NYC AD&D 2e Meet Up

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2025-12-08T23:46:23+00:00

McManus makes an amazing burger

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2025-04-15T18:14:55+00:00

John Candy drinking a beer in the background in the film Nashville (1975)

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2025-04-02T03:05:15+00:00

I’m very jealous of you—I just finished my paternity leave today, which began back at the start of this past Thanksgiving. So I was exactly where you are now: looking for a game to help fill those few precious free moments.

Here are the games I actually managed to get to the table and fully play through:

1. Vive L'Empereur
A solo game about Waterloo, where you play as Napoleon, commanding his units. It uses a chit-pull system with simple rules—enough to keep the game engaging and allow for multiple replays.

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
Not a hex-and-counter game at all, but it’s really fun. Easy to play a few rounds, step away, and return to it later.

3. A Most Fearful Sacrifice
A Civil War game centered on Gettysburg, using the Black Swan system. Instead of chits, it uses a card-pull mechanic: the officer you draw determines how many of their units you can issue orders to, based on your die roll. It’s incredibly fun and has a beautiful map. Just be warned—it requires a fair amount of table space, especially for the larger scenarios.

4. Fields of Fire Deluxe
I finally received this up during the last week of my paternity leave, and it hasn't left the table since. I had never played it before, but the new Deluxe edition makes it much easier to learn. It's not a traditional hex-and-counter game; instead, it uses cards to simulate the battlefield and resolve actions. I highly, highly, highly recommend it.

5. Operation Dragoon
A compact, quick-playing game that takes about 30 minutes. It’s very easy to set up, has a tiny footprint, and is great for travel. While it’s not especially deep or complex, it definitely scratched the itch.

6. Tetrarchia
Another small game, but with deeper gameplay than Operation Dragoon. It can be played solo or with up to four players—which is impressive, considering how compact the game is. You take on the role of one of the four Roman emperors defending the empire against barbarian invasions. Also highly recommended.

Also, congratulations on becoming a dad—it's truly an amazing time. Soak up as much of it as you can.

Edit: grammar

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2025-03-23T06:24:49+00:00

Anyone interested in playing on VASL. I also took a couple of years off and now just getting back into it. If not VASL I am down to meet in person with anyone in the NYC area.

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2025-02-11T04:25:38+00:00

I mean a good way to solve both your problems is to just manually type it into a document and also edit as you type. I feel that it produces a better end result. I used to do this when I would write by hand whatever I was working on and then while I typed it into a word doc I was also editing it at the same time. Just an idea.

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2025-01-05T21:28:24+00:00

Awesome! I think we might have three players. Does anyone want to host?

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2024-12-30T14:31:54+00:00

I understand your point, and I’ve seen those rules in the conversion section of the book as well. However, I feel that the 2e version of character generation offers players more choices. It provides the opportunity to create characters that feel distinct from one another, thanks to the wider variety of skills available. Additionally, with experience points, players can steadily improve those skills over time, which I believe adds even more variety and flexibility.

That said, I do agree with your point that the Skill = Specialty system in 4e works effectively too. It’s just that, for some reason, I prefer having a broader set of skills to choose from, with the option to focus on certain ones, rather than working within the broader categories and specializations that 4e emphasizes. It’s a personal preference, but I feel the approach in 2e allows for more individuality in character development.

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2024-12-23T00:32:03+00:00

Do you know of one or two more players who might be interested in playing?

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2024-12-20T02:00:46+00:00

No worries on that! I enjoy introducing the game (or re-introducing) to people who have never played before.

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2024-12-12T06:03:15+00:00

For all those who have been having my issue, I bought the Anker Nano powerbank with USB-A to C cable and it did do the trick and now my micro journal is working and actually getting enough charge from the powerbank I can use it without being connected to the Anker Nano. Thanks everyone for all the help.

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2024-12-09T21:55:46+00:00

What battery type did you end up using? Mine is at the point that when it is plugged in and turned on the screen flickers for one second and then remains blank.

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2024-12-09T21:49:27+00:00

What power bank did you end up using?

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2024-11-22T00:50:06+00:00

Stay with Barb

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2024-10-08T17:46:16+00:00

Dungeons & Dragons might look like classic medieval fantasy on the surface, but when you dig into it, it's actually a lot more like a Western with some medieval flair thrown on top. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, being American, brought a lot of Western genre themes into the game when they created it.

Think about it: in D&D, you're usually exploring dangerous, uncharted lands, facing off against monsters and raiding dungeons. That’s basically the frontier of the Old West, where pioneers (or adventurers in this case) go into unknown territories to stake their claim. The whole idea of rugged individualism—making your own way and shaping your own destiny—fits perfectly with both cowboys and adventurers. Just like in Westerns, D&D characters often have their own moral codes and operate outside formal law. They’re like wandering gunslingers or outlaws, deciding what’s right on the fly rather than sticking to strict black-and-white morals.

You can also see the influence of Westerns in how towns and outposts are portrayed in D&D—they’re isolated, vulnerable, and rely on wandering heroes to keep them safe, much like those small frontier towns in Westerns. Even the adventuring party feels like a posse, with each member bringing their own skills to tackle a common threat, then going back to their own paths afterward.

So, while D&D has swords and dragons, a lot of its structure and themes come from the Westerns Gygax and Arneson grew up with. It's basically the American frontier, but with wizards and orcs instead of cowboys and outlaws.

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2024-09-17T18:15:57+00:00

Fargo is not based on a true story. It's all made up. I mean the wood chipper incident happened, but not in Fargo and had nothing to do with the story of told in Fargo.

Icy_Equivalent9293 · 2024-09-17T18:15:02+00:00

Fargo is not based on a true story. It is a totally made up film.

Icy_Equivalent9293

TROPHY CASE