Laser Ponies Review - Gateway Game for Girls?
"Feel the Pony Power! On a faraway magical world, in the heart of Glitter Valley, there lives a tribe of beautiful creatures known as the Laser Ponies." - Hex Games Website
Hex games created this very simple RPG in 2009. Laser Ponies is aimed at very young players, but it is still a pen and paper RPG that requires basic math skills and reading ability. I'd suggest it for ages 7 and up. I happen to be running an X-rated convention game for adults, but that is just because I'm very broken. Using the NORMAL setting for Laser Ponies makes for a fun, family-friendly, imaginative gaming experience.
Cost – 10/5
Yes, Laser Ponies gets a 10 out of 5 for cost. How is that possible? The PDF costs $1.99... YES, ONE DOLLAR AND NINETY-NINE CENTS! You get a complete RPG game for less than a cup of coffee at the trendy, overpriced location of your choice. Your dice cost more than this whole RPG.
You can buy the PDF at DriveThru RPG and you get all the information you need to run a Laser Ponies game from the single book. The Quick Start rules are in the back of the book and give you an easy run-down of character creation and combat.
Setting – 4/5
As a female gamer, I am thrilled that this game exists. I think it's a great gateway RPG (drug) for kids, ESPECIALLY HORSE-CRAZY LITTLE GIRLS! I would have loved playing this RPG between my weekly riding lessons. I am (correctly) stereotyping girls, but I think games like this one are the way to increase the number of females gamers. Get 'em into the hobby while they're young! Boys are sure to enjoy this system too because there are monsters, bears, and friggin' laser beams!!
The premise is really simple and sweet. Very sweet. It will give any adult cavities. It's a great game for kids though and harkens back to the simpler times of Candy Land... but with lasers. The ponies live in a magical world called Panagonia. Their homes are in Glitter Valley, which is a peaceful but surrounded by scary forests and some mountains. The bears and monsters are the enemies of the ponies, while the beavers and badgers are their allies. The only human is the evil Chasm Queen who is basically the big boss the ponies need to take down.
Again, it's a game for kids. I've had a lot of fun twisting it to my dark purposes for my adult convention game, but it really is a cute setting for kids.
Note: The game even comes with tables of story ideas, so young GMs can have some helpful ideas of where to take their game. What a great idea!
Character Creation – (5/5 Customization) (4/5 Ease)
Character creation is very simple, and the Quick-start guide in the back of the Laser Ponies book can easily take you through the process. It only takes about 5 minutes to roll up a character, and even less if you are an adult. It's really simple. I do suggest that you help kids during character creation, simply to because the reading level of the directions might be a little high for the average 7-year-old... Sorry! Your kid is not average! I get it! They are the next Einstein... help them the first time through anyway.
There is a high level of customization available in this game through the use of "gimmicks". You can give your pony any perks you want, magical or mundane. The book gives amazing speed, invisibility, prophetic dreams, lucky, and many other examples of good gimmicks. The higher your gimmick level, the more likely that you will succeed in your roll. However, your gimmick level is equal to your weakness level. Weaknesses have to be something that majorly impacts the character, such as bad aim, unpopular, phobias, smelly, etc. Your pony might have incredible powers, but they are no good to him/her if nobody will get within 100 yards of them because they have a habit of sleeping in their own manure. The more powerful the gimmick, the more powerful the weakness.
These gimmicks and weaknesses are approved by the GM to insure they aren't going to ruin the adventure. It's really fun coming up with ideas for these and I can picture kids having a blast during the character creation phase. Plus, you get to name and design your pony!!! Mine may or may not have been named Sugar Cube and had little Pegasus wings...
Combat – (5/5 Speed) (4/5 Ease) (5/5 Fun)
Combat is very fast and simple and reminds me of Wild Talents in many ways. It's split into rounds, but there is no specific amount of in-game time in a round. The GM makes the call if something really complicated takes multiple rounds. The GM goes around the table and each player declares their action, then the GM has everyone roll in the order that makes the most sense depending on the actions. It's a d20 system, if the player rolls less than or equal to the characters number, the action succeeds. There are exceptions and specific circumstances where the rules get a little more complicated, but not much. It's very quick and can be very fun since players get to imagine their own attacks instead of using preset attacks from a book.
I gave Laser Ponies a 4 out of 5 for ease because kids will need some help reading and understanding the directions. It's very simple and kids will catch on very quickly. I highly suggest teaching them in-game instead of reading through the rules with them and trying to make them understand from the text alone.
From the pony's mouth...
You may think my scores are very forgiving, and you are right. No, I would not choose to play Laser Ponies over Wild Talents or other systems aimed at adults... unless I wanted to have a game night with my god-daughter Allegra. Laser Ponies is perfectly tailored to its chosen demographic. I highly encourage my fellow nerds to pick up a copy to share with their young kids. It's well worth the $1.99, even if you only play it once. It might turn your Bratz-doll-loving daughter into a tabletop gamer.
If you'd like to try the Laser Ponies system with a more adult setting, I suggest you pick up the Q.A.G.S. (Quick Ass Game System) book. It is the basic system that Laser Ponies is built around, but is much more in-depth. I bought and flipped through the QAGS book and was really amused by it's writing and illustrations, but I haven't studied it at length. It is available from DriveThru RPG for $7.99 and includes more detailed options for point-based characters and advanced player combat.
DC's New 52 & the JLI
I've been very sick this week, so what's a girl to do when she's under the weather? Catch up on her comic books while sipping tea and eating soup. Of the many comics revamped for DC Comic's New 52, I've stuck with quite a few: Wonder Woman (duh), Justice League, Justice League International, Aquaman (shut up, it's really good), Batgirl, Huntress, Nightwing, Batwoman, Teen Titans, Birds of Prey, Justice League Dark (still think it needs a better name), I, Vampire, and Green Lantern New Guardians. What can I say? I spend a lot of money on comics.
You may have noticed that I am still buying all the Justice League titles. I have been a huge JL fan for as long as I can remember. I bought Justice League America, Justice League Europe, Justice League International, and even the short-lived Justice League Task Force religiously for many years. No matter how bad it gets, I'll probably keep spending my money on anything JL related. I'm very loyal... or a sucker.
I am loving JL Dark. It's well written and I'm having a blast seeing John Constantine and Zatanna share the pages of a comic. The restarted Justice League is interesting, but it's lacking in some personality. I hope they start to develop the characters more. I also really hope they start aligning the characters with what is being published in their solo titles. The Aquaman and Wonder Woman of the solo titles do not mesh with what is showing up in the pages of JL. They finally synchronized their Wonder Woman designs at least in the last issue of Justice League.
The JLI is where I'm having serious problems. I really like the characters. Booster Gold has always been a favorite of mine. I've been wondering what kind of leader he'd be since he tried to spearhead the corporate sponsored super team The Conglomerate back in 1990. I think he will be very capable eventually, and I look forward to watching him grow into the leader the JLI needs.
However, more than a leader the JLI needs more meta-human POWER. They are seriously underpowered. If Ice is one of your heavy hitters, you know you're in big trouble. I really appreciate the "international" collection of superheroes they rounded up. It's nice that the team isn't comprised totally of Americans and extra terrestrials, but couldn't they have come up with more powerful political correctness? Hell, the characters even joke about it in the first comic. I don't understand why the Teen Titans (at this point a rag-tag bunch of kids who are just hanging out together for safety) are ALREADY so much more powerful than an international, hand-picked team of proven superheroes.
However, despite this major flaw, Justice League International is really fun to read. DC is doing a GREAT job with the characters and the dynamics of the team. Godiva is a huge flirt with a crush on Booster, and it's a good thing her character is interesting because moving hair isn't exactly a JL level superpower. Booster is his same self-promoting showoff, but he really seems to want to become a good leader. Then there is my favorite unlikely duo, Fire and Ice. I've loved them since they joined the Justice League ages (and many costumes) ago. Then Red Rocket returns to the team with the added bonus of August General in Iron from China. These two veteran warriors clash due to the competitive nature of former communist nations. Then there is Vixen to add a little more of an "international" look to the group. Add a dash of Batman to the mix (because it seems he has to be in EVERY New 52 title...) and sprinkle with a bit of Guy Gardner and there you have it! The JLI! Full of drama, ego, flawed characters, and sketchy motives. It's really fun to read, even if you don't really believe they'd be able to save the world.
Sif Update
MY HEADPIECE ARRIVED!!!! WOOHOO! Ahem... but more on that at the end of this post...
My Sif cosplay project is coming along nicely. It seems there are never enough hours in the day, but I'm checking things off my list whenever I can. I am getting more and more excited about this project as I see it coming together. I really resemble Sif physically and think this could really be an attention getter at WonderCon and ComicCon.
The leg armor is still being reshaped, slowly but surely. I have a few adjustments to make on it, but it's looking better and better! I'm still deciding what buckle design to go with, there are so many choices!
I have all of my fabrics and have started cutting. I'm very happy with my choices, but again, I'm stumped. I love the fabric that I got for Sif's cape, but I can't decide if I want to line it with white or red. The red is more accurate for the character, but the white will make the rest of the outfit stand out more. The comic geek and the costumer inside me are at war over this. Right now the comic geek is winning. We will see...
Top to bottom: Fur for Sif's cape, red yummy fabric for Sif's cape, white leather for Sif's skirt, red imitation leather for different cosplay
The big news is that my Sif headpiece arrived!! I'm so excited! It's always very nerve-wracking for me to have pieces commissioned. I'm a huge perfectionist and don't like handing control and money over to someone else. I procrastinated for months before I finally bit the bullet and got in touch with a leather craftsman from the SCA. I originally asked for white because I assumed it would be easier to get than silver. WRONG. Evidently, silver leather paint is easier and lasts longer than white. So with very specific directions and many emails in the last few weeks I signed the most important piece of this cosplay off to a total stranger.
And damn am I happy with the results!
An Asgardian goddess is born!
I'm taking pictures as I tackle the cloak/cape. I'll post info on that when there is more to see.
Raya Yarbrough & Bear McCreary Performance
Bear McCreary is a very talented composer who is best known for his work on the rebooted Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead. He is also plays the accordion, which is the coolest instrument in existence. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I was invited to an intimate performance of Bear's at a local restaurant. Both the fangirl and the musician in me were giddy. I was very excited when he came out an announce the title of the show, North of Sunset, West of Vine, and then sat down at the piano. At that point I still assumed that Bear would be the main event of the show, but I was very wrong.
Raya Yarbrough, also known for her musical contributions to BSG, was the star of this performance. I came expecting the usual jazz club formula, but this show was something completely unique. An autobiographical story told through a combination of clever monologues and incredible music. Raya performed both acts (yes, BOTH... there were two of them) by seamlessly transitioning from spoken storytelling to singing, and then back again. The spoken parts are impeccably performed, with an instrumental soundtrack that accompanies every event and emotion that Raya portrays.
Raya's frank honesty about her experiences growing up in urban Los Angeles can be shocking. She does not sugarcoat the difficulties she faced as a young woman or the inappropriate situations she was placed in as a child. Her performance is so compelling that it is impossible not to be completely captivated by every moment. Her experiences are varied, but they speak to the human element in us. Whether it be her aspirations for success in Hollywood, her struggles with the instability of divorce as a child, or the descriptions of the colorful characters who kaleidoscope through her life, everyone will relate to something in Raya's story.
I was caught completely off guard by how invested I became in Raya's story. I had expected some great songs with the traditional segues and banter with the audience in between. Instead, I found myself so involved in the story that I sometimes forgot to clap at the end of songs (despite how amazing they were) because I was anticipating what she was going to say next. I was even moved to tears during one especially poignant song about a shabby, yet joyful Christmas in a single dad's apartment.
Raya was spellbinding. Even the presence of a famous Sci-fi composer playing an accordion (again, the coolest instrument in existence) hardly pulled my gaze from her. That's about the best praise I could possibly give a person. No really, she was fucking amazing. Plus, she cites Jem and the Holograms as a musical influence. You can't beat that.
Look for upcoming performance dates and learn more about Raya at rayayarbrough.com or on Twitter @RayaYarbough.
Sif's Leg Armor
My first cosplay of 2012 is going to be Lady Sif, lover of Thor in the Marvel Universe. Although I'm a DC fangirl usually, I've always liked the concept of Sif and am very similar to her physically. Also, Jaimie Alexander (who played Sif in the Thor movie) was at my house for a photo shoot a few months ago. I took it as a sign from the Asgardian gods that I should cosplay Sif this year.
I will be using the red leather corset that I made for my Wonder Woman outfit. The most challenging piece is the leg armor, so I started on that first. I bought a pair of dirt-cheap, $30 tassets from an online store. For anyone who doesn't know what a tasset is, they are worn like this:
and here is what Sif looks like:
Not exactly what I needed, but a good start. The first thing I needed to fix was the color. The tassets I got were imitation (CHEAP) leather with many imperfections and this horrible cherry red color. That is not the Sif I'm going for. I want to make a realistic, leather clad warrior, not a cherry red snow bunny with a sword.
Step 1: Fix the color. I used shoe dye to change the color and then used shoe polish to bring out the imperfections and darken the edges. This aged the material and made it shine like real leather. The original color is on the right and the new look is on the left. I have since done another coat of the shoe polish, so they are even darker now.
Step 2: Add straps and remold the "leather" so they will strap to my legs like Sif's armor. Tassets are flat, but I needed mine to strap to my legs and be form fitting. First thing I did was visit my friendly local Goodwill store and buy a leather purse that matched my re-purposed tassets. This purse's straps and buckles became the straps that will hook around the back of my leg and hold the armor on me. Not bad for $4.99. To remold the leather I sprayed it with rubbing alcohol (best thing to stretch or change the shape of colored leather) and wrapped them closed with strips of fabric. Then I shoved them between my couch cushions for the night to make sure they stayed curled in a leg shape. I sprayed them about 3 times before I went to bed.
And... DONE!
Ok, not totally done, but very close. I think I will have to use the rest of the purse to create a garter belt to help support their weight before I finish the costume.
Laser Ponies RPG
For the next Strategicon gaming convention, my friend Casey and I decided to run a game called Laser Ponies. No, I'm not kidding. It's an actual RPG game that you can buy. It was mentioned in the first season of the Happy Jack's RPG podcast (which I often host) and has been a running joke since then. We thought it was a great idea to design and run an X-rated Laser Ponies game.
What can I say? We were very, very drunk at the time. Never promise to GM a crazy game on-air during a live podcast when you are inebriated. Trust me.
I don't want to give too much of the story away, but I did want to comment on the PDFs we bought to run this game. We bought the Laser Ponies PDF and the QAGS System PDF from Drivethru RPG. The Laser Ponies book is less than $2 right now, and you can actually run the game entirely from this book. You will also be able to enjoy the amazing artwork that comes with this book...
Stop laughing! I'm not kidding! It is really a system book!
The QAGS (or Quick Ass Game System) book is one of the most entertaining system books I have ever read. I know that isn't the hardest thing to do, but it is very funny at times. It starts with the very basics and moves on from there.
Actual image from the QAGS Book
The system is pretty simple and can work for any setting. I haven't play tested our game yet, so I will hold off on my review until I've run something with it. However, I will say that for under $10 you can get both of these PDFs, get drunk, and have a lot of fun coming up with insane ideas for the most warped Pony-verse ever.
Wonder Woman Armor
The most difficult part of making a good Wonder Woman outfit is the armor. It can make or break the whole outfit. No matter how much time and effort you put into the corset and star-spangled-underwear, if your armor is obviously spray-painted cardboard nobody will be impressed. Being the over-achiever that I am, I wanted my armor to be made of real metal. This would be impossible for most first-time cosplayers, however I have worked at Renaissance Faires in California for over 10 years. I know more than my fair share of blacksmiths, leather workers, and armorers. So I put word out on the dust filled streets of Faire in 2011 that I wanted Wonder Woman armor made...
These are the people I choose to spend time with...
... and the amazing Jacques Louis David answered my call. Jacques is an artist and should become very, very famous someday. He makes armor at fair, but his most recent passion is for metal sculpture and installation pieces. He also happens to be a comic and Wonder Woman fan. We met a bunch of times to discuss "the plan" and he was kind enough to hold my hand through the whole process. I know a lot more about armor than your normal (late) 20's California girl. I own a collection of swords and used to train horses for a jousting company, but Jacques' knowledge blew my mind and made me consider things I hadn't even realized were possible. Over beers and burgers, we came up with our design. I had bought a belt at a Thrift store, so that was not something we needed to worry about. We figured out that I needed the tiara, eagle chest piece, bracers, and greaves. If you ever want to commission metal work, talk to Jacques.
For my gladiator type Wonder Woman, I chose to replace the boots with greaves which are basically metal shin guards. They would be much more functional than knee-high boots in an actual battle. I could also lace them on and get a similar look to the era where Wonder Woman wore sandals.
50s Wonder Woman and the greaves for my Wonder Woman
I went with the eagle design for the chest piece because it made the most sense for a real warrior to wear an animal symbol. Although I love the W design, it didn't really fit with the image I was going for in this costume. This was easily the hardest piece of the project.
We needed the eagle to be fitted to my...ahem... chest. That meant that Jacques needed something the shape of my chest that was hard enough to bang... I mean hammer against. We made a plaster mold of me wearing a corset (the same corset I patterned the Wonder Woman corset from). Jacques then took this shell and made a body-double of me made out of really hard plaster. That gave him the surface he needed to hammer out an eagle in the shape of my boobs.
Wrapped up in getting plastered...
The eagle (upside down) in process
After forming the steel (which is armor grade), brass was added to give a hint of the traditional Wonder Woman costume. The same was added to the grieves and the tiara. The only pieces that are only polished steel are the bracers, which are such thick steel the could probably really deflect bullets. I added laces on those to continue with the theme.
The power of the DC Universe - SDCC 2011
I am incredibly happy with how everything turned out. The metal pieces look amazing and really wow the crowed when I wear them. I really hope that SOMEONE in a film studio sees this someday and realizes that if a middle school teacher can do this in her spare time, they can do an even better job for a feature film.
Bringing an Amazon to Life
When I put my mind to something, very little can stop me. Common sense and logic were completely forgotten with this intense labor of love. I spent way too much money, way too much time, called in a lot of favors, and had a few near-breakdowns, all in the name of bringing an Amazon to life.
For months I studied Wonder Woman cosplay pictures online. Many of them were very, very good. However, I noticed that most were based on the 4-color comic book idea of Diana. While I love that image, I wanted to bring a Christopher Nolan-style Wonder Woman to life. I wanted a REAL amazon, with REAL armor. This would be outside the realm of most first-time cosplayers, but (lucky for me) I'm a nerd. After working at Renaissance Faires for over a decade (fuck, has it really been that long???) I've made some really talented friends.
The first thing I needed was a concept. I've always thought that the bathing suit look was fine in the comics, but I can't really picture anyone wearing it to fight crime in the real world. I have always liked the skirt option for Wonder Woman, and there are many renditions of her in Gladiator-style Roman skirts. Since these actually functioned as clothing for real warriors in centuries past, that's the option I went with. To do it right, I'd need real dyed leather and real molded steel. This was going to become a much larger project than I had ever planned for...
... but damn am I proud of the results...
Debuted at Comic-Con San Diego 2011
I will be posting specific breakdowns of the creation of the armor and sewing the leather pieces another night.
Zatanna Cosplay
Like many Zatanna cosplays, this outfit was more an adventure in finding pieces and altering them, rather than creating things from scratch. I had already begun work on my Wonder Woman cosplay for San Diego Comic-Con 2011, but was worried that my intricate design may not be finished in time. Zatanna was my Plan B, although I ended up so pleased with it that I wore it in addition to Wonder Woman. I love this character and have plans for continued improvements on this look.
I found the frock coat for $12 at my local Goodwill store and tailored it to fit me well. I adjusted a shirt and corset that I already owned to give the proper look. The hat was the most difficult part, and I am not completely happy with how it looked. I will be looking for a good quality replacement before I wear this cosplay again.
**This costume was created before I started my blog. Sorry that I didn’t document its creation! Please feel free to email me if you have any questions!**
Belle Gown
Belle was my hero as a child. She always had her nose in a book (like I did) and her best friend was a horse (another thing we had in common)! As an adult, I watched La Belle et la Bête and loved the stylization which inspired so much of the Disney classic. I decided to do a more accurate historical French gown for my Belle, but still stayed true to the colors in the film. There are over 40 yards of fabric in this outfit. A traditional bodice is worn underneath the gown to give it the appropriate shape.
I created this costume for the 2011 Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade Ball in Los Angeles. It's an incredible event, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes costumes! They are incredible!
**This costume was created before I started my blog. Sorry that I didn't document its creation! Please feel free to email me if you have any questions!**