Having spent my last two blog posts on the "serious" subject of Napoleonic wargaming, I thought it was time for something a little more whimsical. Some of my fondest memories growing up are playing role playing games with my friends from high school. Unfortunately, unlike the kids from the "Stranger Things" Netflix series, I didn't discover this joy until I was a little older. While I really only played for three or four years, the memories have stuck and are a constant reminder of the importance of friends and great relationships.
When one of the role-playing games we played was recently re-released and updated via Kickstarter, I couldn't help myself. This was the first and only Kickstarter I have ever backed, but oh what a joy to receive!
While the cover art was updated the counters and maps still are reminiscent of the originals. Though the game is meant to be played with cardboard counters on a hex grid, it can also be played with miniatures, so of course I couldn't help the excuse to paint up a few more of the 40mm quasi-historical figures I purchased when the Mindstalkers game fell on its face. The game looked terribly cumbersome and complex, but the figures were beautifully sculpted and cast. At one point they were selling for a couple bucks a piece, so I bought a box full of them.
Just because a figure is beautifully cast doesn't mean the painter has talent, and here is an example of a face only a mother could love. I tried to salvage the expression, but alas it was either a complete re-paint or accept that not everyone is handsome, so here is a warrior with a charisma score of 3...
Despite the paint job the pose is dynamic and this is actually one of my favorite figures. Can't wait to try him out in the dungeon!
Slender and beautifully proportioned, the Mindstalker figures were some of the best I have seen.
The sorceress was a bit of a conversion figure. I added some hair, the staff, and trim around the bodice of her dress to make her less like an adolescent fantasy figure, but once again I think she came out with a face of a hardened warrior sorceress. I'll pretend that is the look I was going for and get on with it.
Casting a spell clearly calls for a stiff headwind, as that cloak is really blowing!
While I can't say it is some of my best work, I really wanted to have some female warriors and wizards so my wife and daughter could play a game. They were kind enough to give it a try last Christmas with some friends, but let's just say the dungeon master was a bit rusty. I had killed the whole adventuring party within a couple of hours. The Fantasy Trip always was a tough game to survive, but the fault in this case was mine, as I made a couple of nasty bears, twice as tough as they were supposed to be.
This is another minor conversion of a female standard bearer given a new hand with a longsword.
I do like the way the wind is blowing from behind on this figure, causing the cloak to billow forward and her hair to fly forward rather than back from this angle.
That's a big honking sword to be using one handed!
Let's hope next time I get around to hosting a game she survives! As a parting shot, a look at the dungeon I have been preparing for the games. Fortunately all of the rooms in the "Death Test" scenarios are the same size, so I can just use the same room for different encounters.
Nice report! I enjoy a little RPG action now and and then, myself. And don't feel too bad about killing the whole party. Next time you see Seth, ask him what he did.
ReplyDeleteI'll be sure to ask....
DeleteTake 2 - I must give up commenting from my iPad it almost never works!
ReplyDeleteAnyway...
I too have fond memories of D&D and RPGs but again was a late developer coming to it as a student. Surprisingly one of my adult children has just discovered the joys of RPGs (and board-games) and shown a talent for painting figures for them!
As for the face only a mother would love - I suspect it's because you paint the whites of the eyes and have given him (her?) quite a striking brand of lipstick. A real person at a distance from which they would look like 40mm figure would also look odd if you could see the whites of their eyes and their brand of lippy. Looking at you photo / avatar staring out at me from your reply to B. T. Williams I cannot see any white in you eyes and your lips are none too rosy - I suspect you weren't made up when it was taken... ;o)
On a more positive note - sorry if the last was a bit negative - I too adore the converted standard-bearer figure. As you say having her back to the wind is much more evocative than the usual pose facing into it - also much better tactically. Also, the sword, while 'honking' is pretty slim and businesslike - much better than those club-like fantasy swords on some figure which must half a ton.
No worries Rob. He does have the bug eyed look and the lip shade is quite Rosey. Really don't know why this particular grouping gave me so much trouble. They have been on my desk for close to a year now and I just never could seem to bring them to completion. Not my best work by any means, which I think reflects a lack of motivation on my part. I think next time I'll focus on just one figure rather than trying three at the same time. In any event they are a means to an end, so need to host a dungeon crawl at the local club some time soon. I hope that will be the motivation I need to paint one of the best miniatures ever sculpted; Slug Eat Your Face, by Tom Meier.
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