Saber-class starship

STA: Theatre of the Mind

Star Trek: Thine Own Self S1 E08 Theatre of the Mind *** Stardate: 57669.9 – Tue Sep 02 2380 0435 UTC Starfleet Dramatis Personae Lt. Kodar Tamat, Cardassian engineering officer and mission commander Lt. Cmdr. Jora Mungar, Trill conn officer Lt. Leahman Barclay, Human conn officer (Semi-temporary NPC) Lt. J.G. Simon Cañete, Human security officer (Temporary NPC) Lt. Miral, Denobulan science officer (Temporary NPC) Non-Player Characters Ensign Sparik, Vulcan conn officer – shuttle pilot Lt. Shathir Yunus, Andorian bridge conn officer – A shift Ensign Khalid Coufax,  Human bridge operations officer – A shift Lt. Annete Metaxis, Human bridge conn officer – B shift Lt. Aaditri Fuentes, Human bridge operations officer – B shift Ensign Chirapa Ortega, Human engineering officer – warp theory specialist Lt. Gavin Nakano, Human engineering officer – EPS specialist En. Serafina Dell, Human engineering officer – impulse engine specialist En. Humairah Sufian, Human engineering officer – […]

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Borg?

STA: Plato’s Cave, Part 2

Star Trek: Thine Own Self S1 E07 Plato’s Cave, Part 2 *** Stardate: 57669.8 – Sep 02 2380 0338 UTC Starfleet Dramatis Personae Lt. Kodar Tamat, Cardassian engineering officer and mission commander Lt. Leahman Barclay, Human conn officer Lt. J.G. Simon Cañete, Human security officer (Temporary NPC) Lt. Cmdr. Jora Mungar, Trill conn officer (Temporary NPC) Ensign Sparik, Vulcan conn officer (NPC) Last time on Star Trek Adventures: Thine Own Self… While looking for the missing New Orleans-class USS Nairobi in the Melpomene Sector near the Typhon Expanse, the Saber-class USS Sienkiewicz (NCC-88034) dispatched an away team on the Danube-class runabout USS Moonstar. During their away mission on Delta Melpomene V, they encountered time crystals. They showed them a possible future where the Sienkiewicz was in flames, the captain appeared dead and an old Einstein-class starship was attacking them. Soon they rescued Lt. Cmdr. Mungar whose repair crew & runabout USS Segura […]

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Cover of Dune RPG

Dune Adventures in the Imperium RPG

Mushtamal of Classic Science Fiction What nonsense is this? Both the science fiction books I read during my formative years during my teens are both being released as talkies this year? First of all, there’s Apple TV’s Foundation series – based on Isaac Asimov’s classic novels – which I might review after the end of the first season. Then, Denis Villeneuve’s film Dune Part One, adapted from the first half of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel Dune. Additionally, Modiphius also published a brand new Dune: Adventures in the Imperium role-playing game (RPG) which I bought using some extra teaching earnings. Ming Fang would have a field day. Arrakis. Dune. Desert planet. Dune is a tabletop RPG where gamemasters (GM) and players roleplay within the universe Herbert made, creating their own epic saga as they play. Players could opt from a list of 20 Archetypes such as Analyst, Courtier, Duellist, Envoy, […]

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Doom Agents: A Beautiful Summer's Day

Doom Agents: A Beautiful Summer’s Day

There was an official event at work today where I ran a tabletop RPG session for some colleagues online. It was an opportunity to show them how could RPGs work in the field of education. I thought for some time about the campaign and setting to play, then decided on the setting I keep running for my students, Doom Agents. Also, instead of Mini Six or Freeform Universal, I opted for Year Zero Mini as the gaming system to use. Last time on Doom Agents, there were two recorded instances of a rescue mission in the Endau-Rompin rainforest where a team recovered one of two missing nuclear warheads. Another team in on the trail of the second warhead… Dramatis Personae In alphabetical order Alice Abdullah, Malaysian spy – Farah Anastasia, Russian medic – Arina Jason, American sniper – Hafiz Jessica Yoo, Korean driver – Najihah Koko, Thai soldier – Hafifa […]

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Love and Heroics in Space - bw artwork

Art: Love and Heroics in Space

Believe it or not, this is the first artwork I posted for 2021. I had been rejecting whatever meagre commission requests for a better part of the year. Because I am constantly swamped with work. Thankfully I love the job and my students are awesome, so the work is not unmanageable. The above artwork is a concept piece for Christopher Mennell’s Love and Heroics in Space game which is still under development. I used Krita to pencil and ink it, then GIMP to give it some effects. Sometimes I miss doing freelance artwork full time, even if I was not raking in the cash as I do now (Ha!). I think my mental health has taken a lot of beating this past 9 months. So  I need to do more drawings, read more books, sleep earlier to recover. I really wish this was caused only by the pandemic.

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Doom Agents The Endau Rompin Rescue Instance B

Doom Agents: The Endau Rompin Rescue (Instance B)

It’s the final week of the semester and I was able to run a game session each for two different classes. This was the second of the two. Click here for the first class. Freeform Universal: Doom Agents (PPIPT5) It is two years after the Brazilian mission. 10th June 2019: Another Doom Agent team is sent to the Endau-Rompin National Park for ANOTHER rescue mission.  This time it is the kidnapped daughter of a diplomat. The team of five arrived in Malaysia and set out for their mission immediately. Dramatis Personae In alphabetical order (played by student group names in quotation marks): Captain Kelvin, Soldier – “5Avengers” Dr. Bob, Medic – “Rulebreakers” Jeffrey, Sharpshooter – “Team Alpha” Jet, Thief – “North Team” Sancorn, Enforcer – “Amigos” The Mission Begins It is raining heavily in the thick jungle. Sancorn drives the team in a Toyota Hilux towards the GPS coordinates where […]

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Doom Agents The Endau Rompin Rescue Instance A

Doom Agents: The Endau Rompin Rescue (Instance A)

It’s the final week of the semester and I was able to run a game session each for two different classes. This was the first of the two. Click here for the second class. Freeform Universal: Doom Agents (IKOM3) What happened to the last Doom Agents team that left on the Brazilian mission. What happened to them, we might never know. However on 10th June 2019, another team was sent to the Endau-Rompin National Park to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a diplomat. The team of seven arrived in Malaysia and set out for their mission immediately. Dramatis Personae In alphabetical order (played byStudent group names in quotation marks): Bevis, Enforcer – “No Boundaries” Black Widow, Medic – “Titans” Captain Price, Soldier – “Team UVW201” Heister, Thief – “Cool Dudes” Jerung, Sharpshooter – “One Hit Wonder” Magnificent, Driver – “Queen Bees” Roye, Technician – “Magellanic Cloud” Watch the video belowto […]

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Guardians of Magic

Year Zero Engine: Guardians of Magic

I was not able to do it last year, but I thought I would run a tabletop RPG for my Theatre Arts students this year. Last Saturday, I invited them all to Discord and I gave them a briefing on how to play the game. For this online session I chose Free League’s Year Zero Engine as my system of choice. This is because I can scale it down enough for them to practice their role-playing. Here is a video recording of the session. It took almost 1.5 hours of actual play time, but I edited out the long pauses, duplicate instructions and action declarations, as well as all my ummmms and uhhhhhs. I edited it down to just under 40 minutes of video. Episode 1 IT’S A DOG EAT DOG WORLD Dramatis Personae Willy Wesley from London Zane from Asgardia Constantine from Moscow Sebastian from Austria Alice from Dubai […]

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HT-2200 deck plans

SWD6: Voyage of the Fickle Clemency

Episode 03 Voyage of the Fickle Clemency Dramatis Personae Gev Dyson – Bounty hunter (Edward) Ordan Vallas – Minor Jedi (Eduardo) Zor Draco – Former TIE fighter pilot (Martín) Pac Vesme – Former Alliance SpecForce Urban Combat Specialist (Mario) R4-3T – Astromech droid (NPC) The new team of Rangers are settling down on the mountain base on Vandor. However, Captain Goddard & his YT-2000 ship Rough Profits are away on another mission. Their Ops Officer is the New Republic intelligence Major Tailgunner, who calls Zor Draco, Gev Dyson and Ordan Vallas to the Rangers’ conference room to introduce them to a new member of the team. He greets them all, “Hi everyone. My name is Pac, Pac Vesme. I was a SpecForce urban combat specialist. If the action is in the streets, I’m your dude.” Tailgunner says, “Pac here has signed up to help us clean up the Outer Rim. […]

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The Alien RPG cover

Alien: The Roleplaying Game

“That’s not even funny, don’t joke about stress dice! “ Will “BilliamBabble” Meddis I admire its purity I have been a fan of the Alien cinematic universe ever since I read the movie novelisation when I was 13. A couple of months later, they showed the movie on television. I remember we as a family slept in the living room (like a sleepover) and I was the only one who stayed way after midnight for the film to end. Then next year, I saw Aliens in a cinema in Ipoh. That cemented my love for the stories that can be told in the setting, as well as the grimy, dirty aesthetic of the future. The Alien RPG was released 2 years ago. I had been trying to save enough money to purchase it for over a year. When I had some extra cash, it was out of stock at the […]

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The Expanse RPG: Escape From Ganymede

Scheherezade Tales continues with Kazuo Khan played by Irfan incarcerated overnight in a Star Helix jail in the twin-domed colony of Uruk Junction on Jupiter’s moon Ganymede after acquiring information on his missing sister Jirou Khan and tangling with an assailant in a full-body, black combat gear. Meanwhile, the crew of the Keris Gangsa, Captain Furaha Ding, pilot Batbayar Gray and engineer Zoë Mufolosi are worried that Kazuo has not checked in for hours. They would need to take off for their return trip to 643 Scheherezade soon… Here’s a short synopsis of the actual play video of our The Expanse RPG session last night. As per the previous entry, the video itself is embedded at the end of this page! The Expanse RPG 06 Escape From Ganymede Rebel Breakout An unexpected ally, a young 29-year-old Star Helix detective named Kessler, helps break Kazuo out of jail because the Mao-Kwikowski threat. […]

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SWRPG books

SWD6: The Nerve of These Imperials

Episode 2 The Nerve of These Imperials Dramatis Personae Gev Dyson – Bounty hunter (Eddie) Kin Asa Goddard – Smuggler (Brian) Ordan Vallas – Minor Jedi (Edu) Zor Draco – Former TIE fighter pilot (Martín) R4-3T – Astromech droid (NPC) K3LP – KX security droid (NPC) Previously on Dawn of the Rangers… A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… TRAIN HEIST GONE WRONG! The crew of the Rough Profits embarks on a mission to retrieve the Tiss’Shar Dr. VER-THO-REE from the clutches of the evil GALACTIC EMPIRE, on Elshandruu Pica. The doctor would be able to formulate a reagent that would neutralise the nerve agent bombs on the planet VANDOR. Over the ocean, GEV, GODDARD, ORDAN and ZOR face off with Imperial stormtroopers in the luxury car of a Unirail guarding the good doctor. As the droid K3LP flies the ship, pacing the train, ORDAN feels a […]

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Some manner of books

SWD6: Dawn of the Rangers

Episode 1 The Dawn of the Rangers Dramatis Personae Gev Dyson – Bounty hunter (Eddie) Kin Asa Goddard – Smuggler (Brian) Ordan Vallas – Minor Jedi (Edu) Zor Draco – Former TIE fighter pilot (Martín) R4-3T – Astromech droid (NPC) A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… A IMPERIALS ARE EVACUATING VANDOR! Summoned by New Republic Intelligence Agent codenamed Tailgunner, the crew of the YT-2000 freighter Rough Profits travels to Vandor. They have accomplished simple missions for Tailgunner before, but this time the stakes are higher than ever. But before they can even begin, a challenge lies before them in the skies of Vandor… A Semblance of Rough Profits It was four years after the Battle of Endor, and three after the Battle of Jakku. The crew of the Rough Profits dropped out of hyperspace near Vandor. The Rough Profits was an old YT-2000 light freighter with green […]

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30th April 2021 Goblinization Day

Today is Goblinization Day

According to the Shadowrun RPG, today, 30th April 2021, is Goblinization Day. This is when 10% of all humanity physically transforms from humans into orks and trolls throwing the world into further turmoil. Goblinization is not to be confused with UGE, where in 2011 people who were pregnant began giving birth to elves and dwarves worldwide. Not to mention, magical creatures and actual magic begin to manifest and exist. During the days of Shadowrun 2nd edition, I made some notes with regards to a Shadowrun setting in Malaysia, 2053. If I recall correctly, I ran a session or two for Awie, Jee Meng and their cadre of friends. Here is part of the notes for my Shadowrun Malaysia campaign that did not take off.   By the way, I wrote the notes above by hand back in 1994, twenty-seven years ago. I should run this campaign now!

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Skull Spacer

Art Video: Skull Spacer

Here is a sped up video recording of my drawing a “Skull Spacer”, created for Chris Mennell. In actual fact, it took about 50 minutes to complete this. Additionally, I edited the video with both Flowblade on the desktop and InShot on mobile. The astronaut needs more skin lotion though. I will see about doing more art vids and posting them to YouTube in the future. What would such a character be in a sci-fi RPG campaign? The music is Gravelike composed by one Philip E Morris, found on InShot.

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The gamemaster

STA: Plato’s Cave, Part 1

Star Trek: Thine Own Self S1 E06 Plato’s Cave, Part 1 *** Stardate: 57669.6 – Sep 02 2380 0143 UTC Starfleet Dramatis Personae Lt. Kodar Tamat, Cardassian engineering officer and mission commander Lt. J.G. Simon Cañete, Human security officer Lt. Cmdr. Jora Mungar, Trill conn officer Ensign Sparik, Vulcan conn officer (NPC) Last time on Star Trek Adventures: Thine Own Self Previously, Lt. Tamat and Lt. Cañete rescued Lt. Cmdr. Mungar after his runabout USS Segura was destroyed by a huge and invisible tendril in space. The duo, piloted by Ensign Sparik, were looking for their own ship, the Saber-class USS Sienkiewicz, which had been looking for the missing USS Nairobi at the Great Mugato Nebula, the crew of the Danube-class USS Moonstar detected a distress call. They sped to the rescue of the USS Jemison which was under attack, and disabled in the gaseous walls of the nebula. However, they […]

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