Throwback Thursday - Conan

Over on starburstmagazine.com and barbariankeep.com, there are a couple of histories of the character of Conan the Barbarian in publication with the first being "A Brief History of Conan the Barbarian" here and the other being "Sources for Robert E. Howard's Original Conan Stories" here.

Also, on ageofconan.com, you can play the current "Age of Conan (Unchained)" game here.

Finally, on cinemablend.com, they tell us "A Conan The Barbarian Game Is Coming, Get The Details" here.

Throwback Thursday on CreativeMountainGames.com 

A look back at early tabletop hobby gaming

 or gaming-adjacent topics of the past.

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Events & Play Wednesday - Cons & Gamedays for January

Locally, one of the main events on my radar in January is First Sunday which falls on January 3rd.  It's a gameday at the Lake Geneva Games store.  They are located at 918 S Wells St, Lake Geneva, WI 53147 and their phone number is (262) 885-1515.  The event runs from Noon until 9 pm and is mostly about pickup boardgames though planning particular games privately or on Facebook is certainly encouraged.  Sign up for this event and discuss it further on Facebook here.

There will also be a Burlington Gameday scheduled for January on the third Saturday, the 16th, with details at the Burlington UCC Game Day group on Facebook here.  It will be held in Burlington, WI at the Plymouth UCC space, taking place from approximately 11 am to 5 pm.  All are welcome!  The third Sunday this month feature A Gathering of Gamers on Sunday, January 17th, set up by the South Lakes Area Gamers here.  The event takes place at the Pizza Ranch in Elkhorn, WI, and requires a $12 fee for the all you can eat pizza and fried chicken buffet (salad bar, soft-serve ice cream machine, etc.) plus unlimited soft drinks and coffee from 11 am to 8 pm.

There still time to make plans for Winter War 43, to be held January 29-31, 2016, at the Hawthorn Suites in Champaign, IL.  Winter War is one of the longest running game conventions in the country.  The flyer for Winter War can be downloaded from here.  To get an idea of the scope and type of events that will take place, you can check out last year's program here.  Current event listings are here.

Farther from my locale . . .You can also find a whole list of gaming events all around the country and beyond on Warhorn.net here.  Some of the events include (highlight and right click/search for more information on any of the below):

Jan 2, 2016 Dimgaard Online Game Day Online
Jan 2-3, 2016 FarWest MiniCon San Jose, CA
Jan 8-9, 2016 ShadowCon XX - FORGE Schedule West Memphis, AR
Jan 8-10, 2016 IllogiCon V Cary, NC
Jan 8-10, 2016 OrcaCon 2016 Everett, WA
Jan 9, 2016 BAPS Game Day Santa Clara, CA
Jan 14-17, 2016 Midwinter Gaming Convention 2016 Milwaukee, WI
Jan 15-17, 2016 King (Cobra) Con Bloomington, IN
Jan 15-17, 2016 Magic City Comic Con 2016 Miami, FL
Jan 15-17, 2016 Marscon - Project Crusaders Williamsburg, VA
Jan 15-17, 2016 Marscon - Savage Worlds Williamsburg, VA
Jan 15-17, 2016 MarsCon 2016 Williamsburg, VA
Jan 15-17, 2016 MarsCon 2016 - Dark Passages Williamsburg, VA
Jan 15-17, 2016 Ohayocon 2016 Shadowrun Events Columbus, OH
Jan 15-18, 2016 SCARAB Gaming Convention Columbia, SC
Jan 16, 2016 OSCon 5.5 Toronto, ON, CA
Jan 16-17, 2016 SnowCon 2016 Bangor, ME
Jan 16-17, 2016 Star Trek: Command Decision Bangor, ME
Jan 20, 2016 Wasatch Front Pathfinder Society Wasatch Front, UT
Jan 22-24, 2016 VerminCon 2016 Vermillion, SD
Jan 23-25, 2016 PFS@Cancon16 Canberra, ACT, AU
Jan 27-31, 2016 Conception 2016 Christchurch, DOR, GB
Jan 29-31, 2016 GHD Game Retreat Hudson, OH
Jan 29-31, 2016 Secret Mission Con Atlanta, GA
Jan 31, 2016 MEGAGAME: Watch the Rising Sun Sarasota, FL

Some of this information (and more can be had) is from the excellent lists on upcomingcons.com/gaming-conventions, GameConventionCentral.com, HMGS (the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society), and  as well as many, many gamers on Facebook and Google Plus, to whom I am grateful for the help in this compilation.  Thanks so much and have a great game!

Events & Play Wednesday on CreativeMountainGames.com 

News of Conventions and Gamedays as well as pictures

from those I have attended and games I have played.

Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!

Tech Tuesday - Nanopores, Hydricity, & Clean Energy

Three from Science Alert this week with the first being "Scientists develop ‘nanopores’ that inexpensively filter the salt out of seawater" here.

Also, "Scientists are trialling 'hydricity' - a new power source that combines solar energy and hydrogen."  Find out more here.

Finally, "Bill Gates has teamed up with Mark Zuckerberg to form multi-billion-dollar clean energy fund."  Learn more here.

Tech Tuesday on CreativeMountainGames.com 

News focused on Technology
as it might interest gamers.

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Media News Monday - X-Men, Star Trek, & Independence Day

Over on the 20th Century Fox YouTube channel, there is a trailer to share from earlier this month for "X-MEN: APOCALYPSE."  Enjoy!

Also, on the Paramount Pictures YouTube channel, have a look at the trailer for "Star Trek Beyond."  Looking good to me!

Finally, again on the 20th Century Fox YouTube channel, there was also a trailer for the film "Independence Day: Resurgence."  Could be good!

Media News Monday on CreativeMountainGames.com 

News for Movies, Television, and more
of gamer-relevant Media.

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Sunday Funnies - Star Wars Bad Lip Reading

Three from the Bad Lip Reading YouTube channel, one video each giving the Bad Lip Reading treatment to each of the original three films.  Enjoy!

Sunday Funnies on CreativeMountainGames.com

Humor, often gaming-related,
to start the week with a chuckle.

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Saturday Crowdfunding Roundup - Halfmen Army, Calidar, & Cyvase

Three from Kickstarter this week with the first being "The Halfmen Army - pugnacious Halflings in 28mm" by Westfalia Publishing here.

Also, have a look at "Calidar 'Beyond the Skies'" by Bruce Heard here.

Finally, check out "Cyvase: Battle Strategy Card Game (Game of Thrones / ASOIAF)" by Wyatt's Torch here.

Saturday Crowdfunding Roundup on CreativeMountainGames.com 

Keeping an eye on those Kickstarter & IndieGoGo
projects plus other crowdfunding efforts.

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The Friday Grab Bag - Geeky Christmas Humor

Let's have a little chuckle for Geekmas this year starting off with an article on techly.com.au where they tell us, "Nothing says Christmas like Spock dying of radiation poisoning in a tree ornament."  Find out more here.

Also, there's a report from dailymail.co.uk about some fake Star Wars toys we all hope we don't find under our trees.  Learn more here.

Finally, on the Funny Or Die YouTube channel, the slightly sick and definitely disturbing tale of "Frosty The Regular Adult Man."  Watch it here.

The Friday Grab Bag on CreativeMountainGames.com 

Essentially, a clearinghouse for topics not covered
elsewhere or needing a particular focus.

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Throwback Thursday - Wayback Sale

As we roll into a new year with the CMG Wayback Sale, I look back on the decade and a half since I began Creative Mountain Games.  It's always been a sideline, and so it will remain, but I have been itching to be more productive as a game designer and publisher.  Since moving up to Lake Geneva almost three years ago, I've come to love the location and have been designing and writing a whole lot more, though little has yet to see publication.  Much in the works but not enough out to market.  I plan to get more out soon but the new location has not been without its successes.  One thing I am particularly proud of is "Fighting Fire - Ernie Gygax Benefit Adventure" which is half off for the sale here.

Also, since coming to Lake Geneva and with a bit of love for the Old School gaming that I grew up knowing, I produced "30 Things Can Happen" which I have marked down to just a dollar for this special anniversary sale.  Though designed with the d30 in mind, each table is divided into three sub-tables for a d10, so choose a sub-table and roll the d30's cousin or roll a d6 with the d10 to keep it random.  You get the idea and it's only one dollar here.

Finally, to harken back to when I published my biggest game changer, the "SRD 3.5 Revised (Full) Bundle" has been rolled back 75% off to it's original price before all of the expansions and add-ons were compiled into it.  3,500 pages in 16 PDFs with great navigational tables , hyperlinks, and bookmarks that allow you to go anywhere within the PDF in just a few clicks.  Check it out here.

Throwback Thursday on CreativeMountainGames.com 

A look back at early tabletop hobby gaming

 or gaming-adjacent topics of the past.

Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!

Events & Play Wednesday - Lake Geneva Gaming, November to December

Lots of gaming in and around Lake Geneva and Southern Wisconsin.  Here are some pictures taken at the various events, many of them at Lake Geneva Games (Facebook page here)!  Check out more pictures on my Facebook album here and a Google Photos album here.

Events & Play Wednesday on CreativeMountainGames.com 

News of Conventions and Gamedays as well as pictures

from those I have attended and games I have played.

Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!

Tech Tuesday - Hoverboards, Teleportation, & Floating Cities

Three from Science Alert this week with the first telling us "Here's why 'hoverboards' are so dangerous."  Find out here.

Also, "Scientists have figured out what we need to achieve secure quantum teleportation." Learn more here.

Finally, "This sustainable floating city can house 7,000 people and produce zero waste."  Check it out here.

Tech Tuesday on CreativeMountainGames.com 

News focused on Technology
as it might interest gamers.

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Media News Monday - Fantasy, Sci-Fi, & SYFY

Over on forbes.com, they tell us "Syfy's Gritty New Fantasy 'The Magicians' Is Magical And Terrifying" here.

Also, on npr.org, they let us know "In A Solar System Really Close By, 'The Expanse' Comes To TV" here.

Finally, on inverse.com and the Syfy Films YouTube channel, the former informs us that "Syfy is Releasing a Film, De-Rebranding, and Becoming Super Interesting" here while the latter shares a video of "400 Days - Official Trailer - In Theaters & On Demand January 12th 2016."  Enjoy!

Media News Monday on CreativeMountainGames.com 

News for Movies, Television, and more
of gamer-relevant Media.

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Sunday Funnies - Star Wars Funnies

Over on the Saturday Night Live YouTube channel, they uploaded their recent "Star Wars Toy Commercial."  Enjoy.

Also, on the The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon YouTube channel, a recent show had "Jimmy Fallon, The Roots & "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Cast Sing[ing] "Star Wars" Medley (A Cappella)."  Well done.

Finally, on the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert YouTube channel, we found out that "Harrison Ford Almost Wasn't In 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens.'"  A revelation!

Sunday Funnies on CreativeMountainGames.com

Humor, often gaming-related,
to start the week with a chuckle.

Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!

Saturday Crowdfunding Roundup - Metamorphosis Alpha, Faerie Ring, & Winterdale

Three from Kickstarter this week with the first being "Metamorphosis Alpha™ 28mm Miniatures" by John Popson here.

Also, have a look at "The Faerie Ring for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and 5E" by Scott Gable here.

Finally, check out "Winterdale: Medieval Fantasy Citadel Collection for 28mm" by Printable Scenery here.

Saturday Crowdfunding Roundup on CreativeMountainGames.com 

Keeping an eye on those Kickstarter & IndieGoGo
projects plus other crowdfunding efforts.

Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!

The Friday Grab Bag - CMG Anniversary Sale

I'm very pleased to say that Creative Mountain Games is going into its

15th year and I'd like to thank everyone who has made that possible.

By way of thanks, all CMG offerings are on sale at

RPGNow here and DTRPG here at $1 and $5.

Also, all fixed price items in the CMG eBay store

are on sale for 15% off here.

Thanks, again, to everyone for making this all possible!

The Friday Grab Bag on CreativeMountainGames.com 

Essentially, a clearinghouse for topics not covered

elsewhere or needing a particular focus.

Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!

Throwback Thursday - Dungeon Dwellers, People on Gygax, & Game Tables

Over on goingfaster.com, they have a retrospective on "Heritage USA’s “Paint ‘N’ Play” Sets" here.

Also, from Facebook and originally from People Magazine in 1980, here's a page from an article on Gary Gygax and the early success of Dungeons & Dragons.

Finally, also floating around social media, and originally in Table Top Talk magazine from May 1964, here's a clever article on "Where to Hide a War Game Table."

Throwback Thursday on CreativeMountainGames.com 

A look back at early tabletop hobby gaming

 or gaming-adjacent topics of the past.

Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!

Events & Play Wednesday - Winter War Mourns Donald McKinney

As the staff gears up for Winter War 43, to be held January 29-31, 2016, at the Hawthorn Suites in Champaign, IL, they mourn the loss of 22-year chair Donald McKinney.  He passed away on Friday, December 11th, 2015 at 1:50 pm at Carle Foundation Hospital with his wife, son, family and friends by his side.  His obituary can be read in full here on Winter War's Yahoo Group.  Winter War is one of the longest running game conventions in the country.

The flyer for Winter War can be downloaded from here.  To get an idea of the scope and type of events that will take place, you can check out last year's program here.  Current event listings are here.

Finally, on The Daily Illini YouTube channel from a couple years back, there is a video highlighting the convention and featuring some interview footage with Donald McKinney.  He will be missed.

Events & Play Wednesday on CreativeMountainGames.com 

News of Conventions and Gamedays as well as pictures

from those I have attended and games I have played.

Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!

Tech Tuesday - Star Wars, Star Trek, & Firefly Gifts

Over on thinkgeek.com, check out the "Star Wars Planetary Glassware Set" here.

Also, on shop.startrek.com, they have a "Star Trek Enterprise Cutting Board Set" here.

Finally, on miniaturemarket.com, they have a decent price on "Yahtzee: Firefly (Serenity)" here.

Tech Tuesday on CreativeMountainGames.com 

News focused on Technology
as it might interest gamers.

Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!