Saturday, December 31, 2011

Look What Came in the Mail

I haven't made it the post office for about a week, but when I opened my PO box I found a squished copy of Loviatar in between bills, advertisements, and mail that wasn't even mine.  Within my envelop was a note that reminded me I have one issue left in my subscription.  But it was the last line that made me chuckle.  "Goodness knows we can all use some good mail now and again."  Amen to that brother.

Issue #6 is broken in four sections.  The Introduction, which I will admit is something I skip in most magazines, but not this one.  I consider Christian's introduction just as valuable as the other content.   

Thursday Night Fight Club kicks off Christain's series "This Is L.A.".  It is stated out for BRP and is set in modern day L.A.  I love the accompanying photo and the story that goes along with it.  This is a timely article because my group has been discussing a modern day campaign.  My only problem is I don't have a smart phone to decipher the code square thingys.  In truth, I didn't have a cell phone for about three years until last week.  What can I say, I really, really, really hate phones.  But with an email I know I can get the answers.  Plus, I think its an excellent use of technology.

Now we move into the next and my new favorite, Hex 002 for basic D&D.  I love this series.  It reminds me of the dungeon Christian had in his OSE5F.  An adventure that saw the demise of Lester, Hester and Chester.  That dwarven clan never recovered.  In issue #5 hex 001 connects with 002 and so on.  I like it.  What I enjoy so far about the series is its understatement of adventure.  This series alone is worth taking a look at to all those OSR folks who haven't checked out Loviatar, seriously, you really should. 

And the last entry is A Lonely Dance on a Cold, Northern Shore Part III for Vampire: The Requiem.  Although I don't play Vampire the characters can be used for any system.  This is a great example of the system doesn't matter, its about characters and their stories.  If you got that you can plug them in any where.

On a final note, I wanted to say something about the artwork of Jay Penn, he has a blog called Realms of Faerie that you can check out and see his work done for Loviatar #6.  For me, his artwork fits the attitude of Loviatar perfectly.  His line drawings have an old school feel, but with his own style.  The cover is one of my favorites.

In conclusion, excellent job Christian, excellent job Jay.  My first gaming purchase of the new year with be my renewal to Loviatar.

5 comments:

  1. What do you mean? *erase erase* See it says #6.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am so glad that you enjoyed the issue. The hex series really seems to be striking a chord with readers, so I will definitely continue. I like how you noted that the adventures are rather understated. Over the years I have developed a casual, conversational style of play that features a series of brief scenes. It would appear that style is bleeding through into the hex crawl.

    The zine is so lucky to have Jay Penn. He is absolutely amazing. The zine just would not be the same without his talents.

    Take care,
    Christian

    ReplyDelete
  3. "And the last entry is A Lonely Dance on a Cold, Northern Shore Part III for Vampire: The Requiem"

    Just don't buy the Twilight mod for "Vampire", where when you are out in the sun, you have to roll for sparkle.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the rather kind words! I'm thoroughly enjoying adding illustrative depictions to the scenes and characters Christian is creating.

    ReplyDelete