Toyin' Around Game Session Pics: October 13th 2005 (Part 3 of 3)
This post marks the finish of the photos taken on the October 12th/13th 2005 Toyin' Around RPG session.
Last time on our show! The Insiders found Castle Grayskull but were unable to enter. The key to the castle had been found ages ago by a Viking toy, but was unable to use it as he did not know the location of the castle. The Insiders recall passing a group of Vikings briefly and immediately make a bee-line there in hopes of retrieving the key.
I could have sworn their was a moment during this or a previous game session where the group either spoke with or fought these Vikings. I had already scripted this photo years ago and from how it reads they met and dislike this guy.
Another shot breaking-the-fourth wall where Amanda is seen, either trying to hide her face or attempt to crack her knuckles. The insiders plan is to have Donny use his Ghost Hood to become intangible and invisible to look around un-noticed and find the key. The other members are functioning as a distraction.
I always wondered what Nolan was doing in this photo. Is he stretching? Yawning? Flailing his arms? Hell it's been 9 years, I doubt he even knows why.
Kurt's plan was a good one...but grabbing the hammer from a being who can turn into and channel lightning probably wasn't the best way to go.
While Kurt takes a few broken ribs for the team, Donny spots the Key under the stone Thunder-Bolt refuses to more from.
One of the fun things about the toy game for me was always setting up all the scenery, it made for a much more visually exciting experience. Playmobil was great for this, I swear they are the ACME corporation for the toy world: they make EVERYTHING. Using some fleece from the craft store made a perfect swampy-colored floor and the Playmobil trees, rocks and vines pulled the whole look together. You can also see a note drawing attention to Donny's Turtle Tunneler vehicle. As Amanda had been playing Donny for a while now, he always managed to get a ton of cool vehicles and accessories.
One of my favorite obscure Marvel characters, Man-Thing is virtually a force of nature, just moving through his swamp and interacting with those in it. Although he became sort of attached to the Insiders after encountering Py-Roh and Donny in the Swamp Zone last game session. The positive feelings and good nature of the group is soothing/pleasing to the Man-Thing, and it worked out in their favor here.
I can't recall with 100% accuracy if this was Py-Roh OR a minion made of all his extra parts. As I can't see Py-Roh in the photographs during these scenes, I went with the assumption that he Xevolved into this form for a specific reason. Mike, anything to add?? O_o??:2
This is also one of the photos I just edited last night, so felt good to finally finish this session's photos.
I love this shot because it tells multiple stories at once: we see Py-Roh facing off against Thunder-Bolt, Donny removing the Ghost-Hood to become tangible again thus allowing him to grab the key and the vikings rushing to the aid of their ally who is being burned by the Man-Thing. I believe Kurt sat this one out as he was hit pretty hard and once the key was recovered, they beat-feat outta there. Man-Thing was able to hold his own and provided enough distraction for their getaway.
When running a game, it's important to reward the players from time to time. As they all so badly wanted to find Castle Grayskull, I had to eventually give them that opportunity. You can't keep leading them on forever, there needs to be a conclusion. It was also good for them as it gave them a base of operations and every good team needs a HQ.
I don't know if I said this before, but I love this character. He's such a goofy oddball that really is the comic relief of the entire team. What makes him also so bizarre is he shares the name of an old Generation 1 Transfomer but he's a G.I. Joe and is a re-paint of an early 90's G.I. Joe figure named "Stretcher" but with a big doofy head. As Stretcher was also a Medic, Sideswipe became the team's Healer, although most of the time he was the one needing healing. These two photos were just us having fun as the game session wound down for the night/early morning.
I have no words for this photo. What did this noble steed do to warrant being put in the dungeon??? Again, more end-game wackiness.
Another quick shot of the players having fun posing their toys. Py-Roh's comment was mine that I thought up last night, just a little jab at the differences in time periods: soooo much has changed since 2005.
Victorious, just like a fisherman landing a shark, the Insiders pose with their new HQ. I don't know why that T-Rex is back or where Man-Thing came from, but like I said before: it was 4:30-5am so we all were getting a bit punchy. This specific Castle Grayskull is the second one that was produced back in 2002 and follows a lot of the same gimmicks and accessories as the first Castle Grayskull that was made twenty years early in 1982. This newer one actually has lights, sounds and electronics in it AND even had a sort of back-door made for it in the form of the Battle Station. If we had continued playing the toy game into Novemeber, December and into 2006, I might have tried to hunt that down for them to give the players a beefier Castle Grayskull.
Actually, last year (i.e. 2013 for those of you reading this in the future) the Masters of the Universe Classics toy line released a GIGANTIC old-school, 1982 styled Castle Grayskull playset. It costs $300 which is expensive, but still cheap when you consider sealed MIB samples of the 1982 Castle Grayskull go for alot of money and this newer one is a really nice rendition of the older styled castle. Maybe one day I'll go for it, or just keep the one I have now as it will always be the Insiders HQ to me. They went through hell and high water to get it in game, the other castle doesn't have those ties to it.
Oh and yes, that little Troll doll finally got what it deserved....and yet we constantly see it around in game. *sigh* It's got as many lives as a cat...
That's all for now, stay tuned for photos from the October 19th 2005 game session where things REALLY pick up. Now with the powers of Castle Grayskull, the Insiders can continue with their quest to find Blue Berret's Brigade who were lost in the attic at the start of our adventure. Here's hoping I can get those photos edited before the 10th anniversary in 2015!
-Bah'glenn
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