Pre-Painted Plastic Miniatures

I haven't been much of a fan of this new era of Dungeons and Dragons miniatures. I'm from the old school lead miniatures from Grenadier that never looked anything like the character you created, but you were able to paint them up yourself and many of them had backpacks as true adventurers should. But because I am quickly becoming a fan of the new Dungeons & Dragons game, I decided to pick up a box of the latest set of minis (Lords of Madness). I have to say that today, I am glad that I did, because I pulled an Elder Blue Dragon (very rare) and it is easily one of the finest looking figures that Wizards has produced so far. And just to make things a little more satisfying - eBay and many of the online retailers are pricing this one out anywhere from $45 to $60! Ya gotta love that.

Good Times...

Recently, I was in my local Borders (big surprise) and I found a copy of the new DnD 4th Edition 'Starter Set', the first product in the new Dungeons & Dragons Essentials line. The new line is a combination of updated info to the fourth edition and also a new way to introduce new players into the game. Feeling nostalgic, I grabbed a copy. The first thing that I love about the set is the packaging. WotC reproduced the original 'Red Box' this time around. It immediately took me back to the old days of sitting around a table with my old gaming group until sunrise, scarfing down a hot pizza from Danny's Pizzeria, potato chips and grape soda (what can I say, we were 15).

Not thrilled with trying to learn a whole new game system, I was hesitant to begin reading the material. But then something odd and wonderful happened. My twelve year old daughter (about as anti-geek as you can be), wanted to know more about the game and what's more, she wanted to learn to play. Not knowing what to say, I agreed to dive into the new set with her.

The first book is a great, easy to read introductory solo scenario (ala Choose Your Own Adventure), that takes you through the steps of character creation while working your way through a battle with goblin brigands. Before I knew it, I had created my very own character. So here I go, leaping back into an old game that had brought me hours and hours and hours of fun. Returning to D&D is liking reuniting with an old friend. Looking forward to more good times.

Shh! Don't tell my daughter's friends.

Castle Ravenloft - First Glance

Despite my wallet's better judgement, I picked up the new D&D Boardgame, Castle Ravenloft. Yes, I was once a D&D fanatic. Back in the days when there was such a thing as "THACO". I haven't played in many years, but I have followed the game periodically and even collected some of the minis. What can I say, it brings back some great memories with Owlbears and whatnot. So, imagine my excitement when one of my favorite games of old, was getting a stripped down version. I just had to have it. So I dropped the coin and unboxed it in the wee hours when the wife and kids were asleep. At first glance, I have to admit that I really liked what I saw. Here are my first observations:

1. A bit of a hefty price tag - $65 (but worth it, so far)
2. Big-ass box (not the flimsy, crushable kind)
3. Heavy card stock tiles and character cards (ala Descent)
4. Awesome, well organized storage tray that holds tiles, minis, dice, cards, etc.
5. Minis seem to be made of a sterner plastic than the collectible figs, although there is some reproduction of some of the collectible figs. (unpainted, but no big deal)
6. New board game due out this fall that can be used with Castle Ravenloft
7. Rulebook is less than 15 pages
8. Well illustrated rulebook, (but that's one of the best parts of 4th Edition - the art)
9. 1 - 5 players, which means you can actually play the game solo

I'll post pics of the stuff as soon as I can, I'm going to try and work through the rules and a solo game tonight, but it looks pretty easy.

Old School DnD

Sorry guys, but I need to take a stroll down memory lane. Not sure how many of you out there remember the good ol' days of Dungeons & Dragons, but I saw these pics out on the net and I couldn't help remembering all of the fun that I had. I wish I could get my hands on this stuff again. For nostalgic reasons if nothing else.

This was how we played back in the day. Enjoy!