29 Days Till GaryCon! Dragonstrike.

It's weird having there be less than thirty days until something, but still being more than a month away from it. Damn February.

[9:20:59 PM] David Lawson: Got a question for you.
[9:21:17 PM] Michael Lawson: Yes?
[9:21:31 PM] David Lawson: What else should we bring to GaryCon, game-wise.
[9:22:12 PM] Michael Lawson: We haven't used the board games, so I'm gonna leave them at home. Definately Gimme the Brain... You have any ideas?
[9:22:57 PM] David Lawson: I'm bringing Give Me The Brain. Planning on running a few rounds of it the day before the con and on Sunday.
[9:23:27 PM] David Lawson: I was hoping you could bring DragonStrike or Dragonlance.
[9:23:40 PM] Michael Lawson: I'll bring Dragonstrike then.
[9:23:50 PM] Michael Lawson: Easier to play.
[9:24:17 PM] David Lawson: Who wears the black turtleneck?
[9:27:07 PM] Michael Lawson: Never knew his name, won't be me. :P
[9:28:59 PM] David Lawson: John Boyle.
[9:33:07 PM] David Lawson: At least that's what IMDB says.
[9:35:25 PM] Michael Lawson: Huh

Feeling brave tonight?

Dragon Strike was one of TSR's later attempts to create a gateway game to D&D. It was a cross between a board game and an RPG. Like a board game it had boards (duh), dice and figures that the players moved around. Like a role-playing game, the boards were maps of dungeons, the figures came with profiles featuring various stats and spells from D&D. The "Dragon Master" was the GM of the game running various pre-written scenarios included in the game. But the 'hook' of the game was the VHS cassette that came with it that served as part instruction manual and part television show. The cassette was 'hosted' by the disembodied head of actor John Boyle, who served to run a group of unseen players through the game (we do see their characters) while explaining the rules to the viewers.

How brave? Brave enough to do battle with hideous monsters? Hmm?

Boyle's character appropriately hams it up in every scene that he is in. He reminds me of my high school friend Jake that used to insert huge amounts of minutiae in his descriptions of events in an attempt to make them more real. Though for some reason, everything smelled like ozone.

The cassette is pretty much the main thing anyone remembers about the game. But the game itself is worth playing at least once. It's really just a basic D&D game with pregens, pre-printed maps and plastic miniatures. I don't know how well it works as a 'gateway' game to actual role-playing games, since we got our copy years into playing AD&D. But if you're looking for a nice one-shot game to play with friends, you wouldn't be disappointed in Dragon Strike.