It always rains in Nuln

I've finally managed to get through my writer's block. Without further ado I give you another one of my RPG rants, this time about a very important thing - immersion. I will be mainly using the example of my most often played title - Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Also take note - this article is not for veterans, who have decades of RP'ing behind them, and know every trick in the book. As most of my posts of this type, I am aiming it towards those who are new to the hobby, who only begin to experience it, and could use any help in doing so. I see a lot of people lately, just starting with RPG's and not knowing almost anything about this hobby. If posts like this one will help them, then I know that my work is worth something. Helping others is always cool (image taken from 'Souls Comprehensive Roleplay Guide) So... how to immerse yourself during a game? The more important question is: should you immerse yourself at all? Personally I wouldn't be regularl...

It's finally here. Light your pyres and crack open a casket of finest ale, because I've finally watched "Black Death", a incredibly dark and gritty medieval horror movie. Was it worth the wait? In short: yes, yes it was. I was captivated by "Black Death" from start to finish, especially since it just oozes the grim and perilous atmosphere, which I hold especially dear to my heart. This is a movie which perfectly shows the difference between the American and European approach to medieval cinema. Throughout the whole experience the audience can almost taste the dirt, muck and shit which are omnipresent in "Black Death". They can almost smell the stench of grime and feces, of unwashed bodies and death hanging in the air. I love American cinema, but Europe simply does movies like this better. Who is the mysterious lady in red? Do note that it's an ugly movie. It has ugly people in it (even the normally super hot Eddie Redmayne is shown a...

Everyone loves Nic Cage. The man's an absolute legend and he automatically makes every film in which he stars 100 times better. He single-handedly saved the "Wicker Man" remake! When I saw the poster for "Season of the Witch", directed by Dominic Sena, I knew that I'm in for a ride. Nicolas Cage fighting witches, while having a budding romance with Ron Perlman? Count me in! The poster says it all. It has hellish flames, fantastic font and Nic Cage with long, greasy hair, holding a longsword. Seriously, you can't go wrong with stuff like that! And the names... Just look at them! Behmen von Bleibruck, Felson, Kay von Wollenbarth and Johann Eckhardt. These are some of the most 'Hammer names of all time. Oh yeah, "Season of the Witch" is one of my quintessential Warhammer movies, right there with "Solomon Kane" and "Black Death"! Just look at that poster. I must have it! Anyway, the movie is about two blokes - Behme...

There are a lot of things that can make a single, ordinary RPG session, truly awesome. One of them is a climactic soundtrack, specifically tailored for the oncoming game. But how to utilise it to its fullest extent? Game music (and possibly ambient sounds) is a tricky medium to master. First of all, I'd suggest to not base your entire game on it. I've known people who have created entire adventures, based on a single track from a movie or video game. While it usually worked rather well, more often than not a single derail on the PC's part made the whole thing change its course, and the final, dramatic tune had to be either abandoned or used in a different matter. Life sucks, I know. From my experience it's a great idea to base a single scene or maybe a chapter, on your favorite "Gladiator" OST. They are usually short enough to warrant success, not to mention it's easier to control what's going on during a single chapter, than an entire campaign. Jus...

On my blog I've reviewed games and books, but not any movies... until now. Let's take a look upon a quintessential Warhammer movie - "Solomon Kane". Based on the classic witch hunter character created by the legendary Robert E. Howard, author of the most famous barbarian in history, "Solomon Kane" is a perfect example of a dark fantasy movie done right. Even with its modest budget of $40 million, it manages to deliver a fantastic tale of dark fantasy-action adventure, with a great lead role and a wonderful visual style. I need this poster in my life! The film begins in North Africa, where Solomon Kane, a ruthless mercenary, leads his band of ne'er-do-wells against the Ottoman soldiers, occupying a fortress town. After killing all of them, Kane and his men plan to steal their sweet loot for themselves, but a bunch of mirror demons have other plans and decide to interfere. They butcher the pirates and Solomon only manages to escape, after jumpin...