Brr! I type these words with fingers numb as frozen f-f-f-fish sticks, and pointy fangs all a-chattering. Global warming may be causing trouble on the Prime Material Plane, but here in the Shadow Realm I’d give my Necronomicon for a globe of warming. Outside my window I see a family of yetis doing jumping jacks to stay warm. Abominable! I tried building a fire, but the morning air was so cold, the flames froze in mid-crackle. So here I sit, snug in my sarcophagus, waiting for my friend the flameskull to return my email. No luck just yet. Was it something I said?

Zombie Dan here, holding down the D&D Minis fort for Gamescape North until the cavalry comes. November 3 was a big day for gamers. Gamescape North was packed to the gills for Worldwide D&D Day, and the little tribe we’ve built up for D&D Minis showed up in force. We powered through two radically different games that day, and both inspired sidesplitting laughter and the attention of random passerby. Our little Tavern Riot was an intimate 50-point melee. Dwarves, goblins and trolls duked it out in the barroom, but the forest troll’s combination of poison and regeneration won the day. I hear he’s redecorated the place now, but forgive me if I choose to spend my silver pieces elsewhere…

The 500-point epic showdown took on a pro-wrestling theme, as the white dragon Icingdeath wrassled the Gargantuan Black Dragon. With the help of a few unsportsmanlike moves from the other four teams outside the ring, both dragons perished spectacularly on the last round, taking two mountain trolls and several other creatures with them. You think it’s over? Huh?!? Well, little hulksters, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

The rematch will have to wait, however: There’s work to do on the ranch. Saturday, December 8, we’re taking advantage of a new creature type that Wizards of the Coast released with the recent Desert of Desolation set: the mount. With frost on the ground and rustlers hiding behind every cactus, it’s time to bring the herd in from the range. That’s right, this game is dedicated to the cowfolks out there. And I don’t mean minotaurs. They’re touchy about that subject. Anyhow, put on your spurs and mosey down to Gamescape North for December’s D&D Minis shootout, where warriors will do just about anything For a Few Goblins More!:

The wagon train was late again. Not that it surprised anyone. The valley had been under siege by bandits since last Spring, when the little mining town of Mithril Gulch had struck a new vein of ore. The kobold miners complained about hazardous working conditions in the mines and increasingly bold attacks from hideous tentacled horrors in the darkness of the tunnels. But as long as the duergar slavers kept the mithril flowing Von Zarovich Industries paid the kobolds little heed. They were paid in little strips of leather that could be traded for Strahd’s Kobold Kibbles at the company store. What more did they want?

But for the rest of the town, the wagon train was a lifeline. Ale, timber, beans, and bacon were all that kept Mithril Gulch from being a ghost town. With ghasts and werewolves attacking from the hills every night, just living until dawn was considered a victory. If only a lawman would come into town and organize a posse!

Then, one day, a stranger moseyed into town. His spurs jangled as he walked, and he wore a mithril star on his chest. He destroyed a horde zombie just by squinting, and ate three hamburgers in the saloon without chewing once. Truly, this was a tough hombre. The townsfolk came out on the main street to get a better look. Could this stranger save the town from ruin?

“Folks,” he said with a voice like gravel. “I’ll make y’all a deal.” The townies listened cautiously.

“Me and the boys lost the herd this last night,” he said, gesturing to a group of hard-looking gnomes standing behind him. “A werewolf howl spooked ’em, and they done run off. If you’d help me round ’em up again, I’d be much obliged. Maybe I’ll even stick around a spell. It looks like y’all could use a sheriff.”

The townsfolk were silent for one stunned moment. Then the cheering began. The local healer threw his hat in the air, and everyone followed suit. Halflings were hugging hobgoblins, the dwarves danced with elves, and the ground was covered with filthy hats. Little did they know their troubles had only begun…

Come on down to Gamescape North on Saturday, December 8, for a cowboy free-for-all! 200-point warbands will be the name of the game. We’ll have special prizes for the winners and extra cool points go to warbands with interesting themes. For this game we’ll have a couple of special rules:

*The object of the game will be to wrangle mounts into your team’s victory area. Creatures may be mounted if the mount is immobilized (entangled, frozen, paralyzed, etc.), flanked, or successfully lassoed.

*Each team will start with a lasso, which will allow the wielder to take control of a neutral mount with a successful range 3 attack. Picking up the lasso replaces attacks. A lassoed mount is under the control of the lasso wielder, and activates simultaneously with that creature unless it has a rider. While lassoed, a riderless mount must end its movement within 3 spaces of the lasso holder. A rider may lasso another mount from its own mount.

A successful lasso attack against a non-mount creature causes that creature to be entangled (DC 13 negates).

Play begins at 1pm. Come early to sign up, trade figurines, and pick up a box of the Desert of Desolation set from the mysterious cloaked figures behind the counter!

—
Braiiiins,
-Dan