We're On...Texas Old School D&D Mixer July 11

Looks like we've hit a pretty good critical mass of interest for our old school mixer idea. So with no further ado, I'd like to formally throw down a "save the date" for folks interested.

The mixer itself is set July 11, 6pm-9pm at Scholz's Garten, a famous watering (and eating) hole for politicos, newshounds, students, and other motley Austin elements. Look for us at a big table in the middle room.

We're also organizing some one-shot or drop in games early that afternoon at Dragon's Lair, so you can actually get some gaming in if you come out.

If you want to come please email me at kutalik at gmail dot com and I will send you the formal invitation and other details.

Hobbit, the Musical

After reading Troll and Flame's recent post on movies for gamers, my head suddenly inexplicably was filled with a tune from childhood. You know the kind, it plays over and over in an annoying loop until you just have to roll with that. That song would be from that great (and eminently scary) scene from the cartoon version of the Hobbit in which the warg-riding goblins chase the wee ones up a tree.

Hunting down the vid on YouTube, I was struck by how much this cartoon and its bad/good brother "The Return of the King" had an influence on my own idea of what fantasy was as a kid. For years I thought of D&D elves as somewhat sinister-looking gray-green creatures; dwarves as skinny somewhat mischievous obsessives; and orcs as oppressed draftees.

Where there is a whip, there is a way...