DC Season 5 Championship

Troya Nova Imperials (1st place) vs. Riverton Gauntlets (2nd place)

The two best teams of Season 5 squared off in the Thaler Cup championship game. The only lineup difference for either club was that the Imperials swapped out playoff veteran Julus (2 goals in 5 career playoff games) for rookie sensation Dioscorus, who joined Tiarnan and superstar Agrippa in a formidable front line. These three forwards peppered Giles with shots, but the MVP turned everything aside until midfielder Tiberius blasted one past him. Shortly before the end of the first half, Gauntlets striker Joscelin tallied to make 1-1 heading into the break. In the second half, Dioscorus restored the Imperials' lead and Agrippa made it 3-1 a few moments later. The Gauntlets were unable to put much pressure on Troya Nova's keeper in the waning moments, and the game ended 3-1. The Imperials have won their first Thaler Cup!

DC Season 5 Playoffs

Season 5 is in the books! The biggest shocker, perhaps, was that the defending Thaler Cup champions, the Prifddinas Golden Dragons, failed to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history after fading down the stretch. The Caer Eurfryn Defenders also regressed, meaning that the Kingdom of Teyrnas had no representation in this year's postseason. The Riverton Racers and Liminia Navigators also missed out on the big dance. As for the teams that did reach the playoffs, here's how the first round turned out...

Semifinal 1: Troya Nova Imperials (1st Place) vs. Troya Nova Paladins (4th Place)
The Imperials wrapped up their second straight first-place finish and faced their intra-city rivals, the Paladins, who had returned to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus. Both teams were strong offensively, with the Imperials scoring a league-best 2.43 goals per game and the Paladins tying for second with 2.36. As it turned out, there was indeed a lot of scoring (well, for soccer, anyway!) in this game. Imperials midfielder Vigilius and Paladins striker Henricus traded first-half goals. In the second, stay-at-home defender Caelus tallied for the Imperials -- his first playoff goal to go along with his one regular-season goal in five seasons of play! -- to give the home team a 2-1 edge. Star striker Tiarnan added to the Imperials' lead, and his insurance goal turned out to be the game-winner when keeper Aleyn misplayed the ball and allowed superstar Belisarius to notch a late goal. It was too little too late for the Pallies, however, and the Imperials punched their ticket to the Thaler Cup championship game with a 3-2 victory.

Semifinal 2: Riverton Gauntlets (2nd Place) vs. Prospect Pioneers (3rd Place)

The Gauntlets reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history with a strong campaign that saw them in first place until the season's very last day; they ended up finishing second, but their +8 goal differential was the best of any team, and (thanks to League MVP goalkeeper Giles) they allowed just 1.57 goals per game, a half-goal better than the next-best club. Their opponents, the Pioneers, were middle-of-the-road in most statistical categories, but won a lot of games simply by outworking their opponents. The Pios were back in the postseason for the first time since a disastrous trade that sent Vico, a future MVP and Scoring Champion, to the Racers in exchange for a bag of balls. In this semifinal, the Pioneers' Remi scored a goal on the game's very first shot, a stunning turn of events in light of Giles's superlative season. The Gauntlets quickly righted the ship, however, and a late-first-half goal by Rafe and second-half tallies by Zefiro and Reimar helped them secure a 3-1 victory and a date with the Imperials in the championship game.

DC Season 5 Awards

Season 5 was a whirlwind! I played through it pretty quickly, but this campaign certainly didn't lack for dramatic moments or compelling storylines. Before we get to the playoffs, I'll pause to hand out the individual awards. For the first time ever, a goalkeeper has won the League MVP; Giles, top keeper for the upstart Riverton Gauntlets, snagged that trophy by posting a .878 save percentage (second-best was the Defenders' Primus at .845, while no one else broke .820). The Scoring Championship was a tie for the third time in five seasons; this year, the award was shared by Vico of the Riverton Racers and Belisarius of the Troya Nova Paladins, who each scored 11 goals -- one fewer than the single-season record of 12, set by Belisarius in Season 3.

Boomshakalaka!

Cross one off the bucket list! I've always wanted to own a stand-up arcade cabinet, and now, thanks to the good folks at Arcade1Up, I've got one! NBA Jam was perhaps my all-time favorite '90s arcade game, so it was an easy choice. 

Matthew and Nathaniel were kind enough to assemble it for me, and now I've got them hooked as well!

DC League -- Season 5

After wrapping up baseball, I'll be switching over to soccer on my Evercade. Up next is Season 5 of the league set in my Druid Cycle campaign world. Perhaps megastar Agrippa will finally get that elusive championship!

Season 11 Awards

We have our champions, the Canaries, so now let's see who won the individual awards for Season 11... 

Position Player MVP: Sam Thompson, Haymakers

This was no easy call. Resolutes right fielder Elmer Flick had a remarkable year, providing top-notch defense, speed, and a potent middle-of-the-order bat. The Canaries' Hugh Duffy was even better at the plate and rated as the league's top defensive center fielder. The winner, however, was Sam Thompson, who was not quite as solid defensively in right field as Flick, but he led the league in home runs with five (tying the single-season record) and total bases. In a season in which his superstar teammate Cap Anson was plagued by nagging injuries, Thompson almost single-handedly kept the Haymakers in playoff contention.

Pitcher MVP: Old Hoss Radbourn, Blue Legs

Needless to say, in a year when offense dominated, the pitchers really struggled. Only two were consistently excellent all season; John Clarkson of the Resolutes put up the second-best ERA among starters (3.18) and contributed more to his team's offense than perhaps all other pitchers combined, but the top hurler this campaign was Old Hoss Radbourn, who had a 6-1 record in 9 starts, led the league in ERA (3.08), and pitched his Blue Legs team into the championship series.

Playoff MVP: Ed Delahanty, Canaries

Jimmy Collins and Dan Brouthers were offensive juggernauts for the Blue Legs, and Canaries pitcher Mickey Welch posted a sparkling 1.59 ERA across his two starts in the series, but there's just no way this award could have gone to anyone but Ed Delahanty, who hit .437 in the four-game set, including three triples(!) and the series-winning home run in the tenth inning of Game 4.

Season 11 Championship Series

In Game 1, the Canaries hosted the Blue Legs. Old Hoss Radbourn, the likely Pitcher MVP, was the obvious starter for the Legs, while the Canaries opted for Mickey Welch. The game was scoreless until the fourth, when Billy Hamilton's RBI groundout gave the Birds a 1-0 lead. They would quickly surrender that edge after Nap Lajoie's sacrifice fly in the fifth. Jimmy Collins gave the Legs their first lead with a solo home run in the eighth. The Canaries managed to put pressure on closer Vic Willis in the bottom of ninth, but Willis somehow managed to wriggle out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam. As such, Game 1 was a 2-1 victory for the visitors.

Pud Galvin started for the Birds and Tim Keefe for the Blue Legs in Game 2. The Canaries were feeling the pressure to get a split before going on the road, so they came out swinging in the first inning. One batter after Ed Delahanty tripled, Honus Wagner hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Collins, who bobbled the ball, allowing Wagner to reach first safely and Delahanty to score. George Davis followed up with a base knock to plate Wagner, so it was quickly 2-0 for the Birds. The score remained unchanged until the sixth, when King Kelly doubled and Collins hit his second home run of the series to tie the game at two. In the ninth, with Al Spalding pitching in relief of Keefe, Wagner roped a one-out double. After Davis popped out, Hugh Duffy lashed a single that scored Wagner and gave the Canaries a walk-off 3-2 win.

The scene shifted to the Blue Legs' park for Game 3, with the same starters as the first game. In the opening frame, Wagner's double scored Roger Connor to give the Canaries an early lead. They added to that lead in the third when Delahanty tripled and scored on Connor's double. The Birds added another run on George Wright's sacrifice fly in the fourth, and still another on Delahanty's run-scoring single in the fifth. In the sixth, Lajoie tripled and scored on Kelly's sacrifice fly to give the Legs their first run of the game. Wright delivered his second sacrifice fly in the eighth to give the Canaries a 5-1 lead. In the bottom of that inning, with Rube Foster now pitching for the Birds, Lajoie drew a walk and scored on a triple by Dan Brouthers. Willis came on in the ninth and sent the Canaries down in order. The score was 5-2 in the bottom of the ninth. With runners on the corners and one out, Monte Ward hit into a game-ending double play. The Canaries now had a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

Hoping to clinch their second championship in franchise history, the Canaries knew the Blue Legs would not go down without a fight, especially on their home field. Keefe and Galvin, the Game 2 starters, got the draw for Game 4. Keefe was sharp in the early going, racking up strikeouts left and right. In the third, Delahanty tripled and later scored on a wild pitch. The next inning, Sam Crawford plated Brouthers to tie the game at one run apiece. The fifth inning saw the Birds take a two-run lead, first with Galvin's sacrifice fly and then Delahanty's run-scoring double. The Legs flipped the script in the sixth, with Collins driving in Brouthers and then Crawford driving in Collins. The score was 3-3 heading into the later innings; the pitchers were now Spalding for the Legs and Clark Griffith for the Birds. The game remained tied after nine, but Delahanty homered to lead off the tenth inning for a 4-3 Canaries edge. Griffith got two quick outs in the bottom of the tenth, but a double by Brouthers made things interesting. Kelly came to the plate with the Legs' season on the line, but he popped up to second baseman Wright to end the game and the series. 

Canaries win the title!

Season 11 Playoffs

I can't believe how quickly I played through Season 11 of my historical Strat-O-Matic baseball league. We've said farewell to the perennial contenders (the Haymakers) and last year's winners (the Resolutes), so now it's time for the championship series between the Canaries and the Blue Legs. After their scorching start, the Canaries ended up finishing 15-9 with a league-best +17 run differential and 4.88 runs scored per game. Their runs allowed of 4.17 per game, however, ranked third in the four-team league, just a hair's breadth worse than their opponents, the Blue Legs, who allowed 4.13 per game. Those similar figures resulted from wildly different approaches. The Canaries had so-so pitching and were the most successful when their starters could keep the ball on the ground and allow the team's top-ranked defense to make plays; as for the Blue Legs, they relied on strikeouts to limit contact, as their defense was tied with the Resolutes for the league's worst. Both teams hit a lot of home runs (13 for the Legs and 12 for the Birds), so it should be an entertaining series with the potential for some real fireworks!

Rounding Third

We're now at the three-quarters mark in my latest season of nineteenth-century ball. Offense is still the big theme of the season. Teams are now scoring 4.33 runs per game, down from the 4.96 at the one-quarter mark, but still well above last year's average of 3.55. The Canaries have cooled off after their hot start, but they're still leading the league with 5.00 runs per game -- unfortunately for them, they're also allowing a league-high 4.39 runs per game. The hottest team in the second half has been the Blue Legs, who now sit just a game back of the Birds. It may still be mathematically possible for the Resolutes or Haymakers to reach championship series this year, but I think it's a safe bet to say it will be Blue Legs and Canaries vying for the Season 11 title.

FCBD 2025

FYI, today is Free Comic Book Day!

2001: A Space Odyssey

Although Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy is probably my all-time favorite cinematic experience, I think the greatest movie ever made is 2001: A Space Odyssey. I was delighted to learn that there's a board game coming out soon! Here's the link: 2001: A Space Odyssey | The Board Game

Stars Aligned

The stars aligned this weekend -- well, a Boy Scout activity got postponed -- so I was able to run the introductory solo adventures for our new The Vanguard Saga campaign. Amy, Matthew, and Nathaniel all got to do their solo adventures yesterday and, as an added bonus, we had time for the first full-party session this evening. And with Tim W already deeply into his email-based adventure in this setting, it really feels like The Vanguard Saga is coming to life. It's my oldest fictional setting -- with characters I created way back when I was in elementary school -- but this is the first time I've ever used it in an RPG campaign.

The Season of Juice

I don't record a lot of data for my nineteenth-century Strat-O-Matic baseball league, so the individual games go by pretty quickly -- I can roll up two or three in an hour. After just a week of "real" time, I've already played through a quarter of the Season 11 schedule! With six games for each team now in the books, I can say that the recurring theme for this season is, without a doubt, offense. 

Thus far, teams are racking up an average of 4.96 runs per game, a significant increase over last year's full-season average of 3.55. The first-place Canaries (6-1) are leading the way with a staggering 7.67 runs per game. For comparison, that's more than two full runs per game above the record (5.24), set by these same Canaries way back in Season 4, their only championship year. Part of the Canaries' success has come from the long ball, as this team has hit more home runs (8) than the other three teams combined (7). What's up with the Canaries and, indeed, with the whole league? The players aren't juicing, the ball isn't juiced, so it really comes down to luck. I expect some regression as we move through the season -- or will the Canaries' luck hold out long enough to end their title drought?

5e SRD

There's a new version of the D&D System Reference Document that corresponds to the revised version of Fifth Edition. You can download it here.

Season 11

With a lot of things up in the air in real life, I've been hesitant to dive into any big gaming-related projects. Another season of Strat-O-Matic baseball seems like a good fit, as it doesn't require a lot of time or effort. I haven't given too much thought lately to these nineteenth-century baseball stalwarts, but it will be interesting to see if the hard-luck Canaries can finally end their drought and after watching the Haymakers, Blue Legs, and Resolutes all celebrate titles since the Canaries last won it all in Season 4. 

Superman Day

Apparently, it's Superman Day. Happy Superman Day to those who celebrate!

A New Generation

With a spiffy new Front Porch Multiverse spreadsheet and Cypher System stats for hundreds of characters from over a dozen past campaigns, I'm excited to take the next step and start the first campaign of this new era. Now that Amy and the boys and I have wrapped up the zombie-battling Dark Enigma game, we'll get going with The Vanguard Saga. This setting dates back to when I was a young child and is my oldest fictional universe, predating the Druid Cycle world by a decade or more. Every few years, I update the timeline as well as the major NPCs who drive the storylines. As of today, I have a lineup of twelve amazing characters who will help me introduce this setting to my family and provide us with hours of fun storytelling in the months and years ahead. I've also taken the time to create full-color models of these characters using Hero Forge, so everyone will get to see what they look like in high-res detail!

Hair Band

I feel like this board game was pretty much made for me...

The Game Goes On

This isn't gaming related, but it's very much on my mind. Today, a Putin-loving creep became the NHL's all-time goal-scoring leader. I'm reminded of a similarly dark day when baseball's all-time home-run record fell to a likewise loathsome character, although loathsome for very different reasons.

And yet, the game goes on. It's bigger than any one man or one record. But all the same...Auston Matthews, stay healthy and stay focused. You've got a job to do now, and we're counting on you.

Dungeons Pop

This is no April Fool's Day joke -- Dungeons Pop is on the way! This Kickstarter ended nearly two years ago, and the product is finally shipping. Can't wait to get my hands on this super awesome pop-up 3D terrain!