Knave 2e and RPG You Tubers

A while ago I backed the Kickstarter for Questing Beast Ben Milton's update to his simplified OSR RPG, Knave, but I've only just got around to reading the PDF through.  It is rather good.

Knave 2e is certainly not a simple product, a very great amount of thought seems to have gone into every page.  Both design and content.  It does however cut away a great deal of the chaff to leave an elegant set of rules and concepts that should give a really enjoyable game with a focus on old school exploration.

To brush up on the my DM tips, and campaign design knowledge, I've also been watching some of the many YouTube D&D channels, especially those related to Sandbox Campaign design and DMing advice.

Here is what I have found so far:

Questing Beast - all the latest from the OSR scene, plus Ben's excellent analysis on game design. Including these on Dungeon Crawling Rules, Nine Dungeon Design Secrets, Building Living Dungeons, and how to Stop Hiding Traps.

Matt Colville - the daddy of YouTube DMing advice, there is something for everyone here.  Matt's take on West Marches and Sandboxing brought the concept to a new audience.  This one on Dead Empires, the time abyss, and an endless decline is interesting too.

The Alexandrian - an extension of Justin Alexander's excellent blog advice

Master the Dungeon - Lots on traps and game design.  The videos on using Metroid and Legend of Zelda for dungeon design were interesting, as well as this one on using resources as keys.

Bob World Builder - Bob's infectiously cheerful approach to world building

Dungeon Masterpiece -  another lighthearted and entertaining, but often thought provoking, look at RPG DMing and Campaign building.  Here is the Baron's take on the Super Metroid approach and Random Encounter Tables.

Dungeon Craft - Professor DM has lots of great advice, I especially loved his B4 - The Lost City play through video.

Loki's Lair - has lots of game advice including a great video on using a hex flower for weather.

Map Crow - great stuff on designing and drawing maps

Trekiros - a new channel with an interesting video on Random Encounters.

Yinka - discusses world building concepts, including mistakes

Ginny Di - a more new school D&D channel but with lots of good ideas, high production values and a fun presentation style.

Dicebreaker - a more general gaming channel than the others but their OSR and OSE episodes were good explainers for the un-initiated new school players.

 On Tools, there is this video from LoreTeller and a link to their resource web page.

Hexcrawls, Hex Maps, & Sandboxes Hexed Press PlayList on YouTube 

How to Hexcrawl GFC D&D goes through the process they use.

Congo Merc Vehicles Update

I've managed to get some paint on a few of my Congo Crisis mercenary column vehicles.  The variety is helping create the 'Ommegang' eclectic look.

This first one is a Willy's jeep painted as part of 5 Commando and armed with a .50 cal browning MG.

Next up is another .50 cal armed jeep, this time for one of the French/Belgian units, probably part of 6 Commando.

For a bit of armour the Mercenaries have one of the former Malayan Ferret armoured cars.

Last up, so far is the Swedish SKPF with twin browning .30 cal MGs.  I've added some gear to the back of the truck.  Most are nondescript green boxes, probably ammo.  However, I also added a quiver of spears.  This is a reference to a candid admission by Mike Hoare in Congo Mercenary, that some of his troops carried bundles of spears to posthumously issue to unarmed 'rebels'.

I still have some die-cast trucks to re-paint and a 3d printed M8 Greyhound on order, for some heavier armour.  So, hopefully more updates before long.

SKPF Update

I have made some progress to my Terrängbil m/42 KP infantry fighting vehicle today.  Here is what it's meant to look like. 

 

Not really any major changes, just adding a few details to the nose and re-modelling the turret a bit but I think it does look better. 

I still think I need to add some stowage, a canvas and maybe a few more details like a water pipe for the the guns.

The Swedish White Elephant

One of the more unusual vehicles seen in the Congo Crisis battles was the Terrängbil m/42 KP in it's 1960s SKPF variant.  This was a Swedish made infantry fighting vehicle, initially deployed with the UN forces.

With the UNOC troop withdrawal some of these SKPFs were left behind and reconditioned by the Congolese Army for use against the Simbas.  Most famously as part of the 'Ommegang' advance on Stanleyville.

There appears to be a very nice 1/72 scale kit available if you can find one, but obviously that is the wrong scale for my project.  Amazingly, I found a 3d print model of one in 1/48.  It isn't perfect as it seems to be the standard SKP model not the SKPF variant but it's a very nice start, and much easier to modify than building one from scratch.  I will do a little re-working of the nose and turret plus add some stowage.

Here are some more pictures of the SKPFs in their ONUC 'white elephant' paint scheme.

Some Congolese Army

I've finished a few Congolese local troops for my Simba Rebellion project this weekend.  They are a mix of Mongrel miniatures Congo Mercenaries, Eureka Aden Emergency British and a TAG WW2 US Marine MG team.

There are quite a few head swaps using various heads from Empress, Perrys and Crooked Dice.

The general is a great character figure from the TAG Modern characters. 

These figures can serve as ANC regulars operating with the mercenary commando columns.

If things go to plan I will soon have some more vehicle pictures. 

Ferrets in the Congo

A little more Congo Crisis progress today.  This nice resin kit of a Ferret armoured car is from Empress Miniatures.  I have added a 1st Corps Para commander and a few kit-bashed stowage items to the front.

Ferret armoured cars were brought to the Congo as part of the Malayan contribution to the ONUC Forces but the vehicles were left behind with the Congolese Army when the UN pulled out in 1963. 

Several Ferrets were used by the Commando mercenary units and saw action against the Simbas in 1964-5.

I will paint this one up in ANC colours for the Simba rebellion phase of the fighting, so that it can be part of my 5 Commando column.

Congo Crisis Update

I have made a little new progress on my Congo Crisis forces.  First up, I have built two .50 cal armed jeeps.  The one of the left will be painted for 5 Commando, and the right-hand one for 6 Commando.

The vehicles were cheap 1/48 scale Willys Jeep plastic kits from eBay.  The gunners are from Brigade Games in the US.  In the left-hand jeep the diver and radio operator are 1st Corp WW2 Para jeep crew.  The driver has a head swap for a Westwind separate British para head.  On the right-hand jeep the driver is a Dixon miniatures WW2 US figure with a Mongrel miniatures merc head I had left over from a previous head swap.  The passenger is another 1st Corps para with an Empress miniatures Indochina French Bigeard head.

These figures are Aden Emergency British from Eureka miniatures with heads swaps.  The heads for the two in M1 helmets come from Empress Miniatures.  The figure at the back has  ahead from the Perry Natal Native Contingent pack.  I'm not sure if he will end up an ANC soldier or a Simba yet.  The figure on the left has a Crooked Dice head.

Previously I thought the Eureka miniatures would be too small to go with the Mongrel miniatures I have for most of my mercenaries but after head swaps they actually go quite well.  The rifles are very similar in size and that counts more as people vary in size but kits often doesn't.  The figure second from the left is a from the Eureka African Wars range, a ZANLA guerrilla.  I will use thees figures to make the better quality Simba units that were backed and trained by Uganda, Tanzania or the Cuban mission under Che Guevara.