Pathfinder: Ride and Grapple Reference

The rules for grappling and mounted combat in Pathfinder are often less than clear. While an improvement over D&D 3.5, grappling is still presented in a confusing manner which often leads players and GMs to avoid using it entirely. To remedy this, I wrote the following guide for one of my home games several years ago. While it was tempting to streamline the rules further, I stuck with the rules as written here. If formatted in columns, it should fit on a single page for convenient reference.

CAV: Combat Assault Vehicle

KDM Jaguar CAV, painted by Kyle Killingsworth

CAV (Combat Assault Vehicle, the mecha which dominate the battlefield of the 23rd century) is a science-fiction miniature wargame produced by Reaper Miniatures. I absolutely love this game: the associated models are outstanding, with a unique and consistent aesthetic; it has a great setting; and the second edition rules have an elegant simplicity which belies the complexity achieved in play. Gameplay is quick, allowing for dozens of models per side (unlike a certain better-known mecha game), and supports a combined arms approach where vehicles, infantry, and aircraft also have important roles to play.

I'll be posting a variety of CAV content in the future, but first, I wanted to share what I know of the (somewhat turbulent) history of the game. I should note that the only edition I have actually played is CAV Second Edition, released in 2007. My knowledge of the original game is gathered from posts on the Mil-Net and Reaper message boards, as well as personal accounts of long-time players.

Pathfinder Monster: Warpstar

To complement the recently released interview from the Here Be Monsters contest, I wanted to take another pass at the Warpstar following the feedback from the judges and voters.

Vil's Game Improvements: Total War Shogun 2

As this is my first post regarding computer game modding, some background is probably in order. My introduction to modding came with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. I'd come back to the game after experiencing disappointment with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and started by downloading some mods to improve the graphics and gameplay. One thing led to another, and inside of a week I was designing my own mods for Morrowind and other games.

Pathfinder Race: Stoneborn

The stoneborn are a race that I developed for use in my home setting. Though they share some features with the archetypal fantasy dwarf, my goal was to emphasize their non-humanity, encouraging players to think beyond "short bearded human". While they could be used side-by-side, I would generally recommend choosing one or the other given their mechanical similarities. 

Stoneborn

Literally carved from rock and imbued with life by a mysterious gemstone, stoneborn are an enigma to the other mortal races. They are known as vicious protectors of their underground cities and frequent wanderers, though they are often reluctant to give a reason why.

Welcome to Vil's Workshop!

Hello, and welcome to Vil's Workshop! After my recent selection as a finalist in A Sword For Hire's Here Be Monsters contest, I decided to start this blog to serve as a central location for sharing my gaming projects. I'll be posting on a variety of topics including, but almost certainly not limited to:

-content for the Pathfinder RPG

-design work on my home RPG setting and rules

-design work on CAV 2 (sci-fi tabletop wargame by Reaper Miniatures)

-painted and kitbashed miniatures

-battle reports and reviews

-mods for TESIII: Morrowind, TESV: Skyrim, and Shogun II: Total War

I'm excited to finally share some of these projects, and I hope you find them fun and useful!