Roar Cat Reads

Category: Tabletop and Video Games

  • A Nostalgic Look Back to King’s Quest Computer Games

    A Nostalgic Look Back to King’s Quest Computer Games

    Some of the first video games I ever played were the King’s Quest series. My older brother and I spent hours figuring out the puzzles and restarting the game after a comically narrated death. I still have an intense fondness for point-and-click games (see my review of the phenomenal Disco Elysium) that is based in the King’s Quest series. From the fanfare that plays over the Sierra title page to specific scenes, these games are seared into my memory in the best possible way. If you played any King’s Quest games as a kid (or as an adult!), I hope you’ll enjoy the following memories and comment with some of your own.

    King’s Quest V – Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder!

    Released in 1990 (though I didn’t play it until around 1995), King Graham was my first KQ protagonist, and his quest to rescue his captured family is still so much fun to play through. For those who need a refresher on the plot, the evil wizard Mordack has magically spirited away Castle Daventry along with King Graham’s wife, son, and daughter. With the help of talking owl Cedric, Graham travels throughout towns, deserts, dark forests to gather clues and ultimately defeat Mordack and save his family.

    Memorable moments:

    • The ants singing, “We’re the ants of King Anthony, we’re going to help King Graham” STILL pops into my head on a regular basis, 25 years after first playing the game.
    • That desert!! One of the most excruciating (and delightful) aspects of these games is how easy it is to get stuck or to die. You really have to save every two seconds, and nowhere was this more true for me than when wandering the desert to find a temple before I died of thirst. I remember drawing out maps with my brother to determine where we had gone and which route was safe. I kind of miss those days, as now my knee-jerk reaction to difficult puzzles in video games is to Google a solution.
    • The final battle with Mordack, when you have to transform into the correct animal to counterattack his form, is so stressful! Even when I replayed this as an adult and used a walkthrough, my heart was racing from the emotional memory of playing this over and over again, young and fully believing in the high stakes.

    King’s Quest VI – Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow

    Released in 1992, this is my favorite King’s Quest game by far. Set in the Land of the Green Isles, Prince Alexander seeks the beautiful Princess Cassima. He is shipwrecked along the way and must use a magic map to travel from the Isle of the Crown to the Isle of Wonder, Isle of the Sacred Mountain, the Isle of the Beast, and the actual Underworld to make his way to his lady love and defeat the Vizier who wants to marry her by force.

    Memorable moments:

    • “Alexander opens his magic map.” I can still hear the intonation! Also, the narrator for KQ6 was SO TALENTED.
    • When he reaches the Isle of Wonder, Alexander must get past five creatures, one for each sense (hearing, smelling, etc). Their forms are so whimsical and ridiculous, and I both loved and feared them.
    • When Alexander finds all the ingredients to summon a winged horse to take him to the Land of the Dead, the game says the brew smells terrible. In an amazing coincidence, my dad was soldering toy trains in the room nearby when we first played through this scene. My brother and I were AMAZED that the game was able to create smells, and it was quite the letdown when we realized the actual cause of the burning plastic stench.
    • It was such a great moment when the impassible sheer cliffs on the Isle of the Sacred Mountain pop out little stairs and you can finally climb to the top.
    • Much like KQ5’s final showdown with Mordack, traversing the minotaur’s lair still terrifies me. The ominous clopping down hallways as you try not to get lost elicit childhood terror despite the fact that it is objectively pretty tame by all video game standards of today.

    King’s Quest VII – The Princeless Bride

    Released in 1994, KQ7 changed up the look and play style significantly. Embracing a cartoon aesthetic, the game alternated chapters between Queen Valanice and Princess Rosella. When Rosella leaps through a portal, her mom jumps in after her. They land in different parts of the land of Eldritch, and Rosella has been transformed into a troll. They journey through deserts, troll caves, Ooga Booga, and floating islands as they attempt to find each other and stop the evil Malicia from destroying the world with a volcano.

    Memorable moments:

    • In what has quickly revealed itself to be a trend, it is the scary things that stuck in my memory. The boogey man that leaps above the upper limits of the screen and then crashes onto you and kills you freaked me OUT, both as a child and as an adult.
    • Archduke Fifi le YipYap’s slobbering nasal voice as he totters around little town.
    • The stag sitting by cursed tree. These games really like cursed trees, huh?
    • I remember loving the floating islands that you traverse by rainbow slides, but when I replayed this game as an adult I found this section of the game interminably long.

    Bonus Memories

    I went to Emerald City Comic Con for the first time in 2019. It felt right that I ended up going with my brother, since he was my first nerdy influence. Neither of us are talented enough to cosplay, but we wanted to make t-shirts that symbolized our familial relationship. Turns out there aren’t a lot of brother/sister characters without weird sexual tension! After some discussion, we had the brilliant idea to honour the games that first united us. He wore a Prince Alexander shirt, and I wore Princess Rosella. It was a pretty niche concept, but three people complimented us and one even wanted a picture with us! It was such a fun experience, and I’m glad that the King’s Quest games were a part of it.

  • Final Fantasy 8 – From Prison to a Floating Garden

    Final Fantasy 8 – From Prison to a Floating Garden

    Read the first section of my FF8 replay: From Balamb to Timber and the second section: From Galbadia to the Assassination.

    Winhill

    After the emotional intensity of the assassination – the creepy music, the endless obstacles, the successful and attempted murders – we get dropped into the cutest, most idyllic dream world scene yet. Laguna is recovering from the disaster at Esthar in the adorable village of Windhill at the home of tiny child Ellone and her mother Raine.

    • A Galbadian soldier guarding the village mentions that Esthar is a country ruled by a sorceress. They kidnap little girls, looking for a successor to Sorceress Adel. Does this mean that sorcery is genetic? But not so much that the sorceress can give birth to a magical girl?
    • Laguna’s Desperado limit break with a machine gun is hilariously over the top.
    • Kiros shows up, having apparently been separated since being thrown off a cliff. This begs a very important question: Are there no communication devices in this world? There is technology to create a mobile building but not to call long distance?
    • Julia, the singer that Laguna had a crush on, wound up marrying General Caraway. That means she is Rinoa’s mother!!
    • Laguna has the cutest relationships. Little Ellone wants her mom to marry Laguna; she’s into it, but afraid of brining it up because she doesn’t think he would be satisfied living in a quiet town like Winhill. This is such a realistic concern, and it shows FF8’s mastery of romance once again (as previously discussed re: their care creating a love triangle between Squall, Rinoa, and Seifer).

    Galbadia D-District Prison

    Zell was also dreaming, but conveniently, he was Ward working as a janitor in a prison…this prison! The gang has been arrested for their attempted assassination, and Zell, Selphie, and Quistis share a cell. They escape their cell, recover their weapons, and begin an incredibly tedious section of the game where we run up and down and all around the floors of the very boring prison, pausing to switch GFs incessantly.

    • Squall is being held separately, and Seifer is very excited to taunt and torture him. Sorceress Edea wants to know what SeeD is, as though there’s a secret behind their mercenary exterior, but neither Squall nor I know what they’re talking about.
    • Seifer is excited to know that Squall saw him in his moment of glory, asking, “How did I look?” He loves being Squall’s nemesis, and let me be honest. The fanfic writes itself for this scene.

    “This is the scene where you swear your undying hatred for me!”

    • The fire dogs are awesome, and if you didn’t hate Galbadia already, the fact that they’ve apparently enslaved this cute lil guys is more than enough to make them our enemy. Maybe Selphie too, since she freakishly suggests skinning the fire dog and wearing it as a disguise.
    • When the group rescues Squall, the fire dog squeaks, “Laguna” at him. Interesting.
    • This whole section is just terrible. I am so relieved when the group escapes and leaves the corkscrew prison behind.

    Galbadia Missile Base

    After watching missiles be launched at Trabia Garden (sorry, Selphie), I sent the chaos team (Selphie, Zell, Irvine) to the Missile Base to prevent the same thing from happening to Balamb Garden. I’m not very invested in these characters, so I did feel a little bad when they assure each other, “Squall chose us because he believes in us!” …Sure.

    They manage to mess with the launch, but can’t get out of the compound before the whole place explodes. RIP Selphie, Zell, and Irvine.

    Balamb Garden

    Squall, Rinoa, and Quistis basically teleport back to Balamb Garden, where they find the place up in arms as Garden Master NORG demands that the students find Cid.

    • Squall gives very vulnerable reasons for wanting to help save Garden…in his head. His walls are breaking down internally at least!
    • The group makes their way through a basement maze at Cid’s request, where they find secret tech that enables the Garden to…levitate. Sure.
    • Everyone, including the headmaster, wants Squall to be responsible for flying the school. The whole storyline of Squall having leadership thrust upon him is a bit weird. He is competent, but utterly standoffish and rude. But he’s the hero of this game, so everything works in his favor. I shouldn’t complain, because it brings out his vulnerabilities, and I love it!
    • Squall hates having nothing to do because he worries! Why, I also rely on being productive to avoid having to live in my own head. #relatable
    • Rinoa asks for a tour, and I appreciate that the game remembers that she has never been here. It quickly devolves into another little quest, since Garden Master NORG is still pissed. He is a being unlike anything we have seen to this point, and he yells “Fushifuru” a lot. It’s…weird.
    • NORG wants to give the sorceress Squall’s head to get her off Garden’s back. He doesn’t trust Cid because he’s married to Edea, which is fair! But Squall and co. kill him anyway.
    • Cid fills in a few more gaps, explaining that Balamb Garden was created to kill sorceresses. Edea knew she might become one, but didn’t think it would actually happen. This implies that becoming a sorceress necessarily makes you evil. But why?
    • A ship approaches the floating Garden bearing Sorceress Edea’s ninja SeeDs. This makes no sense, nor does the fact that Cid capitulates to their desire to take Ellone.
    • Yes, Ellone! The little girl from Winhill is grown up (and is the woman Squall and Quistis saved in the training center after the SeeD ball). Squall finds her in the library, and she admits that she knows Squall is being sent into the past to live Laguna’s memories. She leaves, and Squall lays on his bed in the fetal position, overwhelmed with responsibility and fear.

    “I’m not a child anymore. I have all the skills I need to survive. That’s a lie. I don’t know anything. I’m confused. I don’t want to depend on anyone. How can I do that?”

    • We get our first flashback of baby Squall missing his Sis, and it’s very sad and cute!

    That’s where we’ll end this section of my Final Fantasy 8 playthrough. Squall’s character is developing rapidly, and I love that his aloof lone wolf attitude is explicitly taken apart, revealing an inner child who is afraid of being alone with the weight of the world on his shoulders. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

  • Andrea’s Adventurers Charity RPG Livestream

    Andrea’s Adventurers Charity RPG Livestream

    Roll a nat20 to beat cancer!

    After my interview with Andrea Driedger about the 2021 Terminal City Tabletop Convention, she kindly invited Rachel and me to participate in her three-day event, Andrea’s Adventurers Charity RPG Livestream, to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. It’s going to be a full weekend of D&D for a good cause!

    Rachel and I will be involved every day of the June 4-6 event, so you have multiple opportunities to watch us be ridiculous while telling imaginary stories with strangers, aka friends in the making.

    Rachel GMs Friday, June 4 from 9:00pm – 1:00am PST

    Charity RPG Livestream

    “The guild has been asked to send a team of adventurers to the farming town of Riversbend. After an earthquake, a sinkhole has formed on the old Barleybush farm. It’s probably nothing to worry about, but the more superstitious folks are worried something nasty is going to crawl out of it. The townsfolk of Riverbend would like the adventurers to put their minds at rest.”

    Watch on Terminal City Tabletop Convention’s Twitch stream!

    Tricia GMs Saturday, June 5 from 1:00pm – 5:00pm PST

    Charity RPG Livestream

    “With the local population of owlbears declining, famed owlbearologist Willem McPhearson wants to hire a team of adventurers to help him track down and study the creatures. Can people and owlbears coexist? This D&D5e adventure is for anyone who saw a D&D monster and wanted it to be their pet.”

    Watch on Terminal City Tabletop Convention’s Twitch stream!

    Rachel and Tricia play Sunday, June 6 from 9:00am – 1:00pm PST

    “In a hunt to defeat an evil wizard the party has been shrunk down. Now they must find a way to regain their size before the evil wizard can finish their plans.”

    Watch on Terminal City Tabletop Convention’s Twitch stream!

    If you would like to combine donating to a good cause with helping a girl out, consider donating at least $50 and gifting Rachel or Tricia a natural 20!

    Donation Tiers

    • $10: d6 die of inspiration to random player
    • $20: Natural 20 to player of your choice
    • $50: Natural 1 or 20 to a GM of your choice
    • $75: Greater healing potion and a d6 of inspiration to player of your choice
    • $100: Natural 1/20 to GM AND player of your choice, PLUS Adventure Dice will donate a set of dice to Camp Goodtimes, a camp for kids and families who have been affected by cancer
    • $200: All of the above.
    • $500: You and 3 friends can play D&D5e with Andrea and Blair from Adventure Dice (at date to be determined).

    Note: To specify the player or GM of your choice, please put a note in your donation display name.

    Donate Now

    View the full schedule and participants at andreasadventurers.ca.
    Watch on Terminal City Tabletop Convention’s Twitch stream!

  • 6 Podcasts for Dragon Age Fans

    6 Podcasts for Dragon Age Fans

    The Dragon Age series are games based in a world that is rich with detail, filled with complicated characters and gut-wrenching moral quandaries. They’re addictive, and if you’re anything like me, your interest didn’t stop when the game ended. Luckily for all of us, there are several excellent podcasts that will let you continue living in Thedas long after you’ve finished your fifth play through.

    6 Podcasts for Dragon Age Fans

    Updated May 2025

    One Off Episodes

    Some of my favorite podcasts have had episodes about Dragon Age. These are a great place to start if you crave a little Dragon Age content and don’t want to commit to an entire podcast. Consider starting with these:

    Femsplained

    • “Episode 3. Dragon Age – Femquisition” – March 7, 2018 (an introduction to the series as a whole)
    • “Episode 61. Dragon Age 2: Femsplained Again” – February 23, 2021 (a much better re-introduction now that the Femsplained hosts have settled into their dynamic)

    Literate Gamer

    • “Dragon Age – JS Lenore” – June 28, 2017 (the hosts are pretty terrible as they haven’t played the games and keep going down rabbit trails, but their guest loves the series and keeps bringing things back to where they should be!)

    Two Girls One Ship: Reviewing Video Game Romances

    • “Dragon Age Origins: Morrigan, Witch of the Wilds, Love Isn’t Weakness” – December 11, 2021 (each character gets their own podcast episode, all the other DA:O are near this time frame)
    • “Dragon Age 2: Fenris, Pain and Anger” – November 13, 2022 (same as above)
    • “Dragon Age Inquisition: Dorian Pavus, Hope for More” – December 4, 2023 (same as above)
    • “TGOS Patron Chat 37: Dragon Age The Veilguard Romances Discussion” – February 3, 2025 (individual episodes for Veilguard have not come out yet, but this is a great overview!)

    Entire Podcasts

    Split the Veil

    Hosts Caitie and Jordan have great podcast chemistry, and I appreciate the respect they show for each other’s opinions and insights as they discuss Dragon Age and occasionally Mass Effect. They cover game reviews, character rankings, and general discussions on broader themes and topics.

    Start with:

    • “60: Favorite Dragon Age Moments Pt. 1” – October 9, 2020
    • “40: State of the Nations” – July 6, 2019 (a discussion of the different countries in Thedas)
    • “7: Gender in the Dragon Age Fandom” – March 16, 2019 (feminist discussions and video games – my favorite!)

    Enchantment: Dragon Age Let’s Play Podcast

    Hosted by Manny and Brandon, two chaotic gay men who describe their experiences as they play through the Dragon Age games. They have finished Origins and are playing Dragon Age 2 now. This is the podcast for you if you want to relive the story with people who are new to the series (well, new for one of them).

    Start with:

    • “OR103 – Origins Faves w/ Liz from Dragon Age: On the Record Podcast” – May 20, 2019 (get a sense of their personalities and game preferences before delving into the full experience)
    • “OR001 – Meet Steván” – September 30, 2018 (the start of their Dragon Age: Origins actual play)

    Dragon Age Off the Record

    Liz and Road host this podcast, an in-depth review and discussion of each game, with an additional focus on DLCs, comics, books, and some interviews with DA creators!

    Start with:

    • “Dragon Age OTR ep 4: ‘Enchantment? EnCHANTment!’” (Dragon Age: Origin discussion begins)
    • “Dragon Age OTR 8: ‘Dangit, Anders!’” (Dragon Age II discussion begins)
    • “Dragon Age OTR 10: ‘Ride the Bull’” (Dragon Age: Inquisition discussion begins)

    Wicked Grace

    There are only two episodes in this too-short podcast, but they are worth a listen! CC hosts both, and she is joined by different women for each episode for a topic-based conversation. It still feels novel to listen to a podcast of only ladies talking about video games – I wish there had been more of this one!

    Start with:

    • “Episode 01: Divine Intervention” – November 30, 2017 (a discussion about the Divine Election options in Dragon Age: Inquisition)
    • “02: What To Expect When You’re Expecting (An Old God Baby)” – April 13, 2018 (a discussion about Morrigan’s child and the Dark Ritual from Dragon Age: Origins)

    Dungeons and Dragon Age

    Playing Dungeons & Dragons in the world of Thedas is SUCH a fun idea, and the four players certainly enjoy themselves, sometimes to the chagrin of the long-suffering DM (is there any other kind?). I am about halfway through the series, which ends after 18 episodes. I love a D&D actual play podcast with an ending!

    Start with:

    • “Episode #1 – Can I Take the Arm?” – August 14, 2020 (jump right in with the show’s first episode!)
  • 5 LGBTQ+ Book Characters I Want in My D&D Party

    5 LGBTQ+ Book Characters I Want in My D&D Party

    You’re walking down a forest road when you’re beset upon by goblins! Quick, grab your queer books – it’s time to choose your party!

    The first person I knew I wanted in my Queer D&D Party is Harrowhark Nonagesimus from The Locked Tomb series (Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth) by Tamsyn Muir. What can I say? I’m attracted to raw power, high intelligence, and low charisma. I would sort Harrow as a Chaotic Neutral Warlock – she doesn’t care about following the rules, and I cannot in good conscious claim her to be either good or evil. Instead, she is concerned about doing right by those she cares about (barely), and hang the rest. As for the Warlock bit, she’s clearly a magic user. I think the pact her parents made to kill 200 children to give her power aligns nicely with a warlock’s pack with an otherworldly being. And are you kidding me with her necromantic powers – who needs Turn Undead with Harrow around?

    Every necromancer needs a cavalier, and I wanted a physical fighter to balance her magic. The easy answer would be Gideon herself, but that felt like cheating! Instead, I went with Murderbot from The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Murderbot skews far more science fiction than most D&D campaigns, but I don’t care! I want them on my team, and I trust them to be able to adjust to a new setting with aplomb (and complaints). I think Murderbot would be a Neutral Good Fighter. They’re clearly not lawful because they hacked their governor module and lied about being a free agent. But they’re not really chaotic either; Murderbot just wants to keep its humans safe and watch its shows. And I think they would be a fighter because they’re not really anything else – I can’t see Murderbot as a Barbarian or a Ranger. MAYBE a Monk with its super speed Flurry of Blows, but still. I think fighter best sums up Murderbot’s skills.

    One giant problem with my first two choices is the fact that they are extremely anti-social. We need some charisma in this party! And who is more charismatic than a Bard? Enter Tam Hashford from Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames. She’s new to adventuring, but eager to fit in and earn her keep. She’s used to being around hardened mercenaries, so I don’t think she would be too bothered by Harrow and Murderbot. She could do the talking (and raise a bit of money for the group with a song) when the stumble into a town and need a place to stay.

    There’s a lot of chaos in this group, so I think we need someone with a strong moral compass to guide our group. Since Murderbot is constantly getting a little bit exploded, I want to add Jane Hodgson from Alice Payne Arrives and Alice Payne Rides by Kate Heartfield to the group. Her 1789 scientific and mechanical skills seem like a good fit for a D&D setting, so I would cast her as a Lawful Good Artificer. Usually left behind by Alice, I think it’s time for Jane to have some of her own adventures. And we someone in this party to see the wounded

    To round everything off, I can’t resist adding Jam from Pet by Akwaeke Emezi. She’s got the heart of a Lawfully Good Paladin, determined to find and destroy monsters, be they literal or metaphorical. It doesn’t hurt that she has Pet, a creature who fills the role of something like the result of a “Find Steed” spell (Pet is an unusually intelligent and strong celestial being!) or the deity who inspires Jam in her monster hunting. Together they’re pretty unstoppable, and that’s exactly what I want in my D&D party.

    So that’s it! A pretty ridiculous group of queer characters, which is the recipe for a fun campaign.

    Who would you include in your D&D party of queer characters? Leave a comment with your characters!

  • Disco Elysium: A Video Game Review

    Disco Elysium: A Video Game Review

    Developed by: ZA/UM
    Release Date: October 2019
    Playtime: 38.8 hours

    The winner of a ton of awards, Disco Elysium is a relatively new computer game that completely absorbed my evenings for a week straight. Thank goodness it is only a 30-hour(ish) game, or I would still be rushing home from work to dive into Revachol and spend some time with Nameless Protagonist and Kim Kitsuragi.

    Disco Elysium is a point and click adventure of discovery: both of the identity of the murderer of a mysterious hanged man behind a hostel, and more importantly, of your own identity. The game begins with your Nameless Protagonist waking up from a massive hangover and implied suicide attempt. Throughout the game, you construct your personality with an ingenious character points tree that is more D&D than RPG. I of course leaned heavily on Empathy, which created a double edged sword: I was able to relate better to people around me, but I also felt the pain of my past more acutely without the ability to shove it down. I promise this is a game and not a therapy session.

    Although the plot of Disco Elysium is excellent and will be discussed, developing your character is truly a unique highlight of the game. As you talk with people at the hostel and beyond, you get a sense for what you’ve been like the previous few days. You can also find personal effects in likely and unlikely locations (how embarrassing, having to be a detective to find your lost detective items) which will trigger memories of who you are and what emotional minefields you are fleeing from. It is honestly SO satisfying to watch your character grow….in any number of directions, as you can double down on paranoia and preach the end of days, get straight-laced and sober and sorry, or any number of unique paths.

    In addition to the personality points system, another element of the game that is extremely D&D are all of the ability checks that you make throughout the game. In fact, that’s how every interaction between people and objects is judged. Want to figure out if someone is telling you the truth? Roll the dice with your drama modifier (this is calculated automatically) to determine your success. Want to use a crowbar to break into a freezer? Roll the dice with your physical instrument modifier. If you fail, you must either interact with the world in such a way as to increase your odds (talk to the person further, find a bigger crowbar) or level up so that you have a new point to assign to the necessary personality aspect.

    This conceit applies to combat as well. In the rare (but so emotionally powerful!) scenes where violence occurs, time slows and every interaction is a dice roll – gauging people’s anger, dodging attacks, trying to talk people down, warning people of danger. It is super stressful and realistic as you attempt to make a shot, but roll poorly and face the consequences.

    Okay, but what about the actual plot? It’s also great! You play a detective sent to Revachol to investigate the murder of a hanged man behind a hostel. You are assigned a partner in Kim Kitsuragi, who feels like an incredibly real character with meaningful depth. Together, you follow leads that twist in on each other – is it a political dispute gone wrong between the union and Wild Pines, or is it something more personal? Along the way, you uncover the (exhaustingly detailed) history of Revachol, the quirks of its inhabitants, and complete a side quest or two. These can cover ground from the mundane (convince a shopkeep to let her cold daughter inside) to the fantastical (set bug traps for a cryptozoologist) to something in the middle (set up a rave club inside a church while a scientist measures a hole in the world with their music equipment). The pace unfurls at the perfect pace to keep your attention focused on solving the murder while allowing detours to explore everything around you.

    At times dark but with an enormous amount of heart, Disco Elysium has a lot to say about the human condition, about what is possible, and how we can rebuild ourselves after trauma. 10/10 recommend.

  • My 8 Favorite Board Games

    My 8 Favorite Board Games

    I did not always love board games (the one that I did love was Life – that spinner! the tiny people pegs!), but I have consistently become friends with people who love them. I first warmed to card games when my Midwestern friends hosted euchre tournaments during weekend getaways. Over the years, I slowly got into table top games with Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Cataan. Now, I have become full-fledged board game geek, a title that is bestowed when one voluntarily plays a game for 13 hours (see Twilight Imperium below).

    I pride myself on having a diverse board game palate. I want to have games that appeal to different kinds of people, from the silly to the serious and the short to the long. If you are looking for a new game to play, these table top games are ones that I can personally vouch for!

    I want to acknowledge that board games can be expensive.  If you don’t think you’re ready to invest in a board game, you can still enjoy them!  You can borrow a game from a friend, check out a board game from the library, or head out to a cafe or pub that allows you to play a huge variety of games while eating and drinking.  (If you’re in the Vancouver area, I recommend Storm Crow Alehouse or Pizzeria Ludica during non-COVID times.)

    5 Minute Dungeon

    5-Minute Dungeon (2-5 players, 25 minute gameplay)
    5-Minute Dungeon is an excellent game to start the evening.  Each round literally lasts five minutes, so it’s a quick and chaotic cooperative way to get in the gaming mood with your friends.  Using D&D archetypes such as rogue, wizard, or barbarian, you have the option of choosing from five character cards (male or female on either side, equaling ten option in total) to team up and defeat five increasingly difficult boss battles.  The gameplay is simple, as you and your teammates match icons from your hand to defeat a series of monsters and obstacles, and the five minute time limit guarantees that you will be laughing and screaming in an attempt to be victorious in time.

    Unstable Unicorns

    Unstable Unicorns (2-8 players, 30-45 minute gameplay) 
    Unstable Unicorns is an adorably designed game of killer unicorns with hilarious names and powers (Americorn!  Stabby the Unicorn!) that combines strategy and ruthlessness with seriously, just the cutest illustrations ever.  Build up your stable of unicorns (as well as narwhals, the unicorns of the sea) and try to destroy the unicorns of other players.  It is a simple system with the potential for a lot of clever gameplay.

    Quelf

    Quelf (3-8 players, 1-2 hour gameplay)
    Quelf is my favorite party game, and I have historically described it as “if you are willing to look ridiculous for 30 seconds, you get to watch your friends look ridiculous too.”  It is out and out bonkers, as you move along the track by miming falling down an elevator or scouring your kitchen for materials to make a scuba mask that must be worn for the remainder of the game.  Sometimes you lose points if you forget to bark at someone entering the room.  It’s the silliest thing I’ve ever voluntarily done on repeat, and it never gets old.

    Munchkin

    Munchkin (3-6 players, 1-2 hour gameplay)
    Munchkin is a card-based strategy game wherein you strengthen your character with loot like the Kneepads of Sexiness and fight monsters, racing to level 10 before any of your competitors.  It’s a lot of fun that never gets old, because holy cow, there are so many expansions.  You can work your way through Adventure Time scenarios or Cthulhu horrors or dinosaurs.  This game has a fairly simple conceit, but it’s heightened with creative twists like giving monsters additional hit points for every drink that’s on the table.

    Eldtrich Horror

    Eldritch Horror (1-8 players, 2-4 hour gameplay)
    Eldritch Horror is one of the most complicated, most difficult games I’ve ever played.  In fact, in the three times I’ve played this with groups of experienced gamers, I have never once won.  Yet this only makes me want to try again!  A cooperative game based on H.P. Lovecraft’s novels, you and your friends race to find clues and defeat horrors appearing through rifts all over the world before your health and sanity disappear.  It requires strategy, flexibility, and the willingness to mourn the takeover of planet earth after hours of attempting to prevent the apocalypse.  Defeat was never so fun.

    Arkham Horror Card Game

    Arkham Horror: The Card Game (1-4 players, 1-2 hour gameplay)
    If you’re not a fan of board games that require hundreds of game pieces, switch over to Arkham Horror: the Card Game, which adds role-play to the original concept of partners uniting to defeat otherworldly horrors before you lose all health and sanity.  The card setup is unique, and the scenarios allow you to fail but continue moving forward so long as you note your “two mental traumas” in the gameplay notebook.  Again, this is a game designed to be almost impossible, which should be obvious by the rule that states, “If you are unsure how to apply a rule, choose the option that causes the most pain to your characters.”  So hard!  So fun!

    Terraforming Mars

    Terraforming Mars (1-5 players, 1-2 hour gameplay)
    Terraforming Mars a perfect game for one or two people who want to strategize and create a long term plan, stacking resources and implementing opportunities at just the right moment.  This game wins extra points for feeling like you’re really terraforming Mars.  Points are earned as you raise the temperature and oxygen levels, and you have access to developing microbes and searching for life before opportunities to plan grass ever come along.  An incredibly nerdy and delightful game.

    Twilight Imperium

    Twilight Imperium (3-6 players, 4-8 hour playtime)
    The game of all games.  I first played Twilight Imperium in a group of six, and we played for thirteen hours.  It is a testament to this game that we played again within a month, and the second time breezed by in a quick seven hours.  This complex game somehow manages to never feel QUITE too complicated, though I cannot imagine trying to play without at least one player who has experience.  In this race to conquer the galaxy (which you create with tiles, guaranteeing a new game every time), you can lean into technology, war, trade, or diplomacy to earn victory points and become undisputed champion of table top gaming. (Check out my review here.)

  • How do I make sure everyone is having fun at my D&D table?

    How do I make sure everyone is having fun at my D&D table?

    Dear Roar Cat,

    I am a new DM, and I find it difficult to manage my players’ different social styles. Some are eager to jump in, but others rarely speak up unless I ask them something specifically. How to I make sure both my quiet and my performative players are happy?

    Sincerely,

    I Just Want Everyone to Have a Good Time

    Dear I Just Want Everyone to Have a Good Time ,

    Group dynamics is one of the most difficult things to navigate in D&D, both as a player and especially as a DM. Ideally, you want all of your players to be equally engaged and contributing to the story. However, we all know that in reality, this is hard to achieve!

    The fact that you are already asking questions about this is a good sign. You are aware of your players and you care about making sure they are having fun. When you notice that some players are contributing more than others, ask yourself why there is a disparity. In general, it will be one of two reasons:

    Personality: People are different! A quieter player might be happy to sit back and let others drive the story, or they might wish they had more room to contribute. Those who are more gregarious love to take center stage to fill the necessary role of building story momentum, and they may or may not be happy to cede time to others when necessary.

    Conflict. In any group of people, conflict is inevitable. Learn to look for its early warning signs (passive aggressive behavior or comments, one person always getting their way, multiple players ganging up on another) and address the conflict as soon as possible. This can be as simple as a light-hearted “Wow, things are getting pretty heated here!” or addressing a specific player with, “How did your character feel when everyone did x?” Unaddressed conflict can build, leading players to become less and less involved in the game.

    Once you have identified the source of the disparity, you have a few options.

    • Keep checking in with your players, both in-game and out. During the adventure, ask your quieter players, “What is your character doing while Loud Player is acting?” This gives them the opportunity to contribute as much or as little as they like. Similarly, it never hurts to send a message to your players after the session, asking if everyone was happy with the amount of play time that they had.
    • Encourage quieter players. Intentionally make space for them by designing part of the session especially for them (a puzzle only a wizard can solve, an NPC from their character’s backstory who distrusts strangers, etc). Think about where that player has shown interest and enthusiasm in the past, then try to build adventures with similar hooks in the future.
    • If your showboater keeps talking over others or playing for them, this is a boundary issue. Start with a gentle reminder that the louder character is not involved in the scene or that they need to make space for others. If this doesn’t work, you might need to flex your communication skills outside of the session. These conversations tend to go more smoothly if you bring them into a positive plan rather than shutting them down. Try something like: “Help me bring ___’s character out (not as your sidekick); I think you would be really good at it!”

    As the DM, it is your role to manage social dynamics as well as the story. If you ask your players how they’re doing on a regular basis, and speak up for those who are quieter when necessary, you should find that everyone has the chance to contribute and have fun!

    Wishing you high charisma rolls,

    Roar Cat Reads

    Send your D&D questions to Dear Roar Cat Reads at roarcatreads@gmail.com.

  • Terminal City Tabletop Convention with Andrea Driedger

    Terminal City Tabletop Convention with Andrea Driedger

    On Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28, Terminal City Tabletop Convention (TCTC) hosted its annual event, online for the second year in a row. I had Twitch on the TV throughout both days to watch as games were played. In particular, I was eager to see how the RPG Free Spacer could run, and Rachel participated in a playtest run of ‘Tis Mutiny, a pirate card game. Eager to learn more, I reached out to Andrea, one of the co-owners of TCTC to find out more about the convention and about the nerdy community here in Vancouver, BC.

    By day, Andrea Driedger (she/her) is a communications specialist with the local school district. By night, Andrea is a storyteller, roleplaying gamer, board gamer, bibliophile, writer, introvert, cancer survivor, and drinker of ALL THE TEA. She co-owns Terminal City Tabletop Convention (Vancouver’s tabletop gaming convention) and Adventure Dice (a tabletop gaming online store) with her husband, Blair. You can find her on socials @wisdomcheck. 

    Andrea, when did you become a fan of tabletop games?  

    I’ve been playing tabletop games since I was a kid. Whether it was family Monopoly marathons, or getting my butt kicked at Scrabble or Hearts, games have always been part of my life. When I was in university back in the aughts, I joined an online, post-based, Star Trek RPG. It’s really what introduced me to the bigger world of gaming. I’d had an interest in D&D, but the group I tried it with wasn’t the best introduction to the game. The interest waned until I met Blair at a convention, who opened the door to tabletop RPGs and other board games. 

    What is your favorite tabletop game and why?

    That’s like having to choose my favourite book! Yikes! If I had to pick one, I’d say Pandemic. I love cooperative games. You get to win together or not, and nobody feels like they got the short end of the gaming stick. It’s easy to teach, but still offers a lot of strategy.

    I know that you have participated in TCTC since it’s very first year.  How has the con changed in the years since then?

    It’s definitely scaled up in size. Going from the Firefighter’s Club in Burnaby to three rooms of the Croatian Cultural Centre has definitely been a big change. It’s given us the opportunity to add a dedicated RPG room, a small space for vendors, and more game play tables. I know events can sometimes lose that magic when they get big, but TCTC has been lucky to have been able to keep its heart and community intact even as it has grown.

    When did you and your husband Blair begin working/volunteering with TCTC?  What prompted you to do so?

    We both have a passion for sharing our love of gaming with others. We’d run a few small board gaming events with friends in the past, volunteered at some other conventions, hosted board game nights at our local FLGS, and even run a charity RPG event. Shannon (TCTC’s founder) had made a post looking for extra help as the convention was growing, and we knew it was a good opportunity to help our local gaming community.

    What has been the hardest part about organizing a virtual convention?

    Last year it was pivoting from an in-person event to an online event with two weeks’ notice. This year I think it’s been screen fatigue. Everyone is tired from being online so much more, so trying to come up with ideas that would motivate folks to be online for another two days felt tricky. But our community is so supportive and passionate about TCTC, that it didn’t end up being an issue at all.

    What is the most rewarding part of organizing TCTC?

    Seeing someone discover a new favourite game, no matter if they’re totally brand new to gaming or they’ve been playing for years. 

    Did you come away from the con excited to play any new games?

    I am really excited for Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum from local designers Hot Banana Games. This was their second year demoing at TCTC and their game looks like a lot of fun (and super adorable and delicious too). I mean… mini foam dim sum pieces?! 

    What can we look forward to from TCTC in the future?

    I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re just excited to hopefully be able to get back to in-person events. 

    What else would you like people to know about?

    We hope folks will join us June 5-6, 2021 for Andrea’s Adventurers Charity RPG Livestream! We’ll have two days on the TCTC twitch (@terminalcitycon) featuring some fun RPG adventures while we try to raise $5,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society. More details coming soon, but if you watch the TCTC, Adventure Dice, or my own twitter accounts there will be more details coming soon. 

    I’ve got Andrea’s Adventurers Charity RPG Livestream in my calendar, and I am already looking forward to playing new tabletop games at next year’s Terminal City Tabletop Convention!

    Did you attend TCTC this year? If so, did you fall in love with any new games?

  • D&D Monster Fight: VROCK vs. DRIDER

    D&D Monster Fight: VROCK vs. DRIDER

    Rachel and I both DM separate Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. In an effort to improve our knowledge of D&D monsters and fight more creatively, we decided to challenge each other to a duel.

    ROUND TWO
    Vrock vs. Drider
    Challenge Rating (CR) 6

    The setting: A 100 ft long section of a shady forest.

    Our battle begins when Razorbeak the Vrock stumbles into a dark patch of forest claimed by Helob the Drider. Helob hides, readying an action until Razorbeak is within range. When the vrock is 30ft away, Helob casts Bane! Razorbeak responds with the single use action Stunning Screech.

    Side note: both of these actions would have been more effective if Helob had companions. Stunning Screech would have affected the whole group and Bane, as we will see, is less effective when you are fighting an enemy alone.

    The screech leaves Helob without movement or any useful actions, so the vrock gets a second turn, swooping in with its beak and claws. When he is able, Helob responds with his sword, clasped in two hands to deal maximum damage. The vrock has greater movement, but with no ranged attack has to keep swooping in. The drider, on the other hand, can switch between sword and bow as needed. 

    On one swoop past Razorbeak releases a cloud of Spores, gross. The spore release becomes a feature of the vrock’s tactic for the next few rounds, and it is quite effective when Helob finally fails his constitution saving throw and takes poison damage. He takes that damage again at the start of each turn until he makes a successful save, a couple of bad saving throws are what turn the tide of this battle.

    Up to this point, the drider had the upper hand with three attacks per turn compared to the vrock’s two. Hello is landing more hits, and thanks to an AC of 19 he is able to dish out more damage than he is taking. This would be especially true if the vrock were not immune to poison since the drider deals additional poison damage on top of the damage done by his weapon.

    Choking on Spores each turn, not even two natural 20s can save the drider. It is a close match! The vrock only has 13 HP when the drider finally falls, its legs curling inward, its face twisted and riddled with spores.

    WINNER: VROCK

    The Takeaway

    Tricia aka Razorbeak the Vrock

    This time, I chose a vrock so that I could have a flying monster after my struggles running a Vampire Spawn against a Cambion.  This made it easy to swoop in on the drider and get away each turn.  However, because the drider had long-range weapons, this wasn’t as big of an advantage as I had hoped.  I liked this fight because it truly felt equally matched – my vrock was easier to hit (AC15) but took less damage (cold, fire, lightning, bludgeoning, slashing, piercing resistant), whereas Rachel’s drider was more difficult to hit (AC19), but if I did, the vrock’s attacks hit hard.  The vrock’s Stunning Screech felt a little bit wasted against a single opponent.  I would love to use it against a party of adventurers and cut through an entire round of attacks.  Perhaps I will…heh heh.

    Rachel aka the Drider

    I chose to use the spellcasting variant from the DM manual, but I found the spells did not really help me in this fight as they seem to be geared towards pre-combat or are only effective against humanoids (hold person is not the same as hold monster). I thought casting Bane early would give me a nice advantage on top of an already beefy AC19 but with no one else around to draw my opponents attention I found that the spell ended quickly when my concentration was broken by taking damage. Essentially I had the choice of foregoing attacking to maybe avoid taking damage for a round or two; the better option seemed to be charging in with the sword. 

    Two of the drider’s attacks deal additional poison damage and with the vrock’s immunity to this extra damage, the edge was taken off my monster. Six of my attacks would have dealt an additional 4 points of damage…with only 13 HP deciding the fight, that was important. Lesson: immunities and resistances matter.

  • Final Fantasy 8 – From Galbadia to the Assassination

    Final Fantasy 8 – From Galbadia to the Assassination

    Read the first section of my FF8 replay: From Balamb to Timber.

    We’re starting off hot with this observation: Why does Zell squat so much?? I didn’t really talk about Zell much in the first section of the game, and spoilers: I won’t be talking about him much in this section either. He is a perfectly adequate character whose defining qualities are “antsy” and “loves hot dogs.” Is he anyone’s favorite character? I would love to know what appeals to you!

    • The second Laguna vision takes place in a location that I do not remember.
    • This whole Esthar flashback (name known only because of save point labels) is pretty boring, though I do enjoy Laguna tossing Kiros and Ward off the cliff and then hesitantly lowering/falling himself.
    • It drives me CRAZY that no one cares about figuring out why they are having group hallucinations!
    • Galbadia Garden is rad. I like that it shares a similar aesthetic to Balamb Garden with the circular central location, but it is much larger and has a skate rink!

    The group finds out that Seifer is “dead,” and everyone is pretty thrown by it. Quistis thinks this is a good time to mention that she never liked him, and I am still so annoyed at her terrible instructor/student boundaries! Rinoa opens about meeting him at age 16. He made her feel like she could take on the world, and I ship them. Despite the game beginning with a cutscene in which Squall and Rinoa fall into each other’s arms, it is very clear that, as they are now, they are not a good fit for each other. I’m excited to see what will happen to make them a better match.

    • Raijin and Fujin don’t believe that Seifer is dead. If he wasn’t revealed shortly thereafter to still be alive, this would be incredibly heartbreaking.
    • We meet Irvine Kinneas, who in his introductory cutscene looks very much like a very sexy lesbian.
    • Before heading to Galbadia, I ducked back to Dollet, which has recovered from the earlier attack remarkably well. I played a lot of cards here, and I love the mini side game where the kid paints bones onto paintings to reveal the hiding spot for small treasures.
    • Before you can get very far in Galbadia, you are sent to the Tomb of the Unknown King to prove your mettle. I still remember the key to getting through without getting lost: always turn right. In the end you get the Brothers GF, which is very cute but whose fight scene is just too long.
    • At Caraway’s mansion, we learn that General Caraway is Rinoa’s dad! That’s a fun little bit of family drama, though I can’t help but wish this were explored more. A modern game would let you explore the house, and I want to do that so badly (especially since we later learn that there are secret passageways)!
    • QUISTIS!! Just when I start to like her for being firm with Rinoa, she goes and jeopardizes the mission because she decides she wants to apologize RIGHT NOW. Gah!
    • Rinoa is also being very teenagery, sulking on the floor and waving her dad away. Her idea with the bangle is good, but it’s way too late to try something new.

    Sorceress Edea is genuinely creepy. Even with the blocky graphics, the scene where she possesses Rinoa and hangs her by the arm is spine-tingling. She starts a speech by calling everyone “filthy wretches” and threatening to kill everyone…and then kills the president. Everyone cheers for this? It is not clear to me at all why everyone is going crazy for her. What does she offer them? Are they not scared??

    Let us start a new reign of terror. I will let you live a fantasy beyond your imagination.

    Sorceress Edea

    I mean, I guess that’s appealing, but what does it mean? And no one cares when she sends monsters careening through the street? Whatever, dudes, I would have been SO out of there.

    • The parade animation is super rad with the dancers and everything. It strikes just the right note of creepy and exciting.
    • Squall and Irvine save Rinoa, and she is shaking with fear! But Squall shrugs her off because he is still an emotionally unavailable jerk. Do better, Rinoa!
    • However, I do like that Squall tells Rinoa that Seifer is alive.
    • We flash back and forth to Quistis, Zell, and Selphie making their way through the sewers, which involves an annoying amount of junction switching. Also, the second they descended into the sewers, I had a flash of 11-year-old me fear. I hate that place!
    • Back to the good stuff on the carousel, where Irvine says that he always chokes. I have to wonder, why was he assigned on this mission, then??
    • Squall encourages Irvine, telling him to think of the shot as only a signal, and I think this is the first time Squall acts like a real leader. Go, Squall!
    • Cool cutscene time! Squall fights Seifer one on one, before Rinoa and Irvine join him to fight Edea. I’m glad I remembered the trick to use Carbuncle to reflect her third level magic!!
    • “A SeeD, planted in a rundown Garden.”
      Me: Oooooohhhhhhh.
    • The scene ends with Squall getting stabbed! It would be scary, except that he falls…so far…off of a parade float?

    This is where Disc 1 ended in the original game, right? It certainly feels like a significant transition point.

  • How Can I Find a Safe and Comfortable D&D Group if I’m a Queer Lady?

    How Can I Find a Safe and Comfortable D&D Group if I’m a Queer Lady?

    Dear Roar Cat is an advice column for questions about D&D. Send in your questions to roarcatreads@gmail.com.

    How Can I Find a Safe and Comfortable D&D Group if I’m a Queer Lady?

    Dear Roar Cat,

    I want to get into Dungeons and Dragons, but as a queer woman, I don’t always feel comfortable in what I call “nerd bro” spaces. How can I find people to play with if I don’t want to just walk into a gaming store?

    -I Just Want to Kick the Door Down

    Dear I Just Want to Kick the Door Down,

    As a queer lady myself, I want to start by saying I get it. Although a lot of nerdy spaces are female-friendly and gay-positive, it only takes one weird look or some unwanted attention to put you off even trying.

    Unfortunately, you ARE going to have to try. Joining a new group is always a little awkward, so the first step will be to embrace the awkward and put yourself out there regardless. It will be worth it, I promise!

    The good news is, there are lot of friendly queer spaces online and IRL. Start with some of the groups that you are already a part of: Are you in a book club? Do you have a nerdy group chat? It doesn’t hurt to ask them if anyone wants to try a one-off game of D&D. You might be surprised at who has a secret history with role playing games.

    Sign Up for Roar Cat Reads Newsletter

    Personally, I have found friends in two unusual online spaces: I met my current D&D group on Meetup. I joined a group called “Vancouver Nerdy Ladies Club” and started a conversation saying that I was interested in starting an all-ladies D&D group. A couple people responded, friends were added, and it’s now we’ve been playing together for two years.

    I also met a friend through a Patreon forum. I joined a group that was focused on queer nerdy content and started a conversation, saying I was new to Vancouver and asking if anyone wanted to hang out. I met a girl who is still my friend two years later – we even started a podcast together!

    My point is, make your intentions known and get creative with online platforms.

    Alternatively, you have found Roar Cat Reads! Both Rachel and Tricia are professional DMs and run sessions for just $12.50/person for a 2-3 hour session. Send us an email at roarcatreads@gmail.com if you’re interested in hiring us!

    Level up,

    Roar Cat

    Common Sense and Sensibility: A Regency Lady TTRPG

    “It is exceedingly well known that the life of a lady is far from easy. Death raises its grisly visage at every turn: whether from shawl insufficiency or too many novels, a Regency-era lady can never be too cautious.”

    In Roar Cat Reads’ original TTRPG character funnel, Regency ladies will test their delicate mettle and try to stay alive. This handbook lays out the game’s core rules, character creation instructions, and a list of the surprisingly mundane events that can test a lady’s constitution.

    Download your FREE copy at our Ko-Fi shop.

  • Terraforming Mars

    Terraforming Mars

    A Tabletop Game Review

    (1-5 players, 1-2 hour gameplay)

    Terraforming Mars is a literal world-building game that creates a pace and domino effect of changes that feels accurate.  Fun for one player or a group, this game rewards strategy at increasing levels of difficulty depending upon how many of the rewards you count toward final scores.

    I first played Terraforming Mars with a low level of interest.  There were so many pieces and the tracking system for my organization’s money, iron, plants, heat, etc. looked overwhelming.  But when I played a couple rounds, I was hooked. The thing that got me most was the fact that the gameplay felt real. When you draw cards, some are immediately playable.  Others require that the planet’s oxygen and heat be at a certain level. After all, mining can begin immediately when developing a dead planet, but animals are not going to be able to survive until the basics are taken care of.

    Because there are limitations on what you can do when, the beginning of the game is slow.  Each player can likely only perform one or two actions before passing to the next. But as heat rises and terraformed plant tiles increase the planet’s oxygen (not to mention as your money intake grows), you can perform more and more actions.  These in turn speed up the rate at which the planet is developing, until by the end, all players are scrambling to accomplish all their goals before Mars is fully terraformed. At that point, scores are totaled based upon the number of cities you founded and whether they touch greenery, which feels like a realistic goal for a game about making a planet habitable.

    The fact that the system feels real and is, I assume, well-researched, continues when you move beyond the beginner corporations and try the game with specific organizations targeted to certain goals.  For instance, my pick was a mining corporation, which made the costs of mining actions lower. This led to faster expansion and more money, which ultimately won out over my partner’s attempts to push plants.  But in another round with different cards being drawn, the outcome could be totally different.

    Together with the fact that there are expansions to Terraforming Mars, the number of corporations you can play as and the amount of action cards available make this game incredibly replayable.  

    Pros:  

    1. Chill and Competitive.  There are rarely opportunities to directly attack your fellow gamers, and you indirectly help each other by raising temperature and oxygen levels.  The competition primarily comes from building your own successful system, which is only fully realized when score counting. As a person who values non-aggressive competition, this game was perfect for me.
    2. Realistic.  I mean, I haven’t terraformed Mars.  Nor has anyone else, so who knows if this actually is realistic.  But it’s very well thought out, and this makes the game feel immersive.
    3. Play Alone or With People.  My girlfriend played Terraforming Mars solo, and she said it was just as enjoyable as playing with others.  Alone, you are racing against the clock, and she said it felt impossible right up until the last couple rounds, which was just the kind of drama you feel when competing against others.

    Cons:  

    1. There are a lot of tiny game pieces needed to track all of your resources.  This isn’t a huge deal, but I could see people with children or pets getting into some trouble here.
    2. We haven’t played with all of the corporations, but some do feel more easily winnable than the others.  More playtime will reveal if this is true!

    I recommend Terraforming Mars to game players who love strategy, science, and the satisfaction of a series of decisions paying off in big rewards.

    Have you played Terraforming Mars?  
    Share your thoughts in the comments below!

  • D&D Monster Fight: CAMBION vs. VAMPIRE SPAWN

    D&D Monster Fight: CAMBION vs. VAMPIRE SPAWN

    Rachel and I both DM separate Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. In an effort to improve our knowledge of D&D monsters and fight more creatively, we decided to challenge each other to a duel.

    ROUND ONE
    Cambion vs. Vampire Spawn

    Challenge Rating (CR) 5

    The Setting

    A cavern 80 ft long narrows in the middle with a natural pillar in the center.

    The Story

    The cambion, let’s call her Raja, flies forward until she is within range to cast Command on Lucy the vampire spawn. It is successful, and Lucy Halts. Raja swoops forward and finishes her turn. Lucy, held by the Command spell for one round, can take no action. 

    On the next turn, Raja uses the ranged spell attack Fire Ray twice and deals damage before flying out of range of the vampire spawn. At the start of Lucy’s turn she regenerates 10 HP (something she will do at the start of each of her turns) and scuttles out of sight behind the pillar.

    Raja flies past the pillar to bring the vampire spawn back into view, but she isn’t there. Lucy held her action and used Spider Climb to scale the pillar until she was 20ft above the ground. When the cambion comes into range, she leaps forward and grapples the creature out of the air after succeeding on contesting strength rolls. Raja sustains fall damage and fails to break free of the grapple on her turn. The vampire spawn has now regained full HP thanks to the Regeneration ability and Bites Raja, dealing 19 points of damage. If she hadn’t already been at full HP, the necrotic damage done via Bite would have healed the vampire spawn. Lucy holds on to the Cambion and maintains her grapple.

    On her next turn, Raja breaks free and blasts Lucy with two Fire Rays before retreating to a safe distance. The vampire spawn once again scuttles behind the pillar.

    At this point, we paused to discuss how to resolve the hiding aspect of the vampire spawn's tactics. Because the cambion has 60ft of movement through the air compared to the vampire spawn's 30ft, there is no way for Lucy to close the gap. Hiding and leaping out as the cambion flies past is her best option. We decide to contest Stealth and Perception rolls when Raja and Lucy potentially have line of sight on each other.

    When Raja swoops past, she spots Lucy immediately and blasts her with 2 more Fire Rays. Lucy scuttles away and regenerates.

    On the next pass, Lucy surprises the cambion by falling from the ceiling. Their contested strength rolls match, so Lucy does not grapple Raja and the cambion is free to move. We imagine Lucy is hanging on to Raja’s foot. Raja flies up as high as she can and kicks the vampire spawn off with a contested roll, Lucy takes 40ft of falling damage (4d6).

    The game of cat and mouse around the pillar continues. The vampire spawn’s best tactic is to try and drag the fight out as long as possible. The cambion is below half HP; Raja is doing a lot of damage but has no way to heal, Lucy has taken a total of 140 points of damage, but Regeneration is keeping her in the game. If she can land another couple of surprise attacks, she could win this. 

    On Raja’s next pass Lucy drops on her from above and drives her to the ground dealing 20ft of falling damage, Raja grips Lucy’s wrist and casts Plane Shift. After a successful spell attack and a failed Charisma saving throw from Lucy, the vampire spawn is transported to a plane of Raja’s choosing. “Celestial,” the cambion says with an evil grin. Lucy lasts 12 seconds in the celestial realm, taking 20 points of radiant damage each turn before bursting into flames.

    The Takeaway

    Tricia aka Lucy the Vampire Spawn

    I tend to hack and slash my way through fights, whether as a player or the DM. This fight took that option away from me, since my speed was half that of my opponent, who could also fly! I had to get creative, which meant using Spider Climb to hide and surprise attack the cambion. Having Regeneration was a (literal) lifesaver, and if it weren't for that stupid Plane Shift spell, I maintain that I would have won!

    Rachel aka Raja the Cambion

    Utilizing my movement advantage was key to this fight, so I was constantly flying close and retreating out of reach. It became apparent that I wasn't doing enough damage to the vampire spawn, and I was starting to take significant damage myself without a way to heal. It was nice to have Plane Shift in my back pocket, but because there were two checks, it was not a guaranteed win. This time, it worked in my favor.

    WINNER: CAMBION

  • Final Fantasy 8 – From Balamb to Timber

    Final Fantasy 8 – From Balamb to Timber

    I first played Final Fantasy 8 (FF8) when it was released in 1999 as a wee little eleven year old. I was blown away by the massive leap in graphics quality as I watched human-shaped figures walk through beautifully rendered backgrounds. Of course it looks incredibly dated now, but the remastered version goes a long way toward making it both visually appealing and nostalgic on my PS4.

    Note: These posts are not entirely spoiler-free, though I have forgotten most of the game, so honestly, there’s not a lot I could spoil if I wanted to.

    Okay, let’s go!

    • The intro still slaps! The music is ominous and thrilling and exciting, the fight between Squall and Seifer is dramatic, and Rinoa in a field feels eerie and hopeful and that fall into each other’s arms at the end – so romantic!
    • I have so much to say about Quistis, and I will later, but even here in her introduction, it just rubs me the wrong way that she makes fun of Squall in this weirdly intimate way when all we know about her is that she is his instructor.
    • A lovely little spoiler exists if you search Squall’s computer in class when it casually mentions that GFs may cause memory loss, though this isn’t proven.
    • I love that FF8 sets up the card-playing game immediately. This is my favorite mini-game from any Final Fantasy game, and I am all about collecting cards, turning monsters into cards, and saving often so that if I lose Ifrit or Diablo I can undo it!

    I think the battle system in FF8 is my favorite of all Final Fantasy games as well. I adore the system of junctioning GFs and magic to make yourself stronger. It relies so heavily on strategy as you have to balance using your powerful magic as a junction to increase your stats while also being powerful magic that you’ll want to use in battle. I love the Draw action in battles, and my strategy is always to max out on every spell immediately.

    Similarly, I love the strategy surrounding limit breaks in FF8. The fact that your strongest attacks are only available when you are at your weakest moment is dramatically appealing, but it’s also a fun fine line to walk. I have lost many a battle because I risked staying at low health to keep doing Renzokuken one turn too many and got wiped out by the T-Rexaur. So fun!

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