I've been having a bit of a splurge again over the past few months.

(Ramble mode on).

At the end of November/early December I ordered and paid for [b]a|state[/b] - even though it didn't arrive until last week. I had thought about ordering direct from Contested Ground Studios, but decided to suppot a F-not-so-LGS (Leisure Games) who turned out to be out of stock and put it on back order! It was definitely worth the wait, even I had been tipped offf by the excellent a|state lite, and I have been spending too much spare time writing venues and personalities for an additional burgh (New Cokeside) when I should have been writing for Gwenthia. (Like, whoops, but so "me")

Idly browsing through the Leisure Games on-line catalgue turned up the intriguing [b]Testament[/b] from Green Ronin. Simple really - take the world's all-time best selller and produce an Old Testament setting (Israelites, Canaanites, Egyptians, Babylonians). I have to admit that it's very well done and I'm sorely tempted to buy [b]Testament: The Hittites[/b] - a PDF only expansion. OK - not tempted, I will, I just haven't got round to it. Shame it's PDF only really as I'd prefer to pay for a proper book - but maybe I'm just an old reactionary!

But Testament is [b]d20[/b], and although I've had T20 for a while I don't actually know much about the d20 mechanics (or mechanic as it turns out). Which meant that in a moment of enthusiasm I picked up the core books for that - which was extremely good value as Testament was [b]ver 3.0[/b], not 3.5 and I got all three core books in excellent condition via Amazon, including one from a very astute Oxfam bookshop. Somebody on the staff there is obviously on the ball.

So while not only writing a|state stuff I've indulged in the Old Testament (by proxy) and seriously interesting comparative study from my memories of AD&D 1st ed with ver 3.0.

As if that wasn't enough I even found myself rolling up characters for ver 3.0 and comparing the statistical effects of the different recommended generation methods (and adding the "heroic" BRP 2d6+6 rule to the comparisons). Which led to an observation I've never seen anyone comment on (but I don't read BBSs very widely) - how come that as RPGs have matured we seem to have actually reduced the opportunites for good role-playing by rendering character genration systems more flexible, rather than the closer to life experience of "making the best of what you have"? (Or maybe that's just not "fantastic" enough?)

(ramble mode off)

¶ 4:54 pm 0 comments

*Epiphany Two*

The way to Woodland climbs for four miles.
January has painted a brilliant, bleak scene
using raw materials of pasture, stone and tar macadam
glinting with a patina of mist-mottled frost.

At Holy Communion, cockerels crowing competitively
cannot disrupt our hearty singing
in the century old Tin Tabernacle
on its hill top perch
but bookend the silences after sermon and prayers.

As with old Eli and Samuel at Shiloh
the light of God’s presence burns on.
The absent tribe may be doing
what is right in its own eyes,
but is remembered.

The Liturgy calls us into a still sharper focus.
There is one overall anointed leader
who has come down into our frosty, blighted world
with telling warmth.

As we leave the chill is easing both inside and out.

*(C) David Grieve 2006*

¶ 1:35 pm 0 comments