Kingbeast's Lair

Here is a list of the 2014 ENnie Award winners. If I have a comment you can find it under the entry..

Best Adventure

• Trail of Cthulhu: Eternal Lies – Pelgrane Press *GOLD*
• Razor Coast: Heart of the Razor – Frog God Games *SILVER*

My Take

Eternal Lies is good stuff. 🙂

Best Aid/Accessory

• Numenera Creature Deck – Monte Cook Games, LLC *GOLD*
• Fate Dice – Eldritch Dice – Evil Hat Productions *SILVER*

My Take

I have the FATE dice called Antique. These new FATE dice sets are nice.

Best Art, Interior

• Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Gods – Paizo Publishing *GOLD*
• Numenera Corebook – Monte Cook Games, LLC *SILVER*

Best Art, Cover

• Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Mythic Adventures – Paizo Publishing *GOLD*
• Achtung! Cthulhu – Keeper’s Guide to the Secret War – Modiphius *SILVER*

Best Blog

• Gnome Stew *GOLD*
• AaWBlog (Adventureaweek.com) *SILVER*

My Take

Gnome Stew has kicked tail for a long time. Highly recommended.

Best Cartography

• Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Wrath of the Righteous Poster Map Folio – Paizo Publishing *GOLD*
• Numenera Corebook – Monte Cook Games, LLC *SILVER*

Best Electronic Book

• Player’s Guide to Emerald City – Green Ronin Publishing *GOLD*
• Broken Earth (Savage Worlds) – Sneak Attack Press *SILVER*

Best Family Game

• Fate Accelerated Edition – Evil Hat Productions *GOLD*
• Hobbit Tales from the Green Dragon Inn – Cubicle 7 Entertainment *SILVER*

My Take

I just finished reading FAE a little while ago. It is the first product in a while that has made me react with, “This is really something special.” FATE took several awards this year and they are all well deserved.

I’ll have to look up the Hobbit Tales…never heard of it until this year. 🙂

Best Free Product

• Pathfinder Module: We Be Goblins Too! – Paizo Publishing *GOLD*
• Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Quickstart – Chaosium Inc. *SILVER*

Best Game

• Fate Core System – Evil Hat Productions *GOLD*
• Numenera Corebook – Monte Cook Games, LLC *SILVER*

My Take

Really glad that this category came down with FATE for the gold and Numenera for the silver. I think FATE is a better product that is a LOT more accessible than Numenera. Botha are fantastic but I give the edge to FATE.

Best Miniatures Product

• Pathfinder Battles: Wrath of the Righteous – WizKids Games/NECA *GOLD*
• Pathfinder Battles: Wrath of the Righteous Gargantuan Demon Lord Deskari – WizKids Games/NECA *SILVER*

Best Monster/Adversary

• Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 4 – Paizo Publishing *GOLD*
• The Ninth World Bestiary – Monte Cook, LLC *SILVER*

Best Podcast

• Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff *GOLD*
• Numenera: The Signal *SILVER*

My Take

I just adore Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff. It has quickly emerged as my favorite RPG podcast and I listen to a ton of them. I’ve reviewed several of Ken Hites’ DunDraCon seminars in the past and my opinion of Ken still holds true. Folks should really listen when Ken opens his big trap…I mean mouth. 😀

Best Production Values

• Numenera Corebook – Monte Cook Games, LLC *GOLD*
• Trail of Cthulhu: Eternal Lies – Pelgrane Press *SILVER*

Best RPG Related Product

• Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Rise of the Runelords Base Set – Paizo Publishing *GOLD*
• Strange Tales of the Century – Evil Hat Productions *SILVER*

Best Rules

• Fate Core System – Evil Hat Productions *GOLD*
• 13th Age – Pelgrane Press *SILVER*

My Take

Two STRONG entries in this list. I already gave my opinion on FATE but I think 13th Age is a GREAT RPG with enough crunch and story driven elements. Very nice RPG.

Best Setting

• Numenera Corebook – Monte Cook Games, LLC *GOLD*
• Deadlands Noir – Pinnacle Entertainment Group *SILVER*

My Take

Right here is the category where Numenera excels. The setting is a wonderful mix of sorcery as science with a dash of post-holocaust goodness. A very complete and detailed setting.

Best Supplement

• Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Campaign – Paizo Publishing *GOLD*
• Fate System Toolkit – Evil Hat Productions *SILVER*

Best Software

• Roll20 – The Orr Group LLC *GOLD*
• Realm Works – Lone Wolf Development *SILVER*

My Take

Interested that Realm Works won here even though it is fairly new. If I was not so hooked on OneNote it might be worth giving it a go.

Best Writing

• Numenera Corebook – Monte Cook Games, LLC *GOLD*
• Achtung! Cthulhu – Keeper’s Guide to the Secret War – Modiphius *SILVER*

Best Website

• RPG Geek *GOLD*
• Fate SRD *SILVER*

My Take

SO glad RPGGeek won here. I am such a fan of their site. I just LOVE having my entire collection and want list managed on their site. Their news entries were “upgraded” recently and they rock. Highly recommended site.

Product of the Year

• Numenera Corebook – Monte Cook Games, LLC *GOLD*
• Fate Core System – Evil Hat Productions *SILVER*

My Take

As I mentioned above I would reverse these but either way these are both wonderful.

2015 Judges

• Annah Madrinan
• Jakub Nowosad
• Kayra Keri Kupcu
• Kurt Wiegel
• Stacy Muth

2014 Judges’ Spotlight Winners

• Hooper: Hobomancer Companion – Hex Games
• Kayra Keri Kupcu:  Deep Magic – Kobold Press
• Stacy Muth: Rocket Age RPG – Cubicle 7 Entertainment
• Jakub Nowosad: The Demolished Ones – Chronicle City/Rite Publishing
• Kurt Wiegel: Weird Wars Rome – Pinnacle Entertainment Group

  My Take

  Weird Wars Rome is super cool. I think this Savage Worlds setting is more creative than Deadlands Noir but again…it is like comparing Mozart and Bach. Both are great in different lights.

  GAME ON! 😀

[Author’s Note: This is the log for the 16th session. Note that the order of the events in this record may not be in the exact order that they occurred during play. The narrator is shown in italics.]

In this hair-raising adventure of Tesla’s Power Corp you can follow the exploits of the following heroes:

Crash Landing!

The adventure begins in medias res with the team in a seaplane that is fighting to stay airborne over a rough Caribbean. With a crash the plane is struck and the propellers stops. The group flashes back to a scene where Tesla and Trubee are asking the group to investigate the disappearance of one of their expeditions that has gone missing on a mysterious island in the South Pacific. The front window smashes inward. Mile’s hired pilot is impaled by what appears to be a pteranodon! As the dangerous dinosaur snaps about the cabin Miles lets loose with a bolt. The lighting bolt goes off target and puts a hole right through the dashboard and outer hull of the plane. As the uncontrollable plane starts to dive Johnny dives under the control panel in an attempt to repair the rudder controls. Mike lets loose with his rifle on the pteranodon sending it sliding off the front of the plane. As the plane nears the water Miles grabs the controls and remembering a single flight lesson that he took back in England pulls back on the yoke. After navigating around some rocks and through a stone arch Miles lands the seaplane near a rocky cave.

Ancient Byway

After securing the plane the members of Tesla’s Power Corp gather up their equipment from the plane and head towards the nearby coast. Once on a small black sand beach the group starts a fire to dry their gear. After getting dry they head out of the cave through a small tunnel. The tunnel leads to an ancient cobblestone road that runs at the bottom of a steep canyon. Tommy decides to climb up and look around. He sees a dense jungle surrounding two peeks. The second peak is volcanic and is smoking with an eerie glow.

After walking down the canyon there is an earthquake! As the ground shakes part of the walls start to fall down on the heroes. The heroes dash down the road avoiding falling rocks, boulders, trees, and a skeleton. It is only with careful help from the nimbler members of the team that they are able to survive. As the sun sets the group has entered the jungle and found an some old ruins where they can put up camp. Clyde starts a small fire and the group puts down for the night. They decide to setup watches.

At midnight, while Mike is on watch, Tommy awakens when he hears a noise. Clyde is also aroused. Although Mike does not hear anything due to his damaged hearing from his time during the Great War Tommy assures him that someone is approaching. Suddenly the thick jungle wall explodes with action! Deranged tribesman yelling terrible chants race forward! They are wielding clubs and appear to be trying to subdue the team. Initially the tribesman do some damage but as soon as the entire group is awakened they manage to scare them off.

Trail Tracking

Once the sun is up the members of Tesla’s Power Corp decides to track the tribesman back to their camp. Led by the brilliant eyes of tracker Clyde Beatty the group follows the trail through the dense jungle and across a river. The journey is slow going but the team is moving quickly.

In the late afternoon they emerge from the thick jungle to find them selves at the foot of a great stone bridge. As the group start to cross the bridge the ground shakes violently. To their surprise it is not another earthquake but it is instead a herd of triceratops! The team quickly dash across the bridge. When they reach the other side the large dinosaurs run onto the bridge sending half of them down the steep canyon walls.

When the heroes continue down the trail they enter what appears to be an ancient plaza but it has collapsed leaving only pillars. As they start to explore the area they hear a roar and from out of the trees a tyrannosaurus-rex emerges! As the beast clears the trees the group separates. Mike lets loose on it’s head with two powerful rifle shots! It rears back but keeps coming. Miles cuts loose with a spell but it just seems to make it madder! Tommy climbs a tree and waits for it to get closer. The large creature approaches Mike and narrowly misses him with teeth the size of large knives! Tommy then hurls a bottle of nitroglycerine down the beasts throat in a perfectly thrown shot. After a brief pause the beast rocks back and explodes in a blast of chemical fire! Upon taking some claws and fangs from the t-rex the group moves out of the plaza. Clyde notices that in the track of the beast is a crushed sheet of paper with Greek writing. With that the group decides to follow the t-rex trail not the savages.

The t-rex trail leads to a crushed camp. It appears that a group of Greek explorers under Stephan Andropolous, the devious mobster that they encountered during their adventure in Crete, is also on the island. The group finds a book written in English from the lost expedition with symbols and their translations. When the group hears a whining noise they investigate and find a small baby t-rex. Clyde approaches the beast and by feeding it some raw meat gains its trust.

Temple Trouble

Now following tracks that lead from the camp the members of Tesla’s Power Corp come upon a stepped pyramid. On top of the pyramid are a large group of the deranged savages. They are beating drums and chanting. As their chanting reaches a crescendo the tribesmen bring forth an olive skinned man and appear to be preparing to sacrifice him. Acting quickly Miles grabs the sacrifice with his telekinesis. Mike cuts loose on the tribal leader with rifle shots. Johnny starts shooting tear gas pellets. Tommy sneaks up one side trying to get past them and into a side tunnel. Clyde and the baby t-rex rush up one stairwell surprising the deranged tribesman with their yelling and shooting! This gives them the split second the group needs to start taking them out. Some of the savages manage to run down and confront the heroes but soon they are taken out.

What will our group face when they actually reach the volcano?!?

Things get hot as our heroes enter the heart of a beating volcano! What evil threat waits within this terrible mountain of fire!?! The brave members of Tesla’s Power Corp are up to task and plan to find out!

[Author’s Note: This is the log for the 15th session. Note that the order of the events in this record may not be in the exact order that they occurred during play. The narrator is shown in italics.]

In this hair-raising adventure of Tesla’s Power Corp you can follow the exploits of the following heroes:

Explosive Train Ride

As Clyde loads their camels on the a he notices a small patch of rock and hears a squeak. When he investigates he finds an Egyptian ferret who seems to want to challenge him. Clyde feeds the ferret then the two seem to be a pair. Tommy decides that the ferret should be named “Johnny”. After loading the camels the train heads north following the magical pull of the staff.

During the train ride while Tommy is walking the halls he spots a strange little man in a dark colored robe leaving one of the restrooms. The strange thing is that Tommy does not remember the man entering the restroom. He follows the man in the robe to a car where he meets with several large men. After a brief conversation the large men stand and walk towards the train car where the members of Tesla’s Power Corp are riding. Thinking quickly Tommy handcuffs the train doors closed and alerts the rest of the group. After tugging on the locked door the small man returns and unhooks the car with the heroes! As the trains separate he yells that they will soon be dead as when the train slows a bomb that he has placed under it will explode! Tommy climbs under the train and finds that there is in fact a bomb with a device attached to the wheel. Thinking fast the group jumps to the back train and apply the brakes. The back car further separates leaving the middle car with the bomb unoccupied. As the cars slow the middle train explodes sending it careening off the rails! With that the group grabs their camels and decides to continue without the train.

Hidden Temple Tomb

After Clyde and his ferret have skillfully led the group through the desert the group arrives at a small oasis with two obelisks. The obelisks are marked with a symbol or Ra and Apep. After some searching Tommy notices that the bases of the obelisks are rigged so that they can be turned. With that Mike realizes that the symbol of Ra should be faced towards the rising sun. Once both are turned the heroes hear a low rumbling noise. A strange temple entrance rises from out of the sand! After inspecting the group proceeds into the temple.

At the bottom of the stairway is a black sarcophagus with the form of Apep. Intricate murals around the room seem to infer that this room was used to contain Apep’s minions. The lid to the sarcophagus is ajar. When the members of the Corp approach using they feel a foul wind. The wind stirs up dust on the floor to form several mummies that are made of snakes! With that the group jumps into action. Miles cuts loose with lightning bolts. Mike uses the Staff Of Ra to blast the mummies. Clyde takes a deadly strike but manages to tough it out with a belt of booze. After protecting Clyde in a shield of light Mike destroys one of the mummies with a powerful strike from the Staff. The small ferret takes out the smaller snake swarms. After the fight ends the group finds that the sarcophagus contains a stairwell leading down.

Solar Barge Ride Has Bite

This stairwell goes down for quite some time before emerging at an underground river. The river is polluted with black snakes and sludge. Waiting at the doc is an Egyptian solar barge with magical rowers. After paying the mechanical driver the boat starts moving down the river. During the trip they see movement in the water and are attacked by a giant shadow snake! The snake deals a blow but is turned back momentarily when Tommy throws nitroglycerine in it’s mouth. Mike then summons the power of the Staff and brains the snake sending it back into the dark sludge.

The Final Confrontation

At the end of the boat ride the heroes find themselves at a magical temple. Twelve pillars are holding up a majestic domed roof. Eleven of the pillars are covered in black snakes and dead vines. The last pillar glows with a bright white light. In the center of the dome is a block of stone that holds a black staff. The staff is shooting a bolt of purple energy into the white pillar. All around the domed temple stand the minions of Apep. Leading them is a massive snake man with only a tail and no legs. He claims to be the High-Priest Of Apep. Miles detects that he has several spells running. There is also a powerful warrior snake man who claims to the Champion Of Apep. In addition to the two snake men are four devotees armed with swords and shields.

After brief soliloquies a massive melee ensues! The High-Priest lets loose a powerful snake spell that sends most of the heroes reeling. Clyde shakes it off then grabs the black staff with his whip and pulls it out of the stone block. This angers the High-Priest who tells his men to return the staff! With that the rest of the men attack. Tommy ties a rope to the black staff and starts to scamper up a pillar with it. Miles uses the papyrus scroll to cast one of the spells on the High-Priest. The effect is a massive blast of light that sends the High-Priest to the ground barely alive! He orders everyone to fell the foul sorcerer. Miles takes some serious damage but remains standing. Mike smashes the Champion and several devotees with the Staff Of Ra. Realizing what must be done Miles asks Mike to give him the staff so he can place it in the temple altar. Mike hesitates but ends up fighting off the mind influencing power of the staff and hands it to Miles. When Miles places the staff in the alter the room fills with light! The High-Priest is sent reeling through a dark portal that forms at one of the black pillars. The rest of the snakes scream out in pain as the light peels off their scaly skin! The battle has ended with the forces of light being victorious.

Staggering from the temple the group decides the best course of action is to seal it up.

In our next thrilling adventure our heroes explore an island that time forgot. What ancient evil lurks in the shadows waiting to strike! Tune in to this station to find out what awaits the members of Tesla’s Power Corp!