Welcome to the new year … and a new episode of the Lair of Secrets. The main topic for this episode is “Stealing liberally from other game systems to enhance the ones you’re playing”. We look at game mechanics like bennies (Savage Worlds), aspects (Fate), skill challenges (Dungeons & Dragons), plot points (Cortex) and more! […]
S2E3 Improving Games by Stealing From Others Read More »
Seeking to up the challenge rating after the simple Alpha rocket build, I chose the Skytracer, a Level 2 rocket by Estes. It’s a sleek looking starfighter-like rocket with horizontal wings that end in weapon pods, a tail fin with fuel pods, and a taper nose cone. It also uses wooden dowels to add some
Rocket Build: The Skytracer Read More »
My first two characters for Dungeons & Dragons – rolled up using the 1981 Moldvay Basic Set – were named Magic and Battle Axe. I was 9. And they were so … damned … cool. While cleaning out some of my old gaming stuff, I found Battle Axe’s original character sheet. A fighter/wizard, he ended his adventuring
Geek Archeology: Battle Axe the Fighter Read More »
Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast! The podcast about gaming and being a geek by two forty-something geek dads. Ken Newquist is a video game-completing machine who’s probably staying up too late (again). Meanwhile, David Moore is no longer a forty-something geek dad. Summer’s End Ken went to Philmont … but we dedicated a
S1E21 Fire Emblem Completions, RPGs, GenCon, RPG Ideas, Season 1 Retrospective Read More »
As a kid, I built a ton of model rockets as part of a 4-H club that my dad ran. A few years ago, I got back into the hobby briefly as part of the “College Hill Space Program”, during which my friends and I built rockets with our kids. We had one big launch
Rocket Build: The Alpha Read More »
I’m David Moore and I’ve been sailing in a boat, which is bumpier than a dirigible, and digging heavily into my books pulled from several of the libraries here in the Lair. I’m Ken Newquist and I’m happily buried underneath the many books of my summer reading list. Water-born Dirigibles David is moving forward with ASA
S1E20 Sail Away, Summer Reading, Gaslands, Self-Healing Switches, Second-hand Tech Read More »
Ken made it to Philmont and back. That’s it. Summer’s done. Meanwhile, David traveled to a castle in Ohio, moderated a death race on the track in the Lair, and started on his quest to sail the seven seas. Finally Philmont Ken when to Philmont Scout Ranch, a high adventure camp in Cimmeron, New Mexico.
S1E19 Finally Philmont Read More »
On this episode of the Lair of secrets, David reports out on his productive stay-cation, while Ken hikes, runs, swims, and bikes his way along the final stretch of the trail to Philmont (and he could really use a nap) Back in the Printerium David’s new printer arrived – Prusa i3 – MK3S+ He printed a
S1E18 Dyson Fall, 3D Printing, Wilderness First Aid, Disc Golf, Mass Effect Returns Read More »
The Lair of Secrets get a super-science expansion as David and Ken take a look at the new super-sized edition of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. We also check out the new book You Can Do Anything Magic Skeleton!, talk about work-cations, venture once more into the outdoors, and delve too deeply (or not nearly
S1E16 Super Science, Dwarven Delves, Magic Skeletons, Work-cation, Horizon Zero Dawn Read More »
David and Ken stumble out of Episode 14’s time shift to find the temporal demon known as “Daylight Saving Time” playing havoc with reality. In this episode, they talk about the new video game Valheim, catch up on Alan Tudyk’s latest sci-fi offering, venture down alternative timelines with Roger Zelazny’s Roadmarks, encounter a librarian hive mind
S1E15 Temporal Shifting, Ringworld, Resident Alien, Valheim Read More »
