Blog Update: The Missing June Post....

 So it seems dear reader that somehow or someway I seemed to have missed putting in a June update to what is going on around House O' Murphy.

So please consider this a late June submission, and some other stuff also....

D&D Game....

Yikes! Where do I go with this one?

Well...we continued our D&D game and the June adventure was one of frustration for everyone. The summer season, and "real life" has cut into our gaming tremendously, and that being said, we were only able to get one game in for the month of June. We are also taking an August break so we have 2 games for this month planned.

The game was also frustrating, because I knew due to the players previous actions, not only were the bad guys going to be waiting for them for some hard fighting combat. I also told them to be prepared "as this will probably be the hardest fight in this part of the scenario that you will encounter." 

And so it began. 

And it took almost three hours of real time to finish one major combat. 

The two big bads for the scenario were reinforced by some low level NPC assistants, and the PC's not only had bad dice rolling, but the rolling was horrible, and the fumbles were many.

The ranger had three fumbles in a row, (breaking bowstring, slipping, and mishandling weapon), while trying to get one up on the evil cleric.

(Click on pics for larger version)....

(Snacks this game included fresh stollen, chips, salsa, queso, pastries, jerky, and fresh lemonade and tea...)

(Meanwhile the fridge was ready with backup munchies and drinks!)

(Mr. Fridge is well stocked. BTW...the Mezzo Mix is MINE! NO ONE ELSE gets it!)

(The party prepares for the adventure! Treasure, XP's and Glory await!!!!....or errr....something like that....)

(The PC's burst through the trapdoor ("X"), into the room, to be greeted by the bad guy in armor (BGIA),  the evil priestess in the back and a couple of flunkies! Battle is joined!)

(The evil priestess steps through the doorway into the other room to prepare a spell as the BGIA, and the flunkies hold a defensive line in the room. Meanwhile the ranger tries to get off a shot with her bow.)

(Realizing that the battle is "not going the way they want it to", some of the players huddle and start to plot and scheme...Is it against the BGIA, the flunkies, and the evil priestess? Or is it against the DM???....oh dear....)

(The struggle continues as bad rolls hamper the PC's and they take damage. Meanwhile the evil priestess returns back to the room, to cast a spell....)

(Only to luckily be taken down by a critical hit as two of the PC's go at her. Another flunky from behind appears and drags her body back into the room. Meanwhile the rest of the group is seriously stuck in a problem with BGIA as yet MORE flunkies come to join in the fun....)

(The ranger player after her third fumble in a row... Things were not good for the party...)

(Eventually the party succeeded in beating BGIA, and the flunkies, but the priestess and her flunky had vanished! Following a small blood trail, they were now moving to the stairs of the second floor of the temple. Here they take a well deserved Chinese Dinner Break, and while eating a delicious Chinese dinner, listen as the ranger players speaks with them on "Needing to fight smarter and NOT harder"....   Meanwhile, behind my screen, orange-cola mix, dice, note stickers, egg rolls and crab rangoon....)

So the party starts this weekend going into the second floor to find out and hopefully end this part of the scenario. TBH, I wasn't happy with the battle, and neither were they, but as I explained to them, this was indeed going to be difficult.

Meanwhile, some folks asked me about Mezzo Mix.

It's a German Cola-Orange drink that I fell in love with, and am only NOW being able to find it (somewhat) in Indy when I get down there once a week.

(Mezzo Mix goodness....mmmmmm.....)

PAINTING:

Meanwhile for the month of June, I was able to get some figures painted up. These are mostly from Reapers Bones IV and V KS line. 

(Everyone needs a bear figure at some time in their gaming life. This one was easy to paint up, and the groundwork was fun, however, the gloss effect is what throws me off. I did a base coat of gloss spray for protection with two overcoats of flat and the gloss still came out.  I'm going to go back and try some brush on flat to take out the shiny effect.)

(A Reaper figure that came out pretty good. Painting on him was quick and easy. I really like the skin detail that was highlighted on this guy.)

(Tessa, a village maiden. Each village has that "one gal" that you don't know whose side, or which side she is on, or if she is just playing both sides, and looking for a husband in the process. This one has the look on her face of "I've got a secret."  Another Reaper Bones Villager figure.)

(Ed, the Villager. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he works hard and does what he is told. Unfortunately I expect him to be killed by either a monster or a group of wandering murder hobos in the future...)

(Ella, an angry woman villager. Her emotions are running just as hot as that torch she is carrying and with her fierce yell, she is ready to use the rolling pin to dispense justice and vengeance upon drunken husbands, tax collectors, murder hobo characters, elected politicians and French Aristocrats as the need requires....)

Meanwhile, on one of my trips to Indy, I stopped by my favorite Middle Eastern market....

(Nice to see you can get this here if needed....)

However it was the tea that confused me....

("Green Gunpowder"???....)

(From Morocco...)

Meanwhile the Chinese refuse to be done over by the Moroccans....

("Special Gunpowder Tea"

So after my store visit, I got back onto the Old West project that I was working on years ago and stalled.

I decided to delve into my Arnica Montana resins.

(The Hotel, Shop, and Boardwalks all drying after being thoroughly cleaned...)

(Base colors for the boardwalks went on easy. Some TCL building parts are also painted up. I found out that I use A LOT of "Burnt Umber" in my Western building painting, so Apple Barrel Craft Paints for this color happens to be my friend.)

I got the hotel assembled and base colored. There are a few design issues with it that I am not happy with, but being the creative sort I am, I can get around it. "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome."

(Not a bad kit....)

(A cowboy on his way to being "The Rawhide Kid", with the base colored shop building in the back, that would soon become "Wun Hung Lo's Chinese Laundry".... Figure from Pulp Figures.)

The building was also an easy assembly and open to customizing and modification, (which I did somewhat). Of concern was an issue with the roof support which I easily addressed with two pieces of plastic supports.

(The main work is done....)

(The inside of the shop. I have added ceiling supports to the front angles, (marked here in pencil), and added a floor to help strengthen the walls. Soon it will be painted up and smelling of bleach, hot water, and lye soap....as dirty drawers and stinky socks get cleaned. All for a fair price....)

Other fun things....

Things in life continue to go on even as I and others continue to try to game and I keep trying to decrease my little lead mountain and pile o' stuff.

Some of the other things we have had happen.

1: I got the replacement flex shaft for my Dremel 4300, so it's up and running again. A good 30 buck purchase. Glad it was the flex shaft and not the Dremel itself.

2: I got our property tax assessment lowered by 24K.

3: We had storm damage at the end of May and are currently waiting on the insurance adjuster to call us about filing the claim.  The roof tiles are the original roof tiles to the house, (from October 10th, 1916), and we have to find tiles of a style and color that is close to what the house had as it's historically registered.

4: I've gotten my A1C down to 7.0 and have lost over 40 lbs.

5: I'm planning on going to Little Wars next year.

So that's it for now with me, and June's post here (posted in July), is submitted for your approval.  As usual, there is more to come and things that will be happening, so stay tuned, and enjoy!

Comments are appreciated!

Thanks for reading!