On twitter (X) I made the claim yesterday that the situation in this picture could really happen when playing Midwest Fantasy Wargame: The Primeval RPG. How you might ask?

This is quite simply a mage who has been polymorphed into Great Ape. The mage also happens to be the owner of a Revolving Wand along with a leather bandoleer (containing pellets that “recharge” his wand) and a holster for it.

More insight into an abandoned game system

I will stick with just the highlights for this blog post. Mexican Bandit Leader El Pauncho remains at large.

Faction Leaders’ Play by Post

I recruited three players this week to be faction leaders. I still could use several more. Faction leaders will place weekly orders after receiving a briefing about the current situation, the personality (if I already generated it), and perhaps clarifying what resources (men, money, and equipment) belong to the faction. For now we have:

On the trail of Dave Arneson’s El Pauncho Brownstone character

Rules

• Boot Hill 1st edition
• Outdoor Survival - game board and Lost Scenario
• OD&D - surprise roll
• Bronco Busting - in modules BH2 p. 6, and BH4 p. 26
• Rattlesnake and Poison - BH2: Lost Conquistador Mine, p. 6

Supplements

• The Rules with No Name (TRWNN) Quick Play Weapon Selection Table [initial equipment]
• 100 Items in a Wild West Desperado’s Pocket by D10 Dimensions [initial equipment]
• Boot Hill 2nd Edition Referee’s Reference compiled by Kellri [character quirks, settlement generation, cost of goods and services where 1st edition is lacking]
• Tony Bath’s Ancient Wargaming: Including Setting up a Wargames Campaign and the Hyborian Campaign [personalities via playing card method]

Players and Characters

Improving Bro-stein play through critical analysis.

I have multiple years of experience as both participant and Referee of wargames and role playing games going back to 1981. I have authored two -steins (one in Midwest Fantasy Wargame: The Primeval RPG and another entitled Trouble Aboard Station Brown). I have participated in Trekstein, Hail Steinser, and Spacestein. As a player, I would rate myself as mid. As a Referee, I think I am a notch or two above average.

Similar to 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, I would like to take a few moments to reflect on the books that I have read. However, this year was devoted to personal losses, and rediscovering an old hobby in a new form. Here are the titles I read / took notes on during 2022. My final count was 24, down from 2021 when I completed 29.

AudioBooks / Lectures on YouTube
Frank Harris — The Magic Glasses
Robert E. Howard — Kull: The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune
Robert E. Howard — Kull of Atlantis, The Conqueror: The Shadow Kingdom
J.M. Barrie — Peter Pan

Similar to 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, I would like to take a few moments to reflect on my effort to continue my education. Here are the titles I read / took notes on during 2021. My final count was 29, down from 2020 when I completed 31.

AudioBooks / Lectures on YouTube
Charles Bukowski — Post Office
Charles Bukowski — Hollywood
Charles Bukowski — Ham on Rye
Dan Peña — Your First 100 Million

Similar to 2017, 2018, and 2019, I would like to take a few moments to reflect on my effort to continue my education. Here are the titles I read / took notes on during 2020. This does not count the many of the presentations, webinars, and documentaries consumed as part of my daily work. My final count was 31, down from 2019 when I completed 42; however, I did also read 59 Kindle samples and I’ve skimmed or read in detail another 64 items off DriveThruRPG. By way of comparison, in 2018 I completed 28 titles and in 2017 I completed 29. There is a thing as too much reading and I think I reached my saturation point this year.

Similar to 2017 and 2018, I would like to take a few moments to reflect on my effort to continue my education. Here are the titles I read / took notes on during 2019. This does not count the many of the presentations, webinars, and documentaries consumed as part of my daily work, though I am counting the many lectures of Dr. Alan Watts and Terrence McKenna as at least two audiobooks. My final count was 42, which is more than 2018 when I completed 28 titles and 2017 when I completed 29. The audio books really helped boost my total.

Last year I posted an article summarizing the number of books I consumed across various media. I set a goal to read one book a week in 2018. This did not happen for a variety of reasons including having the most profitable year of my career. I did manage to knock out 28 books (counting Han Solo at Stars’ End / Han Solo’s Revenge / Han Solo and the Lost Legacy as three books instead of one volume). I also have 4 books in progress which I mention here as I have made a substantial dent in all of them. Overall, that puts my page count at around 30 books. The average number of books consumed by Americans is 12 according to Pew Research. I’d love to know if anyone has read any of these books and how many books you read this year. Leave your comments below.

Just reflecting on my effort to continue my education, here are the 29 titles I read / took notes on during 2017. This does not count the numerous presentations, webinars, and documentaries consumed. My reading plan for 2018 is ambitious — 1 book / week. Let’s see how that goes. Sometimes slower is better.

AudioBooks on YouTube
Michael Moorcock — Elric, Sailor on the Seas of Fate
Jon Ronson — The Men Who Stare at Goats
Neal Stephenson — Snow Crash
Seneca — On the Shortness of Life