Media News Monday - Cleese and Idle, Extraordinary Gentlemen, & Killjoys

If you're an old Monty Python, go to cleeseandidle.com and check out their tour dates here as two of the old gang are going out and about for a silly walk.

Also, according to Variety, "Fox [is] Rebooting ‘League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ with New Movie."  Find out more here.

Finally, io9.com says that "Killjoys Is The Space Opera We've Been Waiting For Since Firefly."  Find out why here.

Media News Monday on CreativeMountainGames.com 

News for Movies, Television, and more
of gamer-relevant Media.

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CMG Extra - "Favorite Dragon (Color/Type/etc.)" Day 21 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 21 - Favorite Dragon (Color/Type/etc.)

Good, old Red Dragon.  It's the favorite.  It's traditional, though I'd not say I chose it for that reason but rather that I may be influenced by that factor.  The vast majority of dragons I have encountered outside of D&D have been of the fire-breathing variety and are so often depicted as red that I think that may have worked into my own DNA.

Artist - Malcolm McClinton

However, if it wasn't Undead, I might put the Skeletal Dragon high on the list.  It's one I have have some great fun throwing at players.  There's that uncertainty when it first shows up about what sort of breath weapon it might have and if it can be turned by a cleric.  I like to have it breathe Death.  I describe it as an aroma that is a mix of decaying flesh and mustiness.  Depending on the level, or the age of the dragon, this can provoke a Save versus Death Magic or some other necrotic reaction.

Artist - Bruno Balixa

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

Sunday Funnies - Shakes, Stars, & Signs

I saw this image floating around on Facebook but couldn't locate the original source, though I will link to one place I found it here as it seems they come by it honest.  You have to scroll down a bit to find it but the New York Theater site could probably use the traffic.

Also, I stumbled over a College Humor YouTube video on "Which is Nerdier: Star Wars or Star Trek?" Enjoy!

Finally, it is sad to have to share that Phil Austin of Firesign Theater has passed but here's a taste of his great Nick Danger to ease the grieving.  Laugh it up!

Sunday Funnies on CreativeMountainGames.com

Humor, often gaming-related,
to start the week with a chuckle.

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CMG Extra - "Favorite Humanoid/Giant/Fey" Day 20 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 20 - Favorite Humanoid/Giant/Fey

Strong and stoic, that's how I like my Stone Giants.  Sure, I know that the modern RPG depiction of them as rock-bodied brawlers dates back to even before Tolkien's mountain moving colossus-types.  For myself, however, I like mine to be more akin to very large humans with an affinity to stone, the Earth, with just a grey enough complexion that you can't mistake them for any other Giant.

Artist - Malcolm McClinton

Don't get me wrong.  Certain settings cry out for a man made of granite, leading the charge in every battle near the mountains.  But give me something similar to the old Dragon Strike miniature, standing still, holding a block of marble and helping build a palace.  Let me have a tribe of these big oafs, intent on continuing their blood feud with the local Dwarves even if they don't understand or remember the history of why that is.  So, for this category, not only do I call Stone Giants my favorite, it has to be a certain kind of Stone Giant.

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

Saturday Crowdfunding Roundup - Helionox, Blood Oath, & Zombicide: Black Plague

A quick look at three from Kickstarter this week with the first being "Helionox - The Last Sunset" by Zeroic Games" here.

Also, have a look at "Blood Oath - The Beginning" by Eric Stover here.

Finally, check out "Zombicide: Black Plague" by CoolMiniOrNot here.

Saturday Crowdfunding Roundup on CreativeMountainGames.com 

Keeping an eye on those Kickstarter & IndieGoGo
projects plus other crowdfunding efforts.

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CMG Extra - "Favorite Elemental/Plant/Construct" Day 19 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 19 - Favorite Elemental/Plant/Construct

A lot of folks following this blog series likely would think I'd give the Fire Elemental a shout out for favorite this time around.  It's true that I do enjoy using all elemental types but I'm not going that route.  Constructs are great, too, and I've thrown all sorts of them at players including Ice Golems of my own devising which made my players never want to build a snowman again.  But for this favorite I'm going with something I have loved since my earliest gaming days, before RPGs were even published, when I first read The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers.  I'm talking about what has since been commonly referred to in D&D parlance as the Treant, though Tolkien called them "Ents."

Artist - Malcolm McClinton

From the moment I, as a reader of Tolkien, first became aware of Fangorn, as a character, I knew there was something special about him and his kind.  I carried around that beat up old Ballantine paperback for a week as I bridged between the first and third books of the trilogy.  Some of the best DMing advice I ever got may well have been a quote from Treebeard when he said, "I'm not altogether on anybody's side because nobody's altogether on my side."  I'm taking it out of context, of course, but it's true, if you understand me.  DMing/GMing is a calling that requires a certain neutrality, even as you're trying to challenge the players and keep them wondering if failure or success will be the result of their actions.

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

The Friday Grab Bag - Free RPG Day, Snacking, & Sitting

Did you get the word that tomorrow is FREE RPG Day?  Well, it is and you need to go to their website and use the locator to find out who is participating near you.  Do that here.

Also, from a few years ago, the gang at Gnome Stew filled us in on "Better GMing With Better Snacks" here.

Finally, here's a useful Ted ED video on "Why sitting is bad for you."  Watch and learn!

The Friday Grab Bag on CreativeMountainGames.com 

Essentially, a clearinghouse for topics not covered
elsewhere or needing a particular focus.

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