Gargoyle Forge is Your New Destination For LARP Gear

Live action roleplaying is not a cheap hobby, especially if you're a regular attendee in boffer games. From your boots to your cloak, your bedroll to your backpack, you find yourself constantly trying to find gear that fits your persona, but which will also hold up to long days and nights of adventure. Some of the biggest costs you're going to have to deal with, though, are your weapons and armor. They need to be up to a certain standard, and if you want to maintain your persona you have to invest in the good stuff. Even high-quality items from some of the best names in the boffer world, though, can give out after a year or so of regular use, meaning you're faced with the difficult decision of whether or not you shell out another C-note for a new blade.

Dara Williamson, though, decided to take on an art project. An art project which quickly grew into a very notable name in LARPing circles.

After all, where the hell else can you buy boffer torches?

Gargoyle Forge is Your One Stop LARP Shop

What Dara found was that she had a knack for making high-quality LARP gear that lasted several times longer than even the most well-known products on the market. That was when she started crunching the numbers, and seeing how fast she could create new products without sacrificing an ounce of handmade quality. Which is why everything from spears and torches (which hold glowsticks, making them ideal off-hand blockers for nighttime ambushes), to longswords and katanas can be found at her company Gargoyle Forge. With reasonable prices, and a quality guarantee that makes most LARPers eyes widen a little bit, they've been in business since 2012. Not only that, but a lot of the gear they've sold is still in use by their initial customers, and most of it's looking nearly as good as the day they bought it.

They also do custom commissions as well... in case you were wondering.

In addition to practical gear for boffer warriors, though, Gargoyle Forge also creates cosplay-quality props. That's particularly useful for serious cosplayers who don't want to deal with the sheer weight of a wooden prop, and who can't bring live steel to an event. Gargoyle Forge's gear is lightweight, keeps its finish, and can take a hit while dishing out a riposte or two.

What more could you ask for?

If this sounds like the sort of thing you'd like to get on, check out Gargoyle Forge's Facebook page to get a load of some of their past work and convention appearances. If you're in the market for serious props today, though, stop by The Gargoyle Forge store.

Hopefully folks enjoyed this Monday's highlight. If you'd like to help keep Improved Initiative going, then consider dropping by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron. As little as $1 a month is enough to keep content flowing week in, and week out! Lastly, if you want to make sure you don't miss out on any of my other updates, then make sure you follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, too.

The 4 Major Flaws of Character Building

If you've ever frequented an RPG forum, or spent any time in social media groups dedicated to gaming, you've likely seen your share of ridiculous character builds. Whether it's the warrior with impenetrable armor, the magic user with the one-shot nuclear spell, or the social sledgehammer who can convince anyone of anything, these builds seem like unbeatable titans.

I'll let you in on a little secret, though... most of them are houses of cards.

Quail before me!

The next time you're presented with a seemingly overpowered character build, the first thing you need to do is read the fine print to be sure there were no mechanical mistakes (bonuses that don't stack being added twice, wording that's been changed or interpreted differently from errata, etc.). If all the actual numbers check out, the next thing you need to do is run down this list of flaws which could take a powerful build, and put a big, fat crack right down the face plate.

Mistake #1: Depending on Limited Use Powers

How many bullets does your big gun have?

One of the most common methods of balancing a game is to limit the number of times per day characters can use powerful abilities. Think about every first-person shooter you've ever played, and ask yourself how many rounds of ammo you found for that game's BFG 9000. You know, that ridiculous, kill-almost-anything weapon that was meant for boss battles, but which only had 3 or 4 shots in it if you saved them all till the end of the game?

Some character builds are the equivalent of that gun. Which is why, before you start smack-talking your DM, you should take a look at how many times you can use that big bang. Because it's entirely possible for you to put everything you've got into one, big blast that will send tremors through the very earth... but what happens if there's another big boss that comes after the one you just destroyed? Or if you miss, and can't do it again until you've had a lie down and a full night of sleep?

Mistake #2: Ignoring The Character's Lower Levels

What do you do between levels 1 and 15?

While not every system is level-based, every system does have what's considered a starting point for the average player character. Then as the game progresses and your characters gain strength, you earn experience points, or you're given more power. One of the biggest flaws a character build can have is focusing on what you're going to do once you're a veteran character with a lot of experience under your belt, and not asking how you're going to survive long enough to get there, or how you're going to contribute to the game before hitting your plateau.

The longer it takes a character build to hit its stride, the bigger this flaw becomes. Because sure, if you hit level 20 and you've put all your ducks in a row, then you have a really powerful character. If you're not starting out at your build's sweet spot, though, you need to know what you're going to do until you get there.

Mistake #3: Relying on Rare Equipment/Abilities

Behold, the Sacred Sphere of... what do you mean I can't find one?

Any time a character build requires a character to get his or her hands on powerful relics, or rare powers, it's important to curb your enthusiasm. For example, the book might have stats for the Mallet of Storms, the weapon wielded by the god of thunder, but it is folly to assume that, as a player, you'll be able to find something so rare, much less allowed to wield it. And while it's true that the master of the rare and exotic art of Knoph-Reh can tear an enemy's soul out through his mouth, it's important to make sure that your character will find a master, and be able to learn it before you hinge all your hopes on it.

The easiest way to fix this problem is to sit down with your DM in Session 0 to make sure that what you want to do will be possible within the scope of your game. If you're not sure what that is, then you should check out The Importance of Session 0 in Your Tabletop Games.

Mistake #4: Not Looking For Your Build's Weaknesses

I can totally take that raging green monster!

Everything has a weakness. That's both a truism of storytelling, and a part of an RPG's inherent balance. You're always going to have weaknesses no matter what character you play. It only becomes a problem when you go into the game unaware of your weaknesses, and having no plans for how to deal with situations where your strengths are nullified.

Let's say you have a one-hit wonder; the kind of warrior whose sword can destroy any enemy that comes within reach in a single slash. The problem is that not all enemies will fight fair. So, instead of standing and fighting,the wizard you're fighting floats into the air and out of sword reach. Or, alternatively, rows of crossbow snipers take aim from cover, turning your unbeatable swordsman into a rather shamefaced pincushion. Or you find yourself facing the angry dead, whose insubstantial bodies cannot be harmed by steel, but whose icy touch can sap the life from your bones. Or you could take an example from the other direction. Say you've created a powerful sorcerer who can bend fire to his will... what happens when he has to fight demons, to whom fire is a warm bath? Or creatures of pure elements, who are healed by being bathed in what was supposed to be a torrent of death? Or you have an assassin whose poisons and precise strikes are rendered useless against the walking dead, or creatures from beyond the stars whose anatomies are impossible to understand?

A character should be geared toward a particular end. However, if your big trick isn't going to fix the problem, it's important to have a few other tools in your toolbox so you don't find yourself sidelined. Or, even worse, killed.

As always, thanks for dropping in to check out this week's post. If you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, and keep content like this coming to you on the regular, then stop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to make a pledge. Even as little as $1 a month ($12 a year) can make a big difference. Lastly, if you want to make sure you don't miss any of my updates, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, too.

Ancient Mythology Family Trees, Fully Illustrated

Mythology is one the biggest influences on fantasy RPGs. We use it for our monsters, for our quests, and in many cases we have pulled our gods straight from the pages (or runestones, or oral histories) of world religions. Whether it's older editions of Dungeons and Dragons, or games like White Wolf's Scion, ancient mythologies are always close to hand.

Which is why I thought that this image, uploaded at Imgur by Shoopdawoop2000, is particularly awesome.

EDIT: The comic is originally by Korwin Briggs, whose website is Veritable Hokum.

These trees will have no real effect on your game, unless you have a cleric who needs to be able to explain a pantheon to the curious with a chart. Mostly, I chose to make this my Monday update because I think they're cool, and the illustrations gave me a few chuckles on my way down the page. So, I hope all of you find this just as amusing as I did.

Also, if you'd like to help keep Improved Initiative going strong, consider stopping by my Patreon page. For as little as $1 a month, you can aid me in turning up the profound, and the mildly amusing, week-in and week-out. Lastly, if you want to keep up-to-date on all my latest posts, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.

The Saga of Majenko Part 10: Down With The Queen

Today we have the final installment of the whirlwind adventure that is The Saga of Majenko (or Curse of The Crimson Throne to give it the name on the cover of the adventure path). From dingy dock wards to undead castles, to fighting dragons in the streets, to slaying devils in the throne room, our party has gone above and beyond the call of duty in protecting their city, and trying to bring down the thing Queen Ileosa has become.

Before we get started, though, make sure you're caught up on all the previous installments.

Part One: Finding The Main Character of "Curse of The Crimson Throne"
Part Two: How Much Damage Could One Pseudodragon Do?
Part Three: Scourge of The Red Mantis
Part Four: Blood Pig Champion
Part Five: Brother to The Shoanti
Part Six: The Assault on Castle Scarwall
Part Seven: The Return to Korvosa
Part Eight: Re-Taking Korvosa
Part Nine: The Assault on Castle Korvosa
Part Ten: Down With The Queen

There, all caught up? Beautiful! Because now it's time for the grand finale!

Down in The Dungeon

We realized after fighting the infernal thing living in the Ileosa's bedchamber, that the queen herself was not in the castle. She had, in fact, left quite some time ago. With the Bloat Mage's notes, and the testimony of his spirit, we confirmed that the erstwhile ruler of the city had fled to a half-sunken temple for a purpose we couldn't guess. We were all confident that it was nothing good, though.

Before we left, however, we had one last promise to fulfill. So we walk in through the front doors of the now de-populated Castle Korvosa, and take the stairs down to the dungeon below. Our party, which doesn't even have a token human in it at this point, takes in the grim, brooding atmosphere, and the claustrophobic vaults. We also completely avoid a high-level trap whose trigger is that the room is filled with light, which was unnecessary between the dwarf, the aasimar, the two tieflings, and the pseudodragon. So, we explore, and eventually find the body that had been unceremoniously walled-up.

Like ya do...

We bring the bones back to the attic room, and the ghost of the tiefling merges with the gypsy in our harrow deck, and allows each of us to draw a card from a Harrow Deck of Many Things, with the special allowance that we could re-draw one card each. So, we all decide to draw. The dwarf gains a level, loses a level, and then gains a small team of followers in Blood Pig jerseys. Majenko gains the ability to automatically confirm a critical hit, though the same ability works against him. One of Egil's enemies has a change of heart and becomes his ally, though with the sheer number of arrested NPCs the DM never got around to choosing one. The paladin becomes immune to sonic damage. Cards chosen, we receive a blessing from the ghosts, and set off southward toward the final confrontation.

One Long Series of Unfortunate Events

We travel southward, following the map we were given. We make our way down rivers, and through swamps, until we find an ancient pyramid, half-sunken into a lake. Unfortunately, there's no bridge to that lake, and no guarantee that there isn't something awful lurking beneath the waters.

Something more awful than me, I mean.

So, we take stock of our options. We quickly realize, through burning a powerful scroll, that we can't simply phase through the stone. Apparently it is protected by ancient magics, and our modern-day shortcuts aren't going to hack it. Deciding that we are not doing another underwater combat in murky liquid we can barely see through, the cleric wind walks us all across the water, and through the vents leading into the upper floor. Everything's quiet, at least until the dwarf touches a stone, and gets sucked into it. That's when the paladin has to turn corporeal again, and start smashing away with his adamantine hammer until we crack the dwarf out of his soul prison.

Which, of course, means the level's guards are well aware of our presence. Which is why we have yet another pack of Erinyes trying to turn us into pincushions. The fight is frustrating, but we've taken down enough of these particular devils by now to know what we should expect. We emerge triumphant, for the most part, and only down a few, minor resources. We also find a massive pool filled with blood, and a dead body floating in it. It looks almost like Ileosa, but clearly isn't. This is around the time we all get a bad feeling regarding the blood samples that were being taken from the citizens of Korvosa before the revolution got rolling.

We come across a shaft, and Majenko stealthily slips up to take a look. What he finds is...

The Final Encounter

At the top of the shaft, waiting for us, is Queen Ileosa. Floating regally above the ground, she's admiring a floating ball of blood. The ball is, of course, constantly shifting and pulsing, with faces and even buildings pressing against the surface before receding. Even the highly-experienced magic users have no clue what it's for, but we have an inkling that we don't want to find out.

So we roll initiative.

Which may have been our first mistake.

The first thing that comes our way is a trio of powerful wraiths. No worries, since a charge from the staff of Necromancy makes them hold still for the paladin to walk by and dust. They get a few nasty slices in, but we emerge triumphant. Before we've dealt with them, though, a line of Ileosa clones appears, and they all start singing. Which is when the wand of silence starts getting plenty of use, since there's no Will save allowed if the spell affects an area and not a person. Ileosa flies higher, and Egil locks her behind a wall of force. Which she then dimension doors herself past.

Despite the chaos of the battle, it's soon down to just us, and just her. And that is where things started to get tough. Not hard, not deadly, but tough.

You see, the queen had plenty of time to buff herself, thanks to our less-than-quiet entrance. Given the level she's at, and the horror that lives inside her skull, she's got a lot of tricks. She's flying, she has freedom of movement (as we found out), her AC is buffed to a mirror shine, and she's throwing down magic like there's no tomorrow. Very little of her magic, though, actually does damage. Most of it's just a debuff, or an obstacle, meant to hamper us for a time. She even managed to get control of the dwarf for a bit, but a smoke screen rendered him ineffective as a threat to the party.

The problem we're having is that we're actually fighting to a standstill. None of the aid the cleric is summoning hits hard enough to get through the queen's defenses, and even the paladin wielding the relic sword is only hitting once a turn or so. Spell resistance, and various deafening effects, have eaten away most of Egil's spells, and even the great and powerful Majenko is little use against her. In a battle that lasted three, full sessions, we accomplished an ignoble goal that I doubt most gamers have ever sought.

Both sides started running out of magic.

The Conclusion

The party retreats with the intention of regrouping. Which is when a line of barbarian frogmen come out of the flooded depths, and we enjoy a brief round of wiping them off the map like a greasy stain. Ileosa follows, but now she's under the effects of greater invisibility. She still can't seem to do us any real damage, but she's getting down to magic items and bard tricks.

Well, shit, we've tried everything else...

That's when the cleric pulls another friend out of her bag. She summons a creature who, while it can't penetrate the queen's defenses, does have invisibility purge as a constant aura. So, at least we can see her again. The paladin lays into her, and the rest of the party is rallying to make one, final strike. Unfortunately for us, though, her contingency spell goes off, and she vanishes. She is nowhere near the pyramid, and there's no way to tell where she went.

Not My Problem

The vanishing act Ileosa pulled seems like the worst sort of adventuring blue balls, particularly after such a knock-down, drag-out slog. However, the personalities of this particular party, and their definition of victory conditions, rendered expectations quite skewed. The ritual was stopped, for example. The citizenry was saved, and we lost no companions in the final fight. Not only that, but as far as we can tell, Ileosa fled from Varisia in its entirety, off to who knows where.

Out of my jurisdiction, that's what matters.

Egil, and by extension Majenko, have done their jobs as well as they can. With the city of Korvosa in ruins, and rebuilding taking place, that is where their duty lies. Balen has no real investment, now that the queen is overthrown, but would be just as comfortable returning to a life of drug use broken up by occasional bouts of Blood Pig. The cleric and paladin both feel that Ileosa should be pursued, in time, but as for the time being they hold a major relic of the church in their hands, and they want to know what the best use of it is. So, singed but triumphant, the party returns to the dockyards and waterfronts, sinking into the hustle and bustle to decide what they're going to do with themselves, and to try and restore what parts of the broken city, nation, and world they can.

And that, my friends, is the end of the Saga of Majenko.

If you enjoyed this story, and would like to hear some others, then leave me a comment and let me know! If you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, then consider stopping by my Patreon page to become a patron. All I ask is $1 a month to help keep the content flowing. Lastly, if you want to make sure you don't miss any of my updates, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter as well.

The Importance of "Session 0" in Your Tabletop Games

So, you told your group you wanted to run a new campaign. Everyone in your group agreed that a new campaign sounds like a topping idea. You agree on a time and a place for the session, and then you spend the next week fitting together a complicated political drama for your players to get embroiled in. There will be subtle maneuvering, assassination attempts, duplicity, and it will really keep them on their toes. You take a step back, and admire the thing you've created.

Then your players show up. That's when you find out your "party" consists of a chaotic evil necromancer whose motivating goal is to raise an army of the dead to raze the nation to the ground, a gunslinger whose on the trail of the barbarian chief that murdered his father, a ravenous halfling whose chief motivation is seeing how much cheese he can steal from every inn he passes using an obscure 3rd-party class you've never heard of, and a ronin samurai who thinks with his sword instead of any more viable parts of his anatomy.

Problem?

It's bad enough that no one in this group is really a hero (and at least one of them has no real interest in becoming an adventurer), but they have no connection to the plot, or to each other. Attempting to bring this hodgepodge group together is already going to be a headache and a half, but trying to get them to follow a subtle, political plot is bordering on psychological self-harm.

Fortunately, you can prevent this sort of scenario by making sure you start every campaign with Session 0.

What Is Session 0?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and Session 0 is a DM's best preventative. What you do is sit down with your group, and set all the ground rules for the upcoming campaign. If you want to use point-buy instead of rolling for stats, you bring that up in this session. If you aren't allowing 3rd-party content, this is when you tell players. If you want to make any other blanket rulings, like no evil alignments, no gunslingers, no construct crafters, or no non-core races, this is the time to do it.

Standard dice only.

Once you've laid down the basic rules, and made your pitch for your campaign, you open the table to questions, comments, and discussion. For example, your group might like the idea of doing something different than the average dungeon crawl, but they want to know what you mean when you say "political thriller". Does that mean they should all bring non-combat characters, or does it mean that you're going to be doing more of an urban game? Does it mean you'll be allowing assassins or ninjas for PCs? Does everyone in the party need to be from the same nation? Should they all have background ties to one noble family or another?

There are innumerable questions that can, and should, be asked during Session 0. Here's a list of some of the most basic things you need to cover.

- What system are we using?

- What world is this campaign set in?

- What books will and won't be allowed?

- What are the general themes and overall goal of the campaign?

- What is the method of stat generation?

- What house rules are going to be in-play?

Once you've covered all the basics, you should let players discuss character concepts, both with you and with each other. Ensuring that you're present while this process happens allows you to answer any questions your players have, and it allows you to get an idea of how the party is shaping up. You can also point out deficiencies in party strengths, and warn players that certain concepts, while valid, might not get as much time in the spotlight as they're hoping.

It's Preventative Maintenance On Your Campaign

Session 0 takes a bit of work, but the amount of trouble it will save you down the line is totally worth it. Gone will be the days of your players trying to port in stuff from older editions that have been changed, or taking unusual templates or races without checking in with you first. And, if you're lucky, the players will work together to form a party that has connections, and cohesion. Any problems that do arise can be nipped in the bud, rather than waiting until they've grown a size category or two before trying to tackle them.

Also, before you get your campaign rolling, you might want to check out 4 Common DM Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them), as well as The 5 RPG Characters We Should Stop Playing.

Hopefully you found this week's update helpful, and useful. If you'd like to help support me and my blog so I can give you more content just like this one, then why not stop by my Patreon page today? For as little as $1 a month you can make a big difference. Also, if you want to be sure you're getting all my updates, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter!

The "Compassionate" Antipaladin

A paladin's fall from grace is one of those stories we all dread, but simultaneously want to see. There's something compelling about someone struggling for perfection, falling short, and then deciding to embrace their moral terminal velocity to become a perversion of all the things they'd once stood for. Some paladins fall out of pride, some out of envy, and others because of greed, or lust. But what happens when a paladin takes the left hand path not because of a human failing, but because of a core virtue taken to an extreme?

That is the Compassionate Antipaladin, and it's where the story of Ezekiel Cairn begins.

You have to earn that black armor.

The Life (And Death) of Ezekiel Cairn

In life, Ezekiel was everything you would expect a paladin to be. Selfless, devoted, charitable, and he was always willing to extend a hand before reaching for his sword. He was loyal to his compatriots, fair in his rulings, and he understood the value of life. Whenever he was forced to fight, he dug his enemy's grave with his own hands. That way he never forgot the burden he carried on his hip, and in his heart.

As with many paladins, Ezekiel sacrificed himself to protect his friends. He passed with no regrets, and pleased that he had done his duty well. And, as one would expect from a virtuous man who had worked so tirelessly for the benefit of others, he was richly rewarded by his patron in the afterlife.

Long days on the beach, with nary a sunburn in sight.

 

Time didn't have much meaning in the after world, but it seemed like he'd only just allowed the weight to truly drop from his shoulders, when he felt a pull. His comrades were trying to resurrect him. Deciding that his duty wasn't done yet, Ezekiel heeded the call, and returned to his broken, bloody body, coughing his way back into the world to take up the fight anew.

Death Was Only The Beginning

Returned to life, and with renewed vigor flooding his limbs, Ezekiel stood with his compatriots once more. For a time, he fought all the harder, knowing for a fact what awaited him in the heavenly realms. Worldly concerns seemed lighter, and less important than they had before. Hardships were easier to endure, and even arduous tasks were easier to complete.

For a time, anyway.

An irritant slipped into Ezekiel's mind, though, and began building an ugly pearl. The heavenly realms were eternal, and pure. The gods meted out punishment and reward based on the actions of a mortal's life. Yet, for all the promise, the world was full of terrors, and pain. Children with empty bellies forced to steal, cringing from the hands of abusive parents. The weak violated by the strong, their screams answered only with harsh laughter, and sharp blows. Jealousy, hatred, envy, and greed ate away at the finest souls, turning virtuous youths into corrupt old men. All at once, the cycle of mortality no longer seemed like a beautiful promise. It was a punishment. A hobbling wheel full of unnecessary suffering and torment, where no one reached the end free of scars and blood.

His duty was clear. Ezekiel would break the wheel, and murder the world.

The Elements of a Truly Threatening Villain

We've all seen the villain who plans to kill everyone in the world, but rarely does that goal make sense. After all, if the villain destroys the world, then where is he going to live? In the case of the Compassionate Antipaladin, though, he's making the ultimate sacrifice, in his mind. He will commit the unspeakable horror of wiping out every life in the world, so that others can remain pure to attain their reward of heaven. Worse, he is knowingly sacrificing his spot in paradise in order to do this great and terrible deed.

Because when your path gets dark, you own that shit.

 

As an individual, the Compassionate Antipaladin is frightening. His zealousness, combined with an array of brutal abilities, is enough to give any group of adventurers pause. However, the idea that drives him, combined with his charisma and zealousness, can be hideously persuasive. The rhetoric could, all on its own, lead to horrors. Paupers who drown their children before hanging themselves. Riots as the poor are slaughtered in droves to send them to a safer, warmer place. The formation of an army of martyrs who want to take on the selfless role of shepherding the world's populous on to the place where everyone receives their just rewards.

That's where the true power of the Compassionate Antipaladin comes from; the combination of twisted logic, and the determination to continue on until the job is complete. As an individual, this kind of antipaladin is a force to be reckoned with. If he forms alliances, and gains a following, then it's possible he could take serious steps toward achieving his stated goal. Whether he's given a battalion of infernal creatures at the behest of a demon lord, resurrects a fighting force of the dead, gains the service of his own murder cult, or some combination of all of these, this sort of character could easily swing heavy as a campaign's Big Bad.

A villain with goals on this grand a scale is also notoriously difficult to put down, and keep down. Demonic overlords aren't likely to let someone like this stay dead for long, especially if he's a useful tool. So if your party does manage to kill the Compassionate Antipaladin, an evil resurrection with dire results (and possibly adding a new template for additional challenge) is an option. Or, if your villain refuses to stop, then he may become a Graveknight. For those of you unfamiliar with the creature, it's like a lich for melee characters, whose raw determination and refusal to be stopped by something as paltry as death, imbues their armor. Their spirit, trapped within the steel they once wore and able to regenerate from nearly any defeat, makes them nearly impossible to kill for long.

DMs, if you've been looking for a monster we can sympathize with, but who still has one of the highest-stakes motivations out there, have fun with this villain! Also, if you're looking for more tips on memorable bad boys, you might want to check out Under The Black Hat: Tips On Writing Believable Bad Guys, and Tips For Playing Evil Characters (Your DM Might Allow).

And for more tips on paladins of all sorts, take a look at 5 Tips For Playing Better Paladins!

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That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

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Heckler & Koch Design Real-Life Boba Fett Armor

Boba Fett is remembered as one of the biggest badasses in sci-fi history, despite his complete failure to deliver on his reputation (check this list at Cracked for some of the others). There's just something about him as a character, from the nervous silence his presence causes, to the battle-worn look he boasts. If Star Wars taught us nothing else, it taught us that anyone hard enough to wear Mandalorian armor is not someone to be fucked with.

Which may be why you can now buy your very own set of ballistic armor, inspired by one of film's most infamous bounty hunters.

Wait till they get a load of me.

That isn't a prop test that got scrapped for a different design, either. According to Tribunist, that is real ballistic armor from firearms giant Heckler & Koch. H&K teamed up with AR500, SOG knives, artist Ryan Flowers, Armasight, and several other companies to create a field-ready suit of Mandalorian ballistic armor. The plates are contoured for comfort and protection, the helmet-mounted flip sight is a night vision monocle, and the suit will protect the wearer from handgun and rifle rounds. At time of writing there has been no word regarding the development of a jet pack to go with it.

If we needed any more proof that geeks have won the culture war, this is it. A big-name gun manufacturer is creating body armor based on a science fiction character. Now quit whining, strap on, and charge for the glory of Mandalor!

As always, thanks for stopping in to check out my Monday update. If you want to help support me in delivering the latest in geeky news, and gaming info, then consider becoming a patron by pledging your support on my Patreon page! $1 a month is all it takes to help keep the hits coming week after week. Also, if you want to make sure you don't miss any of my updates, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, too!