Rise of the Runelords

Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition

My first experience as Game Master for an RPG was running the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path for the Pathfinder Role Playing Game. I played for over two years with a group of friends, and we had some great adventures. Since it was my first experience as a GM, I often reflect on how I would run the various modules and encounters differently now that I know what I am doing.

This spring I created the opportunity to run this Adventure Path again when I gathered together some local friends new to Pathfinder and started another gaming group. We are currently at the very end of the Burnt Offerings module, and the games have been great fun so far. I am very excited to transition into The Skinsaw Murders and Hook Mountain Massacre, which I think are the best two modules of the Rise of the Runelords, though I have yet to run my first group through the final module, Spires of Xin-Shalast.

Rise of the Runelords is a great first-time experience for players and Game Masters alike because it includes many classic monsters such as goblins, ghouls, ogres, various giants, and dragons. The story is epic, and Sandpoint is a great base town with a large number of non-player characters and side quest opportunities.

Currently, I am thinking about expanding on The Pit and other locations in the Sandpoint Hinterlands to create an interconnected megadungeon below the entire area for the players to explore when they do not want to follow the main plot of the Adventure Path. I plan to use the Circle of Doom map from Dyson's Dodecahedron for The Pit itself, probably re-using it multiple times to extend the entire length of the shaft.

Frost Devil with Basecoat

Frost Devil with Basecoat

Here is the Frost Devil with basecoats of Frost Blue, Dragon White, Candlelight Yellow, Stone Grey, and Blade Steel. The undiluted paint adheres well to the Reaper Bones miniature, but I think my first layer might still have been too thick.

Next I will use distilled water to dilute my paints and add more layers to completely cover the miniature and create rich colors. Then I will need to do some touch-ups in the detailed spots near the eyes and claws.

I might do something slightly different with the spear. Currently, I have Frost Blue on the handle, but I might change that to Saddle Brown.





 
Here is the alligator from Family Dollar with some cheap primer and the first layer of some cheap acrylic paint. I did not want to waste my good Reaper Master Series paints on such a large piece, so I picked up some cheap acrylic paints at the local Hobby Lobby. I was lucky to find a set of ten acrylic paints with a couple brushes for less than three dollars. I mixed the green and brown colors along with some water to get the color currently on the alligator.

Family Dollar Alligator

Family Dollar Alligator

I found this alligator outdoor decoration at Family Dollar for less than two dollars. I think with some modest painting it will make for a cool giant or dire alligator.

First step will be to prime it with either black or grey spray primer. It is raining right now, so the priming will have to wait until tomorrow. I am thinking about rigging up a spray painting box in the basement though.

Next Painting Project

Frost Devil

This Reaper Bones miniature, the Frost Devil, is going to be my next painting project. First, I used Gorilla Super Glue to attach the head, left arm, and tail. Then I used a boiling water bath to straighten the spear and antennae of the miniature. Lastly, I used a soft bristle toothbrush and soapy water to wash the miniature, removing factory chemicals and skin oils.

Some blue sticky tack from Dollar Tree attaches the miniature to the bottom of an empty prescription drug container. This provides a nice handle for holding the miniature while I apply paint.

Very First Post

Vorvorlaka the Vampire

Welcome to the very first post of my new blog, "Dungeons for Breakfast." I plan to post about fantasy role-playing games, adventure modules, painting miniatures, and Appendix N inspirations.

I only recently started painting miniatures, and here are the steps I followed to paint Vorvorlaka as shown in the picture.

First, I applied basecoats of Runic Purple, Bloodless Skin, and Mountain Stone. I used Dragon White for the teeth, and I used a mixture of Monster Maw and Bloodless Skin for the mouth.

After adding several thinned layers of each of these paints, I applied several coats of thinned Black Wash, orienting the miniature in different directions to get the wash to collect in the recesses.

Next, I mixed Runic Purple with Dragon White to create a lighter shade of purple. I used this color to drybrush the miniature. Lastly, I used Testors Dullcote to seal the miniature. This is only the third miniature I have ever painted, and I am happy with the end result.