlds fans like you and me: Smiling Jack's Bar & Grill! In their first episode, Ron and Veronica talk to Savage Worlds brand manager Clint Black, Reality Blurs president Sean Preston, Shaintar: Immortal Legends creator Sean Patrick Fannon, and fellow Savage blogger Norm Hensley about the design philosophy of Savage worlds and why it appeal to gamers. Norm also reviews Reality Blurs' RunePunk setting and Pinnacle's long-awaited Weird War II.

I particularly enjoyed listening to the discussion portion of the podcast. They discussed how the unique nature of Savage Worlds demands a very different approach to game design. I'll take this conversation to heart as I work on my Tékumel Conversion. An excellent start for what hopes to be a fantastic podcast series as well as a resource for all Savages.

Been busy lately…

My life has been a little complex lately. I've gone back to school to learn the mystical and esoteric art of computer programming. On top of that, work has been rather hectic as every contractor and homeowner in the state of Wisconsin is calling in to get their last minute locate requests in before winter sets in. As a result of the combination of classwork and actual work, I'm dragging my rear-end home each night wanting nothing more than to rest in arms of Orpheus... NO, NOT LAURENCE FISHBURNE! Therefore, blogging has been a bit slow lately. A few Savage Worlds issues of note:

• I think I've got a pretty good handle of how to handle my Tékumel magic system. I had a chance to peruse the Fantasy Companion and they used Hellfrost's settings magical system that parses out Powers depending on their particular faith. I'd like to pick up the FC, but money has been really tight the last month. Then I just need to time to write it up.
  
• I've finally had a chance to run The Day After Ragnarok for my gaming group. I confess I wasn't very good at dreaming up a appropriate scenario. I had my PC's wandering the wilds of post-Serpentfall Wisconsin, fighting former German POW pirates lead by a serpent-worshiping SS mage. Then I had them railroaded to Milwaukee playing troubleshooter to the local dictator. Normally, I'm not really big on pre-published adventures, but it would have been nice DAR had a few so I wouldn't burn myself out trying to come up with material. I put the game on indefinite hold while my friend runs Dark Heresy. I think I prefer playing games rather than running them.
  
• I WANT REAMS OF CTHULHU! GIVE ME REALMS OF CTHULHU!