Where did the time go? aka Why no updates?

Well here it is late September and I haven't made a post since late June. Where has the time gone. Well it has gone to school and the baby. I forgot how hard it is to have an infant in the house. This last summer I stayed at home and took care of my son who is now 9 months old and since school started I've been swamped. I've been running my Stargate campaign but I've pretty much been using miniatures I already have painted for it. I haven't built any new terrain or painted any new miniatures.

I have been doing some game related creative things. I've been working with a small press RPG publisher on a modern zombie/monster/invader game that will be out soon. I've been doing photo illustration for the project.

Here is a small sample of the work I have done for that project:

If you want to see more follow this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/unit18_nate/sets/72157622379476500/

Resident Evil "Hunters" Episode 2 "Dr. Kruger's Labratory"

July 23, 1998 Raccoon City. Anya Fields and Meredith Hartwick of "Hartwick and Fields Investigations" are at their downtown office. It's mid afternoon when they get a visit from Eddy Williams. Eddy tells them he needs their help to recover incriminating evidence from Dr. Kruger's hidden lab before the police find it. Eddy intends to turn the evidence over to a news agency and he's afraid if the police get it that the Umbrella Corporation will use their lawyers to make sure the evidence never sees the light of day.



Eddy also tells them that Kruger was experimenting on the infected creatures in his private lab as well and that he doesn't know the condition of those creatures at this time. Eddy instructs the investigators to meet him at the McDonalds at 4th and Chestnut at 9pm so he can help them break into Kruger's lab.



Hartwick and Feilds decide to stock up on some supplies in case they run into more infected creatures. They pick up an extra shotgun and Colt 1911 and some ammo at a local pawn shop then they pick up some duct tape and flashlights at a department store. They also check a local map and notice that the McDonalds they are meeting at is within walking distance of Kruger's home.

Hartwick, Fields, and Eddy make their way through the escape tunnel and end up in Kruger's bunker at the far end from the lab. Eddy explains that he's most likely to find what he's looking for in the lab. The lights are out in the bunker and the switch doesn't seem to work. Good thing they all have flashlights.

Hartwick thinks she hears something in the room to her right. She opens the door carefully and shines her flashlight inside. The room appears to be a storage room and at the moment it is occupied by three zombies.



The creatures start moaning and shambling towards the investigator. Hartwick and Eddy start shooting and one of the creatures goes down.


Unfortunately their shooting has attracted the attention of another group of zombies who start shambling towards them from a room down the hall.


Not wanting to be attacked from both sides at the same time the investigators first finish off the creatures in the storage room.


They then turn their attention to the creatures coming down the hall. For whatever reason this group is moving very slowly. Two of the creatures are gunned down at range by Fields and Eddy while Hartwick finishes off the storage room zombies.


With all the gun fire another group of creatures surges out of the room at the far end of the hall. this group seems more determined than the last.


Hartwick, Fields, and Eddy shoot several creatures as they charge down the hall but two of the zombies manage to make it into hand to hand.


Hartwick takes out one of the creatures with a couple buffets from the butt of her sawed off 12 gauge but the other creature hits Fields and shakes her up.


The investigators manage to beat down the creature. For the moment things seem quiet again. Fields recovers from being shaken and they all decide to re-load their magazines before they continue.


As they move down the hall Eddy notices that the room to the chemical storage is half open. He decides to push it the rest of the way open and look inside. Not surprisingly there are several creatures inside.

Eddy tries to shoot the nearest creature but he misses and they charge him. The creatures hit him several times but fortunately for him do no damage.


Hartwick pushes into the fight and takes one creature out. Fields tries to help but can't get through the door.


The creatures attack wildly and score several hits but again do no damage to the investigators. Eddy and Hartwick manage to beat the zombies down. Eddy explains that the lab is the next door up on the right and that he thinks they should get in there and start looking for evidence. He's not sure if the lab had an alarm but he's afraid the longer they are down there the more likely it is that the cops will show up.


When they check the door they notice that it is slightly open. Hartwick carefully pushes the door open to find the room filled with creatures.


With amazingly accurate gunfire half of the creatures are gunned down before they even notice the investigators. The humans fall back into the hallway and continue to shoot as the other zombies advance.


Another creature goes down trying to get through the doorway but two of the creatures make it into hand to hand.



Fields is hit again and shaken up again. Hartwick is also hit but not hurt. The investigators fight back but don't take either creature down straight away.


After a bit more fighting one of the creatures goes down. Anya Fields manages to pull herself together and now it's three to one.


Zombies are tough but not that tough. The last creature goes down without inflicting any damage. Hartwick and Fields quickly check the remaining rooms and find no more creatures. Eddy manages to get the power back on.

Eddy starts downloading information from the computer while Hartwick and Fields search the lockers. Hartwick finds two more doses of T-Virus antidote and Fields finds an AK-47 with 3 full 30 round magazines. A further search of the complex turns up an Umbrella Corporation I.D. badge for a man named Bob Johnson and a first aid kit.

Eddy thanks Hartwick and Fields for their help and explains that he plans to take the evidence he found on the computer to a reporter he knows at the Raccoon City Times.

Note: This was part 2 of my Resident Evil campaign using the Savage Worlds rules. I know it seems like the heroes had an easy time of it but they really got lucky. The zombies got the worst initiative cards all but one round and they failed to wound with really bad die rolls.

Simple Complex: Part 2, Basic Paintjob.

Well I did a basic drybrush of grey over the black foamcore on my underground complex. I think it turned out pretty good since I am basically trying to go as generic as possible with these rooms to get maximum flexibility. I plan on building some more specific rooms in the future.

Of course I plan to add doors next.

Simple Complex

Well I've got some modern and Sci-Fi games I'm working on and I really wanted to do some game in some underground complexes. What I decided to do was make the basic set as simple as I could make it and also make it modular. By keeping it simple I can dress it up however I like and by making it modular I can get maximum flexibility out of it.

Here's what I came up with. This seven room complex is constructed from one 20x30 inch sheet of black foamcore. The basic complex after construction. I will be painting everything grey inside and outside the rooms. The hallway is just one 2 inch wide strip of foamcore and the end of the hallway is just a simple 2x2 inch square with a 1x2 inch rectangle glued to the back of it to hold it up.

The doorways are all 1x1.5 inch which is large enough to fit the average 28mm figure on a Games Workshop round infantry base. Of course figures with larger bases or exaggerated poses won't fit but it's easy enough to just set them on the other side of the door if need be.

And this is basically all I needed to put the complex together. A ruler; pencil, ex-acto knives, tacky glue. That's also all the foamcore I had left over.

These next two pictures show two different combinations. Keep in mind making new hallways is as simple as cutting 2 inch strips of foamcore.

I think I'm going to try to add to this complex 1 sheet of foamcore at a time. The sheets only cost a little less than $4.00 and perhaps another couple dollars worth of materials. Heck even if you didn't have anything to do this project with you could probably get all the materials and tools for less than $20.00.

Next update will be basic painting.

Resident Evil "Hunters" Episode 1 "The Farm"

July 21st 1998, in the Arklay Mountains just outside Raccoon City. Anya Fields and Meredith Hartwick of "Hartwick and Fields Investigations" are investigating the disappearance of Eddy Williams an employee of the Umbrella Corporation. They have been hired by Mary Ann Williams, Eddy's mother, who was unable to get help from the police due to the high number of missing persons incidents reported in the mountains over the last few days.

They have learned that Eddy worked as a lab assistant for Dr. Gordan Kruger who was a research scientist at one of the Umbrella labs in Raccoon City. Kruger had been fired over a month prior and was wanted by the Raccoon city police department for failing to appear in Cort to answer charges regarding alleged grave robberies. Eddy had disappeared the same day Kruger was fired.

Fields and Hartwick searched Eddy's apartment and found a strange address in one of his jacket pockets. It was for a property that lay just south of Arklay Mountains State Park. They went to investigate but were quickly ran off the property by an armed man. The next day they broke into Dr. Kruger home where they found Eddy's car in the garage. In the office they found a receipt for a chemical delivery at the same property they had investigated earlier. They decided to try and sneak onto the property again at dusk.

Note: This is a Savage Worlds game I'm running for my wife and daughter. Hopefully it will become an ongoing campaign.


July 22 1998, Dr. Kruger's Farm at dusk.


Hartwick and Fields hop a fence on the northwest side of the property and head towards the house and barn.


They spot an armed man patrolling the grounds.


And a group of strange shambling figures.


The armed man also notices the creatures. "Holy crap Zombies!" The man fires at the shambling creatures.


Drawn by the sound of gun fire the creatures move in on the man.


Hearing the commotion outside Dr. Kruger and another armed man come out to see what's going on. When they see the creatures they open fire.


With the villains distracted Meredith Hartwick sneaks into the barn and finds Eddy Williams handcuffed and locked in a cage.
Note: Eddy as actually in a cage but I didn't have a cage to put him in so I just used some plastic corral pieces to represent the cage.


Outside the situation is looking dire for Dr. Kruger gunman. More creatures close on his position and several creatures Kruger had caged up start trying to escape.


Hartwick begins to try and pick the padlock on Eddy's cage while Fields watches her back. Anya Fields ask Eddy "What are those creatures and why does Kruger have some of them caged up outside?". Eddy explains that they are people who have been infected by the T-virus which was a virus engineered by the Umbrella Corporation. Kruger has developed some kind of psychic powers and he's trying to use his powers to control the creatures.


Dr. Kruger and Rodrigo the gunman continue to shoot at the creatures killing a few of them but the creatures keep coming.


Kruger's gunman Joe decides to flee into the barn as the creatures over run his position. He's quite surprised to find two strange women trying to free Eddy Williams. "Who the Hell are you?" he ask.


Outside in the Yard the fenced in creatures break free.


Hartwick and Fields try and convince Joe to give them the keys to Eddy's cage but he refuses and the women are forced to resort to violence. With the creatures trying to get in the back doorway Hartwick decides to put up a quick barricade.


Fields searches Joe's body and finds a set of keys as well as an extra magazine for his Colt 1911 and a 50 round box of .45 APC. Fields uses the keys to free Eddy then she gives him Joe's gun and the spare ammo.


At the house Dr. Kruger and Rodrigo are forced to fall back as the creatures advance.


Unfortunately for them the sound of gun fire has drawn the attention of another group of creatures who emerge from the woods on the edge of the property.


With a surprising burst of speed the newly arrived pack of creatures attack Rodrigo.


Rodrigo is beaten down and devoured on the spot by the ravenous creatures. Dr. Kruger is horrified and flees in the direction of his truck.


Meredith Hartwick continues to shoot at the creatures who are trying to get through the windows and over her barricade. The she has an idea. She sees a barrel of gasoline near the door. She kicks it over and knocks the cap off letting the gas spill out of on barn's stone floor as she makes her way out the front of the barn.


Anya Fields and Eddy William run for the truck only to find Dr. Kruger is also trying to use it to escape. Enraged Eddy shoots at Kruger but only manages to graze him and shake him up a bit.


Hartwick shoots the barrel of gas as she flees the barn causing it to explode engulfing the creatures trying to make their way into the back of the structure. The blast knocks her down and shakes her up a bit but she is otherwise unharmed.

Note: Of course it's highly unlikely that a person could ignite gas with a gun shot but this game is based on a video game/movie so I allowed to it to work although it cost the player a benny.


Several creatures round the corner of the house near the truck. Kruger tries to flee again and used a psyonic attack against Eddy which stuns him. Fields bocks Kruger's path and holds him at bay with her gun.


Unfortunately this gives the zombies a opportunity to charge. Eddy and Kruger fight against the creatures in a vicious hand to hand. Fields looks for a shot but can't take one without putting Eddy's life in danger.


Kruger unleashes another psyonic blast this time at the creatures stunning several but he is himself stunned by an attack as he tries to pull free of the combat.


The fight heats up! Eddy and Fields back up and begin shooting at the hoard of creatures. Hartwick also stands up and starts shooting. They kill a few but not enough. The creatures surge forward and again overtake Kruger who is wounded by a savage bite.


Kruger finally manages to break free. With a combination of gun fire and psyonic attacks the hoard of creatures is slowly whittled down.


Behind the farm house another creature rises. Rodrigo howls in in a hungry rage as he shambles off towards the sounds of combat.


Seeing the survivors Rodrigo charges but is gunned down. Unlife is so unfair.

Eddy and Hartwick gun down the last creature near the truck expending the last rounds in the magazines.

Kruger, exhausted by the combat surrenders to the others but explains that he needs to recover a case of T-Virus antidote from his house. Hartwick escorts Kruger inside and recovers the antidote while Eddy and Fields start the old truck.

Kruger administers one dose of T-virus antidote to himself. With no more creatures in site the survivors drive back into town.

The End.

Next Episode: Outbreak