The FATE Core proof is finished editing and will be off to the printers! They speculate the physical and electronic copies should be available come July, but as a project backer I get the privilege of getting a copy of the PDF now!
Much to my own shame I didn't assist at all in proofreading and giving feedback on this kickstarter project, partially because I didn't want to spoil it for myself. And I put my trust in entirely in the staff at Evil Hat Productions and all the other gamers who provided input. Now that it's done, I get to fully enjoy it.
Some brief points of interest quickly glancing through the PDF:
They added a section called Veteran's Guide, that lists the major changes to the system from Spirit of the Century and Dresden Files. Makes it easy for players' of these systems to see the differences.
They dropped the general number of character aspects from 7 or 10 to 5, which sounds like a good idea to me given that I've seen first hand how coming up with 10 aspects in SotC can be a bit of a waste of time considering you might only use half of them. They say you can raise the number of aspects above 5, but suggest not going above 7.
Stress boxes work like Dresden Files, which I prefer over how SotC handles stress.
Mechanics are no longer based upon a binary succeed/failure. There are now four outcomes. Yay for non-binary results!
Actions are simplified into into four groups: Attack, Create An Advantage, Defend, and Overcome.
The Cheat Sheet page puts all the rules in one spot, and provides the page numbers for each. Damn good idea, as it's easier than looking up a rule via the index.
Wheee! Fate Accelerated!
I'd be remiss not to mention Fate Accelerated Edition is also hot on Fate Core's heels to the printer, and the PDF's are also available to the backers. As some of you know, and may guess by the name, Fate Accelerated is a super slimmed-down, streamlined version of Fate Core, weighing in around 50 pages (for $5!). Designed for grab-and-go, pick up, and last minute games, FAE is looks great from what I've seen.
Here's a brief overview:
Characters are given 3 to 5 aspects
Skills/Tasks are streamlined into Approaches: [Careful, Clever, Flashy, Forceful, Quick, and Sneaky] You select one at Good (+3), two at Fair (+2), two at Average (+1), and one at Mediocre (+0).
Normally you begin with one Stunt, and most Stunts give you a +2 bonus. You start with three Refresh, and is reduced by one for each Stunt you gain after your three free ones.
Doing stuff: Choose one of the four Actions, decide your Approach, roll 4dF, add bonuses, modify with aspects if necessary, and figure out outcome.
That all aside, I recorded a Vlog last night, where I talk about our last session of Dresden Files and what lies ahead for that gaming group (new characters, new stories), a couple neat finds at a local store, and my current thoughts on the upcoming Victoria Steam Expo.
And one final tidbit: the Missus' and I were out gardening and I managed to take a shot of this beautiful Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.
I mentioned a few days ago I was into a big Pulp kick right now, and I didn't just mean the two-fisted, gun-toting 1920's hero variety, I've also been soaking up various sword-and-sorcery and sword-and-planet works. The other night I finally got around to seeing Disney's John Carter, and I must say I thought it was a pretty good film, and the night before I watched the so-bad-it's-good The Beastmaster. [My, my. actor Rip Torn sported quite the aquiline nose in that feature.]
My current stack of reading contains the collection of Conan novels that I've acquired [Sphere Book's Conan, Conan of Cimmeria, Conan the Conqueror, Conan the Avenger, and Conan the Buccaneer.] I had read a couple of these stories before, but it's nice to work my way through them in somewhat chronological order. I must say they're a blast to read provided you're not expecting any particularly deep. It's stories like these that bring one back to the days when one's PC didn't need a complex backstory and motivations beyond a thirst for adventure and treasure.
And before you turn this sale down or spring off and purchase your select OSR game, consider also taking advantage of this coupon code I've been given to share, it's good for an additional 15% off the 12 featured titles. This code is only good till Sunday the 19th, so I wanted to share this with you guys ASAP.
That Coupon Code Is: OSRF711F2
Use it well!
One final thing I wanted to mention; some information has been released on the free Legend of the Flame Princess adventure Better Than Any Man, which is featured this coming Free RPG Day. We get a couple shots of what the physical copy looks like and I must say it looks friggin' awesome! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy one month from now!
So I jumped the gun a bit yesterday by celebrating my supposed 100th blog entry; turns out that was my 82nd entry. I had thought it was to be my centennial because blogger informed me that I was sitting at 99 posts; what I failed to see that number included my published posts along with my unpublished drafts.
Oopsie. :p Oh well, only 17 to go after this entry.
100th post or not, I was glad to do a video entry. Response has been favourable, which is encouraging. I think I need to work on the structure if I'm planning to make that a semi/quasi-regular thing.
Jerreth Esq. here with my 100th entry, and also the first post from our new home! The Missus' and I are mostly entirely settled in here, and so happy with everything. Life couldn't be any sweeter. :D Huzzah!
100 entries!
To celebrate both of these momentous occasions, I've decided to give a crack at recording a video entry, which if you're so inclined can view here: My First Vlog!
[Currently I'm doing all my writing, recording, and editing via my iPad, as my computer isn't connected the internet. As such I'm unable to embed the video in this post, nor make any decent layout changes to this entry. Also, I am aware how quiet the video is, which I'm planning on rectifying in the future. Apologies in advance.]
Crudeness aside, I'm considering/hoping/planning to make future videos and post them on my blog.
Other than that, I think I covered anything/everything I wanted to post about in my vlog. I referenced Storm of the Century, which can be found here, Shut Up & Sit Down'snew site, and I'll direct you to their review of String Railwayhere.
Last but not least, I want to thank everyone who checked my corner of the interweb, and I hope I provided you with some bemusement, even just for a second.
Only a few days left before the month of May begins and the Missus' and I move into our new home! We are quite excited and at times it feels the time can't pass quickly enough.
Speaking of anticipated things, back in my 2012 Retrospective, I noted the RPG Kickstarter projects I eagerly awaited to release this spring. Alas, FATE Core's tentative release date had already passed back in March (hopefully the PDF will be out soon), and the Hillfolk: DramaSystem was originally projected for this month and has currently been unable make that due date based upon increased size of the project. It remains to be seen if Chaosium will have the Horror on the Orient Express ready to ship come August.
As lame as the delay for Edge of the Empire is, FFG also recently announced they are participating in Free RPG Day this year with an introductory adventure for EotE; Shadows of a Black Sun. I'm hoping to snag one from my FLGS come June 15th. I'd also like to plan a little event or something to help showcase EotE to members of my local gaming community who've yet to play this great RPG. (On a side note, I wonder how/if dice are used in it? As you can't expect those new to the game to have the custom dice, nor do I see them shipping a pack of dice with a FREE adventure, though that would be pretty sweet. Perhaps they'll just use the standard polyhedral-dice conversion chart from the Beta book.)
Greetings everyone. It's been a busy couple of weeks since my last post; we're still packing, I've picked up some extra shifts at work, and have been playing Android: Netrunner on Wednesdays.
As for our usual get together's on the weekends, my Sunday group wrapped up our arc in Deathwatch a week or so ago. It was fun, but I think we agreed that although the system lends itself to the setting quite well, it's not really supportive of an RPG playing style that isn't heavily combat-focused, which is understandable given that it's Warhammer 40K. But still the PC mortality-rate is quite high compared to many other games, which I can see making encounter design difficult, particularly if you're hoping to have the PC's survive long through a story arc or campaign. I haven't read the entire corebook, but it doesn't appear to offer any suggestions to remedy this problem.
So, we've been considering what we're going to play on the weekends, and since I haven't run anything for a while (I put Ravenloft on hiatus so I could participate in Netrunner at my FLGS), my itch to GM has been in need to scratch. Playing Netrunner and reading/watching/listening to cyberpunk works has got me focused on that genre, and I suggested the story in Eclipse Phase that I had been forming in my head.
Eclipse Phase, though labelled a Transhuman Conspiracy and Horror Roleplaying game, I saw had obvious parallels to cyberpunk/postcyberpunk fiction and although the story I am developing has evolved given the setting and technology, it still contains some of the tropes indicative to that genre.
Eclipse Phase is as heavy on the rules as it is on the setting, and at one point I was considering running it using a much more free-form system (such as the Eclipse FATEvariants I've come across), but I thought against it because some of the rules connect best with the plot points I have in mind. I've also decided to ignore some of rules and spin my own variants; and I want to tell a story a certain way and am not letting the rules bog me down.
This brings me to my next point: I think the setting and concepts in EP gives it great potential, like a huge sandbox to play in; and like a sandbox, you have the most fun building and playing how you want to. Sure the book has suggestions how you could play in it, but I've got my own ideas.
That said this game I'm planning is a bit of a experiment, because I have yet to actually run this system, I'm changing up some of the rules, and I'm trying something new with character creation and immersion. I feel that unless the GM has some control and/or puts down guidelines down on how the players create their characters, the vast differences in PC's can make group cohesion quite difficult, let alone story structure. This applies to most systems that allow that much PC design freedom, not just Eclipse Phase.
I don't want to reveal too much right now, but the concept I'm going for is kind of like 'customizable pregens' or more specifically 'organic character growth'. At first PC customization might seem quite limited, but the intention is that this is supported by the story. Rather than have all the options available like standard character creation in EP, I think limitation gives player's/character's more drive. Instead of starting off as the individual they'd like to be, they are inspired to become it.
This concept should also support introducing certain rules & setting pieces gradually. I'm hoping it'll work.
Anyway, I should get back to packing/writing this story.
Me? I'm doing awesome. The Missus' and I found a great place to move into come May, and we've paid our damage deposit on it. It's a bit smaller compared to the amount of space we have here at the Manor, but the amenities and location are great. That gives us over a month to downsize our furniture and items, and pack up. Since we're also paying our last month of rent here at the Manor, we get to avoid the rush of moving on the 1st, and can take our time getting settled.
The other night was the first of four Android: Netrunner game nights happening each Wednesday at the FLGS here in Victoria. As I mentioned back in February, I got my first chance to play Netrunner at GottaCon V. I really took the the game, although it wasn't till sometime after my birthday I picked up the Core Set; around that point I was pretty disenfranchised with the Star Wars: The Card Game so I traded an extra copy I received of the SWLCG Core set for Netrunner.
Haven't played him yet, just love his name.
Compared to SWLCG, Netrunner is a much more fun game IMHO, on a few factors:
The fact that it's an asymmetrical card game makes it more interesting.
The Core Set gives you 4 Corporation and 3 Runner factions to play and customise, as opposed to the 2.5 Lightside and 2.5 Darkside factions that come with the SWLCG core.
I found the Netrunner easier to pick up and learn than SWLCG; I still haven't really grasped SWLCG's complex rules. Don't get me wrong, Netrunner is still somewhat complex and has subtle tactics and strategy I'm still learning, but that learning process is more enjoyable than trying to wrap your head around all the phases and timing structure of SWLCG.
Speaking of subtleties, Netrunner makes bluffing a larger factor then most card games, at least when it comes to playing the Corp's face-down cards.
Constructing a deck and customizing it is much easier I found than in Star Wars. Since the cards in that game are tied to an objective card, this means you have to include that objective and the associated cards if you even want to add something particular to your deck; meaning you might be stuck with a bunch of lame cards. Also if you want to do cross faction, one of your three objective cards in play must belong to that faction (or grant an ability) to play cards from that faction. Meaning you could have a hand of really good cards, but might be unable to play them. In Netrunner is much more customizable; the only limitations for deck building is meeting the minimum deck size on your faction identity, having no more than three copies of each card, and not surpassing the amount of influence your identity card allows you to spend on out of faction cards. (Corporation must also include the minimum amount of faction-only Agenda point cards for size of the deck. Given the primary method of winning for both sides is these points, this is understandable.)
This leads me to my final point; what made up my mind: It seemed that many people were/are purchasing more than one core set of the SWLCG in order to make their decks more "efficient". This is because the set doesn't provide many multiples of cards, thus you aren't able to really construct decks around card concepts/strategies. This isn't a jab at hardcore card players, but it essentially means that those who've invested the money to get multiple copies tend to fare much better than casual players (like myself) who picked a single game up copy up. Pay-to-Win essentially, which one of the major reasons why I don't play/collect Magic: The Gathering any more. Netrunner I feel is more balanced; it gives you enough cards and deck restrictions with just the core set to try various deck concepts, and granted an additional set would provide a few more good cards, I don't believe it makes one head-over-heels better than someone running a deck made from a single core set. Same thing goes when you add in expansions, which also follow FFG's LCG model of providing 3 copies of each card in the expansion. No more random boosters huzzah!
Anyway enough of my opinions. I mentioned Netrunner because I took part in the game night at my FLGS last evening, and won 1st place! Mind you, there was only one other player in the tournament, so that'd no huge accomplishment. :P But I felt pretty sure I was going to get trashed since I hadn't had much practice, my both my Corp and Runner decks were barely tested, constructed from just the Core Set and a Cyber Exodus data pack, and given my general luck lately with games. A pleasant surprise.
For those interested, here's what I ran:
Corporation:
NBN - Making News:Tag You're It
Notes: I won with the perfect hand of 1 SEA Source and 2 Scorched Earth's - That said I'm still not sure it how stable it is. At 17 ICE, I'm considering swapping out a card or 2 to build up my defence with more ICE. Also the Walls of Static, my only Barriers, are pretty easy to get through, so I'm looking for a better NBN/Neutral replacement.
Runner:
Kate "Mac" McCaffrey: Tools and Talent
Notes: Swapping in Test Run over Special order made it run a lot better. Since Test Run allows me to get cards back from my heap, I'm considering losing the Sacrificial Constructs because I also ended up with copies of the programs I had installed in hand anyway? But I'd run the risk of possibly losing Icebreakers with Personal Touch installed on them..
My victory bagged me two alternative art cards: Melange Mining Corp and Crypsis, and some nifty translucent acrylic credit tokens:
Crypsis and Melange Mining Corp Alternate Art Cards with acrylic credit tokens
Now that I've gotten my hands on all the current Data Packs, I have tons of cards to construct and playtest decks with! I'm going to create a new Runner and a new Corporate deck for game night next Wednesday.
What's does this all mean? This handy tutorial should help for those interested in learning more:
Finally, I want to mention two Netrunner podcasts I've been listening to recently that've been very helpful: First is The Ice Box, by a couple of dudes from Texas. And the second is Agenda 7, hosted by a pair of fellow Canadians out of Ontario. If you're into this game and podcasts, I highly recommend them!
It's been over two weeks since I've posted here on Jerreth Esq, but I have been quite busy. The Missus' birthday followed shortly after my own, family came to visit, and several of my usual weekly games I was unable to attend or were cancelled, leaving me with a bit of a creative break. The Missus' and I are also starting to get stuff ready for when we move come May.
I must say the detail on the two large-sized ships is awesome, and all the new upgrade cards and rules really flush out the game. I've only had a chance to play a single 100-point skirmish with both of ships against each other. Here are the squads I fielded:
Concept:
What I was going with for the Imps wasn't a solid build, but more experimentation: I was intrigued by Krassis' ability to reroll 1 attack die when attacking with a secondary weapon, so I loaded him out with an assortment of secondary weapons. Proton Torpedoes for long range, Cluster Missiles for short, and an Ion Cannon for all ranges. I also wanted to try out the Proximity Mines, so I gave him the Engine Upgrade to maneuver into a good position to drop them. I threw in the Weapons Engineer so he could maintain up to two target locks for this torpedoes and missiles. I was originally going to equip him instead with a Gunner, so if he missed on a secondary weapon attack he'd still have a chance to do some damage, but the Gunner went to the Rebel squad. I filled out the rest of the squad with cheap TIEs, led by Dark Curse. I gave him the Stealth Device because I thought it'd pair well with his ability to make him even more difficult to hit (and to trump part of the YT-1300's concept strategy).
Results:
Mixed. The Imperials lost, though not too terribly. I realised I spent to much time using the Ion Cannon on the X-Wings (which was effective) and trying to maneuver them into flying into the Proximity Mine I had dropped. I almost made it work, but also essentially shot myself in the foot when I misjudged spacing and flew a TIE over it. (He only took 1 damage) The Prox Mine is a big gamble, and probably best suited for use with asteroids to limit maneuverability. Next time I might try the Seismic Charges and Heavy Laser Cannon and drop the Engine Upgrade and Ion Cannon. Also since I was so focused on the X-Wings, I never used my Weapons Engineer nor my Torpedoes/Missiles, which I should've been using on the YT-1300 because it's easy to hit and it's concept strategy was brutal. It wasn't a total loss, as the Firespray and TIEs managed to mop up the X-Wings before my last TIE fell to the YT. Still, lessons learned and I think I can get this guy to work if I change my priorities. Also my Stealth Dark Curse didn't even get a chance to work because a lucky roll of the dice coupled with Marksmanship made him the first fatality!
Concept:
I didn't really have much time to come up with a Rebel Squad that included the YT-1300 before we played, but I did come across this squad browsing the all squads created by users of Voidstate'sUnofficial Star Wars X-Wing Squad Builder and thought I'd give it a shot. [RPGers, I highly recommend checking out Voidstate's Roleplaying and Boardgame Stuff, he's got some great and interesting custom resources for games like CthulhuTech, Eclipse Phase, The One Ring, Savage Worlds, Spirit of the Century, Warhammer 40K Roleplay, etc.]
Results:
Very good for the Rebellion. Han's reroll ability paired with a possible second attack from the Gunner greatly increased the chance of scoring a damaging hit on a target each round. Committing his action to Marksmanship is much better investment than Focus or Target Lock, provided you can absorb all the damage you're likely to take having very little committed to defence. Here's where Chewbacca's "+2 HP" helps. All in all, seems to be a very effective squad.
I quite happy with this new expansion with its new ships, upgrades, and rules; it further increases the options for building interesting squads.
A few days ago, the Missus and I celebrated my birthday going out for dinner at local Italian restaurant Zambri's and then having drinks at one of my favourite watering-holes: Clive's Classic Lounge. It was a splendid evening with my new top hat and my best gal. This post doesn't particularly relate to gaming, but it does cover one of my interests, and hey it was my birthday and this is my blog. :{p
That interest in particular is Absinthe; that (in)famous distilled spirit. I got the idea of doing a blog post about the drink and my own personal experiences with it after replying to some comments and questions I had received on a few photos of the absinthes I had tried at Clive's.
The Absinthe Drinker by Viktor Oliva
First, a bit of my own history with Absinthe: Many years ago, when I first started getting into Steampunk and was thoroughly researching the Victorian Age/Belle Époque, I first became interested in the beverage and the controversy that surrounded it then and still does today. I soon after chanced across a supposed bottle of Absinthe that came with its own spoon and glass at a local liquor store, which I purchased and brought home to try.
It was bloody awful.
My hopes were dashed; how could've this been popular, even back in the day? I later discovered that my ignorance/lack of research had led me to what was actually was is known as Bohemian or Czech-style Absinth (Note the lack of 'e'). I'd been duped! I hadn't tasted real absinthe at all! I, along with many others I believe, had been suckered in and spent hard-earned dollars on a bottle of vile mouthwash! I wasn't able to track down the exact brand I had the misfortune of experiencing, because the bottle itself was poorly-labelled and simply branded Absinth (makes sense, I wouldn't want to put my own brand on that crap); nevertheless I think it was Strombu Absinth, or at least very similar. The linked review pretty much sums up my thoughts on it. The only way my gal and I finished the bottle over the course of a year was by mixing it with various things in an attempt to make it palatable, with little success; although it did kind of go well mixed with Mountain Dew..
A year or so after the ordeal that had left me wiser, I was gifted (possibly on a previous birthday) a bottle of Taboo, a genuine absinthe that is Canadian produced in the Okanagan. I still have that bottle right now, unopened. The reason why I haven't opened it yet is this: I wish to host my own absinthe tasting to introduce people to absinthe, and to do so I need to acquire the proper accoutrements, or Absinthiana, used in the preparation ritual to do it up right! Until then, my bottle of Taboo is to remain sealed.
But that preference doesn't prevent me from enjoying absinthe at other environs! Indeed, I've had the real stuff a number of times, although I can't recall where and when that first was unfortunately (possibly a side-effect of the drink?) I did however have the fortune to attend my first absinthe tasting hosted at Veneto Tapa Lounge for the second Victoia Steam Exposition several years ago.
It was there I got the chance to taste three different brands of absinthe, as well as learn a great deal more of the rich history behind the beverage from a master raconteur.
[Please pardon the picture quality; these were taken with an obsolete phone-camera and poorly filtered through Intsagram. Also we were given brown sugar cubes for the tasting, which further altered the drink colour.]
The first was the Taboo. Personally, Taboo is probably my favourite absinthe from all that I've tasted. I feel it has the best flavour and highlights overall; not to sweet, not too bitter, not too strong, not to soft. It also happens to be the one I've had the most, so that may play a part in my favouritism, but may also only go to show how much I do enjoy it since it's what I usually order. It being produced in BC also makes it more ready available/stocked in local establishments.
Next we had the Lucid. I can't quite remember the details of that tasting, but I seem to recall enjoying it the least of the three. That's not to say it wasn't good, I just enjoyed the Taboo and La Fée more for their own reasons.
Finally, we had La Fée Parisienne. As suggested, I tried my sample sans sugar because La Fée is said to be quite sweet already on its own. It tasted quite good, and agreed it didn't need a cube to sweeten it.
Also worth noting is that La Fée Parisienne contains some additional colouring to create a more vivid green. Most absinthes I've seen have a slight green tinge that turns yellowish once water is added and the drink louches.
My first absinthe tasting was a splendid and informative night.
Numerous months later VSE hosted another absinthe tasting, this time at the gorgeous Union Club.
VSE III Absinthe Tasting
Again we sampled three brands: Taboo and La Fée Parisienne as before, and Hill's Absinth; a Bohemian-style absinth (Czech). Needless to say myself and my lady, who was able to attend for the first time, disliked the Hill's.
Bohemian-style absinths lack many of the herbs such as anise and fennel that give it a traditional flavour, making them less aromatic and more bitter tasting. Additionally the technique used to produce such absinth is a cold mix process where high-proof alcohol is combined with artificial colourants and herbal oils. (I've heard that one can make a very poor grade pseudo-absinth by infusing vodka with such herbs, which I highly advise against; stick with professionally produced absinth if you really want a Bohemian-style taste.)
This differs greatly from traditional-style absinthes that were/are made through a process where macerated botanicals are infused in a distilled base alcohol, which is then re-distilled to remove bitterness and reach desired flavour texture and complexity. The green colouration of many traditional absinthes (though some varieties are not coloured), get their natural pigment from the chlorophyll in the herbs.
These differences in process not only impact both the quality and flavour between the two styles, but can also help visually identify a Traditional-style from a Bohemian-style in most cases: because of its creation process, Bohemian-style absinths lack the herbal oil profile and density of Traditional-styles, thus do do turn cloudy or louche when water is added. (Although the opposite is not exactly true; I'll expound on this shortly.) Thus for the need for the popularly portrayed "fire ritual" to replace the traditional water one. I feel such a change in preparation and presentation is another reason why I consider traditional absinthe to be superior to Bohemian-style.
Which finally brings me back to the other night, where I had the esteemed pleasure of sampling another 2.5 absinthes: Devil's Club (Canada), Taboo Gold (Canada), and a bit of La Clandestine (Switzerland)
Pemberton's Devil's Club
Browsing Clive's libation & spirit guide, I was delighted to see another Canadian-produced absinthe was available to try and ordered it. I was also surprised to find that Devil's Club did not louche; though I later confirmed that it was a distilled absinthe and not cold-mixed. Thus perhaps not all traditionally distilled absinthes louche; it must still depend on density of the herbal oils.
Nevertheless quite I enjoyed it; it was very mellow compared to most other absinthes I've tried, and had a flavour similar to the scent of wet herbs or a very old wooden building. My lady said it reminded her nostalgically of a hay loft, and one bartender described it as the smell from cutting through a bramble-thicket. Very appropriate considering it contains devil's club root bark as an ingredient.
Its mellow profile makes me envision sipping it on the porch on a hot summers day. I'm definitely going to see if I can track down a bottle for my own.
Taboo Gold
Next the missus ordered the Taboo Gold, which is limitedly produced in small single batches per year. Compared to regular Taboo, we found the Gold much lighter on the anise and wormwood flavours, and heavier on the other herbs like angelica. It was somewhat fruitier, with a cinnamon spiciness. It was quite enjoyed, and made an excellent follow-up to the mellow Devil's Club.
La Clandestine
Our bartender was generous to offer me a sip of the Swiss-made La Clandestine, which he and the other bartender said was their favourite. I found it rather strong undiluted, and am unable to give a informed opinion of it given I judge my absinthes when mixed with water, but it did taste promising. Next time I'm at Clive's I'm going to order one with water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few questions I've been asked:
"Why drink Absinthe?"
I find this question akin to asking why someone drinks wine or single-malt scotch: because they enjoy it, or rather more so because they enjoy the flavour. For myself its very much the same, I enjoy the anise/wormwood/fennel flavour; but it goes beyond that for me (and likewise for most oenophiles/scotch enthusiasts). There are several anise-based spirits, but Absinthe is unique amongst them and indeed most liquors by it's preparation ritual. The ritual can be as important as one wants it to be, but it almost feels like taking one's time with it just the right way to do it. Kind of like uncorking a fine red wine, pouring it into a wine decanter, letting it breathe, and smelling it before you taste it. With absinthe, by smell and tasting it undiluted before you slowly add water to it and watching the spirit slowly turn cloudy allows one to enjoy it to its fullest. Absinthe is a drink where you take your time and enjoy your company.
"Isn't/wasn't Absinthe illegal?"
Absinthe was banned in several countries after the turn of the century for various social and political reasons, although some countries such as the UK, Canada, and Australia never banned it (although Australia did briefly ban/restrict products containing wormwood oil). Many countries which banned Absinthe have within the last 10 or 20 years repealed such bans and created a modern revival, although regulations do vary by region, particularly on thujone content.
"Doesn't it cause hallucinations?"
Absinthe has commonly been attributed to causing hallucinations. Unfortunately for those looking to see green fairies are going to be disappointed to hear these rumours have been confirmed false.
"What should a beginner try?" and "Among connoisseurs what is the best 'froggy' juice? I have tried it twice, once I liked it, the other, definitely not. I'd try it again though, with proper advice."
First of all, I think a beginner should ask themselves if they enjoy anise-flavoured drinks such as Ouzo or Sambuca; strong aperitifs that taste like liquorice. Because if they don't like that flavour, they probably aren't going to enjoy most absinthes.
Before hunting down a bottle or finding an establishment that carries it, a bit of research should be done before hand to know what is being purchased and/or if it is properly served. (A poor brand/serving can sully first time experience.) As far as the best, I believe its a matter of find one's own favourite. Personally I'd avoid ersatz Bohemian-style 'absinths' (the lack of an 'e' at the end is generally a dead give away) and you should do fine. My recommendation: try Taboo orLa Fée Parisienne. Both are somewhat widely carried and are generally well received.
Yesterday our usual Sunday gaming group got to play our first session of Deathwatch, FFG's Warhammer 40,000 roleplaying game where you taken on the roles of a unit of superhuman soldiers called Space Marines.
My buddy did a really good job GM'ing the game and brought us right into the grim darkness of the Warhammer 40K RPG line. I'm the only one for our group who has never played Warhammer tabletop, and knew probably the least amount of in-universe lore. But I did do a bit of research into the general history and themes inherent therein to attain the proper mindset. Aside from reading up on it I've listened to an audiobook, watched the mediocre Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie, and even built an appropriate music playlist. (A possible future Music To Roleplay To segment..)
Our kill-squad consisted of a Storm Warden Tactical Marine, a Salamander Librarian, a Dark Angel Apothecary, and my Dark Angel Devastator Marine. Our GM provided us with the Space Marine bitz, pieces, and paint to craft our own custom PC miniatures. Here's a snapshot of my dude, Glaucus, painted up Deathwatch style:
Glaucus, Deathwatch Devastator Marine
I'm hoping to spend a bit more time detailing him. I'm not a huge tactical/war gamer and the cost to buy into 40K is far too high IMHO, though I did enjoy painting my own mini. Alas, I can also see that enjoyment wain when one has to spend time painting an entire army. I'll stick with my one mini and the RPG. :)
Our squad attempting to rescue a group of Imperial Guardsmen from a Tyranid hoard.
And although I'm not a player of tabletop 40K, I can totally see the appeal for those that play it to also play/GM Deathwatch, particularly being able to get additional use out of their miniatures! :)
Our final battle with a Hive Tyrant. We were victorious!
I found the d-percentile based system a little crunchy, but gameplay flowed pretty simple otherwise. There are a number of Space Marine Chapters and career specialities to select from, along with a decent helping of starting XP to customize your character and differentiate him from your fellow Deathwatch battle-brothers. The game gets a little bogged down having to reference what certain abilities, weapons, and/or special ammunition deal versus a variety of things; a similarity with the amount of referencing to most d20-based games, but the same could also be said for many other RPGs.
An interesting feature is Solo mode and Squad mode; certain abilities only work in one of the two modes. Solo mode works best for individual combat and is very similar to how most PCs function during combat in most RPGs. Squad mode allows your team to link together and function as a single cohesive unit, gaining access to specific abilities, actions, and/or attack patterns. Quite novel.
All in all, I look forward to continuing with our Deathwatch sessions.
