Damn It's been a year

As I stated above, damn it's been a year since I last posted.  The great thing is you can go back and watch the Declaration is Read post from last July 4th.

A problem with many Americans is they believe that the Declaration is a government-creation document, when all it is is a set of grievances against King George III and the British government that told them why we were declaring ourselves independent of them.  It was the Articles of Confederation that was our first "Constitution" and that really wasn't ratified until early 1781.

The Articles had many problems as there was no central Judicial Branch to resolve problems between states, no central Executive Branch to enforce the law, no taxing ability, no common currency, etc....  This made the central government weak basically created 13 states, whose power was supreme over the central government.  This lead to the economic problem of trade between the states and rebellion, like Shay's Rebellion in Massachusetts.

The U.S. Constitution was created to to end these problems with a federal government that was  supreme.

Declaration Of Independence Read

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYyttEu_NLU

Dragon Age RPG

 

Over the past month, my inner geek has returned.  After watching Wil Wheaton's Tabletop series on YouTube, I pulled out a roleplaying game I bought in 2010 at Books A Million.  The game is Dragon Age by Green Ronin and is based on Bioware's computer RPG of the same name. 

And

One of the reasons I bought the game to begin with is the author Chris Pramas wrote the second edition to the Warhammer RPG, which is in my opinion was the best of the Warhammer RPG's.

After watching the above watched videos, I reread the rules and decided I would like to run the game.  Although I never liked level-driven RPGs and character class systems (of which there are only three, warrior, rogue, or mage), like D&D, this one individualized characters by using a focus and talent system.    I really like the way the characters are created by rolling 3d6 that give you modifiers for the eight characteristics, like cunning, strength, and communication. etc...  Then after you have rolled through the eight you get to flip two characteristics.  Then you choose your Dragon Age character class (mage, warrior, or rogue) and background, like Ferelden Freeman, Circle Mage, or Surface Dwarf.  Choosing both character class and background, helps you individualize your character.  This give you pluses to characteristics, talents, and focuses.

About three weeks ago I started to run an adventure with my son and has four friends.  They seem to like it.  My son, Tim has wanted me to run a RPG since I ran a Warhammer campaign about three years ago with some of his friends.  He likes it because both father and son have a geek-like nature.  I just hide it better. 

My campaign started with the characters are members of a caravan guard.  It consists of a Surface Dwarf warrior (my son), a human warrior, a city elf Rogue, a human Circle mage and an elven  Circle mage.   While waiting for the return of the caravan merchant, who was scouting out a new town for business, the players spotted on a hill overlooking the camp the remains of a tower.  On going up to explore the tower, the players (surface dwarf warrior, a human warrior, a city elf Rogue, and a human Circle mage) were attacked by four ghouls, which they dispatched but took enough damage they returned to camp.  On investigating the ruin, they discovered that stairs led down to a lower level.  This ended the first week of play.

Another player was added the second week (city elf Circle Mage) and the character went up to the ruins again and descended into a dungeon.  When they got to the base of the stairs, they noticed that there was a cave-in that blocked a hallway and a door.  They decided to check out the door.  The brash surface dwarf bashed the door down and fell into a pit and sustained some damage.  The room they entered was a jail/dungeon room.  Before the dwarf could be retrieved from the pit, he party was attacked by a giant spider, which was quickly dispatched without much damage to the party.  The party discovered some treasure, a coat of heavy chain armor and an jeweled long sword. 

Since the party was not hurt that bad they decided to go and try to get through the hallway with the cave-in.  It took them about three hours but they removed enough of the rock to enter the hallway where they discovered a stairwell going down.  Once they when down they discovered a large room with stone crypts.  The dwarf and the warrior entered impulsively and were overwhelmed by 10 skeletons (5 spear and 5 bow).  As a result of being hurt badly the party withdrew with the skeletons not following.

Week three,  the party now fully healed attacked the dungeon again.  They were attacked again by the ten skeletons, when they entered the crypt area.  This time they defeated them with little damage to the party as they worked together.  They searched the crypts and discovered a +1 spell power apprentice ring and a +1 viridian medium shield.  They decided that even though there was a large stone door, the party returned to camp to restore hits.

This past week the party entered the crypt again to investigate the stone door way.  When the arrived at the crypt again they were attacked by ten skeletons, which they dispatched quickly.  They entered the stone door and entered a large crypt that was occupied by a shade, that could only be hurt by magic.  The party fought for its life and took damage but eventually defeated the shade. The party searched the crypts after they took a breather to heal wounds In the crypts, the found a tiara, a magic ring that adds to mana, a +1 magic short sword, and a gourget with a barrier rune. 

The night ended as the party returned to camp.  As they were going back, the party noticed from a distance, the caravan owner had returned and the camp was being attacked.  This is where we left off for this coming week......

Veteran Administration Spinal Cord Injury Unit Rec Therapy Donation

After "much" delay, we have finally gave the Hampton VA Recreational Therapy Spinal Cord Injury Unit, the money from the 2012 Guns of August and 2013 Williamsburg Muster raffles. 

The delivery of two $500 pre-paid credit cards was given to the veterans this past week by my wife, Ruthann, who is the social worker on the unit. 

The vets use the money for a variety of reasons, such as for birdseed, supplies for their flower/vegetable garden, coffee for the day room, fishing supplies and bait, maintain the units fish tank, ink for a printer the patients use, and for unit memorial services for vets on the unit, who have passed away.

The convention raffles over the past two years have provided these spinal cord injured veterans with $2000. 

Williamsburg Muster Up and Running

There is a week left until our fifth annual Muster and almost everything (knock on the cloud aka wood) is really starting to move well.

All vendors have paid that I mentioned in my last blog.  I believe we added Age of Glory, who originally stated he would not be able to attend but he bought one table.  Every little bit helps.

Early registration just started to pick up in the past two weeks.  Two weeks ago, I think we had 14 signed up, today we have 56 and their is still a week to go  If this follows the other Muster and Guns of August conventions, pre-registrations have been one-fifth to one-sixth to attendees.  So 250 to 300+.  Man, this will help a lot, as we lost some money on Guns of August, because of its closeness in time to Historicon. 

After much debate and Cliff gentle pushing, I have decided to run a Bolt Action game on Saturday afternoon.  The reason for the debate was my "co-workers" have trouble running the convention without me.  I'll be running the same Bolt Action WWII skirmish game I played at Guns, Bustin' the Bocage.  It will be an attack of American infantry with some armor vs. German Fallschermjagers (sic) in the hedgerow country of Normandy near St. Lo.  I post an AAR in my next blog.

The big thing I want to do this year is make sure I take loads of photos of the convention and especially of my game.  I have a habit of bringing my camera and not using it.

Working on Williamsburg Muster

After many problems with the new website and registration,  the fifth annual Williamsburg Muster wargame convention's registration work has begun for me. 

I have contacted all of our normal vendors through both e-mail and at HMGS Fall-In Miniature Convention.  The following vendors have confirmed or paid to attend.

• Miniatures of Chesapeake
• Falcon UK
• Atlantis Games
• Wargames Factory
• Larry's Legions
• Warstore Collectables
• Flag Dude
• Silver Eagle Wargame Supplies
• Thoroughbred Miniatures
• Dragon's Hoard
• Major Objective Games
• ODGW
• Collins Epic Wargames
• BV Traders

Gamer registration has be slow so far but I believe it will pick up after Christmas.

Guns of August Bolt Action AAR

Guns of August Bolt Action AAR

At the Guns of August gaming convention at Williamsburg, VA, I ran a Bolt Action game called “Bustin’ the Bocage: On the Road to St.Lo.”  The scenario involved an American platoon with some armor support having to take a crucial crossroads from dug-in

Germans, who were determined to prevent the American objective.

Forces

The American forces involved were regular American infantry and armor led by a captain and second lieutenant.  These forces included three squads of GIs of ten men each.  Each squad included two SMGs, one BAR, and seven rifles.  Each squad had a three man MMG attached.  The American force also included two mortar sections with one spotter.  The force also had an artillery spotter and radioman for a barrage attempt.  Attached to this platoon were a Sherman 75 and a Sherman 76 tank.

The German force consisted of veteran Fallschirmjagers led by a captain.   The main part of this force consisted of a 12 man squad broken down into two sections.  These two sections had mixed weaponry of rifles, SMGs, an assault rifle, an LMG team, and two men with two panzerfausts.  The force also included three MMG teams and two medium mortar teams with a spotter.  Also included in the force were an entrenched PAK 40 and a hidden Marder III.

Map:  Looking from the German side of the board.  Notice the entrenched PAK 40 at the crossroads.

 

Special Rules:  The Germans, except the PAK 40, were in ambush under hidden deployment and could show up anywhere within or hidden by a terrain feature.  One field was mined.  These were house rules, because as of right now there are no rules for mines in Bolt Action.  The house rules for the mines are they are hidden and if the field was moved into by a unit, the unit takes a d2 HE hit.

After Action Report

The game began with the Germans allowing the Americans to advance upon the board in the first turn, without revealing an ambush.  The Americans separated their three squads into the left, center, and right of the table.  The tanks and mortars came in through the center of the board. 

On turn two, as the Americans were advancing upon the woods in the center the Germans revealed an ambush of one of their infantry squads and a MMG crew.  The Germans rolled poorly but pinned down the center group of American infantry and the Sherman 76, which was hit by a panzerfausts but only pinned.

After about three turns of fighting in front of the woods, the Americans finally overwhelmed the Germans in the woods with the assistance of the Americans on the left.  In the meantime, the American squad on the right kept advancing slowly but surely through the bocage and the fields to advance without being seen by the PAK 40.

Once the American squad on the right crossed into the field just above the bocaged orchard, it struck the minefield and became pinned down.  To make matters worse for them, the Germans revealed a MMG in the bocage ahead of this squad and with accurate mortar fire and MMG firepower tore the American squad up.

After eliminating the threat in the woods, the American left and center continued on.  The left ran into opposition at the orchard and the blown up farmhouse.  This battle generally ran tit-for-tat with the Sherman 75 eventually being immobilized by a panzerfausts and the Germans being wiped out to a man by small arms, cannon, and MMG fire.

The turning point of the battle was when the PAK 40 was spotted at the crossroads and was wiped out by a well die-rolled (rolled a 6 on the barrage table) barrage.  Once this happened, the only thing that stood in the way of the Americans taking the crossroads was the German command contingent, which was eventually assaulted by the Americans coming down the center.  It was at this point the Germans decided to give up the ghost, even though they never revealed the Marder III.

My thoughts

The game lasted about three hours; it’s easy to run, as the players picked up the rules real quick.  The one mistake I made is I forgot if that if a pinned unit makes a command roll, it loses one pin marker. 

I do believe the players had a good time and they seemed to have enjoyed the game.  I’m planning on running this again for my club, as it is a scenario that can be run again and again.