December 4, 2024: Get Gruntled!

Apparently I've never recommended this site that's been pinned to my Bookmarks Bar for over a decade?!? Weird . . . Anyway, are you feeling disgruntled? There's a website to help. Gruntle.me will serve up a cute animal picture to help you get un-disgruntled.

As an aside: As I was writing this, I discovered that "gruntled" doesn't trigger my red-underline spellcheck warning. Why? Because it's in the dictionary! Apparently it was added in the 1930s as a "back-formation" of . . . some other word that's no doubt lost to history.

-- Steven Marsh

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December 3, 2024: Celebrate The Season With The Steve Jackson Games Holiday Sale

The Steve Jackson Games Holiday Sale is here! Now through December 16, you can get up to 23% off select games and accessories. It's a great way to finish up your holiday shopping . . . or snag a few deals for yourself. (Don't worry – we won't tell anyone!) Deals include:

Up to 23% off select Munchkin games and accessories
Up to 23% off select GURPS and The Fantasy Trip merchandise
Up to 23% off select Car Wars merchandise
15% off select Ogre games, supplements, miniatures, and playmats
Stocking Stuffers – up to 23% off select dice, pins, and accessories
Game bundles that make holiday shopping fast and easy
And more!

This is our biggest sale of the year, so don't miss out! Head to the Holiday Sale page and explore these selections today!

-- Katie Duffy

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December 2, 2024: You Take The Good, You Take The Bad . . .

A real quick-and-dirty way to get inspiration for your tabletop RPGs is "good, but bad." That is, you start with a premise of something advantageous to the heroes (or others in the campaign world), but couple it with something troublesome. You make the two aspects intrinsic to each other, such that you can't have one without the other.

For even easier inspiration, use two different GURPS supplements as the foundation or spark. So, for example, you might have:

• Mecha that can only be interfaced with and piloted by vampires, possibly inspiring otherwise healthy folks to turn themselves into the undead.

• Strange fantasy weapons that can only be purchased with special coins the adventurers have to track down.

• A new form of magic that – each time it's used – provides more arcane data for a shadowy organization.

I'm sure you can come up with your own good/bad combos; if so, . . . [more]

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December 1, 2024: Flames On The Sides Of My Face

One of my very favorite movies is the absolutely hilarious 1985 cult classic Clue. The boardgame of the same name (originally called Cluedo in the United Kingdom) was released an unbelievable 75 years ago and was an instant hit.

Starring Tim Curry and Madeline Kahn, Clue was released nearly 40 years ago and still stands up as a cinematic masterpiece to those who love it. All of your favorite characters from the original game are present: Mrs. White, Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, et al.

The film is set in a mansion where six guests are invited for dinner – and surprise! – a murder occurs! The guests are then trapped in the house trying to find the culprit while attempting to save their own lives. Chaos and hilarity ensue while other visitors, including a cop and a singing telegram girl, arrive, and are one by one . . . well, I won't . . .

[more]

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November 30, 2024: Make Your Own Mysterious Song

I recently told you all about how the Most Mysterious Song on the Internet had been found. That news continues to delight me, so my mind has drifted to it again for inspiration. Namely, I realize how easy it would be to make one's own mysterious song for a tabletop RPG.

Of the countless ways to do it, one is to find a song that fits the game's themes and that doesn't have too many views or likes online. Record it with a phone's "memo" function (audio fidelity is not important and is probably a detriment!), and then run it through whatever filters in the free audio-editing software Audacity make it sound suitably grungy, mysterious, or tantalizing. If need be, chop it to just a clip – maybe one without enough discernable lyrics to be searched online. Now let the players be intrigued.

What might the song mean? That's up to you! It could be a distorted clue left by an imperiled ally, . . . [more]

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Previous Illuminators • Steve's Appearance Schedule

Steven Spielberg must take the wealthy frog from Cheyenne Mountain. December 4, 2024: Get Gruntled! Apparently I've never recommended this site that's been pinned to my Bookmarks Bar for over a decade?!? Weird . . . Anyway, are you feeling disgruntled? There's a website to help. Gruntle.me will serve up a cute animal picture to help you get un-disgruntled. As an aside: As I was writing this, I discovered that "gruntled" doesn't trigger my red-underline spellcheck warning. Why? Because it's in the dictionary! Apparently it was added in the 1930s as a "back-formation" of . . . some other word that's no doubt lost to history. -- Steven Marsh Share this post! December 3, 2024: Celebrate The Season With The Steve Jackson Games Holiday Sale The Steve Jackson Games Holiday Sale is here! Now through December 16, you can get up to 23% off select games and accessories. It's a great way to finish up your holiday shopping . . . or snag a few deals for yourself. (Don't worry – we won't tell anyone!) Deals include: Up to 23% off select Munchkin games and accessories Up to 23% off select GURPS and The Fantasy Trip merchandise Up to 23% off select Car Wars merchandise 15% off select Ogre games, supplements, miniatures, and playmats Stocking Stuffers – up to 23% off select dice, pins, and accessories Game bundles that make holiday shopping fast and easy And more! This is our biggest sale of the year, so don't miss out! Head to the Holiday Sale page and explore these selections today! -- Katie Duffy Share this post! December 2, 2024: You Take The Good, You Take The Bad . . . A real quick-and-dirty way to get inspiration for your tabletop RPGs is "good, but bad." That is, you start with a premise of something advantageous to the heroes (or others in the campaign world), but couple it with something troublesome. You make the two aspects intrinsic to each other, such that you can't have one without the other. For even easier inspiration, use two different GURPS supplements as the foundation or spark. So, for example, you might have: • Mecha that can only be interfaced with and piloted by vampires, possibly inspiring otherwise healthy folks to turn themselves into the undead. • Strange fantasy weapons that can only be purchased with special coins the adventurers have to track down. • A new form of magic that – each time it's used – provides more arcane data for a shadowy organization. I'm sure you can come up with your own good/bad combos; if so, . . . [more] Share this post! December 1, 2024: Flames On The Sides Of My Face One of my very favorite movies is the absolutely hilarious 1985 cult classic Clue. The boardgame of the same name (originally called Cluedo in the United Kingdom) was released an unbelievable 75 years ago and was an instant hit. Starring Tim Curry and Madeline Kahn, Clue was released nearly 40 years ago and still stands up as a cinematic masterpiece to those who love it. All of your favorite characters from the original game are present: Mrs. White, Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, et al. The film is set in a mansion where six guests are invited for dinner – and surprise! – a murder occurs! The guests are then trapped in the house trying to find the culprit while attempting to save their own lives. Chaos and hilarity ensue while other visitors, including a cop and a singing telegram girl, arrive, and are one by one . . . well, I won't . . . [more] Share this post! November 30, 2024: Make Your Own Mysterious Song I recently told you all about how the Most Mysterious Song on the Internet had been found. That news continues to delight me, so my mind has drifted to it again for inspiration. Namely, I realize how easy it would be to make one's own mysterious song for a tabletop RPG. Of the countless ways to do it, one is to find a song that fits the game's themes and that doesn't have too many views or likes online. Record it with a phone's "memo" function (audio fidelity is not important and is probably a detriment!), and then run it through whatever filters in the free audio-editing software Audacity make it sound suitably grungy, mysterious, or tantalizing. If need be, chop it to just a clip – maybe one without enough discernable lyrics to be searched online. Now let the players be intrigued. What might the song mean? That's up to you! It could be a distorted clue left by an imperiled ally, . . . [more] Share this post! Previous Illuminators • Steve's Appearance Schedule		Latest Videos You are the 232nd Illuminati here today. (30215105 since August 1, 1995)