Let’s take a look at some tips for how to make good use of the Jon Hodgson Backdrops books. It’s actually amazingly convenient and easy to take some really good shots of your miniatures with these books. And once you have your set up in place, it’s simplicity itself to grab the book, turn a few pages and select a different backdrop!
So for this walkthrough we’re shooting outside. We’re using a digital SLR, but if you’re using a phone camera nothing changes – the principles remain the same. You might like to find something to lean your camera on to keep it as steady as possible. Here we shot hand-held because there was plenty of sunlight. Remember, the gloomier it is, the longer it will take for your camera to gather the necessary light, so you’re more likely to get shakey shots.
Here’s the equipment we need for maximum convenience. Technical stuff!
We’re in the process of remaking all the art for our tabletop roleplaying game Maskwitches of Forgotten Doggerland. Jon takes delivery of a box of new things to be used in the new artwork. Hilarity ensues:
We were delighted to help our friends at Fenris Games provide some props for a BBC kid’s TV show “Lagging”. The episode is live now on BBC iPlayer for those of you in the UK/with a VPN.
For those without, here’s some screenshots!
As you can see, also featured are some excellent scenery pieces and minis by Fenris Games and some awesome miniatures from Bad Squiddo Games.
The digital versions of our tiles are currently reduced for a very limited time at DrivethruRPG, and remain reduced on our website as we make space for… could it be more, new tiles?!?! Stay tuned.
This collection of additional resources for BEOWULF Age of Heroes is an Old Ways special, featuring an article about what evidence we have for pre-christian religion in the Early Medieval period and how to deploy that in your games, a collection of sample Old Ways places of worship, 3 NPCs who represent the Old Ways, and more!
You can get Digital Packs one to thirteen at DrivethruRPG now, or grab all the articles collected into the two BEOWULF Annuals in print or PDF!
Tomorrow sees the release of the first Cold City/Hot War report. These regular free PDF reports will bring you behind-the-scenes info, extra historical inspiration, and ideas on things to read to learn more about the Cold War period.
To be among the first to get it, and for a direct link straight to your email in box, sign up to the Handiwork Games newsletter at www.handiwork.games/newsletter
We made our RPG Maskwitches of Forgotten Doggerland as an art experiment with an early version of AI. Which very quickly proved itself to be something we were not keen to be involved in: over a very short space of time it moved from an interesting new planet to explore to something else entirely. So we’ve left it behind.
But the Maskwitches game remains good, and we want to remake it with new all handmade artwork, which is well within our powers to achieve. It’ll be a long term project, but that’s ok.
While we will lose some of the especially weird reflexive nature of exploring the deep past through the eyes of something so contemporary and unknown as AI, we feel it’s worth continuing the game in a new direction.
And so here is a candid look at the first outing of the model we’ve made for the cover, a sort of horrific “Girl’s World” from the other side. Enjoy.
BEOWULF Age of Heroes offers duet play for 5e – that’s one GM and one player. This way of playing provides a bunch of exciting aspects:
1: It’s easy to get a game – just phone a friend!
2: It makes for a great fill-in session when your regular group aren’t available. And you can pick it up and put it down much more easily with just one player!
3: You can really explore the world through the eyes of one character, and get really deep into how they see that world, since they’re the only one in the spot light. It makes for some really intense sessions!
4: The campaign world can unfold around your character, with every scene and every challenge being “for” them – whether it’s about their strengths or their weaknesses.
5: While BEOWULF is inspired by the epic poem and the times that spawned it, we pride ourselves on doing the reading so that you don’t have to. If you want to play a game in the vein of the action adventure fantasy TV show “Vikings” you can do that! If you studied the poem and know all about the era, you can do that too! We provide the framework, you fill in the details you’re comfortable with.
6: Because there’s just one player, you’re never waiting for your turn. Which allows us to build in more tactical options for those who want them. There are weapons with a bit more detailed effects – helmets and shields are the armour of the day in the Age of Heroes, and weapons that circumvent those are very important. With just one player we could add some more detailed effects without holding up the flow of the game that emphasises the themes of the setting. You’ll also get to decide what your Followers are doing, and which of their Gifts you want to make use of. Be careful though – many of their Gifts will cause them to become spent until the next Long Rest!
7: Making 5e work for just one player inspired us (pun intended) to create a series of entertaining and engaging rules that build on 5e. The Inspiration Pool, Followers, the Alignment Die, the Defeated condition and more!
You can get a great deal on all three BEOWULF Age of Heroes hardback books at our kickstarter now!
