GROGFIT squad – ramblers lets get rambling

I have had a wonderful year gaming. I have not had a very good year from a fitness point of view as the above weight gain shows. After a great grogmeet 19 I’m resolved witt together and accountability group of some fellow members of the Grogsquad to get in shape – mainly taking control of my diet but also being more active. Over the last 2 years I’ve stopped running largely and only get to the gym 1 or 2 times a week. I do i martial arts session a week but I need to more even if it’s practicing at home.

THE PLAN

Weigh in once a week starting w/c Sunday 18th November – from then we’ll share are weight loss, challenges and successes on Twitter.

As we are all RPG nerds to gamify it a bit I was thinking we could chime in every Monday three Stats for the week?

WEIGHT LOSS

SESSIONS (exercise a broad church)

MINUTES (either exercise or it we all have heart rate trackers in certain band ?

So first reporting date Monday 19th November and suggest do it for a year initially.

To stop swingy weight loss I though after a month we would level up and award an extra level to the person with the most weight loss?

As Ed of Fannyside Games confirmed a pound or two a week is healthy weight loss – though more might be achievable in the first couple of weeks if your eating healthy after a very unhealthy diet till your body adjusts.

RESOURCES

A few things I’ve found useful in the past I’ll update this as I get more from the Squad.

My fitness pal a calorie / weight tracker (Free) https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/myfitnesspal/id341232718

Run keeper a running app https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/runkeeper-gps-running-tracker/id300235330

My wife’s had great success on slimming world.

Industrial strength show – a podcast by personal trainer Joe De Franco – some stuff is very, very technical but I’ve picked 3 episodes might be useful for this exercise

How to get started when your untrained and overweight https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/joe-defrancos-industrial-strength-show/id973579797?i=1000411069052

8 most effective strength exercises of all time https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/joe-defrancos-industrial-strength-show/id973579797?i=1000427362544

How to get stronger and healthier by changing your mindset https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/joe-defrancos-industrial-strength-show/id973579797?i=1000429358348

NHS couch to 5k podcast – aims to get you intert to running 5k https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/nhs-couch-to-5k/id549826354?mt=2

Pod runner which is trance running music often set to a specific bpm and he does variants with training cues https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/podrunner-workout-music/id124686671

Joe de Franco also has a YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/joedefranco

Posture clinic https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJRSiUpCE2gGHrTcOrKhLg

Some martial arts specific content

https://www.youtube.com/user/138mws

https://www.youtube.com/user/kalicenter

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGmJnz5Dtl1VXJpsrfJfzjQ

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWY85pup0Eh79Ba6hes3GDw

Pink Gins & Googlies 9:4 The Crazy Constitution of Kiwi Carpentry

As the other characters stir and see the desperate situation with the siege of the axe beaks. They manage to realise staying still and quiet and the axe beaks get bored. They manage to make a mad dash for a more secure hut but are spotted.

The new hut proves robust climbing on the roof Gwen and Jemima launch a kite which distracts the death flamingos again allowing Flossie and Hettie to make a dash for the bikes on Dave & Ciffy’a hut which they use to escape.

As they pedal furiously to Wellington escaping pursuing birds they compadres defend the hut again the beast (despite numerous rolls the hut survives how good is kiwi carpentry ? .) They heat cries suggesting more of the raptors are loose from the mine.

In Wellington after some difficulty they manage to persuade a carload of New Zealand police to investigate. Speaking back to Flashman they crash into one axebeak, shot another and load up the car and escape.

The policeman’s evidence persuades the New Zealand authorities to send an army expedition to the district. Despite the Countess Lemichello’s insistence they ‘are going to destroy those things’ – the New Zealand Army lorry’s have cages in the back …

Will the Axe beaks return as part of a New Zealand 21st century cyber-weapons programme ?

Pink Gins & Googlies 9:3 Flashman Hamlet massacre

With the approach of the axebeaks Hettie and Gwen panic run into a rake left lying from laying pit trap and it flies up up in Hetties face send g her unconscious. He head flies back into Gwen knocking her out.

Professor Armitage (Neil) laces a ham with rat poison abs leaves it for the approaching beasts while the Countess Lemichello gets the villages and slumbering team mates to safety.

Two of the approaching Axe beaks blunder into the pit trap filled with punji sticks. Two others gobble the ham but spit it out detecting the poison.

Of the handful of villagers only one is armed Duke with a shotgun – he and the Countess engage the hut they shelter in chopping with their mighty beaks at the walls and windows.

The professor seeing a pig pen thinks to release the hogs to distract their besiegers. With covering fire he legs into across the hamlet , running like the wind until he slips on a wheel dit’s and goes flying. An Axebeak swings at him but his put off it’s strike by a well aimed shot by Flossie Lemichello The palaeontologist scrambles to his feet and makes the rest of the distance to the pig sty and flips the catch …

…. but two chasing axebeaks swing and slice the academic into salami. Rather than scramble to freedom and set the flock of death flamingos a merry chase the pigs cower and are rendered into bacon. Four of the flock feat while a fifth watched the captive humans in the hut.

The Countess swings open a door so Duke (Neil) can throw a Molotov cocktail at the feasting birds causing them some disgruntlement. While the flock rolls on ground to throw off the flames Flossie with her pistol and Duke with his shotgun ineffectually try and hurt the razor reflexed raptor on watch.

Their luck runs out as Duke is caught by the bladed beak of it and dies decapitated. Flossie grabs the shotgun as the singed murder emus from the pig pen join their comrades and start shattering the roof and walls of the hut. Just as Hettie and Gwen awake …

Will the Cranford Ladies Old Girls need a new squad or can they get out this scrape ? Tune in next week to find out

Lunchtime Lairs/Sword dream Fantasy Scenario Project

 

I have a confession.

I’m very much enjoying playing 5th edition D&D on Wednesday lunchtimes and as a Flashing Blades / historical games fan that’s a bit of a confession. Matty is doing an ace job GMing and is very organised. I thought I’d take some inspiration from him – whether this could be a resource for Wednesday lunchtmes and/or something else I don’t know yet but I wanted to leverage all the pre-written old school scenarios I’ve got over the years and put them in one place.

I’ve gone through my PDFs of various scenarios from old (1980s) magazines and the recent haul from the OSR Humble Bundle with a view to being able to pull them together into a sandbox fantasy world. I might also look to haul in elements from Drakesdoom, the Valley and Sorcerous Dogs from previous efforts to run those type of games.

First thing is I REALLY wanted to leave loss of blank space on the map and every scenario by different authors and publishers has different maps in alternate scales and forms from 6 mile hexes or beautiful hand drawn jobs and everything in between makes trying to reconcile them a work of madness.

So I’ve divided the map into broad categories

1. Feudal Farm (Pseudo-medieval)
2. Non Feudal Farm (more Swords and Sorcery)
3. Coast (with a view to what other category it fits)
4. Desert
5. Jungle
6. Steppe
7. Mountain
8. Desert
9. Urban (with a view to what other category it fits)
10. Forest
11. underdark

Looking at the maps we have this gives us broad blocks like this (and the numbers will be the numbers of scenarios I currently have.) Yes I have snuck Pellinore on the end it’s so detailed I’d want it a an option but not on the core continent as I think it could be overpowering.

So we have a continent with warm (wine growing) feudal regions (WFRP, Pendragon and C&S type scenarios) cut off from the spices of the desert and relying on caravans through the great forest (which is clustered with MERP Mirkwood scenarios and as well as more pioneer type OSR scenarios) for luxuries from the desert empires.

Sea travel is limited by pirates/ monsters/ rocs and going the long way round for spices by the more sword and sorcery places (where storm bringer and more freewheeling scenarios sit) is even more prone to piracy from freewheeling city states and barbarian kingdoms.

I’m in two minds whether to determine the relationships between scenarios in advance or sketch as I go. In either event we would end up with a ‘block map’ of scenarios like this for consistency but avoiding spending all the time mapping and trying to get say the details of Scatophagium and or Sanctuary geography to tally.

So what do you think am I completely crackers or is this a viable way to put together a campaign world ? How should I proceed ? How would you go about this?

In my insaner moments I think could you run multiple groups on this basis having them tripping over the aftermath of each other’s adventures?

Pink Gins & Googlies 9:2 Calm before the storm

A short session this week due to tech and kid issues

Speeding away from Axe Breaks the Cranford girls, Professor Armitage (played by Neil) and his students race down into the valley. Taking a sharp bend into the town of Flashman (names after the great Victorian hero.) Gwen throws the cars axel but saves herself and passengers from injury.

Getting out the car they set to work barraging the locals finding a handful of guns in the town and between the professor and locals digging equipping making a pit trap for the killer birds.

As they sit back from their labours with a well earned cup of tea they hear the crash of the Axe Beaks coming through the under growth.

Pink Gins & Googlies: Tour Match Sydney – Cranford old girls v Sheep Station XI

Following the adventure with the Crown Kookaburra of Crime Cranford Old Girls take to SCG to play a hoary handed set of women from NSW Sheep Stations.

The Australians win the toss (again!) with rip roaring confidence anchored by Irene Roberts scoring 67 make 211 runs to frustrate the visitors.

After a splendid tea the Cranford girls take to the field but disaster! A hat trick by Chapman in the third over despatches Gregson, Flashard and Devonshire for only 2 runs scored. Hope appears in Patrica Rebecca Harvey which as wickets fall stays in the centre scoring speedily with confidence making 102 not out before rain comes we’re despite her efforts the English as 167-7 and things weren’t looking good. Both teams retire to a hostelry for cricket talk and drinks.

SCORECARD

Sheep Station Shelia XI

Willow Harris b. Larwood. 2

Irene Roberts ct. Devonshire b. Larwood 67

Tori Morgan ct. Flashard b. Bouchet 0

Martha McKenzie b. Arkwright-Harris 37

Leah Patterson b. Larwood 31

Sally Fletcher ct. Flashard b. Lemichello 30

Kat Chapman b Lemichello 0

India Walker ct. Carstairs-Lomax b. Bouchet 1

Maryland Chambers b. Bouchet 0

Beke Taylor b. Arkwright-Harris 13

Rebecca Nash ct.Devonshire b. Bouchet 0

Extras (1b, 11lb, 1w, 3nb) 16

TOTAL 211

Cranford Old Girls XI

Aunt Agatha Gregson b.Chapman 0

Smasher Flashard ct McKenzie b Chapman 0

Gwen Devonshire b Chapman 0

Deborah Carstairs-Linacre ct Fletcher b Roberts 4

Patrica Rebecca-Harvey not out 102

Hettie Larwood b Chapman 8

Contessa Florence Lemichello lbw Chapman 4

Lady Lily Bouchet ct Fletcher b Taylor 37

Jemima Arkwright-Harris not out 0

Mavis Winthorpe (batting down order injured) didn’t bat

Lacey Steadmab didn’t bat

TOTAL 167

Rains stops play DRAW

Pink Gins & Googlies: Tour Match Perth – Cranford old girls v Gold Diggers XI

After the loss of Madge the Cranford old girls take to the pitch in low spirits to face a local team of hardy miner’s wives and sweethearts from the outback.

The locals win the toss and elect to bat. They make efficient if not starling progress and are helped by extras from unusually sloppy bowling by the rattled visitors. They make 161-4

When Cranford take to the field they make initial progress Aunt Agatha being very impatient with flashy fours being struck. However at the other end there is a collapse till Larwood and the Countess Lemichello try to stop the rot before being replaced by ‘rabbits’ Lady Bouchet and Tremoux who last till stumps but see the visitors make only 134 runs.

The Gold Diggers XI win by 27 runs a loss for tour girls !

Scoregirls

Gold Diggers XI

Dee Bliss. St. Tremoux b. Larwood 16

Sonya Rebecci. b. Larwood 32

Susan Kennedy b. Lemichello. 12

Paige Smith b. Lemichello 10

Elle Robinson Not out 38

Donna Freeman Not out 30

Gemma Ramsay

Libby Kennedy

Charlene Robinson

Madge Ramsay

Extras (b8, lb2, w13). 23

TOTAL 161

Cranford Ladies College Old Girls XI

Agatha Gregson Hit wicket b. Freeman 35

Smasher Flashard. b.Smith. 11

Gwen Devonshire. c & b Freeman. 3

D Carstairs-Lomax c Kennedy S b Freeman 0

Patrica Rebecca Harvey c Smith b Kennedy L. 9

Hettie Larwood b Smith. 25

Contessa Florence Lemichello runout (Harris / Smith). 16

Lady Bouchet not out

Edith Tremoux not out

Extras (b6, w15, nb3). 26

TOTAL. 134

GOLD DIGGERS XI win by 27 runs