Where we take the initiative on re-thinking Initiative.
Due to some scheduling conflicts and illness the group is stuck in a bit of a month long hiatus between sessions, which sadly means that this week there is no new Adventure Blog for the Big Fish Campaign.
Instead we are going to talk with our DM Jon about Initiative. I’m in black, Jon’s in blue.
The Way It Normally Is
Initiative is one of the most jarring mechanics of almost any roleplaying game. In most of the game, players are either speaking in character, or narrating what they’re character is doing. “I search for traps”, “Hail and well met!”, “I cast Zone of Truth!”, and so on. Most rules are designed to provide mechanics for narration.
This changes when you enter combat. There’s an extra out of game mechanic that kicks in to determine the combat order. Everything stops and the DM asks everyone to roll for their Initiative. ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Bought it because I seriously loved their Elfe Brune brown ale, as reviewed by Robyn here. The whole staff for real fell in love with it. So I figured I’d give their other brews a shot. Bonus; There’s a bunch of naked elves on the label.
It’s a milky yellow type of colour, kinda like fresh squeezed lemon juice. A bit foamy if you’re not careful pouring (like my idiot self) but it fades away, leaving behind a little fluffy blanket.
It smells very nice. Like, super fresh and light and slightly sweet. The label says it has a tiny bit of orange in there, that might be what I’m smelling.
Oooh this is nice. Ah, yep, definitely taste the orange! That’s tasty. It’s also slightly bitter, as if you accidentally licked your fingers after peeling an orange and you forgot to wash your hands? Like that. But only a little. I wish I’d let this cool in the refrigerator a bit longer though, I feel this would be killer super cold.
Very nice, light and smooth. I’m digging the orange thing. 2 thumbs up! Probs go very well with a hearty salad.
It’s sitting at a low 5%, so no guilt in having a couple of these after work. And reasonably priced 🙂
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All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)
Bought it because it’s about time I tried an IPA and seriously tasted it. We just got this brewery in store last week, and the labels are just so gorgeous, and the beer descriptions sounded really interesting.
So yeah. It’s happening. I’m reviewing an IPA.
So as you can see, this is a gorgeous clear amber colour. I can see very little sediment floating about in there, as I’ve only just poured it out. So weird. It has a dense golden foam which dissipates fairly quickly, leaving very little behind.
It smells just lovely and refreshing. But… also hoppy. Beware. And citrus. I smells lots of citrus. Oh label says it has grapefruit in it! There ya go. Oh and resin. Oooook.
Oh good lord.
Umm. Ok. Yep, definitely an IPA. The hops are there, but they aren’t overwhelming. This is actually quite nice. Omg look at me drinking an IPA. I freaking love this. It’s just like grapefruit for breakfast! It’s got that strong, bitter taste but it`s also super satisfying.
Hahaha my boyfriend just tried it and he loves it. We finally agree on a beer!
Ok so this is definitely yummy, and now one of my favourites. I have no idea how I will feel about other IPAs after this, but my foot is in the door now. I’m very curious to try this brewery’s other beers now.
Not too strong, but respectable at 6.4%.
If you`re new to IPAs, I definitely recommend this. Trust me, I’m a hard sell.
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All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)
Where our heroes resolve, to the best of their ability: “The Time that L’Eau Dur Messed Up Real Bad”.
If this is your first time checking out our little D&D Adventure Blog, you might want to check out this post that explains the setup and format of the game. As always, I’m in black and Jon (the Dungeon Master) is in blue. Our last adventure was “The Time that L’Eau Dur Messed Up Real Bad: Part 1”. You can check out all “Big Fish” content on this nifty landing page.
I’m going to try to keep this light and breezy, still working out the kinks of the format to ensure maximum meaty gaming enjoyment for the reader. Story highlights, DM choices and laughs to the front. Point by point recaps can stand outside in the cold waiting for their friends.
And Now, A Recap
The climax of our last sessions had our heroes sailing back from a coastal island towards Baldur’s Gate, having just unwittingly summoned a Gelugon. Said Gelugon is now screaming about wanting to eat L’Eau Dur’s bones and slowly transforming the water between it and us into ice so that it can walk across. The moon is an electric blue and everyone on shore is in a state of panic.↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Bought it because I`ve been eyeing it for a while, up there on the top shelf. Little minx was flirting with me, I can tell. Plus the label has a tiny cute little skull on it. Sold.
It`s got a nice dusky apricot color, I expected it to be darker, or brownish. It had just a bit of foam when I poured it out, as pictured above, and it has now pretty much dissipated into nothing.
It smells really nice, subtle and a little sweet. I barely smell the smoke, but it is there in the background.
Oh that’s a departure from all the other Barley Wines I’ve tried. The first thing that hits you isn’t the strong sweetness most slap you across the face with. It’s got a salty bitterness to it. Aaaahhh the label says “herring smoked malt” so… there ya go. It’s not fishy though.
Also mentions notes of maple, but I don’t taste it. I guess my taste buds aren’t refined enough 🙂
It does have some lingering bitterness, which to me counterbalances the sweetness. It’s nice.
I like it! Not sure I’d drink a ton of it, but one or two after a work day sounds good to me.
It’s crazy strong, 11%. I’m almost grateful it’s only 341ml.
Price tag, as expected for such a high percentage, is a bit high. This brewery is generally higher priced now that I think of it. I may review their Scotch Ale sometime soon, as they boast it is one of the best ranked in the world.
And I love me some Scotch Ale.
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All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)
The reason I bought this was a bit different than the usual blurb I put here… Something like 2 or 3 years ago I went to a craft beer shop near a friend’s house, the name escapes me now. I knew nothing about beers back then (still don’t really) so I asked the staff dude to help me pick one out. I said I liked strong, kinda sweet, and I remembered liking browns. He pointed me to this, and thus it became the Best Beer I`d Ever Tasted.
Now that I make a living recommending craft beers to clients who walk in to the shop I work at, I`ve been looking forward to trying it again, to see if it holds up to my quickly expanding taste. And now, finally, it is in season.
Ok so… I’m actually nervous and really hope I still like this beer hahaha! I’ll just proceed as if this was a regular review. Which, I mean, it is.
Right. So it is of a rich and dark amber colour, fairly cloudy. There was very little foam when I poured it out, but it looks rich and creamy. It`s faded to a thick beige pillow sitting atop this treasure.
It smells very nice. Sweet isn’t the first thing I’d say to describe the scent though, maybe more bitter? I remember the guy at the store said it had notes of cranberries or something. Ah ok, the label says “spicy red fruit and notes of caramel”.
And the moment of truth…
Ok yes. I still love this beer.
There is a spiced bitterness to it I find I really appreciate, blended with the malty, caramel flavours. It is rich as all hell. Like, I wanna have some strong cheddar of sorts to bring out it’s flavours or something. And to feel fancier. The first sip is bold and intense, but it really smoothes out after a few more. It’s definitely got some sweetness there, so I don’t know how many of these in a row I could handle. (EDIT: 3. Turns out I can have 3 in a row)
Not to mention it’s a smashing 10.5% alcohol content. That’s definitely up there, drink responsibly and all that. And it’s crazy low price for what it is, if you ask me.
I recommend this if you`re looking for a rich and bold flavour, with a complex blend you can enjoy deciphering as you sip.
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All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)
Where the heroes of the Big Fish adventure find themselves running around Baldur’s Gate looking for magical children’s toys.
If this is your first time checking out our little D&D Adventure Blog, you might want to check out this post that explains the setup and format of the game. As always, I’m in black and Jon (our DM) is in blue. Our last adventure was “The Treasure Map“. You can check out all “Big Fish” content on this nifty landing page.
The last time we had a little session in the tavern as our future selves, a mysterious voice came out of the shadows and informed us that the next adventure would not be one of the good times.
It would be the story of the time that L’Eau Dur (our Genasi Warlock) “messed up really badly”.
This review is brought to you by my good friend and colleague Robyn!!!
Much like Sophie, I’m drawn to pretty label art, and this one had an elf on it, so it caught my eye. It was also stamped at having been bottled on my birthday, which I thought was auspicious.
The beer is a nutty brown, very light on foam of any sort. It has a sweet, almost banana-like smell to it, which makes sense, since it says right on the label that it is supposed to taste like chocolate and banana (SPOILERS!).
I was bracing myself for a strong or bold flavour, but the Elfe is gentle, a very soft beer compared to a lot of what I have been drinking lately. There is a strong hazelnut flavour, and notes of banana and chocolate, though faint (and mostly as an after-taste) without being cloying or overly sweet.
It reminded me of really good home-brewed beer, honestly. I mostly like white and wheat beers, and wasn’t sure what to expect out of a brown. This was nice, gentle, and very drinkable. I would definitely get more of the Elfe.
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All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)
Where the adventuring party follows a magic treasure map at the behest of young Jim Clocks, a pirate.
If this is your first time checking out our little D&D Adventure Blog, you might want to check out this post that explains the setup and format of the game. As always, I’m in black and Jon’s in blue. Our last adventure was “The Fancy Party“. You can check out all “Big Fish” content on this nifty landing page.
At the end of the terrible trouble a few adventures back, my character pocketed a magical treasure map. It would be the focus for the adventure that Jon was catering to my character. This session would be the first time for my character in the “starring” role and I thought that going with something treasure map related would be sticking to the piratey roots of the concept.↓ Read the rest of this entry…
This Giant Papier Mache Boulder is Actually Really Heavy asks the question:
What ever happened to the good old days of sci-fi — when spaceships were real models, monsters were made of latex, and laser guns were just curling irons painted silver?
And the answer is a fun romp through science-fiction, camp and b-movie films.
Or is it?
Here’s the synopsis from their site:
For three ordinary guys Tom, Jeffrey and Gavin, this just became a reality. One minute they were watching an old b-grade movie, the next they’ve been thrust inside the movie itself and at the helm of a rickety old spaceship. Panic ridden they stumble into a space battle. and make a mortal enemy of the evil Lord Froth while unwittingly saving the space princess Lady Emmanor. Then suddenly Jeffrey starts to change into a sci-fi character called Kasimir. They must adapt quickly if they are to survive long enough to find a way home. For all they know they could be next. If that happens they will be lost in this world forever. They embark on a quest to find a cure for Jeffrey and a way back home. This is an action-packed comedy adventure of giant lizards, space battles, robots, aliens, warlords and amazons that has to be seen to be believed.
All of this is true. This Giant Papier Mache Boulder is Actually Really Heavy delivers on its promise of a tongue-in-cheek look back at the drive-in campy classics and, on the surface, pokes fun at the tropes and delivers a resolution that fits in with the plot. The acting is not terrible, as the cast is asked to swing from the real-world to the over the top genre-speak of bad-sci-fi.
That being said, This Giant Papier Mache Boulder is Actually Really Heavy is a deeply flawed movie. I don’t mean the production values, as many of the sets, props and costumes are bad “on purpose”. (Though I would have cheered if someone from hair and makeup would have brushed Christian Nicolson’s hair out of his face.) The writing is flawed.
Spoilers ahead, as some plot points will need a deeper examination to explain my disdain for them.
Every woman in the film appears as a sexual conquest to be won or a reward for the male heroes’ development. Every single one.
It would have been one thing is this only happened inside the Oz-like world of Space Warriors in Space, the b-movie they’re sucked into. But this also happens to the women in the “real world”. They’re leered at on the convention floor. Both Gavin and Tom make comments about the cosplayers dressed as Amazons. Getting with Emma is the main plot for Tom, even if he is distracted by the actual Amazons who capture him and threaten him with either torture or pleasure.
It was gross and turned me on the protagonists, who act in this way without any ramifications or development, and the women in the film achieve nothing more than gifting themselves to the men once the guys achieve a certain level of confidence. Tom wins Emma! Yay.
There are also a series of gay jokes peppered through the movie. From an awkward fall where one guy lands on another guys’ back (lolz i guess?) to the entire character of Bruce, played by Jarred Tito, is a dated, inappropriate prancing fop whose over-exaggerated gay stereotypes are played for laughs and the result is cringy-er than it sounds.
As well, and this is admittedly a smaller deal, but for some reason this movie sees fit to mock sci-fi and genre fans at every chance it gets. Everyone at the convention is a poorly costumed mega-nerd lacking in any social skills. Jeffrey is treated as pitiable because of his fandom, and Gavin is deeply ashamed of his. Tom points out that he doesn’t care for sci-fi several times, and it is this character trait that of course makes him the hero of the piece, as on fans are affected by the mind-altering powers of the world they’re in.
Who is this movie for? People who want to win women, think gay guys are funny, and laugh at nerds?
I was into this movie when I was watching it, but once everything was over and the credits were rolling, I was left feeling like I’d eaten too much Burger King. Sure, it was okay going down, but now it’s just sitting there like lead.
Where we take the initiative on re-thinking Initiative.
Where our heroes resolve, to the best of their ability: “The Time that L’Eau Dur Messed Up Real Bad”.
Where the heroes of the Big Fish adventure find themselves running around Baldur’s Gate looking for magical children’s toys.
Where the adventuring party follows a magic treasure map at the behest of young Jim Clocks, a pirate.
