Dungeons and Dragons and Giant Robots, part 5: Mecha Manufacturing
In the previous posts in this series, I laid some groundwork for adapting D&D 4E to a mecha universe, establishing some basic stats and skills. Let’s create some sample mecha units, using the stats we’ve defined so far. The Stats We Need If you recall, each mecha has the following stats: Manufacturer, which corresponds to race Class Size Speed Initiative AC Fortitude Reflex Strength Constitution Dexterity HP […]
Homemade Stuff
I like to make my own stuff. I’d love to make my own furniture, clothes, etc., and I’m starting with food and daily household items. Here’s what I currently make myself: Food (very little homemade in the past few weeks, as I focus on finishing up my RPG materials for the month) Laundry detergent Fabric softener — I use 1/4 cup of baking soda in the basin and 1/4 cup of vinegar in the dispenser. Dishwasher detergent — Unfortunately, […]
Your Focus Needs More Focus
This line from the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid (“Your focus needs more focus”) has been spinning about my head lately, as I went through another round of reducing my active projects. Great things come through focus. Demonic focus, as Tom Peters calls it. But focus doesn’t mean 18 hours of work every day. It means concentrating on one and only one thing at a time. Now, I’d […]
Dungeons and Dragons and Giant Robots, part 2
In my previous post on this topic, I suggested a few basic rules for a giant robot RPG system using the basic D&D 4E rules. Let’s review the rules so far: Mecha operate on a scale 10x that of the human scale. So, mecha weapons do 10x the damage of a human weapon, mecha are about 10x bigger than humans, etc. Mecha combat occurs on its own grid, which does not represent […]
Into the Jungle
I’ve been trying to nail down one international trip this year. Was trying to find a good trip to Greece or Italy, but every itinerary was jam-packed with activities. I wanted more freedom. (Don’t we all?) Then I saw a deal on a trip to Africa. So, if all the paperwork goes through, I’ll be going to South Africa this October, from the 6th through the 15th. I’ll be spending […]
New Floors
This is a completely personal post. I had new hardwood floors installed this past weekend, covering my entire upstairs and the stairwell. It was expensive, but my house looks fantastic. Oddly, walking into an office with a cherry hardwood floor (even if it is laminate cherry) just feels right. It also feels exhausting. I didn’t install any of it, but I had to prepare: moving 4 bookcases […]