Terrain for the Pirates of the Spanish Main

Like I mentioned in a recent Pirates of the Spanish Main post, home islands are not included in the mix. I have been looking for ideas and plan’s for these islands and have come-up with several links that might very useful in that endeavor.

P.O.T.S.M. Tables & Islands

Offers many fine images of island and game tables that the author has created; truly inspirational.

Another rocky hill...

An August 2012 post on this blog that offers instructions on how to create “another rocky hill”. The instructions are geared toward the war-gamer, but the techniques presented here could be put into use for islands on my Pirates of the Spanish Main

Instructables: Mini Island Gaming Terrain

Actually offers instructions on how to create islands for the Pirates of the Spanish Main game. It includes the materials and instructions on how to create islands that are very realistic in appearance.

Now that you have an island, how about some trees?

About.Com”: Make Realistic Miniature Model Palm Trees from Paper or Fabric and Wire

Features instructions on how to create miniature palm trees. Whether the palms trees can be created in smaller sizes I do not know, but I thought the article was well worth a peak.

02

What is on your Workbench?

I am so glad that you asked. I still have two old men miniatures from Brigade that are nearly completed. One miniature, the Jolly Old Man, is closer than the other, in that it has received its highlights and shadow coats. I still need to attempt painting its eyes. The other, an old man with a lantern in hand is in progress.

The other major project, that I have been working on are a few scenery pieces for my Pirates of the Spanish Main miniatures game. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, although the Pirates of the Spanish Main game provides “wild” islands they do not provide home islands. Home Islands are those where you base your operations from, they are where repairs are typically performed, and are where you store your gold pieces.

I used cardboard for the base for one of the islands, plaster coated pieces of Styrofoam bead board for a couple of scenery pieces, and globs of leftover plaster for several other “home” islands and scenery pieces. With left over plaster I scooped it out in globs on a piece of cardboard. Once these were thoroughly dry I used a chisel bladed hobby knife and chiseled the globs to shape. I made some horizontal and vertical cuts to mimic rock faces. I then used dark grey paints to paint the pieces. Alternately, I painted some areas of the casting to represent corral.

I gave each piece a good black wash, and then dry brushed using lighter shades of grey to bring out the highlights and add variations of color here and there. Once the paint was dry, I painted selected areas dark brown and added green ground foam to represent vegetation.

03

Pirates of the Spanish Main-Battle Report #01

I played my first game of Pirates of the Spanish Main over the weekend. Just to get the feel for the game Fran and I decided to play a short game. We only used nine gold pieces instead of the total of twenty-seven. The basic plan for Pirates of the Spanish Main is to keep your opponent from getting to the “wild” Islands and collecting gold pieces, while trying, at the same time, to amass as many of these gold pieces yourself.
The rules for the game are rather on the simple side, but we still had some fun moving our two vessels around on the board (table-top), exploring islands and picking up gold pieces, and firing out cannons at one another’s ships. In the end, once the last gold piece had been taken from the island, the outcome was that we both had the exact number of points; a tie.

There are other rules for a full game and other house rule sets that are available online. These additional strategies should make the game a bit more interesting. I also have ideas that could make the game even more interesting and challenging. I just have to get these ideas down on paper, create the props, and implement them into our next game.

04

32 vintage “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea” Episodes are Available on Hulu

Back in April I posted “14 Super Submarines That Took Science Fiction under the Sea”. One of the submarines mentioned in that post was the Seaview. Recently I came upon a collection of classic Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea videos. Hulu has a collection 32 black and white episodes. These episodes were produced from 1964- 1965. I used to enjoy watching this TV series when I was a boy. A number of color episodes were produced, but I don’t recollect viewing any of these episodes.

The futuristic nuclear submarine S.S.R.N. Seaview went on many fabulous voyages, made many fascinating discoveries and saved the world from many menaces. At the time of my viewing this series it all seemed so fabulously futuristic and amazing. Viewing the shows today, the technologies presented look so antiquated and trite.

Pirates of the Spanish Main Crew Types

Pirates of the Spanish Main, offers seven basic crew member types. Crew members add special abilities to the ship in which they serve. Players can add crews to their ships, however; typically each crew member takes up one cargo space.
Type	Points	Special Ablilities
Cannoneer	2	Once per turn, one of this ships cannons may shoot again, if it misses.
Captain	3	This ship may move and then shoot using the same move action.
Explorer	1	This ship may dock and explore one wild island using the same move action.
Helmsman	2	This ship gets +S to her base move.
Musketeer	3	This ships gains one cannon that may not have its range or cannon roll increased. It can shoot from any mast (even an eliminated mast).
Oarsmen	1	If derdlict, this ship gains a base move of S.This crew member takes up no cargo space.
Shipwright	2	This ship may repair at sea or any island.

A List of Mostly Free RPGs

Role Playing Games (RPGs) are games where participants act out the roles of characters in a narrative game. The following list identifies several directories that list multiple mostly free RPG’s:

The Compendium of Free Role Playing Games (DIR)

The Compendium of Free Role Playing Games features a pretty comprehensive list of free RPG's. This list is updated periodically. New entries are posted toward the top and are indicated with (New).

SCIFI: The Free Roleplaying Games List (DIR)

SCIFI: The Free Roleplaying Games List is another directory of free RPG's. As indicated in the title of this site, the site focusses on SCIFI RPG's. This substantial list of SCIFI RPG's is also updated from time to time.

DMOZ RPG (DIR)

The Open Directory Project has published a directory of RPG's. Most of the listed RPG's are free, but you might find a few RPG’s that require some type or payment.

RPG Free List (DIR)

The RPG Free List features news, reviews, and an A-Z list of free RPG’s.

The Free RPG Blog

The Free RPG blog features news on the latest free RPG's. Not quite as an extensive listing as the above sources, but does offer a few of the latest free RPG’s. Also provides reviews of RPGs.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park Role-Playing Game Book

The Lost World: Jurassic Park Role-Playing Game Book looks like it may be an interesting and fun RPG to play with your children. The book comes with 24 punch-out characters, DNA cards, and rules to play three short interactive adventures. In my last search, it was still available through Amazon.

(DIR) denotes a directory

Mutants and Machine-Guns RGG, part 1

Experimental Playground offers many print and play board games. Their most recent game, “Mutants and Machine-guns“, a role playing game, caught my attention because of its format. Most of their games can be printed on a single A4 sized sheet of paper and are usually printed in black and white. This RPG, “a gonzo post-apocalyptic” adventure, is formatted to fit on a pocket-mod. Interesting concept and it looks like it will be rather entertaining!

Coupling the right Miniatures with Mutants and Machine-Guns RPG, part 2

When I looked over the rules for Mutants and Machine-Guns’ RPG I started to think about the miniatures that could be used in this RPG. There are three types of characters listed in this “gonzo post-apocalyptic” RPG: Pure Humans, Human Mutants, and Evolved Animals.

For the Pure Human and Human Mutants I am thinking about using 1/72 miniatures from Elhiem Figures. Elhiem has a large selection of metal figures, including a full line of modern military miniatures. I am considering the following miniatures:

Pure Humans

• Product Name : American Adventurer; #P18
• Product Name : Mz Whip; #P34

Human Mutants

• Product Name : Retro Rocket Man; #P40
• Product Name : Hero and Heroine; #SIFI02
• Product Name : Acturian Pirate Nobels; #SIFI04

Evolved Animals

For the Evolved animals I went over to Splintered Light Minis and chose several of their 20mm Woodland Warriors. 20mm might be a bit smaller than 1/72, but wouldn't animals be a smaller than a typical human?

A Source of Ether Ship Miniatures

When looking for Ether ship miniatures to play the “Ironclads and Ether Flyers” RPG I came upon a designer on Shapeway’s that is offering Ether ship miniatures that could be used for this game. Objects May Appear is offering a large collection of Ether flyers and other vessels that are reasonable priced. Most are in 1/1200 scale, but OMA does offer a few vessels in 1/600, and in other scales. They are molded in, what looks like a white hard plastic. These miniatures are created using a 3-D printer, and from what I can gather, they will need some cleaning up and paint.

See you all next week, I am taking off for the weekend...

Ironclads and Ether Flyers-Exotic Weaponry

A variety of exotic weapons can be installed on a “Flyer” however these weapons are limited to the space that is available either on the deck or below decks. The list below indicates the current technology trends and the exotic weapons that are available:

Weapon Types

1. Hale Rockets
2. Tether Mine
3. Drogue Torp.
4. Smutts Dschgr
5. Smutts Dschgr+
6. Smutts Torpedo
7. Power Grapnel
8. Bomb Rack
9. Bomb
10. Spike Dropper
11. Liquid Fire
12. Deck Tube
13. Fixed Tube
14. Torpedo Reload
15. Depth Bomb

Adaptations from materials found on paged 63 and 68 in the Ironclads and Ether Flyers, Frank Chadwick.

Ironclads and Ether Flyers-Glossary

Aerial Flyers

Aerial flyers, sometimes referred to as flyers, are aerial gunboats that are held aloft by liftwood panels.

Liftwood

Liftwood has unique anti-gravity qualities and is native to the Martian highlands.

Cables

A cable is a unit of measurement equal to 200 yards or 100 fathoms. A cables length is the basic unit of measurement used in this game. 

Ether Flyers

Ether Flyers are large interplanetary vessels that use propellers for propulsion and liftwood for atmospheric lift. 

Ironclads

Ironclads are armored sea going vessels and are the back-bone of any nations’ terrestrial naval forces. 

Naval Vessels

These are steam powered sea going vessels. 

Zeppelin
Zeppelins are used by nations that do not have the benefit of liftwood.  Zeppelins are held aloft by using large rigid lifting bags filled with hydrogen gas.

An Update on that DIY Miniature Metal Millennium Falcon Model

The model is available directly from Strapya World. They are a Japanese company. They do give some instructions on how to build the model on site, but they are in Japanese. Let us hope the model ships with English assembly instructions. There is a short video clip that explains the process on the home page that could be of some help. The current price for the model is $15 USD and not the $12 as I had last posted and you can add another $10 for postage and handling.

Steampunk Bible-Resource

The Steampunk Bible has many outstanding features, but the one feature that I appreciated the most was its mention of other authors and texts, both modern and from the past.

The Steampunk Bible includes a section that mentions the authors and their texts that predate the Steampunk movement. Many of these texts have been an inspiration to authors. I am just scratching the surface here with the mention of the following: Frank Reade, and Edward Ellis. I mentioned these authors in my summer reading list.

Frank Reade

I just made a post about receiving my Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention book in the mail the other day. As far as I can tell Frank Reade is a fictional character and protagonist in a series of Dime Store novels. I will be writing more about this character and his fabulous inventions later on.

Edward Ellis

Edward Ellis is another author of Dime Store novels. These novels were full of adventure, were primarily written for boys, and were written toward the end of the 19th and into the start of the 20th century. The Guntenberg Press has a large collection of Ellis’s novels available for download. Ellis also wrote about fabulous inventions; see his The Huge Hunter; Or, The Steam Man of the Prairies.

Both authors, the real and imaginary were prolific writers and I look forward to reading as much as I can from these authors. I also forward to recording my findings and thoughts.

My Pirates of the Spanish Main Fleet

Pescados De Plata
The "Silver Fish" is fast and agile. Her crews are all ex-merchantmen sailors and so they are expert cargo handlers.
Nation:	Spain
Points:	8
Masts:	2
Cargo Capacity:	3
Base Move:	S + S
Canon Ranges:	2 S - 2 S
Special Abilities:	Once per turn this ship may move S after unloading cargo.
Card Number:	SS-013
La Furia
Although "The Fury" was outfitted with the same cannons as the Asesino De La Nave, she does not perform as well at short range, a fact that can be attributed only to the quality of her gun crew.
Nation:	Spain
Points:	12
Masts:	2
Cargo Capacity:	3
Base Move:	L
Canon Ranges:	3 S -3 S
Special Abilities:	This ship eliminates two masts with one hit.
Card Number:	SS-0II
Muerta De La Corona
"Death to the Crown" was so named by Gaspar Zuan to appease his brothers blood lust for the throne of Spain.
Nation	Pirate
Points:	9
Masts:	3
Cargo Capacity:	3
Base Move:	S + L
Canon Ranges:	3 S - 3 L - 3 S
Special Abilities:	This ship gets + 1 to her cannon rolls against Spanish ships.
Card Number:	PS-024
HMS GallowGlass
HMS GallowGlass is manned by many ex-cons, including several of Bones Wylies crew. These men can strip valuables from sinking ships and barely get their feet wet.
Nation:	Great Britain
Points:	6
Masts:	2
Cargo Capacity:	2
Base Move:	S + S
Canon Ranges:	3 S - 3 L
Special Abilities:	When this ship sinks another ship, you may repair one of this ships masts.
Card Number:	ES-0II
HMS Birkenhead
HMS Brikenhead was part of several of Sir Myings insertions into Spanish ports. It was outfitted with spikes and guillotine lines to aid in the repelling of boarding parties.
Nation:	Great Britain
Points:	11
Masts:	3
Cargo Capacity:	4
Base Move:	L
Canon Ranges:	3 S - 3 L - 3 S
Special Abilities:	This ship gets +1 to her boarding rolls.
Card Number:	ES-012