Just something I dug up.

I posted this on RPG.Net waaaaaay back when. Still... Doc Savage, Savage Worlds, I think it's time to add it into my blog for posterity.

Tiled bathroom? How about Tiled Sewers?

During my misguided brain frenzy I had a lot of unfinished projects. I figured I would polish up one that I originally dumped in favor of the Paizo Battlemats. 

Here are some free Sewer Tiles. Each tile is 4"x 4" (two per page) so you can build out a simple fantasy sewer tunnel.

I figured it would just be easier to draw them out on the Paizo Battlemat but it is such a simplistic design that a simple line drawing isn't very evocative.

So there is some free stuff. By the way I wish someone would comment. I'm working in a vacuum here. I'd like to know if anyone is having trouble with downloading now that it's on Google Drive.

New Free Stuff Page!

So it seems that Google Chrome doesn't like Mediafire. That might explain why people have had a hard time with my free stuff downloads. Well I have collected all of the Free Stuff I have posted and put it onto Google Drive. And if you look right over there --------->

You will see a new FREE STUFF page that has links to all of the stuff I have posted.

Emergency Month End Post!

Guilt, guilt, guilt. So long without a substantive post....

Over on the Pinnacle Forums I asked the crew for some craft suggestions, as in what would they like to see. There have only been a couple of respondents but The One asked for dungeon decorations. Now there are a lot of free Fantasy style decorations on the net, but not so much for Sci-Fi.

Well here goes the first printable page of freebies for your Sci-Fi game. (Edit: I just updated it into two pages as the size of the original was crowding the margins. This resulted in it not printing at true size.) (Edit PS: I also switched the download location to Google Drive. Mediafire may be a bit old school and hopefully people won't have issues downloading anymore.)

I think this is going to be a thing at month's end. I'll try to post more free tiles and standees for your rpg maps. I am hoping that with E3 around the corner and the end of my long work hours in sight that I will have the energy to keep this a monthly thing.

And BTW, the comments section is lonely. Drop me a line, let me know if there is something you would like to see.

As for sci-fi, I loves-me-some cheezy 1970's sci-fi. I even own Zardoz on DVD. Well I came across an awesome website for a fan like me called Space 1970. Most of the films mentioned on this blog I have seen but there was one I hadn't even heard of until I saw it mentioned on the blog: Moon Zero Two. It was billed as "the first moon western" and actually I believe it was a product of the late 1960's (1969).

I was expecting something as-awful or more-awful than Zardoz but this was an enjoyable little flick. It's very hard to track down but if you like old sci-fi movies then it is a definite worthy watch. I would rate it right up there with Space 1999.

Ahhh E3!

I know I have been absent for a while. Basically I have been busting my butt working overtime so the video game I am working on for Microsoft can make a good showing at E3. My one day off a week is spent sleeping so I haven't had the energy to get crafty.

So what I will say is if your a fan of Savage Worlds, I suggest you pick up Marchland over on Drivethru RPG. I will say that I usually despise the whole World of Darkness scene. It's a great game but I have been exposed to too many weepy-moany vampires in movies, TV, and in the LARP. But this game actually made me consider running a game in a supernatural vein, basically because it isn't a world of Darkness. It's a world of Hellboy, and hell yeah I can get behind that.

I came across the game after Kurt Weigel's excellent review that can be viewed here.

I suppose I should do a review of it and post one here when my schedule frees up.

BTW, Dave at Davesmapper.com came across an old experiment I did with geomorphs and while I didn't pursue it very far, he asked if I would submit my designs to his site. I was flattered so I will plug for him. If you don't know what a geomorph is, check out the site. You might discover a new tool for your GM arsenal.

Battlemat Update

So I have continued my exploration of how to get the best bang for my buck with regards to battlemats. Here is what I found.

Flip-Mats from Paizo
For portability, I still can't beat the Blank Flip-Mat from Paizo. Given its cost, I can just buy another one. This gives me the ability to recreate any map a pre-printed adventure throws at me and if I take my time in drawing it (before the game), I can do some moderately evocative line art. Otherwise I can buckle down and buy more of their pre-printed flip mats for better presentation (at least for fantasy settings).

   Pros: They travel better than Chessex Vinyl maps, if I do need to make some specific counters using static cling vinyls, they will stick very well to the surface. Also I can conquer the fold and "lay flat" issues at home by putting a clear acrylic sheet over the map.
   Cons: They can warp over time and don't always lay flat when I travel. However those problems are minor and can be overcome for home games.

Home Made Maps
Since I won't always be constrained by modules, and because there aren't a lot of sci-fi maps out there, I'll make semi-generic, re-useable maps. Common battlefields that I can use such as a cargo bay map, maybe two or three battle station section maps , and just tailor my adventures to these locations. The hard part will be to either price out how much the large prints will cost me, or work out how to make these into my own flip mats using card stock, some sort of thin mounting board, and some permanent con-tac paper (it seems all the stuff at Staples is low tack so it keeps peeling back up).

   Pros: Art! Also I can pack up scene maps that I might need for a specific adventure. Once I have a map made, I may not need to make the same location again (unless I feel the map is getting too boring). When I am done with a map, I can share! Plus if I make decorations on static vinyl, then I can get a lot of mileage out of a basic floor plan by using the decorations to change what each room is used for.
   Cons: Art! It will take time for me to make my own maps so if the players go somewhere that I don't have a map for, I will have to rely on the blank Paizo Flip-Mat.

Tiles
In theory they are cool but building a scene with tiles takes time. It takes less time to draw it. And if you aren't adding decorations (which means more tiles) you might as well just use a mat.

   Pros: Modular, but not that modular really. At least you can put down the visible elements so the your players have no idea what the full layout looks like.
   Cons: Takes time to put together. Too many fiddly bits to manage at an away game. Potentially may eat up a lot of travel space in your kit.

Keep your tiles in their place!

Sooo... here's a few tidbits on tile crafting I thought I would share.

To keep your floor tiles in their place, you might try placing them on these non-slip shelf liners. They are cheap and should keep things from sliding around. However they do have a thickness to them so you probably don't want to use them on decorations you stack on top of your tiles. For that I recommend...

Static Cling Vinyl
You can pick this up at a Joann's or an Aaron Brothers. Basically it's just like the stuff they put over the screens of new phones to protect them. You know, that plastic sheet that seems to hold on to any smooth surface without using glue? So if you have laminated or con-tac covered surfaces to your maps, you can glue some of this static cling vinyl to the bottoms of your decorations and they shouldn't slide.